Risk Assessment - Publications - Faculty & Research

16 Apr 2020
Research & Ideas

Has COVID-19 Broken the Global Value Chain?

the global value chain, and what more might we expect? Laura Alfaro and Ester Faia: In 2012, a survey by the World Economic Forum and [the consulting firm] Accenture, devoted to assess the risk of a... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

15 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

Women Leaders and Organizational Change

powerful who are resistant to change. Most people resist change, even when change might be in their interest, because change is threatening; it involves taking risks and experimenting, not knowing the outcome. This is hard for most people... View Details

Keywords: by Mallory Stark

19 Mar 2012
HBS Case

HBS Cases: Overcoming the Stress of ‘Englishnization’

In March 2010, CEO Hiroshi Mikitani (HBS MBA '93) stood in front of his employees at online retail giant Rakuten's Tokyo headquarters and dropped a bomb: all 7,100 workers would have two years to become proficient in English—the "language of business"—or... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard

18 Jul 2011
Research & Ideas

Looking in the Mirror: Questions Every Leader Must Ask

work on what they've told you." Not sure the assessment is accurate? Call a few close friends or loved ones and see what they think. Most likely, Kaplan says, they'll agree with your subordinates. "Leadership is a team... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

14 Jul 2022
Research & Ideas

When the Rubber Meets the Road, Most Commuters Text and Email While Driving

automated vehicles to navigate for them. “The risk is that the promise of extensive automation may provide a false sense of security,” says Sadun. “Our findings suggest that some drivers are already easily distracted, and unable to keep a... View Details

Keywords: by Jay Fitzgerald

04 Feb 2013
Research & Ideas

Are the Big Four Audit Firms Too Big to Fail?

the risks of failure. Adding to this concern is that even as the number of mega audit firms has contracted from eight in the 1980s to four today, their combined market share remains formidable, especially in the United States. The... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Accounting

14 Jun 2010
Research & Ideas

The Hard Work of Measuring Social Impact

Assessing an organization's impact on a large-scale societal issue such as poverty is a complex and costly effort. In the aftermath of Haiti's earthquake, for example, an organization like Oxfam America could be expected to provide data... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

24 Nov 2003
Research & Ideas

Boards and Corporate Governance: A Balanced Scorecard Approach

Strategic Business Unit (SBU) level, with emphasis on creation of a differentiated value proposition; 2) at the corporate level, through synergies and linkages based on corporate strategies; and 3) at the board level, by reducing the risk... View Details

Keywords: Re: Robert S. Kaplan & Krishna G. Palepu

06 Mar 2012
First Look

First Look: March 6

impact on the link between diversity and bottom-line performance. As expected, minorities' negative assessments of their team's learning environment precipitate a negative relationship between diversity and performance, irrespective of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

10 Sep 2001
Research & Ideas

Do You Have Change Fatigue?

yes." The consolidation phase is the time for measurement and rewards. The organization must be ready to make changes to the change plan, based on an honest assessment of what's working and what isn't. It is at these moments that the... View Details

Keywords: by Nick Morgan

18 Jul 2022
Research & Ideas

After the 'Crypto Crash,' What's Next for Digital Currencies?

precisely what they are—to information that would help people make assessments about which markets they want to be in and how much risk they’re taking on. Highlight it in the same way that we provide... View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette; Financial Services; Technology

16 Jul 2013
First Look

First Look: July 16

trust through warmth and understanding. Most leaders today approach their jobs by emphasizing competence, strength, and credentials. But without first building a foundation of trust, they run the risk of eliciting fear, resentment, or... View Details

Keywords: Anna Secino

04 Aug 2011
What Do You Think?

How Dangerous Is Common Sense to Managers?

Summing Up Does Common Sense Impede Change? Common sense is the decision-maker's friend when the decision has to be made rapidly, with a minimum of research or formal theory, with no more than moderate risk or consequences, and by... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

06 Aug 2019
Cold Call Podcast

Super Bowl Ads Sell Products, but Do They Sell Brands?

itself, is a real winner. That's a great combination. Kenny: What about trolls on the internet? They're the people who kind of lurk around and are looking for any opportunity to say something negative. Santana: Brands risk backlash all... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Sports; Entertainment & Recreation; Media & Broadcasting

14 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Restarting Under Uncertainty: Managerial Experiences from Around the World

on intangible capabilities, such as the ability to assess the value of the knowledge and skills that are already present within the firm and in some instances within its broader ecosystem; to rapidly understand how to redeploy them in new... View Details

Keywords: by Raffaella Sadun, Andrea Bertoni, Alexia Delfino, Giovanni Fassio, and Mariapaola Testa

17 Jul 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, July 17, 2018

and allies during and after the Iranian revolution of 1979. The article assesses the thinking behind the Tudeh’s strategy of unwavering support for Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his Islamist allies, even after other major leftist... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

06 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 6

company contemplating an investment to produce forest products in Indonesia. The primary case decisions are 1) how to assess political and operating risk, 2) how to integrate economic and political risk... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

23 Dec 2008
First Look

First Look: December 23, 2008

'compliance champion' and 'business partner'? Too much reliance on the regulatory crutch may erode the credibility of the risk function as a business partner, while too much emphasis on the business advisory function might weaken its... View Details