Harvard Business School Working Knowledge

New research reveals the limits of demographic data in forecasting the winner. What does it mean for the US presidential election?

Election 2024: Why Demographics Won't Predict the Next President As America gets ready to vote, projecting the outcome is a closely watched game. New research by Vincent Pons and Jesse Shapiro reveals the limits of demographic data in forecasting the winner. What does it mean for the US presidential election?

“Content moderation is simply not a good way to counter information that creates false beliefs,” says Scott Duke Kominers, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School.

Is It Even Possible to Dam the Flow of Misleading Content Online? 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.

As cast a spotlight on harassment in the workplace, former McDonald's CEO Stephen Easterbrook went from savior to pariah. A series of case studies highlight lessons for how to improve culture and prevent the abuse of power.

McDonald’s and the Post #MeToo Rules of S*x in the Workplace As 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 eight lessons all corporate boards can take away from the scandal to improve culture and prevent abuse of power.

A year ago experts predicted a recession. It never materialized. Market conditions— and investor behavior—are buoying the economy says Robin Greenwood, Professor of Finance and Banking at Harvard Business School.

Reading the Financial Crisis Warning Signs: Credit Markets and the 'Red-Zone' 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.

With the upcoming election, what’s at stake for companies and how will it impact workplaces? Harvard Business School faculty weigh in.

Election 2024: What's at Stake for Business and the Workplace? 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 civ...

Strategic consulting firms are facing cutbacks and changes to recruiting. Are they struggling to apply their own advice?

Are Management Consulting Firms Failing to Manage Themselves? 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, which are considered experts at solving a variety of problems for clients, are struggl...

How has immigration changed American communities? Assistant Professor Marco Tabellini reflects on data from US history.

What the World Could Learn from America's Immigration Backlash—100 Years Ago 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 move forward.

Innovative startups born in university settings often stall getting to market. Here's why.

Why Great Ideas Get Stuck in Universities 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.

It's time to update the private equity playbook.

Weighing Digital Tradeoffs in Private Equity 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.

What really fuels a boom-and-bust cycle in the modern global economy?

Watching for the Next Economic Downturn? Follow Corporate Debt 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.

Only one social movement in recent memory shifted public opinion. Why don't most marches and rallies have lasting results?

Do Social Movements Sway Voters? Not Really, Except for One People often take to the streets to express their outrage, but research by Vincent Pons finds that only one recent social movement has 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....

New hires are eager to offer ideas but become more reluctant to share over time. Professor Amy Edmondson explains how psychological safety erodes on the job and provides advice for strengthening it.

New Hires Lose Psychological Safety After Year One. How to Fix It. 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.