- 08 Jun 2022
- Managing the Future of Work
Dropbox founder Drew Houston on streamlining the digital workspace
Is work-life balance possible when you’re always connected? The pandemic has forced advances in the digital underpinnings of remote and hybrid work. Dropbox has added apps and organizational advice to its ubiquitous cloud storage. Founder and CEO Drew Houston on the firm’s virtual-first strategy and his vision for an AI-powered, uncluttered digital workplace.
- 03 Jun 2022
- Research & Ideas
In a Work-from-Anywhere World, How Remote Will Workers Go?
Will professionals still choose cities if they have the option to work from the beach? Research by Prithwiraj Choudhury considers the radical ripple effects of remote work.
- 02 Jun 2022
- Research & Ideas
Blissful Thinking: When It Comes to Finding Happiness, 'Your Dreams Are Liars'
Happiness research is all the rage. Arthur Brooks shares how understanding the origins of joy can improve the way we lead organizations—and our personal lives.
- 01 Jun 2022
- What Do You Think?
Is Stakeholder Management Facing New Headwinds?
Shareholders aren't the only constituents for many companies today. But what happens when lightning-rod social issues and employee power come into play? James Heskett considers the future of stakeholder management. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 31 May 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
Corruption: New Insights for Fighting an Age-Old Business Problem
Corruption is as old as humanity, with cases documented as far back as the Egyptian dynasties. While the World Bank estimates that international bribery exceeds $1.5 trillion annually, the larger and more subtle effects of corruption on economies and populations is incalculable. Harvard Business School professors Geoff Jones and Tarun Khanna explore how corruption uniquely affects business in emerging markets, and why it should be addressed by the public and private sectors in their case, “Corruption and Business in Emerging Markets,” and companion video interviews with more than 100 iconic entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
- 26 May 2022
- Managing the Future of Work
Wholesale upskilling: Walmart’s workforce value proposition
Businesses are getting strategic about skills building, focusing on what they and their employees need to reach their respective goals. As the largest private employer in the U.S., Walmart is looking to influence the direction of education and training, from basic skills through post-secondary credentials. Joe Fuller welcomes Lorraine Stomski, Walmart's Senior Vice President of Enterprise Leadership and Learning.
- 26 May 2022
- HBS Case
Apple vs. Feds: Is iPhone Privacy a Basic Human Right?
Leaders today must be ready to take a stand on thorny social and political issues. A case study by Nien-hê Hsieh and Henry McGee examines how Apple CEO Tim Cook turned calls for data access into a rallying cry for privacy, and the complexities that followed.
- 24 May 2022
- Research & Ideas
Career Advice for Minorities and Women: Sharing Your Identity Can Open Doors
Women and people of color tend to minimize their identities in professional situations, but highlighting who they are often forces others to check their own biases. Research by Edward Chang and colleagues.
- 18 May 2022
- Climate Rising
How New Belgium is Fighting Climate Change One Pint at a Time
Katie Wallace, Chief ESG Officer of New Belgium Brewing Company, and Adam Fetcher, Senior Director of Communications and Public Engagement, discuss how climate change’s impacts on their operations and ingredients led them to engage with policymakers and take their climate message to their beer customers. They share how the company has integrated climate action into its operations and supply chain, how they encourage customers to hold companies accountable for the climate plans, and offer advice for those interested in pursuing a career in climate and business. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guests: Katie Wallace, Chief ESG Officer, New Belgium Brewing Company & Adam Fetcher, Senior Director of Communications and Public Engagement, New Belgium Brewing Company
- 18 May 2022
- Research & Ideas
Are Banks the ‘Bad Guys’? Overdraft Fees Are Crushing Low-Income Customers
Payday lenders have been accused of exploiting poor consumers, but traditional banks exact a similar toll through overdraft fees. Research by Marco Di Maggio and Emily Williams shows how seemingly innocuous checking accounts can become vehicles for financial distress.
- 17 May 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
Delivering a Personalized Shopping Experience with AI
THE YES, a shopping app for fashion brands, uses a sophisticated algorithm to create and deliver a personalized store for every shopper, based on her style preferences, size, and budget. After launching the app in 2020, the founders had to decide whether to continue developing the algorithm to deliver on the company’s customer value proposition or to focus their resources on new customer acquisition, with the idea that more users on the app would improve the algorithm's performance. Senior Lecturer Jill Avery and The YES co-founder and CEO Julie Bornstein discuss this make-or-break dilemma in the case, The YES: Reimagining the Future of e-Commerce with Artificial Intelligence (AI). This episode was recorded live at Harvard Business School on March 30, 2022 as part of our Case Method 100 celebration.
- 13 May 2022
- Research & Ideas
Company Reviews on Glassdoor: Petty Complaints or Signs of Potential Misconduct?
Online reviews by employees can signal internal factors that raise the risk of scandal. Research by Dennis Campbell, who analyzed reviews of 4,000 companies, offers insights for managers trying to prevent misdeeds long before they happen.
- 12 May 2022
- Book
Why Digital Is a State of Mind, Not Just a Skill Set
You don't have to be a machine learning expert to manage a successful digital transformation. In fact, you only need 30 percent fluency in a handful of technical topics, say Tsedal Neeley and Paul Leonardi in their book, The Digital Mindset.
- 11 May 2022
- Managing the Future of Work
Virtually present: Meta’s vision for the hybrid workplace
The pandemic has forced businesses to reassess how, where, and when work gets done. The competition to provision this transformation is intense. Facebook parent Meta is looking to bridge the community experience of social media and the collaborative aspects of work via familiar interfaces and new, virtual experiences. Christine Trodella joins Bill Kerr.
- 10 May 2022
- Research & Ideas
Being Your Own Boss Can Pay Off, but Not Always with Big Pay
Working for yourself might bring freedom and autonomy, but it increasingly comes with a major risk: low pay. Research by William Kerr explores the shifting sands of self-employment.
- 05 May 2022
- Research & Ideas
Why Companies Raise Their Prices: Because They Can
Markups on household items started climbing years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have realized just how much consumers will pay for the brands they love, says research by Alexander MacKay. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 May 2022
- HBS Case
College Degrees: The Job Requirement Companies Seek, but Don't Really Need
Hiring platforms routinely screen out experienced candidates simply because they aren't college graduates. With millions of openings going unfilled, Boris Groysberg says that companies should look for skills instead of degrees.
- 04 May 2022
- Managing the Future of Work
Can Handshake’s endless college job fair democratize employment?
The pandemic has underscored the value of distance learning and remote work and bolstered the case for virtualizing the college-to-career connection. Over the past decade, Handshake has established itself as the dominant jobs network and recruiting platform. Co-founder and CEO Garrett Lord explains how taking the campus out of the equation levels the playing field.
- 04 May 2022
- Climate Rising
How Footwear Startup Allbirds is Decarbonizing Fashion
In this bonus episode, sustainable footwear brand Allbirds co-founder and co-CEO Joey Zwillinger, Prof. Michael Toffel, and Cold Call host Brian Kenny discuss the growing environmental impact of the fashion industry, and how Allbirds is balancing a critical tension between sharing its know-how and material innovations with competitors to scale its efforts to decarbonize fashion, while also retaining brand differentiation. This was originally broadcast on the HBS Cold Call podcast episode profiling the HBS case, “Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion,” which Prof. Toffel wrote with Ken Pucker and Eren Kuzucu. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest: Joey Zwillinger, co-founder and co-CEO, Allbirds
From Truck Driver to Manager: US Foods’ Novel Approach to Staff Shortages
Restaurant closures, supply disruptions, and now, worker shortages. The pandemic has been hard on food suppliers. A case study by David Bell looks at the innovative thinking that helped one of the industry's biggest companies stabilize staffing—and grow.