Economics

A new study reveals that circular economy policies are sabotaged by an overlooked factor: the decades-long lifespan of products already in use. Even with perfect recycling technology, companies and policymakers can't accelerate material flows fast enough to boost circularity—until the aging goods finally need replacement, a delay that could span generations.EN

A new journal special issue examines how generative AI is transforming educational technology—with major implications for corporate training, workforce development, and competitive advantage. As AI reshapes skill requirements across industries, understanding this convergence has become critical for executives planning talent strategies.EN

A new study reveals that companies lack clear frameworks for understanding and evaluating how customers experience automated, checkout-free retail environments. As unmanned stores proliferate, the absence of standardized measurement tools threatens retailers' ability to optimize these experiences and could hamper their competitive advantage in the shifting retail landscape.EN

A new study finds that keeping employees informed during organizational upheaval doesn't necessarily calm their fears—even when companies follow fair procedures for announcing changes. The disconnect matters because companies invest heavily in communication strategies during mergers, restructures, and transitions, yet may be missing what actually eases worker uncertainty.EN

Partisan conflict in Washington triggers oil price spikes and reduced demand, according to new research in Energy Economics. The finding matters to traders, energy companies, and policymakers: political uncertainty is now quantifiably moving commodity markets, suggesting geopolitical risk deserves a place alongside traditional supply-and-demand models.EN

A new study of European and American firms shows that supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tension are reversing decades of offshoring strategy. But reshoring only works for certain industries—and executives remain cautious about whether it's truly sustainable long-term.EN

Researchers in Malmö quantified the full economic burden of type 2 diabetes—including hospital care, primary care, and lost work time—to help cities plan resources as cases rise. The findings give policymakers and health systems concrete data to justify prevention spending and optimize where to allocate limited healthcare budgets.EN

Researchers have formalized a mathematical principle governing competitive survival in business ecosystems. The work could help managers and policymakers understand which companies are likely to thrive or fail—and why intervention strategies sometimes backfire in competitive markets.EN

A new analysis of the Occupy movement in Sweden and Latvia reveals that mainstream media narratives—not social media—played the dominant role in shaping public perception of anti-crisis protests. The finding challenges prevailing assumptions about digital activism and suggests that policy makers and organizations must pay closer attention to how traditional news outlets frame economic discontent.EN

A new review of women's entrepreneurship research from Nordic countries shows scholars are moving beyond outdated approaches that treat gender as fixed, instead examining how social context shapes women's business ventures. The shift matters because it could improve policy and investment decisions by revealing what actually drives women-led startups.EN