Charles J. Corbett

Professor of Operations Management and Sustainability; IBM Chair in Management

About

A hallmark of Charles Corbett’s research approach is adapting perspectives and methods from other disciplines. He was one of the first researchers to model the conflicting interests of supply chain participants using game theory. He is among the pioneers studying environmental issues in operations and supply chains, which continues to be his main focus. More recently, Corbett is beginning to study operations of small businesses and entrepreneurs. He holds a joint appointment at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

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11 Articles

Semantic segmentation of cars on a road. Research Brief / Technology

AI’s Somewhat Hidden Secret: Invisible Human Workers

How 934 workers around the globe regard their labor; it doesn’t have to be this way

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

Colleagues sitting at table in conference room at business meeting. Research Brief / Productivity

The Makeup of Your Team Should Dictate How and When You Have Meetings

Team size and how staffer productivity varies are crucial considerations

A view of solar panels on the rooftop and the skyline at dusk Research Brief / Energy

The Relationship Between Adoption of Rooftop Solar and Attachment to One’s Surroundings

Applying the behavioral concept of “place attachment” to the logistics of battling climate change

A refugee carrying a basket on their head walks through a tent encampment. Research Brief / Sustainability

Can Humanitarian Aid Turn Wastefulness to Sustainability?

Seeing global crises as ongoing, rather than episodic, and applying modern supply-chain management

Two individuals working in a factory assembly line Research Brief / Manufacturing

Should Manufacturers Use Formal Procedures to Evaluate Alternative Materials?

Methods that weight efficacy, toxicity and cost improve understanding but provide no easy answers

People packing boxes Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Applying Behavioral Economics to Supply Chain Decisions

B2B relationships aren’t the rational arena classic theories would suggest

Power plant smoke stacks Research Brief / Energy

What Delivers a 20-to-1 ROI in the Energy Business?

Highly technical probabilistic risk assessments at nuclear plants improve safety and pay for themselves many times over

Warehouse Research Brief / Sustainability

Once Begun, Corporate Carbon Reduction Efforts Gather Momentum

Companies are surprised: Opportunities to reduce CO2 are more plentiful than expected

Illustration of a man reaching for cherries on top of a pile of math symbols Feature / Productivity

Picked All the Low-Hanging Fruit? Finding Opportunity in Mathematical Models

After management does its best, new analytical approaches take effectiveness up another notch

Illustration of a man thinking Feature / Time Management

Time Management for Startups: Entrepreneurs Act as if Future Hours Aren’t Worth Much

Research adapts big-company operational knowledge to smaller organizations