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  • Headshot of Sean Kennedy

    Private investment in California's solar energy industry increases climate vulnerabilities, study finds

    Mar 9, 2022 10:30 am1281 views

    The large-scale infrastructure needed to attract private investment in solar energy makes it more vulnerable to climate extremes, said urban and regional planning professor Sean Kennedy.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Who wins and who loses in MLB labor dispute?

    Mar 2, 2022 10:00 am792 views

    The current MLB lockout is already shaping up to be the most pivotal labor dispute in the sport since the mid-1990s, which means fans should prepare for the likelihood of more canceled games, says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of J. Ryan Lamare, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

    Study: Pro-worker ideas in political platforms resonate with voters

    Feb 28, 2022 8:00 am256 views

    Voters reward political parties that espouse pro-worker ideas with more votes in elections, says a new paper co-written by J. Ryan Lamare, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • The local economies of regional public universities tend to be more resilient to economic shocks than similar communities, says new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economists. From left, co-authors Greg Howard, a professor of economics; Russell Weinstein, a professor of labor and employment relations and of economics; and graduate student Yuhao Yang.

    Paper: Regional public universities make local economies more resilient

    Feb 21, 2022 8:00 am485 views

    The local economies of regional public universities tend to be more resilient to economic shocks, says new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economists.

  • Photo of Maria A. Rodas

    What explains the continuing appeal of Super Bowl advertisements?

    Feb 11, 2022 10:00 am1073 views

    The Super Bowl remains one of the few programs where people aren’t skipping the ads, says a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business professor and consumer marketing expert.

  • Photo of Robert M. Lawless, the Max L. Rowe Professor of Law at Illinois

    Analysis of bankruptcy data reveals patterns that underscore broader social, economic trends

    Jan 20, 2022 8:00 am962 views

    A new paper co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign law professor Robert M. Lawless, a leading consumer credit and bankruptcy expert, 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.

  • Headshot of Sean Kennedy

    Climate adaptation increases vulnerability of cocoa farmers, study shows

    Jan 13, 2022 1:00 pm1109 views

    Sean Kennedy, a professor of urban and regional planning, found that strategies to keep cocoa farmers in place transferred climate-related risks from chocolate manufacturers to the farmers.

  • Photo of by M. Teresa Cardador, a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    Paper: Women bear 'status-leveling burden' in male-dominated occupations

    Jan 12, 2022 8:00 am1281 views

    New research co-written by labor professor M. Teresa Cardador examines the “status-leveling burden” women in male-dominated occupations face in cross-occupational collaboration with other women.

  • Photo of Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois and the director of the Labor Education Program in Chicago.

    Will unionization push among retail workers continue in 2022?

    Dec 10, 2021 2:00 pm721 views

    The unionization of a Starbucks store is a potential watershed moment for organized labor and reflects changes to the underlying conditions impacting the balance of power between capital and labor, says U. of I. labor expert Robert Bruno.

  • Photo of Carlos Torelli

    Paper: Activating a collectivistic orientation conducive to curbing COVID‐19

    Dec 8, 2021 8:00 am352 views

    The activation of a collectivistic orientation, in which people construe the self as interdependent with others, is a key cultural factor that promotes behavior aimed at curbing the spread of COVID‐19, says research co-written by Carlos Torelli, the Zimmerman Faculty Fellow at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

  • Photo of Maria A. Rodas

    Paper: 'Paradox brands' hold strong appeal for bicultural consumers

    Dec 1, 2021 8:00 am632 views

    “Paradox brands” – that is, brands that can straddle contradictory meanings or possess opposing characteristics – are more appealing to bicultural consumers in the U.S. than traditional singular-meaning brands, says new research co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business professor and consumer marketing expert Maria A. Rodas.

  • Photo of Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

    Paper: Engaging donors in creative acts can boost charitable fundraising

    Nov 11, 2021 8:00 am543 views

    Participating in creative activities in support of a charitable cause induces a sense of autonomy in participants, which increases both the likelihood and the amount of donation, said Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

  • Photo of by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts Yijue Liang, left, and YoungAh Park.

    Co-worker interventions can moderate customer sexual harassment in service industry

    Oct 19, 2021 8:00 am760 views

    Service-industry workers can be shielded from customer sexual harassment via bystander interventions from their fellow employees, says new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts who study occupational stress and employee well-being.

  • Two distinct types of help-seeking at work have differing interpersonal costs and benefits for employee competency measures, says new research co-written by Yihao Liu, right, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois, and graduate student Fan Xuan Chen.

    Paper: 'Autonomous help-seeking' on the job pays dividends for workers

    Oct 6, 2021 8:00 am867 views

    Different types of help-seeking at work have disparate interpersonal costs and benefits for competency measures on the job, says new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts.

  • Photo of Yihao Liu, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois.

    Paper: Perception of COVID-19 vulnerability hurts job prospects

    Sep 15, 2021 8:00 am838 views

    Job seekers’ perceived risk of contracting and falling seriously ill from COVID-19 may take a significant mental health toll and ultimately affect their ability to secure employment, says new research co-written by Yihao Liu, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois.

  • Photo of Eunmi Mun, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

    Merit-based employment practices contribute to gender pay gap, study says

    Aug 23, 2021 8:00 am1617 views

    Meritocratic employment practices such as performance bonuses often fail to reduce gender-based pay inequality and may actually exacerbate it by allowing the status quo to remain intact at firms, says new research co-written by Eunmi Mun, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • Photo of Yilan Xu, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois

    Study: Domestic control of COVID-19 takes priority over international travel bans

    Aug 11, 2021 8:00 am840 views

    A new paper co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economist Yilan Xu says taming domestic transmission of COVID-19 ought to be prioritized over international travel bans.

  • Photo of Unnati Narang, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business.

    Study: Idea sharing increases online learner engagement

    Jul 14, 2021 8:00 am1096 views

    Online learning engagement can be increased by nearly one-third by simply prompting students to share course ideas instead of personal details.

  • Photo of Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois and the director of the Labor Education Program in Chicago.

    Are generous unemployment benefits to blame for worker shortages?

    Jun 23, 2021 8:00 am1799 views

    As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes and employers look to restart businesses at full capacity, workers have leverage that they’re using to temporarily stay out of the labor market in certain industries, says U. of I. labor expert Robert Bruno.

  • University of Illinois Distinguished Fellow in psychology Benjamin X. White

    Nudges for default decisions influenced by time constraints, study says

    May 19, 2021 8:00 am748 views

    The default option is an easy way to “nudge” people toward a decision, but new research co-written by University of Illinois Distinguished Fellow in psychology Benjamin X. White finds that time constraints can play an important role in influencing decisions.

  • Photo of Alison Dickson, a senior instructor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Paper: Sharp decline in women's labor force participation in Illinois due to COVID-19

    May 14, 2021 8:00 am805 views

    The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an existing child care crisis that disproportionately impacted and continues to affect working women, says Alison Dickson, a senior instructor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Paper: Work-refusal safety laws serve employees poorly during pandemic

    May 4, 2021 8:00 am879 views

    Current work-refusal laws are out-of-step with modern workplaces and provide meager benefits to employees who decline to work when faced with risks involving chemicals, radiation and other microscopic or invisible hazards such as COVID-19, says research from Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • A new paper co-written by business professors Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee and Sridhar Seshadri shows that rapid bulk-testing for COVID-19 along with other standard mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were the keys to successfully reopening college campuses during the pandemic.

    Study: Rapid bulk-testing for COVID-19 key to reopening universities

    Mar 29, 2021 8:00 am1306 views

    A new paper co-written by business professors Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee and Sridhar Seshadri shows that rapid bulk-testing for COVID-19 along with other standard mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were the keys to successfully reopening college campuses during the pandemic.

  • A new report from labor and employment relations professors Richard A. Benton, right, and Eunmi Mun shows women and nonwhite minorities remain largely underrepresented as corporate board members in the state of Illinois relative to the state’s demographics and their respective industries, but also highlights several promising policies and practices that firms can adopt to help reduce the disparity.

    Women, minority representation on Illinois corporate boards lags, study says

    Mar 25, 2021 8:30 am918 views

    A new report from labor and employment relations professors Richard A. Benton and Eunmi Mun shows women and nonwhite minorities remain largely underrepresented as corporate board members in the state of Illinois relative to the state’s demographics and their respective industries, but also highlights several promising policies and practices that firms can adopt to help reduce the disparity.

  • New research co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts Tatyana Deryugina and Benjamin M. Marx finds that charitable giving in the aftermath of catastrophic tornadoes doesn’t necessarily crowd out donations to other altruistic causes.

    Paper: Personal charitable donation budgets flexible in aftermath of deadly storms

    Mar 11, 2021 8:00 am424 views

    New research co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professors Tatyana Deryugina and Benjamin M. Marx finds that people’s “altruism budget” for charitable giving is flexible and can expand.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor Andrew Weaver

    Paper: STEM skills gap modest among IT help desk workers

    Feb 18, 2021 8:00 am709 views

    The incidence of prolonged hiring difficulties for workers with science and technology backgrounds is consistent with persistent hiring frictions and not a “skills gap” in the labor market for information technology help desk workers, one of the largest computer occupations in the U.S., says new research by U. of I. labor professor Andrew Weaver.

  • Photo of Alison Dickson, a senior instructor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Paper: Underemployment pervasive for part-time workers in Illinois

    Jan 14, 2021 8:00 am2329 views

    As many as 61% of hourly workers in Illinois are underemployed, underscoring the need for the state to adopt a fair-workweek law, says Alison Dickson, a senior instructor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of Hayden Noel, a clinical associate professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

    Paper: Emotionally appealing ads may not always help consumer memory

    Jan 7, 2021 8:15 am763 views

    Emotional appeals in advertisements may not always help improve consumers’ immediate recall of a product, says a new paper co-written by Hayden Noel, a clinical associate professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

  • Photo of Timothy Johnson, the Karl and Louise Schewe Professor of Finance at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Paper: Value of vaccine to end COVID-19 pandemic worth 5%-15% of global wealth

    Nov 23, 2020 1:00 pm1194 views

    The monetary value of a vaccine that could potentially bring about the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is between 5%-15% of worldwide wealth, according to a new paper co-written by Timothy Johnson, the Karl and Louise Schewe Professor of Finance at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo by J. Ryan Lamare, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

    Study: Political representativeness affects trade union membership, influence

    Nov 16, 2020 8:30 am1686 views

    A country’s political system can positively or negatively affect trade union membership and influence, says a new paper co-written by J. Ryan Lamare, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • Illinois media professor Harsh Taneja co-wrote a study that found numerous ways corporations “nudge” our attention on the internet.

    Corporations directing our attention online more than we realize

    Oct 29, 2020 10:15 am1043 views

    We don’t have the control we think we do in browsing the internet. Our notion of empowerment to see and find what we choose is “an illusion,” say the authors of a study – including Illinois media professor Harsh Taneja – that analyzed browsing data on a million people over one month of internet use. Corporations are “nudging” the flow of our online attention more than we realize, and often in ways that are hidden or beyond our control.

  • Photo of University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign labor economist Eliza Forsythe.

    Rise in labor earnings inequality during pandemic reversed by stimulus, unemployment checks

    Sep 4, 2020 12:00 pm1326 views

    Job losses during the pandemic were substantially worse for workers in low-paying jobs, leading to a dramatic increase in wage inequality during the early months of the COVID-19 recession, according to new research co-written by University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign labor economist Eliza Forsythe.

  • Photo of Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois and the director of the Labor Education Program in Chicago.

    Should government do more for the working poor during pandemic?

    Aug 26, 2020 8:00 am1423 views

    Another round of federal stimulus checks and increased unemployment benefits would be “economic stabilizers” for the working poor during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, says U. of I. labor expert Robert Bruno.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor and employment relations professor Richard Benton

    Paper: Industry concentration contributes to job quality erosion, wage stagnation

    Aug 12, 2020 8:00 am449 views

    Dominant firms in concentrated industries can play a role in job quality erosion and wage stagnation for U.S. workers, says new research co-written by U. of I. labor and employment relations professor Richard Benton and U. of I. graduate student Ki-Jung Kim.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor historian Daniel A. Gilbert.

    Can Major League Baseball owners, players avoid another work stoppage?

    Jul 20, 2020 8:00 am846 views

    A coronavirus-abbreviated Major League Baseball season will open amid the backdrop of significant labor tension between owners and players, says U. of I. labor historian Daniel A. Gilbert.

  • Photo of Dolores Albarracin, a professor of psychology and marketing at Illinois and the director of the Social Action Lab.

    Paper: Mundane behavioral decisions, actions can be ‘misremembered’ as done

    Jul 17, 2020 8:00 am1278 views

    Mundane behaviors such as taking a daily medication can eventually create false memories of completing the task, said Dolores Albarracin, a professor of psychology and marketing at Illinois and the director of the Social Action Lab.

  • Photo of Carlos Torelli, a professor of business administration and James F. Towey Faculty Fellow at Illinois

    Study: Interplay of impact, moral goals influences charitable giving to different causes

    Jul 7, 2020 8:00 am675 views

    With the rise of globalization, geographic borders are becoming less relevant for making charitable donations, which means nonprofits and charities can make more effective pitches to donors by emphasizing higher-level concepts such as morality and idealistic values, said Carlos Torelli, a professor of business administration and the James F. Towey Faculty Fellow at Illinois.

  • Illinois advertising professor Jason Chambers specializes in the history of advertising related to African Americans.

    Why are familiar brands with Black images getting a rethink?

    Jun 29, 2020 8:00 am3405 views

    At least one familiar brand is being retired and others are getting a rethink due to their use of Black images. Illinois advertising professor Jason Chambers explains why.

  • Photo collage of labor and employment relations professors YoungAh Park and Yihao Liu, and graduate student Lucille Headrick.

    Control over work-life boundaries creates crucial buffer to manage after-hours work stress

    Jun 25, 2020 8:00 am1823 views

    Workers with greater boundary control over their work and personal lives were better at creating a stress buffer to prevent them from falling into a negative rumination trap, says a new study co-written by a trio of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign experts who study occupational stress and employee well-being.

  • Photo of Eliza Forsythe, a professor of labor and employment relations and of economics at Illinois.

    Paper: Pandemic-fueled job losses exacerbating preexisting inequalities among workers

    Jun 4, 2020 8:15 am956 views

    Although workers of all demographics have experienced job losses due to COVID-19, workers who belong to more disadvantaged groups – women, racial and ethnic minorities, younger people and the less educated – have been disproportionately affected by unemployment, according to new research co-written by Eliza Forsythe, a professor of labor and employment relations and of economics at Illinois.

  • Photo collage of finance professor David Molitor; recreation, sport and tourism professor Laura Payne; and finance professor Julian Reif.

    Study: Benefits of workplace wellness programs underwhelming

    May 26, 2020 10:00 am1622 views

    An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studied the efficacy of workplace wellness programs and found only a modest impact on employee health, health beliefs and medical utilization.

  • Photo of Carlos Torelli, a professor of business administration and the James F. Towey Faculty Fellow at the Gies College of Busines at Illinois.

    Study: Cultural variables play important role in perceptions of status, power

    Apr 16, 2020 8:30 am1265 views

    Cultural variables play an important role in perceptions of status and power in business, according to research co-written by Carlos Torelli, a professor of business administration and the James F. Towey Faculty Fellow at the Gies College of Busines at Illinois.

  • Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois who studies innovation in health care.

    Paper: Timely preventative efforts better than mitigation during early stages of outbreak

    Apr 2, 2020 8:00 am1366 views

    Epidemics such as COVID-19 are characterized by resource constraints due to sudden and unprecedented demand shocks for health care facilities and services, making the initial prevention of disease spread through testing, identification and quarantine activities more important than mitigation or curative efforts, according to research co-written by Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois who studies innovation in health care.

  • Photo of Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois and the director of the Labor Education Program in Chicago.

    Does lack of paid sick time make US susceptible to global health crisis?

    Mar 9, 2020 8:30 am1400 views

    Lack of paid sick time makes the U.S. acutely susceptible to a global health crises like COVID-19, and is part of the larger problem of tying health care to employment, says U. of I. labor expert Robert Bruno.

  • Photo of Yilan Xu, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    Paper: Disposal of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing poses dangers to drivers

    Mar 2, 2020 8:30 am1083 views

    A new paper co-written by Yilan Xu, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shows that the growing traffic burden in shale energy boomtowns resulted in a surge of road fatalities and severe accidents.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor economist Russell Weinstein

    Firms' office locations affect recent graduates' access to high-wage job opportunities

    Feb 27, 2020 8:30 am450 views

    A firm’s decision on where to locate its branch offices has reverberations in higher education and students’ post-graduation upward income mobility, according to new research from U. of I. labor economist Russell Weinstein.

  • Photo of Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois who studies innovation in health care.

    Hospital-level policies key to maximizing benefits, managing costs of robot-assisted surgery

    Feb 18, 2020 8:30 am901 views

    Robot-assisted surgery is a major advancement in minimally invasive surgical care delivery, making it imperative for hospitals to codify policies that leverage the quality benefits while managing the cost, says Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois who studies innovation in health care.

  • Nonprofit newsrooms are providing a significant new source for news, says University of Illinois journalism professor Brant Houston.

    Are there alternatives to declining, disappearing newspapers?

    Jan 30, 2020 2:00 pm1678 views

    As many newspapers decline and disappear – highlighted by two Chicago Tribune reporters recently sounding the alarm about a perceived threat to the Trib – a journalism professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign touts the growth and viability of nonprofits and other alternatives.

  • The major shift underway from broadcast and cable to streaming is also bringing targeted advertising to mainstream media, an Illinois professor says.

    Targeted ads are coming to mainstream media. Should we care?

    Jan 27, 2020 10:30 am1953 views

    Targeted advertising is coming to mainstream media, says an Illinois professor of digital media, bringing concerns about equality, division and “total surveillance.”

  • Photo of Gies College of Business finance professors Julian Reif, Tatyana Deryugina, David Molitor and Nolan Miller.

    New study examines mortality costs of air pollution in US

    Jan 21, 2020 8:30 am1073 views

    Scholars from the Gies College of Business at Illinois – from left, Julian Reif, Tatyana Deryugina, David Molitor and Nolan Miller – studied the effects of acute fine particulate matter exposure on mortality, health care use and medical costs among older Americans through Medicare data and changes in local wind direction.