Topic: Operations

Illustration of a man skiing Research Brief / Compensation

Corporate Bosses, Given Fewer Stock Options, Turn Risk-Averse

Research might give pause to corporate boards changing compensation models

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

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

Illustration of two people pushing two puzzle pieces together with a dollar sign in the middle Research Brief / Mergers and Acquisitions

Do Hospital Mergers Really Cut Health Care Costs?

Matt Schmitt finds that size and location help determine how much, if any, costs fall after deals

Doctors practicing for surgery Feature / Health Care

Do Surgeons Win or Lose When Medicare Bundles Payments?

A model separates potential profits or losses for hospital, doctors and other health care providers when insurer pays in lump sum

Female driver looking back to the rear of her car Research Brief / Gender

Economics of Women-Driver Ride Hailing

Other safety measures are easier to implement, but research suggests how female driver pool could be increased

Nurses washing their hands outdoors while wearing face masks Research Brief / COVID-19

Employees Work at Multiple Nursing Homes and Spread COVID-19

Smartphone GPS tracks staffers between facilities

A food bank worker is separating out fresh produce into bags for distribution Research Brief / Supply Chain

Fixing a Food Bank’s Pandemic Logistics Problem

Enormous growth and a redrawn supply chain required a new system

People waiting for job interview Research Brief / Hiring/Firing

Google Says to Hire the Best, but Suppose You Can’t?

Top companies hog the best talent, adding to their competitive advantage

Hospital building Research Brief / Mergers and Acquisitions

How Antitrust Thinking on Hospital Mergers Has Been Forced to Evolve

Matt Schmitt’s research shows hospital prices rise after acquisitions, even where local competition is unchanged

Workers in a garment factory sewing Research Brief / Supply Chain

How Brands Can Anticipate Unauthorized Subcontracting of Apparel Manufacturing

A model predicts with 80% accuracy which orders get handed off

Empty Times Square in New York in blue (left side); "Quarantine Overkill" sign held by a woman at a rally in red (right) Research Brief / COVID-19

How Clinton and Trump Voters Behave in — and Spread — a Pandemic

Estimates are based on smartphone data and precinct-level 2016 vote results

Cartoon of large watering can watering workers like plants Research Brief / Operations

How Diversified Companies Can Redeploy Workers to Enable Growth

Experienced hands help new business lines find their way

Workers peer over a coworker's cubicle Research Brief / Competition

How Established Firms Get Disrupted by Allies

Suppliers, distributers, product extenders go from helper to competitor

Building in ruble while emergency workers recover a body Research Brief / Manufacturing

How Fashion Brands Can Best Ensure Worker Safety in Developing Nations

Collective action, rather than each brand working alone, appears more effective and costs less

Illustration of a man pushing a shopping cart Research Brief / Corporate Investment

How to Spur Capital Spending: Plan for Failure

Companies might invest more in new ventures if they could see in advance how to redeploy the assets if things don’t pan out