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Sep 09, 2024
Can generative AI help entrepreneurs solve their business problems? Yes, but mostly when companies are already thriving, suggests research by Rembrand Koning that reveals the potential for AI-powered mentors to reach owners around the world.
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Sep 08, 2024
As #MeToo cast a spotlight on harassment in the workplace, former McDonald's CEO Stephen Easterbrook went from savior to pariah. Drawing from a series of case studies, Lynn Paine outlines seven lessons all corporate boards can take away from the scandal to improve culture and prevent abuse of power.
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Sep 02, 2024
With a US presidential election on the horizon, tech companies are struggling to stem misinformation on social media. Research by Scott Duke Kominers and Jesse Shapiro suggests it's time to focus on eliminating content that can lead to potential harm rather than false beliefs.
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Aug 28, 2024
Outer space has come a long way since the 1960s. Matthew Weinzierl explains the current state of the space economy, highlighting the various opportunities for businesses hidden among the stars.
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Aug 25, 2024
Generative AI handles a variety of business tasks, but can it develop creative solutions to problems? Yes, although some of the best ideas emerge when humans and machines work together, according to research by Jacqueline Ng Lane, Karim Lakhani, Miaomiao Zhang, and colleagues.
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Aug 19, 2024
In the new book Smart Rivals, Feng Zhu and Bonnie Yining Cao show business leaders how to create competitive advantages by uncovering their hidden strengths and leveraging their individual capabilities.
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Aug 15, 2024
Immigration, climate change, health care, and personal freedoms are just a few of the issues that US presidential candidates—and voters—will spar over. Harvard Business School faculty members discuss the potential implications of these issues on businesses, and provide advice for maintaining civility at work.
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Aug 14, 2024
Companies unprepared for disasters put not only their competitive advantage but their very existence at risk. Hise Gibson and Anita Lynch break down what a company needs to build its operational resilience, starting with its people, processes, and technology.
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Aug 12, 2024
With many physicians suffering from burnout, artificial intelligence could be a potential solution. Yet if health care payment models continue to push doctors to treat as many patients as possible, AI may inadvertently exacerbate the patient volume problem, says Susanna Gallani, Lidia Moura, and Katie Sonnefeldt.
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Aug 12, 2024
The CrowdStrike outage created a new sense of urgency for companies to protect their tech systems. A study by Shane Greenstein and colleagues illustrates just how many companies are vulnerable to cyberattacks and other threats simply because they put off updating their software.
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Aug 12, 2024
While fears about slowing economic growth have roiled stock markets in recent weeks, credit markets remain stable and bullish, and a recession hasn't materialized as some analysts predicted. Robin Greenwood discusses the market conditions that are buoying the economy—and risk signals to watch.
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Aug 05, 2024
Immigration concerns are shaping elections around the world, but these fears have been around for centuries. Mining data from US history, Marco Tabellini explores how immigration has actually changed communities, and offers advice for policymakers trying to moving forward.
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Aug 04, 2024
Rising household debt alone isn't enough to predict looming economic crises. Research by Victoria Ivashina examines the role of corporate debt in fiscal crashes since 1940.
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Aug 01, 2024
Josh Domingues put purpose before profit when he created the Flashfood app to sell less-than-perfect groceries at discounted prices. A case study by Reza Satchu explores Domingues' successes and failures, and what other social entrepreneurs can learn.
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Jul 29, 2024
People often take to the streets to express their outrage, but research by Vincent Pons finds that only one recent social movement shifted public opinion: Black Lives Matter. In an election year marked by widespread protests, Pons explores why marches and rallies often fail to achieve long-term results.
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Jul 25, 2024
Academic institutions incubate novel ideas and are important innovation partners for companies, but getting products out of universities and onto the market can be challenging. A study by Maria Roche illustrates how researchers might be getting in their own way.
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Jul 22, 2024
Trade tensions between the US and China have continued well beyond the Trump Administration's tariffs. Harvard Business School faculty offer insights for leaders managing the complexities of doing business with the world's second-largest economy.
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Jul 22, 2024
Medical debt not only hurts credit access, it can also harm one's mental health. But a study by Raymond Kluender finds that forgiving people's bills—even $170 million of debt—doesn't necessarily reduce stress, financial or otherwise.
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Jul 17, 2024
New hires begin their roles eager to offer ideas. But research by Amy Edmondson shows how they become more reluctant to share over time. She explains how psychological safety erodes on the job and provides advice for strengthening it.
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Jul 15, 2024
General Electric, Wells Fargo, and Boeing all chose the wrong CEOs for the job, says Bill George, creating big problems for the companies. George outlines five common mistakes boards of directors make when selecting leaders and provides advice for picking the appropriate person for this all-important role.
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Jul 15, 2024
Private equity firms often streamline the operations of portfolio companies, but cost-cutting isn't the only road to efficiency. The right technology improvements can increase the value of PE investments, says research by Brian Baik and Suraj Srinivasan.
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Jul 15, 2024
Private equity firms often streamline the operations of portfolio companies, but cost-cutting isn't the only road to efficiency. The right technology improvements can increase the value of PE investments, says research by Brian Baik and Suraj Srinivasan.
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Jul 08, 2024
What's the role of the office in an increasingly virtual world? How can organizations spark collaboration among people who prefer to isolate? Andy Wu and Maria Roche discuss the value of bringing people together—and why that's still so hard to do.
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Jul 08, 2024
In response to unprecedented client demand a few years ago, consulting firms went on a growth-driven hiring spree, but now many of these firms are cutting back staff. David Fubini questions whether strategy firms, who are considered experts at solving a variety of problems for clients, are struggling to apply their own management principles internally to address their current challenges.
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Jul 01, 2024
The path to leadership can seem unclear in competitive organizations. In the book The Treasure You Seek, Archie L. Jones offers a roadmap to help aspiring leaders discover their strengths, communicate effectively, and build meaningful connections.
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Jun 30, 2024
Technology is such an integral part of so many industries now that business executives can't afford to leave all the digital know-how to their tech teams. Andy Wu explains the five essential principles of computer science that all leaders need to know to gain an edge.
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Jun 26, 2024
An increasing number of consumers are turning to generative AI for buying recommendations. But if companies can subtly manipulate the technology to favor their own products, some businesses may gain unfair advantage, says Himabindu Lakkaraju.
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Jun 24, 2024
Lack of communication between managers and their employees can hurt productivity and even undermine the customer experience. Female managers are more adept at building rapport among mixed-gender teams, which can improve an organization's performance, says research by Jorge Tamayo.
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Jun 24, 2024
Many companies are wary of sharing proprietary information with suppliers and partners. However, Shane Greenstein and colleagues show in a study of wireless routers that being more open about technology can lead to new opportunities.
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Jun 17, 2024
CEOs in construction and heavy industries must prioritize innovative abatement strategies to meet rising global demand for cement while reducing emissions. Research by Gunther Glenk offers an economic framework for identifying emission reduction options.
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Jun 17, 2024
The steep inflation that plagued the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic took many economists by surprise. But research by Alberto Cavallo suggests that a different method of tracking prices—a real-time model—could predict future surges better.
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Jun 17, 2024
How can you break down gender boundaries and support the non-binary people on your team better? A study by Katherine Coffman reveals the motivations and aspirations of non-binary employees, highlighting the need for greater inclusion to unlock the full potential of a diverse workforce.
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Jun 10, 2024
What's on your vacation reading list? Harvard Business School faculty members plan to explore not only sober themes, such as philosophy and climate policy, but classic mysteries and hip-hop history.
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Jun 05, 2024
Immigrants often struggle to acquire both higher education and good jobs after migrating to a new country. A study by William Kerr finds that the age they arrive is key, with the teen years being ideal for achieving future success.
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Jun 03, 2024
Consumers expect companies to do everything they can to protect their personal data, but breaches continue to happen at an alarming rate. Eva Ascarza and Ta-Wei Huang say companies must take bold steps to proactively manage customers' sensitive data if they want to earn trust and remain competitive.
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May 29, 2024
Doctors and patients turned to virtual communication when the pandemic made appointments risk. But research by Ariel Stern and Mitchell Tang finds that providers' responses can vary depending on a patient's race. Could technology bring more equity to portals?
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May 27, 2024
Some employers have pared staff and reduced hiring amid mixed economic signals. What does it mean for job seekers? Paul Gompers, Letian Zhang, and David Fubini offer advice for overcoming search challenges to score that all-important offer.
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May 21, 2024
It may be tempting to write off TikTok, the highly scrutinized social media app whose cat clips and dance videos propelled it to the mainstream. However, business leaders could learn valuable lessons about engaging consumers from the world's most-used platform, says Shikhar Ghosh in a case study.
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May 20, 2024
With voters taking to the polls in dozens of countries this year, could election outcomes lean conservative? Paula Rettl says a lack of social mobility and a sense of economic insecurity are some of the factors fueling far-right movements around the world.
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May 14, 2024
With all the advances in autonomous vehicle technology, why aren't self-driving cars chauffeuring more people around? Research by Julian De Freitas, Stuti Agarwal, and colleagues reveals a simple psychological barrier: Drivers are overconfident about their own abilities, so they resist handing over the wheel.
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May 12, 2024
Smaller sellers' products often get lost on large online marketplaces. However, harnessing images in search can help consumers find these products faster, increasing sales and customer satisfaction, finds research by Chiara Farronato and colleagues.
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May 08, 2024
As companies continue to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of remote work, a study of how knowledge flows among academic researchers by Karim Lakhani, Eamon Duede, and colleagues offers lessons for hybrid workplaces. Does in-person work provide more opportunities for innovation than people realize?
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May 05, 2024
Weak communication and misunderstandings during virtual meetings can give way to resentment and rifts when the cameras turn off. Research by Leslie Perlow probes the nuances of digital communication. She offers advice for improving remote teamwork.
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May 05, 2024
Weak communication and misunderstandings during virtual meetings can give way to resentment and rifts when the cameras turn off. Research by Leslie Perlow probes the nuances of digital communication. She offers advice for improving remote teamwork.
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May 02, 2024
When it comes to sharing ideas, how much does close proximity matter? A study by Maria Roche evaluates how knowledge spreads in a coworking space, providing insights that could help shape the debate over remote work.
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Apr 30, 2024
James Heskett has been asking readers, "What do you think?" for 24 years on a wide variety of management topics. In this farewell column, Heskett reflects on the changing leadership landscape and thanks his readers for consistently weighing in over the years.
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Apr 29, 2024
Corporate misconduct has grown in the past 30 years, with losses often totaling billions of dollars. What businesses may not realize is that misconduct often results from managers who set unrealistic expectations, leading decent people to take unethical shortcuts, says Lynn S. Paine.
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Apr 25, 2024
The former star athlete known for flash uses unglamorous command-and-control methods to get results as a college football coach. Business leaders can learn 10 key lessons from the way 'Coach Prime' builds a culture of respect and discipline without micromanaging, says Hise Gibson.
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Apr 25, 2024
The former star athlete known for flash uses unglamorous command-and-control methods to get results as a college football coach. Business leaders can learn 10 key lessons from the way 'Coach Prime' builds a culture of respect and discipline without micromanaging, says Hise Gibson.
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Apr 22, 2024
What can companies and regulators do as climate predictions grow grimmer? They should measure their impact, strengthen environmental institutions, and look to cities to lead, say Robert Kaplan, Shirley Lu, and Rosabeth Moss Kanter.
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Apr 21, 2024
More investors want to back businesses that contribute to social change, but are impact funds the only approach? Research by
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Apr 14, 2024
Leaders must face hard choices, from cutting a budget to adopting a strategy to grow. To make the right call, they should start by following their own "true moral compass," says Joseph Badaracco.
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Apr 10, 2024
Long-term labor shortages continue to stoke debates about immigration policy in the United States. We asked Harvard Business School faculty members to discuss what's at stake for companies facing talent needs, and the potential scenarios on the horizon.
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Apr 08, 2024
From weekly lunch dates with colleagues to bedtime stories with children, we often rely on rituals to relax and bond with others. While it may feel awkward to introduce teambuilding rituals in the workplace, the truth is, the practices improve performance, says Michael Norton in his book The Ritual Effect.
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Apr 08, 2024
Grants designed to improve housing can make homes more energy efficient and save money for low-income families, providing a powerful way to confront change, says research by Omar Asensio. What do the findings mean for companies trying to scale innovation?
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Apr 01, 2024
Regular absenteeism can hobble output and even bring down a business. But fostering a collaborative culture that brings managers together can help companies weather surges of sick days and no-shows. Research by Jorge Tamayo shows how.
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Apr 01, 2024
Experts say happiness is often derived by a combination of good health, financial wellbeing, and solid relationships with family and friends. But are we forgetting to take stock of whether we have enough of these things? asks James Heskett.
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Mar 31, 2024
Price increases might be tempering after historic surges, but companies continue to wrestle with pinched consumers. Alexander MacKay, Chiara Farronato, and Emily Williams make sense of the economic whiplash of inflation and offer insights for business leaders trying to find equilibrium.
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Mar 25, 2024
Could artificial intelligence systems eventually perform surgeries or fly planes? First, AI will have to learn to navigate shifting conditions as well as people do. Julian De Freitas and colleagues pit humans against machines in a video game to study AI's current limits and mine insights for the real world.
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Mar 21, 2024
Many companies build their businesses on open source software, code that would cost firms $8.8 trillion to create from scratch if it weren't freely available. Research by Frank Nagle and colleagues puts a value on an economic necessity that will require investment to meet demand.
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Mar 17, 2024
Many assume that major oil and gas companies adamantly oppose climate-friendly regulation, but that's not true. A study of 30 years of corporate advocacy by Jonas Meckling finds that energy companies have backed clean-energy efforts when it aligns with their business interests.
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Mar 14, 2024
Few people enjoy talking about succession plans, performance problems, and pay, but sometimes you must. Christina Wing offers five rules for navigating thorny conversations in the workplace, and makes the case for tackling even sensitive topics, like age, health, and politics
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Mar 11, 2024
The idea of reselling old smartphones might have seemed risky for a company known for high-end devices, but refurbished products have become a major profit stream for Apple and an environmental victory. George Serafeim examines Apple's circular model in a case study, and offers insights for other industries.
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Mar 11, 2024
Universities tend to evaluate professors based on their research output, but does that measure reflect the realities of higher ed? A study of 4,300 professors by Kyle Myers, Karim Lakhani, and colleagues probes the time demands, risk appetite, and compensation of faculty.
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Mar 03, 2024
Surveys indicate that US employee engagement and job satisfaction are down. To what degree are attitudes toward work to blame? asks James Heskett.
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Mar 03, 2024
Whether on judicial benches or in corporate boardrooms, white men are more likely to step into roles that other white men vacate, says research by Edward Chang. But when people from historically marginalized groups land those positions, workforce diversification tends to last. Chang offers three pieces of advice for leaders striving for diversity.
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Feb 28, 2024
Reach soccer's pinnacle. Become a global brand. Buy a team. Sign Lionel Messi. David Beckham makes success look as easy as his epic free kicks. But leveraging world-class talent takes discipline and deft decision-making, as case studies by Anita Elberse reveal. What could other businesses learn from his ascent?
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Feb 26, 2024
Companies that make their workforce demographics public earn consumer goodwill, even if the numbers show limited progress on diversity, says research by Ryan Buell, Maya Balakrishnan, and Jimin Nam. How can brands make transparency a differentiator?
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Feb 21, 2024
When companies use machine learning models, they may run the risk of inadvertently sharing sensitive and private data. Seth Neel explains why it's important to understand how to wipe AI's spongelike memory clean.
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Feb 15, 2024
Extroverts are more likely to express their passion outwardly, giving them a leg up when it comes to raises and promotions, according to research by Jon Jachimowicz. Introverts are just as motivated and excited about their work, but show it differently. How can managers challenge their assumptions?
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Feb 15, 2024
Companies have jobs to fill and skilled candidates are looking for the right opportunities, but too often, technology stands between them. A report by Joseph Fuller and colleagues says that a career navigation system that meets four key imperatives could bridge the gap.
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Feb 12, 2024
Women are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification—the lasting damage of a lifetime of gender stereotypes. Studies by Katherine Coffman show how employers could use simple-yet-powerful approaches to embolden women to apply to senior roles and bring more talent to companies.
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Feb 08, 2024
Medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have upended a $76 billion industry that has long touted lifestyle shifts as a means to weight loss. Regina Herzlinger says these drugs might bring fast change, especially for busy professionals, but many questions remain unanswered.
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Feb 04, 2024
Organizations often make the mistake of hiring employees based largely on their skills, rather than their attitude. What questions can you ask to determine if a job candidate aligns with your company's mission and culture? asks James Heskett.
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Feb 04, 2024
Middle managers are fostering collaboration, inspiring employees, and linking important functions at companies. Letian Zhang shares insights mined from more than 35 million job postings that paints a counterintuitive picture of today's midlevel managers. Could these roles provide an innovation edge?
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Jan 29, 2024
Can financial incentives turn innovation into a chore? A study of GitHub's efforts to sponsor software coders by Maria Roche and colleagues explores the interplay between motivation and creativity.
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Jan 28, 2024
Reactions to devastating wildfires in the Amazon show the contrasting realities for people living in areas vulnerable to climate change. Research by Paula Rettl illustrates the political ramifications that arise as people weigh the economic tradeoffs of natural disasters.
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Jan 28, 2024
Reactions to devastating wildfires in the Amazon show the contrasting realities for people living in areas vulnerable to climate change. Research by Paula Rettl illustrates the political ramifications that arise as people weigh the economic tradeoffs of natural disasters.
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Jan 24, 2024
Forget rocks for jocks. A study by Paul Gompers of more than 400,000 Ivy League athletes probes how the rigors of college sports can help people climb the corporate ladder faster and into higher-paying positions.
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Jan 23, 2024
Aggressive cost cutting and rocky leadership changes have eroded the culture at Boeing, a company once admired for its engineering rigor, says Bill George. What will it take to repair the reputational damage wrought by years of crises involving its 737 MAX?
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Jan 22, 2024
Non-fungible tokens might seem like a fad approach to selling memes, but the concept could help companies open new markets and build communities. Scott Duke Kominers and Steve Kaczynski go beyond the NFT hype in their book, The Everything Token.
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Jan 22, 2024
Three-quarters of US employees are balancing caregiving with their careers. If companies could prevent five of them from quitting, they could save $200,000. Joseph Fuller offers a seven-point plan for supporting the sandwich generation and beyond.
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Jan 22, 2024
Three-quarters of US employees are balancing caregiving with their careers. If companies could prevent five of them from quitting, they could save $200,000. Joseph Fuller offers a seven-point plan for supporting the sandwich generation and beyond.
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