IESE Insight - Research Papers

When diagnosis is part of the service: Learning and treating efficiently

Bimpikis, Kostas; Markakis, Mihalis Is it just a fever or something more serious? When providing services that range from simple to complex, as in health care, not knowing what's required for each patient leads to wasted resources and inefficient staffing. So, how can this kind of system be optimized?

Patience: the best remedy for business haste

Argandoña, Antonio Can you afford to be patient in a market that doesn't wait? Yes, you can, and it will benefit the productivity and sustainability of your company. Antonio Argandoña discusses the why's and how's of an overlooked virtue.

For leaders, ethics trumps fairness in employee opinions

Koopman, Joel; Scott, Brent A.; Matta, Fadel K.; Conlon, Donald E.; Dennerlein, Tobias Principled and moral leaders are perceived to treat employees better when dispensing justice -- even when they don't. A study of ethical leadership suggests it can lead to a more collaborative workforce, thanks to perceptions of fairness.

Entrepreneurs don't cry: surprising keys to startup success

Huy, Quy; Zott, Christoph Think "successful entrepreneur" and emotional control may not be the first thing to pop to mind. And yet steady emotions can be key in the turbulent times around a business launch. Quy Huy and Christoph Zott identify five "emotional-regulation behaviors" worth emulating.

How to talk it out: shareholder dialogue that leads to change

Ferraro, Fabrizio; Beunza, Daniel By analyzing interactions between socially responsible shareholders and major corporations, Fabrizio Ferraro and Daniel Beunza present a model for creating common ground that can lead to real social change.

Balance starts at the top

Rofcanin, Yasin; Las Heras, Mireia; Bosch, Mª José; et al. As the boundaries between our personal and professional lives continue to blur, what can we do to achieve better balance? Research by Mireia Las Heras et al. suggests some practical things that organizations can do to facilitate work and home engagement.

Experiential marketing: a way to get people talking

Gallo, Iñigo; Townsend, Claudia; Alegre, Inés Take a motorcycle: Is it a product, or is it an experience? If it's the latter, something lived on the open road, word of mouth is more likely to spread the message. This marketing trick now has research to back it, with a caveat.

Soft power: how a colleague's promotion weighs on the rest of the team

Brion, Sebastien; Mo, Ruo; Lount Jr., Robert B. Trust is crucial for working relationships. And yet changes in status and power destabilize trust, putting team performances at risk. Research by Sebastien Brion highlights the dynamics in play.

How Alibaba is improving welfare in parts of China

Fan, Jingting; Tang, L.; Zhu, Weiming; Zou, Ben E-commerce is booming in China. And nowhere is it more obvious than in smaller and more remote cities, where the prevalence of online shopping is lowering barriers to entry and boosting economic output for those who need it most.

Boosting firm performance with the business model effect

Sohl, Timo; Vroom, Govert; Fitza, Markus Does a company's business model affect its performance? Govert Vroom's research says yes -- it's just as important as the choice of industry in determining a firm's success.