Corporate diversification can be risky and costly, but the results of two researchers' latest study suggest that customer-centered companies may have a key advantage when it comes to such organizational change. Exclusive interview with Assistant Professor John Mawdsley (HEC Paris) on his and Professor Deepak Somaya’s latest research.
By John Mawdsley
In giving large compensation to CEOs, some companies receive criticism in the media, while others escape attention. Recent research shows that the companies under the most scrutiny are often those who engage in activities that media and other stakeholders perceive as contradictory, such as CEO overcompensation and corporate philanthropy.
By Georg Wernicke
We are living in a world of change. Change can take place inside or outside an organization. Change can be sudden and unexpected…
By Nils Plambeck
Human beings are notoriously bad at making rational decisions. Even theoretical models designed to help you find the “right” answer are limited in their applications. A trio of researchers calls for a re-appraisal of decision theory, arguing that basic tools can improve decision-making by challenging underlying assumptions and uncovering psychological biases.
By Itzhak Gilboa , Olivier Sibony
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man. (Heraclitus) This special online issue of Knowledge@HEC invites you to reflect upon change, and how individuals, firms, institutions, and the broader society deal with it.
By Giada Di Stefano
Business decisions are not always in line with company strategy. Researchers Olivier Sibony et al. explore what lies behind counterproductive business decisions and outline guidelines for designing better strategic decision processes.
By Olivier Sibony
Larger firms often outperform their smaller competitors. But as companies scale up, how do different growth strategies affect performance? Pierre Dussauge and co-researchers explore the benefits that accompany different modes of growth.
By Pierre Dussauge
The relationship between cannabis and society is a long and deeply contested one. Throughout history, cannabis has been associated with everything from health, leisure, and pop culture to criminal and immoral behavior. But beyond the simple debate about whether cannabis is good or bad, the study of cannabis markets needs interdisciplinarity, to know what is required to construct an effective and fair contested market.
By Dane Pflueger , Daniel Martinez Ahloy
Railroads, responsible investment and solar panels would never have grown into full-blown industries without initial backing from governments. But how can nascent industries obtain state support? A broad study of the European photovoltaic sector sheds light on the best conditions for a viable sector to emerge alongside strong established rivals.
By Rodolphe Durand
One out of five children in France live below the poverty line, which means a household with two children lives on a collective income of less than 1,700 Euro per month. When poverty strikes, it strikes everywhere, ruthlessly so: higher instances of diabetes related to obesity; sleep deprivation due to threadbare mattresses; lack of relaxing hobbies; noisier, more crowded, low quality housing conditions (or no home at all); academic failure; etc. Poverty hits and hurts not just in a material or physical way, but also in a psychosocial way. It provokes chronic stress, stereotype threat, and the feeling of being excluded – all of which measurably deplete mental workspace, reduce working memory performance, and lead to more short-term thinking.
