MIT Sloan – Management Review

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Meetings are a staple of organizational life. They’re a place where important decisions are made, strategies discussed, and problems tackled. But too often, meetings don’t deliver the desired outcomes. Teams convene regularly — sometimes out of habit rather than necessity — but while agreements are often reached, the results frequently fall short. Why? Discussions are rushed, assumptions go unchecked, and risks aren’t fully explored.…

Topics Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy The Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy initiative explores the growing use of artificial intelligence in the business landscape. The exploration looks specifically at how AI is affecting the development and execution of strategy in organizations. In collaboration with More in this series Get updates by email Please enter a valid email address Thank you for signing up Privacy Policy Jeff Miller moved from a…

Frontiers Understanding Chinese companies’ place-based strategies for growth can be valuable to companies everywhere. Shameen Prashantham and Lola Woetzel February 03, 2025 Reading Time: 10 min  Topics Frontiers An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. More in this series Harry Campbell/theispot.com The phrase “chu hai” (“going overseas,” in Chinese) has become a rallying cry for many Chinese companies in the past few years. Faced…

Frontiers In the digital age, brand is signaled by marketers, but meaning is cocreated with consumers. Marcus Collins January 30, 2025 Reading Time: 10 min  Topics Frontiers An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. More in this series Jon Krause/theispot.com The image and meaning a brand conveys have never been entirely within the owner’s control; they have always been in dialogue with the world…

Topics AI in Action This column series looks at the biggest data and analytics challenges facing modern companies and dives deep into successful use cases that can help other organizations accelerate their AI progress. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Colgate-Palmolive, the consumer products giant whose origins date back to 1806, has long been a data- and insights-oriented company. It has gathered consumer…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images A new (or is it old?) administration is back in power in the U.S. After a four-year Biden Administration, one that passed the largest climate bill in history (called, in Washington-speak, the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA), the country has…

Matt Harrison Clough In July 2024, an executive at luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari received several messages that appeared to have been sent by CEO Benedetto Vigna on the messaging and calling platform WhatsApp. The messages, which originated from an unfamiliar number, mentioned an impending significant acquisition, urged the executive to sign a nondisclosure agreement immediately, and claimed that Italy’s market regulator and the Italian stock exchange had already been…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Thanks to the deafening buzz around data science and AI, enterprise leaders no longer doubt the transformative potential of this powerful duo. Yet, a striking statistic reveals a bigger leadership challenge: More than 57% of companies struggle to build a…

Topics How to Maximize the Business Value of Generative AI The promise of generative AI is value — higher revenue, streamlined efficiencies, and more innovative decision-making. Achieving this value isn’t easy. Maximizing it is even harder. This MIT SMR Executive Guide offers expert insights into the strategies needed to get the most out of GenAI. Brought to you by: More in this series Neil Webb Less than two years ago,…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Let me ask you some questions to get this discussion started. In the past week or two at work, did you see anyone: Tell someone that their thoughts or feelings are stupid? Insult others in public meetings to humiliate or…

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images “One conversation in the room, please.” We’ve all heard, or said, something like this during in-person meetings. Hushing side discussions helps reinforce the best parts of face-to-face meetings: the opportunity to be attentive, be aware of eye contact and body language, and focus everyone on a single topic. “One conversation” reminders work for in-person gatherings, but virtual meetings bring a new set of challenges.…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, factory floors used to spontaneously catch fire. Many industrial operations generated enough sawdust during the working day to make the whole place flammable at the slightest spark. Why does this matter now?…

Generating sustainable business value with AI demands critical thinking about the disparate philosophies determining AI development, training, deployment, and use. Michael Schrage and David Kiron January 16, 2025 Reading Time: 32 min  Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images In 2011, coder-turned-venture-investor Marc Andreessen famously declared, “Software is eating the world” in the analog pages of The Wall Street Journal. His manifesto described a technology voraciously transforming every global industry it…

The allure of generative AI is undeniable, but it should not eclipse the proven capabilities of analytical AI. Consider a better way to ideate on the best AI projects for your organization. Pedro Amorim, Teresa Bianchi de Aguiar, Luís Guimarães, Bernardo Almada-Lobo, and Bruno Teixeira January 15, 2025 Reading Time: 10 min  Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Large language models, with their ability to generate humanlike text and assist…

Topics How to Maximize the Business Value of Generative AI The promise of generative AI is value — higher revenue, streamlined efficiencies, and more innovative decision-making. Achieving this value isn’t easy. Maximizing it is even harder. This MIT SMR Executive Guide offers expert insights into the strategies needed to get the most out of GenAI. Brought to you by: More in this series Neil Webb Generative AI can radically improve…

Topics Culture Champions Building a healthy culture is one of the most important — and hardest — leadership jobs. These articles, based on a webinar series and research by Donald Sull and CultureX, share actionable advice from leaders whose cultures produced exceptional business results and a world-class employee experience. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Aleksandar Savic From 2004 to 2015, the Lego Group was on a tear, growing…

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Generative artificial intelligence is transforming how candidates prepare for interviews, making it more complicated for hiring managers to accurately assess their true expertise. By inputting role-specific details, organizational information, and their resumes into GenAI tools, candidates can prompt the technology to generate potential interview questions along with personalized answers. In fact, recruiters, consultants, and other job seekers widely recommend preparing for interviews in this…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images This is the time of year for predictions and trend analyses, and as data science and artificial intelligence become increasingly important to the global economy, it’s vital that leaders watch emerging AI trends. Nobody seems to use AI to make…

Topics Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy The Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy initiative explores the growing use of artificial intelligence in the business landscape. The exploration looks specifically at how AI is affecting the development and execution of strategy in organizations. In collaboration with More in this series Get updates by email Please enter a valid email address Thank you for signing up Privacy Policy After trying his luck at…

Topics How to Maximize the Business Value of Generative AI The promise of generative AI is value — higher revenue, streamlined efficiencies, and more innovative decision-making. Achieving this value isn’t easy. Maximizing it is even harder. This MIT SMR Executive Guide offers expert insights into the strategies needed to get the most out of GenAI. Brought to you by: More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Neil Webb There’s no…

subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Nick Purser/Ikon Images If you want to be a successful leader in 2025, you might want to put the two C’s at the top of your list: communication and culture. Indeed, looking back at MIT SMR’s most popular articles in recent months, it’s striking how many of them focus on communication and culture. These two strengths are inseparable: An organization can’t have a strong culture without strong…

subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Leading teams in a hybrid work environment is still a relatively new science — and presents many types of challenges. Hybrid team leaders need to identify the best team norms around communication, refine the workplace culture to foster collaboration and community, decide on smart ways to manage accountability, and more. However, hybrid work also presents valuable opportunities for leaders trying to…

Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images The wave of transformation that artificial intelligence tools — large language models and generative AI, in particular — have unleashed feels unprecedented. Unlike previous technological waves, these tools are disrupting even traditional organizational structures, as highlighted in Ethan Mollick’s MIT SMR article “Reinventing the Organization for GenAI and LLMs.” Leaders are…

subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Here at MIT Sloan Management Review, we’re lucky to have a growing number of columnists — true experts who write on their topics regularly — to share the latest lessons and trends that they’re seeing in their fields. Our columnists are constantly looking under the hoods of organizations to see how they work, what they’re struggling with, and what kinds of…

The director of NYU Stern’s Center for Human Rights and Business discusses the role companies can — and should — play in ensuring the health and safety of their global labor forces. Michael H. Posner, interviewed by Kaushik Viswanath December 19, 2024 Reading Time: 9 min  Marie Montocchio/Ikon Images Michael H. Posner has had a long career in the promotion and protection of workers and citizens around the world. He…

Mark Airs/Ikon Images When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky faced a devastating crisis: Bookings on his vacation-rental marketplace plummeted 80% almost overnight, and the company was forced to postpone its planned initial public offering. Chesky responded by abandoning what he has described as a hands-off leadership style. He laid off 25% of the workforce, reorganized the company from business divisions to functional teams, and consolidated product…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Just a few months ago, many people thought the battles over the value of the hybrid work model — and, on the flip side, return-to-office (RTO) mandates — were finally dying down. Two-thirds of U.S. companies had settled into a…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share It takes a truly confident leader to admit what they don’t know — and a brave one to ask their subordinates what they really think. A telling anecdote about the kind of leader Bob Stiller wanted to be comes early in his recent book about how…

subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Design Work to Prevent Burnout Sharon K. Parker and Caroline Knight Key Insight: Managers can apply a new model for work design to enhance their teams’ well-being and engagement by improving key job characteristics. Top Takeaways: Maintaining employee morale and keeping productivity high are just two of managers’ myriad responsibilities. But reducing burnout and improving worker well-being in order to meet those challenges is a struggle for…

Topics Radar Brief insights on emerging trends in management from the opening pages of MIT Sloan Management Review’s quarterly print magazine. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Courtesy of Bob Stiller Bob Stiller founded Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waterbury, Vermont, in 1981, serving as CEO and president until 2007 and chairman until 2012. Nasdaq named the company’s stock its top performer of the decade in 2009 even as…

Radar These research-based tips can help boards better align chief executives’ contract terms with corporate objectives. Kaushik Viswanath December 09, 2024 Reading Time: 1 min  Topics Radar Brief insights on emerging trends in management from the opening pages of MIT Sloan Management Review’s quarterly print magazine. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Getty Images When boards are hiring a new chief executive, they have tough choices to make as…

Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images If your organization is developing generative AI applications based on large language models (LLMs), you must have a rigorous process to evaluate the quality of each application. An evaluation process consists…

Coaching for the Future-Forward Leader Wise leaders invite their teams to help imagine what’s possible. Sanyin Siang December 05, 2024 Reading Time: 2 min  Topics Coaching for the Future-Forward Leader Leadership roles come with new personal and professional challenges — and Sanyin Siang, board and CEO coach, adviser, and author, is here to help with an advice column for top managers. More in this series While the pandemic was a…

subscribe-icon Subscribe Share In 2023, generative AI became the topic every leader wanted to learn more about. In 2024, many leaders and organizations moved beyond the tactical AI questions to the strategic ones — such as where to reap the most business value while minimizing risk. For example, how can AI help your organization improve key performance indicators? Our No. 3 story offers in-depth, research-based answers. Another example: Who in…

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Feeling emotionally drained at work? Is your patience exhausted? Your energy low? If so, you’re showing clinical markers of burnout. And you’re not alone. In a January 2024 mental health survey conducted by NAMI, more than half of all managers…

Topics Culture Champions Building a healthy culture is one of the most important — and hardest — leadership jobs. These articles, based on a webinar series and research by Donald Sull and CultureX, share actionable advice from leaders whose cultures produced exceptional business results and a world-class employee experience. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Aleksandar Savic Hermès is one of the world’s most admired brands, renowned for its…

Frontiers Many organizations estimate project timelines inaccurately. Working from past project examples, however, can improve on-time completion. Matej Lorko, Maroš Servátka, and Le Zhang November 27, 2024 Reading Time: 6 min  Topics Operations Project Management Frontiers An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. More in this series Hardie/Ikon Images Why do so many managers underestimate the time it will take to complete a significant…

Topics Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy The Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy initiative explores the growing use of artificial intelligence in the business landscape. The exploration looks specifically at how AI is affecting the development and execution of strategy in organizations. In collaboration with More in this series Get updates by email Please enter a valid email address Thank you for signing up Privacy Policy On Sept. 4, 2024, Me,…

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images War subjects businesses to unprecedented tests. With governments stretched to their limits, businesses must step in and assume responsibilities far beyond their conventional mandates, profoundly transforming the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR). As national survival and corporate survival become more and more intertwined, we see questions shift from “Should we do something?” to “What could we do?” — transforming CSR from a voluntary…

Topics Culture Champions Building a healthy culture is one of the most important — and hardest — leadership jobs. These articles, based on a webinar series and research by Donald Sull and CultureX, share actionable advice from leaders whose cultures produced exceptional business results and a world-class employee experience. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Aleksandar Savic The strongest corporate cultures have a handful of core values that are…