Technology & Operations Management
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- April 8, 2025
- Article
Creating Workplaces Free of Forever Chemicals
By: Joseph G. Allen, Heather A. Henrikson and Michael W. ToffelForever chemicals are toxic and widely used in buildings and yet they remain on the rise globally with little regulation to control them. In the United States, for example, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations currently cover only forever chemicals in water—and only six of the more than 10,000. But organizations have a responsibility and role to play in eliminating them from workplaces in the same way they might have asbestos in years past. At Harvard University and several corporations, leaders are following a simple, two-part playbook: Demand transparency from suppliers and avoid entire classes of chemicals.
- April 8, 2025
- Article
Creating Workplaces Free of Forever Chemicals
By: Joseph G. Allen, Heather A. Henrikson and Michael W. ToffelForever chemicals are toxic and widely used in buildings and yet they remain on the rise globally with little regulation to control them. In the United States, for example, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations currently cover only forever chemicals in water—and only six of the more than 10,000. But organizations have a responsibility...
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- April 2025
- Case
JPMorganChase: Leadership in the Age of GenAI
By: Iavor I. Bojinov, Karim R. Lakhani and David Lane- April 2025
- Case
JPMorganChase: Leadership in the Age of GenAI
By: Iavor I. Bojinov, Karim R. Lakhani and David Lane -
- 2025
- Article
Why Should Organizational Scholars Study Migration?
By: Exequiel Hernandez, Prithwiraj Choudhury, Elena Kulchina, Dan Wang, J. Miles Shaver, Mary Zellmer-Bruhn and Tarun KhannaMigration is one of the most significant forces shaping economies and societies,yet it remains largely understudied in organizational research. At the same time, scholarsin other fields with long traditions of studying migration tend to overlook the essential roleof organizations. This lack of dialogue is striking because organizations are often the cen-tral arena in which migrants interact with others and through which they impact societyand the economy. We explain how scholars of migration and organizations can benefiteach other by exploring two broad issues. First, we consider what an organizational lenscan add to the existing migration literature. We argue that organizational heterogeneityplays an essential role in determining the causes and effects of migration. Second, we con-sider how taking migration seriously can yield theoretical advancements for organizationalscholars. We present examples that introduce potentially novel theoretical concepts or thatenrich existing theories. Our aim is to broaden the research agenda for scholars interestedin migration or organizations and to motivate organizational scholars to engage moredeeply with one of the most consequential issues of our time.
- 2025
- Article
Why Should Organizational Scholars Study Migration?
By: Exequiel Hernandez, Prithwiraj Choudhury, Elena Kulchina, Dan Wang, J. Miles Shaver, Mary Zellmer-Bruhn and Tarun KhannaMigration is one of the most significant forces shaping economies and societies,yet it remains largely understudied in organizational research. At the same time, scholarsin other fields with long traditions of studying migration tend to overlook the essential roleof organizations. This lack of dialogue is striking because organizations are often...
About the Unit
As the world of operations has changed, so have interests and priorities within the Unit. Historically, the TOM Unit focused on manufacturing and the development of physical products. Over the past several years, we have expanded our research, course development, and course offerings to encompass new issues in information technology, supply chains, and service industries.
The field of TOM is concerned with the design, management, and improvement of operating systems and processes. As we seek to understand the challenges confronting firms competing in today's demanding environment, the focus of our work has broadened to include the multiple activities comprising a firm's "operating core":
- the multi-function, multi-firm system that includes basic research, design, engineering, product and process development and production of goods and services within individual operating units;
- the networks of information and material flows that tie operating units together and the systems that support these networks;
- the distribution and delivery of goods and services to customers.
Recent Publications
Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion PowerPoint Supplement
- April 2025 |
- Supplement |
- Faculty Research
Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) and (B)
- April 2025 |
- Teaching Note |
- Faculty Research
Columbia's Final Mission (B)
- April 2025 |
- Supplement |
- Faculty Research
Creating Workplaces Free of Forever Chemicals
- April 8, 2025 |
- Article |
- Harvard Business Review Digital Articles
JPMorganChase: Leadership in the Age of GenAI
- April 2025 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Why Should Organizational Scholars Study Migration?
- 2025 |
- Article |
- Organization Science
Hurtigruten: Sea Zero
- March 2025 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
FIELD Immersion: Columbus, Ohio
- March 2025 |
- Background Note |
- Faculty Research
Harvard Business Publishing
Seminars & Conferences
- 01 May 2025