Academic Research
A Guide to Building a Unified Culture After a Merger or Acquisition
Mergers and acquisitions, though powerful tools for growth, often fall short of expectations. One reason is a lack of focus on the integration experience of acquired employees. While companies tend to invest heavily in pre-deal due diligence, they frequently overlook the day-to-day realities faced by incoming employees—who often feel undervalued, unsupported, and overwhelmed—ultimately threatening deal success, long-term productivity, and retention. These challenges are preventable through planning that includes culture assessments, employee journey mapping, empowering mid-level leaders, and remaining flexible during integration, all of which help foster buy-in and preserve deal value.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/04/a-guide-to-building-a-unified-culture-after-a-merger-or-acquisition
Authors: Mina Milosevic, Katherine Rau, Lisa Steelman
ABSTRACT
Mergers and acquisitions, though powerful tools for growth, often fall short of expectations. One reason is a lack of focus on the integration experience of acquired employees. While companies tend to invest heavily in pre-deal due diligence, they frequently overlook the day-to-day realities faced by incoming employees—who often feel undervalued, unsupported, and overwhelmed—ultimately threatening deal success, long-term productivity, and retention. These challenges are preventable through planning that includes culture assessments, employee journey mapping, empowering mid-level leaders, and remaining flexible during integration, all of which help foster buy-in and preserve deal value.
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Incentives for Sales Teams
When executives discuss sales performance, the conversation often focuses on compensation. It’s one of the few areas in sales that senior leaders pay close attention to as a driver of performance. In part, this is because, in B2B companies, compensation typically represents the largest line item in the sales budget. So, while compensation needs to be effectively managed, it can be misused or overused as a means of influencing sales behavior. Here are three common mistakes leaders make when trying to boost the performance of their sales teams along with ideas for how to produce better results.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/04/3-mistakes-to-avoid-when-setting-incentives-for-sales-teams
Authors: Scott Edinger, Lisa Earle McLeod
ABSTRACT
When executives discuss sales performance, the conversation often focuses on compensation. It’s one of the few areas in sales that senior leaders pay close attention to as a driver of performance. In part, this is because, in B2B companies, compensation typically represents the largest line item in the sales budget. So, while compensation needs to be effectively managed, it can be misused or overused as a means of influencing sales behavior. Here are three common mistakes leaders make when trying to boost the performance of their sales teams along with ideas for how to produce better results.
What It Takes to Fix a “Mean” Workplace
Workplace incivility costs U.S. businesses an estimated $2 billion each day in lost productivity. Uncivil behavior can spread to bystanders like a virus, creating a workplace contagion that decimates productivity and well-being. But new preliminary research suggests civility is just as contagious. Anyone can break the cycle of incivility through three steps: 1) Noticing your automatic response; 2) Naming your automatic response; and 3) Communicating in a way that doesn’t trigger the other person.close
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/03/what-it-takes-to-fix-a-mean-workplace
Authors: Laura Cassiday, David Rock
ABSTRACT
Workplace incivility costs U.S. businesses an estimated $2 billion each day in lost productivity. Uncivil behavior can spread to bystanders like a virus, creating a workplace contagion that decimates productivity and well-being. But new preliminary research suggests civility is just as contagious. Anyone can break the cycle of incivility through three steps: 1) Noticing your automatic response; 2) Naming your automatic response; and 3) Communicating in a way that doesn’t trigger the other person.
Research: How Responsible AI Protects the Bottom Line
Studies involving 3,268 consumers showed that responsible AI can generate significant economic returns, and companies should reconsider their resource allocation in product design. Embedding responsible AI into brand and business strategy, and aligning with partners who prioritize ethical practices, can strengthen credibility and differentiation. Responsible AI practices can also serve as a buffer against potential setbacks and help navigate the evolving regulatory landscape. Companies investing in responsible AI today are positioning themselves at the forefront of both ethical leadership and market readiness.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/03/research-how-responsible-ai-protects-the-bottom-line
Authors: Oguz A. Acar, Caroline Wiertz, Adi Ghosh
ABSTRACT
Studies involving 3,268 consumers showed that responsible AI can generate significant economic returns, and companies should reconsider their resource allocation in product design. Embedding responsible AI into brand and business strategy, and aligning with partners who prioritize ethical practices, can strengthen credibility and differentiation. Responsible AI practices can also serve as a buffer against potential setbacks and help navigate the evolving regulatory landscape. Companies investing in responsible AI today are positioning themselves at the forefront of both ethical leadership and market readiness.
Two Frameworks for Balancing AI Innovation and Risk
Organizations that view AI as just another technology project will increasingly find themselves irrelevant. Success will go to those who adopt a balanced approach—being radically optimistic about AI’s potential while remaining cautious about its risks. By integrating structured frameworks like OPEN and CARE, organizations can navigate this challenge, harnessing AI’s transformative power while building the resilience necessary to thrive in an uncertain future.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/03/two-frameworks-for-balancing-ai-innovation-and-risk
Authors: Faisal Hoque
ABSTRACT
Organizations that view AI as just another technology project will increasingly find themselves irrelevant. Success will go to those who adopt a balanced approach—being radically optimistic about AI’s potential while remaining cautious about its risks. By integrating structured frameworks like OPEN and CARE, organizations can navigate this challenge, harnessing AI’s transformative power while building the resilience necessary to thrive in an uncertain future.
Research: When Laughing Becomes Labor
Many studies suggest that humor is a useful leadership tool. Leaders with a sense of humor are seen as 27% more motivating, executives rated as outstanding tended to use humor twice as much as those deemed average, and leader humor, in general, can relieve stress and boredom by boosting engagement and well-being. But two recent studies suggest that humor can sometimes backfire. It turns out that leaders who use humor a lot—especially if they are perceived as authority figures—can make employees feel obligated to act as though they enjoy the humor, even when they do not, leading to emotional exhaustion and reduced job satisfaction.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/03/research-when-laughing-becomes-labor
Authors: Grace M. Simon, Xiaoran Hu, Michael Park, Randall Peterson
ABSTRACT
Many studies suggest that humor is a useful leadership tool. Leaders with a sense of humor are seen as 27% more motivating, executives rated as outstanding tended to use humor twice as much as those deemed average, and leader humor, in general, can relieve stress and boredom by boosting engagement and well-being. But two recent studies suggest that humor can sometimes backfire. It turns out that leaders who use humor a lot—especially if they are perceived as authority figures—can make employees feel obligated to act as though they enjoy the humor, even when they do not, leading to emotional exhaustion and reduced job satisfaction.
How to Assess the New Legal Risks of Your DEI Policies
What has—and hasn’t—changed in the legal landscape.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/02/how-to-assess-the-new-legal-risks-of-your-dei-policies
Authors: Joan C. Williams, Laura J. Maechtlen, Jamie Dolkas
ABSTRACT
What has—and hasn’t—changed in the legal landscape.
AI Agents Are Changing How People Shop. Here’s What That Means for Brands
What retail companies need to know about AI agent optimization.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/02/ai-agents-are-changing-how-people-shop-heres-what-that-means-for-brands
Authors: Jur Gaarlandt, Wesley Korver, Nathan Furr, Andrew Shipilov
ABSTRACT
What retail companies need to know about AI agent optimization.
How Ageism Is Undermining AI Implementation
A new survey shows that mid- and late-career workers offer unique strengths when it comes to working with AI—but that companies often overlook their potential.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/02/how-ageism-is-undermining-ai-implementation
Authors: Mona Mourshed, Anika Heavener
ABSTRACT
A new survey shows that mid- and late-career workers offer unique strengths when it comes to working with AI—but that companies often overlook their potential.
The False Dichotomy of Merit and Inclusion
To fairly reward talent in all its forms, companies need to remove barriers that prevent people’s potential and contributions from being recognized.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/02/the-false-dichotomy-of-merit-and-inclusion
Authors: Ludmila N. Praslova
ABSTRACT
To fairly reward talent in all its forms, companies need to remove barriers that prevent people’s potential and contributions from being recognized.
Research: What Consumers Find Persuasive in Online Reviews
Most people report that online reviews are one of the main factors they consider before making a purchase. Unsurprisingly, many companies have attempted to harness reviews’ persuasive power by highlighting those they believe will be most compelling to customers. But what do customers find persuasive in a review? Researchers analyzed 111,728 purchase reviews and conducted experiments with over 2,000 participants to answer that question. Their findings indicate that persuasiveness is dictated by how frequently an item is purchased. For items that are purchased only rarely, recommendations seem to be the most persuasive. But when items are likely to be bought frequently — for example, cosmetics or bottles of wine — it’s most persuasive when reviewers indicate they would buy that item again. This is because recommendations are viewed as more credible than repurchase intentions for infrequently bought items, while the opposite is true for frequently purchased goods or services.
Paper Link: https://hbr.org/2025/02/research-what-consumers-find-persuasive-in-online-reviews
Authors: Subhash Jha, Abhijit Biswas, Prashanth Ravula
ABSTRACT
Most people report that online reviews are one of the main factors they consider before making a purchase. Unsurprisingly, many companies have attempted to harness reviews’ persuasive power by highlighting those they believe will be most compelling to customers. But what do customers find persuasive in a review? Researchers analyzed 111,728 purchase reviews and conducted experiments with over 2,000 participants to answer that question. Their findings indicate that persuasiveness is dictated by how frequently an item is purchased. For items that are purchased only rarely, recommendations seem to be the most persuasive. But when items are likely to be bought frequently — for example, cosmetics or bottles of wine — it’s most persuasive when reviewers indicate they would buy that item again. This is because recommendations are viewed as more credible than repurchase intentions for infrequently bought items, while the opposite is true for frequently purchased goods or services.