Yale School Research Articles

Change-oriented Leadership in the Context of Transitioning to Strategic Autonomy

Growing geopolitical tensions have transformed the business landscape , driving domestic firms toward an era of strategic independence (Yale School of Management, 2024). This research examines a well-known Eastern European consulting firm that, after transitioning to an independent entity, was confronted with a new personnel assessment system. This shift necessitates a comprehensive understanding of employee readiness and resistance — fundamental concepts in change management literature (Armenakis et al., 1993). Our study incorporated quantitative methods to divide employees according to their readiness for the new system (k-means clustering, factor analysis, and discriminant analysis). At the same time, it employed qualitative research methods to explore motives and attitudes behind employee resistance or readiness (Choi & Ruona, 2011). Based on their adaptability to the new system, we identified three distinct clusters of employees: “Active Supporters,” “Cautious Appraisers,” and “Conservative Skeptics,” allowing us to pinpoint specific non-readiness factors and formulate tailored strategies to address them. The findings suggest that emotional involvement, openness to change, and previous experiences with similar practices significantly influence employee readiness. To mitigate these issues, the paper proposes a strategy rooted in psychological safety and differentiated error management, as advocated by Edmondson (2023), to enhance the organization's learning capability and adaptability. Our results align with previous research indicating that stronger attitudes, often based on personal experience, significantly predict behavior (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). We found that the initial uncertainty of organizational changes served as a major stressor, underscoring the importance of understanding and conceptualizing changes (Kramer, 2015). Unlike Schwartz (1994), the value orientation of “Tradition” did not exert significant influence, but values of “Autonomy,” “Stimulation,” “Achievement” (consistent with Sortheix & Lönnqvist, 2014), “Hedonism,” and “Power” positively impacted employee openness to changes. The implications of this study extend to other Eastern European companies undergoing similar transitions, providing guidance on how change can be managed effectively in the context of transitioning to strategic autonomy.

Implementation of a Urologic Surgery Skills Fair for Medical Students

To increase the proportion of applicants to urology residencies, we created a surgical skills fair to introduced urology early in undergraduate medical education. Funded by the Department of Urology, the fair was designed to have student rotations through 12 hands-on practice stations supervised by faculty and an advanced care practitioner or resident physicians. At conclusion, medical students completed a voluntary survey about their experience. Surgical skills fairs were organized at Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT) in 2022 and 2023. The fair was designed to encourage interaction between medical students, urology residents, and urology faculty by highlighting common urologic procedures and skills. The fair was well received by medical students at all levels of training. Over 2 years, 155 medical students attended, including 67 (43%) first-year and 60 (39%) second-year medical students. Eighty-two medical students completed the survey. An average of 19 attendings, advanced care practitioners and residents attended each event. Of the survey respondents, 42.7% reported prior interest in a surgical specialty but had not considered urology. Students reported increased interest in urology and greater confidence in urologic skills after the event (p < 0.001). We demonstrate that creating a surgical fair in urology is feasible and enhances early exposure and interest in urology. For students who do not pursue urology, the fair provides knowledge of urological pathologies and valuable skills for all physicians.

Promoting Collaborative Scholarship During the COVID-19 Pandemic Through an Innovative COVID-19 Data Explorer and Repository at Yale School of Medicine: Development and Usability Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a surge of research publications spanning epidemiology, basic science, and clinical science. Thanks to the digital revolution, large data sets are now accessible, which also enables real-time epidemic tracking. However, despite this, academic faculty and their trainees have been struggling to access comprehensive clinical data. To tackle this issue, we have devised a clinical data repository that streamlines research processes and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. This study aimed to present an easily accessible up-to-date database that promotes access to local COVID-19 clinical data, thereby increasing efficiency, streamlining, and democratizing the research enterprise. By providing a robust database, a broad range of researchers (faculty and trainees) and clinicians from different areas of medicine are encouraged to explore and collaborate on novel clinically relevant research questions. A research platform, called the Yale Department of Medicine COVID-19 Explorer and Repository (DOM-CovX), was constructed to house cleaned, highly granular, deidentified, and continually updated data from over 18,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from January 2020 to January 2023, across the Yale New Haven Health System. Data across several key domains were extracted including demographics, past medical history, laboratory values during hospitalization, vital signs, medications, imaging, procedures, and outcomes. Given the time-varying nature of several data domains, summary statistics were constructed to limit the computational size of the database and provide a reasonable data file that the broader research community could use for basic statistical analyses. The initiative also included a front-end user interface, the DOM-CovX Explorer, for simple data visualization of aggregate data. The detailed clinical data sets were made available for researchers after a review board process. As of January 2023, the DOM-CovX Explorer has received 38 requests from different groups of scientists at Yale and the repository has expanded research capability to a diverse group of stakeholders including clinical and research-based faculty and trainees within 15 different surgical and nonsurgical specialties. A dedicated DOM-CovX team guides access and use of the database, which has enhanced interdepartmental collaborations, resulting in the publication of 16 peer-reviewed papers, 2 projects available in preprint servers, and 8 presentations in scientific conferences. Currently, the DOM-CovX Explorer continues to expand and improve its interface. The repository includes up to 3997 variables across 7 different clinical domains, with continued growth in response to researchers' requests and data availability. The DOM-CovX Data Explorer and Repository is a user-friendly tool for analyzing data and accessing a consistently updated, standardized, and large-scale database. Its innovative approach fosters collaboration, diversity of scholarly pursuits, and expands medical education. In addition, it can be applied to other diseases beyond COVID-19.

Evaluating Treatment Patterns and the Role of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Plasmacytoid Urothelial Carcinoma: Insights from a Combined National and Institutional Series.

Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma (PUC) is a rare histologic subtype of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (BC). Our objective was to characterize treatment patterns and outcomes of PUC in the NCDB and our recent institutional experience. The NCDB was queried for localized PUC cases between 2004 and 2020. Patients with PUC from a single institution (Yale School of Medicine) were also incorporated from 2021 onwards to not double-count patients. The primary outcomes were overall survival and treatment trends. A total of 146 patients were included, 123 from NCDB and 23 from Yale. The median overall survival (mOS) was 28 [IQR 7.5, 50.3] months, 23 [IQR 8.4, 46.3] months for the NCDB patients, and 36 [IQR 4.3, 68.1] for the Yale patients. The mOS for patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was 60.0 [28.0, 91.9] vs. 14.8 months [0, 34.3] for patients without NAC, p = 0.038, though the benefit was not preserved in a Cox proportional hazard analysis incorporating the clinical stage, receipt of NAC, and age. The peritoneum was the most common site of metastasis (78.3%), followed by the liver and bones. Our findings underscore the formidable challenge posed by PUC, emphasizing its limited response to current therapies. Despite higher pT0 rates with NAC, the OS benefit remains inconclusive, highlighting the need for more effective treatments.

A medical school curriculum to foster the physician-patient relationship through narrative medicine.

e21015 Background: Narrative Competence is the ability to acquire, interpret and act on the stories of others.[1] Developing this skill can also improve health care practitioner’s sense of empathy and satisfaction with their work.[2] This study’s purpose is to evaluate the impact of a narrative medicine curriculum on medical students’ sense of connection to their patients and humanism in medicine. Methods: During the 2023 academic year, a narrative medicine assignment was introduced to the internal medicine oncology clerkship curriculum at the Yale School of Medicine. Third year medical students attended a training session on narrative medicine skills, interviewed a patient and wrote the patient’s story, and attended a session to read their written narrative. A survey was distributed to students asking for their reflections on the doctor patient relationship and the role of humanism in improving well-being and reducing burn out. Responses were de-identified and thematic analysis of responses was conducted. Results: 58 students participated in the training sessions and 11 (19%) completed a post-workshop free text survey with 5 questions reflecting on the doctor-patient relationship, the role of humanism in medicine, and the curriculum itself. Common themes that emerged include 1) how strong doctor-patient relationships makes medicine more meaningful, uplifting and enjoyable, 2) how seeking out a patient’s story is essential to the doctor-patient relationship and to optimal quality care, and 3) importance of doctor’s exhibiting care and sensitivity and placing diseases in context of their patients’ stories. Reflecting on the role of humanism in medicine, students reported that 1) taking the time to know your patients makes medicine rewarding, meaningful and worthwhile, 2) allows you to empathize and connect with patients more through recognizing their humanity and vulnerability and putting their frustrations in context, and 3) could be healing to both patient and provider. Further directions: Students suggested making the program mandatory, expanding to include pre-clerkship students and students on other clerkships, and providing more time and structure to facilitate interviewing patients and writing up their stories. Conclusions: A curriculum incorporating narrative medicine was effectively integrated and well-received by students and fostered an awareness of the rewards of listening to patient stories.

Human exposure to formaldehyde and health risk assessment: a 46-year systematic literature review.

After confirming that formaldehyde (FA) is carcinogenic, many studies were conducted in different countries to investigate this finding. Therefore, according to the dispersion of related studies, a bibliometric review of the current literature was performed with the aim of better understanding the exposure to FA and the resulting health risk, for the first time, using the Scopus database and the two open-source software packages, Bibliometrix R package. After screening the documents in Excel, the data was analyzed based on three aspects including performance analysis, conceptual structure, and intellectual structure, and the results were presented in tables and diagrams. A total of 468 documents were analyzed over period 1977-2023, in which 1956 authors from 56 countries participated. The number of scientific publications has grown significantly from 1977 (n = 1) to 2022 (n = 19). Zhang Y., from the Yale School of Public Health (USA), was identified as the most impactful author in this field. The Science of the Total Environment journal was identified as the main source of articles related to exposure to formaldehyde by publishing 25 studies. The United States and China were the most active countries with the most international collaboration. The main topics investigated during these 46years included "formaldehyde" and "health risk assessment", which have taken new directions in recent years with the emergence of the keyword "asthma". The present study provides a comprehensive view of the growth and evolution of studies related to formaldehyde and the resulting health risks, which can provide a better understanding of existing research gaps and new and emerging issues.

Building a strong programme in sociological aesthetics: Helmut Staubmann’s Sociology in a New Key

Helmut Staubmann’s Sociology in a New Key develops a compelling approach to the sociologies of art and the emotions, based primarily on Talcott Parsons’ Action Theory and Georg Simmel’s formal sociology. This article appraises the key theoretical strategies of Staubmann’s contribution, and the insights they afford, with particular reference to recent work in the ‘New Sociology of Art’ and the ‘Strong Programme’ of Jeffery Alexander and the Yale school.

Charles W. Moore and the Uses of History

Charles W. Moore (1925–93) was one of the most important architectural educators in the second half of the twentieth century in America, earning the Topaz Medallion in 1989 for excellence in teaching and scholarship during a career spanning four decades. The theme of “untimely teachers,” applied cautiously, can help clarify Moore’s achievements as a pedagogue. Like other postmodern architects, Moore saw no contradiction between practicing as a creative agent and learning from history. His career thus challenged the radical, iconoclastic rhetoric of modernism that sought rupture with historical precedent and that argued for a uniquely modern Zeitgeist as a determinant of architectural form. Despite this historical turn, Moore was neither a revivalist nor a historian. His enthusiasm for history was mediated by a sense of contemporaneity. Based on archival research and interviews with former students, this essay focuses on the years Moore taught at the Yale School of Architecture, where he decisively reworked the design curriculum to reflect his interests. What emerges is a time in architectural education when precedent could shape the future.

Influence and Untimeliness in Modern Architecture: A Conversation between Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen and Amanda Reeser Lawrence

A conversation between Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen and Amanda Reeser Lawrence recorded on November 13, 2023 at the Yale School of Architecture. The conversation focuses on their shared interest in twentieth-century American architecture culture, including architectural pedagogy marked by the use of architectural precedents as a generative design tool and the rise of art historical formalism as a dominant method of teaching architectural history. During the discussions the authors unpacked the key concepts and intellectual roots of their respective projects, “untimeliness” and the “usable past” (Pelkonen) and “influence” and “anachronism” (Lawrence) and shared notes on how they approach history teaching in a design school setting so as to make it an integral part of architectural thought.

Human Nature Bonds in Wordsworth’s “The Ruined Cottage”

This article explores the theme of human nature bonds in William Wordsworth's poem, The Ruined Cottage (1799). The poem depicts the story of a rural family facing poverty and despair, with a focus on the protagonist's relationship with nature, fellow human beings, and the wider community. The protagonist's deep connection with the natural world is highlighted, portraying nature as a source of solace and spiritual renewal. The bonds within the human community are also explored, depicting both acts of compassion and indifference. The poem emphasizes the importance of empathy and communal support in the face of adversity, fostering a sense of collective understanding. Through its portrayal of human nature bonds, "The Ruined Cottage" underscores the restorative power of nature, the complexities of human relationships, and the significance of communal solidarity.&#x0D; The researcher has planned to examine The Ruined Cottage through the lens of ecocriticism by focusing on the correspondence between the gradual withering of Nature and the gradual demise of Margaret’s soul to reach a comprehensive interpretation of the poem. The researcher has explored on the importance of humankind’s ability to survive in nature by considering the viewpoints of the Yale School critics, the New Historicists, and the ecologists also.

Mpox Viral Lineage Analysis and Technique Development Using Next-generation Sequencing Approach.

In response to Mpox endemic and public health emergency, DCHHS aimed to develop NGS based techniques to streamline Mpox viral clade and lineage analysis. The Mpox sequencing workflow started with DNA extraction and adapted Illumina's COVIDSeq assay using hMpox primer pools from Yale School of Public Health. Sequencing steps included cDNA amplification, tagmentation, PCR indexing, pooling libraries, sequencing on MiSeq, data analysis, and report generation. The bioinformatic analysis comprised read assembly and consensus sequence mapping to reference genomes and variant identification, and utilized pipelines including Illumina BaseSpace, NextClade, CLC Workbench, Terra.bio for data quality control (QC) and validation. In total, 171 mpox samples were sequenced using modified COVIDSeq workflow and QC metrics were assessed for read quality, depth, and coverage. Multiple analysis pipelines identified the West African clade IIb as the only clade during peak Mpox infection from July through October 2022. Analyses also indicated lineage B.1.2 as the dominant variant comprising the majority of Mpox viral genomes (77.7%), implying its geographical distribution in the United States. Viral sequences were uploaded to GISAID EpiPox. We developed NGS workflows to precisely detect and analyze mpox viral clade and lineages aiding in public health genomic surveillance.

Deconstruction and the Yale School: An Interview with J. Hillis Miller

J. Hillis Miller (1928–2021) was one of the most prominent figures in literary criticism and theory. After receiving his Ph.D. from Harvard University, he taught at Johns Hopkins University, Yale University and the University of California at Irvine. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 2002. Miller was president of the Modern Language Association of America in 1986 and contributed significantly to professional academic institutions and organizations throughout his career. As an important representative of the Yale School, he had close relationships with Derrida, Paul de Man, Geoffrey Hartman and Harold Bloom. Dr. Ning Yizhong did postdoctoral research under his supervision at UCI from 1997 to 1998. This is part of his interviews with Professor Miller during that time. In this interview, Miller talks about the Yale School in general, and Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man and Harold Bloom in particular. 1

The double pandemic: diversity, equity and inclusion at Yale University School of Medicine in the era of COVID-19

Research methodology This case was based on both primary and secondary data. In-depth semidirected interviews were conducted in 2021–2022 after receiving the institutional research board approval. The interviews took an approximate time ranging from 90 to 120 min. They were recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis was undertaken to identify the most relevant themes for the case. The secondary sources used included various websites, scholarly and trade journals, as well as specific databases, such as Statista. Case overview/synopsis The case exposes students in multiple disciplines to the challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis at Yale School of Medicine (YSM). It describes its remarkable effects on organizational and community members as they struggled to reimagine more inclusive and supportive spaces. As one of the most severe crises humanity has ever witnessed, COVID-19 exacerbated the existing struggles of the underrepresented communities, creating a double pandemic. It has also amplified inequities among marginalized groups including black, indigenous and people of color; women; immigrants; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning; people with different abilities; working parents; single parents; religious minorities; and people with low income. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Yale University School of Medicine (YSM), like other pioneering schools in the field of health care, doubled their efforts to face both the public health crisis and the substantial social turmoil (racial tensions after the death of George Floyd, food insecurity, vaccine resistance, social inequalities, etc.). Professor Marietta Vazquez, MD, who was the first Latina to be named Associate Dean for Medical Students Diversity at YSM, launched with Dr Latimore (Chief Diversity Officer) and her other colleagues many strategic initiatives aiming at improving the diversity, equity and inclusion of organizational and community members. The case is an invitation to graduate students and students in executive education programs to reflect on the grand challenges leaders faced at YSM as well as in other institutions across the nation and the globe. It is also a call to reimagine ways leaders can accelerate the pace of change in their organizational ecosystems. Complexity academic level This case was written for use in graduate-level courses, including executive education dealing with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Leadership and Change, Health-Care Equity/Policy, Health Sciences, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Crisis Management, Sustainability, Business and Society, Social Issues in Management, Strategy, etc. Faculty members can easily adapt the case to fit the content of the course they teach, the students’ context as well as the specific learning outcomes to be achieved.

Lessons Learned From the Connecticut Response to COVID-19 in Nursing Homes During the First 2 Years of the Pandemic.

Nearly half of all SARS-CoV-2-related deaths in the United States occurred in long-term care facilities during the early pandemic. In Connecticut, statewide mitigation of this impact involved a collaboration between the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Yale School of Public Health, alongside existing relationships with the long-term care industry and individual facilities. This close government-academic-industry collaboration facilitated the creation of a robust COVID-19 surveillance system that allowed for real-time analysis and identification of nursing homes where outbreak support was needed. The collaboration further facilitated vaccine and booster deployment to Connecticut nursing homes at a speed that outpaced much of the country. The impact of these interventions is demonstrated through COVID-19 case and death burdens among nursing home residents and the greater Connecticut population during each wave of the pandemic. We outline the evolution and impact of these alliances and how they enabled us to prioritize facilities, interventions, and the distribution of limited resources and training throughout the pandemic. We further detail lessons learned over the first 2 years of the pandemic. Such partnerships strengthen our ability to respond effectively to public health crises and should be created and/or maintained in the face of continued pandemic threats.

Nicotine flux as a powerful tool for regulating nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes: Protocol of two complimentary randomized crossover clinical trials.

Electronic cigarette (EC) use has increased rapidly in the last decade, especially among youth. Regulating nicotine delivery from ECs could help curb youth uptake and leverage EC use in harm reduction yet is complicated by varying device and liquid variables that affect nicotine delivery. Nicotine flux, the nicotine emission rate, is a parameter that incorporates these variables and focuses on the performance rather than the design of an EC. Nicotine flux therefore could be a powerful regulatory tool if it is shown empirically to predict nicotine delivery and subjective effects related to dependence. This project consists of two complementary clinical trials. In Trial I, we will examine the relationship between nicotine flux and the rate and dose of nicotine delivery from ECs, hence, impacting abuse liability. It will also examine the extent to which this relationship is mediated by nicotine form (i.e., freebase versus protonated). At Yale School of Medicine (YSM), study participants will puff EC devices under conditions that differ by flux and form, while arterial blood is sampled in high time resolution. In Trial II, we will assess the relationship between nicotine flux, form, and subjective effects. At the American University of Beirut (AUB), participants will use EC devices with varying nicotine fluxes and forms, while dependency measures, such as the urge to use ECs, nicotine craving, and withdrawal symptoms, will be assessed. We will also monitor puffing intensity and real-time exposure to toxicants. The protocol of Trial I and Trial II was approved by YSM and AUB IRBs, respectively. We will disseminate study results through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. NCT05706701 for Trial I and NCT05430334 for Trial II.

MitraCox Score Predicts In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Admitted for Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair

As mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) is evolving as an effective treatment for high-risk surgical patients with mitral regurgitation, there is a pressing need for cardiologists to optimize resources through risk stratification of in-hospital mortality for this patient population. Although current risk-prediction models have been shown to predict adverse outcomes with reasonable accuracy, models trained using the US nationwide population are lacking. This study aimed to identify clinical, demographic, and procedural features that predict in-hospital mortality, and to derive and validate an in-hospital mortality risk-prediction tool in patients who have undergone M-TEER. A total of 9,373 admissions from the Nationwide Readmissions Database of patients who underwent M-TEER between 2015 and 2018 were used to develop and validate the model. We first performed least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regularization of Cox regression (Coxnet) that is 10-fold cross-validated. The non-zero coefficients were multiplied with the respective values of each observation of the predictors to build the scoring formula. Out of 9,373 admissions, 196 patients (2%) died in-hospital during index admission. In descending order, the top variables that were most predictive of in-hospital mortality were higher age, presence of fluid and electrolyte disturbance, and large metropolitan location of the hospital. The validation C-statistic of the MitraCox score was 0.82. Using X-tile software (Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut), 2 cutoffs of the score were determined on the basis of in-hospital mortality and length of stay, and the survival of the population was classified into 3 risk groups: low, intermediate, and high. The scoring system deployed online as a web-based calculator can be accessed at https://kathavs.shinyapps.io/Mitracox_Kapadia/. In conclusion, MitraCox score is easy to calculate and predicts in-hospital mortality depending on length of stay in a dynamic manner.

GRACE IN CHARACTER, FRANCES HESSELBEIN’S WAY

AbstractThe author founded the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, designed and directed the Leadership Development Program at the Yale School of Management, and was Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at West Point, retiring as a Brigadier General. He worked directly with Frances Hesselbein at West Point, and recounts that “anyone who knew Frances reveled in her respect for others—one of the Army’s key values. But her ability to demonstrate those values in her controlled, polite, graciousness to others was truly remarkable. In the 21 years, I was privileged to know her, I studied her intently as a leader. Her grace gave her the ability to influence others gently but firmly—“no one can say ‘no’ to Frances” was a popular adage, and the absolute truth.”

Applying a validated scoring rubric to pre-clerkship medical students’ standardized patient notes: a pilot study

BackgroundWith the elimination in 2021 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 Clinical Skills test, it is incumbent upon U.S. medical schools to develop local validated assessments of clinical reasoning. While much attention has been paid to summative exams for graduating students, formative exams for pre-clerkship students have not been well studied.MethodsWe applied the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine (UIC-COM) Patient Note (PN) Scoring Rubric to templated PNs written by 103 pre-clerkship students for two cases in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) at the Yale School of Medicine. The rubric consists of four section scores (Documentation, Differential Diagnosis, Justification, and Workup, each scored 1 to 4) and a composite score (scaled 23 to 100). We calculated item discrimination for each section score and Cronbach’s alpha for each case. We surveyed students about their experience writing the templated PN.ResultsMean Documentation, Differential Diagnosis, Justification, Workup, and composite scores for case A were 2.16, 1.80, 1.65, 2.29, and 47.67, respectively. For case B, the scores were 2.13, 1.21, 1.60, 1.67, and 40.54, respectively. Item discrimination ranged from 0.41 to 0.80. Cronbach’s alpha for cases A and B was 0.48 and 0.25, respectively. A majority of the students felt that the exercise was useful and appropriate to their level of training.ConclusionsDespite performing poorly, pre-clerkship students found the note-writing task beneficial. Reliability of the scoring rubric was suboptimal, and modifications are needed to make this exercise a suitable measure of clinical reasoning.

A collective form of art: an interview with Yana Ross

In this interview with Bryce Lease, Yana Ross explores her background as a director and her approach to teaching directing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius. Ross discusses her training at GITIS and the Yale School of Drama, highlighting the importance of life experience, interdisciplinary knowledge, and leadership skills in the development of a director. She emphasizes the value of understanding the theatre canon and expanding it through alternative perspectives, while also recognising the need for rigour and critical thinking in theatre training. Ross reflects on her experiences as a professor and the challenges faced by directing students, including effective communication with actors and the wider creative team. Advocating for a collaborative and inclusive approach to theatre-making, she draws on her experiences at Yale, where different disciplines interacted and collaborated.

The Pragmatist’s Guide to ESG

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsTodd CortTodd Cort is currently a senior lecturer in sustainability at the Yale School of Management with courtesy appointment at the Yale School of the Environment. He serves as faculty co-director for the Yale Center for Business and the Environment (CBEY) and the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance (YISF).Notes1 D. C. Esty and T. Cort, eds., Values at Work: Sustainable Investing and ESG Reporting (Springer Nature, 2020).2 T. Whelan, U. Atz, T. Van Holt, and C. Clark, Uncovering the Relationship by Aggregating Evidence from 1,000 Plus Studies Published between 2015–2020 (2021), https://www.stern.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/assets/documents/ESG%20Paper%20Aug%202021.pdf.3 Bloomberg Research, https://sponsored.bloomberg.com/article/mubadala/the-future-of-esg-Investing.4 D. Gelles, “How Environmentally Conscious Investing Became a Target of Conservatives,” New York Times, 28 February 2023, updated March 1, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/28/climate/esg-climate-backlash.html; J. Sommer, “On Wall St., ‘Socially Responsible’ Is Common Sense. In Congress, It’s Political,” New York Times, 4 March 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/business/esg-socially-responsible-investing.html.5 G. Baker, “The Rising Backlash Against ESG Investing,” Wall Street Journal Opinion, 8 March 2023, https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/opinion-free-expression/the-rising-backlash-against-esg-investing/633ad782-974f-495b-955d-a7c62a0fd8a3.6 J. Ullrich and F. Powell, “What Is an ESG Score for Investing?,” USA Today, 1 March 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/investing/what-is-esg-investing.7 L. Qiu, “No, Wokeness Did Not Cause Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse,” New York Times, 15. March 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/15/us/politics/silicon-valley-bank-collapse-woke-fact-check.html.8 See, for example, N. L. Erhardt, J. D. Werbel, and C. B. Shrader, “Board of Director Diversity and Firm Financial Performance,” Corporate Governance: An International Review 11, no. 2 (2003), 102–11; R. Lorenzo and M. Reeves, “How and Where Diversity Drives Financial Performance,” Harvard Business Review 30, January (2018): 1–5.9 PCBB, “Financial Institutions of All Sizes Increase DEI Efforts,” 4 August 2021, https://www.pcbb.com/bid/2021-08-04-financial-institutions-of-all-sizes-increase-dei-efforts.10 Net Zero Tracker, https://zerotracker.net (accessed 31 March 2023). Net zero commitments refer to a target of completely negating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the companies activities through a combination of reduced emissions and sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere.11 IEA, Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency, IEA, Paris, 2019, https://www.iea.org/reports/multiple-benefits-of-energy-efficiency/emissions-savings, license: CC BY 4.0.12 U. Chrobak, “Solar Power Got Cheap. So Why Aren’t We Using It More?,” Popular Science, 8 October 2021, https://www.popsci.com/story/environment/cheap-renewable-energy-vs-fossil-fuels.13 For more information about the B-Corp Certification process and the organizing body B-Lab, see https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification.14 The B-Lab provides a good summary of the purpose and specific legal protections offered under a benefit corporation registration: https://usca.bcorporation.net/benefit-corporation.15 “Impact investing” refers to investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/impact-investing.asp). “Blended finance” is the strategic use of development finance (concessional capital) for the mobilization of additional finance toward sustainable development in developing countries (https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/blended-finance-principles). “Negative screening” is the process of finding and then removing companies that score poorly on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors relative to their peers from an investment portfolio (https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2022/08/08/does-esg-negative-screening-work).16 https://www.the-future-of-commerce.com/2022/10/25/greenwashing-definition-stats.17 U.S. pollination value is estimated by A. Jordan, H. M. Patch, C. M. Grozinger, and V. Khanna, “Economic Dependence and Vulnerability of United States Agricultural Sector on Insect-Mediated Pollination Service,” Environmental Science & Technology (2021), doi:10.1021/acs.est.0c04786. The value of commercial pollination services globally is reported by https://www.knowledge-sourcing.com/report/global-pollination-market.18 R. Kerber and N. Z. Hussain, “Vanguard Quits Net Zero Climate Effort Citing Need for Independence,” Reuters, 7 December 2022, https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/vanguard-quits-net-zero-climate-alliance-2022-12-07.19 Vanguard, “An Update on Vanguard’s Engagement with the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM),” 7 December 2021, https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/corporatesite/us/en/corp/articles/update-on-nzam-engagement.html.20 https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-annual-chairmans-letter.21 A. Frericks, “While He’s Re-Writing the Music, Larry Fink Won’t Change the Underlying ESG Tune,” RealClear Markets, 24 March 2023, https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2023/03/24/while_hes_re-writing_the_music_larry_fink_wont_change_the_underlying_esg_tune_889211.html.22 See, for example, https://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/news/213385/will-the-sfdr-prevent-greenwashing.aspx.23 For more information on SASB, see https://www.sasb.org.24 There are hundreds of standards on ESG and sustainability today. Some of the more common types are (1) standards for management practices and performance, such as the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems; (2) auditing standards for nonfinancial accounting data, such as the ISAE 3000 Auditing Standard; (3) standards for producing voluntary ESG reports, such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board; (4) supply chain ESG performance and management system standards, such as the SA8000 Standard for Labor Rights or the Fairtrade Standards; and (5) product performance standards, such as Energystar ratings for energy efficiency.25 A. H. McGowan, “Life in the Anthropocene,” Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 65, no. 2 (2023): 6–14, doi:10.1080/00139157.2023.2167456.