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‘Branded access offers’ dilute parent brand via perceived lack of consumer commitment
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Why buy when you can rent? From cars to high-end clothing, the short-term renting or sharing of consumer goods through “branded access offers” has become an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional ownership model. But such time-limited consumption may have unintended consequences for the parent brands that offer them, according to a new study […]

Study: Default testing for COVID-19 in K-12 schools more effective than voluntary testing
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new paper co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business professors found that default testing of K-12 students for COVID-19 during the pandemic could have saved up to one out of every five school days lost to the coronavirus during the fall 2021 semester. Schools adopting an “opt-out model” […]

Paper: Multistate foodborne illness outbreaks impact restaurant stock price, public perception
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — As demand for food from restaurants soars in the U.S., so does the importance in understanding the impacts of foodborne illness outbreaks. A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in food marketing and food policy finds that outbreaks spanning multiple states bring swift financial losses, increased media attention […]

New book explores complicated relationship between workers and their work
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —A new book by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor historian explores how workers characterize their relationship to their jobs using their own personal mini-narratives, mining that material to ultimately advocate for a more humanistic-centered future of work. Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois, is the author of “What Work […]

What impact will the Biden administration’s executive order have on AI development?
Robert Brunner is the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Brunner spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about the Biden administration’s executive order on artificial intelligence systems. What impact will an executive order have on artificial intelligence development in […]

Single model predicts trends in employment, microbiomes, forests
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers report that a single, simplified model can predict population fluctuations in three unrelated realms: urban employment, human gut microbiomes and tropical forests. The model will help economists, ecologists, public health authorities and others predict and respond to variability in multiple domains, the researchers say. The new findings are detailed in the […]

Paper: Higher pay consistently trumps meaningful work as strongly valued job attribute
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When choosing between meaningful work or a better salary, it’s not even close – most people overwhelmingly prefer higher-paying jobs with low meaningfulness over low-salary jobs with high meaningfulness, says new research from a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies what factors contribute to meaning in life and in work. Although […]

Study: Tipped restaurant workers in Chicago compensated at rates below minimum wage
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor researchers assessing the state of food service and bar employment in the city of Chicago found that more than three-quarters of tipped workers surveyed were compensated at an hourly wage rate of less than the standard Chicago minimum wage […]

Top scientists, engineers choose startups over tech behemoths for reasons other than money
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Fledgling technology startups need to hire skilled scientists and engineers to bring their cutting-edge products from the proverbial Silicon Valley garage to the market. But to attract the best and the brightest, startups also must routinely compete with established firms for top talent. Commonly held views on job-choice decision-making would point to […]

Paper: Air pollution via wildfire smoke increases suicide risk in rural counties
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Air pollution poses well-established risks to physical health, but an emerging body of research says that it may also have adverse effects on mental health. New research co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economist examining the relationship between air pollution via drifting wildfire smoke exposure and suicide risk found large-scale evidence […]

New paper points to better way to assess noncognitive abilities
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New research led by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies personnel psychology shows a better way to assess noncognitive abilities such as a job candidate’s personality and vocational interests using the “graded forced-choice format.” The scientific study of a person’s soft skills heavily relies on self-reported measures – for example, […]

What explains labor strife among US workers?
President Biden has been heralded as the most pro-labor president ever. So why are American workers – from Hollywood actors to auto workers – mired in so much labor strife? Robert Bruno is a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the director of the Project for Middle Class […]