Publications

05 Aug 2022
Research & Ideas

Why People Crave Feedback—and Why We’re Afraid to Give It

provider that they had an unsightly smudge on their face. The field study points to an uncomfortable truth: Even in cases where people have little to lose, they withhold needed feedback from others who could use it. Part of the reason why... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

February 2018
Case

Road Rage at the DMV

By: Andrew Wasynczuk, Katherine Baldiga Coffman and Karim Sameh

When Hewlett-Packard Enterprise notified the Rhode Island's Governor's Office that it wouldn't be able to deliver a "fully-functioning" technology upgrade for the Department of Motor Vehicles, both parties had reached a breaking point. While HPE argued that it would... View Details

Keywords: Department Of Motor Vehicles; Hewlett Packard; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; HP; HPE; Dispute Resolution; Litigation; Governor; Government; Dispute; Negotiation Process; Conflict and Resolution; Negotiation; Government and Politics; Technology Industry; Rhode Island

August 24, 2020
Editorial

How to (Actually) Save Time When You're Working Remotely

By: Lauren C. Howe, A.V. Whillans and Jochen I. Menges

The pandemic has given many of us the opportunity to ditch the commute and work from home long-term, offering huge potential time savings. But to truly reap the benefits of remote work during the current crisis and beyond, we need to think proactively about how we... View Details

Keywords: Time; Remote Work; COVID-19 Pandemic; Work-Life Balance; Time Management; Well-being

Read Now

September 2012
Article

The Bedside Manner of Homo Economicus: How and Why Priming an Economic Schema Reduces Compassion

By: Andrew Molinsky, Adam M. Grant and Joshua D. Margolis

We investigate how, why and when activating economic schemas reduces the compassion that individuals extend to others in need when delivering bad news. Across three experiments, we show that unobtrusively priming economic schemas decreases the compassion that... View Details

Keywords: Behavior; Framework; Emotions; Societal Protocols; Economics

30 Apr 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, April 30, 2019

multinational corporations in six main world regions: Asia, Europe, India, Latin America, North America, and Oceania (N = 5,852). Consistent with our theorizing, we found cross-cultural evidence that reward satisfaction promoted greater employee functioning through... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

Web

Behavioral Finance & Financial Stability

from Pension and Insurance companies. Regulatory changes are used to provide collaborating evidence that the curvature of the yield curve is shaped through this demand channel. Related Themes: Credit Markets, Size & Growth of the Financial Sector More Info Crisis of... View Details

April 2013
Article

What Roger Fisher Got Profoundly Right: Five Enduring Lessons for Negotiators

By: James K. Sebenius

Roger Fisher, who died in 2012, enjoyed a remarkable career that modeled one way that an academic, especially in a professional school such as law or business, could make a significant, positive, and lasting difference in the world. Distinctive aspects of his career... View Details

Keywords: Bargaining; Conflict Resolution; Dealmaking; Negotiation; Personal Development and Career; Conflict and Resolution

Article

Are You Suited for a Start-up?

By: Jeffrey Bussgang

Relative to established organizations, start-ups can be hard to figure out. What are the jobs to be done? The best entry points? How can you tell whether a company has potential for success and is the right fit for you? The author advises that you first assess... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Personal Characteristics; Job Search

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28 Jan 2019
Research & Ideas

Forget Cash. Here Are Better Ways to Motivate Employees

employees works Whillans says these types of rewards work because they tap into three strong psychological needs: Employees long for autonomy, with the freedom to choose how to do their work; they want to appear competent, armed with the... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

31 May 2023
HBS Case

From Prison Cell to Nike’s C-Suite: The Journey of Larry Miller

Gerdeman of HBS Working Knowledge. Inspired by the case "Larry Miller." Made possible by a Harvard Library Advancing Open Knowledge Grant and support from Baker Library at HBS. The Journey of Larry Miller VIDEO: Why Business Leaders Need... View Details

Keywords: by Jamal Meneide; Entertainment & Recreation; Consumer Products

03 May 2024
Research & Ideas

How Much Does Proximity Influence Startup Innovation? 20 Meters' Worth to Be Exact

ideas.” Roche suggests that in-person interactions may be particularly important if your organization depends on innovative thinking for success. “In that case,” she says, “you are going to need access to information you don’t already... View Details

Keywords: by Ben Rand

October 2021 (Revised May 2023)
Case

Project Maji: Pricing Water in Sub-Saharan Africa

By: Elie Ofek, Marco Bertini, Dilyana Karadzhova Botha and Esel Çekin

In July 2021, Sunil Lalvani, founder and CEO of Project Maji, a non-profit social enterprise headquartered in Dubai that had already provided sustainable, clean water solutions to 80,000 people living in rural communities across Ghana and Kenya, was facing an important... View Details

Keywords: Water; Pricing; Nonprofit Organizations; Projects; Price; Decision Making; Social Enterprise; Growth and Development Strategy; Equity; Green Technology; Social and Collaborative Networks; Africa; Dubai

May 2022 (Revised June 2024)
Case

LOOP: Driving Change in Auto Insurance Pricing

By: Elie Ofek and Alicia Dadlani

John Henry and Carey Anne Nadeau, co-founders and co-CEOs of LOOP, an insurtech startup based in Austin, Texas, were on a mission to modernize the archaic $250 billion automobile insurance market. They sought to create equitably priced insurance by eliminating pricing... View Details

Keywords: AI and Machine Learning; Technological Innovation; Equality and Inequality; Prejudice and Bias; Growth and Development Strategy; Customer Relationship Management; Price; Insurance Industry; Financial Services Industry

10 Oct 2023
Research & Ideas

In Empowering Black Voters, Did a Landmark Law Stir White Angst?

lead to the reactions that we’ve seen in our study and that might limit their intended goals?” There is evidence the law did accomplish some of its main goals for Black Americans, but future lawmakers need to take care to prevent similar... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

06 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Leaders Lose Their Way

stay connected to them. Often their spouse or partner knows them best. They aren't impressed by titles, prestige, or wealth accumulation; instead, they worry that these outward symbols may be causing the loss of authenticity. Spouses and partners can't carry this... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

04 Sep 2001
Research & Ideas

Is Government Just Stupid? How Bad Decisions Are Made

In "You Can't Enlarge the Pie," the authors argue that barriers to effective government decision making result in poor decisions about critical issues like the environment, organ transplants, and energy policy. Why? Because government leaders have hidden... View Details

Keywords: by Max H. Bazerman, Jonathan Baron & Katherine Shonk

31 Oct 2023
Research & Ideas

Beyond the 'Business Case' in DEI: 6 Steps Toward Meaningful Change

disconnect between a company’s stated argument for diversity and the psychological reality of decision-making. “Your employees, future employees, customers and investors are watching.” As some CEOs weigh the future of their company’s DEI... View Details

Keywords: by Katherine Hutt Scott and Barbara DeLollis

03 Jun 2009
Working Paper Summaries

It Is Okay for Artists to Make Money…No, Really, It’s Okay

Keywords: by Robert D. Austin & Lee Devin; Entertainment & Recreation

December 2004 (Revised August 2005)
Case

Managing a Public Image: Sophie Chen

By: Robin J. Ely and Ingrid Vargas

Sophie Chen, an Asian-American MBA student at Harvard Business School, describes a professional situation in which she was unable to mentor a junior person effectively because she disapproved of the way her Asian-American mentee conformed to an ethnic stereotype.... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Perception; Relationships; Diversity