- 15 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
A Major Roadblock for Autonomous Cars: Motorists Believe They Drive Better
With all the advances in autonomous vehicle technology, why aren't self-driving cars chauffeuring more people around? Research by Julian De Freitas, Stuti Agarwal, and colleagues reveals a simple psychological barrier: Drivers are overconfident about their own abilities, so they resist handing over the wheel.
- 13 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
Picture This: Why Online Image Searches Drive Purchases
Smaller sellers' products often get lost on large online marketplaces. However, harnessing images in search can help consumers find these products faster, increasing sales and customer satisfaction, finds research by Chiara Farronato and colleagues.
- 09 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
Called Back to the Office? How You Benefit from Ideas You Didn't Know You Were Missing
As companies continue to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of remote work, a study of how knowledge flows among academic researchers by Karim Lakhani, Eamon Duede, and colleagues offers lessons for hybrid workplaces. Does in-person work provide more opportunities for innovation than people realize?
- 08 May 2024
- Climate Rising
Green Concrete: Decarbonizing Construction with Recycled Glass
The first of a series on decarbonizing the roots of value chains, where we’re looking deep into supply chains that serve many industries, this episode focuses on concrete. Concrete is one of the world’s most popular materials, and it accounts for nearly 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, most of which comes from cement– the glue that binds conventional forms of concrete. We focus on one type of green concrete produced by Urban Mining Industries that replaces half of the cement with recycled glass that makes its product much less carbon intensive. We present this story through an episode of the HBR Cold Call podcast, where host Brian Kenny interviews HBS professors Shirley Lu and Bob Kaplan. They discuss how Harvard is pilot testing the use of green concrete in its current construction projects as part of the university’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. They’ll also discuss various methods to measure carbon emissions, including the e-liability approach Bob Kaplan lays out in a recent Harvard Business Review article.
- 07 May 2024
- Cold Call Podcast
Lessons in Business Innovation from Legendary Restaurant elBulli
Ferran Adrià, chef at legendary Barcelona-based restaurant elBulli, was facing two related decisions. First, he and his team must continue to develop new and different dishes for elBulli to guarantee a continuous stream of innovation, the cornerstone of the restaurant's success. But they also need to focus on growing the restaurant’s business. Can the team balance both objectives? Professor Michael I. Norton discusses the connections between creativity, emotions, rituals, and innovation – and how they can be applied to other domains – in the case, “elBulli: The Taste of Innovation,” and his new book, The Ritual Effect.
- 06 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
The Critical Minutes After a Virtual Meeting That Can Build Up or Tear Down Teams
Weak communication and misunderstandings during virtual meetings can give way to resentment and rifts when the cameras turn off. Research by Leslie Perlow probes the nuances of digital communication. She offers advice for improving remote teamwork.
- 03 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
How Much Does Proximity Influence Startup Innovation? 20 Meters' Worth to Be Exact
When it comes to sharing ideas, how much does close proximity matter? A study by Maria Roche evaluates how knowledge spreads in a coworking space, providing insights that could help shape the debate over remote work.
- 01 May 2024
- Managing the Future of Work
Wharton’s Peter Cappelli on changing the talent equation
What are the consequences of treating employees as an expense rather than an asset? Cappelli argues that this “penny wise and pound foolish” practice hurts the bottom line by discouraging investments in a skilled workforce and prioritizing downsizing, irrespective of efficiency. How changes in management and reporting can realign incentives. Also, C-suite demographics and the impact of AI.
- 01 May 2024
- What Do You Think?
Have You Had Enough?
James Heskett has been asking readers, “What do you think?” for 24 years on a wide variety of management topics. In this farewell column, Heskett reflects on the changing leadership landscape and thanks his readers for consistently weighing in over the years. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 30 Apr 2024
- Book
When Managers Set Unrealistic Expectations, Employees Cut Ethical Corners
Corporate misconduct has grown in the past 30 years, with losses often totaling billions of dollars. What businesses may not realize is that misconduct often results from managers who set unrealistic expectations, leading decent people to take unethical shortcuts, says Lynn S. Paine.
- 26 Apr 2024
- HBS Case
Deion Sanders' Prime Lessons for Leading a Team to Victory
The former star athlete known for flash uses unglamorous command-and-control methods to get results as a college football coach. Business leaders can learn 10 key lessons from the way 'Coach Prime' builds a culture of respect and discipline without micromanaging, says Hise Gibson.
- 24 Apr 2024
- Climate Rising
Helping Companies Become More Climate Resilient
In this episode in our adaptation series, Peter Hall, Managing Director at Resonance Impact Advisory, draws upon his experience in global engineering and professional services firms to share how consulting and advisory companies can help their clients assess their risks and take actions to become more resilient to climate change. He walks through several adaptation frameworks and roadmaps recently developed by governments, civil society, and private companies to help provide clarity and guidance on the steps necessary for more resilient companies and societies. For notes and resources visit; climaterising.org
- 23 Apr 2024
- Cold Call Podcast
Amazon in Seattle: The Role of Business in Causing and Solving a Housing Crisis
In 2020, Amazon partnered with a nonprofit called Mary’s Place and used some of its own resources to build a shelter for women and families experiencing homelessness on its campus in Seattle. Yet critics argued that Amazon’s apparent charity was misplaced and that the company was actually making the problem worse. Paul Healy and Debora Spar explore the role business plays in addressing unhoused communities in the case “Hitting Home: Amazon and Mary’s Place.”
- 23 Apr 2024
- In Practice
Getting to Net Zero: The Climate Standards and Ecosystem the World Needs Now
What can companies and regulators do as climate predictions grow grimmer? They should measure impact, strengthen environmental institutions, and look to cities to lead, say Robert Kaplan, Shirley Lu, and Rosabeth Moss Kanter.
- 22 Apr 2024
- Research & Ideas
When Does Impact Investing Make the Biggest Impact?
More investors want to back businesses that contribute to social change, but are impact funds the only approach? Research by Shawn Cole, Leslie Jeng, Josh Lerner, Natalia Rigol, and Benjamin Roth challenges long-held assumptions about impact investing and reveals where such funds make the biggest difference.
- 17 Apr 2024
- Managing the Future of Work
Western Governors University: Pursuing the network effects of competency based education
WGU President Scott Pulsipher returns to the podcast for an update on the online institution’s mission to extend the reach of skill-oriented instruction. The HBS alum argues that the focus on competency rather than credit hours democratizes college access and economic opportunity.
- 15 Apr 2024
- Book
Struggling With a Big Management Decision? Start by Asking What Really Matters
Leaders must face hard choices, from cutting a budget to adopting a strategy to grow. To make the right call, they should start by following their own “true moral compass,” says Joseph Badaracco.
- 11 Apr 2024
- Managing the Future of Work
Guest Appearance: Joe Fuller on CSU's Spur of the Moment
Managing the Future of Work co-chair Joe Fuller joins Colorado State University's Jocelyn Hittle to discuss his work on the Managing the Future of Work project and the Harvard Project on Workforce and to consider broader workforce trends.
- 11 Apr 2024
- In Practice
Why Progress on Immigration Might Soften Labor Pains
Long-term labor shortages continue to stoke debates about immigration policy in the United States. We asked Harvard Business School faculty members to discuss what's at stake for companies facing talent needs, and the potential scenarios on the horizon.
Can work-based learning revive college-for-all?
Propel America CEO Chad Rountree on rethinking the high school-to-career transition to meet the needs of low-income students, colleges, and employers.