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What explains the continuing appeal of Super Bowl advertisements?
NBC, the network broadcasting Super Bowl LVI, has sold every in-game time slot for advertisements, including multiple spots for a record-high $7 million per 30 seconds. Does this signal a return to pre-COVID levels of spending for brands? Maria A. Rodas, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business and an expert […]
Analysis of bankruptcy data reveals patterns that underscore broader social, economic trends
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies consumer credit issues provides the first comprehensive overview of bankruptcy filers in more than 30 years, shining a spotlight on the economic stressors faced by U.S. debtors. An analysis of consumer bankruptcies from 2013-19 shows nine distinct patterns common […]
Climate adaptation increases vulnerability of cocoa farmers, study shows
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New research offers an alternative perspective on adaptation to climate threats in Southeast Asia. Sean Kennedy, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, looked at the ways that small cocoa farmers in Indonesia are adapting to threats from climate change, including prolonged drought. He found that […]
Paper: Women bear ‘status-leveling burden’ in male-dominated occupations
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The challenges faced by women interacting with men in male-dominated occupations are well documented, but little attention has been paid to workplace dynamics between women at different levels in the organizational status hierarchy who collaborate with one another. New research examines the “status-leveling burden” women in male-dominated occupations face when they collaborate […]
Will unionization push among retail workers continue in 2022?
In a potential watershed moment for organized labor and fast food workers, employees at a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, voted 19-8 to form a labor union – the first such union in the coffee chain’s 50-year history. Robert Bruno is a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and […]
Paper: Activating a collectivistic orientation conducive to curbing COVID‐19
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new paper co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts in cross-cultural consumer behavior finds a key cultural factor that promotes behavior aimed at curbing the spread of COVID‐19. The activation of a collectivistic orientation – in which people construe the self as interdependent with others and are motivated […]
Paper: ‘Paradox brands’ hold strong appeal for bicultural consumers
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bicultural consumers such as Asian Americans or Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing demographic in the U.S., and one of the challenges marketers face is how to build brands that resonate with consumers who have assimilated norms from different cultures and are able to code-switch between behaviors in response to social cues. […]
Paper: Engaging donors in creative acts can boost charitable fundraising
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Charitable fundraising remains a major challenge for nonprofit organizations, with many charities unable to secure and sustain the funding needed to deliver their services. Marketers, in turn, are constantly seeking new and more effective ways to solicit donations, including through nontraditional approaches and fundraising events – ice-cream socials, silent auctions, trivia nights […]
Co-worker interventions can moderate customer sexual harassment in service industry
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Although the #MeToo movement raised public awareness of sexual harassment in Hollywood and other high-profile industries, comparatively little attention has been paid to the rampant sexual harassment experienced by frontline service workers such as waitresses, baristas, bartenders and retail clerks. A new paper co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign […]
Paper: ‘Autonomous help-seeking’ on the job pays dividends for workers
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In the modern workplace, the mechanics of seeking help on the job aren’t clearly understood by managers or employees, especially regarding its interpersonal benefits and costs. A new paper co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts who study occupational well-being says distinct types of help-seeking can be activated by […]
Paper: Perception of COVID-19 vulnerability hurts job prospects
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the job market in ways policymakers couldn’t have predicted 18 months ago. Among them is the creation of numerous job search hurdles for the unemployed, who also may be saddled with extrafamilial responsibilities at home that could potentially interfere with their ability to conduct a successful job […]
Merit-based employment practices contribute to gender pay gap, study says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Rather than reducing gender-based pay inequality by limiting managers’ reliance on factors such as gender bias and favoritism, a shift to performance bonuses and other meritocratic employment practices may actually widen the gap by preserving the status quo, according to research co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies labor […]