Insights From

Business & Public Policy

Decision by Committee? Ask for a Show of Hands

The benefits of diversity in decision-making are well-documented. Having different perspectives and expertise produces better outcomes. But those don’t necessarily surface during discussions. How can leaders and organizations get the most from diverse perspectives and enhance the quality of conversations to achieve the best decisions?

A Taxing Conundrum: Land vs. Property

In the U.S., municipal governments raise revenue through property taxes, based on a percentage of the value of land and all the structures built upon it. But economists have long recognized a problem: The higher the value of the structures, the higher the tax will be, which means that property owners are disincentivized from building on their land.

Smart Technology, Education and the Future of Democracy

Smart technology will completely change both your way of life and your way of working. We will live in the most disruptive time for the workforce since the Great Depression. What does this mean for millions of lives, for the public school system and for society at large? And what is to be done about it?

Darden Ideas to Action: Most Read Stories of 2023

Trends and predictions for the AI world. The importance of careful communication. Groundbreaking research using neuroscience to predict human choices. Employee disengagement and what to do about it. The importance of generalists in a tech-driven working world. Darden Ideas to Action insights draw from faculty expertise, books, research and cases.

Words vs. Actions: Why Innovation Must Be Central to COP28 Discussions

After a brief reprieve during the COVID-19 pandemic, emissions continue to rise, and with each passing year, the work to slow climate change becomes harder. Time is running out, and we need innovation across all industry sectors — and in products, services and policy that paves the way for rapid adoption and deployment of decarbonized technologies.

The Era of Smart Technology: Public Schools Must Transform What and How They Teach

We are in a new era — the Era of Smart Technology — that is going to transform how we live, how we work and how we educate people. Our current education system was built upon principles necessary for the industrial age, and that age is over. This is an existential societal issue, and this new era will require a different type of public education.

5 Difficult but Feasible Steps to Reverse the Climate Crisis

The effects of climate change are everywhere, yet a coordinated and cohesive response to the biggest threat to life on Earth is nowhere to be seen. While the scale of the crisis leads many to paralysis, experts at this year’s Jefferson Innovation Summit worked to find solutions both dramatic and pragmatic, naming five key opportunities.

Q&A: Recent Bank Failures Do Not Mean It’s 2008 All Over Again

Recently, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — best known by its initials, FDIC — took over two banks a country apart after customers ran to get their money out in fear of their imminent closure. What happened, why and what’s next, both short-term and long-term?

Investing Responsibly: ESG and the Well-Intentioned Investor

No matter how one refers to it — “ESG” (environmental, social and governance), “responsible” or “sustainable” investing — the world is paying increased attention to investment decisions that include nonfinancial factors. Research examines if investment managers invest their clients’ capital as responsibly as they pledge to.

The Economics of AI

The past year has seen a dramatic shift in the landscape for the economics of AI. Artificial intelligence has made remarkable progress, and this progress has been faster than many expected. As we enter 2023, Darden Professor Anton Korinek shares some facts and his expert opinions on the implications of these developments.