Harvard Business School Confronts Environmental Issues

HBS photo

News from Harvard Business School

“The Business and Environment Initiative is the hub for environmentally-focused research, teaching, and discourse at HBS. We connect faculty, students, alumni, and practitioners to deepen the understanding of the most pressing environmental challenges confronting business leaders and to inspire new ideas and solutions.

“We have three core goals: catalyze and refine faculty research ideas, educate MBAs on the value of natural resources and the opportunities for innovation and investment, and inform and engage alumni to leverage their expertise in the field. Moreover, BEI leverages all three areas of focus to help move the needle on climate action.

“The initiative is especially active on the curriculum front through facilitating the development of innovative cases, teaching notes, and other materials, both for use in the HBS classrooms and for broader distribution to MBA and Executive Education programs around the world. We have a group of core faculty who are particularly active in writing case materials on environmental topics including climate change, sustainable cities, clean energy, and integrated reporting.”

To gain a range of perspectives on Puerto Rico’s energy and infrastructure challenges, the center organized meetings with more than a half-dozen stakeholders on the island. Tuck photo

Revers Center Examines Puerto Rico’s Recovery After Hurricane Maria

News from Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business

“On September 20, 2017, the category-4 Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, devastating the island in every way imaginable.

“The death toll of the storm and its aftermath is estimated at nearly 3,000. The winds reached 175 miles per hour, uprooting trees and knocking down 80 percent of the island’s power lines, leaving 3.4 million residents without electricity — the largest blackout in U.S. history. Power to the whole island wasn’t restored until almost a year later, and many of the repairs are temporary and vulnerable to future storms.”

INSEAD

Don’t Let Time Pressure Dictate Your Options

News from INSEAD

“Jan had recently accepted a challenging position in a new city. Keen to prove himself as quickly as possible, he didn’t hesitate to take on responsibilities at work. As a result, he had little time left to search for a home in a market already short on options. Before he knew it, his two months of company-arranged accommodation were over.

“At the very last minute, a former schoolmate offered Jan a sublet close to his office. He gratefully accepted on the spot, even though the rent was kind of high. To Jan’s dismay, renovation on the building started right after he moved in. Also, the upstairs neighbour made so much noise at night that Jan could not sleep even though he was exhausted from his long hours. His performance at work started to deteriorate. A couple of weeks into this nightmare, Jan was robbed in front of his apartment building and discovered that the neighbourhood was rife with crime. It took the help of his lawyer and a hefty penalty fee for Jan to get out of the sublease. The experience taught him to think twice before settling for the least bad deal in a rushed situation.”

Northwestern Kellogg

Customers Can Be Jerks. Here’s Why Some Employees Retaliate.

News from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

“Picture an employee at a print shop: After a rude comment from a customer, he may plot his revenge. Perhaps he deliberately delays the project by working slowly or ‘ignores’ that embarrassing typo in their materials.

“Many of us have, likewise, contemplated acts of sabotage against troublesome customers. Still, we usually know better than to take action. Not only would that sort of payback be unethical, it could embarrass our employers or even get us fired.

“But what can we learn from situations when workers do go tit-for-tat with unpleasant customers? That’s the question posed in a new paper from Cynthia Wang, a clinical professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School.”

Paul Michelman (left) and Ben Shields in the studio. Photo: Global Business People

MIT Sloan Launches Sports Analytics Podcast

News from MIT Sloan School of Management

“MIT Sloan Management Review has launched ‘Counterpoints,’ a new sports analytics podcast. The podcast offers sports fans and professionals an inside perspective on what drives teams’ performance on and off the field.

“In each episode, cohosts Ben Shields, senior lecturer within the MIT Sloan School of Management, and Paul Michelman, editor in chief of MIT Sloan Management Review, set up a thesis statement. They then turn to a top expert in the field of sports analytics to make the case. Shields and the episode’s expert engage in a lively discussion and debate, and look to data and analytics to prove or disprove the issue at hand. Expert guests include senior executives from sports organizations, sports analytics researchers, and sports technologists.

“One early episode features sports analytics consultant, author, and speaker Ben Alamar, who proposes that basketball intelligence, separate from measures of athleticism or past performance, is a predictor of a player’s success in professional basketball.”