Customers, Employees, Shareholders. Who Should Be a Company’s Top Priority?

Guests: Ben Lewis, Professor of Strategy, BYU Marriott School of Business; Chad Carlos, Professor of Entrepreneurship, BYU Marriott School of Business

There's that saying, “The customer is king.” But really, the shareholder is king. A corporation exists to maximize profits for its owners. At least that’s been the prevailing idea among American companies for decades. But a group of the nation’s most powerful CEOs now say that’s wrong. They say they’re committed to leading their companies for the benefit of all their stakeholders –customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders. More than 150 CEOs signed their name to the statement, issued by the Business Roundtable.

Delivery Apps Create Opening for “Ghost Restaurants” That Only Exist Online

Guest: Christopher Muller, Professor of the Practice, Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration

There are bunch of apps that let you order food for delivery to your door in 30 minutes or less. DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub. You pick a meal from a long list of restaurants –from fast-food to sit-down dining –and the app will bring it to you. It’s like pizza delivery but for anything thing you could want to eat. But now these apps are starting to shift how they operate –and the results could be really bad for traditional restaurants.

The Dependability of Retail Health Clinics

Guest: Timothy Hoff, Professor of Management, Healthcare Systems, and Health Policy, Northeastern University, Author of “Next in Line: Lowered Care Expectations in the Age of Retail-and Value-based Health”

If you’ve got health insurance –or cash in your pocket –there’s a range of options for getting your sore throat tested for strep. You could make an appointment with your doctor. Or go to urgent care. Or go to the emergency room. Or, you could head over to your local pharmacy. CVS announced this summer it will add 1,500 new Minute Clinics to its retail stores around the country over the next few years. There’s a big push by lots of retailers –including Amazon and WalMart –to get into the health clinic business. Is that a good thing?

Cyclist and Pedestrian Fatalities Rise as Cities Seek Automobile Alternatives

Guest: John Rennie Short, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

As more and more American cities look to encourage walking and cycling, a troubling trend has emerged: Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have increased significantly over the last decade. So, cities are getting healthier –but also more dangerous for people who opt not to drive a car. What’s the fix?

Wildland Firefighters Need More Than Bandanas

Guest: Rick Swan, Director of Wildland Fire Fighting Safety & Response, International Association of Fire Fighters

Firefighters battling wildland fires often leave their homes for weeks at a time and work 16 hour days. They hike without trails and carry really heavy packs in 100-plus-degree weather in thick smoke. And what do they have to protect themselves from that smoke? A bandana. That's it.

How Much Homework is too Much?

Guest: Robert Tai, Associate Professor of Education, University of Virginia

Has the homework set in for your school kids yet? There’s usually about a week of back-to-class honeymoon and then home come worksheets, writing assignments, practice sets. And the household battles over getting that homework done. Would you rather your kids not get homework from their teachers? You might be right. There’s a fair amount of research being done that suggests homework is less helpful than teachers might think.