News

Jul 27, 2017

‘Game of Thrones’: This Computer Model Predicts Who Will Be Killed Off — or Survive

The "Fama-French Three-Factor Model" created by Kenneth French is referenced in an article about a new computer program that predicts which “Game of Thrones” characters will die. “Naturally, as all stock-market investors know, computer models are limited in their ability to understand an irrational world. Indeed the most widely followed ‘model’ for predicting stock-market returns, built by Eugene Fama and Kenneth French, is constantly being revised,” writes MarketWatch.
Jul 24, 2017

MBA Deans Share the Hardest Classes They Ever Took

Dean Matthew Slaughter reflects on his experience during “Producer and Consumer Theory” a class he took during his first year of graduate school at MIT. “My struggles that year helped build a lot of humility that (cue inspiring Tuck-mission music), over time, became confident humility and gave me a solid foundation for my future research and teaching.
Jul 24, 2017

Comic Book Success: The Rise of the Comic-Con Festival

Recent research by Eesha Sharma about discretionary spending for experiences is applied to the Comic-Con International Festival. “It's really difficult to substitute this year's comic con with next year's comic con,” quips Sharma.
Jul 12, 2017

Wal-Mart Will Punish Its Suppliers for Delivering Early

Santiago Gallino is quoted in an article about Wal-Mart’s “On-Time, In-Full’’ program which tightens the deadline for vendor deliveries through fines. “You end up in a situation of, ‘Who is to blame?” says Gallino. “It’s a tough discussion.”
Jul 12, 2017

Americans Are More Willing to Go into Debt for Experiences

Highlights new research by Eesha Sharma which finds that when consumers are deciding among optional purchases, they’re more likely to use credit to buy experiences. “We challenge the idea that people are more willing to go into debt for a longer lasting thing,” Sharma says.
Jul 06, 2017

Why It’s Not Always Good to Be Consistent

Sydney Finkelstein discusses how leaders can benefit from holding two or more opposing views at once. "It's how all of us think at times and recognizing this duality is a critical leadership skill," he says.

Jun 30, 2017

Are Central Bankers Twisted Geniuses, or Just Twisted?

Peter Fisher talks about over-interpretations by investors and misconstrued statements by policy makers. “Given the influence they have it’s hard to ignore them, but think hard about whether they’re talking to us [investors] or to each other," suggests Fisher.
Jun 30, 2017

The Magical Apple Spin-off That Almost Invented the iPhone…in 1993

Sydney Finkelstein explains how General Magic, an Apple Inc. spin-off, stacked the deck against itself. “The lesson is that who you take money from is one of the most momentous decisions you’ll ever make.”
Jun 30, 2017

Six Telltale Signs of a Toxic Boss

“Entrepreneurs who never give up any control, or fail to bring in professional managers, tend to blow up at some point,” Sydney Finkelstein opines. “Hubris never wins.”
Jun 30, 2017

Public Shaming of Big Companies Not as Big a Deal as You’d Think, but Not...

Leslie Robinson discusses a new working paper which looks at the effects of large-scale public disclosure of corporate tax information. Neither consumer sentiment nor stock price were significantly impacted by the mass public disclosure, even when it revealed that the companies were paying very little in taxes.

Jun 21, 2017

Five Leadership Habits All Great Bosses Share

Mentions Superbosses by Sydney Finkelstein in an article about tactics managers can use to help their employees grow. “Finkelstein found that the world’s most extraordinary bosses bring out untapped talents in their people,” writes Inc. “How do they this? By talking to their employees about their potential.”
Jun 21, 2017

Deans’ First Jobs: From Washing Dishes to Selling Hot Dogs

Dean Matthew Slaughter reflects on important business lessons learned during his first job at a miniature golf course. Slaughter enjoyed a front row seat to how empathetic design thinking is practiced thanks to the example of the course’s owner. “He forced us all to put on our empathy glasses,” says Slaughter.
Jun 19, 2017

Yet Another Crisis for Uber: Six Vacant Executive Jobs, and No Active CEO

“This is going to be a classic business school case study, there’s no question,” says Sydney Finkelstein of Uber’s current leadership structure.
Jun 19, 2017

The Decline of the Baronial C.E.O.

Dean Matthew Slaughter and Vijay Govindarajan discuss how the era of baronial chief executives is drawing to a close. “The C.E.O. with a big office, a tenure of 10 or 20 years, in a suit and tie, is becoming a thing of the past,” says Govindarajan.
Jun 15, 2017

Uber: 14 Bosses, One Corporate ‘Game of Thrones?’

“Having two people making joint leadership decisions is a big mistake for companies, but 14 is setting up a war for succession,” Finkelstein says, opinion on Uber’s leadership succession plans following the departure of CEO Travis Kalanick.
Jun 15, 2017

The ‘Exporting Jobs’ Canard

Dean Matthew Slaughter discusses how multinational hiring abroad doesn't come at the expense of U.S. workers. "Limit the ability of U.S. multinational companies to flourish abroad and you limit their ability to create high-paying jobs in America," says Slaughter.
Jun 15, 2017

What U.S. CEOs Can Learn from GM’s India Failure

Vijay Govindarajan offers five lessons for American CEOs based on GM’s sales failure in India. “Ceding what will soon be the most populous country on the planet to Asian and European competitors could have disastrous long-term consequences,” explains Govindarajan.
Jun 14, 2017

Creating a Culture of Innovation Starts with the Leader

Mentions Vijay Govindarajan in an article about creating environments where innovation can flourish.
Jun 14, 2017

Uber’s CEO is under fire. Can he hold onto his job?

Paul Argenti opines, "If Kalanick really wants to save the company, he has to get himself out. It's a fantastic organization with a tremendous idea and bad leadership."
Jun 09, 2017

New States Rights

John Vogel discusses tension between the States and the Federal Government over recent foreign affairs policy—namely the Paris Climate Accord.

Jun 09, 2017

Uber and Its CEO Try to Grow Up

Quotes Sydney Finkelstein about the reputation of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and the company's attempt to prove it can be a mature business.
Jun 09, 2017

Nordstrom Family Members Weigh Taking the Retailer Private

Anant Sundaram discusses how Nordstrom is considering going private following a decline in sales and a forecast of a sluggish year ahead.
Jun 06, 2017

Know Thine Enemy?

Mentions an essay written by Emily Blanchard published in the e-book “Economics and Policy in the Age of Trump." Blanchard discusses NAFTA and how trying to leave NAFTA—rather than renegotiate it—could be harmful.
Jun 04, 2017

Why Investors Shouldn’t Give Up on Momentum Investing

Cites data compiled by Kenneth French in an article about how the past decade hasn't been favorable to momentum-investing approaches.

May 27, 2017

Is Efficient-Market Theory Becoming More Efficient?

Mentions the three-factor model of investment returns that was introduced by Kenneth French and his colleague Eugene Fama, in an article challenging efficient-market theory.

May 18, 2017

Never Mind the Ferrari Showroom, Bank Regulators Say This a Poor Neighborhood

Quotes John Vogel in an article discussing the shortfalls of the Community Reinvestment Act, a roughly four-decade-old federal law designed to stop lending discrimination in low-income neighborhoods.

May 16, 2017

Cyber Attack Highlights Lack of Tech Skills in Finance Departments

Quotes Sean Joyce T’87, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Financial Crimes Unit leader, in an article discussing how the global cyber attacks that started last Friday have highlighted the lack of technological expertise at U.S. corporate finance departments.

May 13, 2017

Dinner Will Honor Young Upper Valley Leaders

Highlights Merritt Patridge T’13 as an honoree at this year’s Vital Communities’ Annual Heroes and Leaders Celebration. The event recognizes community members who have made significant positive impacts in the region.
May 11, 2017

Health Care Costs Are Bankrupting Us

An opinion piece co-authored by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch argues the importance of driving down health care costs and making them more predictable to reduce the financial insecurity many Americans are facing.

May 08, 2017

Restaurants with Low Yelp Ratings Suffer under Higher Minimum Wages

As a guest on NPR's "All Things Considered," Paul Wolfson discusses recent research that used Yelp reviews to examine how minimum wage increases in the San Francisco Bay Area have had an impact on the local restaurant industry.
May 08, 2017

Elite Athletes on Fast Track to Business School

A feature article about Next Step: Transition to Business, Tuck’s new executive education program aimed at military veterans and Olympic athletes, quotes Punam Anand Keller, associate dean for innovation and growth and the Charles Henry Jones Third Century Professor of Management.

May 07, 2017

Best & Brightest MBAs: Class of 2017

Tom Allin T’17 and Kiz Syed T’17 are featured on Poets and Quants “2017 Best & Brightest,” a list of 100 MBA graduates. Poets and Quants received 237 nominations for this year’s list from 63 full-time MBA programs which it invites to participate.

May 04, 2017

Stanford GSB Adcom Director to Lead Tuck Admissions

A feature article about Luke Anthony Peña, Tuck’s new executive director of Admissions and Financial Aid. Peña will be joining Tuck from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

May 04, 2017

The H-1B Visa Debate, Explained

Cites the paper “Immigrants Play a Key Role in STEM Fields,” co-authored by Dean Matthew Slaughter in an article discussing the complexity of the H-1B visa system in the U.S. and its subsequent challenges. Research by Slaughter found that while immigrants usually earn less than U.S. workers across most occupations, the difference tends to be smaller in STEM fields.
May 02, 2017

India: An Innovation Hub?

Quotes Vijay Govindarajan in an op-ed discussing whether India can move away from being a low-cost innovator, and become a hub for disruptive innovation. “The time for incremental change is over,” says Govindarajan.
May 01, 2017

Mnuchin to Wall Street: U.S. Is Serious About Ultra-Long Bonds

Quotes Peter Fisher in an article about discussions amongst the Trump administration and U.S. Treasury Department on whether to sell ultra-long bonds as a solution to fix the nation’s aging infrastructure and cut taxes.