Seeing the everyday entrepreneurs

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Seeing the everyday entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship researchers love studying tech founders, but maybe it’s time to widen the lens. High-tech companies only account for a fraction of all entrepreneurs in the world. Meanwhile, we don’t know much about the everyday entrepreneurs – the hairdressers, musicians, electricians – that make our economy hum. Here’s what we’re missing.

Is AI a public good?

With businesses everywhere looking to AI to enhance their work, it’s no surprise that the public sector is considering it, too. But is this a good idea? For Professor Renee Sieber, it’s complicated. AI has a lot of potential for public good. But she’s concerned that, if we’re not careful, we might lose humanity in our government services. This, and more, on the latest episode of the McGill Delve podcast.

Food equity starts everywhere

Food equity means everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location, has access to healthy, sustainable food. But despite international efforts, billions of people continue to experience hunger and food insecurity worldwide. Professors Laurette Dubé and Jeroen Struben recently published a paper in Nature Communications examining the market mechanisms connected to this problem. They found that, for market actors to be part of the solution, everything needs to change – and everyone needs a seat at the table, rethinking in fundamental ways how business and society operate.

Medical records without borders

What if your entire medical history travelled with you seamlessly, with just a click of a button? That’s the idea behind MedLink, a blockchain company dreamed up by three students completing their Master’s of Management in Finance at McGill University. Philippe Benjamin-Duranceau is one of its founding members. On this episode of the McGill Delve podcast, he walks us through how blockchain could make transferring records as easy as sending an email – an innovation that could save time and lives.

Bridging the linguistic divide for more inclusive workplaces

Language is often a basis for exclusion, discrimination, and conflict. And yet, managers often treat it only as a skill to be learned rather than an important marker of diversity. In their study of a bank in Kazakhstan, Professors Anna Kim and EunJoo Koo show the social and cultural impacts of language at work, why we should pay attention to them, and how employees can bridge the linguistic divide for better inclusion at work.

Is meaningful work a myth?

For some, a job provides nothing more than a steady paycheck. For others, it’s a deep source of meaning and satisfaction. Why is one worker disengaged when the other is not? Is it possible to pull someone out of dissatisfaction and help them find meaning again? Mike Ross, an expert on the meaning of work, shares his thoughts on the McGill Delve podcast.

Bad government is about bad organisational design, not bad people

“When we ignore design flaws in government organisations, we misattribute bad government to incompetent and corrupt workers instead of the bad design that fails to support their efforts,” writes Diana Dakhlallah, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at McGill University.

Lessons in healthcare management from emerging economies

In a time of global uncertainty, traditional management approaches may no longer suffice. Professor Henry Mintzberg and PhD student Hanieh Mohammadi stress the importance of self-reflection and peer learning for managers facing new, complex challenges. They encourage managers to learn from real experiences—both their own and those of trusted colleagues—rather than relying solely on reports or theories. By exchanging ideas across professional networks, managers can gain practical insights and stay adaptable in a fast-changing world. Hear more on the Delve podcast from McGill University.

Manage uncertainty with a little help from your friends

In a time of global uncertainty, traditional management approaches may no longer suffice. Professor Henry Mintzberg and PhD student Hanieh Mohammadi stress the importance of self-reflection and peer learning for managers facing new, complex challenges. They encourage managers to learn from real experiences—both their own and those of trusted colleagues—rather than relying solely on reports or theories. By exchanging ideas across professional networks, managers can gain practical insights and stay adaptable in a fast-changing world. Hear more on the Delve podcast from McGill University.