All Insights Articles

Technology and globalization have radically changed the way many people do business, but do such concrete considerations also drive creative undertakings? Economist Tyler Cowen discusses the brave new world of cultural production and the increasingly demanding consumer on the receiving end.

State and local governments are sitting on more than $1 trillion in unfunded pension liabilities. Updated accounting rules will require state and local governments to begin reporting their pension liabilities in a format more closely resembling for-profit accounting. Will clearer accounting contribute to a solution of the under-funding crisis?

Esther Duflo, a development economist at MIT and director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, explains how our understanding of the economic lives of the poor has grown more complex in recent years. While Duflo doesn't see any silver bullet that will end poverty, she points to progress, in part from the use of randomized control trials to solve specific problems.

Nathan Novemsky, professor of marketing, explains to his Problem Framing course how Prospect Theory–the series of ideas and experimental observations that lie at the root of behavioral economics–elucidates one of the psychological biases that can cause people to approach the same problem in very different ways. Understanding these biases can help one see problems more clearly.

What does it mean to be a leader and a woman? How much do bias and cultural assumptions still present challenges for women as they move up in their careers? A panel of accomplished Yale SOM alumnae discussed their experiences of leadership and management and reflect on strategies women can use to navigate in the workplace.

Professor K. Sudhir discusses India’s move to expand the presence of foreign retailers to modernize the country’s retail sector and boost economic growth.

Steven Brill, a journalist and serial entrepreneur, lays out his case that fixing the public education system is critical to the future of the U.S. economy. In his view, charter schools demonstrate some successful tactics for education reform, but big questions and big challenges remain if these tactics are going to be brought to scale.

Leading architect and dean of the Yale School of Architecture Robert A. M. Stern argues that much of the action in global architecture has shifted to Asia and the Middle East. He outlines the challenges of designing large-scale buildings and doing business across cultures.

Shareholders own the corporation, so managers should maximize returns for shareholders, right? Corporate law expert Lynn Stout says that there are problems with this argument, starting with the fact that legally shareholders don't own a corporation. On top of that, she says, prioritization of shareholder value harms returns in the long run.

Dr. Howard Forman, Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and director of the MBA for Executives: Leadership in Healthcare Program, explains how the Affordable Care Act is expected to affect overall healthcare spending, as well as state and federal budgets. He also discusses the reality behind some of its most controversial provisions.