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Released: 23-Dec-2009 8:00 AM EST
Internet Usage Grows Fast among Latinos Who Want to Know “Que Pasa” with Friends and Family
QuePasa Corporation

According to a new survey from the Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Latino adults are increasing their use of the Internet faster than other ethnic groups.

Released: 18-Dec-2009 2:00 PM EST
States and Economic Freedom to Benefit From Natural Resources
Florida State University

States with small governments, low taxes and labor market freedom enjoy greater benefits from natural resource development than states with large and intrusive government policies, according to a new study by a Florida State University researcher.

Released: 18-Dec-2009 10:30 AM EST
Investing In Troubled Times? Best To Bet On Entrepreneurs
Babson College

Studied over an extended period of time, publicly traded stocks of companies led by entrepreneurs consistently outperform non-entrepreneurs by a wide margin, according to research by Babson Associate Professor Joel M. Shulman published in the November issue of The Investment Professional.

Released: 16-Dec-2009 9:00 AM EST
New Survey Shows Americans Look to Business to Improve Country’s Health
Edelman PR, NYC

As the healthcare reform debate continues, legislators and businesspeople alike might be surprised to learn that Americans are looking not only to government but also to business to improve our nation’s health, even beyond employee wellness efforts. People are more likely to purchase from, recommend, and invest in companies that act on health issues—creating a compelling case for businesses to step up their efforts.

   
14-Dec-2009 11:05 AM EST
Health Care Spending Spurs Economic Growth
North Carolina State University

As the national discussion of health care focuses on costs, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that it might be more accurate to think of health care spending as an investment that can spur economic growth. The study also shows that government projections of health care costs and financing may be unduly pessimistic.

   
Released: 14-Dec-2009 4:00 PM EST
Business Law Professor Offers Commentary on Siemens – The Year After the Bribery Scandal
Butler University

One year ago this week, Siemens (a global powerhouse in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors) agreed to pay $800 million in combined U.S. fines and penalties to settle Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) charges for a pattern of bribery the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) termed “unprecedented in scale and geographic scope.” The charged conduct involved improper payments to obtain or retain (among other business) transportation, telecommunication, energy and health sector contracts in (among other places) Argentina, China, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and Venezuela.

Released: 14-Dec-2009 12:15 PM EST
'Tis the Season for Temporary Hiring
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Each holiday season, employers traditionally hire temporary staff in preparation for what they hope will be a busy and prosperous Christmas season. This year, though, the sluggish economy has chipped away at seasonal positions.

Released: 11-Dec-2009 8:00 PM EST
Economist Says the Great Moderation Is Not Over; Technology Is Key to Economic Stability
Washington University in St. Louis

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke coined the phrase "the Great Moderation" back in 2004 to refer to the relative stability of the U.S. economy over the previous two decades. Many believe "The Great Recession" of the past two years has jolted the economy out of its moderate mode and back into a state of high volatility. Washington University in St. Louis economist James Morley disagrees. He argues the Great Moderation is alive and well and will help the economy recovery from this latest financial shock.

Released: 10-Dec-2009 10:00 AM EST
Action on Climate Change Compatible with Long-Term U.S. Economic Growth
RTI International

Measures being proposed by the U.S. Climate Action Partnership to curb greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to affect potential long-term economic growth in the United States, according to a study by RTI International.

Released: 9-Dec-2009 3:55 PM EST
Creating Jobs with University-Based Research Parks and Incubators
University of Maryland, College Park

Changes in federal policy can increase the effectiveness of a key national asset in job creation: university-based research parks and technology incubators, according to U.S. Senate testimony today by Brian Darmody, president of the Association of University Research Parks and a University of Maryland associate vice president. He offered a 5-point plan.

Released: 9-Dec-2009 10:00 AM EST
Dropping Consumer Debt Stress is Good News for Holiday Shopping Season
Ohio State University

Retailers have reason for good cheer during the last weeks of this holiday shopping season: Americans continued to feel less stress about their debts in November, according to a new survey.

Released: 8-Dec-2009 3:15 PM EST
Research Finds That Even After the Bubble, Real Estate Remains Part of a Strong Portfolio
University of Iowa

Home prices have been in a funk since 2006, but a new study by University of Iowa researchers shows that real estate is still an important part of a diversified and stable long-term investment portfolio, even after the bubble burst.

Released: 7-Dec-2009 4:35 PM EST
New Book Explores U.S. Passenger Rail
Northern Michigan University

James McCommons, a Northern Michigan University English professor and writer, spent a year riding the rails and conducting interviews for a new book on passenger rail service in the United States.

Released: 7-Dec-2009 7:00 AM EST
Don’t Worry, be Angry – Marketing Study Shows Angry Negotiators Walk Out with a Better Deal
University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business

Professor Teck-Hua Ho’s wife loved a particular painting and wanted to buy it. Ho advised her not to appear excited – to disguise her emotions – in front of the salesperson. After an hour or so, Ho walked out of the store with the $380 painting – for only $120. Negotiation, Ho knows, is an art, too. In new research conducted with Assistant Professor Eduardo Andrade, Ho finds deflating – or inflating – one’s emotions can be a winning strategy.

Released: 3-Dec-2009 8:30 PM EST
Severity of Injury, Not Legal Fees, Drives Cost of Workers' Compensation
University of Illinois Chicago

The severity of injury and level of impairment -- not the workers' legal fees -- have the most effect on payout for workers' compensation claims among Illinois construction workers, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health have found.

Released: 3-Dec-2009 3:00 PM EST
NBC and Comcast: Dangerous for Competitors and Consumers?
Saint Joseph's University

The announced deal between General Electric Corp. and Comcast Corp., giving the cable provider majority ownership of NBC-Universal, raises many intriguing questions for the new partners, competitors and consumers. Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia) professors Claire Simmers, Ph.D., and Jim Caccamo, Ph.D., see multiple layers of promise and pitfalls from the acquisition.

 
Released: 3-Dec-2009 3:00 PM EST
NBC and Comcast: Dangerous for Competitors and Consumers?
Saint Joseph's University

The announced deal between General Electric Corp. and Comcast Corp., giving the cable provider majority ownership of NBC-Universal, raises many intriguing questions for the new partners, competitors and consumers. Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia) professors Claire Simmers, Ph.D., and Jim Caccamo, Ph.D., see multiple layers of promise and pitfalls from the acquisition.

 
Released: 3-Dec-2009 2:15 PM EST
IEM Opens Congressional Control Prediction Market for 2010 Elections
University of Iowa

The Iowa Electronic Markets has opened a Congressional control prediction market, giving traders the opportunity to predict the party alignment of Congress after next year's mid-term elections.

Released: 3-Dec-2009 6:50 AM EST
To Avoid Foreclosure, Homeowners and Banks Must Harness 21st-Century Technology Says Home Loan Expert
We Save Homes

Nearly 60 percent of the 375,000 borrowers who qualify to have their loan modifications completed by the end of 2009 have either submitted incomplete paperwork or none at all. Technology may be needed to help curb this problem.

Released: 1-Dec-2009 12:00 PM EST
Double Dip Recession a Possibility for Mid-America Region
Creighton University

The November Business Conditions Index for the Mid-America region, a leading economic indicator from a survey of supply managers in a nine-state area, slumped to its lowest level since May of this year.

Released: 1-Dec-2009 10:30 AM EST
Student-Run Investment Club Weathers Poor Economy
Moravian College

Even after the stock market plunged in 2008, Moravian College's student-run, Amrhein Fund's losses were not catastrophic, unlike many college endowment funds.

Released: 30-Nov-2009 12:00 AM EST
Leading Index for Indiana Edges Up for October, but Is Seen as Anemic Improvement
Indiana University

The Leading Index for Indiana (LII) for October edged up from the month before, due largely to the relatively large up-tick in the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) and a rise in the value of unfilled orders in the auto sector. Additional evidence from the auto industry shows a sector still in the doldrums.

Released: 25-Nov-2009 2:15 PM EST
Message Gone Viral? Blame It on Altruistic, Yet Image-conscious Internet 'e-mavens'
Toronto Metropolitan University

Why do some online ad campaigns go viral while other online marketing messages gather “cyber-dust” on the information superhighway? The key may lie in the motivation of Internet users to email that content to their social network, say researchers from Ryerson University and Simon Fraser University.

Released: 23-Nov-2009 3:00 PM EST
2009 Holiday Discounts Won’t be as Deep Or Numerous, Say UAB Experts
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Retail experts in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Business are forecasting fewer deep discounts this holiday shopping season and encouraging value seekers to hit their favorite stores early.

Released: 19-Nov-2009 4:30 PM EST
Economics Professor Says Businesses Should Remain Cautious until Recession is Over
Butler University

Butler University Economics Professor Bill Rieber says while we're seeing some positive indications the recession is over, many uncertainties remain. Rieber offers tips for businesses on how to approach this uncertain economic time.

Released: 18-Nov-2009 4:00 PM EST
Debt Stress Drops for Third Straight Month, Survey Finds
Ohio State University

While American consumers still worry about the amount of money they owe, a new survey shows their level of stress concerning debts has declined for a third straight month.

Released: 18-Nov-2009 3:15 PM EST
New Study on Retail Discounting: What Works for Some Products Might be a Bust for Others
Indiana University

Retailers beware. Some tried-and-true discounting tactics for pepping up holiday season sales can be a boon for some products -- but a bust for others.

Released: 18-Nov-2009 10:15 AM EST
Graduate Student's Research Could Influence Taste Of Ice Cream, Other Foods Available In the U.S.
Kansas State University

Thompson said that if manufacturers can borrow the traits of Italian gelato and make the flavors of a product true to what they're calling it, that can make a huge difference in the product's success.

Released: 17-Nov-2009 11:00 PM EST
Pig Out More at Thanksgiving and You May Shop Less
University of Utah

A University of Utah study suggests how eating a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and mashed potatoes makes consumers less likely to buy on impulse, which might affect their shopping on Black Friday.

Released: 17-Nov-2009 10:40 AM EST
Managers Are Key to Healthier, More Satisfied Employees
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Managers trained in family supportive behaviors see benefits in lower turnover, greater productivity and less stressed employees.

Released: 16-Nov-2009 3:30 PM EST
Study Identifies Causes of Executive Turnover after M&As
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Pre-merger performance and the nature of merger negotiations are among the key indicators of long-term leadership instability in target companies following mergers and acquisitions, according to a Virginia Commonwealth University study in the Journal of Business Strategy.

Released: 12-Nov-2009 7:45 PM EST
GM Reports Third Quarter Results Nov. 16; Expert Tells Auto Industry to Proceed with Caution
Washington University in St. Louis

U.S. auto sales in October equaled an annualized rate of 10 million vehicles. That’s a steep drop from the 17 million cars sold each year from 1991-2007. Not even a robust recovery from the recession is expected to boost sales near previous highs. Bailouts, bankruptcies and cash for clunkers have helped keep the industry afloat this year. Yet, the reality of too many factories and workers remains as demand continues to dip. Supply chain expert Panos Kouvelis says auto makers need to keep the brakes on production and proceed with caution.

Released: 12-Nov-2009 8:00 AM EST
Sales Expert and Bestselling Author Available to Discuss Growth Tips for the Business Year Ahead
American Toner Service

As we see the economy beginning to take a positive turn, many small business leaders are looking for sound advice to help their company weather what we hope are the recession’s final stormy months.

Released: 11-Nov-2009 11:00 AM EST
New Logistics Model Improves Forecast Accuracy of Retail and Packaged-Goods Orders
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Whether it’s dog food or iPods, tires or televisions, virtually every consumer has endured a frustrating out-of-stock experience. Retailers hate it as much as customers, perhaps more, because they lose money and credibility. Examining this problem at a specific link – suppliers and distribution centers – in the retail and consumer-packaged goods supply chain, a logistics researcher at the University of Arkansas and his colleague discovered that application of a common error-correction model improves the accuracy of forecasting orders.

Released: 10-Nov-2009 2:25 PM EST
National Survey Reveals That 43% of Early-stage and Seed Funding Organizations Raised New Money in the Last 12 Months
Temple University

The Fox School of Business at Temple University and the National Association of Seed Venture Funds (NASVF) have released a new survey indicating that about half of the organizations polled reported that 25 percent of their portfolio is in-loss.

Released: 10-Nov-2009 7:00 AM EST
Economists Find Predicting Another Severe Global Financial Crisis Is Nearly Impossible
University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business

The 2008 financial crisis prompted a renewed interest among economists to construct an “early warning system” but a new study concludes that out of 65 potential causes of a global economic meltdown, few factors would have predicted the severity of the crisis across a multitude of countries.

Released: 6-Nov-2009 4:10 PM EST
Workplace Aggression Expert Cautions Employers to Look For ‘Hostile Attribution Style’ When Laying Off Employees
University of New Hampshire

As the economic downturn forces more companies to lay off workers, a workplace aggression expert at the University of New Hampshire cautions employers about what to do and not do when breaking bad news to employees and to be watchful for employees who exhibit a “hostile attribution style.”

Released: 6-Nov-2009 2:05 PM EST
Experts Available to Discuss November Economic Indicators
University of Southern California (USC)

USC Marshall School of Business faculty experts are available to comment on current economic news, including extension of unemployment benefits and homebuyer tax credits as well as November economic indicators (such as retail, employment and housing numbers) as well as consumer confidence and the effects of government initiatives.

Released: 5-Nov-2009 1:00 AM EST
Economists Forecast for 2010 Looks Better, Relative to This Year
Indiana University

Indiana University economists presenting their annual forecast today (Nov. 5) are confident that 2010 is going to be better than this year. Unfortunately, 2009 was "really, really awful."

Released: 3-Nov-2009 2:25 PM EST
Payday Lending Associated With Neighborhood Crime Rates
George Washington University

The new study calls for Congressional action to cap payday lender interest rates at 36 percent.

   
Released: 2-Nov-2009 8:00 AM EST
Social Networks Thrive By Linking
Virginia Tech

"Reaching out, not building walls" is an apt description of the core competitive strategy of firms in the social networking services industry, as new research by Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business professors shows.

   
Released: 27-Oct-2009 3:30 PM EDT
Fewer Than 1 in 3 Congregations Report Drop in Giving
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Results of new study of about 1,500 congregations, mostly Protestant, show almost 37 percent reported an increase in fundraising for the first half of 2009 over 2008; 34 percent reported receipts stayed the same; nearly 30 percent experienced a decrease.

Released: 27-Oct-2009 8:30 AM EDT
Angel Investor Market Declines in First Half of 2009
University of New Hampshire

Angel investors pulled back in the first half of 2009, although the overall market experienced a slight increase in the number of investments, according to the Angel Market Analysis for the first and second quarters of 2009 released by the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire.

Released: 26-Oct-2009 9:00 AM EDT
Bank of America Implicated in a Fourth Ponzi Scheme
Berk Law

A Complaint filed October 22, 2009 in Federal District Court in Tampa, Florida alleges that Bank of America was at the center of yet another Ponzi scheme. The operator of this scheme, 27 year-old Beau Diamond, defrauded hundreds of investors from Florida and around the country of at least $37 million. He claimed to be an experienced trader in off exchange foreign currencies. In truth, he had no such experience and was not registered to sell securities or trade foreign currencies for others.

Released: 23-Oct-2009 11:25 AM EDT
Finance Expert: Why ‘Zombie’ Stocks Don’t Spook Some Traders
Wake Forest University

Sherry Jarrell, who teaches a graduate-level class on investments and portfolio management in the Wake Forest University Schools of Business, says some traders just naturally seek risk. The SEC shouldn't block them from trading "zombie" stocks, she says.

Released: 23-Oct-2009 10:00 AM EDT
College Grads Get Failing Grade in Professionalism
Dick Jones Communications

A nationwide survey of HR pros and business leaders—those who make final hiring decisions—shows that personal professionalism matters most when deciding whether to extend a job offer. And a lot of college grads are failing that test.

Released: 22-Oct-2009 1:45 PM EDT
Douglass North Speaks Out on 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics
Washington University in St. Louis

The 2009 Nobel Memorial prize in economics drew attention to a new approach to economics and criticism from traditionalists. "A lot of people were horrified that it was the first time a political scientist got the prize," says Douglass C. North in a video interview on the 2009 Nobel prize in economics.

Released: 21-Oct-2009 3:55 PM EDT
Longer Restyling Cycles Explain U.S. Auto Industry’s Loss of Market Share
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

A failure to introduce new products at the same rate as foreign manufacturers explains the dwindling market share of United States auto companies, according to a new Virginia Commonwealth University study to be published in the Journal of Business Research.

Released: 21-Oct-2009 9:00 AM EDT
20th Annual Conference on Financial Reporting: “Facing the Challenging Economic and Reporting Environment”
University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business

Financial accounting and corporate reporting have never been so challenging as in today’s business and regulatory environment. The annual conference on financial reporting, presented by the Center for Financial Reporting and Management at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, provides preparers and users of financial statements with a comprehensive examination of current trends and issues.

Released: 20-Oct-2009 4:20 PM EDT
Consumers Fail to Distinguish Between Licensing Agreements and Seals of Approval
Washington and Lee University

Although Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, are not necessarily intended to constitute an endorsement of the brand by the participating nonprofit organization, consumers may perceive them in the way. Two common types of CSR initiatives (licensing associations and cause-related marketing) were studied, and the authors conclude that both may be seen by consumers as explicit seals of approval.



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