George Mason University's Lei Gao and his co-researchers-Macquarie University's Jianlei Han, Zheyao Pan, and Huixuan Zhang-collected birthplace data on 1,777 U.S.-born CEOs and determined how many decades each leader's hometown had spent on or near the frontier during the country's westward expansion. Examining accounting and patent databases, they found that firms led by CEOs from longtime frontier counties were awarded more patents than other firms-and those patents were cited more frequently and had greater value in the marketplace.

Announcing that your firm has set out to make the world a better place can help you recruit employees-if your company is large and established. For new ventures, a social mission may actually be a drawback, making job candidates perceive that they offer fewer opportunities for success.

Though evidence suggests that conservatives are generally more risk-averse than liberals are, the reverse is true when it comes to foreign expansion. A recent study showed that conservatives leaned toward overseas acquisitions, which are more perilous than alliances (an approach liberals favored). Why? Because acquisitions gave them greater control, and the desire for it outweighed their fear of loss.

A new body of research shows that shoppers who lean to the right politically are more likely to buy goods with obvious flaws than shoppers who lean to the left. But it could be that the conservatives believe hidden positives will compensate for the items' drawbacks.

A new series of studies shows that cat owners are drawn to products that reduce risk and prevent problems, while dog owners prefer products that promise gains. That has implications for the messages marketers craft and even for policy makers trying to influence consumer behavior.

A new study shows that when customers identify with a brand, an attack from an "outsider" will spur them to defend it by purchasing it.

It's no secret that short deadlines produce results more quickly than long ones. But who knew that no deadline would prompt the fastest response of all?

New research shows that the more projects company builders have under their belts, the worse they are at anticipating delays.

An analysis of 1,172 public companies over 19 years reveals that the more uncommon a leader's given name is, the more his or her strategy deviates from the industry norm.

New research by the University of Cambridge's Yeun Joon Kim and his colleagues reveals that an employee's negative feedback helps people raise their game.