Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons^™

Ai Is Taking Over!: A New Generation Of Unemployment Fears, Amaya V. Hepburn

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The growing panic surrounding AI taking over the workforce is strong in a distinct group of demographics, in contrast to the fear of computers taking over the workforce that was seen in previous generations. This suggests that AI developments have sparked a wave of fear that is unlike the fear of tech developments in the past. I have discovered that this fear is prevalent across several demographics: age, employment, and income. By cross-analyzing through the 2017 and 2025 fear surveys, I discovered that fear of AI is more prevalent in younger generations and is more threatening to students entering the …

Mda At Your Service: What Are The New Features On The Mda Member Compass?, Rachel Sinacola Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Q&A column assists members in utilizing association resources. It highlights the new MDA Member Compass, which allows for online practice management, staff roster updates, and event registration. It also offers critical advice for new graduates regarding state licensure, mandatory insurance policies, and contract review services. Furthermore, it describes the MDA Peer Review System, a confidential process for resolving patient-dentist disputes through impartial committee evaluation rather than litigation.

Dentistry And The Law: The Importance Of Termination Rights, Daniel Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This column explores the legal importance of termination rights in contracts with dental product suppliers. It explains that termination provisions—including notice periods and termination fees—must be carefully negotiated upfront, as they are generally enforceable once signed. The author clarifies that large termination fees may be deemed unenforceable penalties if they do not reasonably approximate actual losses. The article advises dentists to shop around for favorable contract terms and seek explanations for restrictive clauses.

Voices Of A New Era: A Discursive Psychology Study Of Influencer-Follower Discourse On Tiktok, Andrea Guerrero Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study researched and investigated the discourse of five mega fashion influencers on TikTok, as well as the discourse of 15 followers engaging with fashion influencer content on the same platform. The theory used to guide this study was discursive psychology theory, which provided the groundwork for understanding how both influencers and followers position their identities, justify their actions and decisions, and construct their reality. The primary aim of this research is to deepen understanding of how influencer discourse shapes follower discourse, identifying recurring patterns, contradictions, and the ways in which tensions are negotiated. The findings reveal a range …

The Downside Of Generosity: How Rare Giving Fosters Stronger Social Connection, Minkwang Jang, Shereen J Chaudhry, Ayelet Fishbach

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Giving serves not only to benefit others and society but also to foster social connections between givers and recipients. However, more giving is not necessarily merrier. This research finds that social connection depends not only on the act of giving but also on how many others receive the gesture from the same giver. Rare givers—those who give to fewer recipients—are perceived as more socially connected to each recipient than broad givers—those who give to many (the rare giving effect). This effect emerges across diverse contexts, including interpersonal gift exchanges in both new and existing relationships and corporate donations. As a …

International Business And Sustainability: Towards An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda, Jonathan Doh, Ans Kolk, Heli Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The relationship between international business (IB) and sustainability is a complex and multifaceted one. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) both affect and are affected by the social, economic, and ecological (green environment) context in which they are embedded.1 As such, the study of how IB activity influences sustainability and the way that sustainability, in turn, impacts IB, involves incorporating a wide range of drivers, actors, processes, and outcomes. At the same time, sustainability challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, resource scarcity, economic and social inequality and others, are increasingly systemic, multilevel, and intertwined with geo economic, biophysical and governance dynamics …

China-Canada Resource Diplomacy: New Era Of Land Grabbing, Valdrin Dragusha

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This paper examines the evolving economic relationship between China and Canada, particularly in the context of China's transition from a strictly social economy to an authoritarian socialist market economy. It highlights the implications of China's Going Out Policy initiated in 2000, aimed at securing vital natural resources amidst growing domestic demands driven by rapid economic expansion. The paper analyzes China's significant demand for resources, its sustainable development policies, and the changing dynamics of land acquisitions, particularly in relation to Canada, which is perceived as a strategic investment destination due to its abundant natural resources and technological advancements in clean energy. …

Clawing Back Fraudulent Profits—Investor Protection Or Regulatory Overreach: The Disgorgement Dilemma In Securities Law, Jessica Sun

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment explores the legal complexities surrounding the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) use of disgorgement as an enforcement tool, specifically addressing the tension between investor protection and regulatory overreach. Sun examines the evolution of disgorgement from a court-created equitable remedy to a power formally codified by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, while highlighting the significant limitations imposed by Supreme Court rulings in Kokesh v. SEC and Liu v. SEC. The comment centers on a current circuit split between the Second Circuit’s decision in SEC v. Govil—which requires a showing of "pecuniary harm" to victims before awarding disgorgement—and …

Copyright On Stage: Protecting The Directions Behind The Performance, Eliana Sakin

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

In this comment, the author argues that theatrical stage directions should be recognized as copyrightable material under the U.S. Copyright Act, primarily by categorizing them as "choreographic works". Sakin highlights that while the 1976 Copyright Act explicitly protects choreography and pantomimes, stage directions—which serve as the "blueprints" for a production's blocking, technical cues, and artistic mood—currently exist in a legal gray area. Through an analysis of historical context and industry disputes, such as the Urinetown and The Most Happy Fella settlements, the author illustrates a growing industry recognition of a director’s staging as a protectable, original contribution, despite the lack …

Scotus Rules For Whistleblowers: What Eliminating The Retaliation Requirement For A Sarbanes-Oxley Discrimination Claim Means For The Future Of Corporate Whistleblowing, Abigail Pezzolo

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This comment analyzes the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC. The author examines how the Court addressed the significant "information asymmetry" that often leaves employees unable to prove an employer's specific retaliatory intent. By confirming that plaintiffs are not required to provide proof of "retaliatory animus," the decision reinforces the "contributing-factor" burden-shifting framework established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Pezzolo argues that this holding is a critical victory for whistleblowers, as it lowers the evidentiary hurdles for those reporting financial misconduct and encourages corporations to implement more robust internal transparency systems. Ultimately, the article situates this …

Relevance Matters After Patel: Where The Economic Substance Doctrine Goes From Here, Daniel Chung

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

This article examines the modern Economic Substance Doctrine (ESD) through the framework of the Tax Court's decision in Patel v. Commissioner. The author argues that Patel serves as a "doctrinal reset," restoring the ESD to its intended role as a narrow, purpose-driven judicial backstop rather than a generalized anti-abuse tool. Central to this analysis is the reemergence of a "relevance" inquiry, which requires courts to determine if the ESD applies to a transaction at all—based on pre-codification common law—before engaging the statutory two-prong test under Section 7701(o) . While the court in Patel ultimately found the doctrine relevant and sustained …

Creepy Or Customized? Understanding The Ethical Boundaries Of Ai-Powered Personalization, Hope Schultz

Honors Projects

Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm, and its presence in our lives only continues to grow. Not only has it changed the way we live and interact with technology, but it has also fundamentally changed how businesses reach customers, particularly in marketing. It now powers the algorithms, predictions, and personalized experiences that shape nearly every digital interaction we have as consumers, including the videos we see on TikTok, the products that are recommended to us on Amazon, and the weirdly accurate ads that pop up across different platforms. These AI-powered systems are constantly learning from tiny behaviors we …

From Novice To On-Air: Developing A Student Radio Personality At 89.1 Widr Fm, Travis Melson

Honors Theses

This honors thesis explores the full development of my role as a student radio personality at 89.1 WIDR FM, documenting each stage of the process, from the earliest introductory meetings and technical training to the experience of shadowing established shows and launching my own on-air program. The project serves not only as a record of my personal progression through WIDR's broadcasting environment but also as an analysis of the learning curve required to transform from a complete novice into a confident, consistent radio host.

A significant component of this work is my perspective as someone entering the radio space with …

On Humans And Ai: A Financial Reporting Dilemma, Jeremy Bertomeu, Edwige Cheynel, Radhika Lunawat, Mario Milone

Olin Business School Faculty Research

This study examines the resolution of ethical dilemmas in financial reporting by human participants and large language models. Participants act in the role of a CFO deciding whether to discontinue a prior policy with biased reporting; however, the bias is known and corrected by investors whereas a change may temporarily mislead investors. We find that models are less amenable to competing ethical considerations than humans, and exhibit greater preference for truthful reporting. Moreover, they respond with greater consistency to institutional ethical guidance, while humans become more indecisive under pressure from management. The models exhibit more internal coherence between their moral …

Brokerage Competition In Demographically Differing Neighborhoods: A 25-City Study, Jason Beck

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The Interaction Of Front-Of-Package Food Processing Claims And Disclosures For Ultra-Processed Products, Scot Burton, Garrett Rybak

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Ceo Integrity And Entrepreneurial Orientation: Role Played By Marketing Power And Compensation, Prachi B. Gala, Saim Kashmiri

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

From A Racial Reckoning To Retrenchment: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Retailers’ Corporate Sociopolitical Activism Messaging, Whitney Ginder, Olivia Johnson

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Government & Insurance Update: Mda Advocacy Successes, James Budd Mpp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This document summarizes the recent legislative achievements of the Michigan Dental Association’s advocacy team. Key highlights include the House passage of bills regulating dental specialty advertising to ensure transparency for patients and the elimination of the inactive Dental Specialty Task Force. The update also promotes the MDA’s legislative text alert system and online tools designed to help member dentists engage with lawmakers on "hot-button" issues. By staying informed through these platforms, Michigan dentists can support the MDA’s mission to improve practice conditions and access to care across the state.

Corporate Fiduciary Duties And The Climate And Biodiversity Crisis, Eric W. Orts, Sandra G. Schafhäutle

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

This Article argues that addressing one of the most urgent environmental challenges facing humanity today—the global climate and biodiversity crisis—calls for a transformation at the heart of corporate law: its fiduciary duties. After demonstrating how current corporate fiduciary duties are implicated in this crisis, we argue for reform of fiduciary duties operating at two levels: those governing directors and officers of business corporations, and those governing institutional investors and asset managers. We then distinguish between two general kinds of corporate fiduciary duties: permissive and mandatory. We contend that corporate law should accommodate a more expansive understanding of fiduciary duties by …