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A woman in a lab coat presses a button on a purple vending machine containing various items including shoes, a toaster, a video game controller, and a hypodermic needle.
May 28, 2025

When Experts Pivot, They Pay a Price

“It’s not like we can’t enter a new area and hit a home run, but there’s just a far, far lower chance of that happening.”

illustration of boss trying to incentivize disinterested workers with cash
May 1, 2025

How Higher Pay Incentives Can Backfire

While increasing bonuses and commission rates might seem like a good idea, doing so can inadvertently harm the quality of an organization’s workforce.

Illustration of paper delivery boy on bicycle tossing newspaper onto porch
April 1, 2025

How America’s News Diet Went from Local to National

While many view the internet as the death knell of local print journalism, the unraveling started decades earlier—with the rise of television.

three pairs of scientists race to publish their new research
January 1, 2025

Scientists Don’t Want to Get Scooped—and It’s Hurting Science

Researchers are rewarded for being the first to discover and publish new findings. But the incentives can come at a cost.

large bear in living room with goldilocks looking into window.
November 15, 2024

The Goldilocks Approach to Searching for Something New

Whether it’s the right dosage to a new drug or the right style of tennis racket for a novice player, it’s important to get your strategy right.

people stand in the window and doorway of an office overlooking a forest.
November 13, 2024

Why Firms Should Lean into Sustainability

“If companies don’t change, then they won’t exist in the future.”

workers in a factory communicating using various methods
November 1, 2024

What’s the Best Way for Large, Disparate Teams to Communicate?

Modular production has revolutionized manufacturing. But it’s critical to ensure the right information reaches the right people—without information overload.

two medical students try on lab coats. one is too big and the other too small.
October 1, 2024

Schools, Jobs, Relationships … It’s Hard to Find a Good “Fit”

A study of medical-school applicants shows how transparency can improve decision-making.

man on girder of under-construction skyscraper reaching for dangling carrot
July 24, 2024

Is Your Team Playing It Too Safe?

Fear of failure can stifle innovation. A new study shows how to incentivize people to tackle those high-risk, high-reward projects.

people at opposing desks, one in an apartment and another in an office setting
June 1, 2024

Can Your Company Do Hybrid Better?

There is no single “best” policy, but it is critical to recognize the benefits of both in-person and remote work.

younger employee looking disappointedly at paycheck.
May 1, 2024

The Gender Pay Gap Remains Stubbornly in Place. Why?

A partial explanation comes from a seemingly separate phenomenon: the plight of younger workers.

four people at a table with a domino game
March 19, 2024

What Game Theory Can Teach Us about RICO Prosecutions

“If you’re on trial with 17 other people, the fear that somebody else will confess becomes much more realistic.”

February 12, 2024

Organizations Are Complex. Complexity Science Can Help Us Understand Them.

You can’t study the behavior of a flock by looking at individual birds. It’s time to bring that holistic approach to the social sciences, too.

Leader using AI for personalized marketing.
December 16, 2023

Not Sure Where to Start with Your AI Strategy? Here Are 3 Steps

Companies across the economy are harnessing AI for a variety of functions in their businesses, with some further along in their strategies than others.

figure under streetlight
December 11, 2023

Investing Over-the-Counter—and Under the Radar

In most markets, buyers and sellers benefit from soliciting many offers. New research shows why the opposite is true for OTC traders.

group of younger employees waits outside older employees' offices
October 18, 2023

Why Younger Workers Just Can’t Get Ahead

In wealthy countries, the wage gap between older and younger workers is growing. A crowded promotion pathway could be to blame.

autocrat leaning over battle map surrounded by yes-men.
August 10, 2023

How Autocracies Unravel

Over time, leaders grow more repressive and cling to yes-men—a cycle that’s playing out today in Putin’s Russia.

night wedding on a vietnamese beach with couple in traditional dress
June 2, 2023

How Religious Beliefs about a Couple’s Compatibility Lead to Better Outcomes

In Vietnam, the belief system known as Tu Vi deems some marriages more “auspicious” than others. The effects are far-reaching.

stock trader surrounded by computer monitors
November 18, 2022

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.

Two people talking in front of a brick wall with a spotlight shining on them
November 3, 2022

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.

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