Op-Ed: Adopt a ‘both/and’ approach to create policies that sustain over time

Lindner Dean Marianne Lewis proposes way for bridging societal division

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned a half-century of abortion rights has sparked intense and opposing emotions. Lindner College of Business Dean and Professor of Management Marianne Lewis, PhD, explored this issue in a recent editorial for MarketWatch.

"We find ourselves, yet again, in a polarized political fight with the battlegrounds in Congress, in the boardrooms, on the streets, on social media and, for some of us, at our kitchen tables.” 

Lewis' research and forthcoming book, “Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems,” explore how organizations can transform tensions into opportunities for innovation and personal growth.

composed graphic of two women's headshots side-by-side with an image of their book cover in the middle

Smith, left, and Lindner Dean Marianne Lewis coauthored "Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems."

Lewis and coauthor Wendy Smith, PhD, Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management at the University of Delaware Lerner College of Business and Economics, "have spent the last 25 years studying how people face such complex and tenuous issues. Our research shows that when decisionmakers engage opposing positions and adopt what we call both/and thinking, they generate more sustainable and creative solutions.”

Read more from MarketWatch.

Impact Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.

Related Stories

1

Lindner graduate students shine in international simulation competition

November 10, 2025

Five master’s of information systems (MS IS) students took home fifth place out of 23 universities at the International ERPsim Competition hosted by HEC Montreal during the recent spring semester. The competition tests students’ knowledge of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and their ability to adapt to challenging business problems.

2

Sugar overload killing hearts

November 10, 2025

Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.

3

Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?

November 10, 2025

The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.