May 2023
Policy
What’s at Stake in the Debt-Ceiling Standoff?
Defaulting would be an unmitigated disaster, quickly felt by ordinary Americans.
Finance & Accounting
Consider This New Measure of Profitability When Constructing Your Portfolio
Researchers construct an intangibles-adjusted profitability measure that can benefit investors.
Leadership
Podcast: How to Discuss Poor Performance with Your Employee
Giving negative feedback is not easy, but such critiques can be meaningful for both parties if you use the right roadmap. Get advice on this episode of The Insightful Leader.
Policy
Take 5: Yikes! When Unintended Consequences Strike
Good intentions don’t always mean good results. Here’s why humility, and a lot of monitoring, are so important when making big changes.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Is Still Entrepreneurship
ETA is one of the fastest-growing paths to entrepreneurship. Here’s how to think about it.
Finance & Accounting
One Key to a Happy Marriage? A Joint Bank Account.
Merging finances helps newlyweds align their financial goals and avoid scorekeeping.
Entrepreneurship
3 Traits of Successful Market-Creating Entrepreneurs
Creating a market isn’t for the faint of heart. But a dose of humility can go a long way.
Organizations
Today’s Gig Workers Are Subject to Endless Experimentation
“It raises the question, do we want to be a society where experimentation is just the norm?”
Marketing
Podcast: How to Tell Compelling Stories with Data Visualizations
We’re back with an episode from the archives. On this episode of The Insightful Leader: a blueprint for making strong (and honest) arguments with data.
Organizations
How Activism-Inspired Roles like “Sustainability Manager” Emerge and Evolve
First, these new positions are held by activists themselves. Over time, this changes.
Economics
2 Factors Will Determine How Much AI Transforms Our Economy
They’ll also dictate how workers stand to fare.
April 2023
Leadership
What Should Leaders Make of the Latest AI?
As ChatGPT flaunts its creative capabilities, two experts discuss the promise and pitfalls of our coexistence with machines.
Leadership
How to Manage a Disengaged Employee—and Get Them Excited about Work Again
Don’t give up on checked-out team members. Try these strategies instead.
Policy
Banning China from Owning U.S. Farmland Will Achieve Nothing
A new bipartisan bill would prohibit anyone associated with “foreign adversaries” like China from purchasing U.S. farmland. While protecting the U.S. food system and making farmland more affordable to domestic producers by limiting foreign ownership may seem plausible on paper, the reality is more complicated.
Leadership
Podcast: How to Discuss Politics When You Disagree
Talking politics in this polarized climate is a dicey proposition. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, an expert in the psychology of persuasion offers tips on how to approach the topic constructively.
Organizations
Are People on Social Media Actually That Outraged?
One reason we think Twitter is such a polarized place: we’re bad at inferring how angry people are from their posts.
Marketing
To Better Understand Your Customers, Think Like a “Consumer Anthropologist”
Engaging consumers in their natural habitat helps you glean insights that would never be visible in a spreadsheet.
Leadership
Podcast: Is There a Right Way to Monitor Worker Productivity?
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we consider the benefits and drawbacks of keeping a very close eye on employees.
Marketing
We Prefer Authentic Products. But What Conveys “Authenticity”?
Invoking a company’s history can help—and research points to a new way of doing this.
Marketing
Why Are Products Marketed to Women Sometimes More Expensive?
A new study upends popular assumptions about the “pink tax.”
Economics
How Marriages Are Exacerbating Income Inequality
Marriage patterns can account for 40 percent of rising inequality, according to a new study.
Operations
Take 5: Research-Backed Tips for Scheduling Your Day
Kellogg faculty offer ideas for working smarter and not harder.
March 2023
Leadership
3 Things to Keep in Mind When Delivering Negative Feedback
First, understand the purpose of the conversation, which is trickier than it sounds.
Finance & Accounting
Podcast: "It's Hard to Regulate U.S. Banks!"
Silicon Valley Bank spectacularly collapsed—and a new analysis suggests that its precarious situation is not as much of an outlier as we’d hope. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we learn what went wrong and what should happen next.
Finance & Accounting
What Went Wrong at Silicon Valley Bank?
And how can it be avoided next time? A new analysis sheds light on vulnerabilities within the U.S. banking industry.
Marketing
Marketers, Don’t Be Too Hasty to Act on Data
Don’t like the trends you’re seeing? It’s tempting to take immediate action. Instead, consider a hypothesis-driven approach to solving your problems.
Organizations
Companies Now Have Many Tools to Monitor Employee Productivity. When Should They Use Them?
Monitoring employee productivity can make companies more efficient—and can benefit employees, too. But the practice, which makes use of a variety of methods including activity logging, tracking software, surveillance cameras, and the gathering of GPS data, also raises a host of concerns around trust, privacy, and fairness.
Leadership
Podcast: Workers Are Stressed Out. Here’s How Leaders Can Help.
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: You can’t always control what happens at work. But reframing setbacks, and instituting some serious calendar discipline, can go a long way toward reducing stress.
Organizations
For Students with Disabilities, Discrimination Starts Before They Even Enter School
Public-school principals are less welcoming to prospective families with disabled children—particularly when they’re Black.
Social Impact
A Novel Strategy for Fighting Discrimination on Online Platforms
Profile pictures build trust on peer-to-peer platforms—but they can also breed discrimination. Small changes to profile photos could make a difference.
Organizations
Leaders, Don’t Be Afraid to Admit Your Flaws
We prefer to work for people who can make themselves vulnerable, a new study finds. But there are limits.
Operations
At Their Best, Self-Learning Algorithms Can Be a “Win-Win-Win”
Lyft is using ”reinforcement learning” to match customers to drivers—leading to higher profits for the company, more work for drivers, and happier customers.
February 2023
Marketing
Take 5: How Fear Influences Our Decisions
Our anxieties about the future can have surprising implications for our health, our family lives, and our careers.
Organizations
A DEI Reading List
Many organizations want to build a workplace that works for everyone. But simply wanting DEI efforts to succeed isn't enough; companies must take a systematic approach to ensuring that they succeed. Read on for some of our favorite advice from Kellogg faculty about the biases that hold diversity efforts back, and how organizations can combat them.
Careers
Don’t Panic! Tools for Dialing Down Workplace Stress
Beyond taking a personal toll, stress can reduce productivity. Here’s what managers can do.
Economics
Podcast: How Last Fall’s Climate Bill Is Creating Opportunities for Businesses
With major incentives starting to kick in, here’s how the legislation is poised to affect the economy.
Marketing
If Your Favorite App Disappeared, How Would You Spend That Time?
Knowing whether users migrate to other apps or simply cut back on screen time is critical for understanding competition in the “attention economy.”
Healthcare
Consumers Lose Out When Health Insurers Offer Lots of Plans
While extra choices are usually considered a good thing, insurers are able to use them strategically to maximize profits.
Finance & Accounting
Understanding the Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on Real Estate
Work-from-home has stuck around. What does this mean for residential and commercial real-estate markets?
Marketing
Got a Niche Product to Sell? Augmented Reality Might Help.
Letting customers “try out” products virtually can give customers the confidence to take the plunge.
Healthcare
Will AI Eventually Replace Doctors?
Maybe not entirely. But the doctor–patient relationship is likely to change dramatically.
January 2023
Leadership
Podcast: How Letting Teams Fail Can Help Them Succeed
It can be tempting for leaders to swoop in to solve problems. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we hear from a U.S. Army colonel about why doing so is a disservice.
Economics
6 Takeaways on Inflation and the Economy Right Now
Are we headed into a recession? Kellogg’s Sergio Rebelo breaks down the latest trends.
Policy
Take 5: What We’ve Learned about Tackling Public-Health Crises
Covid-era research sheds light on how policymakers can guide the economy and the public through future emergencies.
Finance & Accounting
What Is the Purpose of a Corporation Today?
Has anything changed in the three years since the Business Roundtable declared firms should prioritize more than shareholders?
Careers
Podcast: What to Expect When Joining a Family-Owned Business
There are cons—but a lot of pros, too. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we’ll explore what it’s like to work at a family business when you’re not a family member.
Careers
3 Tips for Reinventing Your Career After a Layoff
It’s crucial to reassess what you want to be doing instead of jumping at the first opportunity.
Careers
Podcast: Does Your Life Reflect What You Value?
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, a former CEO explains how to organize your life around what really matters—instead of trying to do it all.
Organizations
College Campuses Are Becoming More Diverse. But How Much Do Students from Different Backgrounds Actually Interact?
Increasing diversity has been a key goal, “but far less attention is paid to what happens after we get people in the door.”
Marketing
How Much Do Boycotts Affect a Company’s Bottom Line?
There’s often an opposing camp pushing for a “buycott” to support the company. New research shows which group has more sway.
Who Does a Better Job with ESG ratings, Global or Local Research Firms?
Sometimes, global raters miss important nuances about a firm’s environmental, social, and governmental activities.
Politics & Elections
Partisanship Doesn’t Just Color Our View of Facts—It Alters How We Think about Hypotheticals
New research sheds light on how polarization can shape our counterfactual thinking.
December 2022
Economics
Podcast: China’s Economy Is in Flux. Here’s What American Businesses Need to Know.
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: the end of “Zero Covid,” escalating geopolitical tensions, and China’s potentially irreplaceable role in the global supply chain.
Economics
What Do American Businesses Need to Understand about China Right Now?
As China’s zero-Covid policy ends, it’s time to take stock of where the world’s second largest economy may be headed.
Policy
In a World of Widespread Video Sharing, What’s Real and What’s Not?
A discussion with a video-authentication expert on what it takes to unearth “deepfakes.”
Finance & Accounting
5 Takeaways on the State of ESG Investing
ESG investing is hot. But what does it actually deliver for society and for shareholders?
Leadership
Twitter Is “Running A Musk”
Elon Musk has built several visionary businesses. But after a month with Musk in command, Twitter is in trouble with users, advertisers, and the government.
Leadership
Podcast: How to Engage a Disengaged Employee
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we hear how leaders can work with their “quiet-quitters” and rebuild morale.
Economics
What Happens to Worker Productivity after a Minimum Wage Increase?
A pay raise boosts productivity for some—but the impact on the bottom line is more complicated.
Politics & Elections
4 Science-Backed Strategies to Curb Partisan Animosity
Vilification of the other side is at a fever pitch. But research suggests ways to bridge the gap.
Marketing
How Offering a Product for Free Can Backfire
It seems counterintuitive, but there are times customers would rather pay a small amount than get something for free.
Economics
How COVID Changed the Way Americans Think about Economic Inequality
For some, the pandemic laid bare the social factors that can keep people down. But not everyone adopted a new perspective.
November 2022
Leadership
Your Team Doesn’t Need You to Be the Hero
Too many leaders instinctively try to fix a crisis themselves. A U.S. Army colonel explains how to curb this tendency in yourself and allow your teams to flourish.
Economics
Post-War Reconstruction Is a Good Investment
Ukraine’s European neighbors will need to make a major financial commitment to help rebuild its economy after the war. Fortunately, as the legacy of the post–World War II Marshall Plan shows, investing in Ukraine’s future will also serve Europe’s own long-term interests.
Finance & Accounting
What Went Wrong with FTX—and What’s Next for Crypto?
One key issue will be introducing regulation without strangling innovation, a fintech expert explains.
Finance & Accounting
Podcast: What the FTX Meltdown Means for the Future of Crypto
The implosion of the crypto exchange has sent the industry reeling. We dig into what happened and whether cryptocurrency, as a concept, can weather the storm.
Marketing
Take 5: The Surprising Ways Emotions Shape Consumer Behavior
Companies, take note—emotions like anger, fear, and anticipation can impact what ends up in consumers’ shopping carts.
Strategy
Transparency Requirements May Not Curb Sneaky Behavior
A new study finds that it is possible to maintain plausible deniability, even if your conversations are later made public.
Operations
Product Q&A Forums Hold a Lot of Promise. Here’s How to Make Them Work.
The key to these online communities, where users can ask and answer questions, is how many questions get useful answers.
Finance & Accounting
Tesla Deserves an A for Its Financial Management
Elon Musk should be commended for being in the position to even think about stock buybacks right now.
Finance & Accounting
Investors Are Eager for Accurate ESG Information. Can Financial Analysts Provide It?
Analysts aren’t traditionally steeped in ESG, but they do have deep knowledge of the companies they cover.
Economics
How Experts Make Complex Decisions
By studying 200 million chess moves, researchers shed light on what gives players an advantage—and what trips them up.
October 2022
Politics & Elections
Why Are So Many Politicians Embracing Conspiracy Theories?
Conspiratorial thinking has always been attractive in times of uncertainty—but it’s become more mainstream. An expert explains why, and whether anything can be done.
Leadership
Leadership Lessons from Liz Truss’s Downfall
While her economic policy clearly doomed her, she also failed as a leader.
Marketing
Starbucks's Odyssey into NFTs Desperately Needs Guidance
Starbucks is entering the metaverse. Is this the best way to do it?
Policy
What the New Climate Bill Means for the U.S.—and the World
The Inflation Reduction Act won’t reverse inflation or halt climate change, but it’s still a big deal.
Organizations
To Get Employees Back to the Office, Address These 4 Frictions
An innovation expert explains how to meet resistance head-on.
Politics & Elections
When Do People Protest and When Do They Just Grumble? History Offers Clues.
A tradition of anti-government uprisings can impact communities centuries later.
Policy
Why Did So Many Ukrainians Die in the Soviet Great Famine?
They perished at a much higher rate than ethnic Russians during what’s known as Holodomor. A new study suggests this was a deliberate policy decision.
Policy
Who Should Win the Tug-of-War over User Data?
It’s not always clear whether businesses or consumers should have more control. Research offers a new way of thinking through the problem.
Organizations
How Comments Like “Man Up” Can Lead to Misbehavior at Work
While the problem extends beyond the workplace, organizations would be wise to consider the consequences of using emasculating language.
Politics & Elections
How We Justify Our Unpopular Opinions
The tactic makes controversial views more palatable to others—and has implications for the rampant spread of fake news.
Organizations
Why More Family Enterprises Are “Venturing Out”
A look at the pivot toward venture investing—and what it takes to pull it off.
September 2022
Politics & Elections
China’s Future Will Reflect Russia’s
China learned from Russia’s post-1991 experience and pursued its economic liberalization with more care. But it ultimately could not avoid the political implications of pro-market policies and is now following Russia down the road to autocracy—continuing a century-long pattern of mirroring its neighbor’s historical trajectory.
Organizations
Gender-Balanced Teams Do Better Work
When it comes to teams of scientists, “men and women are both part of the recipe for success,” according to new research.
Marketing
Podcast: Is Your Brand Working?
In the fifth and final episode of our series, “Insight Unpacked: Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” we look at how to measure your brand’s health–and what you should do if you don’t like what you learn.
Politics & Elections
One Nation, Too Divided?
Political sectarianism is rampant in the U.S. Three experts discuss whether we can remain united.
Policy
The Thorny Challenge of Measuring Success in “Systems-of-Care” Networks
These networks, which help direct people to the medical and social services they need, must tread carefully in choosing which metrics to use in decision-making.
Finance & Accounting
What Happens to Innovation During an Economic Crisis?
The Great Depression hastened the end of the independent inventor—but not all was lost.
Marketing
Podcast: How Will You Tell Your Brand’s Story?
In episode 4 of our 5-episode series, “Insight Unpacked: Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” learn the importance of transmedia brand storytelling—and how to do it right.
Finance & Accounting
Unilever Should Divest Ben & Jerry’s
An economist offers his perspective on why the food giant has some big decisions to make in the wake of a court ruling against its ice cream subsidiary.
Healthcare
How Humanizing Disease Could Be a New Public Health Tool
Anthropomorphizing a disease changes how we feel about it—and the steps we take to avoid it.
Politics & Elections
Could Your Political Views Stymie Your Career?
From being hired to getting a promotion, new research shows you may be penalized for disagreeing politically with the boss.
August 2022
Marketing
Podcast: What Should Your Brand Look (and Sound and Smell) Like?
In episode 3 of our 5-episode series, “Insight Unpacked: Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” we discuss the associations you want customers to make with your brand, and how to use design to make it happen.
Economics
The Food Crisis Is Bigger Than Ukraine
While Russia’s war has undoubtedly caused real problems in global food markets, they are different and more complex than what most news coverage suggests.
Innovation
Take 5: How to Improve the Odds of Breakthrough Innovation
Thorny problems demand novel solutions. Here’s what it takes to move beyond incremental tweaks.
Marketing
Podcast: What Should You Name Your Brand?
In episode 2 of our 5-episode series, “Insight Unpacked: Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” we dig into the importance of finding the right name for your brand. With apologies to Shakespeare, a rose by any other name wouldn’t smell as sweet.
Finance & Accounting
5 Trends to Watch as the Economy Emerges from the Pandemic
From inflation and remote work to climate change, here’s where the global economy appears to be headed.