Business and Society with Michigan Ross

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Apr 2026

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Welcome to Business and Society from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. In this podcast, professors from Michigan Ross share their insights about the ways that the business world interacts with our broader society. Each episode features a small panel discussion addressing a current issue or problem facing our world, followed by a one-on-one interview with another professor about some of their vital research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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April 24, 202620 min

Episode 408 – Crypto Kleptocracy with Will Thomas

On the season four finale of Business and Society, we’re pulling back the curtain on the "Crypto Kleptocracy" and diving deep into how digital assets are reshaping the U.S. political landscape. Guest Will Thomas, assistant professor of business law at the Ross School of Business, explains how crypto ventures are being used to eclipse traditional wealth-building and sidestep current definitions of “quid pro quo.”Our discussion covers:The Quid Pro Quo Gap: How transactions are being structured to bypass traditional paper trails and corruption laws.The Supreme Court Factor: Analyzing how recent judicial narrowing on public corruption definitions has inadvertently paved the way for automated self-dealing.The Trump Case Study: A look at how the shift from brick-and-mortar assets to digital ventures has created a new playbook for political fortune.Regulatory Roadmaps: Evaluating the proposed solutions, from aggressive securities law enforcement to the creation of a specialized federal task force.This shift toward digital assets is blurring the line between political influence and personal wealth. We examine how the automation of self-dealing, combined with the narrowing of legal guardrails, makes modern oversight a necessity, not an option. This raises an important question: Is a technology designed to democratize finance destined to become a tool for corruption at scale?CreditsExecutive Producers: Judi Melena Smelser and Jeff Karoub Host: Jeff KaroubGuest: Will ThomasAudio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanTheme Music: “Lost Einsteins” by Jeff Karoub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 30, 202626 min

Episode 407 — Michigan Model of Leadership with Gretchen Spreitzer, Monica Worline and Mike Barger

For business leaders, modern work often asks them to pull off a balancing act that can seem nearly impossible. Innovate while maintaining stability; drive for results while being empathic to your team. Researchers at the University of Michigan realized these aren't just frustrating contradictions—they are four essential 'gears' of management, which they named the Michigan Model of Leadership.On this episode of Business and Society, Gretchen Spreitzer, Michigan Ross associate dean for executive and corporate relations, Monica Worline, lecturer in management and organizations, and Mike Barger, clinical assistant professor and area chair in business administration, discuss the Michigan Model of Leadership and its relevance, particularly in times of great change and volatility. Based on 50 years of research and the Competing Values Framework—cited by the Financial Times as one of history's 40 most important business models—learn how this system helps leaders at all levels navigate the complexity of modern business.Key Takeaways:Leadership as a "Flex" Between Competing ValuesOvercoming "Natural Hard-Wiring" and Blind SpotsThe Enduring Need for Human-Centric Leadership in the Age of AICreditsHost: Jeff KaroubGuests: Gretchen Spreitzer, Monica Worline and Mike BargerExecutive Producers: Judi Melena Smelser and Jeff Karoub Audio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanTheme Music: “Lost Einsteins” by Jeff KaroubBonus ContentLearn more about the Michigan Model of Leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 24, 202632 min

Episode 406 — Sports, Entertainment, and Culture with Marcus Collins and Gregg Latterman

Between the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl, and this year’s Winter Olympics, this season has been buzzing with live entertainment. On this episode of Business and Society, Michigan Ross professors Marcus Collins and Gregg Latterman sit down with Jeff Karoub to discuss the entertainment industry. Topics covered include the human connection that synchronous viewing experiences provide, the evolution of live production design for the sake of at-home audiences, and the ways music reflects the zeitgeist. Collins and Latterman delve into the inner workings of the music industry and the impact of AI, exalting the power of novelty in successful music and discussing the artist’s crucial role in finding, building, and maintaining an audience. Listen to Marcus Collins’s podcast From The Culture on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Youtube.Host: Jeff KaroubGuests: Marcus Collins and Gregg Latterman Executive Producers: Jeff Karoub and Matt TrevorAudio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanEditorial Production: Mads Henke Special thanks to Ashley Birch and Judi Melena Smelser. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January 26, 202622 min

Episode 405 — "Big" Policy Changes, Big Impact on Healthcare

On this episode of Business and Society, Michigan Ross Professor Tom Buchmueller and Professor Anand Parekh from the School of Public Health sit down with Jeff Karoub to discuss healthcare changes taking effect. Topics covered include the introduction of work requirements for Medicaid starting in 2027, the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, the Healthcare Marketplace, and the damage dealt to the Affordable Care Act. The guests speak to the link between health insurance coverage and decreased mortality, the importance of community health centers, and their experiences seeking bipartisan solutions to healthcare crises.Relevant Links:“The Impact of Health Insurance on Mortality” by Helen Levy and Thomas C. Buchmueller“How Cuts to the Insurance Marketplaces Will Harm Entrepreneurs” by Vani Agarwal, Tom Buchmueller, Helen Levy, and Wesley YinHost: Jeff KaroubGuests: Tom Buchmueller and Anand ParekhExecutive Producers: Jeff Karoub and Matt TrevorAudio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanEditorial Production: Mads Henke  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

November 21, 202524 min

Episode 404 — Tariffs, Inflation, and the Holidays

This November, tariffs are in effect and in flux, the job market is unstable, and AI continues to impact the way business is done. Consumers and businesses alike are looking out for these trends in the economy as the holiday shopping season approaches.On this episode of Business and Society, Ross professors Ari Shwayder and Michael Speigl discuss the current state of the economy, unpacking the macroeconomic data and the uncertainty surrounding it. Topics covered include the bifurcated nature of today’s economy, the ways tariffs are gradually being passed on to consumers, changes in the labor market, AI, and predictions for the upcoming holiday shopping season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 9, 202535 min

Episode 403 — Thriving in the Gig Economy

The rise of short-term contract work and freelance jobs has created a large percentage of workers who work on their own terms, outside of organizations. These freelancers find new ways to deal with autonomy in their work, walking a precarious tightrope between instability and independence. On this episode of Business and Society, Ross Professor Sue Ashford discusses her award-winning research on the gig economy. Topics covered include the connection between productivity and identity for freelancers, how they gauge their own success, and the four main factors for thriving as an independent worker: connection to people, place, purpose, and routine.The conversation ends with a discussion of how the gig economy has transformed in the five years since Ashford’s paper was published. She discusses algorithmic management, how a global pandemic brought society closer to independent work, and the future of her research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 19, 202524 min

Episode 402 — Factors of Success — Women in Executive Leadership

Between 1989 and 2009, fewer than 100 women became CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. In 2014, Aparna Joshi, and her co-authors embarked on a deep dive into every one of these rare events. While the barriers to women’s success in senior roles and the negative industry reactions to their ascension have been long documented, Joshi felt these focuses failed to provide actionable knowledge. Her research thus highlights the “recipes” for women’s post-succession success, and points organizations towards a clearer path forward. On this episode of Business and Society, Professor Aparna Joshi, Michigan Ross Professor of Management and Organizations and recent recipient of the 2025 Academy of Management’s Impact Award, sits down with host JT Godfrey to discuss her research, the factors of success for women in senior leadership, and ways of creating more supportive and thriving environments. Host: JT GodfreyGuest: Aparna JoshiExecutive Producers: JT Godfrey and Jeff KaroubAudio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanEditorial Production: Mads Henke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 1, 202545 min

Episode 401 — BlueConduit and the Flint Water Project

In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan, switched its drinking water supply from the Detroit system to the Flint River to save money, resulting in a decade-long public health crisis in which Flint’s residents faced lead contamination and other serious health issues. A major challenge for Flint and hundreds of cities looking to update their aging water infrastructure is efficiently and accurately predicting the location of lead pipes. Enter BlueConduit, a Ross School of Business start-up that originated the approach of using machine learning to do just that. Since the company's foundation in 2016, they've rapidly expanded, working with over 100 customer accounts spanning over 400 different towns and cities in more than 25 states.On this episode of Business and Society, Professor Eric Schwartz, co-founder of BlueConduit and associate professor of marketing at Michigan Ross, sits down with host JT Godfrey to discuss his experience tackling the Flint Water Crisis. Schwartz explains how the company’s machine learning technology works, recounts BlueConduit’s journey from beginning as a community start-up to expanding and impacting public policy, gives insights into the businesses of public utility and infrastructure, and shares his optimism in data science and marketing being used as forces for good.To learn more about the hosts, participants, resources, and research discussed in this episode, check out a full-length article for this episode at https://michiganross.umich.edu/news/podcasts/business-society. Host: JT GodfreyGuest: Eric SchwartzExecutive Producers: JT Godfrey and Jeff KaroubAudio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanEditorial Production: Mads Henke  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 25, 202533 min

Episode 310 — The Changing Media Landscape

In the season finale of Business and Society, recorded live at the University of Michigan MaizeXBlue Conference, host Jeff Karoub sits down with a panel of experts to discuss the changing media landscape. Sarah Zimmerman, Lecturer of Business Communication at Michigan Ross and professors Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan from the College of Literature, Science, and Arts give their insights on the fragmentation of traditional mainstream media, the rise and evolving role of influencers, and the ways they expect the media landscape to continue to change in the coming years. To learn more about the hosts, participants, resources, and research discussed in this episode, check out a full-length article for this episode at https://michiganross.umich.edu/news/podcasts/business-society. Host: Jeff KaroubGuests: Professors Sarah Zimmerman, Yanna Krupnikov, and John Barry RyanExecutive Producers: JT Godfrey and Jeff KaroubAudio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanEditorial Production: Mads Henke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 29, 202539 min

Episode 309 — AI Opportunities

Professor M.S. Krishnan of Michigan Ross and Professor Shobita Parthasarathy from the Ford School of Public Policy join this episode to discuss opportunities AI brings to the business world and some of the challenges and functions in which AI needs guardrails. Topics covered include the transformation of labor, developing technology in a way that centers and serves people, and the role of AI in education. The experts discuss interacting with AI critically and with personal responsibility, in a world where widespread adoption is well underway. To learn more about the hosts, participants, resources, and research discussed in this episode, check out a full-length article for this episode at https://michiganross.umich.edu/news/podcasts/business-society. Host: Jeff KaroubGuests: Professors M.S. Krishnan and Shobita ParthasarathyExecutive Producers: JT Godfrey and Jeff KaroubAudio Engineer: Jonah BrockmanEditorial Production: Mads Henke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.