MIT Sloan logo

MIT Sloan is the leader in research and teaching in AI. Dive in to discover why.

contact

MBA

Through intellectual rigor and experiential learning, this full-time, two-year MBA program develops leaders who make a difference in the world.

Leaders for Global Operations

Earn your MBA and SM in engineering with this transformative two-year program.

Master of Finance

A rigorous, hands-on program that prepares adaptive problem solvers for premier finance careers.

Master of Business Analytics

A 12-month program focused on applying the tools of modern data science, optimization and machine learning to solve real-world business problems.

Master of Science in Management Studies

Combine an international MBA with a deep dive into management science. A special opportunity for partner and affiliate schools only.

PhD

A doctoral program that produces outstanding scholars who are leading in their fields of research.

Undergraduate

Bring a business perspective to your technical and quantitative expertise with a bachelor’s degree in management, business analytics, or finance.

MBA Early (Deferred admissions option)

Apply now and work for two to five years. We'll save you a seat in our MBA class when you're ready to come back to campus for your degree.

Executive Programs

MIT Executive MBA

The 20-month program teaches the science of management to mid-career leaders who want to move from success to significance.

MIT Sloan Fellows MBA

A full-time MBA program for mid-career leaders eager to dedicate one year of discovery for a lifetime of impact.

System Design & Management

A joint program for mid-career professionals that integrates engineering and systems thinking. Earn your master’s degree in engineering and management.

Executive Education

Non-degree programs for senior executives and high-potential managers.

Visiting Fellows

A non-degree, customizable program for mid-career professionals.

recent

Thinkers50 names 6 MIT alumni as talent to watch

The relationship between machine learning and climate change

Finance taps generative AI to streamline accounting, hiring tasks

Credit: Stephen Sauer

Ideas Made to Matter

Our top 5 ‘Working Definitions’ of 2023

By

Meredith Somers

Nov 30, 2023

Why It Matters

The year’s most popular terms reflect organizations’ concerns for self-preservation and a continued interest in agile operations.

The Cambridge Dictionary declared “hallucinate” Word of the Year 2023, pop culture enshrined “Barbenheimer” into the American lexicon, and the term “cultural detox” took the top spot for the most popular of our Working Definitions.

The biweekly Instagram series presents words and phrases that define management ideas. The yearly roundup of the most popular definitions tends to reflect business leaders’ interests and concerns. This year’s most-liked term comes from MIT Sloan senior lecturer and describes the process of reversing an organization’s toxic culture.

1. Cultural detox

Cultural detox definition: The intentional downplaying of corporate sustainability goals to avoid public comment and uninformed scrutiny. — See more information

2. Portfolio agility

Portfolio agility definition: An organization’s ability to quickly and effectively shift resources across different parts of the business. — See more information

3. Greenhushing

Greenhushing definition: The intentional downplaying of corporate sustainability goals to avoid public comment and uninformed scrutiny. — See more information

4. Patient capital

Patient capital definition: A financial investment made with no expectation of turning a quick profit. — See more information

5. Culture of heroics

Culture of heroics definition: An organizational norm that forces employees to go above and beyond for customers, because the company lacks sufficient processes and systems for support. — See more information

For more info Meredith Somers

MIT Sloan 2024 Working Definitions: greenhushing, financial nihilism, glass cliff, low-ego leadership, and exaptation strategy

Ideas Made to Matter Our top 5 ‘Working Definitions‘ of 2024

An illustration of a person's hand putting a ballot into a voting box surrounded by news clippings with words like "misinformation" and "fake"

Ideas Made to Matter In election cycles, voters tend to believe news that confirms their biases

A magnifying glass with money juxtaposed with a person holding a phone with digital ads

Ideas Made to Matter The case for taxing digital advertising