June 2022
Leadership
Podcast: Managing Up, Managing Across, and Retaining Your Best Employees
On this episode of The Insightful Leader’s “Ask Insight”: you asked and our faculty answered. We dig into a mailbox of listener questions on leadership and management.
Healthcare
Where Is the U.S. Healthcare Industry Headed?
New business models abound, private equity is expanding, and healthcare workers are hard to find.
Finance & Accounting
Real Estate Investors See Opportunity, Despite Inflation and Uncertainty
“The pace at which the world is changing in terms of how people use space is extremely exciting.”
Leadership
Podcast: What One School District’s Fiasco Says About the Strengths and Limits of AI
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: When Boston Public Schools looked to algorithms to solve equity issues and save money, it ran into a roadblock—the complicated lives of parents and students.
Social Impact
How to Measure Your Organization’s Social Impact
Smart people and good intentions don’t guarantee success. You need a thoughtful plan to measure what you are actually accomplishing.
Politics & Elections
Take 5: Democracies and How They Thrive
A look at this form of government at a time when democracy is under stress around the world.
Economics
Did China’s One-Child Policy Prompt Households to Save More?
Researchers investigate whether the lack of a “family safety net” is responsible for China’s singularly high household savings rate.
Economics
How Local Disruptions Can Affect the Global Supply Chain
A new study of the Kenyan flower industry can help buyers and suppliers prepare for uncertainty.
Economics
How One Tax Reform Led to More Women in the Workforce Decades Later
A study of a major fiscal change in Italy shows how much individual lives are affected when governments get more efficient.
Healthcare
Consumers Pay When Generic Drug Companies Collude. Here’s a Way to Stop Them.
Price-fixing by pharmaceutical cartels can cost billions, and the threat of lawsuits isn’t enough to deter it.
May 2022
Leadership
Podcast: Executive Presence—Do You Have It?
This week, an episode from the archives: It’s not enough to be good at your job. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, learn how to develop the gravitas that commands attention and respect.
Finance & Accounting
Can Investors Create Profitable Trading Strategies Based on Academic Findings?
It hasn’t been clear if information from the ivory tower translates to the trading-room floor. A new study tackles the question by looking at research on earnings announcements.
Finance & Accounting
Apple’s Inflation Problem
The company faces a “double whammy” due to its cash hoarding.
Marketing
For Brands, Perfection Is Out and Authenticity Is In
“It helps you seem more trustworthy and enjoyable, like a friend who is going to give you advice on what to buy.”
Marketing
The Psychological Factor That Helps Shape Our Moral Decision-Making
We all have a preferred motivation style. When that aligns with how we’re approaching a specific goal, it can impact how ethical we are in sticky situations.
Policy
Larry Summers on Inflation and the Fed’s Attempts to Cool the Economy
In a recent Q&A with Kellogg’s Jan Eberly, Summers is skeptical that the economy can achieve a “soft landing.”
Leadership
Podcast: What People Get Wrong about Setting Goals
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we hear how leaders can help their teams—and themselves—turn ambitious goals into reality.
Policy
Tackling Global Poverty Takes More Than Cash
New research points to the power of including psychosocial interventions—such as group problem-solving—alongside economic ones.
April 2022
Economics
Why Are U.S. Companies Hoarding So Much Cash?
More than anything else, it comes down to taxes.
Policy
China Is Caught in a COVID-19 Trap of Its Own Making
Why moderating its “zero-COVID” strategy is proving difficult.
Strategy
Be a Better Negotiator by Having a “BATNA”
Understand where you’re going when you can’t get to yes.
Leadership
Take 5: How to Be a Better Mentor
Be sure your mentee “owns” the relationship—and don’t shy away from tough conversations.
Social Impact
Podcast: What Should DEI Work Actually Look Like?
On this episode of The Insightful Leader’s “Ask Insight”—where our listeners ask questions of our faculty experts respond—we learn that changing the status quo will take self-reflection and time.
Economics
How Does Economic Uncertainty Play Out at the Local Level?
Indexing policy uncertainty by state provides new insights—and offers local governments a cautionary tale.
Economics
3 Economic Implications of Russia’s War on Ukraine
“We are seeing a world that’s going to be less than the sum of its parts.”
Healthcare
We Hear a Lot about New Drugs. But What Spurs Innovation in Medical Procedures?
There’s been little research on what brings about new procedures, despite how life-changing they can be.
Economics
When Interest Rates Climb, Some Workers Are Left Behind
When the Fed moves to cool the economy, it can disproportionately hurt female, Black, and less-educated workers in slack labor markets.
Marketing
To Boost Engagement, News Orgs Need to Reconsider the Click
Not all pageviews are equal. Indeed, some clicks actually spur people to unsubscribe from a site.
Healthcare
How Social Stigma Can Dissuade Us from Taking Care of Our Health
A new study explores the decisions that go into seeking preventative care.
March 2022
Organizations
Is a Four-Day Workweek Right for Your Company?
There’s a reason more and more organizations are considering this option.
Strategy
Podcast: How to Design Incentives That Motivate Employees
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we learn why it’s not always as simple as handing out a performance bonus.
Economics
Will Putin's War Slow China's Growth?
The additional spike in food and energy prices caused by the Russia–Ukraine conflict could be devastating for China. But the country’s neutral political stance toward the war may also yield economic gains.
Finance & Accounting
What Can We Learn from Amazon’s Stock Split?
We may have to wait and see what this move signals for the tech sector.
Policy
5 Things You May Not Know about Tax Policy
How do income taxes impact people’s career choices? And do soda taxes actually work?
Policy
How Climate Disasters Ripple Through the Labor Market
Environmental crises are increasingly leading workers to migrate. What happens next?
Marketing
We React Differently to Paper vs. Digital Requests
Our willingness to act virtuously changes depending on how we’re asked.
Leadership
Podcast: Cybersecurity, Part 2 | How to Respond to a Breach
In the second episode of our two-part series, former NSA director Mike Rogers discusses what to do if your defensive tactics have failed and your network is exposed.
Leadership
3 DEI Leadership Lessons from Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court Nomination
Studying Biden’s nomination process can help leaders “better connect their creeds and their deeds.”
Social Impact
Why Accusations of Discrimination Often Morph into Debates about Free Speech
A study of the psychology behind this common rhetorical tactic.
Data Analytics
How Gig Workers Push Back Against Their “Digital Boss”
Instead of having managers, these workers are beholden to customer reviews. The relationship is rocky.
February 2022
Leadership
Podcast: Cybersecurity, Part 1 | How to Avoid Becoming a Target
In the first episode of our two-part series, former NSA director Michael Rogers shares strategies for protecting your organization from a cyberattack.
Strategy
What Does the Invasion of Ukraine Mean for Cybersecurity?
Former NSA director Michael Rogers discusses the implications for companies.
Finance & Accounting
Meme Trading Is Not Dead—It Will Continue to Rile Markets
Investors are going to continue using social media to gain a trading edge.
Economics
6 Takeaways on Today’s Economy
A finance professor breaks down the data on inflation, the labor market, and the future of cities.
Leadership
Podcast: How to Lead a Great Virtual Meeting
Zoom doesn’t have to be a drag. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we discuss some rules of the road.
Marketing
Why Are Super Bowl Ads a Spectator Sport?
With the big game coming up, many fans are gearing up... to watch brands go toe-to-toe
Entrepreneurship
How to Talk About Selling Your Startup without Causing Everyone to Panic
An excerpt from the new book Exit Right explains why you should have the “exit talk” early and often.
Finance & Accounting
Would Housing Cost Less If It Were Easier to Build New Homes? Surprisingly, Not Much.
A new study suggests that supply and demand are only part of a complex problem.
Policy
Psychological Factors—More Than Demographics—Drive Vaccine Behavior
The finding gives policymakers and medical professionals an important tool.
Policy
Is an Efficient Government Always a Good Thing?
History sheds light on how processes designed to serve citizens can also be put to nefarious ends.
Economics
Covid Hit in an Era of Broadband and Zoom. How Much Did That Help the Economy?
A new study sheds light on the impact of remote work on GDP in 2020.
Organizations
Hoping to Drive Social Change at Work? Here’s a Tip.
Certain social movement hashtags and labels could turn off the allies you want to recruit.
Organizations
What the Psychology of Resilience Can Tell Us About Enduring the Pandemic
Plus, what organizations can do to help their employees cope.
January 2022
Organizations
The Robots Are Not Coming
Those predictions of a robot takeover may not come to fruition.
Organizations
3 Best Practices for Virtual Meetings
Make your next Zoom session less exhausting and more inspiring.
Organizations
It May Be Time to Reconsider That Noncompete Agreement
Federal regulators are cracking down on hiring practices that restrict employees’ wages and ability to work for competitors. Here’s what companies should know.
Marketing
How Has Marketing Changed over the Past Half-Century?
Phil Kotler’s groundbreaking textbook came out 55 years ago. Sixteen editions later, he and coauthor Alexander Chernev discuss how big data, social media, and purpose-driven branding are moving the field forward.
Leadership
Podcast: Are You Promoting the Right People to Management?
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: How to identify leadership talent—and how to advance the careers of employees who aren’t looking to manage others.
Finance & Accounting
SPACs: What You Don’t Understand Can Cost You Money
A Kellogg professor offers his perspective on why these investment vehicles can be losing propositions for many casual investors.
Economics
When a Bunch of Economists Look at the Same Data, Do They All See It the Same Way?
Not at all, according to a recent study, which showed just how much noise can be introduced by researchers’ unique analytical approaches.
Organizations
5 Research-Backed Strategies for Building an Ethical Culture at Work
An annual training session isn’t going to cut it.
Marketing
Does Distance Make the Consumer’s Heart Grow Fonder?
New research finds that how far we’re standing from a product changes what we think of it.
Finance & Accounting
Take 5: What Good Does It Do a Company to Do Good?
Kellogg faculty look at how ESG initiatives are received by investors, customers, and employees.
December 2021
Leadership
Podcast: How to Lead During Difficult Times
The good news is you may already have the skills you need. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we’ll learn about doubling down on that expertise to help your team through a crisis.
Data Analytics
Podcast: Why You Need a Working Knowledge of AI
Business leaders can’t rely solely on data scientists to get the job done. Learn more on this episode of The Insightful Leader.
Data Analytics
Do People Really Understand Your Data Visualizations?
Many data viz gurus advocate for decluttering graphs and focusing on specific info. Do those techniques actually help your audience?
Organizations
3 Tips for Taking Your Family Business Public
Navigate this decision carefully, and you could have the best of both worlds.
Organizations
Working Parents Feel Pulled in Two Directions. What Does This Mean for Companies?
A new study looks at what happens when parental and professional identities collide.
Careers
Mulling a Career Pivot? 3 Things to Consider
Knowing your own motivations can help you successfully transition to a new role or industry.
Marketing
The Internet Is Awash in Positive Product Ratings. Here’s How to Decipher the Good from the Great.
Forget stars and numeric ratings: a review’s language offers better clues to a product’s quality and likely success.
Economics
Can Larger Loans Help Small Firms Grow?
Sometimes. But it turns out that lenders are bad at figuring out which businesses will benefit.
November 2021
Leadership
Podcast: Businesses Can Slow Climate Change. Here’s How.
Individual actions won’t be enough to slow global warming. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, learn how companies—and the people who lead them—need to get involved.
Marketing
How You Can Make a More Positive Social Impact
A 3-step guide to becoming a more thoughtful consumer and donor.
Podcast: The Art of Giving Good Feedback
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: how to talk so that your team (and boss) will listen.
Data Analytics
4 Phases of Analytics Evolution: From Spreadsheets to AI Workbenches
What lies ahead for business leaders looking to incorporate data analytics?
Organizations
When It Comes to Morally Dubious Behavior, Do Startups Get a Pass?
Transgressions, such as treating workers badly, resonate differently when it’s a startup versus an established company.
Policy
The Health Department Gave Your Favorite Restaurant an 85. What on Earth Does That Mean?
Regulators should consider tweaking their scoring systems to make food-safety ratings more informative.
Organizations
What Businesses Must Do to Curtail Climate Change
We need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. This will require a new system of incentives.
Leadership
3 Skills New Managers Need to Succeed
To start, recognize that entire teams—and not just individuals—require clear feedback.
Finance & Accounting
A Surprising Reason Why Currency Exchange Rates Fluctuate
New research suggests an answer to a longstanding economic puzzle.
Marketing
How Much Do Campaign Ads Matter?
Tone is key, according to new research, which found that a change in TV ad strategy could have altered the results of the 2000 presidential election.
Organizations
Evolution Has Shaped How We Relate to Our Families. What Does This Mean for Family Businesses?
Gaining a better understanding of family conflict can help both family firms and the larger economy.
October 2021
Careers
Take 5: How to Become an Expert in Something New
Turns out, there’s a “special sauce” that can help you get there. But expertise can also come with a curse.
Marketing
Is It Time to Raise Your Prices?
4 things for brands to consider as inflation provides more opportunities for growth.
Social Impact
Podcast: Why Conspiracy Theories Abound—and How to Push Back
COVID conspiracies have a powerful psychological allure. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we explore how to combat them.
Leadership
Leading Is Tough Right Now. But You’ve Got This.
It’s not about changing your style—you’ll just need to kick things up a notch.
Policy
How Companies Can Do Data Privacy Better
Not all efforts are costly, and being known for strong protections could give firms a competitive advantage.
Marketing
Yes, Consumers Care if Your Product Is Ethical
New research shows that morality matters—but it’s in the eye of the beholder.
Careers
Why Are Some People More Reluctant to Network Than Others?
The key seems to be how people perceive their own success and professional value.
September 2021
Podcast: How One CEO Is Making Tough Decisions about In-Person Work
Some employees moved out of state. Others don’t want to be in the office. And not everyone is vaccinated. On this episode of The Insightful Leader: What happens now?
Marketing
7 Sins of the Creative Brief
Why having a bad creative brief—or no brief at all—can sink an advertising campaign.
Marketing
See an Exciting Trend in That Chart? Proceed with Caution.
Some data-visualization techniques lead us to assume causality where it doesn’t exist.
Careers
Podcast: Now’s the Time to Negotiate for the Job—or Salary or Flexibility—You Want
Tips from an expert negotiator on how to ask without fear.
Social Impact
How Did COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Get So Out of Control?
Misinformation is thriving in an environment where people feel disconnected. Social media isn’t helping.
Marketing
How to Turn Your Pandemic Regrets into a Force for Good
Ruminating on all the things you didn’t accomplish? An expert on the psychology of regret explains why you should give yourself some grace.