Two Samford University Brock School of Business faculty members are helping shape a growing economics conversation that puts people—not just models—at the center of analysis.
Margaret Gage Bush Distinguished Professor of Economics Art Carden and associate professor of quantitative analysis and economics Joy Buchanan recently had articles published in a special issue of Public Choice that focused on “humanomics,” a research movement that reimagines economics around real human beings rather than abstract, perfectly rational actors.
In Carden’s article, “Consumers’ Sovereignty and W.H. Hutt’s Critique of the Color Bar,” he and his co-authors explore how economist W.H. Hutt challenged South Africa’s racially discriminatory labor policies long before the formal rise of apartheid.
Hutt’s central argument was that restrictions on Black workers, aside from morally wrong, were economically damaging. By limiting the freedom of consumers and workers, these laws hindered prosperity and entrenched injustice. Hutt believed that true consumer sovereignty—or the right of people to make their own choices in the marketplace— could be a powerful force for dismantling inequality. The article highlights how Hutt blended strong ethical convictions with political awareness in advocating for more inclusive markets.
Buchanan’s contribution, titled “Effort Transparency and Fairness,” dives into how visible effort influences fairness in group settings. Using a controlled economic experiment known as a dictator game, her research shows that when decision-makers—the “dictators”—are informed about how much effort others put in, they tend to make more equitable choices. However, when that information is hidden, those in charge are more likely to take advantage of the situation, keeping more for themselves. The study suggests that while transparency might limit short-term power advantages, it may attract and retain more fairness-oriented individuals over time. The result is stronger, more trustworthy teams.
Together, the articles contribute to the growing field of humanomics, which insists that economics must account for the real-world instincts, identities and moral concerns that shape decision-making. At Brock School of Business, this serves as another example of how faculty members are preparing the next generation of Christian business leaders while contributing meaningful research that explores the intersection of markets, values and human behavior.
