Topic: Operations

A woman hands off cases of drinks to a male volunteer. Research Brief / Management

How Nonprofits Can Better Engage Volunteers

When to allow unpaid workers to call dibs on recurring tasks — and when not to

A blank organizational chart in white on a blackboard Research Brief / Gender Gap

Women Advance More Frequently in Decentralized Companies

At smaller units, they can develop a record of objective achievement separate from any male-dominated network

A graphic with text above that reads, "World has entered a polycrisis era and SDG progress is threatened by" and underneath the text are a series of graphics Research Brief / Supply Chain

How to Speed Progress on U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

Operations management research identifies synergies for more efficient action

Blurred image of patients on hospital beds in ICU Research Brief / Health Care

Anticipating Overcrowding Risk in the ICU

A model vastly outperforms predictions based on prior hospital data

Telescopes with sky and clouds Research Brief / Innovation

Maximizing Capacity Utilization of Unique Equipment

An algorithm to reduce telescope repositioning time boosts productivity between 10% and 25%

Tattooed bearded worker in overalls sitting in the storage area of import and export firm interior after having hard day at work. Research Question / Operations

Business Efficiency Needn’t Be the Enemy of Personal and Public Well-Being

Operations managers can take into consideration happiness, equity and sustainability

Scotch barrels stacked inside a distillery Research Brief / Supply Chain

Distillers’ Dilemma: Sell Now or Let Whisky Age Further

Decision analysis for a firm considering adding a longer-aged product to its lineup

Macro of silicon wafer semiconductor with neon color - integrated circuits to manufacture CPU and GPU. Research Brief / Supply Chain

A Proposal To Improve Supplier Reliability in Tech Manufacturing

Withholding renewal of a supply agreement can be more powerful than other carrots and sticks

Organization and team structure symbolized with cubes on wooden background. Research Brief / Management

Complexity Begets Management Layers: How Some Small Firms Avoid That

Overlapping tasks among workers well acquainted with each other reduce the need for managers

Haitian citizens take 100-pound bags of rice at an aid distribution point in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Research Brief / Operations

Distributing Aid Fairly Amid Scarcity and Unknown Demand

Building adaptability into an approach improves performance

White tiles with arrows pointed right lined up on a blue background with one red tile that shoes the arrow moving out of the line. Research Brief / Competition

A Renter and Property Owner Meet on Airbnb: Will They Ditch the Site?

The risk for matching platforms is affected by levels of fees and what’s disclosed about buyer and seller

Feature / Management

Unearthing the Negative Consequences of Managing to Quarterly Earnings

A 2017 study on workplace injuries spurs more research on perils of corporate short-termism

A color image of a sugar cane factory in the background with sugar cane in the foreground. Research Brief / Labor

In a Boom, Incumbent Firms Can Redeploy Workers to Rapidly Expand

Startups lack bench strength, a disadvantage in tight labor markets

A variety of white clouds on a black background Research Brief / Management

Boom of Intangible Assets Felt Across Industries and Economy

Rethinking issues around productivity, income inequality and industry concentration

Workers in a warehouse putting together packages Research Brief / Productivity

Startling Productivity Leap: an Algorithm, Not a Manager, Assigns Work

Warehouse pickers perceive process to be fairer

A nest thermostat on the wall reads 25 degrees Research Brief / Energy

Improving Utility Calculations on Energy Demand to Reduce Costs

Power companies haven’t maximized the benefits of customers agreeing to short-term electricity interruptions