Michael Totty

Writer

About

Michael Totty is a freelance reporter and editor. Previously, he was a news editor with the Wall Street Journal in charge of assigning and editing Journal reports on technology, energy, health care, management and other topics. Totty works from Berkeley, California.

A man is seated in his car is using an ignition interlock, which is a breath test device linked to a vehicle’s ignition system. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The Deterrent Effect of Ignition Interlock Devices — Before They’re Even Installed

Adding a car breathalyzer to existing penalties could substantially discourage drunken driving

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

Large obsolete passenger airplanes in a dismantling and recycling facility. Research Brief / Pollution

A Cash-for-Clunkers Program Could Reduce Aviation Emissions

Paying airlines to scrap — instead of sell — old planes produces environmental benefits at a low cost

The skyline of Shenzhen, China, amid pollution. Research Brief / Supply Chain

Strict Emissions Rules in China Spur Automotive Innovations

Tough standards led to an increase in auto-related patents

Migrant workers in the field. Research Brief / Supply Chain

How to Reduce the Risk of Forced Labor in Agricultural Supply Chains

Improving the search for contractors that don’t use coercion

Scotch barrels stacked inside a distillery Research Brief / Supply Chain

Distillers’ Dilemma: Sell Now or Let Whisky Age Further

Decision analysis for a firm considering adding a longer-aged product to its lineup

Macro of silicon wafer semiconductor with neon color - integrated circuits to manufacture CPU and GPU. Research Brief / Supply Chain

A Proposal To Improve Supplier Reliability in Tech Manufacturing

Withholding renewal of a supply agreement can be more powerful than other carrots and sticks

Organization and team structure symbolized with cubes on wooden background. Research Brief / Management

Complexity Begets Management Layers: How Some Small Firms Avoid That

Overlapping tasks among workers well acquainted with each other reduce the need for managers

One green apple among a crowd of oranges. Research Brief / Competition

Has the Term ‘Competitive Advantage’ Outlived Its Usefulness?

Popular in business schools and executive suites, it’s no longer a meaningful way to compare companies

Shopping cart on white background. Research Brief / Pricing

When Surge Pricing Comes to the Supermarket

Charging more at peak times could reduce congestion and lift profits. Would customers revolt?

Refueling an airplane on the airport Punta Cana at the Dominican Republic Research Brief / Global Warming

Taxing Jet Fuel Could Reduce Airline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Now

Breakthrough technologies are years off for aviation, but incremental improvements are available

Aerial view of a cargo ship being hauled by tugboats near the port where other ships are docked and cargo waits to be loaded. Research Brief / International Trade

In U.S.-China Trade War, Bystander Countries Increase Exports

Higher demand from U.S. and China means expanding into new markets

Colorful patterns on the surface of the water created by oily pollutants and stagnant water, as seen in a Texas bayou. Ripple rings also appear on the surface from aquatic life under the polluted water. Research Brief / Inflation

How Oil Prices Distort Our View of Inflation

A favored Federal Reserve index fails to filter out petroleum’s impact

This Climate TRACE map shows the greenhouse-gas emissions and the CO2 level created in China’s manufacturing sector. Research Brief / Supply Chain

Carbon Disclosures: Unflattering Supply Chain Data Omitted

Companies that report emissions appear greener only in a narrow measure