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.

Illustration of two hot dog carts Research Brief / Pricing

Avoiding Direct Price Competition: Bundling and Unbundling

If one company bundles products, its competitors are always better off not bundling; the thing to avoid is a head-to-head competition wherein the only way to get an edge is by cutting prices

Off white medicine pill capsules on a desk Research Brief / Pricing

Orphan Drugs: An Expert Pricing Panel Could Bring Benefits

The goal is continued development of new drugs and reduction of often shocking prices

Taxi driver waiting outside his car Research Brief / Ride-Sharing Services

Not All Disruption Is Welcome: Reducing Fallout from Ride-Share Companies

Municipalities address increased traffic, pollution, taxi company bankruptcies and driver poverty

Food delivery in China Research Brief / E-commerce

Food Delivery Apps: Driver Experience Turns Out to Be Crucial

A model improves on-time performance and yields more repeat business

Firefighters in front of their truck Research Brief / Gender Gap

Why Aren’t There More Women Firefighters?

Aligning people’s idea of a firefighter with the range of work and skills actually required might reduce gender bias

Illustration of a man in front of a computer covering his face while stressed Research Brief / Health Care

Behavioral Economics Could Increase Obamacare Enrollment and Stabilize Markets

Greater subsidies aren’t enough: Lowering the complexity of enrollment is needed to bring more and healthier people into the market

Strawberry doughnut in a box Research Brief / Advertising

Inventory Scarcity Messages in Online Retailing Can Backfire

If there are only six left, I guess I won’t be buying a dozen

Foreign pharmacy Research Brief / Retail

Quality and Price: National Pharmacy Chains Benefit Consumers in India

Independent drug stores improve to meet the competition

Power plant smoke stacks Research Brief / Energy

What Delivers a 20-to-1 ROI in the Energy Business?

Highly technical probabilistic risk assessments at nuclear plants improve safety and pay for themselves many times over

Person looking at billboard ads on a wall Research Brief / Branding

Luxury Goods: The Perils and Profits in Lower-Priced Markets

A study uses game theory to suggest when designer companies should license their names for down-market goods

Aerial shot of a city Research Brief / Education

How Universities Can Behave Like Entrepreneurial Organizations

Tradition bound, colleges face pressures to be nimbler, more opportunistic

Illustration of two heads with the word THINK Research Brief / Gender

News from Venus and Mars: Genders Communicate Similarly atop Organizations

Analysis of 15 years of Wikipedia editors’ chatter reveals women of rank don’t shrink from controversial topics

Warehouse Research Brief / Sustainability

Once Begun, Corporate Carbon Reduction Efforts Gather Momentum

Companies are surprised: Opportunities to reduce CO2 are more plentiful than expected

Smokey factories in China Research Brief / Sustainability

94% of China’s Pollution Inspections Find No Violation

Researchers offer a model for more effectively targeting wrongdoers