Harvard Business School

09/03/2026

What interventions actually reduce bias in performance evaluations?

In this week's Research Spotlight, Professor Edward H. Chang and colleagues tested whether accountability reduces racial gaps in employee performance evaluations through a field experiment.

The study found little evidence that accountability interventions reduced gaps, even when paired with diversity statements. Though similar language worked in hypothetical experiments, testing with real outcomes matters.

Read more about their research here: https://hbs.me/2p8ek5kn

08/31/2026

New sculptures by Woody De Othello and Erika Verzutti have been added to the C. Ludens Ringnes Sculpture Collection for a two-year exhibition on the HBS campus!

The installation is part of HBS's ongoing contemporary sculpture program, which began in April 2016, and joins pieces in its permanent collection by Mary Frank, Jaume Plensa, John Safer, Joel Shapiro, and Yinka Shonibare.

"It's a real gift to have work of this caliber on our campus, where students, faculty, alumni, and staff will encounter it every day," said Kenneth Peterson, executive director of Baker Library. "Woody De Othello's work asks us to think about connection and communication beyond ordinary speech, and Erika Verzutti's transforms ordinary fruit into something ancient and monumental. Having sculptures this thoughtful on the HBS campus is exactly the kind of experience we want for our community."

Harvard Business School has added sculptures by Woody De Othello and Erika Verzutti to the C. Ludens Ringnes Sculpture Collection for a two-year exhibition on its Boston campus. The installation is part of the School's ongoing contemporary sculpture program, which began in April 2016, and joins piec...

08/30/2026

In this special series of the Cold Call podcast focusing on artificial intelligence, Professors Caroline Elkins, Julian De Freitas, Zoe Cullen, and Susanna Gallani join host Brian Kenny to discuss their cases on emerging issues in AI:

✅ Professor Caroline Elkins joins host Brian Kenny to explore the question, “Is AI creative?” The answer affects not only journalism as we know it, but considerations for whether we can harness AI to enter an age of increased creativity for humankind.

✅ Associate Professor Julian De Freitas and Harvard Art Museums director of marketing John Connolly discuss the tensions between innovation and brand stewardship in cultural marketing, organizational barriers to new technology adoption, and the strategic use of emerging technologies in brand management.

✅ Associate Professor Zoe Cullen explores the tensions between individual rights and commercial applications of AI and the central question of what protections must be forged today to ensure professionals in the future continue to contribute and be compensated.

✅ Associate Professor Susanna Gallani and host Brian Kenny discuss the challenges leadership at the health care organization anticipated as they considered scaling the AI technology responsibly in the case, "The AI Scribe: Enhancing Physician Presence and Curbing Burnout at Mass General Brigham."

Combining bold ideas, powerful pedagogy, and collaborative cohort-based learning to deliver unparalleled management education and foster lifelong learning networks.

08/27/2026

What makes a conversation truly work?

Professor Alison Wood Brooks joined Jay Shetty on the On Purpose podcast to explore the science behind better dialogue.

Together, they discuss choosing more meaningful topics, embracing the messiness of real conversation, practicing the three stages of listening, giving compliments that genuinely connect, and building trust by admitting uncertainty.

Podcast Episode · On Purpose with Jay Shetty · August 24 · 1h 43m

08/27/2026

This week, we welcomed our first-year students to campus to begin their RC (Required Curriculum) year.

Welcome to HBS, Class of 2028! We can't wait to begin this journey with you.

08/24/2026

How can AI expand access to the rigorous feedback entrepreneurs need?

Meet Harvard Business School Foundry, a program that combines HBS entrepreneurship content, AI-powered tools (including AI avatars of HBS faculty members!), live sessions, and peer learning to help founders develop and test their ideas.

Among the HBS Foundry’s features are AI agents trained on faculty work and video simulations that allow participants to practice pitches, sales calls, and board meetings. So far, the program has been tested with more than 100 universities across all 50 states.

While AI is central to the experience, the human dimension remains essential.

“They love the AI. They’re using the AI, they’re learning a lot,” says Professor Thomas Eisenmann. “But it keeps coming back to humanity.”

To create a new bootcamp for entrepreneurs, Harvard Business School made A.I. avatars of its instructors.

08/22/2026

Anyone who has navigated an overcrowded airline hub or sat on the tarmac for hours might wonder:

Who’s running this airport, and why is it so inefficient?

Research by Professor Sabrina T. Howell suggests that many airports, which are largely government-run, would benefit from private equity ownership. While PE has come under criticism for wringing profit from public services, like hospitals and utilities, an analysis of 2,400 international and regional airports in 217 countries finds that PE firms can increase quality in airports.

Amid a wave of airport privatization, PE ownership is linked to higher airport quality, according to an extensive analysis of international and regional airports by Sabrina T. Howell.

08/21/2026

What turns everyday team conversations into catalysts for stronger collaboration?

Behind every strategy, decision, and organizational change is a conversation. But how those conversations take shape, and how leaders guide them, can make all the difference. High-performing teams focus on three essential elements: goals, roles, and soul. Together, they help create greater clarity, build trust, and lead to better decisions.

Associate Professor Alison Wood Brooks and co-author Andy Atkins share practical approaches to help leaders shape more productive conversations—and, in turn, strengthen how teams think, make decisions, and work together.

Every strategy, decision, and transformation begins as a conversation. Yet leaders rarely think intentionally about how those conversations unfold. The highest-performing teams steward conversation through three elements—goals, roles, and soul—creating greater clarity, stronger trust, and better...

08/20/2026

What's the best way to manage negative comments on ads?

In this week's Research Spotlight, Professor Julian De Freitas and PhD student Jiwoon Park studied how managing harmful comments affects advertising outcomes and brand trust.

Hiding harmful comments improved registration rates and return on ad spend. But the benefits depend on disclosure. When hidden criticism targets the brand itself, transparency affects consumer trust.

Read more about their research here: https://hbs.me/5n7zzvma

08/19/2026

A company offers a carpooling program to help employees save money and make more sustainable choices. Employees say they want to carpool, but getting them to actually do it is another story.

Research from HBS Associate Professor Ashley Whillans suggests an unexpected approach: Make signing up a little harder.

In a study of a carpooling platform, requiring more effort to enroll reduced sign-ups by 25 percent. But among those who did sign up, participants logged 1.6 times more carpool trips per week.

She explains why a little meaningful friction can create a “buy-in effect” that helps turn good intentions into action.

Making products or programs slightly harder to access boosts appeal and follow-through, says research by Ashley V. Whillans.