Social Impact

If your goal is to get 500,000 people to turn up on the Mall in Washington, D.C., Twitter is great at that. But if your goal is to make lasting change, you have to work within the system. —Sarah A. Soule, professor of organizational behavior
It Takes More Than Mass Protests to Drive Change
Audio
“Books, Articles, and Documentaries Will Help Us Understand This Country’s Divide.”
In this podcast episode, a publishing executive talks about decisions editors need to make to bring in more voices to tell our country’s authentic stories.
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Latest Stories on Social Impact

October 27, 2021
Written
Why Divestment Doesn’t Hurt “Dirty” Companies
A new analysis finds that selling off stocks in corporations that don’t meet your values has minimal impact on their behavior.
Finance
Coal-burning power plant with two smokestacks and rising smoke into a blue sky. iStock/acilo
October 19, 2021
Written
Designing Markets for Faster, Better Vaccines
Susan Athey and a team of economists have been pushing for an unprecedented expansion of vaccine capacity.
Health Care
a combination dart and conveyor belt. Daniel Liévano
October 19, 2021
Written
The Ethics of Vaccinating the World
With millions of lives at stake, should drug makers be forced to share their IP?
Social Impact
llustration of a gavel. Daniel Liévano
September 22, 2021
Written
Sustainable Supply Chains Helped Companies Endure the Pandemic
A survey of more than 350 firms finds that resilience is an important byproduct of sustainability.
Supply Chain
A group of businesspeople stand together looking up at a dangling carrot. Credit: iStock/DNY59, Tricia Seibold
June 28, 2021
Written
Making Supply Chains Deliver More Than Just Faster, Cheaper Products
Hau Lee envisions a system that benefits buyers, consumers, workers, and the environment.
Supply Chain
Ship Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, is seen after it was fully floated in Suez Canal, Egypt March 29, 2021. Photo by Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
June 16, 2021
Audio
DoorDash CEO Tony Xu on Why Obsession With Detail Matters
In this View From The Top podcast episode, Tony Xu talks about adaptability and solving problems by going deep.
Career & Success
Courtesy of Tony Xu
June 10, 2021
Audio
Former TaskRabbit CEO Stacy Brown-Philpot on Trusting Your Gut
In this View From The Top podcast episode, Stacy Brown-Philpot discusses diversity, the gig economy, and leading with integrity.
Career & Success
Image Courtesy of Stacy Brown-Philpot
March 19, 2021
Written
The Trickle-Down Tragedy of Corporate Fraud
When companies shut down because of executive malfeasance, bottom-tier workers suffer most — especially when it comes to future earnings.
Accounting
Lighted bundle of dynamite. | Illustration by Álvaro Domínguez.
February 19, 2021
Written
The Activist’s Dilemma
Extreme actions draw attention to a cause but erode public support — and many protestors fail to see the link.
Political Economy
A megaphone pointed at a brick wall. Credit: Alvaro Dominguez
February 19, 2021
Written
What’s Behind the Pay Gap in STEM Jobs?
Women are paid less than men for entry-level positions — and it has nothing to do with their skill sets.
Organizational Behavior
An illustration of a woman standing at large gap at a train platform, while the men waiting at the platform face smaller gaps. Credit: Olivia Fields
February 02, 2021
Written
The Self-Destructive Downside to Corporate Political Spending
There are risks to the bottom line when a firm’s shadowy political donations run counter to its image of social responsibility.
Government
New York City office skyscraper with US Flags Reflection in the sunlight. Credit: iStock/PPAMPicture
January 07, 2021
Audio
“Never Mistake Presence for Power”
In this podcast episode, a racial equity movement leader discusses the art and science of building Black power.
Leadership
Leadership for Society
October 29, 2020
Audio
“The State of the Nation Is Dependent on Getting Equity Right”
In this podcast episode, an expert in racial and economic equity explains why ending discrimination is a democratic, economic, and national imperative.
Leadership
Photo Credit: Elena Zhukova
October 15, 2020
Audio
Leadership for Society: The Podcast
Join Professor Brian Lowery as he sits down with prominent leaders for a series of conversations on the most pressing issues of today.
Leadership
Photo Credit: Elena Zhukova
October 15, 2020
Audio
“We Need to Stop Tiptoeing Around Race”
In this podcast episode, corporate diversity experts discuss the challenge of creating paths for inclusion.
Leadership
August 06, 2020
Written
How Segregated Are We?
Using GPS data to analyze people’s movements, Stanford researchers found that in most U.S. metropolitan areas, people’s day-to-day experiences are less segregated than traditional measures suggest.
Economics
Aerial view of people in park. Credit: iStock/Starcevic
August 03, 2020
Written
Maker: AIDS Memorial Quilt — Sewing as a Catalyst for Change
“My greater hope,” Mike Smith says, “is that people will see what we’re doing and realize that they, too, can do something worthwhile — that it’s easy to be helpful if you want to be.”
Social Impact
Gert McMullen. Credit: Elena Zhukova
July 29, 2020
Written
When the Best AI Isn’t Necessarily the Best AI
Why organizations might want to design and train less-than-perfect AI.
Big Data
An autonomous car drives through the city. Credit: Reuters/Fabian Bimmer
July 21, 2020
Written
Using Algorithms to Track Down Rapists
A Stanford scholar has developed a more efficient way to test DNA samples in the hunt for sex offenders.
Operations, Information & Technology
A photo illustration of a nurse taking samples overlaid by mathematic equations. Credit: iStock/mysondanube, iStock/South_agency
June 10, 2020
Written
The Rise of the ‘Liberaltarian’
Tech industry millionaires are moving the Democratic Party to the left on almost every issue except government regulation. Unions beware.
Political Economy
Tiles of brightly colored, posterized images of the Capitol Building. Credit: iStock/smartboy10