January / February 2015 Issue

Facing the First 90 Days

Three months into their new jobs, six deans describe what skills they’ve needed to develop and what they’ve learned about managing change.

Two Stars May be too Many

Think having more high-performing employees on the same team is better? Think again.

Small Rewards

Is justice served when a criminal is punished? Maybe, maybe not.

Null Results Aren't Necessarily Void

It's clear to see a study’s impact when its results are significant or represent a clear departure from conventional wisdom.

West Moves in, China Wins

Western big-box stores view Chinese markets as a way to expand their global reach.

Sustainable Growth: Supporting Urbanization in Africa

The size of urban populations in Africa is projected to triple in the next 50 years, but African countries are not prepared to deal with the challenges urbanization will bring, according to a working paper.

Relevance Rewarded

Late last fall, French economist Jean Tirole was awarded the 2014 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science.

Banding Together to Make a Difference

The Big 12 Conference views itself as more than a sports league, but it will leverage its large following of sports fans to let the rest of the world know how it’s making an impact on the world.

Battling for the Brand

Business schools often arrange for their students to complete real-world consulting projects, but the companies they work for are under no obligation to act on their recommendations.

Soup Kitchen Economics

Three students pursuing master’s degrees in economics at the University of North Texas College of Business in Denton have partnered with the local charity Our Daily Bread to design a statistical model to forecast how many meals the soup kitchen should prepare each day.

Admissions Turns to Video

Universities and colleges have moved a greater portion of their admissions functions online—in 2012, they received 90 percent of their applications online, and 96 percent of them connect with students over social media, according to the National Association of College Admission Counseling.

Teaching Students How to Think

Undergraduates practice how to field tough questions at the University of Maryland’s Critical Thinking Night.

Ringing in the New

Some people wait in line for hours to buy the newest iPhone. They upgrade their cars every year and move to a new house almost as often.

YOUR TURN

Professors without Borders

James VanOosting of Fordham University explains how good writing offers a permanent passport between business and the liberal arts.

So You Think You Can Dance

Finding an international partner is akin to mastering an elaborate dance. Georgetown’s David Thomas discusses how to learn the right steps.

Fund-Finding Missions

Responsibility-centered management is one of several funding models business schools have used to stay fiscally sound in a changing educational environment.

Assessing Impact

“Too many businesses forget their original reason for being ... to solve social problems.”

One Day Can Save Lives

Hospitals caring for Medicare patients could reduce costs, lower readmission rates, and save lives by keeping patients in the hospital for one extra day, according to researchers.

How Guilt and Shame Affect Decisions

Emotions often influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. But two emotions in particular—guilt and shame—have more impact than any other, according to authors of a recent study.

Jobs for Millennials

Young Americans are facing grim employment prospects and mounting student debt, but they are not being adequately trained for jobs the U.S. economy needs, according to a new report from the nonpartisan group JustJobs Network.

Making Learning "Click"

Professors who use clickers in class to assess student understanding will see students’ learning improve, according to William Hedgcock of the University of Iowa’s Tippie School of Business in Iowa City and Rob Rouwenhorst of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Navigating Change