Business and Society with Michigan Ross

On the season four finale of Business and Society , we’re pulling back the curtain on the "Crypto Kleptocracy" and diving deep into how digital assets are reshaping the U.S. political landscape. Guest Will Thomas, assistant professor of business law at the Ross School of Business, explains how crypto ventures are being used to eclipse traditional wealth-building and sidestep current definitions of...

For business leaders, modern work often asks them to pull off a balancing act that can seem nearly impossible. Innovate while maintaining stability; drive for results while being empathic to your team. Researchers at the University of Michigan realized these aren't just frustrating contradictions—they are four essential 'gears' of management, which they named the Michigan Model of Leadership. On t...

Between the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl, and this year’s Winter Olympics, this season has been buzzing with live entertainment.  On this episode of Business and Society, Michigan Ross professors Marcus Collins and Gregg Latterman sit down with Jeff Karoub to discuss the entertainment industry. Topics covered include the human connection that synchronous viewing experiences provide, the evol...

On this episode of Business and Society, Michigan Ross Professor Tom Buchmueller and Professor Anand Parekh from the School of Public Health sit down with Jeff Karoub to discuss healthcare changes taking effect. Topics covered include the introduction of work requirements for Medicaid starting in 2027, the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, the Healthcare Marketplace, and the damage dealt to...

This November, tariffs are in effect and in flux, the job market is unstable, and AI continues to impact the way business is done. Consumers and businesses alike are looking out for these trends in the economy as the holiday shopping season approaches. On this episode of Business and Society, Ross professors Ari Shwayder and Michael Speigl discuss the current state of the economy, unpacking the ma...

The rise of short-term contract work and freelance jobs has created a large percentage of workers who work on their own terms, outside of organizations. These freelancers find new ways to deal with autonomy in their work, walking a precarious tightrope between instability and independence.  On this episode of Business and Society, Ross Professor Sue Ashford discusses her award-winning researc...

Between 1989 and 2009, fewer than 100 women became CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.  In 2014, Aparna Joshi, and her co-authors embarked on a deep dive into every one of these rare events. While the barriers to women’s success in senior roles and the negative industry reactions to their ascension have been long documented, Joshi felt these focuses failed to provide actionable knowledge. Her rese...

In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan, switched its drinking water supply from the Detroit system to the Flint River to save money, resulting in a decade-long public health crisis in which Flint’s residents faced lead contamination and other serious health issues. A major challenge for Flint and hundreds of cities looking to update their aging water infrastructure is efficiently and accurately pred...

In the season finale of Business and Society, recorded live at the University of Michigan MaizeXBlue Conference , host Jeff Karoub sits down with a panel of experts to discuss the changing media landscape. Sarah Zimmerman, Lecturer of Business Communication at Michigan Ross and professors Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan from the College of Literature, Science, and Arts give their insights on t...

Professor M.S. Krishnan of Michigan Ross and Professor Shobita Parthasarathy from the Ford School of Public Policy join this episode to discuss opportunities AI brings to the business world and some of the challenges and functions in which AI needs guardrails. Topics covered include the transformation of labor, developing technology in a way that centers and serves people, and the role of AI in ed...

Michigan Ross Professors Andy Hoffman, Cindy Schipani, and Norm Bishara join this episode of Business and Society to discuss their research and expertise related to corporate governance — the systems and regulations that allow a company to operate with accountability, transparency, and fairness. The panel explores how businesses and public policy intersect to set these guardrails, and the importan...

On this episode of Business and Society , Jerry Davis, professor of management and organizations and faculty director of the Business+Impact initiative, returns to the podcast to discuss his research. He covers the impact generative AI has on scientific publishing and the ways corporate annual reports distort data to create an inadequate picture of today’s economy. The discussion closes with a ple...

Professors Nigel Melville from the Ross School of Business and Yousif Hassan from the Ford School of Public Policy join this episode of Business and Society to discuss the challenges of artificial intelligence. They explore the varied and emergent nature of risk associated with AI, the challenges of governing a rapidly developing technology, layoffs, human agency, systemic biases, and the environm...

Professor Sam Keppler joins this episode of Business and Society to discuss her most recent research on the use of AI in K-12 classrooms. In her research, Keppler explores how technological advancements and operational strategies can improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of K-12 education. In a recent paper, Keppler and her co-authors studied how AI tools such as ChatGPT can be used in...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, host Jeff Karoub sits down with Michigan Ross professors Scott Rick and Ari Shwayder to discuss the business of the holidays. The panel explores retail therapy as a response to the election, a return to pre-pandemic spending levels on the macroeconomic scale, the holiday shopping habits of “tightwads” vs. “spendthrifts,” and “Amazonification” in...

The Michelin Guide and its infamous star rating system have incredible influence in the culinary world. Many chefs spend their entire careers chasing a star, and financiers see a high rating as the pinnace for a successful investment. But how do the changing tastes of the ultimate culinary tastemakers affect customer satisfaction? In a new paper, Puneet Manchanda, Isadore and Leon Winkelman Profes...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, Professors Brian Connolly, Jerry Davis, and Erik Gordon discuss the Ross Financial Times poll, what economic issues matter to voters, and how these issues may impact the 2024 election. Key topics include housing, inflation, the role of partisanship in processing information, and the new tools and algorithms being used to raise prices. To learn m...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, three professors from the University of Michigan share their research on the 2024 presidential election. The panel discusses the findings of the polls, surveys, and studies they participate in and provides insights into the unique elements of the Harris and Trump presidential campaigns. Particularly what is important to voters in this ever-chang...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, Brian Connolly, assistant professor of business law , and Jennifer Erb-Downward, director of housing stability programs and policy initiatives at the University of Michigan Poverty Solutions, join to discuss their research and thoughts on the housing crisis. Connolly and Erb-Downward explore topics like rising rent, home pricing, gentrification,...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, Professors Chris Rider and Stefan Szymanski join to discuss their research and thoughts on recent trends in the sports industry. Both Rider and Szymanski study sports from a diversity, equity, and inclusion perspective. In the episode, they share insights on social responsibility, equitable practices, changing demographics, and economic impact. ...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, three professors from the Ross School of Business discuss notable trends from 2023 and the current challenges of 2024 from an economic, behavioral, and political perspective. The major topic of discussion is the friction between the real economy – lowering interest rates, low unemployment rates, and inflation reduction – and consumers perceived...

In this new podcast, Sharon Matusik, the Edward J. Frey Dean of the Ross School of Business, invites alums in the C-Suite to discuss their path to business leadership. Listen to the first episode with Robert Isom, MBA ’91, CEO and President of American Airlines: https://myumi.ch/GkmEp . Host: Sharon Matusik Guest: Robert Isom Executive Producers: JT Godfrey, Tedra White Audio Engineer: Jonah Brock...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, three professors emeritus from the Ross School of Business, George Siedel, Thomas Kinnear, and B. Joseph White discuss the Michigan Ross centennial and the impact they witnessed in their historic careers. Through stories of their tenure, the panel explores Ross’ impact on business school curriculum, research, industry, and society.  To learn mor...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, three professors from the Ross School of Business discuss the state of retail from a technological, industry, and trending strategy perspective. With the recent technological boom in retail via machine learning, the panel explores how retail has changed in the world of Amazon.   To learn more about the hosts, participants, resources, and researc...

On this episode of the Business and Society podcast, two professors from the Ross School of Business discuss the state of labor from an economic, industry, and organizational development perspective. With the recent UAW, SAG-AFTRA, and WGA strikes, they explore the factors of modern labor, advice for future leaders, CEO pay, and more.   To learn more about the hosts, participants, resources, and r...