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  • 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 Robert Habans, a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois.

    Paper: State of Illinois’ middle class shrinking

    The state of Illinois’ sizable middle class has experienced a consistent but multifaceted squeeze since roughly 1980, according to Robert Habans, a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois.

  • Photo of University of Illinois labor and employment relations professor Michael LeRoy, an expert on employment law.

    Roseanne and NFL protesters: What are their speech rights?

    When an employer credibly cites harm to its business interests or reputation from employee speech, the employee has very little legal recourse if they’re fired because of it, said University of Illinois labor and employment relations professor Michael LeRoy, an expert on employment law.

  • Professor Robert Bruno

    Would a universal basic income in the U.S. reduce inequality?

    A Minute With...™ labor expert Robert Bruno

  • Photo of Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he helped spearhead efforts to create iBlock, the first blockchain created by a business school.

    What’s the transformative potential of artificial intelligence?

    Anxiety about artificial intelligence has been driven by its rapid development as well as knowledge worker concerns about potentially being replaced by the transformative technology, says Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • 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 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 U. of I. labor and employment relations professor Emily E. LB. Twarog.

    For nurses in Illinois, expectation of violence ‘a fundamental part of the job,’ study says

    Workplace violence is an endemic problem for front-line health care workers in Illinois, says new research from U. of I. labor and employment relations professor Emily E. LB. Twarog.

  • Photo of Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

    In impoverished communities, health care awareness as important as access, affordability

    New research co-written by Gies College of Business professor Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee studies the interdependence of affordability, awareness and access for health care delivery by nonprofits in underserved countries.

  • Photo of Craig Lemoine, the director of the Financial Planning Program at the College of ACES

    Is our flood insurance model broken?

    Craig Lemoine, the director of the Financial Planning Program at the College of ACES, discusses the flood insurance market in light of Hurricane Harvey losses.

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

    Social media as good a barometer of public health attitudes as traditional phone polling

    Social media data can be used as an additional source of information to gauge public opinion about health issues alongside traditional data sources like phone-based polling, says new research co-written by U. of I. psychology professor Dolores Albarracin.

  • Battered women who kill in non-beating situation have self-defense right

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Answering critics of the "battered woman syndrome," a University of Illinois expert argues that the claims made by victims of domestic violence are a legitimate extension of the longstanding rules of self-defense.

  • 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.

  • 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

    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.

  • 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 of Julian Reif, a professor of finance and of economics at Illinois.

    Study: Medicare prescription drug benefit reduced elderly mortality by more than 2 percent

    The implementation of Medicare’s prescription drug benefit program has reduced elderly mortality by 2.2 percent annually since 2006, says a new study by Julian Reif, a professor of finance and of economics at Illinois.

  • Photo of Jeffrey R. Brown, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor of Business and dean of the College of Business at Illinois.

    Paper: Decision to claim Social Security benefits influenced by ‘framing’

    Retirees are more likely to delay claiming Social Security benefits by as many as 15 months due to how the decision is “framed” to them, says a new paper co-written by Jeffrey R. Brown, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor of Business and dean of the College of Business at Illinois.

  • Sheldon H. Jacobson

    Would a laptop and tablet ban enhance air travel security?

    Computer science professor Sheldon H. Jacobson discusses the proposed Department of Homeland Security ban of laptop and tablet computers in the passenger cabins of certain flights.

  • With popularly elected judges, political influence pervades and taints Illinois courts, said U. of I. legal expert Michael LeRoy.

    Expert: Abolish partisan elections for Illinois judges

    With popularly elected judges, political influence pervades and taints Illinois courts, said U. of I. legal expert Michael LeRoy.

  • 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.

    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.

  • State and local government workers in Illinois are a relative bargain compared with their private sector counterparts, according to a new study from Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations on the Urbana campus.

    State workers in Illinois underpaid, new study finds

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A comparison of public sector workers in Illinois with their peers in the private sector shows a general wage and salary penalty for state and local government employees, according to research by a University of Illinois labor expert.

  • 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

    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.

  • 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.

  • 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 Maria A. Rodas

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

    “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.

  • 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

    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 labor professor Robert Bruno

    New book explores forces behind Chicago Teachers Union strike of 2012

    A new book co-written by University of Illinois labor professors Steven K. Ashby and Robert Bruno chronicles the seven-day strike by the Chicago Teachers Union in 2012.

  • Photo of Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration at Illinois

    To kick-start creativity, offer money, not plaudits, study finds

    The best way to reward creativity is not with social-recognition awards such as plaques or other plaudits. According to published research co-written by Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration at Illinois, it’s all about the money.

  • Multiple job duties yield multiple benefits for workers, U. of I. expert says

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Worn thin from wearing too many hats at work?

  • 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?

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

    Paper: Workload affects operational risk at commercial banks

    Under a low-workload scenario, bank employees tend to take performance-enhancing risks. But in a high-workload scenario, employees make more errors due to multitasking, said Yuqian Xu, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business 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

    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.

  • Sarah Ward, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business

    Paper: Higher pay consistently trumps meaningful work as strongly valued job attribute

    When choosing between meaningful work or a better salary, it’s not even close – most job seekers overwhelmingly prefer higher-paying jobs with low meaningfulness over low-salary jobs with high meaningfulness, according to new research from Sarah Ward, a professor of business administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • 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

    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.

  • What's next for pension reform in Illinois?

    A Minute With™...John D. Colombo, pension reform expert

  • 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.

  • Photo of Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he helped spearhead efforts to create iBlock, the first blockchain created by a business school.

    What's the business potential of the metaverse?

    The metaverse’s potential for transformation means it should be on everyone’s radar, says Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • 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

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

    Paper: Established employees need adjustment period with new work colleagues

    Adding new employees to an established work team can have a multitude of consequences for long-standing employees, according to new research co-written by Yihao Liu, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois.

  • Photo of Madhu Viswanathan, the Diane and Steven N. Miller Professor in Business at the University of Illinois

    New book explores lessons learned from the ‘bottom up’ in subsistence marketplaces

    A new book by Madhu Viswanathan, the Diane and Steven N. Miller Professor in Business at Illinois, explores the author’s personal journey as a scholar studying people living in poverty as well as how the impoverished function in the marketplace as consumers and entrepreneurs.

  • 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.

  • Jennifer Robbennolt, a UI professor of law and of psychology, says her studies show that apologies can potentially help resolve legal disputes ranging from injury cases to wrongful firings, giving wounded parties a sense of justice and satisfaction that promotes settlements and trims demands for damages.

    Apologies may fuel settlement of legal disputes, study says

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Apologies may be good for more than just the soul, according to research by a University of Illinois professor of law and of psychology.

  • Materialism makes negative outcomes even worse, according to research co-written by Aric Rindfleisch, the John M. Jones Professor of Marketing in the College of Business.

    Research: Materialism makes bad events even worse

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In addition to its already well-documented negative direct effects on a person's well-being, materialism also wields an indirect negative effect by making bad events even worse, according to a paper co-written by a University of Illinois expert in consumption values.

  • 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

    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.

  • Daniel A. Gilbert, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois and an expert who studies the cultural and labor history of sports.

    Paper: Changes in NFL mirror changes in modern workplace

    The NFL has reflected the changing dynamics of the modern U.S. workplace due to the football-workplace connection that was forged during the sport’s early years, said Daniel A. Gilbert, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois and an expert who studies the cultural and labor history of sports.

  • Jeffrey R. Brown, the William G. Karnes Professor of Finance, has been named the 10th dean of the College of Business, pending approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees.

    U. of I. finance professor Jeffrey R. Brown named dean of College of Business

    Jeffrey R. Brown, the William G. Karnes Professor of Finance, has been named the 10th dean of the College of Business, pending approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees.

  • Firms shouldn't follow a "one-size-fits-all-markets" approach when evaluating and managing the performance of a brand, says forthcoming research from Raj Echambadi, a professor of business administration at Illinois.

    Study: One-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for different markets

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - When evaluating the performance of a brand in a certain territory, it might be more appropriate to evaluate it against its local competitors as opposed to its performance in other territories, according to research from a University of Illinois expert in business strategy.

  • Photo of Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee

    New climate change model finds nuanced relationship between temperature, conflict

    A new framework for studying the intersection of climate anomalies and social conflicts finds a strong link between temperature fluctuations and aggregated global conflicts, says research co-written Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a professor of business administration at the Gies College of Business at Illinois.

  • 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.