Fisher Research and Insights Forefront

COVID-19, systems thinking and preparing for the next pandemic
May 5, 2021
Supply Chain Management Review

COVID-19, systems thinking and preparing for the next pandemic

Professor of Logistics Michael Knemeyer writes that supply chain disruptions are inevitable. To handle the next pandemic effectively, though, decision makers need to grasp what worked, what didn’t and why.
Why you should worry about the flood of new cash into U.S. stock funds
May 4, 2021
MarketWatch

Why you should worry about the flood of new cash into U.S. stock funds

With investments, popular is not better. And the increase of new cash into stocks doesn't always portend good news. In fact, research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and Byungwook Kim, focused on the specialized ETFs that are created to capitalize on investor fads and market trends, and which typically receive a big influx of cash soon after launch. They found that these ETFs over their first five years after launch lag the market on a risk-adjusted basis by 5% per year on average.
Study: Insurers are overestimating costs, lowering rebates owed to policyholders
April 30, 2021
Yahoo!

Study: Insurers are overestimating costs, lowering rebates owed to policyholders

A recent study by Andrew Van Buskirk, associate professor of accounting, finds health insurance companies are overestimating costs associated with patient care to avoid triggering rebate provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Stock image of a stock chart
April 23, 2021
MarketWatch

Stock market valuations have been high for over 20 years — and may never fall again

Research from Rene Stulz, the Everett D. Reese Chair in Banking and Monetary Finance, supports the belief that the shift to a “winner-take-all” economy, in which the largest corporations earn an increasing share of all corporate profits, has resulted in industries being dominated by their very largest companies.
Isil Erel
April 22, 2021
WRAL

COVID-19 disproportionately affected minority businesses, entrepreneurs

Among the trends in entrepreneurship discussed in a new report from the Kenan Institute was the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses: minority- and women-owned firms did not have access to funds available through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). Research by Isil Erel, the David A. Rismiller Chair in Finance and the academic director of the Risk Institute, also showed how the use of fintech and online banking can improve access, "especially to underserved areas with lower incomes and a larger share of the minority population."
How more alcohol availability hurts finances for some people
April 20, 2021
The Ohio State University

How more alcohol availability hurts finances for some people

A new study by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, provides the best evidence to date that an increase in the availability of alcohol is linked to more financial troubles among the disadvantaged. 
Coinbase IPO: Digital currency won’t replace dollar any time soon
April 14, 2021
NBC4

Coinbase IPO: Digital currency won’t replace dollar any time soon

A major trader of digital currency went live on the NASDAQ Wednesday, soaring and plunging in the first few hours of trading. Although it’s an exciting day for digital currency, it doesn’t mark the end of dollars and cents, says Matt Sheridan, a senior lecturer in finance. It does, however, legitimize other crypto assets such as Bitcoin.
Science has found what makes the perfect weekend — and it’s not what you’d expect
April 12, 2021
Reader's Digest

Science has found what makes the perfect weekend — and it’s not what you’d expect

Once you pencil in that dinner date on your calendar it may spoil your meal before Saturday night even gets here. Research by Assistant Marketing Professor Selin Malkoc suggests that you put down the cell phone, and stop penciling people in for that dinner date on Saturday.
Kate Keeler discussing guarding against Zoom fatigue
April 6, 2021
Fisher College of Business

Guarding against Zoom fatigue

Why do videoconferences leave us feeling so tired? The answer, according to a team of researchers including Kate Keeler, assistant professor of management and human resources, may center on how connected we feel with others in our virtual meetings.
The pandemic blurred our sense of time, and getting back to normal won't be easy, say experts | CBC Radio
April 2, 2021
CBC

The pandemic blurred our sense of time, and getting back to normal won't be easy, say experts

The COVID-19 pandemic has blurred many people's sense of time thanks to more than a year of acute and long-term stress and the home becoming a place of both work and leisure.
Author Interview: Evan Weingarten and Joe Goodman by The Consumer Researcher
March 25, 2021
The Consumer Researcher

Author Interview: Evan Weingarten and Joe Goodman by The Consumer Researcher

It's been said experiences, not material purchases, provide consumers with greater happiness. Joe Goodman, chair of the Department of Marketing and Logistics, talks with The Consumer Researcher, a podcast produced by the Journal of Consumer Research, about his newest paper. The project explores the relevance of this "experiential advantage."
Some health insurers fudged medical spending numbers: researchers
March 18, 2021
ThinkAdvisor

Some health insurers fudged medical spending numbers: researchers

About 14% of U.S. health insurers impacted their Affordable Care Act medical loss ratio rebate bills before 2016 by overestimating how much they spent on health care, according to a new accounting research by Associate Professor of Accounting Andy Van Buskirk and his colleagues.
The high toll of distracted driving and staying safe on the road
March 17, 2021
MoneyGeek

The high toll of distracted driving and staying safe on the road

While many of us believe we are safe drivers, about eight people die in crashes involving a distracted driver every day in the United States. Phil Renaud, executive director of the the Risk Institute, provides insights into why distracted driving is such a dangerous problem and what can be done to prevent it.
Obamacare insurers inflate claims to reduce refunds, study says
March 16, 2021
Bloomberg Law

Obamacare insurers inflate claims to reduce refunds, study says

Research by Associate Professor of Accounting Professor Andy Van Buskirk and his colleagues details how some Obamacare insurers have used estimating practices to short-change their consumers by hundreds of millions of dollars. 
Stethescope laying on a counter
March 16, 2021
Max M. Fisher College of Business

Health insurers are over-reporting the cost of benefits — why it matters

The Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to report the benefits they pay out to policyholders. Accounting research by Associate Professor Andrew Van Buskirk and his colleagues reveals just how off these reported estimates can be — and why.
The middle market is stressed, but resilient
March 8, 2021
Harvard Business Review

The middle market is stressed, but resilient

Middle-market companies aren’t unique in facing the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, but many of them have the resiliency to emerge from it successfully. Anil Makhija, dean and John W. Berry, Sr.
Strict environmental laws ‘push’ firms to pollute elsewhere
March 8, 2021
The Ohio State University

Strict environmental laws ‘push’ firms to pollute elsewhere

Research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate at Fisher, shows that tough environmental laws in one country can lead to "carbon leakage" to other nations. The findings underscore the importance of "worldwide collective action to combat climate change."
Stock image of factory pollution
March 5, 2021
VoxEU

Exporting pollution

Anti-pollution laws penalize firms whose activities emit CO2. Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, talk about his research that shows well-intentioned regulation may be causing multinationals to push polluting activities to poorer countries where regulation isn’t so strict.
Corporations facing strict environmental laws move pollution overseas
March 3, 2021
The Academic Times

Corporations facing strict environmental laws move pollution overseas

Research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and his colleagues shows how countries' strict environmental regulations factor into companies' decisions to locate facilities.
Further Reading: The drawbacks of thematic ETFs
February 23, 2021
Investors' Chronicle

Further Reading: The drawbacks of thematic ETFs

Thematic ETFs are one of the big investment stories of the last year, with major success in areas such as clean energy. Yet niche investments come with risks, including the prospect of buying in at the top and structural complications, according to new research from Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and his colleagues.
Research: We’re losing touch with our networks
February 12, 2021
Harvard Business Review

Research: We’re losing touch with our networks

With personal and professional networks shrinking by as much as 16% during the pandemic, research is pointing to ways to help prevent us from withdrawing too much. A study by Tanya Menon, professor of management and human resources, says having a strong identity and core values can overcome the tendency to "turtle in."
'People are dying because of it': DeWine looks to strengthen Ohio's distracted driving laws
February 11, 2021
WBNS-10TV

'People are dying because of it': DeWine looks to strengthen Ohio's distracted driving laws

Phil Renaud, executive director of the Risk Institute, said the governor's new distracted driving measures are part of a larger strategy for eliminating the problem. Through research and building partnerships, The Risk Institute is addressing distracted driving through legislation, behavior, technology, and urban planning/infrastructure design.
New ETFs, forced to chase trends, shorten their own lives
February 5, 2021
The Wall Street Journal

New ETFs, forced to chase trends, shorten their own lives

A study by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and Fisher PhD candidate Byung Wook Kim finds that many new ETFs invest in overvalued stocks, and then lag behind the broad market’s returns.
Tracy Dumas
February 3, 2021
WBNS-10TV

Working women dropping in droves due to pandemic

A new study with ties to Ohio State details just how many working women are sacrificing their own careers to help with childcare during the pandemic. Associate Professor of Management and Human Resources Tracy Dumas discusses the disproportionality as well as ways employers can help accommodate employees who are responsible for childcare.
Ohio State finance professor explains what’s happening with Robinhood and GameStop
January 28, 2021
NBC4

Ohio State finance professor explains what’s happening with Robinhood and GameStop

Finance lecturer Matt Sheridan on the Robinhood and GameStop situation: "This is so crazy that if this was the plot of an episode of Showtime’s "Billions," people would think it’s too unrealistic." He explains the factors at play in the unique investing situation.