EurekAlert! News by Subject: Business & Economics - News by Subject: Business & Economics

Business & Economics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 14-Aug-2025 14:11 ET (14-Aug-2025 18:11 GMT/UTC)

Outdated assumptions about cost efficiency are costing firms millions, according to new study

University of Surrey
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Many companies are operating under the false assumption that diversifying their product lines will automatically lead to cost savings, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. This misconception could be costing firms millions each year, as new findings suggest that traditional methods of evaluating economies of scope are fundamentally flawed.

Journal: Annals of Operations Research

Cheap and environmentally friendly – the next generation LEDs may soon be here

Linköping University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cost, technical performance and environmental impact – these are the three most important aspects for a new type of LED technology to have a broad commercial impact on society. This has been demonstrated by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, in a study published in Nature Sustainability.

Journal: Nature Sustainability
Funder: Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, Energimyndigheten, Stiftelsen Olle Engkvist Byggmästare, Centre in Nano Science and Technology at LiU, The Swedish Government’s Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Advanced Functional Materials, AFM, at LiU

Pediatric chronic disease prevalence has risen to nearly 30% in the last 20 years

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The prevalence of chronic conditions has risen to unprecedented levels over the past twenty years, with nearly 1-in-3, or about 25 million, young people ages 5 to 25 estimated to now be living with pediatric onset conditions that significantly affect their lives

Journal: Academic Pediatrics

Clothes dryers and the bottom line: Switching to air drying can save hundreds

University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

By replacing clothes dyers with line drying, households in the U.S. could save upwards of $2,100 and avoid 3 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the lifetime of a dryer. The exact impacts, however, depend on what kind of dryer you have and where you live, new research from the University of Michigan shows.

Journal: Resources Conservation and Recycling

Emotive marketing for sustainable consumption?

University of Göttingen
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Does triggering certain emotions increase willingness to pay for sustainably produced food? In social media, emotional messages are often used to influence users' consumer behaviour. An international research team including the University of Göttingen investigated the short- and medium-term effects of such content on consumers' willingness to pay for bars of chocolate. They found that in the short term, provoking certain emotions increases willingness to pay, but the effect weakens after a very short time. The results were published in the journal Q Open.

Journal: Q Open

Proximity and prejudice: Gay discrimination in the gig economy

University of Queensland
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Queensland research has found discrimination based on sexual orientation is common in the gig economy, but only for tasks requiring close physical proximity.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DIAL Ventures Agrifood Economy Index posts 8-point increase since August

Purdue University
Reports and Proceedings

The overall Agrifood Economy Index rose to 94 in December, recovering from August’s low of 86, according to the DIAL Ventures December 2024 edition of the Agrifood Economy Index.

The report highlights shifting sentiments across the agrifood industry as stakeholders reflect on economic conditions and future expectations. The overall index score of 94 signals improving sentiment, but it’s still below the neutral threshold of 100, indicating persistent industry pessimism.

Future sentiment shows optimism, with the future index climbing to 102. This marks a return to pre-August levels as industry leaders anticipate improved conditions over the next year.

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