Research on business, work, and organizations. Covers dissent and management, innovation, workplace activism, and generative AI in investing.
A study by Zachary Estes and colleagues found that constricted pupils (smaller irises) enhance physical attractiveness by making eyes appear brighter. This contradicts previous research suggesting dilated pupils make people more attractive.
A new study from the University of Surrey reveals that political connections can drive innovation in emerging markets, but only with highly skilled employees. The research analyzed over 3,200 Chinese-listed businesses and found that companies with talented teams can better utilize resources and knowledge from political connections, lea...
A study by the University of East Anglia found that minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Wales reduced transaction prices and alcohol bought by 20%, with a 15% increase in expenditure per customer. The policy was effective in targeting cheap, high-strength alcohol, with little demand spillover to more expensive products.
A University of Eastern Finland study reveals top IT managers have differing views on face-to-face communication in the workplace. While some believe digital communication suffices for tasks, others emphasize its importance for complex projects and community building.
A new study found that India's Drug Price Control Order in 2013 led to a shift in pharmaceutical firms' marketing efforts, disproportionately affecting prescriptions issued by less formally educated physicians. Sales volumes of regulated drugs declined, while those for unregulated but related drugs increased.
A new study by Virginia Tech researchers reveals that agricultural demand for water is significantly higher than cities, with crops used for feeding cattle being the largest consumers. The researchers also found that reservoir levels are dropping due to overuse and climate change, highlighting the need for efficient water use strategies.
A new study suggests that feeling guilty after behaving rudely at work can motivate individuals to act more politely and work harder the next day. Researchers found that this self-correcting effect helps reduce incivility and improve workplace relationships.
A study found that consumers prefer products with interrelated features, which are easier to use and perform well. Companies can increase sales by highlighting these connections, while reducing dissimilar features. Product developers should focus on adding value through functional connectivity rather than numerous new features.
New research from University of Georgia found that stress bragging makes coworkers see individuals as less competent and likable. Employees who discuss their stress levels in passing are not perceived negatively by co-workers. Managers should recognize this behavior to prevent spillover effects on the workplace.
A new study emphasizes the need for regulatory backing to ensure business and finance disclosures effectively combat biodiversity decline. Current voluntary targets are criticized for prioritizing short-term financial interests over medium-term conservation goals.
A Washington State University study found that robot-phobia increases job insecurity and stress among hospitality workers, leading to greater intentions to leave their jobs. The impact is pronounced even for managers, highlighting the need for employers to communicate technology's limitations and human workers' roles.
The SEC experiences a surge in enforcement cases in September due to a reporting deadline, resulting in lower fines. Researchers suggest this may impact the agency's ability to deter bad behavior and maintain overall effectiveness.
A survey conducted by Binghamton University found that 53% of Americans give impulsively to charities at checkout, with women, Black respondents, and middle-class individuals under 50 being top-giving demographics. The total raised from checkout campaigns has increased yearly since 2012, but the frequency of donation requests may lead ...
Graduates with AI knowledge are more likely to receive job interviews and better pay, according to a new study published in Oxford Economic Papers. Researchers found that applicants with AI capital were 54% more likely to get an interview invitation than those without, while larger firms valued AI skills even more.
A study of hand sanitizer sales before, during and after the H1N1 swine flu pandemic found that supply and demand balances quickly, with retailers adapting to stockpiling behaviour. The research suggests there is no need for panic-buying and price gouging.
A new Journal of Marketing study examines the effects of switching online courses from scheduled to on-demand release on user behavior. The study found that the on-demand format doubled the percentage of paying users but negatively impacted downstream platform engagement.
A study published in Research Policy found that job displacement leads to significant heterogeneity in earning losses, ranging from 4% to 16.5%, and is exacerbated by skill mismatch. Workers who switch jobs with reduced skill requirements experience the largest losses, while those upskilling are able to catch up within seven years.
A study by Professor Graf-Vlachy's team found that CEOs with high levels of narcissism appoint managers who mirror their own traits, resulting in a 18% increase in narcissism among new hires. This leads to higher turnover rates and increased costs for companies.
A new study from Binghamton University explores how artificial intelligence can improve flexibility and efficiency in customer service centers. The research found that AI systems can help organizations balance exploiting the latest technology to boost efficiency with exploring new areas to gain insights.
Research from the University of Florida shows that leaders reflecting on family gratitude experience higher levels of prosocial impact, motivating them to engage in helpful behavior towards employees. This reflection practice can be incorporated into daily routines, promoting a positive work environment.
Startups are advised to prioritize experimentation and product-market fit over early scaling, with platform companies being particularly vulnerable to failure. The study's findings contradict popular notions that rapid growth is necessary to prevent competitor imitation.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington found that return partnerships can be a win-win for online retailers and store retailers. This arrangement allows customers to drop off returns at physical stores, reducing shipping costs for online retailers and increasing sales for store retailers.
The National Science Foundation has awarded Amplified Sciences a $275,000 Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research grant to develop novel ultrasensitive optical reporter platform technology for early detection of pancreatic cancer. The company aims to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes with its multiplexing capabilities.
Researchers found that 55% of startup firms conduct systematic marketing, but early-stage B2B firms are the least likely to do so. Early-stage B2C firms benefit from systematic marketing more than late-stage B2B firms. The study suggests that investors and entrepreneurs can use this framework to determine whether to invest in marketing.
A new study found that remote work could reduce carbon emissions from car travel by nearly 200 million tons annually, but also lead to a 27% drop in public transit fare revenue. This shift may impact urban mobility and require transit agencies to adapt their services.
Researchers found that trying to stifle boredom prolongs its effects and that alternating boring and meaningful tasks helps prevent the negative impact on productivity. Boredom serves an important purpose, signaling the need for change, but ignoring it can lead to decreased productivity.
A new study from the University of Texas at Austin suggests that fostering social connections among volunteers can help organizations recruit and retain scarce volunteers. Researchers analyzed data from a Chinese crowdsourcing platform and found that social connections were a powerful predictor of volunteer behavior, with findings appl...
Claire Célérier, a finance professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, has received the 2024 IEF/SCOR Foundation for Science Best Young Researcher Award. Her research explores how finance can benefit households and addresses topics such as innovation, diversity, and inclusion.
A new nationwide study found that workplace policies prioritizing job flexibility and security can lead to healthier work environments, reducing stress and improving overall well-being. Employed adults with greater job flexibility and higher job security were less likely to experience serious psychological distress or anxiety.
A literature review of 124 studies on virtual impressions offers research-based suggestions on how to make a digital best foot forward. Researchers found that timely responses matter and using emoticons and emojis can increase feelings of warmth and likeability but risk making others seem less intelligent.
Research finds companies prioritize price and self-disclosures over third-party verified sustainability claims, raising questions about greenwashing. Buyers value disclosed information and its update frequency, but are not willing to pay premium for reliability.
The Integrating Finance & Biodiversity for a Nature Positive programme aims to build knowledge, tools, and collaboration to support sustainable investments. By incorporating biodiversity impact into financial decision-making, the programme seeks to reduce the global economy's damage and improve sustainability.
A University of Florida study found that national elections significantly impact consumer sentiment and spending intentions. Floridian consumers exhibit greater confidence about economic conditions when their favored political party is in charge. The research analyzed monthly sentiments data collected by the UF Survey Research Center, ...
A new study found that making draught alcohol-free beer more widely available in pubs and bars can lead to a five per cent reduction in sales of alcoholic drinks, equivalent to 51 pints per week. This change increases the options available to customers without restricting their choice.
Owner-managers' matching competence is essential in the early years of a firm to theorize about potential value combinations. The study also found that family dynamics can hinder growth by constraining owners' judgment and preventing professionalization, but introducing governance mechanisms can resolve this challenge.
A recent study found that sexual harassment is common in sub-Saharan African newsrooms, disproportionately affecting women. The study highlights the need for effective policies and training to prevent sexual harassment and create a safe work environment.
Researchers developed a new training tool to help AI programs account for human dishonesty, especially in mortgage and insurance applications. The modified AI was better able to detect inaccurate information from users.
A study by Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that digital nudges can improve collaborative processes such as skill use and task strategy. However, nudges that focus on feedback or task assignments can have negative effects on collective intelligence.
This study shows that network relationships in coworking environments increase creativity through weak ties and infrequent connections with individuals from different backgrounds. The findings suggest that collaborative spaces can expand individuals' creativity by facilitating the exchange of experiences and visions.
The study identifies three patterns of resilience: adjusting, absorbing, and adopting, each with strengths and weaknesses. Strategies include flexible deadlines, margins, bite-sized shifts, patience, and recognizing time as a fundamental element for dealing with environmental changes.
Researchers propose a new 'legibility' framework to understand cryptocurrency governance, revealing stages of illegibility, contested legibility, and collaborative legibility. The study examines the US, EU, and Japan's markets, showing they progressed through these states at different rates.
Researchers found that firms with mismatched positioning strategies, functional capabilities, and governance modes experience reduced innovation outcomes. Strong marketing capabilities are associated with increased innovation performance in joint development agreements for high differentiation-oriented firms.
The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) has announced its 2024 Global Healthcare Innovation Competition at Web Summit, open to visionary entrepreneurs and health-focused startups. Winners will receive an invitation to showcase their innovations at WISH 2024, investment awards, and access to industry experts.
A proposed reporting system could help prevent future bank crises by providing regulators with detailed disclosure of both good and bad news. The system would shield less risky banks from runs while spotlighting the riskiest ones, protecting them from panic-driven withdrawals.
A novel AI-driven model developed by Maytal Saar-Tsechansky predicts which patients are most likely to benefit from preventive treatment for Type II diabetes. The model, trained on electronic health records of 89,191 prediabetic patients, improved both health and economic efficiency, enabling data-driven allocation of resources.
Research by Marius Ring finds that entrepreneurs whose personal stock portfolios lose value suffer ripple effects, including less financing and curtailed hiring, which disproportionately affect younger companies.
Women with high-status contacts actually lose status, whereas men benefit from their networks. Researchers found that women who form ties with higher-status people are seen as dominant and subject to social penalties. Organizations can take steps to reframe network building activities to protect the status perception of women.
A new study from Binghamton University finds that preannouncement marketing can positively impact stock market reactions, especially when it comes to costless approaches. The researchers analyzed 149 product launch events and found that surprise effects and information asymmetry can also play a role in shaping market expectations.
A new study by Zachary Kowaleski found that RegTech investments can have operational benefits for large broker-dealers, including improvements in customer relations and employee monitoring. However, small companies were more negatively affected, with profits dropping by an average of over 10 times the apparent savings.
Researchers at Indiana University Kelley School of Business found that AI-driven products with human-like features, such as eyes and speech, can influence consumers' perceptions and decision-making. The study suggests that complex products are more likely to trigger anthromorphism, leading to increased willingness to pay.
A new study published in Socio-Economic Review found that introducing competition between upper secondary schools in Sweden required nearly a decade of reorganisation, training, and changes in admission rules. The study highlights the significant costs and disruption involved in establishing competition, contrary to previous assumptions.
A recent study by the University of Surrey analyzed articles published in the Journal of Management Studies over the last decade and found that diverse research teams lead to more citations. The study reveals that internationality, interdisciplinarity, and gender diversity among authors all contribute to increased citation rates.
A study by the University of Bath and Queensland University of Technology found that non-executive directors who serve beyond recommended tenure limits prioritize their social status over their duty to shareholders. Prolonged tenures can compromise board renewal, financial performance, and governance concerns for boards and shareholders.
A study found that customers are more willing to provide written compliments and complaints using AI-powered tablets rather than leaving videos. The researchers suggest that methods requiring 'low self-disclosure' would work better for customer feedback.
The book provides a systematic analysis of the Chinese credit bond market, covering institutional, technological, macroeconomic, and microeconomic factors. It offers tools for investors, fund managers, researchers, and university students to understand the market's evolution, existing problems, and development direction.
The University of Houston is part of a $30 million DOD grant to enhance national security through community investments. The grant will support the development of novel advanced manufacturing methods to ensure a stable supply of domestically produced high-quality tactical alloys critical for national defense.
A new study finds that regulated cryptocurrencies create the most efficient markets, providing protection for investors. Unregulated ICOs were found to be the least efficient, while IEOs and exchange-based regulation approached traditional stock market levels of efficiency.
New research from Texas McCombs found that startups have an outsized number of future citations, sparking more innovation in emerging industries like photovoltaic cells. Startups' inventions are more likely to be cited by universities and companies due to resource disparities, academic citations, and prior lawsuits.
Patricia Saputo donates $5 million to University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management for a new endowed chair in family enterprise, aiming to develop best practices and empower next-generation families. The gift will support long-term research projects and training programs to navigate generational transitions and market changes.
A new study finds that widespread remote work adoption due to COVID-19 increased productivity among workers at home, but reduced collaborative work efficiency in the office. This shift led to higher housing costs in areas near downtowns and outer suburbs, as well as a widening of income inequality.