Publications

March 2024
Case

Unintended Consequences of Algorithmic Personalization

By: Eva Ascarza and Ayelet Israeli

“Unintended Consequences of Algorithmic Personalization” (HBS No. 524-052) investigates algorithmic bias in marketing through four case studies featuring Apple, Uber, Facebook, and Amazon. Each study presents scenarios where these companies faced public criticism for... View Details

Keywords: Race; Gender; Marketing; Diversity; Customer Relationship Management; Prejudice and Bias; Customization and Personalization; Technology Industry; Retail Industry; United States

September 2020 (Revised July 2022)
Teaching Note

Algorithmic Bias in Marketing

By: Ayelet Israeli and Eva Ascarza

Teaching Note for HBS No. 521-020. This note focuses on algorithmic bias in marketing. First, it presents a variety of marketing examples in which algorithmic bias may occur. The examples are organized around the 4 P’s of marketing – promotion, price, place and... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Race; Ethnicity; Gender; Diversity; Prejudice and Bias; Decision Making; Ethics; Customer Relationship Management; Retail Industry; Technology Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

11 Oct 2022
Research & Ideas

Shrinking the Racial Wealth Gap, One Mortgage at a Time

mortgage originations from 2012 to 2018 for loan performance data. They further parsed findings using US Census data and ZIP codes to match loan officers, mortgages, specific lenders, and applicants. The researchers matched first and last names and geographic data to... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Financial Services

02 Jan 2018
Op-Ed

'Dear Working Knowledge'--Our Favorite Reader Comments of the Year

the lessons of the past are being used to educate the business leaders of the future. Why Employers Favor Men Ruth comments: The race factor is important to be considered. In Latin America I have seen quite often that white men prefer to... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

06 Apr 2016
What Do You Think?

As Tim Cook, How Would You Tackle Apple's Next Challenge?

123 felt that in the entire matter, “Apple should be less concerned about the security issue... and be more concerned about the damage to its reputation for refusing to assist in serious criminal & terrorist investigation.” Robert Stone added, “The security View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Computer

08 Apr 2011
Research & Ideas

Will the Japan Disaster Remake the Landscape for Green Energy in Asia?

enabler for this. Clean has an international component, and there's an ongoing negotiation and green race among countries. There's a lot of capacity building that needs to go on here." Until very recently, all of that work in China... View Details

Keywords: by Dennis Fisher; Energy; Utilities

August 1996 (Revised October 1996)
Case

Suzanne de Passe at Motown Productions (A1)

By: Linda A. Hill and Jaan Elias

Illustrates: 1) the impact of a manager's leadership style on corporate culture, direction, and performance; 2) the concept of fit between leadership style and the requirements of situations in which managers find themselves; and 3) the need for managers to adapt their... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Race; Organizational Culture; Success; Leadership Style; Gender; Management Teams; Change Management; Situation or Environment; Creativity; Relationships; Music Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

11 Jun 2014
Research & Ideas

In the Future of Sports Investing, Media Is the Best Bet

focuses on a new adaptation of an older sport: auto racing. In December, the partners invested $21 million toward Formula E Holdings, the management team behind an all-electric racecar circuit that will launch its inaugural championship series in September. Ten teams... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Sports; Financial Services

December 2004 (Revised April 2006)
Case

Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services

By: Robin J. Ely and Ingrid Vargas

Cityside Financial Services, a disguised consumer bank, serves both a largely African-American urban community and a more affluent, predominantly white clientele. To match the gender and racial makeup of its staff to that of its customers, Cityside's sales division... View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Situation or Environment; Race; Employees; Gender; Customer Satisfaction; Diversity; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Banks and Banking; Banking Industry

08 Feb 2016
Research & Ideas

The Civic Benefits of Google Street View and Yelp

77 percent of the possible variation for income. By contrast, other measures such as race and education only account for 25 percent of variation. Even more interesting, the Luca team was able to take the algorithm developed in New York... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Consumer Products

24 Apr 2007
First Look

First Look: April 24, 2007

of this trend. Similarly, the second half of the note summarizes, but does not interpret explicitly, certain stark correlations between students' educational prospects and their race and socioeconomic status. Purchase this note:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

November 2008 (Revised January 2017)
Case

Maggie Lena Walker and the Independent Order of St. Luke

By: Anthony Mayo and Shandi Onise Smith

As America struggled to regain its balance in the aftermath of the American Civil War, Maggie Lena Walker did her best to actively effect change by finding solutions to the social and economic problems facing blacks and especially black women. Taking charge of the... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leading Change; Ethnicity; Race; Social Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Welfare; Business and Community Relations; Gender; Banks and Banking

31 Jan 2011
Research & Ideas

Taking the Fear out of Diversity Policies

that mentoring relationships are less likely to form across race than among people of the same race. But the positive approach would be to look at the research and say, 'Well, even though they may be rare, let's try to understand these... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

May 2019
Teaching Note

Gender and Free Speech at Google (A), (B), & (C)

By: Nien-hê Hsieh and Sarah Mehta

Teaching Note for HBS No. 318-085, 319-095, and 319-097. View Details

Keywords: Free Speech; Representation; Diversity; Gender; Race; Human Resources; Employees; Employee Relationship Management; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Labor; Employment; Lawsuits and Litigation; Organizational Culture; Technology Industry; United States; California