Social Connections - Publications - Faculty & Research

19 Oct 2017
Research & Ideas

How Charitable Organizations Can Thwart Excuses for Not Giving

justify an excuse to give. Related Reading: Incentives for Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Reputations Donors Are Turned Off by Overhead Costs. Here’s What Charities Can Do People Have an Irrational Need to Complete 'Sets' of Things What do you think? What are... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

28 Oct 2019
Research & Ideas

Brick-and-Mortar Stores Are Making a Comeback

point of the retail experience is not to sell the product, but to introduce you to the brand in a way that can be shared with others through social media. There are special areas in the store that are set up for selfies, where you can... View Details

Keywords: by Jen McFarland Flint; Retail

17 Feb 2015
HBS Case

HBS Cases: The Battle for San Francisco

up trash," says Rose. More recently, there have been efforts by some companies to connect techies who have certain skills to nonprofits or city agencies to help tackle issues such as homelessness or education—for example, by tracking... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Technology

31 Jul 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, July 31, 2018

addresses interventions that firms, governments, and other parties deploy to shape household financial outcomes: education and information, peer effects and social influence, product design, advice and disclosure, choice architecture, and... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

16 Jul 2012
Research & Ideas

Book Excerpt: ‘The Strategist’

be a key facet of leadership. Leadership and Strategy Are Inseparable From The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs By Cynthia A. Montgomery Many leaders today do not understand the ongoing, intimate connection between leadership... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia A. Montgomery

17 Nov 2020
In Practice

How Retailers Can Thrive in a Shopping Season Like No Other

promotions to control the flow of shoppers inside stores to meet social distancing requirements. Many started offering Black Friday deals in early November. Discounts appear to be larger than ever this year, likely reflecting soft... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Retail

14 Apr 2003
Research & Ideas

Pay-for-Performance Doesn’t Always Pay Off

their ability to reach if not surpass the goals, start banking on the extra money. In practice, however, the process of connecting pay to performance may be far trickier that it at first appears, according to HBS professor Michael Beer.... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

20 Jul 2009
Research & Ideas

Markets or Communities? The Best Ways to Manage Outside Innovation

their four walls. Lots of critical knowledge resides with customers, suppliers, and academia; in other countries; and even with those that may not necessarily believe feel they are affiliated with the problem at hand. The solution then is to View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Technology

03 Feb 2020
What Do You Think?

Can an Organization Have Too Much 'Rebel Talent'?

Perspective (The ability to “constantly broaden (one’s) view of the world and see it as others do”) Diversity (“The tendency to challenge predetermined social roles”) Authenticity (Remaining open and vulnerable in order to View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

11 Jun 2020
In Practice

Are Digital Organizations Better at Overcoming COVID?

provided but to augment and expand their offerings. Telemedicine is a terrific example of this. Many health care providers have already moved to virtual visits and ramped up new types of services such as remote-patient monitoring using View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

24 Sep 2014
Op-Ed

Take a Trim Tab Approach to Climate Change

The "bully pulpit"—a term coined by Theodore Roosevelt back when the word "bully" meant terrific—originally referred to the US presidency and its tremendous potential for speaking out and influencing public opinion. Nowadays, the term describes any position with the... View Details

Keywords: by Amy C. Edmondson; Energy; Utilities

08 Nov 2024
HBS Case

What Wartime Service Taught These Historic Leaders

number of US casualties. After the war ended, McNamara’s military connections brought him to Ford, where he used the skills he’d learned during the war to quickly move up the ranks. There, he followed the numbers more than his emotions... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman; Entertainment & Recreation

23 Mar 2021
Book

Succeeding in the New Work-from-Anywhere World

social cues and other observable information to build connection with others are elusive or nonexistent. Here are elements of self-disclosure that matter to receivers: Depth: level of intimacy conveyed... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

01 Nov 2016
First Look

First Look - November 1, 2016

with key players from the frontlines of digital change, The Content Trap aims to reorient strategy and offers lessons for businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals trying to figure out what to do next. Companies that flourish in a digital world have focused on... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Apr 2011
Op-Ed

HBS Faculty Comment on Environmental Issues for Earth Day

600 urban centers accounting for roughly 60 percent of global GDP. The creation of this economic and social value, however, involves the consumption of considerable natural resources. For example, cities today contain 50 percent of the... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Energy; Utilities

23 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

Brand Power from Wedgwood to Dell: Part Two

the changing social and economic environments in which consumers live, and that their offerings enhanced people's lives in meaningful ways. A third important factor in understanding how these entrepreneurs created such successful... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

23 Jan 2008
First Look

First Look: January 23, 2008

Differences at Work: The Individual Experience Harvard Business School Note 608-068 This note introduces students to the underlying social psychology of stereotyping and discrimination as barriers to respect and fair treatment. Purchase... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

14 May 2020
Research & Ideas

What Leaders Can Do to Fight the COVID Fog

home removes the usual social signals about when to eat or drink. Don’t rely on feeling hungry or thirsty! Put meals and hydration times on your to-do list or set alarms if necessary. One of us recently witnessed a colleague pass out from... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

04 Dec 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, December 4, 2018

to the complementary assets of the incumbent. At the same time, value creation presents opportunities for value capture by either party, where value capture by the start-up is determined by their knowledge appropriation regime and social... View Details