INFORMS Releases

If public companies are increasingly focused on meeting quarterly earnings expectations, what happens to the innovations that require years of investment and patience to develop?

New research published in the INFORMS journal Management Science suggests the answer could have far-reaching implications for businesses, investors and the broader economy. The study found that companies facing greater short-term financial pressures tend to produce fewer breakthrough and novel innovations, the kinds of discoveries that can shape industries for decades.

Consumers often assume that choosing more environmentally friendly products helps reduce environmental harm. New research suggests the reality may be more complicated.

As demand for eco-sensitive products grows, some companies respond in ways that can unintentionally increase sales of older, less efficient products, potentially offsetting some of the environmental benefits consumers hope to achieve.

Many technology startups assume that if they want global success, they need global customers from the very beginning.

New research suggests the opposite may be true.

Startups can improve their chances of succeeding in foreign markets when they first focus on learning from users closer to home.

For years, remote work has been viewed as one of the most important drivers of employee satisfaction. New research suggests that assumption may be giving remote work too much credit.

A study published in the INFORMS journal Management Science found that while remote employees often report higher job satisfaction, much of that advantage disappears when researchers account for factors such as workplace culture, trust in management, communication and opportunities for professional development.

If the future of warehouse work belongs to humans and robots working side by side, a key question remains: What is the most effective way for them to collaborate?

New research published in Transportation Science, a journal of INFORMS, suggests the answer may be more flexible than many warehouse operators expect. The study, "Picking the Best Bot: Collaboration Strategies for Humans and Bots in Order Pick Systems with Traveling Salesman Problem Routing," found that under many real-world conditions, warehouse workers achieve higher productivity when they dynamically switch among multiple autonomous mobile robots rather than work exclusively with a single robot.