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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(1,612)
- People (4)
- News (399)
- Research (1,057)
- Events (26)
- Multimedia (2)
- Faculty Publications (406)
- Forthcoming
- Article
Should Human Capital Development Programs Be Voluntary or Mandatory? Evidence from a Field Experiment
By: Jason Sandvik, Richard Saouma, Nathan Seegert and Christopher Stanton
In a field experiment, we find large differences in productivity treatment effects between voluntary and mandatory workplace mentorship programs. A significant portion of this difference is due to the best employees opting into the program when it is voluntary and... View Details
Keywords: Mentoring; Mentorship Programs; Randomized Controlled Trial; Performance Productivity; Employees; Talent and Talent Management; Programs
Sandvik, Jason, Richard Saouma, Nathan Seegert, and Christopher Stanton. "Should Human Capital Development Programs Be Voluntary or Mandatory? Evidence from a Field Experiment." Management Science (forthcoming).
- November, 2021
- Article
Self Control and Smartphone Use: An Experimental Study of Soft Commitment Devices
By: Ruru Hoong
Public discussion and discourse amongst researchers suggest that smartphone use is excessive from an individual welfare standpoint, but evidence for this remains limited. I implement a randomized intervention encouraging a subset of 629 participants to adopt soft... View Details
Keywords: Social Media; Commitment; Randomized Controlled Trial; Smartphones; Addiction; Technological Change: Choices And Consequences; Behavior; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Well-being
Hoong, Ruru. "Self Control and Smartphone Use: An Experimental Study of Soft Commitment Devices." Special Issue on Nudges and Incentives. European Economic Review 140 (November, 2021).
- July 2023
- Article
Design and Analysis of Switchback Experiments
By: Iavor I Bojinov, David Simchi-Levi and Jinglong Zhao
In switchback experiments, a firm sequentially exposes an experimental unit to a random treatment, measures its response, and repeats the procedure for several periods to determine which treatment leads to the best outcome. Although practitioners have widely adopted... View Details
Bojinov, Iavor I., David Simchi-Levi, and Jinglong Zhao. "Design and Analysis of Switchback Experiments." Management Science 69, no. 7 (July 2023): 3759–3777.
- 2023
- Working Paper
Efficient Discovery of Heterogeneous Quantile Treatment Effects in Randomized Experiments via Anomalous Pattern Detection
By: Edward McFowland III, Sriram Somanchi and Daniel B. Neill
In the recent literature on estimating heterogeneous treatment effects, each proposed method makes its own set of restrictive assumptions about the intervention’s effects and which subpopulations to explicitly estimate. Moreover, the majority of the literature provides... View Details
Keywords: Causal Inference; Program Evaluation; Algorithms; Distributional Average Treatment Effect; Treatment Effect Subset Scan; Heterogeneous Treatment Effects
McFowland III, Edward, Sriram Somanchi, and Daniel B. Neill. "Efficient Discovery of Heterogeneous Quantile Treatment Effects in Randomized Experiments via Anomalous Pattern Detection." Working Paper, 2023.
- Forthcoming
- Article
Engaging Customers with AI in Online Chats: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment
By: Shunyuan Zhang and Das Narayandas
We examine how artificial intelligence (AI) affected the productivity of customer service agents and customer sentiment in online interactions. Collaborating with a meal delivery company, we conducted a randomized field experiment that exploited exogenous variation in... View Details
- July–August 2022
- Article
How Do Disadvantaged Groups Seek Information about Public Services? A Randomized Controlled Trial of Communication Technologies
By: Katerina Linos, Melissa Carlson, Laura Jakli, Nadia Dalma, Isabelle Cohen, Afroditi Veloudaki and Stavros Nikiforos Spyrellis
Governments and NGOs are switching to phone- and Internet-based communication technologies to reduce costs and broaden access to public services. However, these technological shifts can backfire if they exacerbate administrative burden in high-need communities. We... View Details
Linos, Katerina, Melissa Carlson, Laura Jakli, Nadia Dalma, Isabelle Cohen, Afroditi Veloudaki, and Stavros Nikiforos Spyrellis. "How Do Disadvantaged Groups Seek Information about Public Services? A Randomized Controlled Trial of Communication Technologies." Public Administration Review 82, no. 4 (July–August 2022): 708–720.
- 2025
- Article
Statistical Inference for Heterogeneous Treatment Effects Discovered by Generic Machine Learning in Randomized Experiments
By: Kosuke Imai and Michael Lingzhi Li
Researchers are increasingly turning to machine learning (ML) algorithms to investigate causal heterogeneity in randomized experiments. Despite their promise, ML algorithms may fail to accurately ascertain heterogeneous treatment effects under practical settings with... View Details
Imai, Kosuke, and Michael Lingzhi Li. "Statistical Inference for Heterogeneous Treatment Effects Discovered by Generic Machine Learning in Randomized Experiments." Journal of Business & Economic Statistics 43, no. 1 (2025): 256–268.
- October–December 2022
- Article
Achieving Reliable Causal Inference with Data-Mined Variables: A Random Forest Approach to the Measurement Error Problem
By: Mochen Yang, Edward McFowland III, Gordon Burtch and Gediminas Adomavicius
Combining machine learning with econometric analysis is becoming increasingly prevalent in both research and practice. A common empirical strategy involves the application of predictive modeling techniques to "mine" variables of interest from available data, followed... View Details
Keywords: Machine Learning; Econometric Analysis; Instrumental Variable; Random Forest; Causal Inference; AI and Machine Learning; Forecasting and Prediction
Yang, Mochen, Edward McFowland III, Gordon Burtch, and Gediminas Adomavicius. "Achieving Reliable Causal Inference with Data-Mined Variables: A Random Forest Approach to the Measurement Error Problem." INFORMS Journal on Data Science 1, no. 2 (October–December 2022): 138–155.
- 2020
- Book
Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments
By: Stefan Thomke
Don’t fly blind. See how the power of experiments works for you. When it comes to improving customer experiences, trying out new business models, or developing new products, even the most experienced managers often get it wrong. They discover that intuition,... View Details
Keywords: Experimentation; Experiments; Market Research; Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Customers; Research
Thomke, Stefan. Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press, 2020.
- 2022
- Working Paper
Control and Fairness: What Determines Elected Local Leaders’ Support for Hosting Refugees in Their Community?
By: Kristin Fabbe, Eleni Kyrkopoulou, Konstantinos Matakos and Aslı Unan
When it comes to successful refugee reception the local level matters. Research overwhelmingly examines host communities' attitudes, but endorsement from local politicians is equally important to resolving conflicts and facilitating harmonious interaction. Yet, the... View Details
Keywords: Values; Control; Refugee Resettlement; Local Elites; Contact; Fair-share; Conjoint Experiment; Refugees; Integration; Local Range; Leadership; Attitudes; Fairness
Fabbe, Kristin, Eleni Kyrkopoulou, Konstantinos Matakos, and Aslı Unan. "Control and Fairness: What Determines Elected Local Leaders’ Support for Hosting Refugees in Their Community?" Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-088, February 2021. (Revised June 2022.)
- January–February 2022
- Article
Operational Disruptions, Firm Risk, and Control Systems
By: William Schmidt and Ananth Raman
Operational disruptions can impact a firm's risk, which manifests in a host of operational issues, including a higher holding cost for inventory, a higher financing cost for capacity expansion, and a higher perception of the firm's risk among its supply chain partners.... View Details
Keywords: Operational Risk; Operational Disruptions; Information Asymmetry; Control Systems; Operations; Disruption; Risk Management
Schmidt, William, and Ananth Raman. "Operational Disruptions, Firm Risk, and Control Systems." Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 24, no. 1 (January–February 2022): 411–429.
- June 2012
- Article
The Transparency Paradox: A Role for Privacy in Organizational Learning and Operational Control
Using data from embedded participant-observers and a field experiment at the second largest mobile phone factory in the world, located in China, I theorize and test the implications of transparent organizational design on workers' productivity and organizational... View Details
Keywords: Transparency; Privacy; Organizational Learning; Operational Control; Organizational Performance; Chinese Manufacturing; Field Experiment; Rights; Interpersonal Communication; Management Practices and Processes; Ethics; Corporate Disclosure; Performance Productivity; Boundaries; Organizations; Social and Collaborative Networks; Labor and Management Relations; Power and Influence; Manufacturing Industry; China
Bernstein, Ethan S. "The Transparency Paradox: A Role for Privacy in Organizational Learning and Operational Control." Administrative Science Quarterly 57, no. 2 (June 2012): 181–216.
- April 2023
- Article
Control and Fairness: What Determines Elected Local Leaders’ Support for Hosting Refugees in Their Community?
By: Kristin Fabbe, Eleni Kyrkopoulou, Konstantinos Matakos and Aslı Unan
When it comes to successful refugee reception, the local level matters. Research overwhelmingly examines host communities’ attitudes, but endorsement from local politicians is equally important to resolving conflicts and facilitating harmonious interaction. Yet the... View Details
Keywords: Values; Control; Refugee Resettlement; Local Elites; Contact; Fair-share; Conjoint Experiment; Refugees; Attitudes
Fabbe, Kristin, Eleni Kyrkopoulou, Konstantinos Matakos, and Aslı Unan. "Control and Fairness: What Determines Elected Local Leaders’ Support for Hosting Refugees in Their Community?" Journal of Politics 85, no. 2 (April 2023): 778–783.
- 2010
- Working Paper
Substitution Patterns of the Random Coefficients Logit
By: Thomas J. Steenburgh and Andrew Ainslie
Previous research suggests that the random coefficients logit is a highly flexible model that overcomes the problems of the homogeneous logit by allowing for differences in tastes across individuals. The purpose of this paper is to show that this is not true. We prove... View Details
Steenburgh, Thomas J., and Andrew Ainslie. "Substitution Patterns of the Random Coefficients Logit." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 10-053, January 2010.
- March 2020
- Article
A Revolution in Economics? It's Just Getting Started...
By: Shawn A. Cole, William Pariente and Anja Sautmann
We have each experienced thrills and pain while supporting the mission of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which facilitated many of the experiments described in the 2019 Nobel Prize citation. J-PAL in many ways seeks to fulfill what Angrist and Pischke... View Details
Cole, Shawn A., William Pariente, and Anja Sautmann. "A Revolution in Economics? It's Just Getting Started..." Art. 104849. World Development 127 (March 2020).
- 2022
- Article
Social Interactivity in Live Video Experiences Reduces Loneliness
By: Benjamin T. Kaveladze, Robert R. Morris, Rosa Victoria Dimitrova-Gammeltoft, Amit Goldenberg, James J. Gross, Judd Antin, Melissa Sandgren and Melissa C. Thomas-Hunt
Background: Loneliness, especially when chronic, can substantially reduce one's quality of life. However, positive social experiences might help to break cycles of loneliness by promoting more prosocial cognitions and behaviors. Internet-mediated live video... View Details
Keywords: Lonelines; Social Connection; Internet-mediated Communication; Experiment; Emotions; Well-being; Interpersonal Communication; Internet
Kaveladze, Benjamin T., Robert R. Morris, Rosa Victoria Dimitrova-Gammeltoft, Amit Goldenberg, James J. Gross, Judd Antin, Melissa Sandgren, and Melissa C. Thomas-Hunt. "Social Interactivity in Live Video Experiences Reduces Loneliness." Frontiers in Digital Health 4:859849 (2022).
The Power of Experiments
Have you logged into Facebook recently? Searched for something on Google? Chosen a movie on Netflix? If so, you've probably been an unwitting participant in a variety of experiments—also known as randomized controlled trials—designed to test the impact of... View Details
- May 2023
- Article
Do Internal Control Weaknesses Affect Firms' Demand for Financial Skills? Evidence from U.S. Job Postings
By: Janet Gao, Kenneth J. Merkley, Joseph Pacelli and Joseph H. Schroeder
Ineffective internal controls over financial reporting often relates to a lack of qualified personnel with sufficient accounting and technical expertise. In this study, we examine whether firms respond to internal control failures by increasing their demand for... View Details
Keywords: Internal Controls; Labor Demand; Accounting; Financial Reporting; Experience and Expertise; Recruitment; Competency and Skills; Corporate Finance
Gao, Janet, Kenneth J. Merkley, Joseph Pacelli, and Joseph H. Schroeder. "Do Internal Control Weaknesses Affect Firms' Demand for Financial Skills? Evidence from U.S. Job Postings." Accounting Review 98, no. 3 (May 2023): 203–228.
- October 1996 (Revised December 1996)
- Case
United Electric Controls
By: H. Kent Bowen, Jody H. Gittell and Sylvie Ryckebusch
United Electric Controls (UE) was a small, traditional family-owned manufacturing company when Dave Reis, the youngest member of the Reis family, took over the business. This case describes Reis's efforts to change UE's traditional work practices in order to make the... View Details
Keywords: Change Management; Family Business; Production; Business Strategy; Human Resources; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Decisions; Growth and Development Strategy; Information Technology; Electronics Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States
Bowen, H. Kent, Jody H. Gittell, and Sylvie Ryckebusch. "United Electric Controls." Harvard Business School Case 697-006, October 1996. (Revised December 1996.)
- August 2023
- Article
Impact of Social Needs Case Management on Use of Medical and Behavioral Health Services: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
By: Mark D. Fleming, Crystal Guo, Margae Knox, Daniel M. Brown, Elizabeth A. Hernandez and Amanda L. Brewster
Social needs case management is an increasingly common strategy used by health care organizations to address integrated health and social needs. These programs connect patients to resources such as food assistance, housing, transportation, or income benefits, in... View Details
Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Medical Specialties; Programs; Human Needs; Welfare; Health Industry; California
Fleming, Mark D., Crystal Guo, Margae Knox, Daniel M. Brown, Elizabeth A. Hernandez, and Amanda L. Brewster. "Impact of Social Needs Case Management on Use of Medical and Behavioral Health Services: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial." Annals of Internal Medicine 176, no. 8 (August 2023): 1139–1141.