- 01 Aug 2017
- First Look
First Look at New Research and Ideas, August 1
The surprising consequences of brand flirtation ... Is the Watson strategy working at IBM? ... What managers owe society.
- 31 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
In Pursuit of Everyday Creativity
This paper describes the most compelling research trends around creativity and innovation. It suggests that 1) creative behavior of ordinary individuals is likely to become more important to the development of products and services, and 2) future studies should focus on such creative behavior—and related psychological states and environmental contexts—as it happens.
- 31 Jul 2017
- HBS Case
It’s Hard to Fix the Family Business Without Offending the Family
Navigating complex relationships and understanding unwritten processes are among the many challenges of transitioning a family-owned business to the next generation. Len Schlesinger, Michael Raiche, and Roger Zhu discuss the dilemmas of a small Vietnamese restaurant in the case study “Pho Hoa Dorchester.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 26 Jul 2017
- Cold Call Podcast
The Revolution in Advertising: From Don Draper to Big Data
The Mad Men of advertising are being replaced by data scientists and analysts. In this podcast, marketing professor John Deighton and advertising legend Sir Martin Sorrell discuss the positives and negatives of digital marketing. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 25 Jul 2017
- First Look
First Look at New Research and Ideas: July 25, 2017
Banning protections on M&A deals...Effectively measuring the patient experience...Considering the efficacy of 'quadratic voting.'
- 24 Jul 2017
- Research & Ideas
People Have an Irrational Need to Complete 'Sets' of Things
People are irrationally motivated to complete arbitrary sets of tasks, donations, or purchases—and organizations can take advantage of that, according to new research by Kate Barasz, Leslie John, Elizabeth Keenan, and Michael Norton. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 21 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Organizational Structures and the Improvement of Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: Legalization, Participation, and Economic Incentives
Suppliers face increasing pressure from the institutional environment as well as demands from buyers to improve working conditions. This study analyzes the internal organizational dynamics of more than 3,000 supplier firms in 55 countries. Findings call for looking beyond the symbolism of organizational structures and attending to how they can be linked with real implementation and improvement.
- 19 Jul 2017
- Research & Ideas
Why Government 'Nudges' Motivate Good Citizen Behavior
Research by John Beshears and colleagues finds that psychological nudges can be a cost-effective way for governments to get citizens to do the right thing. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 18 Jul 2017
- First Look
First Look at New Research and Ideas, July 18, 2017
The creative habits of ordinary people ... Pursuing innovation at Polaroid ... Do we know how to improve bad working conditions?
- 17 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
The Relevance of Broker Networks for Information Diffusion in the Stock Market
How information is generated by market participants, shared, and incorporated into prices is one of the key questions for understanding how financial markets operate. This study finds that intermediaries play a large role in the acquisition and dissemination of private information, which they extract from order flow and, more generally, from interaction with clients.
- 17 Jul 2017
- Op-Ed
Op-Ed: As America Recedes from Global Leadership, Its CEOs are Stepping Up
CEOs and other business leaders are speaking loud and clear on global issues of monumental importance, says Bill George. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 13 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Catering Through Disclosure: Evidence from Shanghai-Hong Kong Connect
The researcher studies firms’ use of disclosure to build investor confidence when they operate in a market where the institutions that support the supply of credible information are weak.
- 12 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Task Selection and Workload: A Focus on Completing Easy Tasks Hurts Long-Term Performance
Employees facing increased workloads usually tackle easier tasks first. This study tests the performance implications of such prioritization. Findings show that it happens because people feel positive emotions after task completion, yet it could hurt long-term performance. Workloads could be structured to help employee development as well as organizational performance.
- 12 Jul 2017
- Book
What Jane Austen and Mel Brooks Can Teach Us About Finance
A new book by Mihir Desai links the fundamentals of finance to several centuries of literature, history, philosophy, music, visual arts, theater, and comedy to make the subject seem less mystifying—and more humanizing—to a broad audience of non-financiers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Jul 2017
- First Look
First Look at New Ideas and Research, July 11
Is it better to start with the low-hanging fruit on your task list? ... Fixing meeting misery ... Do carbon tariffs work?
- 10 Jul 2017
- Op-Ed
Op-Ed: It’s a Bad Idea to Ban Customers From Recording Videos
With videos of bad business practices routinely going viral, it might be tempting to prohibit customers from recording their surroundings. But banning cameras is the wrong way to go, says Benjamin Edelman. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 06 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Do All Your Detailing Efforts Pay Off? Dynamic Panel Data Methods Revisited
Personal selling in the form of detailing to physicians is the main go-to-market practice in the pharmaceutical industry. This paper provides a practical framework to analyze the effectiveness of detailing efforts. The method and empirical insights can help firms allocate sales-force resources more efficiently and devise optimal routes and call-pattern designs.
- 05 Jul 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Designing an Agile Software Portfolio Architecture: The Impact of Coupling on Performance
This study deepens our understanding of how firms can better design software portfolio architectures to improve their agility. The authors examined data from over 1,000 different software applications and 3,000 dependencies between them. They found that indirect measures of coupling and dependency have more power in predicting IT agility than direct measures.
- 05 Jul 2017
- What Do You Think?
Can Innovation Save Us From Ourselves?
SUMMING UP Can technology save the world from its most pressing problems? James Heskett's readers aren't overly optimistic. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Business History, the Great Divergence and the Great Convergence
Among economic historians, the Great Divergence means the rise of the income gap between the West and the Rest since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The more recent Great Convergence is a narrowing of that gap. This paper integrates a business history perspective into debates surrounding these macro transformations. It calls for greater attention to micro processes that generate productive firms and entrepreneurs.