Author: EconLearner

Prolonged conflict exacts a devastating toll on families, communities and entire populations—a toll that, at least in theory, we “thinking animals” should avoid. This is because, in strictly rational terms, war is highly inefficient.If both sides of a conflict were exactly on the same page about each side’s probability of victory, as well as how much it would cost them to wage a war—financially or politically, for example—they should logically be able to go straight to a successful analysis. It would be better for everyone to divide the contested resources in a way that is commensurate with these relative strengths…

But is China’s economy really in dire straits? The short answer is no. Since emerging from the COVID-19 lockdowns last year, the country’s recovery has been relatively strong. The Chinese economy developed 6.3 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2023, surpassing it average annual growth rate of OECD countries. In addition, the International Monetary Fund is waiting China’s GDP will grow by 5.2 percent this year and 4.5 percent next year – much higher than its forecasts for the United States (1.6 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively), the United Kingdom (-0.3 percent and 1 percent) and Germany (- 0.1…

However, despite well-designed programs and dedicated staff, few organizations actually measure their impact. So how do they know what works and why? Could investments or programs be designed to be more effective? What could organizations do to make more money?Andrew Dillon, a development economist and clinical associate professor at Kellogg, knows a thing or two about measuring social impact. This is because it helps researchers to Global Poverty Research Laboratory design studies that measure the impact of various poverty interventions around the world.Dillon offers several suggestions for organizations looking to better understand and increase their impact on the communities they…

Although environmental issues affect everyone, they don’t affect everyone equally: research shows this people of color and the least wealthy will disproportionately suffer the most devastating consequences of climate change.However, in spite of long history of people of color advocating for environmental causes;, the mainstream environmental movement still suffers from a striking lack of diversity. 2014 Survey of US Environmental Government Agencies, Nonprofits, and Foundations found that people of color were significantly underrepresented.What explains this gap and how can it be overcome? These are two of the questions Ivuoma N. Onyeador, assistant professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg…

“I was convinced this was going to be a complete disaster,” says Udry, an economics professor. “So we’re going to gather very poor people and talk about their problems and somehow change their lives?”Still, the researchers, who co-direct Kellogg’s Global Poverty Research Laboratory, acknowledged that since mental health care has been largely absent from poverty-fighting efforts, it might be worth exploring. “So much of development policy is focused on job training and skills training and market access,” says Karlan, the Kellogg economics professor. “Mental health is seen almost as a luxury problem that is simply not being addressed in many…

That’s the lesson from his new research Mariam Kouhaki, professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School. In several experiments, Kouhaki and her colleagues—Celia Chui of HEC Montreal and Francesca Gino of Harvard Business School—found that people cheat at higher rates in larger groups.Why; The researchers found an interesting self-fulfilling prophecy at work: people expect there to be greater numbers of cheaters in larger groups. This perception, in turn, increases the sense that cheating is common and therefore acceptable.The study demonstrates the importance of context and social norms in determining whether we behave ethically or not. After all, we…

“Often there are multiple communities facing the same potential grievances against the government,” he says Jacopo Ponticelli, associate professor of economics at Kellogg. “In some of these communities, that resentment is being acted upon. And not to others.”Ponticelli and a colleague, Meng Miao at Renmin University, wondered whether a community’s history of protests made a difference. If a place was known for emergence in the past, even decades or centuries ago, would that tradition influence modern citizens’ decisions to take action?The researchers tested their hypothesis in China, studying rebellions during the Qing dynasty from the 17th to the early 20th…

So, what can motivate someone to share a contrary opinion? In a new paper, Georgy Egorovprofessor of managerial economics and decision science at the Kellogg School, and his colleagues looked at how so-called reasoning can tip the scale.Arguments are narratives that support a particular point of view that may emerge organically or be promoted by political actors, social movements, and the media. Sometimes, it’s an attempt to convince people of a position on its merits. More often, however, they function as a social cover, a means of making the unpleasant seem more acceptable. It is less of a real argument…

“Even among those who were the most privileged, they also had to stay home and follow certain rules,” he says. Nicole Stephens, professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School. “And so the pandemic was this leveling force that touched everyone, to some extent.”Of course, hopes for a major equalizer were short-lived. It quickly became clear that the pandemic was taking a grossly disproportionate tolls in communities of color, exacerbates wealth inequalityand pushing low-wage workers out of work much more than their higher-income counterparts. Thus, the pandemic did not actually reduce economic inequalities. But Stephens, along with a group…

To Nicole Stephens, professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School, Bridges’ story highlights a blind spot in how some organizations still view diversity. “I think a lot of schools and workplaces are focused on the idea of ​​getting people in the door and increasing diversity based on race, socioeconomic status, gender and so on,” says Stephens. “But much less attention is paid to what happens after we get people in the door.”In a recent study, Stephens and her colleagues sought to fill this gap by exploring the diversity of people’s actual interactions at American universities. They asked: Does…