The recent rollout of ChatGPT by OpenAI has set the world abuzz about the potential of artificial intelligence. But whatever happened to the last tech phenomenon, the “metaverse”? The once-heavily hyped future of immersive 3D technology seems to have drifted into the background, its bold virtual-reality future yet to materialize…
In a little more than a decade, investors have transformed cryptocurrency from a techno-curiosity into a trillion-dollar-plus opportunity that has the potential to one day reshape the global economy. Yet in the past 10 years, little has been revealed about the investors who have signed on for this wild ride.…
With more data available than ever before, why would any executive gamble on a hunch—especially for decisions that involve their own employees? An emerging field that uses data to study human behavior at work, “people analytics” is beginning to transform the workplace and significantly impact hiring and productivity, says Jeffrey…
Often the incentives we put in place to stimulate and reward performance produce unexpected behaviors. Causes vary from one individual to another, depending on what each of us values and what we are willing to do for the organization and the incentive. Misfires also occur because of policies that conflict…
When unionization rumors begin, most companies react by throwing money at the problem. But that won’t halt the drive if workers feel mistreated or ignored, as Amazon found out. The company boosted hourly wages and benefits for warehouse workers, but many employees continued to call for union intervention. They said…
With Hepatitis C running rampant in Egypt in 2012, Clifford Samuel, then of California-based Gilead Sciences, convened a series of urgent meetings with Egyptian government officials, doctors, and patients. His goal? To make Gilead’s lifesaving Hepatitis C drugs available for Egypt’s most vulnerable by harnessing a new business model. The…
Part-time workers who want more hours are a hugely untapped resource. Strange, since employers continue to encounter skills shortages. Why are qualified, eager workers underemployed? Harvard Business School Professor Joseph Fuller’s latest paper, “Hidden Workers, Part-Time Potential,” reveals that many such workers are caregivers, excluded from full-time jobs because short-sighted…
Is the globe’s thirst for oil finally topping out? A major international energy watcher says yes, predicting last month that demand for global oil for transport will peak around 2026, plateau for all uses by 2028, and possibly hit a zenith by the end of the decade. Harvard experts say…
In a post-pandemic business world of hybrid work and quiet quitting, companies must rethink how they motivate employees. Good incentive plans and reward structures require a careful analysis of a company’s objectives, culture, and pressure points, says Brian Hall, the Albert H. Gordon Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business…
Thousands of visitors flock to Disney World every day to immerse themselves in all kinds of exciting experiences—a cruise on the Pirates of the Caribbean; a visit to the China pavilion at EPCOT; a meet-and-greet with a favorite princess. For many guests, however, the highlight comes at the end of…
Is it possible to truly empower employees to make their own decisions—even when those decisions could mean life or death? That is the question posed by the Dutch home healthcare organization Buurtzorg, which has radically avoided almost all middle management, allowing its nurse teams to care for their patients as…
It doesn’t matter if you’re crafting a pitch for tech investors, consumers, or election-season voters. If you want your target audience to remember your message the next day, tell a story. That’s one of the findings of a new study by Thomas Graeber, assistant professor of business administration at Harvard…
On March 10, 1874, Alexander Graham Bell launched a new era in communications with the memorable but mundane phrase, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want you." 132 years later, in March of 2006, Jack Dorsey launched another communications revolution with the uninspiring and perhaps even less memorable phrase, "just set…
We’ve long known that organizations require so-called flexible leaders to respond to rapid market fluctuations; the last couple of years have only emphasized that necessity. The environment we operate in—shaped by the pandemic, social justice issues, war, and economic turmoil—is now more volatile than ever. Amid all this turbulence, strategic…
Perks like remote work or unlimited vacation time might be nice, but when it comes to true fulfilment in a post-pandemic workscape, psychological safety is essential. Harvard Business School Professor Amy C. Edmondson coined the term “team psychological safety” in the 1990s to describe work environments where candor is expected…