Economy

A global report into the chocolate industry has found that while some companies are improving their sustainability practices, many retailers are still failing to ensure transparent and accountable cocoa supply chains that would protect cocoa farming communities.... Read more

New research from the Durham University Management and Marketing Department shows that misunderstandings between investors and founders are a major reason why social innovation ventures fail to grow. In many cases, they collapse altogether.... Read more

A research team has developed a quantitative policy evaluation framework for assessing how cities can attract startups while maintaining high living standards. In this study, the team evaluated the startup ecosystem in an air-front smart city using a model that integrates Quality of Life (QOL), Quality of Business (QOB), and... Read more

Why do organizations often return to old patterns even after leaders invest in culture change, training, and transformation programs? A conceptual analysis published in Frontiers in Psychology by researchers at Tokyo-based DroR Corporation introduces Clinical Organizational Science (COS), a framework that argues that organizational stability is often held in place... Read more

Despite major global disruptions, new research published in the International Journal of Production Economics, shows Australia's construction sector has adapted faster than expected, driven by rapid adoption of digital tools and more resilient ways of working.... Read more

Rostam does not sleep through the night anymore. At 2 a.m., when his phone buzzes, he's awake before the sound finishes. It might be his parents calling from Tehran, on a connection that is unreliable, sporadic and sometimes cut off mid-sentence. He has learned not to miss those calls, because... Read more

New research analyzing two decades of company data shows that board interpersonal diversity mitigates aggressive tax avoidance. The study concludes that diversity brings new perspectives and strengthens oversight, underscoring the importance of composing boards with members from diverse genetic backgrounds.... Read more

Companies celebrated for strong financial performance may actually be inefficient once their environmental impact is taken into account, according to research from the University of Surrey.... Read more

Whether via ads or influencer collaborations, many of us are exposed to junk food marketing via digital devices. But are these campaigns reaching children? The invisible nature of digital marketing makes it challenging for researchers to identify and track precisely what brands are doing, particularly when marketing is rolled out... Read more

Whether a company donates $1,000 a week for 52 weeks or gives $52,000 all at once, the total amount donated is the same. However, recent research by Alexander Park, an assistant professor of marketing at Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis, finds that consumers view these donations differently.... Read more

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is experimenting with a policy that has drawn national attention and local skepticism: providing cash compensation to people confined in the Allegheny County Jail in the city of Pittsburgh. The funds include monthly disbursements to all those incarcerated and additional pay tied to work assignments and participation... Read more

The Netherlands prohibits gambling advertising from targeting young people under age 24. Using Meta's ad library, we found a minority of ads published by both online (7.3%) and offline (29.8%) Dutch gambling licensees that broke this rule, including the state-owned Holland Casino (which quickly admitted to and fixed the mistake... Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and brought into focus the ongoing disproportionate burden on mothers when it comes to household logistics, child care and financial inequity. It also revealed just how deeply embedded and structurally reinforced that burden is.... Read more

At a time when remote work is increasingly up for debate among companies, it remains an often underestimated lever for fostering open innovation. This article examines how initiatives designed to encourage collaborative work outside the workplace can contribute to the development of open innovation.... Read more

The number of luxury, detached homes in England and Wales owned through offshore companies has fallen dramatically in the last decade, likely as a result of a government transparency drive, UCL researchers say.... Read more