https://phys.org/science-news/economics-business/ en-us The latest news on economics research, business research, management sciences Whether on lunch break or on the clock, many employees scroll through the news and social media during the workday. Researchers found that employees who "doomscroll" at work suffer hidden costs that extend beyond lost productivity. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-doomscrolling-real.html Social Sciences Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:20:01 EDT news705916211 Consumers are increasingly choosing products from companies that demonstrate genuine environmental responsibility. While many studies have linked environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance with stronger financial results, exactly how environmental responsibility translates into higher profits has remained unclear. A new study suggests that sustainability improves corporate financial performance indirectly by increasing sales. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-environmental-responsibility-financial.html Economics & Business Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:00:01 EDT news705853621 Kids, marriage and commute: A study co-authored by Dr. Mariana Macedo of Constructor University provides new insights into how major life transitions alter how individuals navigate and experience urban environments. Published in npj Complexity, the research challenges traditional urban planning models that rely on a single, average citizen profile, advocating instead for demographically sensitive city designs. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-city-relationship-status-exposes-hidden.html Social Sciences Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:40:01 EDT news705845882 Millions of investors using the Robinhood app tend to favor simpler, easy-to-understand stocks, according to new research from Washington State University—and those stocks outperformed more complex firms during the study period. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-robinhood-users-simplicity-stocks.html Economics & Business Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:02 EDT news705841451 Overall, star employees tend to create value in different ways as their careers progress. Early on, they create outsized value through their individual performance. Experienced stars, meanwhile, contribute by helping colleagues succeed, sharing expertise and developing future stars. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-star-employees-career.html Economics & Business Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:20:02 EDT news705821367 Many people think of negotiation as something reserved for salary talks, car purchases, or business deals: infrequent, high-stake encounters most people would rather avoid. A new study shows that this assumption is misleading. Negotiation is, in fact, a routine part of everyday life, occurring in roughly one in three social interactions, and it is more often collaborative than adversarial. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-routine-daily-life-rare-high.html Social Sciences Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:00:09 EDT news705767401 Municipal regulation of short-term rentals "is low-hanging fruit" that helps improve housing affordability, a new study by McGill researchers suggests. The research shows that rents were relatively lower in Canadian municipalities that imposed restrictions on when and how principal residences can be offered as short-term rentals. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-restricting-short-term-rentals-housing.html Economics & Business Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:40:03 EDT news705765211 On the surface, credit rating agencies simply score a company's financial health. They look at a business's equity and debt and diagnose how risky it is for investors. They slap on a letter grade to show how likely it is to repay its debts. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-credit-corporate-financial-decisions.html Economics & Business Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news705763863 In 2005, a research team led by University of Zurich economics professor Ernst Fehr published a study in the journal Nature that provided evidence for the first time that intranasally administered oxytocin can increase trusting behavior in humans. Oxytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter produced naturally in the body that influences social interactions, among other things. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-oxytocin-nudges-distrustful-men-invest.html Social Sciences Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:20:07 EDT news705748802 A study involving the Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne demonstrates that not only retail investors but also financial professionals often assess potential stock market returns differently from what standard financial economics models predict. This is due to differing ideas about how company news affects future stock returns. The study, titled "Mental Models of the Stock Market," was published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-good-news-false-people-potential.html Economics & Business Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:00:02 EDT news705746058 A new study from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management found that research proposals showing stronger signs of AI-assisted writing were four percentage points more likely to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-grant-narrowing-ideas.html Economics & Business Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:20:03 EDT news705679801 Human service organizations play an important role in connecting people to housing, health care, food access and other essential services. Yet forecasting community needs can be difficult in times of rapid change or crisis because of limited resources and restricted access to data. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about a potential surge in evictions exposed gaps in the data used to assess housing instability. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-early-housing-evictions.html Social Sciences Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:40:02 EDT news705678633 If you ask an economist why everything is so expensive these days, you will likely get an answer explaining how oil—the lifeblood of the global economy—is currently facing supply bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz, thereby driving up global energy prices. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-climate-climateflation.html Economics & Business Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:00:09 EDT news705673201 Natural diamonds consistently command higher prices per carat than laboratory-grown synthetic diamonds, according to a large-scale analysis of online diamond sales published in the International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing. This perhaps unsurprising finding suggests that the two products should be treated as distinct market segments. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-larger-natural-diamonds-retain-carat.html Economics & Business Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:40:07 EDT news705670685 What can a pizza shop teach us about the dramatic shifts taking place in consumer marketing? Quite a lot, actually. New research focused on pizza delivery has found that consumer impatience is driving so much consumer decision-making that even location, price and quality can take a back seat. While this study focused on pizza delivery, its findings have ramifications for all business-to-consumer firms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pizza-delivery-sellers-view-foodservice.html Economics & Business Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:40:02 EDT news705670459 While the link between financial stability and mental health is well-established, a new University College Dublin (UCD) study reveals a major blind spot in current research: an overreliance on self-reported surveys rather than objective financial data. The joint review published in Frontiers in Public Health by UCD School of Computer Science and UCD School of Psychology evaluated 43 studies on financial habits and mental illness, uncovering significant gaps. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-banking-apps-mental-health.html Social Sciences Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:20:03 EDT news705665409 Every day, billions of people scroll through social media posts, online reviews and news feeds filled with emotional content—from glowing five-star reviews to rage-inducing social media rants. Those emotions can quietly shape what people buy, what they believe and how they act. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-framework-emotions-behavior-online.html Social Sciences Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:20:10 EDT news705657722 As food insecurity persists across high-income countries, charitable organizations and food banks are playing an increasingly important role in helping households access food. A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Sheba Medical Center examines the scale and structure of one such system and raises questions about how philanthropic food aid should fit within national food security policy. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-charitable-food-aid-policy.html Economics & Business Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:40:03 EDT news705590806 Do you manage your own investments, buying and selling stocks and obsessively checking the earnings reports of the companies in which you invest? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-retail-investor-attention.html Economics & Business Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:40:03 EDT news705584641 John Meluso, assistant teaching professor in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering's Systems Engineering Program, is the lead author of a new perspective paper discussing the history of "openness" and offering guidance on how organizations and researchers can use and manage open practices effectively. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-transparency-inclusion-power.html Economics & Business Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:00:01 EDT news705582901 We're being promised a revolution. Artificial intelligence is said to make work both more productive and more enjoyable by freeing us from tedious tasks and allowing us to devote more time to what really matters. This is the narrative of "augmented work." https://phys.org/news/2026-08-major-quebec-survey-flaws-augmented.html Social Sciences Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:40:12 EDT news705568982 Meat eaters view plant-based meat as riskier and offering less value than conventional meat, regardless of how it is marketed, according to new Adelaide University research. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-beef-based-meat.html Social Sciences Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news705567542 When is a hype bubble more than just a bubble? When it becomes a mass, real-time learning event. New research published in the Academy of Management Journal by Anna Brattstrom, a professor at the University of St Andrews Business School, and Hassan Hamadi, a PhD student at Lund University, aimed to understand the hype around generative AI. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dont-genai-hype.html Economics & Business Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:20:07 EDT news705326521 Food fraud is costing the UK economy up to £2 billion every year, according to the first study to calculate its full economic impact. The research, from the University of Portsmouth, estimates that food fraud costs between £400 million and £2 billion annually, making it one of the country's most expensive forms of economic crime. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-food-fraud-uk-economy-billion.html Economics & Business Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:40:03 EDT news705324781 Some U.S. adults are using artificial intelligence for financial guidance, but it's far from the most trusted source of advice, according to a new Gallup survey conducted in partnership with Edward Jones, a financial services firm. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-adults-ai-financial-guidance-gallup.html Economics & Business Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:20:07 EDT news705322375 Republicans and Democrats, renters and homeowners, rich and poor—agree on at least one thing: Buying a home is harder today than it was for their parents. The latest UCI-OC Poll suggests that's just the beginning of the problem. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-orange-county-residents-american.html Economics & Business Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:00:04 EDT news705231055 Employees who incorporate microbreaks alongside work-related strategies into their workday are more motivated and energized, University of Queensland research has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-microbreaks-key-boosting-energy.html Social Sciences Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:40:01 EDT news705302670 Few tax issues generate more public frustration than big corporations paying little, or sometimes nothing, in federal income tax. Since 2018, U.S. corporations have faced a 21% federal corporate income tax rate, the lowest rate in decades and down from a top rate of 53% in 1969. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-companies-dodge-taxes.html Economics & Business Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:00:03 EDT news705295981 As consumers, we are constantly making choices about things like what to eat at a restaurant, what clothing to buy at a store and the type of car we'd like to purchase, and so much more. Savvy producers of such goods look to economists to help estimate what products people want and how demand might shift when factors like price and availability change. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-consumer-choices.html Mathematics Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:15 EDT news705237002 Christo Wilson is a regular customer at Home Depot. You can reliably find him in the home improvement chain's aisles every spring, reupping his stock of perennials, shrubs, mulch and other gardening supplies to keep his extensive landscaping looking its best. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-retailers-customers-isnt-accurate.html Social Sciences Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:20:07 EDT news705225002