Publications

Article

The Business Case for Curiosity

By: Francesca Gino

Although leaders might say they value inquisitive minds, in reality most stifle curiosity, fearing it will increase risk and inefficiency. Harvard Business School’s Francesca Gino elaborates on the benefits of and common barriers to curiosity in the workplace and... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Employees; Creativity; Cognition and Thinking; Learning; Decision Making; Performance Effectiveness

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November 2020
Case

Valuing Celgene's CVR

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel Fisher

When Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) acquired Celgene Corporation in November 2019, Celgene shareholders received cash, BMS stock, and a contingent value right (CVRs) that would pay $9 if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved three of Celgene’s late stage... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Value; Valuation; Judgments; Decision Making; Cash Flow; Financial Instruments; Cognition and Thinking; Pharmaceutical Industry; Biotechnology Industry; United States

21 Apr 2021
Research & Ideas

The Pandemic Conversations That Leaders Need to Have Now

means closeness, and while social distancing remains important to mitigating the spread of COVID-19, psychological proximity—interpersonal trust, alignment on values and strategy, shared understanding of key facts—has never been more... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg, Robin Abrahams, and Katherine Connolly Baden

06 Mar 2020
Book

A Great Teacher's Lessons for Leading

of the group and each professional or student. But here’s the key difference from a contractual relationship: They are generous in the ways they meet the objectives of others. In a contractual relationship, leaders and teachers show up to fulfill their obligations from... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Education

08 Feb 2021
Book

How to Make the World Better, Not Perfect

fisheterian.” I knew the word “pescatarian,” but I was making a very bad attempt at humor. After the talk, the cognitive psychologist Doug Medin approached me. Before I tell you what he said, it’s important to know that Doug is a friend... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

Web

Organizational Behavior Awards & Honors - Faculty & Research

Cognitive and Emotional Framing in Innovation Adoption by Incumbent Firms" with Mary Ann Glynn and Michael Tushman (July 2019) received a 2020 Strategic Management Journal Certificate of Achievement which is given for SMJ articles in the... View Details

September 2013 (Revised August 2015)
Background Note

Leadership and Teaming

By: Ethan Bernstein

Small differences in the leadership of teams can have large consequences for the success of their efforts. Many initiatives fail not because of a fatal error in judgment or insufficient ideas, knowledge, motivation, or capabilities to deliver a solution. They fail... View Details

Keywords: Teams; Teaming; Leadership And Managing People; Leadership; Team Effectiveness; Team Performance; Team Design; Team Leadership; Teamwork; Team Process; Team Function; Team Launch; 60/30/10 Rule; Team Boundary; Distribution Of Leadership Authority; Self-Managed Teams; Virtual Teams; Unbounded Teams; Acts Of Leadership; Execution Teams; Decision Making Teams; Creativity Teams; Team Size; Task Design; Team Timeline; Team Roles; Team Representation; Diversity; Team Familiarity; Collective Intelligence; Team Stages Of Development; Team Coaching; Performance Pressure; X-Teams; Team Focus; Interaction; Management Teams; Managerial Roles; Management Systems; Management Style; Management Skills; Management Practices and Processes; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Efficiency; Performance Productivity; Groups and Teams; Networks; Social Psychology; Behavior; Conflict and Resolution; Creativity; Social and Collaborative Networks; Satisfaction; Prejudice and Bias; Power and Influence; Personal Characteristics; Familiarity; Cognition and Thinking; Attitudes; Projects; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Knowledge Sharing; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Design; Interpersonal Communication; Accommodations Industry; Accounting Industry; Advertising Industry; Aerospace Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Air Transportation Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Auto Industry; Banking Industry; Battery Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Bicycle Industry; Biotechnology Industry; Chemical Industry; Communications Industry; Computer Industry; Construction Industry; Consulting Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Distribution Industry; Education Industry; Electronics Industry; Employment Industry; Energy Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Fashion Industry; Financial Services Industry; Fine Arts Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Forest Products Industry; Forestry Industry; Green Technology Industry; Health Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Information Industry; Information Technology Industry; Insurance Industry; Journalism and News Industry; Legal Services Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Mining Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motorcycle Industry; Music Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Public Administration Industry; Public Relations Industry; Publishing Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Rail Industry; Real Estate Industry; Retail Industry; Rubber Industry; Semiconductor Industry; Service Industry; Shipping Industry; Sports Industry; Steel Industry; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Tourism Industry; Transportation Industry; Travel Industry; Utilities Industry; Video Game Industry; Web Services Industry; Asia; North and Central America; South America; Atlantic Ocean; Central Asia; Europe; Latin America; Middle East; Oceania; West Indies

November 1999 (Revised March 2003)
Case

Webvan: Groceries on the Internet

By: John A. Deighton and Kayla Bakshi

What are the prospects for grocery shopping on the Web? This case invites a comparison of seven business models, with particular emphasis on Webvan. Why does the investment community value Webvan at $7.8 billion after less than six months of operating experience, and... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Experience and Expertise; Investment; Information; Marketing; Distribution Channels; Service Delivery; Cognition and Thinking; Internet and the Web; Retail Industry; Service Industry

11 Feb 2013
Research & Ideas

Neuroeconomics: Eyes, Brain, Business

how we distinguish the cognizant from the mindless. "What I'm interested in is how and why the brain evolved to pay attention to other people," says Looser, a fellow at Harvard Business School who sports a PhD in cognitive neuroscience.... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

2000
Chapter

Kaleidoscope Thinking

By: R. M. Kanter

Keywords: Cognition and Thinking

Feb 2009 - 2009
Conference Presentation

Complexity and Unconscious Thought: To Go Where Conscious Thought Has Not Gone Before

Keywords: Cognition and Thinking

June 8, 2022
Article

How to Have Better Dreams and Better Sleep

By: Robin Abrahams and Boris Groysberg

Increasingly, leaders are coming to understand the importance of sleep for physical and mental wellbeing—but nightmares and bad dreams destroy sleep quality. The good news? It's more possible than most people realize to reduce nightmares and have better dreams. View Details

Keywords: Sleep; Well-being; Cognition and Thinking

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January 2021
Article

A Model of Relative Thinking

By: Benjamin Bushong, Matthew Rabin and Joshua Schwartzstein

Fixed differences loom smaller when compared to large differences. We propose a model of relative thinking where a person weighs a given change along a consumption dimension by less when it is compared to bigger changes along that dimension. In deterministic settings,... View Details

Keywords: Relative Thinking; Econometric Models; Behavior; Cognition and Thinking

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June 2024
Technical Note

Algorithmic Thinking

By: Michael Parzen and Jo Ellery

This note discusses the fundamentals of algorithmic thinking as it applies to enterprise. It covers both the basics of algorithmic thinking, as well as how to cultivate an algorithmic approach to problem solving. View Details

Keywords: Cognition and Thinking