Content Type: Research Brief

Illustration of a consumer shopping for a car Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

Consumers Habitually Seek the Middle Ground

Unpublished research shows avoiding the extremes is a common approach marketers need to address

Illustration of a comic Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The Surprising Power of Giving Up Choice Control

Abdicating a decision to someone else is viewed as an act of generosity that is handsomely rewarded

Monochrome photo of people standing in line for bread Research Brief / Banking

What Makes a True Financial Crisis?

Data back to 1870 show similarities in the worst banking system shocks — focusing on loose lending before a meltdown

Bar and line chart Research Brief / Corporate Finance

What Drives LBO Fever? More Than Just Cheap Loans

Private equity investors weigh the total cost of capital — not just debt, but equity as well — when pursuing buyouts

City street under construction in Dubai Research Brief / Nudges

Are You Nudging Me? Oh, OK, Go Ahead

Research shows individuals aren’t necessarily turned off when they know they are being coaxed toward a specific choice

Female driver looking back to the rear of her car Research Brief / Gender

Economics of Women-Driver Ride Hailing

Other safety measures are easier to implement, but research suggests how female driver pool could be increased

City street Research Brief / Health Care

Maximizing Life Saving through Better Placement of Defibrillators

Just putting one where the last cardiac arrest occurred isn’t optimal — more calculations to get to fewer steps

A couple watching TV Research Brief / Compensation

New Technology Lifted Pay, Especially for the Bosses

Top executives saw much larger gains after broadband adoption than the workers below them

People in line outside the Bank of China Research Brief / Cultural History

Culture Affects How People Save Money

Immigrants show saving tendencies that carry through several generations

Illustration of a brain and a hand holding up a coin Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Do People Donate Money to Signal Their Intelligence?

Research suggests such a connection when donations are publicized

Illustration of two men with one crossing his fingers behind his back Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Being Biased against Friends to Appear Unbiased

If the boss is your friend, and compensation decisions are public, a bonus you’d get on merit might not be forthcoming

Laptop computer with Transparent Pricing presentation Research Brief / Strategy

Should a Company Reveal Its Cost Structure to Customers?

In certain competitive situations, cost transparency can provide an edge

Illustration of eyes looking at a computer screen Research Brief / Taxes

Shaming of Tax Delinquents Works

34,334 letters were sent to test how sensitive those owing back taxes are to neighbors’ knowledge of the debts

Illustration of a man weighing two balances Research Brief / Retirement Planning

Behind the Annuity Conundrum: The Belief They’re Unfair

Researchers find little commonality among haters of the difficult-to-sell retirement products, except when discussing fairness

Downhill race with aerodynamic push cars Research Brief / Investing

Momentum Investing: It Works, But Why?

After a quarter century of sprawling study, it’s time to narrow the focus and settle on an explanation

Illustration map of Central Poland and surrounding countries Research Brief / Cultural History

Descendants of Forced Migrants Value Education More Highly

Post-World War II Poland provides a unique setting to study mobility and success