October 12-13, 2023 • Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill, NC
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven massive shifts in the global labor market, with repercussions continuing to be felt by both firms and workers today. While employers navigate the demand for an increasingly skilled and agile workforce, employees advocate for greater flexibility and a desire for their companies to proactively reflect their own values. Is it possible to address the needs of employers and employees alike – particularly amid persistent uncertainty about future economic conditions and the market power of workers? And how might workers and their firms most productively contribute to shaping a new and modern labor force?
Our 2023 Frontiers of Business Conference will convene corporate executives, top researchers and policy leaders to share objective, evidence-based solutions for navigating the precarious road toward a labor market equilibrium.
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Thomas Stith moderated the panel discussion “Seeking a New Labor Market Equilibrium: A Leadership Perspective” on Aug. 23. Panelists were Jeff Cox of the North Carolina Community College System, state Sen. Amy Galey, Jennifer Paylor of Capgemini and Gary Salamido of the NC Chamber.
Leigh, a Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow, will discuss the influence that societal events which occur outside of organizations have on employees when they enter the workplace and on individuals in society more broadly.
The Kenan Institute’s Distinguished Fellows comprise an exemplary set of global scholars committed to leveraging their individual expertise, thought leadership, research and networks to further the institute’s efforts to examine – and drive solutions to – the most complex and timely issues facing business and the economy today. Appointed on an annual basis, the 2023 Distinguished Fellows work to support the Kenan Institute’s exploration of workforce disruption.
The Distinguished Fellows program is supported by a generous gift from Bruce and Katie Van Saun.
Join IBM’s Tim Humphrey and former Domino’s CEO Ritch Allison for “Workplace Talent, Skills and Economic Competitiveness: A Fireside Chat with UNC Kenan-Flagler Dean Mary Margaret Frank” Oct. 12 at The Carolina Inn.
Our 2023 Frontiers of Business Conference will convene corporate executives, top researchers and policy leaders to share objective, evidence-based solutions for navigating the precarious road toward a labor market equilibrium. Learn more today.
Leigh, a Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow, will discuss the influence that societal events which occur outside of organizations have on employees when they enter the workplace and on individuals in society more broadly.
Stith, a Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow, will moderate a panel on strategies to build a sustainable workforce pipeline in North Carolina.
Sekou Bermiss, UNC Kenan-Flagler associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship, unpacks the topic of people analytics, discussing how firms can build better culture by supporting both managers and employees.
The American Growth Project explains why manufacturing remains essential for economic growth and how manufacturing in the U.S. today incorporates both regional shifts and “stickiness” in traditional strongholds.
UNC-Chapel Hill Professor Kurt Gray discusses how research can help us understand – and navigate – our rapidly changing professional and social lives.
UNC Professor Mohammad Jarrahi and IBM’s Phaedra Boinodiris address concerns about organizational adoption of artificial intelligence and how to include employees in important discussions, such as ethical considerations and potential job-related changes.
The Kenan Institute and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s inaugural Conference on Market-Based Solutions for Reducing Wealth Inequality on June 1-2 highlighted research on market mechanisms that might also work to ameliorate inequality.
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow John Haltiwanger of the University of Maryland sees the growth in startups and remote work as especially benefiting the South and the areas around urban downtowns.
The institute has teamed up to work with Fifth Third Commercial Bank Chief Economist Jeff Korzenik on research into second-chance hiring. In his new opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, Korzenik discusses Japan’s “miracle” workforce expansion and what the U.S. can learn from it.
Powerful Demographic Trends and Their Economic Effects
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor Jim Johnson, director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center, defines three groups facing challenges as companies return to the office and updates his forecast of demographic gale force winds.