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

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

    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

    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

    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?

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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?

    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

    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

    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

    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?

    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?

    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

    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.

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

    Study: 'Value instantiation' key to luxury brands' embrace of corporate social responsibility

    Although luxury brands and social responsibility seem fundamentally inconsistent with each other, the two entities can coexist in the mind of the consumer, provided the brand can find someone – typically, a celebrity – who successfully embodies the two conflicting value sets, says new research co-written by Carlos Torelli, a professor of business administration and James F. Towey Faculty Fellow at Illinois.

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

    Paper: Cultural variables influence consumer demand for private-label brands

    Consumer attitudes toward private-label store brands might be driven more by social variables than price, says new research co-written by Carlos Torelli, a professor of business administration and James F. Towey Faculty Fellow at Illinois.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor economist Eliza Forsythe

    Paper: Economy benefits when secretarial jobs require more computer skills

    New research co-written by U. of I. labor economist Eliza Forsythe finds that the adoption of new technologies in office and administrative support occupations ultimately leads to more job growth in the local economy, but offers mixed benefits for the office support workers themselves.

  • Photo of University of Illinois recreation, sport and tourism professor Jon Welty Peachey

    Study: Leaders of nonprofits that use sport to better society often lack business skills

    Many nonprofits using sport to create social change may fail because their leaders lack the leadership and business skills critical to the organizations' survival, U. of I. professor Jon Welty Peachey found in a study.

  • Photo of Yuqian Xu, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

    Paper: Higher financial incentives for crowdsourced delivery workers can improve service

    Targeted financial incentives can increase the service capacity of crowdsourced delivery workers without incurring additional costs for retailers, according to new research co-written by Yuqian Xu, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare.

    Paper: Outcomes vary for workers who 'lawyer up' in employment arbitration disputes

    A worker who retains legal counsel to litigate a workplace dispute in arbitration doesn’t account for the potentially countervailing effect of employers hiring their own legal counsel, says new research co-written by U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare

    Paper: Firm’s strategic orientation shapes how it resolves workplace disputes

    When defusing workplace conflict, firms favor alternative dispute resolution practices that align with their underlying strategic bent, says new research co-written by U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare.

  • Study: Tradeoffs between commute time, safety

    Urban commuters may be less likely to encounter automobile accidents if they are willing to increase trip time, researchers report. A new study from the University of Illinois introduces a tool that helps quantify the connection between traffic accidents and city road networks.

  • Photo of University of Illinois anthropology professor Andrew Orta

    New book casts anthropologist’s eye on culture of MBA degree, global capitalism

    A new book by University of Illinois professor Andrew Orta studies the culture of contemporary business education and the MBA degree through the lens of a professional anthropologist.

  • Photo of Yuqian Xu, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

    Study: Personalized promotion a potential 'win-win' for retailers, consumers

    “Personalized promotion” is a potentially lucrative opportunity for retailers to extract even more money from consumer wallets that also enhances customer satisfaction, said Yuqian Xu, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

  • 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.

    What’s at stake in auto workers strike?

    The strike of more than 47,000 auto workers is a way of recouping some of what union members lost during the Great Recession, says 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.

  • Photo of U. of I. psychology professor Dolores Albarracin

    Study: Action-oriented goals produce higher probability of purchases under tight deadlines

    If you want sell a product or service quickly, it helps to try a busy consumer, says new research co-written by U. of I. psychology professor Dolores Albarracin.

  • Photo of Jack Goncalo, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois

    Paper: As an act of self-disclosure, workplace creativity can be risky business

    It’s increasingly common for managers to instruct employees to “be creative” during brainstorming sessions. But according to a new paper from Jack Goncalo, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois, being creative in the workplace is potentially fraught with peril because creativity itself is deeply personal.

  • Photo of Richard L. Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on U.S. tax policy and the Guy Raymond Jones Chair in Law at Illinois.

    Would cutting payroll taxes help prevent recession?

    Cutting the payroll tax could represent the middle-class tax cut that President Trump campaigned on – although changes would need to go through the legislative process and any economic stimulus likely wouldn’t been seen until after the November 2020 election, said Richard L. Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on U.S. tax policy and the Guy Raymond Jones Chair in Law at Illinois.

  • Photo of Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration at Illinois and an expert in product development and marketing.

    In product design, imagining end user’s feelings leads to more original outcomes

    In new product design, connecting with an end user’s heart, rather than their head, can lead to more original and creative outcomes, says published research co-written by Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration at Illinois and an expert in product development and marketing.

  • Industrial and enterprise systems engineering professor Lavanya Marla and collaborators used artificial intelligence to design a customized pricing model for airline customers.

    Artificial intelligence could help air travelers save a bundle

    Researchers are using artificial intelligence to help airlines price ancillary services such as checked bags and seat reservations in a way that is beneficial to customers’ budget and privacy, as well as to the airline industry’s bottom line.

  • Photo of Gies College of Business accounting professor Nerissa Brown.

    Study: Even in competitive markets, shareholders bear burden of corruption

    While the U.S. traditionally ranks low on worldwide corruption indices, domestic political corruption still imposes substantial costs on U.S. shareholders, according to new research co-written by Gies College of Business accounting professor Nerissa Brown.

  • Photo of Mark Borgschulte, a professor of economics at Illinois.

    Study: Minimum wage 'an effective tool' for increasing incomes of older workers

    In an era of rising inequality and aging populations in the U.S., the effect of the minimum wage on the labor market for older workers is increasingly important, says new research from Mark Borgschulte, a professor of economics at Illinois.

  • 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 legalizing marijuana be a boon to the state of Illinois?

    By legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana, the state of Illinois could fund additional pension payments while making investments in public education, construction projects, and drug treatment and prevention programs, says 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.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor M. Teresa Cardador.

    Perceived union support buoys 'meaningfulness of work' measures

    When employees think of their labor union as supportive and caring, says new research co-written by U. of I. labor professor M. Teresa Cardador, they are more likely to rate their union as fulfilling their psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness – all of which are related to enhanced work meaningfulness.

  • Amanda Ciafone, a professor of media and cinema studies at Illinois, is the author of the book “Counter-Cola.”

    Professor’s history of Coca-Cola also tells larger story of globalization

    Coca-Cola’s history is one of innovation in image-making, outsourcing and other now-common practices of global capitalism – and of adapting to challenges from activists and movements resisting its practices, says an Illinois professor in a new book.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor Emily E. LB. Twarog, the recipient of a 2019 Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies.

    Illinois labor professor awarded ACLS fellowship

    University of Illinois labor professor Emily E. LB. Twarog is the recipient of a 2019 Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies. The award will fund the research and writing of her second book, “Hands Off: The History of Sexual Harassment Resistance in the Service Sector, 1935-2018.”

  • Photo of Don Fullerton, a Gutgsell Professor of Finance at Illinois and a scholar at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

    Paper: Carbon taxes could create new winners and losers among countries

    A global carbon tax would create new sets of economic winners and losers, with some countries holding a distinct competitive advantage over others, says new research from Don Fullerton, a Gutgsell Professor of Finance at Illinois and a scholar at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

  • il and environmental engineering professor Tami Bond is part of a team modeling the impact of the freight industry on human health and the eniviroment.

    New model predicts how ground shipping will affect future human health, environment

    The trucks and trains that transport goods across the United States emit gases and particles that threaten human health and the environment. A University of Illinois-led project developed a new model that predicts through 2050 the impact of different environmental policies on human mortality rates and short- and long-term climate change caused by particulate and greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Photo of John W. Kindt, a professor emeritus of business administration at the University of Illinois and a leading national gambling critic

    Expert: Justice Department reversal on online gambling 'correct decision'

    In reversing an Obama-era decision that effectively allowed internet gambling, the Department of Justice has revitalized the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, an anti-gambling statute championed by then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to fight organized crime, said John W. Kindt, a professor emeritus of business administration at the University of Illinois and a leading national gambling critic.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare

    Workplace discrimination claims fare poorly in arbitration, study says

    Employee discrimination claims largely received worse outcomes in arbitration than other work-related disputes such as wrongful termination or breach of contract, according to new research co-written by U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare

    Should the tech industry end mandatory arbitration for workers?

    For tech company workers protesting sexual harassment in the workplace, there are few practical benefits to be gained from employers ending mandatory arbitration beyond an increased perception of procedural justice, says U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare.

  • Photo of Yuqian Xu, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

    Adoption of mobile payment shifts consumer spending patterns, habits

    Paying for goods with a smartphone not only increases the overall transaction amount and frequency of purchases by consumers, it also effectively replaces the actual, physical credit cards in their wallets, said Yuqian Xu, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

  • Photo of Ben Marx, a professor of economics at Illinois.

    For community college students, ‘nudge-induced borrowing’ increases achievement

    When student loan amounts were printed in community college financial aid award letters, it led to better academic results and, in the following year, an increase in transfers to four-year colleges, says new research from Ben Marx, a professor of economics at Illinois.

  • Paper: Fostering gratitude reduces materialism, increases generosity in adolescents

    Reflecting on what one is grateful for not only tends to lower materialism, but also increases one’s generosity, says new research co-written by Gies College of Business professor Aric Rindfleisch.

  • Photo of U. of I. psychology professor Dolores Albarracin, right, and co-authors Benjamin X. White, left, and Sophie Lohmann.

    Four factors influence social media reach of public health tweets, study says

    Four factors account for public health messages accruing retweets on Twitter, says research co-written by U. of. I. social psychology expert Dolores Albarracin and a team of U. of I. graduate students.

  • University of Illinois economics graduate student Juan Sebastian Munoz.

    Paper: School shootings affect school quality, housing value

    Home prices within a school district affected by a school-based mass shooting episode declined by 7.8 percent over the course of at least three years after the incident, according to a new paper co-written by University of Illinois scholar Juan Sebastian Munoz.

  • Photo of U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare.

    Paper: Workplaces serve as training ground or deterrent for civic participation

    The workplace can function as a springboard for increased democratic participation, says new research co-written by U. of I. labor professor Ryan Lamare.

  • Photo of YoungAh Park, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

    Paper: Email incivility has a ripple effect on households

    The negative repercussions of email incivility extend beyond the workplace, and can even negatively affect a domestic partner’s attitude toward their own work, says a new paper from YoungAh Park, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.