Forefront

Warren Buffett has snubbed KBW’s Meyer Shields from participating in his annual conclave for years. Why? The answer may lie in a difference of investing philosophies. Lu Zhang, the John W. Galbreath Chair in Real Estate at Fisher, points out that Buffett’s stock picking is value-oriented, a countercyclical style that has been out of fashion for much of the past decade. “Ten years is just too short to suggest Buffett should change his strategy,” Zhang says. “Over the long term, Berkshire has beaten any index, any index, hands down.”

Extroverts are often seen as natural leaders in organizations. But a new study by Fisher's Jasmine Hu suggests that some leaders may have too much of a good thing. Researchers found that informal leaders were better liked and more sought after for advice when they hit a middle “sweet spot” on levels of assertiveness and warmth, two facets of extroversion. 

Selin Malkoc, a professor of marketing at Fisher, and her colleague discovered that when a leisure activity is planned, it’s less enjoyable than if it had taken place spontaneously: “It becomes a part of our to-do list. As an outcome, they [the activity] becomes less enjoyable," Malkoc said.

Retailers are now expecting supply chain companies to provide consumer-level speed, convenience and flexibility. Terry Esper, associate professor says that 67 percent of business buyers have switched vendors to get a more consumer-like experience, and in the days of Amazon, logistics matters more than it ever has.

What seemed like a clear-cut research project on the “secret sauce” behind the greatest teams in sports history has evolved into a multi-year endeavor and bestselling book for Sam Walker, a Wall Street Journal columnist and one-time editor. Walker, who served as the kickoff keynote at The Ohio State University Center for Operational Excellence’s seventh-annual Leading Through Excellence summit, talked about the biggest takeaways from his book – and where the project is taking him next. 

Each year, The Ohio State University Center for Operational Excellence brings together hundreds of process improvement leaders from across the country for a deep dive into leadership and problem-solving best practices at its Leading Through Excellence summit. Check out photos from the center's seventh summit this past April.

Used to making news on Capitol Hill as one of the most powerful lobbying groups, the National Rifle Association is instead making waves in courtrooms, where its troubled finances and a lengthening list of legal entanglements are taking center stage. Brian Mittendorf, the Fisher Designated Professorship in Accounting, has studied the group's finances and said it hasn’t been spending like it is in turmoil.

Lu Zhang, the John W. Galbreath Chair in Real Estate,  andhis research have challenged the status quo of traditional finance and have led to a better understanding of how assets are priced. He has also shown that many of the factors that investors rely on may not hold up as well as we think in the real world. He shares why that is and discusses his research into what drives stock returns.

While most literature finds that individuals lose on average from trading, a few studies show that some individuals consistently outperform the benchmarks. Research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, illustrates how much of an advantage familiarity with the stocks and industries can be.

Research by Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and his colleagues shows that the asset management industry is getting more concentrated. Share of U.S. stock ownership by institutions has increased from around five percent in 1980 to about 22 percent in 2015.

As part of the "There's a Better Way" podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Dr. David Rushlow, chief medical officer at Mayo Health Systems Southwest Wisconsin region and MBOE alumnus, about how adding 5-10 minute daily care team huddles has proven to be incredibly effective in improving performance in patient safety, quality and satisfaction.

Every day in the U.S., approximately nine people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Risk Institute at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business is working to bring those numbers down.

Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and his colleagues share their research into the effectiveness and accuracy of portfolio rankings.

According to research published in the Journal of Marketing by Rebecca Walker Reczek, the Dr. H. Lee "Buck" Mathews Professsorship in Marketing at Fisher and her colleagues, consumers are less likely to pick "ugly produce" because doing so negatively affects how they think about themselves. 

A study conducted by marketing PhD student Junha Kim and a colleague shows that when creative professionals or participants received criticism from a boss or a peer, they had a tendency to be hurt by that criticism, showing less creativity in what they produced next. However, if they received criticism from an employee who was lower on the totem pole than them, they became more creative.

Do investors behave rationally? Itzhak Ben-David, the Neil Klatskin Chair in Finance and Real Estate, and his colleagues examine why, despite three decades of research on mutual funds, it is unclear whether investors in mutual funds display rational behavior. 

Hilliard city leaders found  many people still don’t know how to use roundabouts. The leaders referenced research by the Risk Institute at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, which showed that when used properly roundabouts can save lives.

In coordination with Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Risk Institute announced several projects and research to help predict and curb the deadly behaviors, including a coordinated nationwide effort comprised of dozens of companies, government entities, and researchers seeking to combine the latest research with industry expertise.

Regret can be a powerful motivator if deployed properly. While lamenting every mistake is useless, research by Selin Malkoc suggests that at certain times it is useful.

Thanks to the popularity of delivery services like GrubHub, UberEats and Amazon Prime Now, consumers are influencing companies’ supply chain strategies whether they know it or not.

In his research, Vince Castillo, assistant professor of logistics at Fisher, examined how crowdsourced delivery is impacting the most important — and costly — aspect of the retail supply chain.

As part of the "There's a Better Way" podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Thomas Goldsby, professor of logistics and the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation Professor in Business at Fisher, about the retail revolution and how retailers aren't able to survive if they're not willing to adapt to new consumer demands.

Despite robust lending and record levels of private equity dry powder, capital is still hard to come by for many small and medium-sized businesses looking to expand. Around 200 participants from the business, legal and government communities around the Midwest developed recommendations

Alumnus Tim Keenan shares the motivation behind his generous commitment to creating The Ohio State University Tim and Kathleen Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship. 

Research by Grant Donnelly, assistant professor of marketing, suggests that simply telling colleagues "I don't have time" for their requests can make them feel less valued and less likely to trust you.

Why do some midsized companies in the U.S. grow faster than others? Tom Stewart, executive director of the National Center for the Middle Market, shares research into how companies are understanding their strong suits and playing their hands accordingly.