CAMBRIDGE, MA—If you are an entrepreneur, run a big or small enterprise or want to start a business, a look into the 10 most popular stories of 2016 in Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge will provide you a few great insights.
“The most popular features on Working Knowledge in 2016 included a prescriptive tale of three wildly successful startups, a look at Donald Trump’s election campaign from a marketing perspective, and an easy tip to up your negotiation game,” says by Carmen Nobel, senior editor of Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, in an article published in Working Knowledge.
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“Startups often struggle to find their first customers—especially in the sharing economy, where survival depends on securing users on both the supply and demand sides. No surprise, then, that our readers flocked to a story about the early days of three wildly successful two-sided platforms. “How Uber, Airbnb, and Etsy Attracted Their First 1,000 Customers” was the most-read story on Working Knowledge in 2016,” according to the Working Knowledge article.
Other popular topics among Working Knowledge readers included workplace communication, negotiation, white-collar crime, and, of course, the votes that rocked the world—both Brexit and Donald Trump attracted lots of attention.
Here are the 10 most popular research-related stories, columns, and op-eds on Working Knowledge in 2016:
3. When Negotiating a Price, Never Bid With a Round Number
Investors who offer “precise” bids for company shares yield better outcomes than those who offer round-number bids, according to research by Petri Hukkanen and Matti Keloharju.
4. Bernie Madoff Explains Himself Eugene Soltes phoned convicted felon Bernie Madoff and asked him an important question: How would you explain your actions and misconduct to students? The recorded answer offers sobering lessons for anyone with business ambitions.
5. What’s a Boss Worth?
Quite a lot, it turns out. Good bosses can have a multiplier effect that ups everyone’s game, according to research by Christopher Stanton.
6. Master the One-on-One Meeting
The one-on-one meeting between supervisor and staff is an invaluable tool for managing, but requires much attention to detail. Julia B. Austin explains best practices for getting the most out of the 1:1.
7. Why Brexit is a Big Deal
The consequences of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will be far-reaching. John A. Quelch shares his thoughts on the ramifications of Brexit.
10. The Truth About Authentic Leaders
Is “Be yourself” smart advice for a leader? Bill George, the creator of the “authentic leadership” approach to management, answers critics and outlines the path for executives to be more effective.
