Workers - Publications - Faculty & Research

05 Dec 2011
Research & Ideas

It’s Alive! Business Scholars Turn to Experimental Research

very rational view of people, and workers were almost considered like widgets." —Ian Larkin For instance, Norton and several other researchers ran an experiment at a large American amusement park, documented in the paper Paying to be... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

22 Jun 2010
First Look

First Look: June 22

of 1938 was the first large-scale non-Communist expropriation of foreign-owned natural resource assets. The literature generally makes three assertions: the U.S. government did not fully back the companies, Mexico did not fully compensate them for the value of their... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

10 Nov 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

Research News and Tips: Innovating Across Time Zones

stock valuation President Trump’s executive order in June suspending new work visas barred nearly 200,000 foreign workers from entering the United States and prevents American companies from hiring skilled immigrants using H-1B or L1... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

06 Aug 2008
Research & Ideas

Are the Olympics a Catalyst for China Reforms?

during tumultuous change—the Taiping Rebellion in China and the Civil War in the United States—yet accomplished an enormous amount during this time of ferment: for example, technology transfer to China, helping Chinese students in the United States, promoting human... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

29 Feb 2000
Research & Ideas

Whence IT Value?

workers is a recipe for disaster. Why does this not seem to be true with enterprise systems? Perhaps it is because their massive, centralized databases and embedded business processes provide another means to interconnect people within... View Details

Keywords: by Andrew McAfee

05 Aug 2015
What Do You Think?

What Happened to the ‘Innovation, Disruption, Technology’ Dividend?

change fast enough for the U.S. to have the workers it needs in any near-term way.” Tema Frank went even further, commenting that “ we are still reliant on the human factor so a lot of potential productivity is wasted through bad... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Computer; Technology

05 Dec 2013
What Do You Think?

Is Walmart Defying Economic Gravity?

a core strength and therefore their commensurate risks (are) lower." And Steve Fotenberry said that "As much as some people like to complain about Walmart The 'family' atmosphere for the workers continues to exist, and the value... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Retail

25 Jan 2012
Research & Ideas

A Few Firms Have Outsized Influence in D.C.

question to economists," says Harvard Business School Associate Professor William R. Kerr. "It's uncharted territory." Kerr's interest in the topic came from studies he's done on immigration issues—in particular, looking at how the importation of highly... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

04 Apr 2011
Research & Ideas

Attention Medical Shoppers: What Health Care Can Learn from Walmart and Amazon

that the system isn't set up to incentivize health care workers to do that. "The reason it's never done is that nobody gets paid to do it .there's no incentive to do anything," Cutler said. Services Not Emphasized In terms of... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Health

13 Nov 2000
Research & Ideas

Managing to Learn: How Companies Can Turn Knowledge into Action

him with a problem, his response focuses on helping them come to their own decision rather than telling them what he thinks they should do. In addition, says Garvin, the top management of a learning organization should allow individual View Details

Keywords: by Laurie Joan Aron

26 Jan 2016
First Look

January 26, 2016

Sendhil Mullainathan Abstract—Economists have become increasingly interested in studying the nature of production functions in social policy applications, with the goal of improving productivity. Traditionally, models have assumed workers... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

15 Feb 2012
Op-Ed

Occupy Wall Street Protestors Have a Point

entrepreneurial skills on a broader canvas. Companies complain that their recruits aren't adequately educated. In response, they will have to train their workers themselves or go elsewhere to find customers. Bankers bemoan Dodd-Frank, but... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph L. Bower, Herman B. Leonard & Lynn S. Paine

22 May 2020
In Practice

Post-COVID Health Care: More Screens, Less Red Tape?

Fetter: Serious questions about employment-based insurance People are appreciating our frontline health care workers more and recognizing the critical role hospitals play in our health care system. I hope this will lead to investments in... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

27 Jan 2016
Research & Ideas

A Politician's Investment Portfolio Might Tip Off Corruption Potential

advantage of the company or engage in some type of misconduct. That could to an extent temper how much of a risk taker you want if you care about the misconduct part.” Companies already use data analytics to flag workers who are... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland

21 Jul 2014
Research & Ideas

Is a Gap in Small-Business Credit Holding Back the American Economy?

patents per employee than larger firms, and employ more than 40 percent of high-tech workers in America. “Small business owners feel that despite being creditworthy today, banks remain either wary or entirely unwilling to lend to them.”... View Details

Keywords: by Karen Mills; Manufacturing

11 Jul 2011
Research & Ideas

Non-competes Push Talent Away

patterns of hundreds of thousands of inventors over two decades. (They considered only inventors who held multiple patents.) "Patenting inventors represent an important category of skilled workers involving the sorts of trade secrets... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Technology

14 Apr 2008
Research & Ideas

The Surprising Right Fit for Software Testing

would not move offshore, even in the long run." "These are useful distinctions for CIOs when thinking about talent management," says Austin. "An IT organization needs all kinds of talent—skilled workers in security and... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Video Game; Web Services; Computer

24 Jul 2018
Op-Ed

4 Ways Managers Can Exercise Their 'Agency' to Change the World

Leaders When CEOs Become Activists Responsible Leadership in an Unforgiving World What do you think? Do you have ideas on other ways workers at any level can use their agency to improve world conditions? Share your insights below. View Details

Keywords: by George Serafeim

23 Dec 2014
First Look

First Look: December 23

diversity program that he had started and championed at the company. Beyond this, attracting skilled workers to Germany was a national imperative; as the native population aged and its numbers in the workforce shrank, it would be critical... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

12 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Creating Online Ads We Want to Watch

longer period of joy, in order to get the most 'attention' bang for the buck” The experiment showed that Budweiser was the most successful of the advertisers, with many participants exhibiting more than a second of surprise while viewing a Bud Light ad. In the... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Consumer Products

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