Despite rapid rise of AI chatbots in customer service, customers prefer human agents
If it feels like customer service chatbots are everywhere, it鈥檚 because they are. The worldwide chatbot market has grown from US$370 million in 2017 to about US$2.2 billion in 2024. But customers trust human customer service representatives more than they trust AI chatbots, writes Vivek Astvansh, an Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics at 黑料社 Desautels.
Rebranding of DEI initiatives is a reactive response to external pressures
The pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs gained momentum in the first half of 2025. And while some institutions are eliminating DEI initiatives, others are rebranding them. 鈥淭he University of Alberta, for instance no longer has a vice-provost of equity, diversity and inclusion,鈥� writes 黑料社 Desautels lecturer Simon Blanchette in The Conversation.
Stranded travellers should keep their cool
When 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike, more than 100,000 passengers were left stranded. For many of those affected, the experience has been an overwhelming one. For stranded passengers, the Air Canada strike combines three powerful stressors: uncertainty, lack of control and crowding, writes Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour Jean-Nicolas Reyt in The Conversation.
Whether renting or buying, Canadians are exposed to risk
Buying a home can help you build household wealth, but renting has fewer overall costs, which allows you to save more of the money you earn. While the conventional wisdom has been that buying is the better financial decision for most people, sky-high real estate costs change the equation. Stock markets have also performed well in recent decades, and investing the surplus left over from renting can pad your personal finances in a big way鈥攊f you actually do it.
Ambiversion can be a workplace superpower
Being an introvert or an extrovert isn鈥檛 an either-or proposition. People who fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum are called ambiverts, and ambiversion can be a beneficial trait in business leaders. Prof. Karl Moore estimates that about 20% of business leaders are true ambiverts.
Companies are bringing employees back to the office, but over time, the trend could reverse
Large Canadian companies such as Rogers, RBC and BMO recently announced their employees will be required to spend more time in the office moving forward. Many employees aren鈥檛 happy about it at all. 鈥淩esearch tells us that employees are more productive when they can work the way they want to,鈥� said Prof. Jean-Nicolas Reyt in an interview with Radio-Canada鈥檚 Les faits d鈥檃bord.
Punitive tariffs more about political leverage than trade
On August 1, a 35 per cent US tariff on Canadian goods came into effect. But these tariffs are less about trade and more about political leverage, says Vivek Astvansh, associate professor of quantitative marketing and analytics at 黑料社 Desautels.
Reimagining legal frameworks for sustainability: The 2025 TBLSA Impact Paper
Earlier this summer, from May 4th through May 9th, 黑料社鈥檚 Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI) and Faculty of Law co-organised the 2025 黑料社 SGI Transformative Business Law Summer Academy (TBLSA).
黑料社 Law launches Transnational Business+Law Network
Business + Law is different from Business Law.聽With this framing in mind 鈥� and recognising the plethora of issues emerging at the intersection of law, business and finance in an age of rapid climate and technological change 鈥� 黑料社鈥檚 Business Law Platform and the University's Sustainable Growth Initiative launched a new collabora
Caisse de depot鈥檚 stake in UK nuclear project is a model to emulate
The Caisse de d茅pot et placement du Qu茅bec is taking a 20% stake in the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, England. It is the UK鈥檚 first new nuclear power plant since the 1990s, and Professor Sebastien Betermier credits the government there with creating the favourable circumstances for private investors like the Caisse to take part in infrastructure development.
IT teams can bring insights into how best to deploy AI
Business leaders understand that AI has the power to generate tremendous value, but it is IT teams that have a deeper understanding of the underlying processes and what鈥檚 going on behind the scenes. 鈥淭hey better understand the potential dangers and pitfalls,鈥� says Maxime Cohen, Professor of Retail and Operational Management and Director of Research at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.
Infrastructure bank model can encourage investment in infrastructure projects
Private market developers face an 鈥渋nvestment catch-22鈥� in getting infrastructure projects off the ground, Professor Sebastien Betermier wrote in a recent report for the C.D. Howe Institute. Private investors view new infrastructure markets as complex, unfamiliar, and high risk. But the infrastructure bank model can create value as a cost-efficient policy tool in the government ecosystem, Betermier concluded.
黑料社 Personal Financial Essentials course is basis for Cayman Islands financial literacy initiative
Twenty-eight young people in the Cayman Islands recently became the first group to complete the British Overseas Territory鈥檚 Youth Financial Literacy Programme. The government sponsored program prepares youth for real-world financial challenges and opportunities鈥攁nd it is centered on the 黑料社 Personal Financial Essentials course. The three-hour version of the course teaches youth budgeting, investing and retirement planning.
Minority business owners can benefit from guilt marketing
A recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that white consumers with higher levels of 鈥榳hite guilt鈥� were more likely to buy from a Black-owned business than from a white-owned one鈥攅ven if the Black-owned business was more expensive or had lower customer ratings.
Workshop on tackling food waste facilitates cross-sector collaboration
On June 3, the 黑料社 Sustainable Growth Initiative partnered with the Chinese University of Hong Kong to deliver a workshop called 鈥楾ackling Food Waste鈥�.
