Is Corporate Meritocracy Fair?
Researchers performed an experiment that suggested demanding a culture of meritocracy can be a dangerous way to try to reduce unfair practices.
How World War I Put Boys on Bikes
The first modern bicycles were for adults. Ads for boys’ bikes drew from, and fed into, a changing vision of boyhood during World War I.
Failure Has Always Been a Key to Success
Failure is in fashion, but this isn't some new passing trend. How universities and the medical profession have embraced the idea of "failing better."
When Jimmy Hoffa Vanished, He Took Union Strength With Him
The July 30, 1975, disappearance of labor leader Jimmy Hoffa sparked public fascination because he was an important cog in the nation's economy.
Did Youth Farming Programs Really Fight Juvenile Delinquency?
Summer jobs for teens are becoming a thing of the past, but considering these beet farm jobs, maybe we shouldn't romanticize them too much.
The Pioneers in the Fight against Sexual Harassment
Some of the first precedent-setting sexual harassment cases were filed by women who were African-American, working class, or both
How P.T. Barnum Gave The Public What It Wanted
P.T. Barnum, born July 5, 1810, was "the first great advertising genius and the greatest publicity exploiter the world has ever known."
The Gender Gap Is Even More Insidious Than You Thought
Women are more likely to be excluded from key networks, less likely to have had managerial experience, and have fewer mentors to signpost the way forward.
The Secret Gay Business Network of Midcentury America
In the 1940s and 50s, a life of business travel represented a sense of freedom for gay men that would have been impossible in earlier decades.
Could Sears Have Avoided Becoming Obsolete?
Amid a broader decline of American retail, Sears is struggling. Did changes in its business model over the course of its history doom it to failure?