Business, ethics & society

You’ve stepped into a leadership position, and leading diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) efforts is a priority. Where do you begin? How do you set yourself up for success? How do you effect positive change and tackle DEIB challenges?

There are often different opinions between judges and juries in trademark cases about how similar the brands in question actually are, leading to large inconsistencies in the application of the law. Researchers propose a more scientific measure through the use of brain scans.

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.

Is power inherently bad? Why do social class disparities emerge in organizations, and how can those organizations mitigate inequality — do they change hearts and minds or internal structure? Darden Professors Ed Freeman and Peter Belmi discuss power, leadership and inequality on The Stakeholder Podcast.

Human beings are inherently biased. Our biases come from certain heuristics — shortcuts we take that help us distill information and make fast judgements. To combat this, organizations can implement standardized procedures that minimize the discretion that managers use in evaluating people. How?

“Positive weird” needs to be another focus as we seek to understand how to create better organizations and communities that bring out the best in both marginal and dominant members.

In these politically divided times, everyone seems to have an opinion. Is it a good idea for CEOs to express theirs? What happens to an organization when its CEO takes a public stance on a controversial issue? New research examines the net effect of CEO activism, how the effects differ for liberals and conservatives, and the effects’ duration.

In an examination of the role of character in leadership and decision-making, Darden Professor Jared Harris offers guidance on creating a personal vision, defining one’s values, preparing for the defining moments of a professional career, and how to actively pursue one’s best self.

Phishing scams: The same instincts and signals people use consciously or unconsciously to establish trust in the “real” world are the very same that get us into trouble online. Such vulnerability is due to the very nature of how human beings make judgment calls when it comes to trust. Understanding why we’re at risk is the first step.

Getting diversity, equity and inclusion right in any organization is a function of change, which is hard. Here Darden experts provide practical insights on leveraging deviance in ways that empower individuals, the benefits of unconscious-bias training, mentorship and sponsorship, and how to have constructive (if potentially tense) conversations.