Business News

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President Clinton's recent six-nation tour of Africa sets the stage for a new relationship between the United States and the continent, says a Ball State University educator.

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If 1997 was any indication, Purdue Agriculture's May graduates should fare well in the job market. Placement was strong and salaries up for May 1997 graduates, according to an annual placement survey.

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While most human resource departments are streamlining their operations, HR units often lack adequate budgets and clout to achieve optimum solutions to their information technology needs, according to a report issued today by The Conference Board.

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Think you might be paid less than your co-workers who do the same job? Looking for a new job on account of it? In situations such as these, says a management expert at the University of Illinois at Chicago, race and sex matter. Studies by Maryann Albrecht found that men of color and women of all races perceive they are paid less than people who do the same work at the same company.

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Responding to the rapid changes taking place in the energy industry, including the development of a deregulated, competitive electricity market, the University of Texas-Austin and Enron have teamed up to launch the nation's first Energy Finance program today.

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Boston College has joined Peking University in Bejing, China, and 24 other American business schools in creating the Bejing International Management Center, it was announced today by John J. Neuhauser, the dean of Boston College's Carroll School of Management.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Federal regulations that say employers must provide toilet facilities for their workers also mean that workers must be permitted to use the bathroom when they need to at work, according to new guidelines issued this week by regulators to clarify an issue that two University of Iowa professors raised with OSHA and have been closely watching.

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Technology education is no longer the domain of trade schools and correspondence courses, according to Ronald J. Burkhardt, director of student services for Purdue University's School of Technology. "A college degree really does make a difference in this field," Burkhardt explains. "And a Purdue degree carries a lot of weight with employers."

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Today's business leaders can benefit by following some of the practical lessons taught by Jesus, according to Charles C. Manz, professor of business leadership at the University of Massachusetts and author of the new book "The Leadership Wisdom of Jesus."

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For the second time in just over two years, two Simon School professors in computers and information systems have won top honors from their peers and computer industry professionals. Rajiv M. Dewan and Abraham Seidmann have won the 1998 HICSS award for the best research paper in the Collaboration Systems and Technology Track.

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The euro is emerging as a strong and stable currency that will increase its relative parity with the U.S. dollar, according to an analysis released today by The Conference Board.

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-As one of the smallest and youngest top-tier business schools in the country, the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration is nevertheless a pioneer in M.B.A. education, as evidenced by the School's top-25 placement in U.S. News and World Report's 1998 business school rankings. This standing, coupled with a continuing increase in recruitment activity and corporate recognition of School programs, has made Simon a front-runner in meeting today's growing demand for well-trained M.B.A. graduates.

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Statement from Joe F. Colvin, president and chief executive officer Nuclear Energy Institute in response to Department of Energy Secretary Federico PeÃ’a's resignation

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AT&T, American Express, Chevron, Coca-Cola and Disney are among the "Dow 30" stocks that can expect to report earnings that will exceed analysts' expectations for the next quarter, according to Dr. Lawrence Brown, a Georgia State University professor.

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Using the equity in their home as a source of income is a viable option that many older homeowners may be overlooking, according to a Purdue University expert. Reverse mortgages allow older people to borrow the equity they have in their home. But unlike a traditional home-equity loan, the money borrowed is not repaid in monthly installments. Instead, the homeowners remain in their house and receive income until they die or the loan is terminated.

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For today's entrepreneur, electronic commerce may well be a deciding factor in the company's future.

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After thorough deliberation, the judges in the final round of the NASDAQ-SDSU International Student Business Plan Competition chose the team from the University of Georgia as the $10,000 Grand Prize winner.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Accountants who can write? ... In proper, readable English? Some would say that's as likely as having the Internal Revenue Service offer refunds for poor customer service. But turning out future accountants with communications skills that are as well developed as their bookkeeping prowess is an increasingly important goal of the Department of Accounting at the University of Iowa College of Business Administration.

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Cornell Law professor Fred McChesney exposes a political phenomenon that pays congressmen for legislative inactivity in his new book, "Money for Nothing: Politicians, Rent Extraction, and Political Extortion"

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Young men who jump from one job to another in their early years after school don't seem to be hurting their later wages, a new national study suggests. If anything, men who stay in their first occupation or industry may earn 5 to 7 percent less than their peers.who have moved on, according to the results.

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Within the next few years, many consumers across the country will have the opportunity to choose their electric utility just like they choose their long-distance phone service. And, for most people, that will mean lower prices, says an Ohio State University expert.

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Development Dimensions International Inc., an international human resource consulting firm, is giving a $125,000 grant to the Center for Chinese Business at West Virginia University to hold workshops in China and sponsor one Chinese participant per year for three years in the Shanghai Municipal Government Executive Education Program in Morgantown.

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A hybrid master's program in finance and science at Purdue University could put physicists to work on Wall Street and has caught the attention of financial firms. Purdue's computational finance program is the first to include physics in an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to produce graduates who combine high-level calculation skills with an understanding of business and finance.

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When does an idea belong to an employee and when can a company claim incubation rights? Richard Mason, the incoming director of SMU's Maguire Ethics Center and current distinguished professor in MIS at SMU's Cox School of Business, tackles this issue. Using the case of Brown v. DSC Communications, Mason discusses questions including who owns intellectual property and where is the line between ideas created at work and those created on personal time.

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The bottom line is this - life is negotiation." However, research shows that less 50% of people don't negotiate their salary. In a new soon-to-be- published book by Dr. Robin Pinkley of Southern Methodist University and her partner, Gregory Norhtcraft of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the authors help professionals redefine the negotiation playing field. Entitled "Turning Lead to Gold: The Experts Guide to Negotiating Salary & Compensation," this innovative book shows how the professional who fails to successfully negotiate his/her salary shorts themself by literally millions over the life of a career.

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A new paper issued by Resources for the Future looks at a variety of factors that may influence the rate at which state legislators and regulators move toward establishing retail competition among electricity suppliers. Researchers find that legislators are more likely to have considered adopting retail wheeling if consumers have much to gain from lower prices, or prices differ substantially from those in neighboring states.

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Shoppers buy more if they see a supermarket display that advertises a specific purchase quantity number, such as ì3 for $3.00,î or ìLimit 12 cans per person.î By varying the displays in 89 supermarkets in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Iowa, it was discovered that numerical displays increased the sales of some products by over 100%.

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Your employer unjustly accuses you of stealing $50 from the office coffee fund. You are able to prove your innocence, but your employer fires you anyway. Can your boss legally do this? If, like most non-union employees, you do not have a specific ìjust-causeî employment contract, the answer is: Yes. A survey conducted by a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis uncovered that an overwhelming majority of employees erroneously believe they are legally protected against being unjustly or arbitrarily discharged.

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The Clinton Administration is missing a key tool in its efforts to chart a strong energy future, namely a strategy to maintain a viable nuclear energy program.

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Business call center budgets are growing by 12 percent per year, salaries are on the rise, and employee turnover is down, according to a Purdue University study.

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Twenty university-level student teams from around the world (including one each from Russia, Ecuador, Mexico and South Africa) will compete for the $10,000 top prize in the Ninth Annual NASDAQ-SDSU International Student Business Plan Competition hosted by San Diego State University's Entrepreneurial Management Center. The forum provides students with the experience of pitching their business concept to seasoned professionals in a way that mirrors real life. Students gain invaluable input and business contacts they likely would not have made on their own.

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St. John's University (NY) Establishes Financial Services Institute which will prepare men and women for careers in the global financial services sector as well as expand the knowledge and skills of individuals already working in the industry.

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ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and the Ministry of Labour of The Peopleís Republic of China have agreed on a program of joint assessment of boiler and pressure vessel manufacturers.

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A new book released by Resources for the Future (RFF) documents the progress made in controlling pollution in the U.S. over the last two decades but also finds that there are many unaddressed problems and a pressing need for a major overhaul of the regulatory system. The 336-page book, "Pollution Control in the United States: Evaluating the System," is the culmination of a three-year investigation by RFF's J. Clarence (Terry) Davies and Jan Mazurek. It is the most balanced and comprehensive review to date of the successes and failures of U.S. environmental laws.

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Babson faculty delivered customized exxecutive programs to Colonia Insurance, DunkinDonuts, LIMRA, Olsten Health Services, Petroleos de Venezuela, and Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme.

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Even accountants are confused by the burgeoning tax code and its '97 Taxpayer Relief Act. BYU's Fred Streuling, head of a national CPA Tax Simplification Committee, lightheartedly attacks the new law - "It's a slap in the face" - and warns that some of its promised tax breaks are not all they seem.

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Baltimore Gas and Electric to replace steam generators at its two-unit nuclear power plant and continue to seek renewal of operating licenses for an additional 20 years.

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"Run, don't walk, to the patent office" and "go national tomorrow" was the advice from the judges to the winner of the 1998 Burton Morgan Entrepreneurial Competition at Purdue University. They were talking about a school locker for disabled students that was the big winner at the 11th annual competition. Eleven teams presented business and marketing plans along with product prototypes to a panel of judges during the final round of competition Saturday (2/28).

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The MBA in International Marketing and Finance (MBA/IMF) offered by DePaul's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in Chicago combines classroom instruction in international finance and marketing with lengthy business internships at multinational firms around the world. "It's an international marketplace today, and business education must reflect this," said Ashok Batavia, director of the MBA/IMF program.

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A national sporting goods company's pitch to a West Virginia University faculty member may become a hit with youth baseball and softball players-in-training.

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In response to environmental challenges to reduce vehicle weight, the steel industry unveils the UltraLight Steel Auto Body, a four-year, $22 million investment in the future.

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West Virginia University has formed a partnership with the nation's largest supplier of information management software to provide the school's financial and human resources management database system.

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The formula for finding a good lawyer isn't much different from the approaches most consumers use to find a good mechanic, contractor or plumber. Here's some consumer advice on how to spot the legal eagles from the turkeys.

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This monthly electronic broadcast is designed to keep you up-to-date on happenings at the Babson School of Executive Education, a provider of management development programs to clients around the world. Last month the School delivered custom executive programs to Atlantic Data Services, Pitney Bowes, Schwan's Sales Enterprises and Siemens Nixdorf.

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Investors seeking to understand high finance should examine haute couture because finance and fashion styles are often cut from the same cloth, says a Bucknell finance professor.

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Land use is a confusing and volatile issue in the Hoosier state in the '90s.

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On-line resources to assist reporters in covering Steve Hanke, the Johns Hopkins University economist who is advising Indonesian president Suharto on implementing a currency board.

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The corporate practice of managing earnings by carefully timing the sale of investment securities leads analysts to overvalue a company's common stock, says Eric Hirst, an accounting professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Employer market power can be a major force for promoting quality and value of health care for Americans, according to a new report by the federal government's Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR).

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For parents who are saving up to fund their childrenπs college educations, yesterdayπs savings strategies may not be best in light of new tax laws that went into effect this year, according to an expert from the University of Missouri-Columbia.