Systems Thinking - Publications - Faculty & Research

31 Jul 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, July 31, 2018

infrastructure presents an excellent opportunity to avoid the pitfalls of complex, restrictive, digital health systems that have evolved elsewhere. We propose here a federated, patient-centric, application programming interface... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

03 Dec 2020
Research & Ideas

Cut Payroll Costs with Transparency, Fairness, and Compassion

Benioff has long espoused the need for a more equitable economic system and has stated that the current pandemic “is a tremendous opportunity for all CEOs and all businesses to really put their resources right out there and say, 'We're... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott

16 Dec 2020
Blog Post

My HBS Student Loan Story: Ina Foalea (MBA 2018)

MBA, you are likely thinking about what repayment might look like post-graduation. HBS graduates pursue careers in a variety of industries and positions around the world. With a median starting salary of $148,750, and median signing bonus... View Details

10 Sep 2020
Research & Ideas

The COVID Two-Step for Leaders: Protect and Pivot

opportunity to pivot and make changes that will allow our organizations to survive beyond the crisis?” Others are wondering if the crisis might contain opportunities: “How can we take advantage of COVID ... and think about emerging... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden

11 Apr 2023
Blog Post

BTG Bioliquids: Creating Fast Pyrolysis Bio-Oil from Biomass Residue Streams

new type of oil into their system. System thinking and collaborations: Lastly, we saw how systems-level thinking can make these business models more feasible. For example,... View Details

06 May 2021
HBS Case

How Four Women Made Miami More Equitable for Startups

Kanter says. Instead, it requires systemic change, including new institutions and new ways of doing things, as Kanter argues in her recent book Think Outside the Building. That might include, for starters,... View Details

Keywords: by Carolyn DiPaolo

15 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

Women Leaders and Organizational Change

work gets done—as having anything do to with race or gender. They may notice that it's mostly men who run things, and when a woman is in charge, they may notice this as an anomaly. But few people think about the fact that Western models... View Details

Keywords: by Mallory Stark

Web

Sustainable Business Strategy Course | HBS Online

course shifted my worldview: what the most pressing problems are, who comes up with solutions, and how we get there. Professor Henderson pushed hard for us to think deeply about systemic change when it's... View Details

03 Dec 2014
What Do You Think?

Can the Brilliant Jerk Be Managed Effectively?

for the phenomenon. Munyaradzi Mushato suggested that, "my experience in industry tells me that most jerks are created by the very systems that are designed to improve performance that is, about 70% of the jerks are bred! Most... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

27 Oct 2020
Research & Ideas

Can Being the ‘Token’ Give Women and Minorities a Competitive Edge?

candidates at the same time, rather than hiring a single person in isolation. Think big and commit resources. When it comes to diversity, companies sometimes do just enough to avoid media scrutiny or reputational damage. It’s time for... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

14 Mar 2024
Blog Post

IFC India: SELCO - Last Mile Solar Powered Energy for Rural India

Through their robust systems thinking methods, SELCO has been able to develop innovative solar powered technologies tailored to the unique needs of various customer segments including micro-business owners.... View Details

12 Jul 2004
Research & Ideas

Enron’s Lessons for Managers

tragedy and a point of departure for thinking more carefully about the institutions humans have created to organize our economic lives, according to Salter. In a wide-ranging talk with Harvard Business School alumni on June 4, weeks... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

18 Apr 2016
Blog Post

Meet the HBS Family Business Club

family-controlled enterprises. Issues that arise in family business systems are often complex and emotional. When handled poorly, the complex dynamics of a family business ecosystem can be crippling. However, when effectively supported by... View Details

02 Jun 2021
Research & Ideas

A Rare Find in Health Care: A Simple Solution to Racial Inequity

George Floyd’s murder last year forced many people to recognize the systemic racism that pervades American institutions, from law enforcement to health care. Even so, identifying those inequities is different than fixing them. “I don’t... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health

June 2020
Supplement

RBC: Transforming Transformation (B)

By: Ethan Bernstein, Francesca Gino and Aldo Sesia

In 2017, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), a Canadian financial icon, mandated a swat team of “enablers of collaboration” (their job description) to support the personal and commercial bank in the enterprise-wide RBC Cultural Transformation initiative. Historically,... View Details

Keywords: Service Delivery; Information Technology; Transformation; Change Management; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Decision Making; Human Resources; Management Systems; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Groups and Teams; Management Teams; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Canada

Citation

Purchase

28 May 2019
Research & Ideas

Investor Lawsuits Against Auditors Are Falling, and That's Bad News for Capital Markets

The US is somewhat unique in having a strong class-action litigation system through which investors can hold companies accountable after the fact when there is a problem. For investors, this is how they can partly remedy the harm.... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Financial Services; Accounting

09 Aug 2021
Research & Ideas

OneTen: Creating a New Pathway for Black Talent

Last year, it took a teenager's 10-minute video of a Black man's murder to shine a light on the raw hostility that Black people face daily in America. George Floyd's death at the hands of a white police officer forced many to acknowledge the View Details

Keywords: by Rawi E. Abdelal, Katherine Connolly Baden, and Boris Groysberg

05 Nov 2021
Op-Ed

Is the Business World Finally Ready for the Wisdom of Shibusawa?

Eiichi Shibusawa continues to gain influence in Japan—even though he died almost a century ago. Japan’s government announced earlier this year that the 19th century business leader would be the face on 10,000 yen ($90) bank notes—the highest value denomination in... View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones and Rei Morimoto; Financial Services; Retail

01 Nov 2022
What Do You Think?

Why Aren’t Business Leaders More Vocal About Immigration Policy?

gets lost in this conversation is the extent to which the US needs immigrants. We need their youth, their willingness to work at any job, their productivity, their contributions to a social security system being weighted down by the... View Details