We Conduct Research

We treat our work as a laboratory.

We aim to develop a practical system of thinking that answers such questions as

  • What does it take to build a great idea into a company?
  • What management systems work best to achieve different kinds of goals? What systems fit best at different stages in a company's evolution?
  • What frameworks for shaping strategy apply when we work to change whole systems, not a single institution?
  • How can the factors driving differences in performance at the level of individuals and groups best be understood?

Our day-to-day work as advisors and entrepreneurs feeds into our system of thinking, while also providing a practical context in which to test the value of our ideas.

At Incandescent, building useful, elegant, and teachable theory is an end in itself, not just a way to grow our business. We aim to be as much synthesizers as inventors, connecting the advances made by leading thinkers across a range of disciplines into a coherent, powerful whole.

Strategic clarity

Organization and culture

Systems change

Entrepreneurship

Human performance

Special projects in research

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China 2024

China 2024 is a 20-year longitudinal study of Chinese MBAs, begun in 2004 and now in its 18th year. The study follows a group of Chinese businesspeople who received their MBAs in 2004, a seminal point in the development of the Chinese management talent pool. They arrived in the management labor market at a crucial point, when the Chinese economy was taking off and there were few individuals positioned to fill the huge need for leadership. Their unusual circumstances led to remarkable opportunities for professional development and incredibly varied careers.

We study not just the development of these individuals and their ability to navigate within institutions, but also the larger ecosystem in which they exist. Within the last ten years, the Chinese economy and political climate have evolved significantly, and they continue to develop in both predictable and unpredictable ways. Through our far-flung and uniquely positioned study participants, we have a window on the ecosystem forces shaping China and how they reverberate at the level of the individual.

Incandescent is the sponsor of China 2024, which is co-led by Niko Canner and Stacy Palestrant of Elite Scholars China.

Publications

White papers

Impact Hiring: How Data Will Transform Youth Employment

In this white paper, co-authored with Abigail Carlton and John Irons of the Rockefeller Foundation and Guy Halfteck of Knack, we debunk six commonly held "myths" about opportunity youth using talent analytics data gathered on the ground with youth across the U.S.

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Impact Hiring: Framing Lessons Learned for First Jobs Compact Employers

For a December 2016 convening of the White House First Jobs Compact employers, we outlined the three big areas of impact employers should concentrate on when forming an impact hiring strategy. Impact hiring comes to life through a recruiting approach that builds a relevant brand and channel for youth, an evidence-based assessment approach, and shifting the retention curve through well-crafted support systems.

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Ignition Teams: Rising to the Challenges of Innovation

In this white paper, based on our publication in People+Strategy on the same topic, we explore five balancing acts that teams pursuing entrepreneurial, innovative work need to master.

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