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The lady doth protest too much? Research shows that people are indeed likely to interpret anger as guilt in the face of an accusation — though it’s more likely an indication of innocence. Darden Professor Gabrielle Adams investigates various responses to accusations and how we interpret their veracity: angry denial, calm denial or silence.

Storytelling is a crucial skill for leaders to master in communicating with both internal and external stakeholders. In a companion piece, Darden expert Brian Moriarty discussed how to craft an engaging story. Here he provides tips on how to tell an engaging story.

Word-of-mouth is a powerful, organic form of marketing. But what about word-of-machine? Research from Professor Luca Cian shows that customers trust artificial-intelligence recommendations when a product or service is practical but resist when they’re pursuing a product or service for pleasure. What can companies do with this information?

Hype vs. discipline. Charisma vs. responsibility. The buzz around Adam Neumann’s WeWork went from enthusiasm for a unicorn with billions in venture capital to backlash for a company with a plummeted valuation and scrapped IPO. Yet with new leadership and governance structures, long-term profit may be in sight. What might we learn from WeWork?

Storytelling is a crucial skill that leaders use for many purposes: improving interpersonal relationships, strategy communication, culture building, engaging external stakeholders, raising capital and communicating with the media, for example. So how does one create an engaging story? Here are tips from a Darden expert.

Social mobility in the U.S. is increasingly rare. How does that play out in the workplace? Contrary to the arguments past studies posed about workers coming from lower social class positions, the upwardly mobile are just as likely as their high-class counterparts to speak up and share ideas at work. So what could be the barriers to advancement?

Sexism and rudeness: not mutually exclusive. New research shows that rudeness can hide sexism, as observers may dismiss perpetrators as “equal-opportunity jerks.” Darden professors explain how the phenomenon not only turns bad behavior into plausible deniability, it can also serve as a barrier to addressing sexism in the workplace.

One of the key challenges facing fledgling ventures is recruiting talent. Darden Professor Ting Xu shares findings from his recent study on how investors’ reputations can attract in-demand employees to their portfolio companies.

The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic two years ago. In one of the largest health psychologies studies ever, a Darden professor researched factors related to adherence to public health measures, including: national identity — different from nationalism — political affiliation, and consistent messaging from leaders across the political spectrum.

What if a product is marketed to you based on one part of your identity? What if you consider that identity marginalized or the marketing is based on a stereotype, whether good or bad? In new research, a Darden expert examines when identity-based appeals are effective — and the importance of really knowing your customer.