Research

Role of vaccination status, socioeconomic status including insurance, and geographic location, on the geospatial spread of COVID-19 pandemic are estimated using geospatial modeling techniques. Results show that the percentage of the senior population, the vaccination rate and the uninsured percentage are the most important variables for predicting infection rates and the fatality rates, while the overall social vulnerability index has a huge impact on mortality rates and infection rates.

This study offers a comprehensive view of the network centrality–firm performance relationship through a meta-analysis. Drawing on a data set of 1,699 effect sizes retrieved from 147 studies published during 2000–2022, the authors establish a positive association between degree, closeness, betweenness, and eigenvector measures of centrality with firm performance on average. Nevertheless, these measures show significant differences in their effectiveness across various contexts. While the associations of degree, closeness, and betweenness centralities with firm performance have diminished over time, the relationship between eigenvector centrality and performance has strengthened. Moreover, the linkage between degree centrality and overall performance is more pronounced in customer-oriented and larger markets, whereas closeness centrality demonstrates a stronger relationship with overall performance in larger markets. Also, social trust amplifies the relationships of degree, closeness, and betweenness centralities with overall performance. Furthermore, the centrality–performance linkage and the moderating effects of the contingency factors depend at least partially on the type of network (i.e., board interlock vs. alliance vs. supplier–customer) and the measure of firm performance used (i.e., innovation vs. financial outcomes). Incorporating these factors into social network analyses helps managers refine their networking strategies and enables scholars to improve the generalizability of their findings.

In contrast to previous research documenting negative effects of political and policy uncertainty, we show that uncertainty has a bright side. It motivates companies to increase their investment in research in development. This is due to the growth option effect - investing in more R&D now gives firms the option to invest even more in the future if the uncertainty resolution is favorable. Additional results support our conjecture. We find that firms that are more politically sensitive and operate in high-tech industries are more likely to benefit from this growth option effect.

This paper develops novel econometric techniques to estimate and conduct inference on a seller’s expected revenue in first-price auctions, one of the most popular auction format used in practice, providing valuable tools for auction design and policy evaluation.

Fostering inclusion in the workplace can be challenging, but we find that the key might be having supervisors who act with integrity. In three complementary studies, we find that employees hesitate to advocate for diversity due to not feeling empowered. Our research reveals that when supervisors act with integrity, employees feel more empowered to step up and champion diversity, especially in problematic climates.

This research uncovers three distinct types of marketing organizations, challenging the common debate about their role. While some believe marketers control all marketing decisions, others see them as simply promoting work done by other departments. The authors reveals three categories: Growth Champions (17%), which actively drive business growth, aligning with the traditional view of marketing's influence; Service Providers (43%), primarily focused on supporting other departments, reflecting a more limited scope for marketing; and Marcom Leaders (40%), which excel at branding and communication, shaping the company's image. This framework provides a clearer understanding of the diverse roles marketing can play in different companies. It offers valuable insights for businesses to optimize their marketing functions and address long-standing questions about marketing's true impact.