Quiz

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Zara’s excess inventory, why California housing seems more reasonably priced and the right amount of free time

1 of 5
1 of 5

Spanish retailer Zara couldn’t seem more modern, having married fashion sense to supply chain wizardry. A new store-level inventory management system, in its first clearance sale, achieved what level of compliance by managers at company-owned stores?
98.5%.
87%.
61%.

Read on: Read how the system recommended discounting at odds with managers’ traditions. There was much reluctance, later overcome by tweaking the system.

2 of 5
2 of 5

What might help end the net out-migration of people from California?
Building a lot more housing in California.
Home prices in competing cities — Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; and Phoenix — rising faster than in San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Both.

Read on: People don’t move solely because of high prices in California, but because those prices are relatively higher than in other cities. As data shows home prices elsewhere soaring, California starts to seem almost reasonable.

3 of 5
3 of 5

What’s the relationship between free time and happiness?
The more free time, the higher the reported happiness scores.
Six hours a day is the magic peak — happiness lessens with each hour of additional free time, or less free time.
Between two and five hours is the happiest range. Less than two, people feel stress; more than five, well-being declines.

Read on: In the upper reaches of free time, social activities and things that feel productive prevent abundant leisure hours from being a drag.

4 of 5
4 of 5

With democratic rule eroding in several countries, it’s worth studying habits of dictators. Have they tended to . . .
Reduce education of their citizens?
Increase education spending?

Read on: Looking at per capita primary educational enrollment for 172 countries between 1925 and 2014, researchers found leaders threatened by democratic movements often instituted compulsory schooling. One motive was to control the populace’s thinking.

5 of 5
5 of 5

What’s works better — say, in persuading shoppers to bring their own bags — a 10-cent per bag discount for compliers or a 10-cent surcharge for noncompliers?
The discount results in more self-brought bags.
The surcharge works better.
They’re equal.

Read on: The surcharge seems to suggest a cultural norm exists and better encourages compliance.