Work - Publications - Faculty & Research

16 Feb 2012
Op-Ed

Nitin Nohria: Why US Competitiveness Matters

government blames business for acting irresponsibly. Much of the public blames the rich and elite for exploiting everyone else. Parties on each side work hard to amplify these accusations, but their efforts do nothing to help solve the... View Details

Keywords: by Nitin Nohria

03 Sep 2009
What Do You Think?

Are Retention Bonuses Worth the Investment?

if an employer provides some special training/skill to an employee that increases his market value substantially ." Naseem Khan suggested that " a retention bonus may be doled out in lieu of base pay increases." Steve Hobart said that retention bonuses... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

01 Feb 2008
What Do You Think?

How Sustainable Is Sustainability in a For-Profit Organization?

of any organization." Carol Holding associated brand value with sustainability: "As brand value will soon be included in a company's valuation ... we can more than ever monetize sustainable behavior." Others see the market View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

01 May 2006
What Do You Think?

Who Will Cast a Longer Shadow on the 21st Century: Friedman or Galbraith?

global challenges on their responses. Sudip Bose put it this way: "Venerated works of Milton Friedman have influenced government policies. . . . But, his shadow will be relentlessly chased primarily by global climatic concerns and... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

19 Sep 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

Say Again? Uncommon Advice for Common Business Problems

think a little outside the box. Is it Worth a Pay Cut to Work for a Great Manager? Few of us want to take less money to move to another organization, but research shows that hooking up with the right manager—whether in sports or... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

10 Oct 2018
Research & Ideas

The Legacy of Boaty McBoatface: Beware of Customers Who Vote

Brierley Professor of Business Administration. “But even when firms never guarantee that consumers will choose the winner, consumers infer an implicit contract and are upset when that contract is violated.” Norton and John examine the pitfalls of those implicit... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Advertising

27 Jul 2015
Research & Ideas

The ‘Promotion’ That Makes You Feel Bad

frustrated employees among Japanese speakers, but also affected their work performance and promotions. The Favored Side Of The Strategy Her most recent research, though, flipped the question on its head. Her research team delved into how... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland

06 Nov 2013
What Do You Think?

Is Top-Down Resource Allocation on the Rise?

drew attention to the resource allocation process (RAP) with his seminal study of four organizations in 1970. He concluded that a bottom-up process of idea generation begun by operational managers and shaped by middle management works... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

05 Jul 2006
Research & Ideas

Reinventing the Dowdy Savings Bond

accept a customer, but everyone has the right to save if they want to work to do that," Tufano says. "So let's think about what the characteristics of a universal savings vehicle might be: It's low cost, low risk, portable,... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Banking; Financial Services

24 May 2004
Research & Ideas

Becoming an Ethical Negotiator

at the Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C., and associate editor of Negotiation Journal. Wheeler agreed to take some questions from HBS Working Knowledge. Martha Lagace: Some cynical people might say that "ethical... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

29 Apr 2002
Research & Ideas

Star Power! How to Win in Professional Services

But this is a far cry from the PSF CEO, who lives and works among her "shareholders." She passes them in the hall, eats lunch with them, and has to guide them productively to accomplish her objectives. Even if they View Details

Keywords: by Jay W. Lorsch & Thomas J. Tierney

15 Oct 2001
Research & Ideas

Rethinking E-Leadership

the details of their business is crazy," Hargrove declares. "Michael Eisner, for example, works on the design of rides at Disney World and has input into all of Disney's films." Updated advice: All your coaching and... View Details

Keywords: by Melissa Raffoni

18 Jun 2001
Research & Ideas

Caught in the Cogs: When Manufacturing and IT Meet

asserted, "more highly skilled individuals will have to work even harder to make sense of all the material now available to them. And even though e-commerce, IT, and the Internet bring with them great opportunities, the advantages... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Aisner

11 Jan 2000
Lessons from the Classroom

New Game, New Rules: Developing Managers for a Competitive World

wherein managers work in cross-border teams to resolve a variety of complex, international, management problems. The challenges they encounter are much like those of the "virtual" teams at the heart of effective global... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Bright Ideas: The Creative Power of Groups

and execute truly creative solutions. Perhaps the traditional image of the creative genius working alone to create great breakthroughs is not so accurate after all. To shatter conventional wisdom about group creativity is one purpose of... View Details

Keywords: by Laurie Joan Aron

16 Feb 2016
First Look

February 16, 2016

impact of preferential incentive plans and the conditions under which these plans are more or less effective. Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=50575 Who Should Select New Employees, the Head Office or... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

21 Sep 2009
Research & Ideas

Excessive Executive Pay: What’s the Solution?

embedded have been set aside, even mocked. CEOs loved this model, as it provided cover for their pursuit of kingly riches. And the rest of us have accepted it because it appeared, through the workings of the 'invisible hand,' to be... View Details

Keywords: by Roger Thompson

05 Mar 2007
Research & Ideas

Risky Business? Protecting Foreign Investments

current system. Q: Not only are companies at risk when they invest in developing countries, but so, too, are the countries. Should companies work with local leaders in attempting to ensure a win-win? A: Deals that are too good for the... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Energy; Utilities

16 Nov 2009
Research & Ideas

The Times Captures History of American Business

issues that have bombarded Americans before. The chapter underlines how the past cannot be separated from the present. Working on it I was struck by how timely some of the challenges and individuals and opportunities of the past are... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Journalism & News

16 Dec 2002
Research & Ideas

Mentoring—Using the Voice of Experience

HBS research associate Brian DeLacey, are studying the processes of mentoring and coaching in entrepreneurial environments. Leonard and DeLacey discuss their findings with HBS Working Knowledge editor Sean Silverthorne.Silverthorne: In... View Details