There is a scene in Hulu’s new series, “The Dropout,” where Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, wearing a white blouse, stands in front of a mirror and practices saying, “This is an inspiring step forward.” With each iteration, her voice deepens. As the world has learned about Theranos’ web of deception – whether through John Carreyrou’s...
Business
The Tech Industry Talks About Boosting Diversity, but Research Shows Little Improvement
The U.S. tech sector is growing 10 times faster and has wages twice as high as the rest of the economy. This industry also wins the race for high profits and stock returns. At the same time, the tech sector’s professional, managerial and executive labor forces are overwhelmingly white and male. It is not surprising,...
California Marijuana Growers Can’t Take Much to the Bank
Legalization of marijuana in California has helped some financial institutions in the state increase their assets at the same time many banks, feeling stifled by federal regulations, deny services to licensed growers, manufacturers and retailers, a new study shows. Combining data on bank holdings and interviews with growers and bankers, the research paints an initial...
New Framework Accounts for How Moral Character Promotes Ethical Decision Making
In recent years, interest in moral character has grown, as has its role in promoting ethical behavior within organizations. Yet we know little about the ways moral character manifests in observable ethical behavior. A new set of studies developed the character lens perspective to account for patterns in how individuals make sense of and comprehend ethical choices...
Condé Nast Says Models Are “Inhibiting Free Speech” in Vogue Runway Lawsuit
Condé Nast is slamming the right of publicity lawsuit that nearly 50 models filed against it and Moda Operandi last fall for allegedly using photos of them walking in the Spring/Summer 2020 runway shows in order to sell runway garments and accessories without their authorization. On the heels of the high fashion retailer and the magazine publisher pushing...
In its Nascency, Virtual Fashion is a Burgeoning Opportunity for Fashion and Luxury Brands
Interest in virtual fashion is at a high, with a growing number of consumers looking to entirely-digital offerings as the way forward at a time when consumers can seamlessly navigate between URL and IRL. With enduring growth in the gaming market and with the rise of the metaverse (i.e., shared virtual environments that people can access...
What Do the Opportunities and Risks Really Look Like for Brands in the Metaverse?
The NFT acronym has entered the common lexicon in the last few months thanks to a series of ventures that have made non-fungible tokens – “NFTs” – something of an avant-garde symbol of wealth. Brands are eyeing NFTs with fascination, and the rise of these unique digital tokens are dominating headlines across the globe. Yet,...
The Science of Product Placements – and Why Some Work Better Than Others
In “The Variant,” an episode from the Disney+ hit streaming show “Loki,” it’s tough to miss the barrage of product placements, with fast-paced action and dialogue taking place in front of Charmin toilet paper, Dove soap and Arm & Hammer deodorant. At one point, Loki barrels down an aisle with vacuum cleaners and fights off...
The Price Is Right: Modeling Economic Growth in a Zero-Emission Society
Pollution from manufacturing is now widespread, affecting all regions in the world, with serious ecological, economic, and political consequences. Heightened public concern and scrutiny have led to numerous governments considering policies that aim to lower pollution and improve environmental qualities. Inter-governmental agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals all...
When to Release Free and Paid Apps for Maximal Revenue
Researchers from Tulane University and University of Maryland published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the dynamic interplay between free and paid versions of an app over its lifetime and suggests a possible remedy for the failure of apps. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “Managing the Versioning Decision over...