A new report has uncovered how investors can most effectively foster shareholder engagement on environmental, societal and governance (ESG) issues to overcome differences in structural and cultural climates around the world.

The report, titled Chains of influence, examines how power dynamics between asset owners and asset managers (‘active owners’), companies and other stakeholders vary significantly between different countries, and identifies two chains of influence – company-centric and owner-centric. The authors then outline opportunities for active owners to influence under-engaged companies across different global contexts.

In a new study, researchers developed a framework to measure the welfare contributions of new and free goods and services and quantify their benefits. By applying the framework to several examples (e.g., Facebook, Smartphone cameras), the study found that these goods and services significantly increase welfare.

Researchers analyzed three decades of sanctions on foreign aid to assess their impact on health. They hope the work can help government officials better understand and address how foreign policy decisions affect the well-being of local populations.

Americans have long believed that sports are one area in society that offers kids from all backgrounds the chance to succeed to the best of their abilities. But new research suggests that this belief is largely a myth, and that success in high school and college athletics often is influenced by race and gender, as well as socioeconomic status, including family wealth and education.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in many countries worldwide to provide public social services, assisting in entitlement decisions to state-paid pensions and unemployment benefits, assessments of asylum applications, and assignments of places at kindergartens. AI technology is intended to help apply fairness criteria in the allocation of this kind of support to individuals and to assess potential beneficiaries accordingly. However, fairness criteria vary from country to country. In India, for example, the caste system influences the distribution of social benefits. In China, access to social services is determined by a "good citizenship" score. But the concepts of fairness in terms of access to limited public resources also vary within Europe. These are major findings from the participative research undertaken by members of the AI FORA – Artificial Intelligence for Assessment project, which were published recently in an online open access volume.

Queuing for entry into Berlin’s world-famous nightlife is a high-stakes game, filled with speculation on the secrets to getting past the door. New research from the University of Bath, King’s College London, and Freie Universität Berlin shows how ‘selectors’ decide who gets inside - and who gets left out in the cold.