Forefront

Timing is everything with thematic ETFs, but this has not been ETF issuers’ strong suit. Many launches happen at the peak of a megatrend’s excitement in order to capture maximum attention. But this is also when the underlying holdings are at their most overvalued and can lead to significant underperformance after a theme has launched, according to research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, PhD candidate Byungwook Kim, and Francesco Franzoni.

Good causes aren’t always good for business. New research from Annibal Sodero, assistant professor of marketing and logistics, reveals how unpredictable variability associated with cause-related marketing can backfire on a brand.

"The stakes are high: errors in the supply chain could prevent a sovereign nation from defending itself from an invasion," says Assistant Professor of Marketing and Logistics Vince Castillo.

Rebecca Walker Reczek, the Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing, and Associate Professor of Marketing Selin Malkoc answer questions from Ohio State alumni about leisure time. Their takeaway? Revaluing leisure can pay big benefits.

As the war in Ukraine exacerbates the number of refugees displaced worldwide by military conflict, new research by Telesilla Kotsi, assistant professor of operations and business analytics, shines light on how humanitarian organizations can better understand the dynamics of in-kind vs. cash assistance for refugee populations.

Walmart has for two years offered inventory management (fulfillment) services for online sellers to streamline operations. Its implementation of Walmart Fulfillment Services centers on two key strategies says Assistant Professor of Marketing and Logistics Annibal Sodero.

A new paper from Fisher's Itzhak Ben-David and Byungwook Kim finds that most 'specialized ETFs' are poor investments, and it takes a crack at explaining why.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered an unprecedented outpouring of humanitarian and military aid. Protecting those supply chains is essential for delivering materiel to the frontlines, says Vince Castillo, an assistant professor of marketing and logistics and Iraq War veteran.

According to research from the National Center for the Middle Market, 90% of middle-market companies that sell or merge have “little or no previous experience” in mergers and acquisition. In contrast, private equity players are, by their very nature, M&A experts. Why does this matter? Because doing business successfully starts with building mutual trust and respect, especially for private equity leaders.

What factors are at play amid all of the companies divesting themselves from the Russian marketplace? Oded Shenkar, the Ford Motor Company Chair in Global Business Management, shares his perspective and insights gleaned from his research on the impact of national animosity and military conflict on business.

Research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and PhD student Byungwook Kim, finds that thematic ETFs have a poor record of returns despite their strategies’ appeal.

The research, conducted by Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing and Logistics David Norton, looked at whether all privacy notices used identical language -- and which, if any, language changed consumer behavior.

Privacy notices are everywhere online, but they’re not all the same. In his research, David Norton, clinical associate professor of marketing and logistics, reveals how privacy notices that are designed to reassure us about how our personal information is protected can sometimes backfire — with potentially costly results.

With its infrastructure, proximity to a large portion of the nation's population and a burgeoning manufacturing boom, experts, including Professor of Logistics Keely Croxton, say central Ohio can play a key role in untangling the global supply chain crunch.

As part of a forum hosted by the Columbus Metropolitan Club, Professor of Logistics Keely Croxton explains the "perfect storm" of events that has snarled supply chains across multiple industries as well as the advantages that Ohio has in shaping and alleviating some of the challenges. 

New research by Professor of Operations Aravind Chandrasekaran illustrates how collaboration within health care organizations can be measured — and how that collaboration can positively impact patient experience.

Mike Knemeyer, professor of logistics, defines supply chain choreography discusses what supply chain managers can learn from the approach Cirque du Soleil takes to create and deliver a new show, lessons for even the most experienced supply chain leader.

According to research by Bob Lount, chair of the Department of Management and Human Resources, and his colleagues, team negotiators may achieve higher joint gains when they first discuss superordinate goals that either team can’t achieve without the help of the other.

Cross-disciplinary research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, Research Assistant Byungwook Kim, Darren Roulstone, chair of Fisher's Department of Accounting and MIS, and Stanford's Hala Moussawi, explores how hard-to-value stocks provide opportunities for managers to exploit their informational advantage through trading on their firms’ and their own personal accounts. 

Research shows psychology plays a vital role when it comes to debt. Certain payment strategies can motivate us, while others keep us mired in debt. A study by Assistant Professor of Marketing Grant Donnelly shows paying off individual purchases can be more effective than focusing on minimum payments.

Many middle market companies are returning to pre-pandemic performance levels and predicting continued growth as the ongoing recovery of the middle market becomes more extensive. However, new challenges, such as supply chain disruption and finding skilled workers, have emerged as companies continue to evolve and respond to the pandemic, according to the 2021 Year End Middle Market Indicator.

Research from Associate Professor of Marketing Selin Malkoc shows that, in the long run, focusing on being productive all the time harms your mental health.

New research by Professor of Operations Aravind Chandrasekaran and his colleagues reveals the potential benefits that structured, formalized peer mentoring programs can have on patients’ post-operative recovery success.

Experienced older workers will retire eventually, but a new study by Associate Professor of Management and Human Resources Kaifeng Jiang suggests how employers may persuade some of them to stick around for a few more years.

Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate at Fisher, and his colleagues examined mutual fund flows spanning1991-2017 to determine if individuals are just naïve performance chasers, unaware of the financial literature, or whether they are sophisticated investors.