Weaknesses - Publications - Faculty & Research

2021
Working Paper

Multi-location Workers in Multinational Firms? Tradeoffs in Contextual Specialization of Employees and Organizational Outcomes

By: Hise O. Gibson, Ryan W. Buell and Prithwiraj Choudhury

We study how “contextual specialization,” the act of focusing workers’ organizational tasks within a particular locational context, and “contextual non-specialization,” the practice of diversifying workers’ organizational tasks among multiple locational contexts,... View Details

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Performance; Experience and Expertise; Selection and Staffing; Strength and Weakness; Personal Development and Career

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10 Nov 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

Research News and Tips: Innovating Across Time Zones

Harvard Business Review 98, no. 5 (September–October 2020): 98–105. Weaknesses in supply chain strategy exposed As anyone who went grocery shopping in the early days of the pandemic can tell you, empty shelves revealed how COVID-19 did a... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

01 Aug 2016
Research & Ideas

Retail Execs Underplay Current Performance to Investors--but Why?

the paper says. With some evidence that “a few are behaving badly,” Froot says the findings might prompt the US Securities and Exchange Commission to scrutinize weaknesses in the announcement process. “We definitely think this merits... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Financial Services

04 Jun 2014
What Do You Think?

Does Internet Technology Threaten Brand Loyalty?

information technologies will punish weak brands faster and more severely than in the past. That's the general sense I received from responses to this month's column. There was a minority opinion, however. As Carl P. put it, "If you... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Advertising; Consumer Products; Technology

28 May 2007
Research & Ideas

How Property Ownership Changes Your World View

a home, and achieve some level of success, security, and happiness. But how does this vision change in parts of the world where property rights, if they are present at all, are threatened by weak law enforcement, corruption, crime, and... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

02 Aug 2006
Research & Ideas

Investor Protection: The Czech Experience

characters, and its resolution was not really satisfying, given that the Czech public ended up paying (literally) for the weakness of their country's property and contract laws. How did you become interested in this story, and what... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Media & Broadcasting; Entertainment & Recreation

June 2011
Article

The Paradox of Excellence

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Sara DeLong

Why is it that so many smart, ambitious professionals are less productive and satisfied than they could be? We argue that it's often because they're afraid to demonstrate any sign of weakness. They're reluctant to ask important questions or try new... View Details

Keywords: Employees; Innovation and Invention; Strength and Weakness; Performance Productivity; Risk and Uncertainty; Motivation and Incentives; Satisfaction

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18 Jan 2012
Research & Ideas

Beyond Heroic Entrepreneurs

have built national or global organizations that have achieved social impact. This focus on success stories has led to a skewed view of social entrepreneurship as nothing more or less than a field of huge, realized dreams. “A big weakness... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

03 Mar 2008
Research & Ideas

Marketing Your Way Through a Recession

strong positions and the most productive cost structures in their industries, can expect to gain market share. Other companies with healthy balance sheets can do so by acquiring weak competitors. 8. Emphasize core values. Although most... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

06 Mar 2012
First Look

First Look: March 6

PublicationsStrength in Numbers: The Political Power of Weak Interests Author:Gunnar Trumbull Publication:Harvard University Press, forthcoming Abstract This book investigates the sources of interest group influence has on public... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

04 Jan 2021
What Do You Think?

How Do We Sustain Organization Diversity?

successes, the distraction of a later effort to improve gender diversity, the disproportionate number of Black employees laid off in a major downsizing, a drop in the number of Black candidates in the pipeline, and weak retention of those... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

15 Sep 2016
Research & Ideas

Political Dysfunction Makes America Less Competitive

economic growth and prosperity. The news isn’t completely bleak. The US still retains a variety of key strengths in areas like higher education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. But those advantages are being offset by weaknesses in... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

28 Aug 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: History Matters

compromised its legitimacy. The business history literature is extremely weak in Africa, and not much better in Latin America, many Asian countries, and the Middle East. What Can The Work Of Joseph Schumpeter Tell Us About Modern... View Details

Keywords: Re: Geoffrey G. Jones & Anthony Mayo

12 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Solving COVID'S Mental Health Crisis

community through board work at Rising Ground and Service Program for Older People, both of which have rallied to help New York City through the crisis,” he says. Pandemic exposes underlying weaknesses in health care In Canada, mental... View Details

Keywords: by Howard Stevenson and Shirley Spence; Health

02 Jan 2008
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Stories 2007

but can't get them to synchronize. Handicapping the Best Countries for Business India? South Africa? Russia? Which are the best countries for a firm to invest in? In a new book, Professor Richard Vietor looks at the economic, political, and structural strengths and... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

08 Jan 2007
What Do You Think?

Neuro Economics: Science or Science Fiction?

weak brands, even for mundane products. Does this influence purchase decisions? Stay tuned. Just how earth-shaking is this? After all, the late Milton Friedman was said to be most proud of his work with Simon Kuznets in which they... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

15 Oct 2001
Research & Ideas

Rethinking E-Leadership

you don't model the importance of sweating the details. Downturns expose the weaknesses in your internal systems, observes Chuang. Technical expertise—the ability to solve cash flow problems, interpret what customers are really saying, or... View Details

Keywords: by Melissa Raffoni

23 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

The Gulf: It’s a Family Affair

so that the kids grow up to be responsible about their lives and don't become, not only a drain financially for us, but a pain in our hearts and an embarrassment socially? Those are universal concerns. One part of the work I do is getting families to understand the... View Details

Keywords: by Wendy Guild & Andrea Schulman

24 Jun 2016
Op-Ed

Why Brexit is a Big Deal

of England has clearly prepared thoroughly for Brexit. But few British or European businesses have any contingency plans. The Brexit vote will drive Europe into recession and highlight further the structural weakness of its social... View Details