Strategic Decision Making - Publications - Faculty & Research

06 Apr 2022
News

How to Use Correlation to Make Predictions

08 Jul 2024
Research & Ideas

The Critical Computer Science Principles Every Strategic Leader Needs to Know

In an AI-world, leaders who speak technology’s language gain an edge. But that doesn’t mean every manager needs a computer science degree. A handle on a handful of basics goes a long way toward preparing strategic leaders for today’s... View Details

Keywords: by Ben Rand; Technology; Information Technology

01 Jun 2025
News

Making Difficult Decisions: The General Manager’s Job

One of the most essential roles of the general manager is to be the person who can move an organization forward through the most tangled of circumstances, says Professor Amy Edmondson, “where there is uncertainty, different points of view, and high stakes, whether... View Details

Keywords: Jen Mcfarland Flint; Illustration by Peter Arkle; Educational Support Services; Educational Services

January 2011
Book Review

Rethinking Decision Making, book review of The Art of Choosing, by Sheena Iyengar, and Streetlights and Shadows: Searching for the Keys to Adaptive Decision Making, by Gary Klein

By: Michael A. Wheeler

Keywords: Decision Making; Decision Choices and Conditions

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2020
Article

Making Economics More Useful: How Technological Eclecticism Could Help

By: Amar Bhidé

Keynes thought it would be ‘splendid’ if economists became more like dentists. Disciplinary economics has instead become more like physics in focusing on concise, universal propositions verified through decisive tests. This focus, I argue, limits the practical utility... View Details

Keywords: Economic Methodology; Simulations; Banking; Regulation; Judgment; Economics; Policy

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26 Aug 2019
Research & Ideas

Lipstick Tips: How Influencers Are Making Over Beauty Marketing

Working Knowledge. Ailyn Pestana, junior designer and photo coordinator at Harvard Business School, created the charts above. [Image: Deagreez] Related Reading The Powerful Strategic Tool Companies Should Not Try to Control The Life of... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Consumer Products; Beauty & Cosmetics

2014
Working Paper

Making the Business Case for Environmental Sustainability

By: Rebecca Henderson

Can a business case be made for acting sustainably? This is a difficult question to answer precisely, largely because there is no generally accepted definition of the term "sustainability". Is it acting sustainably to protect the human rights of the firm's workforce?... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Decision Making; Environmental Sustainability

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August 2019 (Revised September 2019)
Case

Dirk Nowitzki: Changing the Game

By: Boris Groysberg, Sascha L. Schmidt and Evan M.S. Hecht

NBA Superstar Dirk Nowitzki was unsure whether the 2018–2019 season would be his last as an NBA player. He had not faced such uncertainty since 1998, when he had navigated a difficult decision regarding the timing of his move to the NBA. He also did not know what he... View Details

Keywords: Career Decisions; Career Journey; ＂Sports Organizations,; Mentoring; Retirement; Sports; Performance; Training; Personal Development and Career; Sports Industry; United States

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December 2012
Article

On the Efficiency-Fairness Trade-Off

By: Dimitris Bertsimas, Vivek F. Farias and Nikolaos Trichakis

This paper deals with a basic issue: How does one approach the problem of designing the "right" objective for a given resource allocation problem? The notion of what is right can be fairly nebulous; we consider two issues that we see as key: efficiency and fairness. We... View Details

Keywords: Decision Support; Cost vs Benefits; Fairness; Resource Allocation; Performance Efficiency; Air Transportation Industry

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August 2007
Article

The Impact of Prior Decisions on Subsequent Valuations in a Costly Contemplation Model

By: Elie Ofek, Muhamet Yildiz and Ernan Haruvy

Keywords: Decision Making; Valuation

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05 Oct 2020
Book

Want to Be Happier? Make More Free Time

justifying my choices by telling myself what a lot of us tell ourselves: that we’re working hard now so we will have more time to be happy later,” she says. “We all need to make better decisions on the... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

27 Jul 2015
Research & Ideas

The ‘Promotion’ That Makes You Feel Bad

says. Language mandates aren't the only type of strategic shift that can cause a sudden boost to one group within an organization. A shift in focus from one geographic region to another or a new emphasis on a particular skill also creates... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland

2014
Working Paper

Friends with Close Ties: Asset or Liability? Evidence from the Investment Decisions of Mutual Funds in China

By: Xinzi Gao, T.J. Wong, Lijun Xia and Gwen Yu

When fund managers have close ties to their investees, it can facilitate efficient information sharing but can also increase the possibility of favoritism. Using the investment choices of mutual funds in China, we test whether funds with close ties to their investees... View Details

Keywords: Social Ties; Conflict of Interests; Asset Management; Investment Portfolio; Networks; Financial Services Industry; China

Citation

October 2003 (Revised November 2006)
Case

GE's Talent Machine: The Making of a CEO

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Andrew N. McLean

GE believes its ability to develop management talent is a core competency that represents a source of sustainable competitive advantage. This case traces the development of GE's rich system of human resource policies and practices under five CEOs in the post-war era,... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Capital; Selection and Staffing; Leadership Development; Management Succession; Corporate Strategy

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Web

The Strategic Case for Diversity in Digital Transformation - Blog: RGE Report

Race, Gender and Equity at Work Race, Gender and Equity at Work Filter Results Arrow Down Arrow Up Read posts from Author HBS Staff Topics Topics Board Diversity RGE Blog Filters Read posts from Author HBS Staff Topics Topics Board Diversity RGE Blog 04 Jun 2025 The... View Details

08 Feb 2021
Book

How to Make the World Better, Not Perfect

encourage people to examine their own lives to determine how they can come closer to maximizing the good they do in the world. “I hope that [people] make better decisions and View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

September–October 2022
Article

Case Study: What's the Right Career Move After a Public Failure?

By: Jon M. Jachimowicz and Francesca Gino

“Reunions are for happy people,” Mariani Kallis said to her friend Whitney on the phone. “I’m not going.” “Come on, it won’t be the same without you,” Whitney pleaded. “Besides, no one is happy right now. Everyone’s life is a mess.” “I’m pretty sure none of our... View Details

Keywords: Career Decisions; Personal Development and Career

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27 Jun 2007
Lessons from the Classroom

Learning to Make the Move to CEO

implementation. "Most are well along in their lives, with grown families. They want to make a difference and do great things, but when they step back, they see that they've been in a bit of a rut, running between e-mails and meetings... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Education