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 a man wearing a suit carrying a shield as he stands on a long board room table Feature / Workplace

In a Teamwork Economy, Status among Group Members Is Crucial

Research across cultures seeks to understand how status is achieved and maintained

Censored pricing at a store - Sale Price Research Brief / Pricing

Opaque Pricing: How Sellers Can Gather Data and Boost Revenue

Websites peddle unnamed hotels and even cities; would you pay to omit one from the list?

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

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

Building in ruble while emergency workers recover a body Research Brief / Manufacturing

How Fashion Brands Can Best Ensure Worker Safety in Developing Nations

Collective action, rather than each brand working alone, appears more effective and costs less

Astronaut performing a space walk Research Brief / Operations

When Logistics Go into Orbit

Researchers are considering the challenges of new space industries

Illustration of characters debating at a long table Feature / Organizational Culture

Status among Team Members: Conflict and Productivity

Groups with unsettled hierarchies can benefit from disagreements that establish a pecking order

Bored teens at a movie theater Research Brief / Education

Awards as Incentives: Sometimes They Backfire

Seeking to improve school attendance, researchers learn how some students think

Book cover of The Green Bundle Book Review / Sustainability

How to Make Sustainable Products More Appealing to Consumers

Magali Delmas proposes a “green bundle,” combining environmental good with product traits — quality, healthiness, performance, status — that have always sold

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

Building facade with old air conditioners Research Brief / Energy

Motivating Households in India to Reduce Energy Consumption

The same message that works with U.S. households is effective in the developing world

A man using a virtual headset Research Brief / Marketing

Attracting Early Adopters: Best Way to Overcome Consumer Resistance to Innovative Products

Chris Tang’s research suggests a two-step pricing strategy can maximize sales and profits

Five illustrated figures interact with coffee and snacks Research Brief / Cultural History

Why Can’t We All Get Along? On Some Things, We Do

The narrative of a growing cultural divide, while partly true, conceals a more nuanced picture