The Conversation U.S.

The FDA said no to Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine — then quickly changed course. The regulatory reversal keeps the shot on track for next flu season, but the mixed signals could make companies more hesitant to invest in making new and improved vaccines. https://lnkd.in/gqsZ_y6c #health #news #investors

Business students are studying a real dilemma at a Philadelphia soup kitchen. Should it stay put, move or create a mobile service as the neighborhood gentrifies? The case pushes students to weigh business strategy against ethics and community impact. https://lnkd.in/gp5iKzRw

Microinfluencers with fewer than 100,000 followers often outperform mega-influencers with million for marketers spending money with influencers. As brands increasingly recognize this, a whole new marketing infrastructure of agencies and platforms has emerged, according to an expert on digital consumer research. https://lnkd.in/gFQZrSUB #marketing #contentcreator #trends #influence

Cities are building “digital twins” to map roads, buildings and utilities — but most still overlook the people who use them. A new study shows how faked synthetic data can add realistic human behavior to these models while protecting #privacy. https://lnkd.in/g-qeVWJd #data #technology

Caring for loved ones might feel modest in reach, but caregiving with love can make a deep impact. https://lnkd.in/gpMMF8wJ

With solo living on the rise, more consumers are dining, traveling and spending on their own. And research shows people who go solo enjoy themselves just as much as those with partners. Yet many businesses still design their services around couples, families or groups — missing a huge and growing market. Story by Peter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder #relationships #marketing #business

With solo living on the rise, more consumers are dining, traveling and spending on their own. And research shows people who go solo enjoy themselves just as much as those with partners. Yet many businesses still design their services around couples, families or groups — missing a huge and growing market. https://lnkd.in/gcCxMPMm #valetinesday #relationships #marketing #business 

A lot of people want to be fair and supportive at work, but still feel like a fraud when it comes to actually being an ally. New research shows why: many employees want to stand up for colleagues who face bias, but worry they don’t have the “right” skills. That fear of not being a “perfect ally” can make people freeze, overprepare, or stay silent… which then makes them feel even more like impostors. The study found that 1 in 5 would-be allies experience impostor feelings even when they already have the skills to help. And those feelings are linked to more anxiety and lower job satisfaction. https://lnkd.in/eczTmZ-f #DEI #inclusion #workplaceculture 

Before Venezuela’s oil, there were Guatemala’s bananas. In the early 20th century, the Boston-based United Fruit controlled vast swaths of Guatemala’s land and economy. Locals called it “the octopus” for its grip on politics, labor and daily life — giving rise to the term “banana republic.” When Guatemala’s elected leaders passed land and labor reforms, the company framed the changes as a communist plot and lobbied U.S. lawmakers hard. Members of Congress echoed its talking points. In 1954, the CIA helped engineer a coup that toppled Guatemala’s democratic government. The result: decades of dictatorship, repression and instability. Guatemala never recovered from the destruction of its democratic experiment — driven, in part, by corporate pressure over fruit. https://lnkd.in/gvuKpmqH Photo: A woman walks past a banner that says ‘against foreign intervention,’ in Spanish, in Guatemala in 1954. 

Why doesn’t the business world pay more attention to the singles market? The answer lies in #psychology. Some reluctance stems from the belief that other customers will perceive solo diners or moviegoers as sad or lonely. These fears are amplified by what psychologists call the spotlight effect – our tendency to overestimate how much other people notice and judge us, according to a behavioral economist. https://lnkd.in/gcCxMPMm #sales #economy