Topic: Social Responsibility

Illustration of a factory Feature / Cultural History

In Some Places, Fertility Rates Declined Before the Industrial Revolution

Using parish records, researchers examine fundamental changes in society following the French Revolution

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

A graphic with text above that reads, "World has entered a polycrisis era and SDG progress is threatened by" and underneath the text are a series of graphics Research Brief / Supply Chain

How to Speed Progress on U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

Operations management research identifies synergies for more efficient action

Protest outside the White House Feature / Behavioral Economics

How to Harness Individual Outrage for Lasting Social Change

A practical guide to enlisting, mobilizing and continually engaging like-minded people

Illustration of a capital city Research Brief / Government

How the Seemingly Rapid Advance of Democracy Goes Astray

Using voting records from a unique transition in the 19th-century Caribbean, Christian Dippel examines the embrace of self-interest by new legislators

A woman hands off cases of drinks to a male volunteer. Research Brief / Management

How Nonprofits Can Better Engage Volunteers

When to allow unpaid workers to call dibs on recurring tasks — and when not to

Four children are sitting around a shoe box filled with dirt and worms engaging in a science project Research Brief / Education

Head Start, the Public Preschool Program, More Than Pays for Itself

Large study sees increases in education, declines in public assistance

Illustration of workers pedaling to power a computer Research Brief / Sustainability

Green Initiatives — By Themselves — Won’t Boost Productivity

Environmentally conscious companies that also instill teamwork and quality enjoy higher output

A nighttime image of a homeless encampment on a city corner in Los Angeles. Research Brief / Wealth Inequality

Go Ahead, You Decide How Much Wealth Should Be Redistributed

Can modern decision theory, paired with a half-century-old thought experiment, help make a more just society?

Illustration of German rebels Research Brief / Cultural History

German Rebels Who Helped Lincoln Win the Civil War: A Natural Experiment in Leadership

Leaders of a failed 1848 revolt are followed to towns across the U.S.

Two hands push medication out of a green plastic container Research Brief / Health

Free Birth Control, Fewer Births

Unintended pregnancies decline when copays and patient fees are eliminated

An illustration in green of a lightbulb made up of various icons including a dollar sign, a piggy bank and the earth. Research Brief / Investing

ESG Investors in China Focused on Profit Potential of Climate Change

Less attention to downside of nation’s carbon-neutral goals

Thousands of exuberant backers of the Equal Rights Amendment, marched on Congress to plea for extension of the ratification deadline. Research Brief / Public Policy

Do Social Laws Always Cause a Backlash?

Laws that threaten ideological preferences prompt some opponents to adopt more extreme beliefs

Haitian citizens take 100-pound bags of rice at an aid distribution point in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Research Brief / Operations

Distributing Aid Fairly Amid Scarcity and Unknown Demand

Building adaptability into an approach improves performance

A close up image of flowers, candles, and photos to remember those who have died from COVID-19 Forecast / COVID-19

COVID-19 Death Rates Vary Widely by County, But Why?

As the pandemic wears on, a search for the factors that cost lives

Illustration of many people with signs protesting. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Consumer Backlash to CEO Advocacy: Signaling or Act of Conscience?

An experiment seeks to isolate motivation and raises concerns for outspoken corporate leaders