News by Subject Policy & Ethics

More businesses are taking a stand on controversial sociopolitical issues, and new research out of the University of Arizona sheds light on how those stances can impact the bottom line. Nooshin Warren with the Eller College of Management says the effects depend on a company's stakeholders, including customers, employees and state regulators.

A new study sought to determine the effect of ad blockers on websites' ability to generate revenue and on users' experiences. The study found that contrary to common assumptions, ad blockers may offer some benefits to companies, users, and the market at large. The findings have implications for how online platforms make decisions about advertising.

Marketing managers and academics have been studying how families plan ahead and make decisions about family care and family consumption for a long time - but what happens when planning ahead is not possible? When consumers can't plan ahead...they 'dance'.

As anti-racism solidarity protests continue around the world, new research suggests mainstream media have a tendency to focus on the violence and spectacle of a protest rather than the substance. That mentality and approach need to change according to Summer Harlow, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Houston Jack J. Valenti School of Communication.

Facebook is a more fertile breeding ground for fake news than Twitter, and ideological extremists are most likely to spread it, according to a new study of 783 social media users.

Beverage companies spent $1.04 billion to advertise sugary drinks and energy drinks in 2018, a 26% increase compared to 2013, according to Sugary Drinks FACTS 2020, a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut. The report documents continued extensive targeted advertising of sugary drinks by beverage companies directed to Black and Hispanic youth, which contributes to health disparities affecting communities of color -- the same communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

A single press release naming a company that has violated workplace health and safety regulations can result in a 73 percent improvement in compliance by other facilities, a Duke researcher finds in a study published in the American Economic Review. 'OSHA would have to conduct an additional 210 inspections to elicit the same improvement in compliance as sparked by a single press release about severe violations,' said researcher Matthew S. Johnson.

A new study sought to determine how consumers respond to potentially fraudulent reviews and how review portals (e.g., Amazon, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Yelp) can leverage this information to design better fraud-management policies and increase consumers' trust. It found that portals that include fraudulent reviews are more likely to boost buyers' trust.

A new study that examined the effectiveness of anti-piracy efforts in the United Kingdom found that blocking websites can be effective but only when multiple channels are blocked. The website blocking policies in the UK caused a decrease in overall piracy and a 7 to 12% increase in the use of legal subscription sites.

Pod-based e-cigarettes' efficient delivery of nicotine may foster greater dependence than other types of e-cigarettes. Stronger health communication messages are needed around the consequences of using these devices.