Through Poole Thought Leadership, our faculty experts bring clarity to complex issues with original research and incisive analysis of current events. Here are some of the top stories from the past year:

1. Can We Trust AI?

August 25, 2025

Leadership expert Roger Mayer is part of an international research team that has put forward a framework that it argues can be used to answer one of the biggest questions facing artificial intelligence technologies: can AI be trusted? The framework offers an organized approach for tackling a complex subject that draws on a wide variety of research disciplines.

2. Momentum Builds for Tax-Free Tips

March 11, 2025

Exempting hospitality workers’ tips from their taxable income was a popular policy proposal during the 2024 presidential campaign. When a new Congress convened in 2025, the U.S. House and Senate each introduced tax-free tips bills. Accounting scholars Christina Lewellen and Nathan Goldman broke down both proposals. Three months later, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” exempted up to $25,000 in tip income from federal taxation.

3. Should North Carolina Exempt NIL Income From Income Tax?

April 8, 2025

The two finalists in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament—Florida and Houston—came from states with no personal income tax. As several other states considered exempting student-athletes’ name, image and likeness (NIL) income from taxation, Lewellen and Goldman analyzed the prospects for a similar policy in North Carolina.

4. Prescriptions for an Imperfect Vaccine Market

April 17, 2025

Two major forces drive inefficiency in vaccine markets: limited competition among producers and hesitancy among consumers. Poole economist Filomena Garcia and two peers found that subsidies for both groups could stop the spread of novel viruses by encouraging producers to be more innovative and consumers to be more open to vaccination.

5. New Report: Economy, Cyber Threats, Talent Gaps Dominate List of Critical Risks for Boards and Executives

February 13, 2025

In a new survey from Protiviti and NC State’s Enterprise Risk Management Initiative, board members and executives identify the top 10 macroeconomic, strategic and operational risks for near and long term. The economy remains the No. 1 near-term risk, followed closely by cyber threats and the struggle to attract, develop, and retain top talent—especially amid demands for emerging skills in AI and technology.

6. Clarifying Tariffs

April 2025—present

Tariffs are a cornerstone of U.S. economic policy under President Trump. Since April, Poole experts in economics, accounting, finance, supply chain management, management and entrepreneurship have been analyzing what the tariffs mean for small businesses, consumers, entrepreneurs, global markets, corporate leaders and North Carolinians.

7. Separating Immigration Rhetoric From Reality

October 29, 2024

Immigration was a core issue during the 2024 presidential election, and it’s remained fraught since President Trump took office. Before the election, Poole economist Luca David Oppromolla surveyed data and academic literature on the state of immigration in America and its effects on labor markets.

8. Risk Meets Reality: Weathering Extreme Events

March 5, 2025

Generational floods, massive hurricanes, enduring wildfires and extreme droughts are becoming more common. As these events grow more frequent and intense, they bring new types of risk to organizations. Poole risk management expert Mark Beasley, North Carolina state climatologist Kathy Dello and senior vice provost Rob Dunn probed new approaches for managing that risk.

9. The Challenges of Unwinding a Trade War

October 31, 2024

It took decades of negotiation to replace the protectionism of the early 1900s with the free-flowing global trade of the early 2000s. Tariffs instituted during the first Trump administration quickly undid much of that work, Poole economist Andrew Greenland writes, and reversing course would be another long, painstaking process.

10. Is a Four-Day Work Week Right for Your Business?

June 7, 2024

Around the world, companies have tried trimming their work weeks, with generally good results: higher productivity and job satisfaction, lower worker stress and absenteeism. Poole management expert Patrick Flynn and leadership scholar Karen Jansen explore the factors every organization should consider before implementing their own four-day week.