Our Best of 2024
INSEAD Knowledge
Impactful research and thought leadership from INSEAD, The Business School for the World
As 2024 draws to a close, we look back on the insights from INSEAD professors and alumni that have helped individuals and organisations navigate a transformative, turbulent year. From AI and sustainability to organisational dynamics and geopolitics, the following stories provide timely takeaways and fresh perspectives for business leaders, executives and decision-makers alike.
Be it virtual assistants or self-driving vehicles, the use of modern AI technologies based on deep-learning architectures has increased dramatically in past years. But why do we perceive some forms of AI to be more trustworthy than others? INSEAD professor Phanish Puranam and UCL 's Bart Vanneste explore the nuanced ways human trust in AI can be affected, and how interventions meant to stimulate trust may actually backfire.
With an ambitious plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions, Paris 2024 was designed for sustainability from the start. INSEAD alumna Georgina Grenon , Director of Sustainability at #Paris2024, and her team dissected emissions and designed minimisation strategies. INSEAD professors Atalay Atasu and Luk Van Wassenhove break down how the 2024 Olympics could provide the sustainability blueprint for future Games and large-scale events, and even the decarbonisation of business and society.
Rigid hierarchical team designs seem to have fallen out of favour with many contemporary organisations, including tech giants Google, Netflix and Meta. However, making the switch to a decentralised structure is by no means easy. INSEAD professor Michael Y. Lee explains why firms can fail in their bids to jettison rank-based structures and offers tips that can help set companies up for success.
Recommended by LinkedIn
INSEAD professor Ilian Mihov offers his take on where global democracy stands and where it’s headed in the new economic world order. He expands on how a quantitative measure of democracy in relation to economic power is required to understand the global dynamics of democracy. Alarmingly, the data suggests that a global slide into autocracy might be unfolding at this very moment.
Following your passion and finding a job that you love is not the only pathway to attain fulfilment at work. INSEAD professor Winnie Jiang argues that it is perhaps more constructive and beneficial to “grow” your passion. Instead of endlessly searching for that dream job, you can carve your own path and find meaning in unexpected places.
For more insights from our faculty, read the full Our Best of 2024 article on our website and dig into the final research round-up of the year by INSEAD Dean of Research and Innovation Lily Fang.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
The INSEAD Knowledge team