2016 HBR McKinsey Awards

The HBR McKinsey Awards, judged by an independent panel of business and academic leaders, commend outstanding articles published each year in Harvard Business Review. The awards were established in 1959 to recognize practical and groundbreaking management thinking. First Place “Why Diversity Programs Fail” July–August 2016 Most firms try to check discrimination by controlling managers’ behavior—an approach that tends to activate bias. The most effective programs, argue Harvard University’s Frank Dobbin and Tel Aviv University’s Alexandra Kalev, engage people in working for diversity, increase their contact with women and minorities, and tap into their desire to look good. The Finalists “Branding in the Age of Social Media” March 2016 Social networks have rewritten the rules for marketers: So-called crowdcultures produce their own content so effectively that companies can’t compete. Brands can win the battle for cultural relevance, writes Douglas Holt of the Cultural Strategy Group, by collaborating with crowdcultures and championing their ideologies in the marketplace. “How to Build a Culture of Originality” March 2016 Innovative thinking isn’t confined to a few gifted “visionaries,” says the Wharton School’s Adam Grant. Leaders can develop this skill in their organizations by giving employees opportunities and incentives to generate new ideas, having the right people vet those ideas, and striking the proper balance between cohesion and dissent. The Judges Jonathan Bush, CEO, Athenahealth Peter Cappelli, Professor, The Wharton School Vijay Govindarajan, Professor, Tuck School of Business Ranjay Gulati, Professor, Harvard Business School Erin Meyer, Professor, INSEAD Robert E. Moritz, Global chairman, PwC Robert J. Thomas, Managing director, Accenture Institute

2016 HBR McKinsey Awards

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