When the government takes action that results in increased spending, and an increased or decreased demand for products or services, it is called a “spending shock” or a “demand shock.” Ideally, firms should be prepared to benefit from shocks in government spending. But are some more prepared than others?
“If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” This quote, attributed to former Google ethicist Tristan Harris, sums up the goal of most social media platforms: capture user attention and keep it for as long as possible. Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram capture user data and attention and sell it to advertisers who hope to profit from that attention. But attention, like most resources, is a limited commodity, so platforms must compete for it. They can do this by improving the quality of their service and hopefully attracting new users or by turning to tactics that retain user attention but decrease service quality, like intrusive notification systems or a newsfeed full of low-quality content.
The early 2000s recession hit 3D Systems Corporation hard. Prior to 2000, the company, a leader in the emerging 3D printing industry, was financially stable, but starting in 2001, the firm began to slide into financial distress. Like many companies, 3D Systems initially tried cutting costs, reducing its workforce by 10% in 2001, then closing numerous facilities and reducing its workforce by an additional 20% in 2002. But none of these changes were enough to turn the firm’s fortunes around.
There was a time — not so long ago — when the composition of most corporate boards did not reflect that of society at large. Recently, though, corporate boards now have greater representation of women. General social movements aligned with improving diversity, equity, and inclusivity play a part in this ongoing evolution, but a powerful influencing force has also come from the industry itself.
Since 2004, almost $1.23 billion federal dollars have been spent on Great Lakes restoration efforts. But how did all of these cleanup efforts affect housing markets in the polluted areas?
Remember the early days of videotape, when the Betamax and VHS formats battled it out for dominance? Millions of dollars in sales rested on the public’s perception of what counted as videotape, whether they pictured one format or another in their minds. Only one understanding of the technology—only one frame—could dominate. Not so, though, in 2023.
Research drives innovation in everything from data analytics to product design. But what if we cannot trust that the latest research is accurate?
When it comes to Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Microsoft’s Bing Chat, the current debate in the field of business goes something like this: Supporters point out LLMs can outperform any single human on the breadth of topics in which they are capable. On the flip side, critics highlight the instances in which LLMs produce work that is remarkably shoddy and even downright wrong.
Nearly one in ten people worldwide suffer from food insecurity, or inconsistent access to enough nutritious food. Food banks are critical to addressing this fundamental human need since they serve as intermediaries between donors like food drives, farms, and grocers, and charitable agencies such as food pantries and soup kitchens.
The University of Alabama is spearheading an effort to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease in West Alabama.
With $6 million from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention spread out over the next five years, UA faculty, staff and students will work with local health care providers to implement programs and resources designed to reduce risk factors for heart attacks, strokes and other issues stemming from poor cardiovascular health. The work will focus on nine counties around the University that include rural and underserved areas of the state.
