Publications

1982
Book

Quality of Work Life and the Supervisor

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger

October 2015
Article

The Value of Bosses

By: Edward P. Lazear, Kathryn L. Shaw and Christopher Stanton

How and by how much do supervisors enhance worker productivity? Using a company-based data set on the productivity of technology-based services workers, supervisor effects are estimated and found to be large. Replacing a boss who is in the lower 10% of boss quality... View Details

Keywords: Supervisors; Management Skills; Employees; Performance Productivity

Read Now

07 Feb 2023
Research & Ideas

Supervisor of Sandwiches? More Companies Inflate Titles to Avoid Extra Pay

If it seems like everyone is a manager these days, you may be onto something. Not only is there a profusion of assistant managers, there are also now carpet shampoo and food cart managers, directors of first impressions, assistant bingo managers, and price scanning... View Details

Keywords: by Scott Van Voorhis

1982
Article

Managerial Roles and Career Paths of Gatekeepers and Project Supervisors

By: R. Katz and Michael Tushman

Keywords: Management; Personal Development and Career

December 2012
Course Overview Note

Good Practices for Supervising an EC Independent Project

By: Ian W. Mackenzie

Spurred by the notion that Faculty Supervisors (FSs) can make a significant contribution to the educational value and overall success of Independent Projects (IPs) to students, this note offers a set of good practices which can be used to guide the policies and... View Details

Keywords: Independent Projects; Faculty Supervisor; Project Manager; Student Evaluation; Projects; Groups and Teams

August, 2024
Article

Absenteeism, Productivity, and Relational Contracts Inside the Firm

By: Achyuta Adhvaryu, Jean-François Gauthier, Anant Nyshadham and Jorge Tamayo

We study relational contracts among managers using a unique dataset that tracks transfers of workers across teams in Indian ready-made garment factories. We focus on how relational contracts help managers cope with worker absenteeism shocks, which are frequent, often... View Details

Keywords: Implicit Contracts; Productivity; Misallocation; Absenteeism; Supervisors; Readymade Garments; Performance Productivity; Employees; Relationships; Fashion Industry; India

22 Aug 2016
Research & Ideas

Master the One-on-One Meeting

Whether you’re a CEO or a line manager, your team is just as important as a group as its members are as individuals. Today’s tech companies offer many perks to attract and retain the best employees. We offer competitive salaries, training and the promise of... View Details

Keywords: by Julia B. Austin

02 Nov 2016
HBS Seminar

Antoinette Schoar, MIT Sloan School of Management

28 Jun 2020
News

The Disparate Racial Impact of Requiring a College Degree

July 1986
Background Note

Hints for Casewriting

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Helps casewriters and their supervisors to understand the basics of developing cases for classroom use. View Details

Keywords: Cases

November 2022
Article

My Boss' Passion Matters as Much as My Own: The Interpersonal Dynamics of Passion Are a Critical Driver of Performance Evaluations

By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Andreas Wihler and Adam D. Galinsky

Companies often celebrate employees who successfully pursue their passion. Academic research suggests that these positive evaluations occur because of the passion percolating inside the employee. We propose that supervisors are also a key piece of this puzzle:... View Details

Keywords: Passion; Job Performance; Motivation; Emotions; Performance Evaluation; Interpersonal Communication

August 1999
Case

Leaving

By: David A. Thomas

A company supervisor listens to an employee, an African American woman, announce she is leaving the company and tries to understand the situation. View Details

Keywords: Resignation and Termination; Retention; Race; Behavior; Diversity; Interpersonal Communication; Labor and Management Relations

25 Oct 2017
News

The Dangers of Degree Inflation

28 Jan 2021
News

'Degree inflation': How the four-year degree became required

June 1990 (Revised March 1991)
Case

Jonah Creighton (A)

By: Anne Donnellon and Joshua D. Margolis

How do you manage yourself and your interaction with others when you feel your personal values challenged? What should you be aware of as you proceed with sensitive, ethical issues? Jonah Creighton coordinates the company's fast-track training program, and when he... View Details

Keywords: Business Divisions; Ethics; Moral Sensibility; Values and Beliefs; Human Resources; Selection and Staffing; Problems and Challenges

May 2008
Article

Working in the Gray Zone

By: Michel Anteby

Supervisors often turn a blind eye when employees use company resources and time to work on personal projects. They realize that stamping out such behavior may do more harm than good. View Details

Keywords: Employee Relationship Management; Management Practices and Processes; Performance Effectiveness; Behavior

December 1980 (Revised September 1987)
Case

Francis, Berther and Alfreed

At a large advertising agency, a campaign for a major account develops problems at the last minute, and the campaign must be redone. The management supervisor must determine what went wrong, who was to blame, and what to do about it. View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Advertising Campaigns; Advertising Industry