#MeToo forced Hollywood to reckon with its past — but did it actually change the future of filmmaking?

Looking at years of behind-the-scenes and on-screen data, associate professor Hong Luo explores how the wide-spread social movement did — and did not — change movie-making; how stigma, coordination and market-wide shocks influence organizational behaviour; and why large-scale movements can create opportunities for change that just weren’t profitable or possible before.

Show Notes

Show notes

[0:22] It’s been nearly a decade since the New York Times broke the news of Harvey Weinstein’s abuse of women in Hollywood, sparking the #MeToo movement, which called out multiple men in the film and TV industry.

[1:28] Meet Hong Luo, an associate professor of strategic management at the Rotman School of Management, who studies how industry-wide innovation happens. So, in the wake of #MeToo, she turned her attention to Hollywood.

[2:49] Women are underrepresented behind the camera in Hollywood – and while many factors contribute, widespread sexual abuse is among one of the reasons.

[3:36] To determine whether #MeToo had the power to change the film industry, she looked at how film teams associated with Harvey Weinstein changed compared to those not associated with him.

[4:37] Producers with a history of working with Weinstein were more likely to hire female talent behind the camera after the #MeToo movement than those without.

[5:55] Lots of reasons probably drove the change, but Hong hypothesizes that the publicity and associated guilt helped the change along.

[6:54] One key finding; projects that had at least one woman on the creative team were more likely than those without to make it to theatre.

[8:06] After the behind-the-camera shift, Hong wanted to know if more female-fronted stories were told.

[8:31] If the team behind the scenes was all male, then yes – they were more likely to produce a movie with a female lead. But if the team had a woman, then no – they were more likely to work on male-fronted stories.

[9:11] This is likely a result of how people felt the need to respond in the face of widespread social pressure.

[9:39] All-male teams tended to develop female characters that conformed to traditional gender stereotypes.

[10:53] Ok, so #MeToo changed Hollywood; what does that mean for other industries? Well, to really understand how social movements can spur innovation, let’s look also at the medical device industry.

[12:18] Social movements let industries capitalize on a need for change that would have otherwise been too expensive or unprofitable before.

[14:16] But when the movement wanes, momentum of the change also falters.

[14:38] But for advocates, the long game is probably worth it: “The literature shows that when you actually have more female talent in a particular field, especially if those talent could use that opportunity to gain experience and gain track record…then we may actually sustain more longer run change.”

Where do great ideas come from...really? And how can you stifle brilliant thoughts before they have a chance to flourish? Associate professor George Newman joins the Executive Summary to share what the research actually tells us about how to foster — and kill — a creative buzz, and how to spark more innovation at both work and home in the year ahead.

Show notes

[0:00] What comes to mind when you think of the word creativity? That paint-splattered easel? The next great novel? What about a simple innovative pitch to a company? Or a new way of approaching a formula? Creativity comes in many shapes, but ultimately, it’s all about bringing new ideas to the fore.

[0:55] Meet George Newman, an associate professor of organizational behaviour and HR management, and author of the new book How Great Ideas Happen.

[2:10] There are a few big mistakes we make when thinking about creativity – and the first is all about the “genius creator myth.”

[3:16] It turns out, when we think people are “born with” the creative gene, it really influences who is allowed to be creative, which is ultimately limiting to both individuals and organizations.

[4:16] Where do new ideas really come from? George’s research shows it’s not from within, but the world around us.

[5:20] It’s time to think of creativity as a path of discovery, rather than a lightning strike of brilliance.

[6:25] The second big mistake we make is jumping into brainstorming too quickly.

[6:50] We also prioritize the novelty of new ideas over value.

[7:50] To brainstorm better, you need to have a concrete plan. And George wants people to approach it like an archaeologist.

[8:41] First, survey the landscape.

[9:03] Second, create a “grid” or organize your thoughts.

[10:00] Third, dig in (aka, start throwing those ideas on a whiteboard!). And make sure you don’t quit before you get to the good stuff.

[11:33] The last big mistake in the quest for new ideas is soliciting feedback at the wrong time. Don’t get feedback while still generating ideas.

[12:41] Also, accept that there’s going to be some negative feedback along the way, and that you’re just going to have some bad ideas along the way too.

[14:28] Also, recognize that you’re your own worst critic.

[15:09] In the end, breakthrough ideas don't just manifest out of thin air. You have to sift through the layers of rubble, dust off plenty of false leads, so that every so often, you uncover something remarkable. The key is to keep going.

Be sure to check out the Executive Summary back catalogue. We tackle everything from how where you work influences the types of innovation you create to how to give better feedback.

In theory, auditing should be unbiased and independent. In reality, biases abound. Auditors are human, and companies — even auditing firms— have agendas that shape how they approach audits. These blind spots can have real consequences for investors and the economy. Associate professor Minlei Ye joins Executive Summary to reveal where these hidden biases come from, how they influence decision-making, and why stronger safeguards and a shift in business thinking are essential for fairer results.

Show notes

[0:00] What happened with Enron and Arthur Andersen

[0:53] Meet Minlei Ye, an associate professor of accounting at the University of Toronto, and she says when audits fail to catch red flags, it can have devastating consequences on individuals and the economy.

[2:22] What is the role of an auditor, exactly?

[2:59] What role did auditors play in the Enron and Lehman Brothers scandals?

[4:49] How can an organizational focus on compliance lead to misrepresentation? And is fair representation a better option?

[6:03] Other systemic biases that shape an audit firms’ accuracy include the need to keep the client happy.

[6:42] Auditors’ personal biases – like familiarity bias, confirmation bias and groupthink also shape how accurate an audit will be.

[7:38] Minlei’s research into otherwise positive programs – like rewards for whistleblowing – can have unintentional consequences on how auditors approach a client.

[9:01] And then there are egos – like when bosses pull superstar employees off key client accounts out of fear the superstar will be poached by another firm.

[9:45] Team makeup – whether homogenous or diverse – matters too.

[10:40] Auditing is built on the fundamental principle of independence.

[11:29] To help mitigate some of the aforementioned biases, regulation is needed to protect that independence. But, in the U.S. in particular, those protections are under attack.

[13:00] In the meantime auditing firms need to step up to protect their independence…and so do the companies being audited.

[14:21] “Instead of looking at auditing as something that they have to do, like a compliance thing that you have to hire the auditor, they can think of the auditor as a strategic safeguard for the capital needs, for their reputation and stakeholder trust.”

Be sure to check out the Executive Summary back catalogue. We tackle everything from how to build a better board room to what employees can tell leaders about an organization's financial health.