Earnings statements can trigger reactions in a company’s supply chain
When good fortune smiles on a company, the stock market responds by valuing the firm more favorably. It’s well known that good news for one firm means other companies in the same industry will be affected as well. But a business professor at Washington University in St. Louis says we can also anticipate a predictable connection between news announcements of a company and its suppliers or customers.
Universities face a challenge when hawking innovations
Hundreds of technology-transfer offices have popped up on university campuses over the past 20 years to enable universities to facilitate the commercialization of innovations and discoveries pioneered by their professors. Licensing patents for the inventions is a commercial opportunity for universities, which hope to make money selling the intellectual property and to see faculty research make a tangible impact in the marketplace. While all the inventions might be equally genius, they aren’t all valued equally. The question for technology-transfer offices is: What will sell? A professor at the Olin School of Business found that the ease of selling intellectual property doesn’t necessarily depend on whether the innovation has received patent protection. More…
eBay auction items affiliated with a cause command higher prices, study shows
It’s long been assumed that people are willing to pay more for an item if they know a portion of the proceeds will go to charity. But do they really? Two professors from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis collected data from eBay auctions. They compared prices of items on eBay’s regular auction with items auctioned through its “Giving Works” program where sellers choose to donate part of their earnings to a non-profit of their choosing. They found out that buyers are willing to pay a 5 percent premium on average for those items linked to a cause. More…
Discovering a holiday discount to indulge in a present for yourself
December is the month when most people scramble to find gifts for their friends and family. In the process, many decide to treat themselves to a gift as well — especially when they notice that something they’ve wanted is now on “sale.” According to a business professor at Washington University in St. Louis, most people have an easier time justifying an indulgent purchase when there is the promise of saving money, especially when it is in the form of an unexpected discount or rebate. The catch is that frequently customers aren’t saving as much money as they might think. More…
Milton Friedman remembered as giant among 20th-century economists
Costas Azariadis, professor of economics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, comments on the passing of Milton Friedman, a path-breaking conservative economist who passed away Nov. 16 at age 94.
Social responsibility of business takes center stage in Danforth Lecture Series final installment
The fact that corporate leaders recognize their industries’ role in social responsibility is not new, but there are relatively few examples that clearly connect this failure to respond with negative changes. One of the best examples is the pharmaceutical giant Merck, which was led by P. Roy Vagelos during a pivotal era in the industry’s history. Vagelos will explore these examples in detail for his talk on “The Social Responsibility of Business” to be held at 4 p.m. Nov. 13 in Graham Chapel.
Sensor networks protect containers, navigate robots
Aristo, the Washington University robot, uses sensor networks to avoid simulated “fire” – red cups – while navigating near “safe” areas,which are blue cups.Agent 007 is a mighty versatile fellow, but he would have to take backseat to agents being trained at Washington University in St. Louis. Computer scientist engineers here are using wireless sensor networks that employ software agents that so far have been able to navigate a robot safely through a simulated fire and spot a simulated fire by seeking out heat. Once the agent locates the fire, it clones itself – try that, James Bond — creating a ring of software around the fire. A “fireman” can then communicate with this multifaceted agent through a personal digital assistant (PDA) and learn where the fire is and how intense it is. Should the fire expand, the agents clone again and maintain the ring – an entirely different “ring of fire.” More…
Business school students work out plan for biofuels in undeveloped countries
Photo courtesy R. K. Henning and D1 Oils; www.jatropha.orgJatropha plantsDuring a practicum for the World Agricultural Forum, Washington University M.B.A. students realized that using ethanol as an alternative fuel in developing countries isn’t cost effective. Instead, they stumbled upon the jatropha plant, a hardy shrub with seeds that can easily produce oil to power basic generators. The students’ work demonstrated the potential for economic stability that jatropha could offer small villages. More…
Firstborns under the right circumstances more likely to be creative
Expectant parents eagerly await the arrival of their bundle of joy, hoping that they will have the most beautiful and intelligent baby in the world. While parents might not have direct control over brains and looks, new research from a business professor at Washington University in St. Louis finds that parents can influence their firstborn’s creativity. More…
The Olin Cup business competition allows populace participation in judging semi-finalists
The Olin Cup Competition, the annual business formation contest at Washington University in St. Louis, is taking the contest to the people. On Thursday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m., fourteen semi-finalists will present their business proposals in an “elevator pitch” first to a panelist of judges and then for an audience. Audience members will then vote on which pitch should win.
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