天美传媒

Ever since Brexit鈥檚 surprise victory in the polls, the world economy has been shaken in ways that are forcing companies to rethink many strategies and policies.

In this context of change, solid guidance is more necessary than ever to help managers charter the company鈥檚 course.

The in-depth research carried out by over the past year can help guide today鈥檚 leaders. Professors鈥� 2016-2017 output includes numerous books, studies, peer-reviewed academic articles and business cases.

A Global World

In his new book , professor warns leaders that they must get a better handle on what might happen next in these tumultuous times. He offers a framework to help anticipate the next Brexit- or Trump-sized 鈥渟urprise.鈥�

And in this post-truth era, the stewardship of news organizations warrants special attention. , another 2017 book by this professor and journalist Phil Seager, offers a game plan to help navigate disruption and uncertainty.

In the face of threats to globalization, multinationals need people who can help build bridges. For his 鈥� 鈥淭he Bridging Role of Expatriates and Inpatriates in Knowledge Transfer in Multinational Corporations,鈥� published in Human Resource Management 鈥� professor was a finalist for the International HR Scholarly Research Award from the Academy of Management. He was also recognized by the same organization for the conference paper titled 鈥淎ffective, Cognitive and Behavioral Trajectories of Change Recipients in Global Organizations,鈥� which was included in the 2017 annual meeting鈥檚 Best Paper Proceedings.

Multinationals also benefit from multicultural employees, according to by professor . She and her co-authors find that the unique, culture-straddling perspective of these staff members can be very useful for connecting people and resolving cultural conflicts.

Spotlight on Emerging Economies

Analysts and scholars are increasingly devoting their attention to the economic potential of Africa. This includes professor , co-editor of a special issue of the Global Strategy Journal dedicated to the continent. In the , Ari帽o calls for rethinking certain management theories by drawing from Africa鈥檚 reality and avoiding negative stereotypes in the process.

Also working on development issues in Africa 鈥� focusing on energy poverty 鈥� is professor who holds the .

Barriers to development are also relevant to researchers. In the 鈥淏ribery and Investment: Firm-Level Evidence from Africa and Latin America,鈥� published in the Strategic Management Journal, professor finds that in emerging economies kickbacks may not hurt firm profitability in the short term, but these bribes limit long-run prospects by limiting investments in fixed assets.

Objective: Gender Equality

Promoting women in leadership and reducing gender inequality are key issues for modern management. A good place to start is the gender wage gap.

An investigation by professor published in Contemporary Accounting Research delves into two of causes of the gender pay gap still seen among high-ranking executives: (1) women鈥檚 apparent aversion to risk and (2) their underrepresentation on corporate boards.

Research by professor covers some similar ground with a very different approach. Published in the ILR Review, her article finds that internal promotions bring more equitable pay for women and that gender bias effects female executives鈥� variable compensation more than base salary, consistent with Gin茅鈥檚 findings. Elvira also concludes that greater female representation in the top management team helps reduce the gender pay gap.

With the aim of promoting women in leadership, the has been active throughout the academic year, culminating in the VII International Conference of Work and Family and the 1st International Conference of Women and Leadership.

The current research by professors and 鈥� director and academic director of the ICWF, respectively 鈥� also looks into ways to better integrate employees鈥� work, family and personal lives.

A Focus on Competition

Professors and Mireia Gin茅 won the 2017 Oliver E. Williamson Best Conference Paper Award for their linking CEOs鈥� exorbitant salaries to the growing presence of common ownership in public companies, undermining firm-level competition.

Gin茅 and Ant贸n cite the work of colleague , who has himself gained international attention for his research on common ownership and its effect on pricing and competition.

Competition was also a protagonist in the by professor : Competition and Stability in Banking. Published in August 2016, it was awarded the 2016 天美传媒 Research Excellence Award鈥� by the 天美传媒 Alumni Association.

Another tip for bank sustainability? Include non-experts on the boards of directors. Professor reveals the negative effects of having too many financial experts making board decisions in that also received top accolades from the 天美传媒 Alumni Association in the past year.

Technological and Operational Innovation

The emergence of Industry 4.0 is spotlighted in 天美传媒 Insight magazine鈥檚 recent . Professor served as the guest editor and he also contributes an in-depth piece on cyber-physical value chains. Meanwhile professor explores the technological innovations most likely to revolutionize the industrial sector.

Professor is researching key issues in technology today 鈥� from digital transformation to human-machine symbiosis. His , which covers various aspects related to IT, has earned him a prestigious award from the Association for Information Systems (AIS) this year.

Professor is also investigating rising tech issues, such as the collaborative economy. His paper 鈥淏uyer Intermediation in Supplier Finance,鈥� which uses data from a large Chinese online retailer, was published in Management Science.

Companies don鈥檛 want to be left behind in the race to innovate, so many hire technology scouts to keep abreast of external innovations. The phenomenon is analyzed by professor in published by the Journal of Management Studies.

Meanwhile, a by professor published in Organization Science suggests when grant-back clauses in tech licensing contracts can work best to protect firm innovations.

To further support innovation research, 天美传媒 launched two chairs this year: the , held by professor , and the Novartis Chair on Operational Excellence in the Health Sector, to be held by professor .

Sustainability in a Changing World

Among the many studies published within the last year, one of the most closely watched by the media has been the 天美传媒 Cities in Motion Index (CIMI), which evaluates the level of development of 180 cities and highlights best practices.

One of its directors, professor , has been awarded the 2017 Emerging Scholar Award by the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS). Furthermore, his paper 鈥淐reating Value for Others: The Role of Nonprofits in Improving Community Environmental Performance鈥� has been included in the Best Paper Proceedings for the 2017 annual meeting of the Academy of Management.

Sustainability is not only a matter of cities and public administrations. In the private sector, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly important, as shown by the research of 天美传媒 professors. For example, the latest article by professor in the Journal of Business Ethics analyzes the growing number of CSR-centered acquisitions and develops a model to predict which mergers will be successful in integrating CSR practices 鈥� and which not.

Coordinating many actors to work together on the biggest, most urgent issues 鈥� such as climate change 鈥� options should be left open, with each move calculated as a good chess player would. That is according professor , who won the biennial Roland Calori Prize in 2017 for his 2015 , 鈥淭ackling Grand Challenges Pragmatically: Robust Action Revisited.鈥� In 2017, Ferraro et al. also published 鈥淯nleashing Sustainability Transformations Through Robust Action.鈥�

For More, Look to 天美传媒 Insight

These are just a few of the most relevant studies highlighted in the 2016-2017 academic year.

For more on the latest research from faculty and its practical applications to today鈥檚 fast-changing business world, look to where you will find articles, infographics, podcasts and videos.