Greg Brown, executive director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, discussed on WRAL-TV’s July 16 primetime newscast the shortcomings of the federal COVID-19 economic relief package and outlined provisions to make the next stimulus package more effective.
On Thursday, January 30, we’ll be livestreaming the opening session of our fourth annual Frontiers of Entrepreneurship conference, featuring the release of the first-ever Trends in Entrepreneurship Report and a series of interviews with experts speaking to the findings and themes highlighted. The full report will be available for download at frontiers.unc.edu. 9:30 a.m. EST: Opening Frontiers of Entrepreneurship conference plenary + 2020 Trends in Entrepreneurship Launch 12:00 p.m. EST: Interview with Kenan Institute Executive Director Greg Brown 12:20 p.m. EST: Interview with JPMorgan Chase Institute Director of Business Research Chris Wheat 12:40 p.m. EST: Interview with University of Chicago Polsky Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Executive Director Starr Marcello 1:00 p.m. EST: Interview with Union Square Ventures Partner Brad Burnham 1:20 p.m. EST: Interview with UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Phillip Hettleman Distinguished Scholar, Professor and Area Chair of Strategy & Entrepreneurship Chris Bingham 1:40 p.m. EST: Interview with Backstage Capital Founder and Managing Partner Arlan Hamilton
The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has prompted governments—as well as public and private organizations—to adopt protective measures to prevent the spread of the virus and to mitigate its effects. Included in these measures are the processing of information on the movement of employees and suppliers, as well as sensitive health data. UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor of Finance Eric Ghysels leads a discussion examining the differences in data protection laws in the United States and in the European Union (EU). The panel addresses questions as to how we should address the trade-offs of personal privacy protections versus issues of public health, how current data protection laws address these issues and what a re-imagining of these regulations might look like moving forward. Panelists include Information Technology Foundation Vice President and Director of ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation Daniel Castro and Head of Technology and Privacy at the European Data Protection Supervisor’s Office Thomas Zerdick.
Corporations face constant pressure to respond to a wide range of social, environmental and governance issues, many of are outside the company’s core mission. Determining whether or how to respond to such pressures is a complex process, often requiring substantial time and resources on the part of senior management. In a new paper, “Willing and Able: A General Model of Organizational Responses to Normative Pressures,” Olga Hawn, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School Assistant Professor for Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability; Rodolphe Durand of HEC Paris; and Ioannis Ioannou from the London Business School provide a dynamic framework for understanding how companies analyze and respond – or don’t respond – to “normative pressures” on matters that include global warming, environmental stewardship, occupational health, executive compensation and corporate governance, among others. This pressure comes from a wide range of interest groups that may include activists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders.
In spite of widespread buzz about corporate sustainability, research shows that, for many companies, sustainability is still mostly a public relations exercise. UNC Kenan-Flagler Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Center for Sustainable Enterprise Faculty Director Olga Hawn discusses new research from colleagues Caroline Flammer (Boston University Questrom), Bryan Hong (NYU Stern) and Dylan Minor (Northwestern University Kellogg) which found that companies that adopt corporate social responsibility contracting have a greater and more pervasive focus on sustainability, are better able to track their ESG (environmental, social and governance) performance and are more likely to achieve their social and environmental goals.
Counterfeiting is a severe problem with significant economic impact that can negatively affect a manufacturer's profit and brand. UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor of Operations Jay Swaminathan explains how his co-authored research on blockchain-based solutions may help customers identify the deception.
Climatologists project that global temperatures may rise by up to four degrees Celsius over the next century. This projection raises a natural question: “Can we assess the impact that this temperature increase will have on the U.S. economy?” UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor of Finance Ric Colacito discusses his co-authored paper “Temperature and Growth: A Panel Analysis of the United States.”
In a preview of the Nov. 22 symposium, Investing in Affordable Housing: Private Market Solutions to the Triangle’s Affordable Housing Shortage, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Associate Professor of Finance Andra Ghent discusses private market solutions to the affordable housing crisis in the Triangle.
North Carolina’s phenomenal migration-driven population growth masks a troubling trend: high rates of death and dying prematurely which, left unchecked, can potentially derail the state’s economic growth and prosperity in the years ahead. On average, 246 North Carolinians died each day during the 2010s, increasing to 317 daily between April 1, 2020 and July 1, 2022. COVID-19 and the substance abuse crisis have played a major role in premature deaths of prime working age citizens of the state. Both people-based and place-based strategies and interventions are urgently needed to address the state’s death crisis.
Private equity investments have risen dramatically during the last two decades, not only in developed countries but in developing economies as well. Several studies have found evidence of improvement in firm performance following a private equity (PE) transaction, but surprisingly little is known about the implications of PE transactions for the economy – particularly the global economy. Kenan Institute Executive Director Greg Brown shares takeaways on his research with George Mason University Assistant Professor of Finance Serdar Aldatmaz.
Brad Staats, professor of operations at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and faculty director of the Center for the Business of Health, outlines his latest research on people-centric operations. Staats and his colleagues looks at how a merging of organizational behavior and operations can be capitalized upon to create systems that help people thrive and be productive.
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Clinical Associate Professor of Finance Arzu Ozoguz discusses the SEC's anticipated new rules around sustainability.