Event open to the greater IESE community.
In this talk, Professor Sadun will address:
- The evidence that GenAI can generate real productivity gains at the task level, and why that’s only the beginning of the story
- Why reorganizing work, not just adopting technology, is the key factor for scaling AI productively
- The adjustment costs workers face in adapting to change, and how firm investments in training and management quality can reduce them
- What policymakers can do to support experimentation infrastructure, reward firms that invest in discovering human–AI complementarities, and guard against displacement
For over two decades, Professor Sadun has studied why some organizations get far more value from people and technology than others. Through the World Management Survey, covering 35 countries and 20,000+ managers, her research shows that persistent differences in basic management practices explain a large share of productivity gaps—an insight that is central to understanding AI’s impact.
Her work shows that technology alone is not enough: from IT to GenAI, organizations without strong management and people practices struggle to capture value. At the Digital Reskilling Lab at HBS, where she is co-principal investigator, her 2025 paper “Training Within Firms” highlights the critical role of middle managers in driving reskilling, especially during change.
Her 2023 HBR Prize-winning article “Reskilling in the Age of AI” defines the key shifts companies must make to turn reskilling into a strategic, organization-wide effort.
The session will be followed by a cocktail reception.
