Meetings are as effective over Zoom as they are face-to-face. A four-day workweek makes employees more productive. Few complaints means customers are happy. Innovation requires disruption.
Business leaders regularly confront these and similar claims. But what makes people believe that they are true? And, more critically, how do such claims affect strategic decisions?
We live in a time of unprecedented access to information that’s available anytime and anywhere. Even when we don’t actively seek out opinions, reviews, and social media posts, we are constantly subjected to them. Simply processing all of this information is difficult enough, but there’s another, more serious problem: Not all of it is accurate, and some is outright false. Even more worrying is that when inaccurate or wrong information is repeated, an illusion of truth occurs: People believe repeated information to be true — even when it is not.
Misinformation and disinformation are hardly new. They arguably have been impairing decision-making for as long as organizations have existed. However, managers today contend with incorrect and unreliable information at an unparalleled scale. The problem is particularly acute for Big Tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter because of the broad societal effects of misinformation on the platforms. A recent study of the most-viewed YouTube videos on the COVID-19 pandemic found that 19 out of 69 contained nonfactual information, and the videos that included misinformation had been viewed more than 62 million times.
Denne historien er fra Fall 2022-utgaven av MIT Sloan Management Review.
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Denne historien er fra Fall 2022-utgaven av MIT Sloan Management Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Avoiding Harm in Technology Innovation
To capitalize on emerging technologies while mitigating unanticipated consequences, innovation managers need to establish a systematic review process.
Make a Stronger Business Case for Sustainability
When greener products and processes add costs, managers can shift other levers to maintain profitability.
How to Turn Professional Services Into Products
Product-based business models can help services firms achieve greater scale and profitability. But the transformation can be challenging.
Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?
The right answer depends on the strategic importance and maturity of AI in your company.
Where To Next? Opportunity on the Edge
Doing business in regions considered less stable or developed can pay off for companies. But they must invest in working with local communities.
Make Smarter Investments in Resilient Supply Chains
Many companies invest in resilience only after a disruption. Applying the concept of real options can help decision makers fortify supply chain capabilities no matter the crisis.
The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention
Organizational identity, architecture, and collaboration can be either assets or liabilities to pursuing growth in new sectors.
What Makes Companies Do the Right Thing?
Vaccine makers varied widely in their engagement with global public health efforts to broaden access to COVID-19 immunizations. Ethically motivated leadership was a dominant factor.
Build the Right C-Suite Team for Your Strategy
CEOs can foster a more effective leadership team by understanding when to tap senior executives' competitive instincts and when to encourage collaboration.
A Better Way to Unlock Innovation and Drive Change
A strengths-based approach to building teams can win employee commitment to change and foster an inclusive, agile culture.
