Essay 99: Economics—Apple Card’s Fintech Problem; Improving AI-Based Recommendations; IBM & Nazi Germany

from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge:

Gender Bias Complaints against Apple Card Signal a Dark Side to Fintech

The possibility that Apple Card applicants were subject to gender bias opens a new frontier for the financial services sector in which regulators are largely absent, argues Karen Mills.

It’s No Joke: AI Beats Humans at Making You Laugh

New research shows people don’t trust recommendations made by machines—and that’s a problem for marketers who increasingly rely on AI-based technology to persuade consumers. Michael H. Yeomans explains how businesses can overcome that bias.

Do TV Debates Sway Voters?

As Democratic presidential candidates prepare for another debate, Vincent Pons reports that TV forums don’t influence voters.

Lessons from IBM in Nazi Germany

Geoffrey Jones discusses his case study, “Thomas J. Watson, IBM and Nazi Germany,” exploring the options and responsibilities of multinationals with investments in politically reprehensible regimes.

For Better Ideas, Bring the Right People to the Brainstorm

Better ideas emerge when extroverts and people open to new experiences put their heads together, according to research by Rembrand M. Koning. But what about introverts?

Should Non-Compete Clauses Be Abolished?

Non-compete clauses prevent workers from bringing secrets with them to competitors. But increasingly NCCs are unnecessarily restricting job mobility for low-level employees. Should they be banned? asks James Heskett.

Design Rules, Volume 2: How Technology Shapes Organizations series

Working papers by Carliss Y. Baldwin and Kim B. Clark explain how and why different types of technology design pose different opportunities and challenges for organizations and can become vital forces of innovation.