CATALYST: Recent Episodes
Tiffany Sumner
CATALYST is about pivotal moments that shape business and the global economy. We tap into the expertise of Temple University’s Fox School of Business faculty and business community to dig deep into today’s most pressing questions, like: What is the future of work? Will the WTO stop working? Who is winning the global AI race? We decode topics from philosophical and practical standpoints so you, the workforce, can spark change in your field.
When it comes to thinking about climate change and renewable energy, many people try to make as many environmentally friendly decisions as possible. With Earth Day coming up, what changes can you make? Researchers, like our guest, are considering how decisions are made–and if the process people use to make a decision can be influenced to select a more environmentally friendly decision about a product or service.
Choosing an environmentally friendly electric plan is one way of helping keep the Earth green. But what if people select a convenient default choice rather than exploring a more environmentally friendly (and possibly cheaper) option?
Crystal Reeck, assistant professor of marketing and associate director of the Center for Applied Research in Decision Making, tells listeners about the three different ways people make decisions. We’ll learn if there is a way to change a person’s decision mode—and ultimately impact the choice that they make.
Find out more details at www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst.
Key Links
- Crystal Reeck, assistant professor, Fox School of Business
- Center for Applied Research in Decision Making
- Center for Sustainable Communities
- Knowledge Hub: A nudge in the right direction
- Knowledge Hub: What happens when interventions fail
- "How we decide shapes what we choose: decision modes track consumer decisions that help decarbonize electricity generation" published in Theory and Decision (2022)
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In this episode of Catalyst, we are celebrating the upcoming graduation of the 100th student from the Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program as well as Women’s History Month by interviewing three DBA alumnae who are changing perspectives on business, inclusion and culture. Jodi Detjen, DBA ’21, associate professor of practice and academic director of the MBA program at Suffolk University, shares her findings on the barriers to women's leadership acquisition.
Sherry Williams, DBA ’19 and chief risk officer at Amalgamated Bank, shares how people choose a financial service provider and how that choice can help close the financial inclusion gap.
Finally, Maggie Jordan, DBA ’18, vice president of marketing operations at MNG Health and founder and CEO of LAIR Entertainment, shares her insights into what people’s approaches to video game character design mean for the metaverse.
Find out more details at www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst.
Key Links
- Jodi Detjen, DBA '21,
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Sherry Williams, DBA ’19, CPA
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Maggie Jordan, DBA ’18
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Fox Executive DBA Program
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Healthcare is changing, and not just because of the pandemic. For years, there has been a growing trend of consumerism in healthcare.
As patients become more likely to visit urgent care than an ER, and big retail giants are poised to offer primary care alongside frozen pizza and sweatpants, the business of healthcare is heading towards a big transformation.
In this episode of Catalyst, Kevin Mahoney, MBA ’15, DBA ’18 and CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, shares his view of how hospitals are changing. He sheds light on how consumerism is affecting the patient experience, what it means for the cost of healthcare and where the future might lead.
Find out more details at www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst.
Key Links
- Learn more about Kevin Mahoney
- Kevin B. Mahoney Named CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System
- Penn's Kevin Mahoney is rethinking the future of health care for all of us
- The Rise of Medical Consumerism, Self-triage and the Impact on the Healthcare Delivery System
- Fox Executive DBA Program
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As AI/ML creeps into our daily lives, how will industries and jobs be affected? What should be automated and what needs to be innovated? And who is the intelligence behind the machine? In this episode of Catalyst, Subodha Kumar will guide us through the ins and outs—and impacts—of what artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) means for the future.
Find out more details at www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst.
Key Links
- Subodha Kumar
- Designing Personalized Treatment Plans for Breast Cancer
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Donating money and volunteering at nonprofits or your favorite charity are wonderful ways to give back to your community, especially during the holiday season. But combining your passions, professional expertise and education? That is paws-atively extraordinary.
Through her experiences at the Fox School, Sarah Bergstein got to do all of that and help animals in need at Morris Animal Refuge in the process. After adopting two rescue cats, Bergstein wanted to do more—so she decided to use her unique work experience in the U.S. Air Force and education to approach volunteering through a business lens with Fox Board Fellows.
In this episode of Catalyst, Bergstein takes us through her journey of leveraging the community engagement experience she gained as a public affairs officer to help her during her MBA program and eventually as a member of the board at her favorite nonprofit. She will offer tips on how anyone can get involved and start creating real change in their communities.
Find out more details at www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst.
Key Links
- Fox Board Fellows
- Philly’s own chonky cat may soon have a forever home. Good job, internet.
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After decades of saying no to college athletes looking to earn a few dollars, the NCAA gave the go-ahead for athletes to make money from the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). And it’s a game-changer—and not just for the top athletes at big Division I colleges and universities.
Many social media-savvy college athletes are already securing revenue streams via both big and small business sponsorships. In this episode, Thilo Kunkel, associate professor at the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management and director of the Sport Industry Research Center, discusses why he believes there is potential for student athletes of all genders and at all division levels to earn money by building a positive personal brand.
Find out more details at www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst.
Key Links
- Thilo Kunkel
- Sport Industry Research Center
- There is no Nil in NIL
- Exploring athlete brand image development on social media
- New laws set to level collegiate playing field
- OwlScoop podcast with Thilo Kunkel
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According to a recent report by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 46% of LGBTQIA+ Americans remain closeted in the workplace.
Workers surveyed cited a variety of reasons for not coming out to colleagues: 38% said they hid their sexuality because of the possibility of being stereotyped, 36% said they didn’t want to make people feel uncomfortable, and 31% said they worried about the possibility of losing connections or relationships with co-workers.
With more companies than ever celebrating months like Pride and touting diversity in their mission statements, what explains this staggering disconnect? In this episode, Jeffrey Boles, associate professor at the Fox School of Business, talks about authenticity at work, and how companies can create policies and platforms in order to be truly inclusive.
Key Links
- Jeffrey Boles
- On the 'business of pride'
- Far-reaching opportunities for Fox School’s Center for Executive Education
- Nearly 50% of LGBTQ Americans are in the closet at work
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The world of Hip Hop is full of references. Listen to lyrics from Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar or Cardi B and hear plenty of allusions to events, people and products.
But how do those references make their way into the cultural consciousness of listeners? And even more so, how can music change consumer behavior?
In this episode of Catalyst, we speak with Marcus Collins, DBA ‘18, distinguished marketing professional, researcher, educator and Hip Hop fan. Collins walks us through his research about the intersection of marketing and music, where he dives into “social contagion” within the Hip Hop community.
Collins studies how brands are mentioned, adopted and spread through the community of Hip Hop. He explains that through social contagion, Hip Hop both influences and reflects the attitudes and behaviors of fans. He lets marketers in on lessons learned—and what precautions to take—to help their brands and products “go viral.”
Collins also speaks to his own experience as both a marketer and academic, and how diverse perspectives are necessary to shift the attitudes and assumptions that are reflective of a historically privileged worldview.
Key Links
- Bridging the academic/practitioner gap: A conversation with Marcus Collins
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Exploring social contagion within a tribe called hip hop: Mechanisms of evaluation and legitimation
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Fox Executive DBA Program
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What makes the world of business happen?
That why we’re here. On the Catalyst podcast, we bring you the pivotal moments that shape business in Philadelphia and around the world.
In this season, we’ll interview experts on everything from how hip hop influences consumer behavior to what’s next in artificial intelligence.
Join us and the experts from Temple University’s Fox School of Business as we kick off our third season on September 20.
Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Visit us on the web at fox.temple.edu/catalyst.
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Fox alumnus Jared Cannon discusses his experience pitching his company Simply Good Jars on ABC’s Shark Tank.
What’s stopping nonprofit boards of directors from becoming more diverse? Join Shawn Edwards and Maureen Cannon for their insight.
While sports have been hit hard by COVID-19, they are a fabric of our culture. As Jeremy Jordan outlines, the industry’s future looks bright.
What are high-skilled worker visas and why do they matter? Join Kevin Fandl for a look at the program’s past, present and future.
Why should we make space for emotions at work? What’s the difference between anger and aggression? And what can I do when I feel angry?
With President Biden inheriting an economic recession caused by a global pandemic, does business have an ally or adversary in the Oval Office?
In this special episode, learn about what life is like for students at the Fox School. Learn more at fox.temple.edu/experience.
2020 has been a whirlwind. What changes are here to stay? Four Fox faculty share insight on the handshake, food, real estate and more.
The holiday shopping season is upon us! But with a global pandemic, disrupted supply chains and more online shopping than ever—what will this season hold?
Being a leader means nothing unless people choose to follow. When employees lose faith in leadership, that lack of trust can turn into cynicism.
What does your financial future hold? While COVID-19 has upended the world, these experts will share what it means for everyone from business executives to regular households.
Fans often put on “sports blinders” when holding athletes accountable for their actions. Join Elizabeth Taylor as she outlines why.
Gun violence is an epidemic in Philadelphia. Now there's a new evidence-based, financially stable way to support our community.
COVID-19 has devastated many industries, including tourism. Recovery of the industry will take time, but thanks to Temple professor Yang Yang, we can now track that recovery in real-time.
Many companies promote their diversity initiatives, but according to Patrick McKay, professor of Human Resource Management at the Fox School of Business, it takes more than that. McKay research finds that addressing the diversity “checkboxes” doesn’t matter as much as changing the cultural climate of the organization. Companies that are tackling diversity with hiring initiatives or training days may think that they’re taking the right steps, but are they really addressing the problem?
In this episode of Catalyst, McKay, a diversity, equity and inclusion researcher, shares insights into what cultural climate is and why it matters. With data from more than 800 retail stores, McKay shows that companies that foster a cultural climate of inclusivity perform better than those who don’t—with evidence from both retail sales and customer satisfaction reports.
Key Links
- Learn more about Professor Patrick McKay
- Diversity does not mean inclusivity
- Racial differences in employee retention: Are diversity climate perceptions the key?
- The moderating role of diversity climate
More details at: https://www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst/
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Your company knows a lot about you: your age, how many children you have, where you live, your vacation habits. But what if they also know that you just bought a new mountain bike or a pregnancy test? That you scroll through Twitter during your lunch break or that you just scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist?
Leora Eisenstadt, assistant professor of Legal Studies at the Fox School of Business, studies how companies can and are gathering data from our personal lives to glean information—and predict things like our willingness to take risks, attempts to multitask, and current or future health issues. Plus how this data collection might drive decisions about your career trajectory at your company.
Key Links
- Learn more about Professor Leora Eisenstadt
- Fox School researcher says data analytics blur line between personal and professional lives
- What Happens If Work Follows You Home
- The New York Times article Leora references: How My Boss Monitors Me While I Work From Home
More details at: https://www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst/
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Fake news. The two words basically juxtapose one another, yet the concept is very real. Today, fake news is everywhere and finding the truth is often easier said than done.
Host Tiffany Sumner and Fox Management Information Systems Professor Sunil Wattal discuss the rise of fake news in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. According to Wattal, a number of factors prevent us from deciphering what’s real and what’s not. We all have implicit biases that affect our understanding and decision making. Several platforms like Facebook, Google and Twitter have made efforts to minimize the prevalence of fake news, but it’s still ultimately up to us to prevent its spread.
So, what classifies something as fake news? What’s behind the rise of misinformation? Most importantly, how can we stop its spread? Join Wattal as he discusses all the above in the latest episode of Catalyst.
Key Links
- Learn more about Professor Sunil Wattal
More details at: https://www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst/fact-check-yourself
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Host Tiffany Sumner and Kevin Fandl from the Fox Department of Legal Studies discuss the Trade War with China and how tariffs affect our everyday lives.
For instance, in South Philadelphia, the city was working to protect bike lanes by installing plastic delineator posts. They eventually had to abandon the project, because the costs of the raw material needed for the posts had increased due to the Trade War. We’ve seen the same thing with the cost of shoes. Seventy percent of the U.S.’s shoes are imported from China, and they’re now pricier than ever.
This war was supposed to protect American intellectual property but at what cost? Should this be the reason that beneficial community projects are stalling?
Key Links
- US-China Trade War Tariffs: An Up-to-Date Chart
- South Philly neighbors are fighting over parking, and the China trade war is to blame
More details at: https://www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst/tariffs-trade-wars-and-you.
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New mothers returning to work are faced with countless challenges: the guilt of leaving a child at home, the pressure to catch up at work and the uncertainty around caring for their baby. On top of all that, women who choose to pump breastmilk at work often experience unsupportive companies or cultures.
According to Sabrina Volpone, it’s in a company’s best interest to be more supportive. Recent research from the Fox School of Business alumna and assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder shows that both companies and employees benefit when breastfeeding mothers are given the time and space needed to pump comfortably.
Key Links
- When Companies Support Pumping Breastmilk at Work, Everyone Benefits
- Catalyst homepage
More details at: https://www.fox.temple.edu/catalyst/breastfeeding-in-the-workplace
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Artificial intelligence is everywhere: our phones, our cars, even our fridges. What’s the catalyst for the world’s race to be the best at AI? How did we get here? And should we be slowing down?
Host Tiffany Sumner and Bertrand Guillotin from the Department of Strategic Management at the Fox School of Business discuss the global AI race, who the leaders are in that space and the future possibilities and potential of AI in the workplace.
Key Links
- Forbes: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stats News: 50% Of Americans Optimistic And 50% Fearful About AI
- Follow Bertrand Guillotin on Twitter at @bgprof
- AI and the Future of Work with Min-Seok Pang | Fox IGTV
- Fox School’s Department of Strategic Management
- Catalyst homepage
More details at: fox.temple.edu/catalyst/01-ai-good-evil
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What is the future of work? Will robots take our jobs? How is your company using your data? During the first season of Catalyst, we answer these questions and many more. Catalyst is brought to you by Temple University’s Fox School of Business. With the help of expertise from Fox faculty and the greater business community, we decode business trends so that you can spark change in your field.
Key Links
- Fox School of Business website
- Podcast page
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Produced by Simpler Media