The Why Podcast: Why does corporate culture matter to investors?
In this episode of The Why Podcast, host Katie Pisa sits down with Henri Servaes, Professor of Finance at London Business School and Richard Brealey Professor of Corporate Governance, to explore how corporate culture—particularly around gender equality and inclusion—is reshaping investment decisions and boardroom dynamics.
Drawing on his recent research, Sexism, Culture, and Firm Value: Evidence from the Harvey Weinstein Scandal and the #MeToo Movement, Henri unpacks how the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal triggered revelations of toxic workplace culture that started a re-evaluation of what “good governance” really means. The conversation delves into why firms with more inclusive leadership structures saw meaningful gains in investor interest—and how sexism, far from being just a moral issue, now carries material consequences for valuation and reputation.
From institutional investors shifting portfolios to companies in “boys’ club” industries scrambling to improve diversity, this episode examines the measurable market response to cultural failings—and what that means for the future of leadership, governance, and trust in capital markets.
If you’ve ever wondered whether values influence valuation, this one’s for you.
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31:32
The Why Podcast: Why is there a gender gap in entrepreneurship?
In the latest episode of The Why podcast, host Katie Pisa met with Professor Olenka Kacperczyk, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, to discuss her research on the gender gap in entrepreneurship. The two discuss this important question: Where are all the missing female entrepreneurs?
Olenka sheds light on her research findings, the reasons are behind this gap and what businesses, leaders and societies can do to help narrow the gap. While women make up half the population, among all the VC-backed ventures in her target research of the US, only 10% were founded by women.
Female entrepreneurs only make up 20% of all ventures, and everything from administrative barriers and discriminatory wording in interviews for funding, holds women back.
Olenka’s interest in the topic was partly based on her own family who became entrepreneurs in the post-Communist period in Poland. Watching them venture into business inspired her research and interest in the topic of inequality in entrepreneurship.
Listen to this fascinating conversation to learn more about why this massive gender gap in entrepreneurship still exists.
Read the full research here.
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36:10
The Why Podcast: Why can’t we all be ourselves at work?
In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Gillian Ku, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, and Chair of the Organisational Behaviour Faculty at London Business School to discuss her recently published paper on how Black employees can feel more comfortable expressing their racial identity at work and how social uncertainty is a key factor that discourages Black employees from expressing their social identity.
Gillian, along with her colleagues, have found that being able to be authentic at work can be hugely beneficial. Gillian shares her evidence-based insights of why being able to express one’s identity at work promotes healthy work relationships and improved job performance among many other benefits.
Gillian also shares the benefits of perspective-taking in the workplace, and what we can all do to develop social skills to help navigate the world and our workplaces better.
Read the full paper here: https://lbsresearch.london.edu/id/eprint/3952/
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31:23
The Why Podcast: Why lowering corporate taxes can boost productivity
In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, Katie Pisa met with Paolo Surico, Professor of Economics at London Business School, and Joseba Martinez, Assistant Professor of Economics at London Business School to discuss their research titled “Corporate taxes, innovation and productivity”.
Their findings offer valuable insights into how tax policies can be leveraged to promote innovation and drive economic growth. The two spent two and a half years working on this research after evidence showed them the remarkable impact that government corporate tax cuts (even temporary) can have on productivity.
The overall message of their research is that governments need to better design the corporate tax system such that the corporations that pay the most tax are the least innovative.
Some key takeaways from this chat include:
Tax is necessary but how it can be tweaked to encourage innovators
How R&D reduces tax and the impact it has on productivity
How governments need to consider which companies should receive tax cuts
Key historical moments when innovation was boosted
How the UK, where the new government says it aims to foster growth, might fare if they consider such corporate tax cuts
What a second Trump presidency looks in regards to taxes
The impact of personal tax cuts doesn’t always have the same impact as corporate tax cuts
You can read their full paper here: https://www.corptaxinnovation.pdf
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27:14
The Why Podcast: Why algorithms are crucial to cleaning up the world’s mess
Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It’s one of five giant gyres in our oceans, where massive circular currents trap floating plastic. It’s three times the size of France, two times the size of Texas and it contains roughly 80,000 tonnes of waste that is polluting our oceans. The oldest bits in this gyre date back to the 1960s.
In the latest episode of The Why Podcast, London Business School Senior Editor Katie Pisa met with Jean Pauphilet, Assistant Professor of Management Science and Operations at London Business School, to talk about his research findings on ocean plastic pollution and the work he’s doing with the Dutch NGO The Ocean Cleanup.
The Ocean Cleanup’s goal is to clean up 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040. Their technology resembles a giant fishing net, a long floating barrier towed by two vessels. Jean and his team have designed a dynamic algorithm to help figure out the best routes for boats to take when collection plastic.
“It’s a bit like playing Pac-Man,” explains Jean. “You need to route the system to catch as many items as possible.”
In this helpful conversation, Jean discusses the interception of plastic at rivers and oceans, what is being done to increase awareness of tackling the problem and incentives to encourage society and companies to take action.
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Every piece of academic research starts with a question to answer or puzzle to solve. Listen in as London Business School faculty describe how they set about making new discoveries on a subject they’re curious about, what their findings suggest, and discuss the current and potential future impact of their research for you and your business. A Think at London Business School podcast.
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