Faculty News
Feb 08 2012
Win on Service in a Tough Economy
Great service is always a differentiator, even more so when people are hurting. The service companies that thrived coming out of the Great Depression — think Macy's and Disney — figured out how to take care of their customers in a climate of fear and uncertainty. The fog of recession may be starting to lift, but most households and businesses are still feeling vulnerable today.
Feb 04 2012
When Life Is a Bunch of Carrots 
What does it mean to treat human behavior as if everyone has a price? That's the broad question animating "Strings Attached: Untangling the Ethics of Incentives" (Russell Sage Foundation and Princeton) by Ruth W. Grant.
Feb 03 2012
The Five Proofs of Facebook’s IPO
The record-breaking Facebook IPO proves a number of things. But one thing it won't prove is that investors who buy now will get wealthy.
Feb 02 2012
Will Facebook Live Up to the Hype?
After months of speculations and hype, Facebook filed its S-1 yesterday as it prepares to go public. This public offering could value the company at almost $100 billion, more than the GDP of Iceland, Cyprus, Jordan and Kenya combined; and almost five times the initial market value of Google when it went public in 2004.
Jan 31 2012
Dating and business: Not all that different
We've all fallen victim to or been perpetrator of the classic dating power play – waiting just a few days longer before calling. But this tactic can teach companies a thing or two on how they should be dealing with their customers, especially in light of Verizon (VZ) and Bank of America's (BAC) relatively recent fee fiascos.
Jan 29 2012
India's wasting infrastructure
On a visit to a public hospital—fortunately for me, not to address a malady, but to indulge my curiosity—there were all the insalubrious aspects that I had been conditioned to expect of India's healthcare infrastructure for the masses: dilapidated and dingy equipment, undercared for facilities, and a goodly number of disengaged health providers who had to be chased from pillar to post to get anything done.
Jan 26 2012
The Human Cost of Kodak's Bankruptcy
Kodak's filing for Chapter 11 protection has gotten a great deal of attention. Much has been said about the causes of the fall of an iconic brand. And there has been a good deal of speculation over whether and how Kodak will be able to rebuild.
Jan 23 2012
Break Your Addiction to Service Heroes
In their new book, Uncommon Service, coauthors Frances Frei and Anne Morriss show it is possible for organizations to reduce costs while dramatically enhancing customer service. The key? Don't try to be good at everything.
Jan 22 2012
Why Lie When You Can Evade?
"You get to ask the questions you like. I get to give the answers I like," Mitt Romney told a reporter dissatisfied with an evasive answer. The ensuing criticism – "How dare he not answer our questions?" – seemingly suggested that Romney's efforts to dodge questions was out of the ordinary. In fact, the only thing unusual about Romney's dodge attempt was that it failed.
Jan 20 2012
What Business Schools Can Learn from the Medical Profession
A few years ago, a family member visiting from India became ill. Soon he was sitting on a hospital gurney, surrounded by people in lab coats—people who were, for the most part, incredibly inexperienced.
Jan 19 2012
What's Your Story? How Personal Narratives Impact Leadership
Each of us has a life story. In fact, we have several stories. We have a "success story." This is a story that we normally tell in job interviews, sales pitches or describe in our biography or resume. It's the story that our family tells to brag about us. It's a narrative that describes about our accomplishments, triumphs and terrific qualities.
Jan 18 2012
How IBM's Sam Palmisano Redefined the Global Corporation
In the 20th century, a select group of leaders — General Motor's Alfred Sloan, HP's David Packard and Bill Hewlett, and GE's Jack Welch — set the standard for the way corporations are run. In the 21st century only IBM's Sam Palmisano has done so.
Jan 16 2012
Private Meetings of Public Companies Thwart Disclosure Rules
Despite a federal regulation, executives at public firms still spend a great deal of time in private powwows with hedge fund managers. Eugene F. Soltes and David H. Solomon suggest that such meetings give these investors unfair advantage.
Jan 13 2012
Crowdsourcing Management Reviews for Better Management
The January-February issue of Harvard Business Review features a series of short articles that each present an "audacious idea." Our piece in that series — "Crowdsource Management Reviews — And Make Them Public, Too" asks what you would do if your employees were assessing their bosses online and making their collective assessments public.
Jan 11 2012
How leaders kill meaning at work
Senior executives routinely undermine creativity, productivity, and commitment by damaging the inner work lives of their employees in four avoidable ways.
