Forefront

Here’s a good way to make sure a friend hates a gift from you: Say it will save him money. In a series of studies, researchers found that people reacted negatively to gifts that they were told – or that they inferred – were given to help them save money. Receiving this kind of present makes a person feel inferior to the gift-giver, according to research from said Grant Donnelly, assistant professor of marketing at Fisher.

Amid falling revenue and employment, capital spending cuts, growth initiatives put on hold, tight cash and disrupted operations brought on by COVID-19, middle market companies are maintaining and even slightly accelerating their digital transformation, writes Tom Stewart, executive director of the National Center for the Middle Market.

Dennis Hirsch, director of the Program on Data and Governance at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and a fellow at The Risk Institute, researches data analytics, how it can pose ethical risks, and how leading companies are responding.

Research from Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and Justin Birru, assistant professor in finance, shows that investors end up paying high fees for poor returns while managers accumulate personal fortunes.

On average, executives expect it to take about 6.4 months for businesses to get back to full capacity. That's one of the findings of a new report from the National Center for the Middle Market.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) brands face many important decisions about their marketing communications, which represent a company’s “voice” to consumers and offer a key way to shift consumers’ purchase perceptions and behaviors. A new Journal of Marketing study, authored by Rebecca Walker Reczek, the Dr. H. Lee “Buck” Mathews Professor of Marketing, and graduate research associate John Costello explores whether platform- or provider-focused communications are more effective and why. 

Business executives are feeling more confident in the long-term prospects of the economy, but the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a toll in the short term.

There’s a two-out-of-three chance U.S. stocks will climb over the next six months — which is right about average. Research by Kewei Hou, the Ric Dillon Endowed Professor in Investments, and Lu Zhang, the John W. Galbreath Chair in Finance, illustrates just how difficult it is to replicate market conditions or effectively time the market. 

Research from the National Center for the Middle Market details COVID-19’s impact during the first three months of the pandemic.

Research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate at Fisher, and Associate Professor of Finance Justin Birru, effectively shows that investors subsidize underperforming fund managers to the tune of $7 billion a year.

Research by finance professors Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and Justin Birru provide insights into how the "performance" fees that hedge-fund managers charge can walk off with most of your return.

Professor Terry Esper continues the conversation of racism affecting delivery drivers and offers some suggestions for addressing the problem.

As part of the There's a Better Way podcast series, Dr. Cynthia Turner, chief diversity officer and assistant dean at Fisher, discusses the history of the black community in America, the difference between equality and equity, and the need for action from both the individual and the institution in fighting against systemic racism.

According to a recent study by The National Center for the Middle Market, middle market companies with a strategic approach to their digital transformation grow faster than their peers. And while more than half of the executives surveyed said digital transformation was important, less than 10 percent said it was critical to their company’s strategy. This disconnect represents a failure to tie digital transformation to value creation.

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting some differences into stark relief, writes Management and Human Resources Professor Tanya Menon. Among them is how varying socioeconomic status impacts individuals' professional networks. For those facing job losses, these networks are more critical than ever. 

As part of the “There’s a Better Way” podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Dennis Hirsch, professor at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, about the implications of poor corporate data ethics management for both the consumer and companies.

Research from Rene Stulz, the Everett D. Reese Chair of Banking and Monetary Economics, and his colleagues is cited as being helpful in determining if there is a way of forecasting which Chinese companies would most likely be hurt the most by any eventual delisting from the U.S. Stock Exchange.

As our reliance on delivery services increases amid a backdrop of unrest, Associate Professor of Logistics Terry Esper, a recognized expert in "last-mile" logistics, shares his thoughts and professional insights about the tough conversations and safety considerations necessary to protect black delivery drivers.

It’s now on states to seek more information about nonprofit donors if they want it, after the IRS rolled back disclosure requirements. The language in the rules suggests states can require the donor information, but that would require additional state-level rules, according to Brian Mittendorf, the Fisher Designated Professor of Accounting.

As workplaces begin to re-open and safety jumps to the forefront, research by Fisher's John Gray and his colleagues shows that ensuring workplace safety doesn't necessarily equate to the long-term survival of a business. In fact, companies that provide safe workplaces are more likely to go out of business than those that do not. 

Apologies can be tricky, but combining a dose of gratitude with a gesture that costs you something can help smooth ruffled feelings. Says Fisher's Xiaoyan Deng: "By offering your appreciation for their contributions, you increase their self-esteem. That boost of self-esteem leads to higher levels of satisfaction.” 

As part of the “There’s a Better Way” podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Lynn Kelley, PhD and retired continuous improvement professional, who argues for the methods and effectiveness of turning competitors into collaborating teammates.

The stock market and the economy have been intertwined in the American psyche since the 1929 stock crash and the onset of the Great Depression. But stocks are not a reliable gauge of overall economic health, said Rene Stulz, the Everett D.

A forthcoming paper from Lu Zhang, the John W. Galbreath Chair and professor of finance, and his colleagues, details 130 years of unemployment rates in the U.S. as part of an examination of the impact of COVID-19 on the labor market.

A study by Ray Noe, the Robert and Anne Hoyt Designated Professor of Management and Human Resources at Fisher, and his colleagues discovered a link between informal learning, which is a common way employees pick up new skills that improve their job performance, and having fun at work.