Showing papers in "MIT Sloan Management Review in 2021"

Redesigning the Post-Pandemic Workplace

Abstract: Kane et al discuss the need for managers to envision the office that employees will return to after the COVID-19 pandemic The world has experienced widespread disruption over the past year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic With the successful development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, the timeline for when the so-called next normal will arrive is clearer Leaders should begin to take steps to consider what the workplace will look like when it arrives There is no going back to the prepandemic workplace Organizations and individuals have had no choice but to discover new ways of working Many have reported successfully implementing years worth of digital transformation plans over the course of a few months Even companies that needed to maintain a significant colocated workplace used digital innovations to improve employee and customer engagement and safety

The Future of Work Is Through Workforce Ecosystems

Abstract: Effectively managing a workforce comprising internal and external players in a way that is both aligned with an organization's strategic goals and consistent with its values is now a critical business necessity. However, legacy management practices remain organized around an increasingly outdated employee-focused view of the workforce-that it consists of a group of hired employees performing work along linear career paths to create value for their organization. The best way to conceptualize and address these shifts and related practices is through the lens of workforce ecosystems. Workforce ecosystem as a structure that consists of interdependent actors, from within the organization and beyond, working to pursue both individual and collective goals. Here, Altman et al introduce the concept of workforce ecosystems and discuss how they can help managers rethink the way they align their business and workforce strategies.

Accelerating Supply Chain Scenario Planning

Abstract: In spring 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted supply chains across numerous major industries worldwide and showed no signs of abating, most organizations had limited vision in terms of how they should prepare to resume business activities This lack of clarity resulted from a confluence of uncertainties, including when an effective vaccine might be widely available and what mandates governments might implement to curb the coronavirus's spread As organizations and their supply chain partners have turned to scenario planning to help them "see" actionable paths amid the pandemic, such planning has become faster, nearer term, more inclusive, and digital Here, Joglekar and Phadnis identify mechanisms that draw on digital capabilities and/or collaborative planning to enable accelerated scenario creation

Four Principles to Ensure Hybrid Work Is Productive Work

Abstract: Leaders and the teams they manage are experimenting with new ways of working--both in the short term during COVID-19 and longer term for a post-pandemic world The axes of work are pivoting simultaneously in terms of both place and time, with leaders designing hybrid ways of collaborating that have few precedents It's tough and, not surprisingly, causing confusion To find the right way forward, leaders must understand the axes of hybrid work--the upsides and downsides of where and when people work--and align them so that they feed the energy, focus, coordination, and cooperation needed to be productive Here, Gratton lays out the evolution of hybrid workplaces and describe four emerging principles

Virtual Collaboration Won't Be the Death of Creativity

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic put professionals in a box - a virtual one Overnight, managers and their teams shifted from in-person brainstorming and ideation sessions to those taking place electronically via Zoom, WebEx, and other tools You might assume that major changes in how they work are taking a large toll on business creativity, in light of the loss of more spontaneous face-to-face connections and interactions Here, Thompson offers ways on how to enhance virtual-group creativity It includes the need to prevent production blocking, facilitating idea expressions through brainstorming, promoting high-construal thinking and fostering diverse interactions

How COVID-19 Will Change the Geography of Competition

Abstract: Pisan focuses on how COVID-19 will change the geography of competition. Three trends are reshaping global strategy and operations for the world's largest companies. For any business leader, decisions about their company's geographic footprint are crucial. Entering a foreign market requires major resources and a strong commitment to succeed. Similarly, deciding to locate a manufacturing plant overseas entails the careful selection of an offshore destination. A multinational footprint also has fundamental implications for the overall structure of a company. Leaders are exposed to two significant errors of judgment when they misunderstand the geography of competition. First, they escalate commitment to geographic markets they should be retreating from;and second, they miss out on novel opportunities to create value across borders in different areas of the world.