Author: kmenke

Collage of women forming a larger image of a woman Research Brief / Cultural History

Using Ancestral Characteristics to Study Modern Economics

A database of pre-industrial sampling supports historical and ethnographic research

A man shopping for soap Research Brief / Marketing

When It Pays Not to Help Your Customers Comparison Shop

Rakesh Sarin creates a model that shows consumer “ambiguity” about product quality should drive marketing and brand management strategy

New York Met Life building Research Brief / Investing

How Life Insurers Insulate the Markets from Turmoil

Valentin Haddad’s research finds that insurers’ patient investing shields risky assets — and those who hold them — from steeper declines

Suburban neighborhood under construction Research Brief / Real Estate

Quantitative Easing Kept the Foreclosure Crisis from Being Even Worse

The Fed’s gambit didn’t trigger a home-price recovery, but research shows it reduced subprime foreclosure risk

A man using a virtual headset Research Brief / Marketing

Attracting Early Adopters: Best Way to Overcome Consumer Resistance to Innovative Products

Chris Tang’s research suggests a two-step pricing strategy can maximize sales and profits

City landscape at dusk Research Brief / Housing

Could Costly Housing Bring Down Superstar Cities?

Stuart Gabriel’s research shows how a vibrant economic hub loses essential residents

Illustration of a character wearing a hat covering their ears Research Brief / Investing

Ignorance — About One’s Investments, Anyway — Isn’t Always Bliss

Valentin Haddad’s research looks at the phenomenon of “information aversion,” when individual investors stop tracking their portfolios for fear of bad news

A group of people climbing a mountain peak Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Why Kickstarter Funders Quickly Kick in the Last 5 Percent

Research shows that people have a sincere desire to see projects take flight

Illustration of a young man looking into a mirror, reflecting his older self Feature / Time

The Healthy Upside of Thinking about an Older You

Consciously imagining our older self can spur us to take better care of ourselves now

LA Dodger Manny Ramirez taking a swing Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Not All Second Chances Are Good Ones

Hengchen Dai finds that hitting the reset button can help those who have recently struggled, but erodes the motivation and execution of top performers

Building facade with old air conditioners Research Brief / Energy

Motivating Households in India to Reduce Energy Consumption

The same message that works with U.S. households is effective in the developing world

Illustration of characters with thought bubbles containing dollar signs Research Brief / Compensation

It’s OK if the Boss Earns More, but a Problem When Co-Workers Do

Study of a large corporation explores how salary comparisons affect employee behavior

Monochrome image of a church facade Research Brief / Ethics

In a Global Church, Even a Widely Publicized Scandal’s Impact is Decidedly Local

Revisiting research on Catholic clergy sex abuse: Pennsylvania can expect fewer churchgoers and a painful decline in charitable contributions

Yellow prescription bottles Research Brief / Health Care

Exploring the Relationship between Off-Label Prescriptions and Clinical Trials

A study looks at how changes in FDA labeling affect pediatric utilization of drugs

Collage of Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Louis CK Research Brief / Gender

#MeToo: Company Responses to Harassment Claims Can Mitigate Reputation Damage

New research looks beyond attitudes toward specific executives accused of harassment to focus on people’s perceptions of corporatewide gender culture.

Laptop with a calendar Research Brief / Time Management

You’ll Be Interrupted — Why Not Plan for It?

A team of researchers weighs contingent planning against traditional time management