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CropIn Technology Solutions (CropIn) of Bangalore, India, provided agricultural solutions to business-to-business clients that required a "smart" approach in solving issues related to farm productivity. In July 2015, the chief operating officer (COO) of CropIn, was approached by the chief executive officer of one of the world's foremost seed companies. He presented the COO with an ongoing problem faced by his firm: the seed rejection rate had drastically increased in the past decade, reaching 18 per cent in 2015, up from four per cent in 2006. CropIn was asked to devise a "smart" solution for addressing the issue, for which CropIn would have to customize its product portfolio according to the problem.

"The Shy Investor: CryptoCurrencies" is a fictional case written from the point of view of an investor carrying out investment risk analysis. The protagonist is a reasonably wealthy woman in Russia who wishes to diversify her investment portfolio. The case uses a fictitious cryptocurrency called URLBoyzCoyn issued by or on behalf of an equally unreal thrash heavy metal band called the URLBoyz. The overall theme is the assessment of risk and the factors to consider before investing in cryptocurrency. The case contrasts the high returns that can be and have been made by early speculators in cryptocurrencies generally. With the risks that later entrants to the market may have to shoulder.

300cubits is a blockchain application that aims to solve the no-show problem in the cargo shipping industry. Its founders, Johnson Leung and Jonathan Lee, are two HKUST alumni with experience in banking and shipping. They have identified a pain point, in the cargo shipping industry which does not require a pre-shipping cash deposit, results in no-show and cargo roll-over problems. They developed a new Ethereum based cryptocurrency, TEU, to serve as such collateral. They then conducted an initial coin offering (ICO) pre-sale in September 2017, and an official ICO in April 2018. However, the ICO failed to raise a lot of capital. However, the uptake of TEU tokens was very slow in the industry. They are now pondering the next steps forward.

Faced with mounting challenges and pressure from governments, nongovernmental organizations, investors, and employees to be more aware of the environmental and social impacts of business activities, many companies are attempting to tap into the creativity and entrepreneurial potential of their employees, encouraging them to develop new products, services, or business models that create value for both the company and society.

In this article drawn from his new book, How Behavior Spreads, UPenn professor Damon Centola explains how the thinking about social networks is changing. Recent research reveals that depending on long-established concepts such as "weak ties"and "long bridges"to drive the adoption of new innovations and organizational change can be a prescription for failure.

Scholars have argued for years that high levels of diversification harm company performance and value creation. But multi-business companies can do quite well. Those that thrive tend to do three things: They limit the number of business models in their portfolio and support them with a cohesive operating model. They tailor the corporate parenting strategy to the needs of individual business units. And they allocate resources according to the role played by each business unit.

Leaders and managers must inevitably consult the analysis, advice, and research of people whose expertise exceeds their own in a variety of domains. Getting the most from that perspective means understanding precisely how to question the experts'wisdom, no matter what form it takes. Eight specific lessons can help leaders and managers use others'expertise to the greatest possible advantage in everyday business decisions.

What if, instead of perpetuating harmful biases, AI helped us overcome them? What if our systems were taught to ignore data about race, gender, sexual orientation, and other characteristics that aren't relevant to the decisions at hand? They can do all that -with guidance from the human experts who create, train, and refine them.

Many people don't trust decisions, answers, or recommendations from artificial intelligence. To address that problem, makers of AI applications and systems should stop overpromising, be more transparent about how systems are used, and consider third-party certification.

Connecting devices and collecting data via the internet of things (IoT) gives companies more data than ever about how their products are being used -and could be used. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review examines the opportunities and risks that this rich layer of connectivity presents.

Companies are looking to artificial intelligence to create business value. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review examines how early implementers are positioning themselves to reap the benefits of AI at scale -while managing the human side of using the technology.

How are organizations using social media most effectively? This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review examines the value of devising a clear strategy, offering incentives for participants, and preparing for social media disasters.

Digital strategies must tackle two questions that are shrouded in uncertainty: What can data and digital technologies do to help us solve customer problems? And, what solutions will customers find valuable? This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review examines the ways in which organizations should experiment and engage with customers to find the best way forward.

Blockchain technology offers businesses a secure platform, ledger, and database where buyers and sellers can store and exchange value without the help of traditional intermediaries. It could transform how businesses are organized and managed. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review examines the new world of blockchain technology.

The global robotics market is projected to reach $135 billion in 2019. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review looks at how robots can and will move into the workplace, and examines the best ways for both businesses and individuals to prepare.

Additive manufacturing -also known as 3-D printing -was developed in the 1980s and began moving beyond costly industrial manufacturing applications in the late 2000s when it was taken up by the open-source and do-it-yourself movements. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review takes a closer look at this disruptive technology, which is on the verge of going mainstream.

Letting employees work from home or at drop-in work centers can be beneficial to both employees and companies. But managing communication can be a challenge from both directions. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review looks at how organizations are navigating the challenges of a dispersed workforce.

Most companies are still learning how to design their digital selves for efficiency. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review examines how organizations are thinking about designing their processes, systems, and data in ways that discipline their core operations.

Big data can support smarter operations, but only when companies embrace the basics of understanding what it is they want to measure, how they want to measure, and how they can keep the data secure. This collection of articles from MIT Sloan Management Review examines how companies are forging new business processes with the use of data and analytics.

To thrive, retailers must match their belief and investment in machine learning with incentives that clearly connect to their broader strategic goals.