The Best of This Week
The week’s must-reads for managing in the digital age, curated by the MIT SMR editors.
Topics
Weekly Recap
Improving Executive Diversity Requires Meaningful Change
Many organizations resist change that threatens their existing social structures, which can make it difficult for companies to effectively address systemic racism in the workplace. Four major barriers keep companies from substantively increasing executive diversity, but leaders can take proactive approaches to bring more Black candidates into the executive ranks.
How Will Amazon Innovate Post-Bezos?
Founder-led companies are more innovative than those helmed by nonfounders — and growth often slows when they step down. But as Jeff Bezos hands over the CEO reins at Amazon, he leaves behind a set of management tools that have effectively given employees throughout the company a license to innovate.
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AI’s Emerging Ethics Crisis
Historically, the regulation or self-regulation of science has often followed regrettable incidents. While AI hasn’t yet had an epic disaster moment, the field is now facing increasingly urgent ethical questions about how new inventions might tear at our social fabric.
The Challenges of Lay Reasoning About Pandemic Data
Making data and data forecasts accessible and easily understood by the general public helps people make better decisions. This article describes three key challenges leaders face in communicating pandemic data and how to address them.
What Else We’re Reading This Week
- Digital trainees need more than just tech skills (Source: MIT SMR)
- This coming summer may feel shockingly normal (Source: The Atlantic)
- Temporary assignments can boost front-line innovation (Source: MIT SMR)
Quote of the Week:
“If we are going to achieve a net-zero carbon economy for real, we will need everyone to act. And that means action can’t be voluntary.”
— Lucas Joppa, Microsoft’s chief environmental officer, in “What’s Really Behind Corporate Promises on Climate Change?”