Faculty Research Online
HBS Working Knowledge is an online forum for innovation in business practice, offering a first look at new thinking from HBS faculty. Read the complete articles summarized below by visiting their Web links.
Monetizing IP: The Executive’s Challenge
Many companies fail to develop a strategy for protecting and monetizing their intellectual property. In a Q&A, Professor Josh Lerner discusses current trends in IP, including the rise of patent pools. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5925.html.
Rethinking Retirement Planning
Many of us are relying on defined contribution plans to help fund retirement. But Professor Robert Merton believes today’s plans are not sustainable. So what’s next? A new way to look at the problem. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5911.html.
Innovation Corrupted: How Managers Can Avoid Another Enron
The train wreck that was Enron provides key insights for improving corporate governance and financial incentives as well as organizational processes that strengthen ethical discipline, says Professor Emeritus Malcolm Salter. His new book, Innovation Corrupted: The Origins and Legacy of Enron’s Collapse, is a deep reflection on the present and future of business. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5950.html.
Innovative Ways to Encourage Personal Savings
Saving money doesn’t need to be so difficult. According to Professor Peter Tufano, “The most interesting ideas — indeed the oldest — try to make saving a fun or satisfying experience.” As he describes in this Q&A, different solutions appeal to different people. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5908.html.
