12/27/07
BUSINESSWEEK
VANDERBILT GOES COUNTRY
Nashville music executive TIM DUBOIS explains why country music needs MBAs to help weather the changes buffeting the record business. (read article)
12/23/07
THE TENNESSEAN
PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
TIM DUBOIS, former senior partner at Universal South and president of Arista Records/Nashville, will join the faculty of the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management this spring. He will teach in the MBA program as clinical professor of management and help the school develop educational programs and events. Since the 1980s, DuBois has been a songwriter, manager, record executive and producer.
12/17/07
THE TENNESSEAN
ONLINE BUZZ
GirlDrive.blogspot.com is a blog that chronicles the adventures of two college grads who are driving around the country collecting this generation's interpretations of feminism. The duo swung through Nashville recently, staying with and interviewing a Vanderbilt medical student. The column also includes a brief item about TIM DUBOIS, a music executive slated to teach at Owen Graduate School of Management in the new year.
12/17/07
THE TENNESSEAN
HEALTH ACCOUNTABILITY FALLS TO THE INDIVIDUAL
LARRY VAN HORN, faculty director of Owen Graduate School of Management’s health-care MBA program, authored this opinion piece about the many strategies employed over the years in order to control rising health-care costs.
12/17/07
THE NASHVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL
SHIFT IN HEALTH CARE GIVES END USERS GREATER CONTROL OVER DECISIONS RELATED TO THEIR HEALTH
With health care premiums escalating, many employers are turning to high-deductible health plans coupled with health savings accounts to control costs. R. LAWRENCE VAN HORN, a health care economist who teaches at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, says he has mixed feelings about the current configuration of consumer-driven health care plans. First, there's not enough reliable research on the plans to cite scientific findings, Van Horn says.
12/17/07
THE CITY PAPER
'LAPSED ACCOUNTANT' RIDES AGAIN
A profile of TIM DUBOIS, who will teach in the MBA program as a clinical professor of management and help in both the development and supervision of programming for budding entertainment-industry execs.
12/14/07
NEWSWEEK
W00t! THERE IT IS
A quirky online gaming tern is crowned Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year. A proud day for geeks everywhere. It started on the keyboard, made its way into SMS texting, then into writing, until it was finally spoken out loud. And perhaps that reflects a new direction in language, one being molded by a generation raised on the Internet, videogames and cell phone text messaging. "To google," after all, became a widely accepted verb virtually overnight. And even my forty something editors write e-mails with LOL. "This momentous selection is just another sign that the American lexicon is increasingly defined not by scholars but by raving lunatic bloggers like us," writes JARED DEGNAN, a blogger on Owenbloggers.com.
12/11/07
JOURNAL OF MARKETING
2007 MSI H. PAUL ROOT AWARD WINNER - BRUCE COOIL
I am delighted to be announce that another member of our faculty has received outstanding recognition for their research published in the Journal of Marketing. Professor Bruce Cooil, the Samuel Richmond Professor of Management, won the 2007 MSI H. Paul Root Award for this paper “A longitudinal examination of Net Promoter and firm revenue growth” that was co-authored with Timothy Keiningham, Lerzan Aksoy and Tor Wallin Andreassen. The American Marketing Association website states that the award “is given by members of the Journal of Marketing editorial review board to a paper that has made a significant contribution to the practice of marketing, and is cosponsored by the American Marketing Association and the Marketing Science Institute.”
12/7/07
THE TENNESSEAN
ONLINE BUZZ: ECONOMICS GEEKS CHECK NASHVILLE HOUSING MARKET
Management R&D, a blog written by LUKE FROEB, associate professor of management, and BRIAN MCCANN, adjunct assistant professor of management, is mentioned.
12/05/07
THE TENNESSEAN
COMMENTARY: PANEL LOOKS FOR WAYS TO HEAD OFF LONG-TERM CARE CRISIS AS BOOMERS AGE
The nation will face a long-term care crisis when 78 million baby boomers start to need nursing home and related care in 15 to 20 years."Insurance works great when there are few people consuming and a big population paying in," said LARRY VAN HORN, faculty director of Vanderbilt University's health-care MBA program. But "long-term care insurance likely does not meet this" model for success, he said. With the baby boomers, "there will be many people consuming."
12/4/07
THE TENNESSEAN
VANDERBILT GETS GRANT FROM NASDAQ
Vanderbilt University's OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT has received a $45,000 grant from the Nasdaq Stock Market Educational Foundation.
11/29/07
BIZED
HEADLINES
The Project Pyramid Case Study Competition, hosted by Owen Graduate School of Management during the Net Impact Conference, is mentioned in this news brief. (Print only)
11/27/07
THE TENNESSEAN
MONDAY SALES OVER INTERNET HEAD FOR RECORD
With an overall holiday season that is expected to be the weakest in terms of sales growth since 2002, Web retailers dangled incentives on shoppers' computer screens, like fat discounts and free shipping. DAWN IACOBUCCI, a Vanderbilt University professor of marketing, said an increased emphasis on online sales adds to the buzz about Christmas gifts in a year in which many forecasts continue to call for the weakest increase in holiday spending since 2002. "It keeps the momentum going," Iacobucci said. "It makes people think about their Christmas list and all their friends they want to buy for."
11/26/07
THE TENNESSEAN
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, BRINGS MONEY AND JOBS
Research by students at the OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT is mentioned in this article about the effect of commercial real estate on Nashville’s economy.
11/26/07
FORBES.COM
Two business professors suggest in a paper that hedge fund managers engage in “the purposeful avoidance of reporting losses.” Examining 4,200 funds from 1994 to 2005, Vanderbilt’s NICOLAS P.B. BOLLEN and Indiana’s Veronika Pool found what they call a strange but persistent “kink”. Funds reported far more months of small gains than of small losses, in a pattern not explainable by underlying fundamentals.
11/22/07
THE TENNESSEAN
VANDERBILT RECEIVES GRANT FROM NASDAQ STOCK MARKET
The Nasdaq Stock Market Educational Foundation Inc. has awarded the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management a $45,000 grant to support Owen’s Financial Markets Research Center (FMRC). “We are delighted that the Nasdaq Educational Foundation has agreed to support the work of the Financial Markets Research Center,” said HANS STOLL, FMRC’s director and the Anne Marie and Thomas B. Walker Professor of Finance. “The funds will be used to maintain research databases, provide research grants for projects in financial markets and support workshops.”
11/20/07
NASHVILLE POST
IMPACT OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IN AREA $1.5 BILLION, ACCORDING TO GROUP
A report researched in part by students at Owen Graduate School of Management concludes that commercial real estate had a $1.5 billion direct impact on the area’s economy in 2006.
11/20/07
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
THE BLOGTRACKER
Net Impact, an international not-for-profit organization based in San Francisco, California and network of more than 10,000 new leaders and MBA students committed to using the power of business to improve the world, recently organized a forum of such students and professionals along with the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management. Called “Building a Sustainable Future: What Will You Do Next?” the forum had speakers including Chad Holliday, Chairman and CEO of Dupont.
11/20/07
THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
CHINESE TOY RECALLS BENEFIT LOCAL INDEPENDENT KIDS' STORES
Washington-area toy shops are seeing a growing interest in non-Chinese products after millions of toys made in China were recalled over the last several months. Toy stores would do best to “diversify” their offerings to include clothes and books, said Steven Posavac, associate professor of marketing at VANDERBILT OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT. Even though some customers will be “avoiding Chinese toys altogether,” it’s still too early to estimate how many will, Posavac said.
11/20/07
NASHVILLEPOST.COM
IMPACT OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IN AREA $1.5 BILLION, ACCORDING TO GROUP
A report researched in part by students at OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT concludes that commercial real estate had a $1.5 billion direct impact on the area’s economy in 200
11/19/07
WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT
MBA CASE COMPETITION PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HR STRATEGY
Usually, HR is the Rodney Dangerfield of business school. But last month, leaders in the field tried to win some HR respect by sponsoring the first MBA case competition focused on human capital management. Held at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, last month, the three-day competition featured USC, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Columbia, Cornell, Yale, Michigan State, Purdue and Illinois. The schools were selected from 25 institutions that applied.
11/13/07
MEMPHIS COMMERICAL-APPEAL
SERVICEMASTER LAYOFFS INCLUDE 50 IN MEMPHIS
ServiceMaster Co. will lay off 250 people, including 50 from the corporate office here, starting Dec. 31. Analysts say employees should expect more cuts, although not necessarily in the employee ranks. "One would guess there would be more efforts to cut costs, whether they are in reducing inventory, working capital or redundant offices and plants," said RONALD MASULIS, the Frank Houston Professor in the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt.
11/5/07
TRIPLE PUNDIT (BLOG)
NET IMPACT WRAP-UP
Last weekend's Net Impact conference at Vanderbilt was the best one I've ever attended with over 1,700 in attendance and more excellent panels and discussions than ever. Vanderbilt's Owen
School has been live-blogging the event since last Thursday and I wish I'd known about it sooner.
11/5/07
THE TENNESSEAN
BUSINESSES SHARE 'GREEN' STEPS AND HOW THEY AID BOTTOM LINE
Vanderbilt hosted the annual Net Impact conference over the weekend, in which 1,700 business leaders and students gathered to discuss how environmentally friendly and social initiatives can benefit companies and help recruit talent. Vanderbilt was chosen as the event’s location because Nashville is a city where environmental initiatives are still considered new, said JAMES BUTLER, a Vanderbilt student and one of the event’s organizers. The conference was held at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., in 2005 and Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., in 2006, Butler said.
11/2/07
GET A GREEN EDUCATION (BLOG)
SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE AT VANDERBILT
I like citizen journalism more and more each day. It allows me to learn about events like the Net Impact Conference that is being hosted this year at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, and pass that learning along to you. It has brought together an impressive list of speakers from Yvon Chouinard, the founder of outdoor gear retailer Patagonia to John Replogle, CEO of Burt's Bees and Andy Savitz, author of "The Triple Bottom Line" to talk about subjects like the greening of the music and fashion industries. The conference wraps tomorrow, November 3, but a group of bloggers from Owen has captured a lot of details about all of the proceedings here.
10/31/07
THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
JOHNSON SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN NATIONAL COMPETITION
On Oct. 23, a team of six Johnson School MBA students, one with a dual degree in ILR, took first place and the $20,000 prize at the nation’s first MBA-level competition focused on human capital challenges. The contest, dubbed the National MBA Human Capital Case Competition, was held at the VANDERBILT OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Oct 19-20. The competition event was organized so that each team would have to present a solution to a human capital problem in an actual case. Human capital is a term that generally refers to the knowledge and skills embodied by those in a business. Today, businesses are faced with problems concerning human capital because of a significantly more talented population and a shortage of jobs that could make use of such talent.
10/30/07
THE TENNESSEAN
STORES TACKLE CHALLENGE OF HIRING FOR HOLIDAYS
Finding seasonal workers isn’t easy for retailers. TIMOTHY M. GARDNER, an associate professor of management at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, sees the lower forecast for holiday jobs and growth in online shopping as somewhat related. "Internet retailers are much more likely to provide free shipping this year. That's expected to take a big chunk out of brick-and-mortar retail sales," he said.
10/29/07
THE TENNESSEAN
PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS GET A BREAK ON LOANS
Congress passed a bill last month that attempts to address the problem of low pay and high student debt by forgiving loans for people who work for nonprofit organizations or in public service jobs. Vanderbilt’s loan-forgiveness grant for graduates who go into public service is mentioned and MICHAEL SHOENFELD, vice chancellor of public affairs, said he thinks all universities could do a better job educating students about debt and the potential impact on their career choices. "We work very closely and individually with students to make sure they understand what their options are and the potential outcomes," he said.
10/26/07
AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
BRUCE BARRY ON FREE SPEECH IN THE WORKPLACE
Is it legal to fire people for engaging in talk that makes employers uncomfortable, even if it has little or nothing to do with the job or workplace? In his new book Speechless, BRUCE BARRY critiques a legal system that gives employers wide latitude to suppress worker expression, and argues that freedom of speech in the workplace is excessively and needlessly limited.
10/26/07
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
BUSINESS LEADERS SENDING PRO-SCHOOL VOUCHERS LETTERS TO EMPLOYEES
A group of prominent Utah business leaders is now campaigning for school vouchers by sending pro-voucher letters to employees, a move some experts say could leave employees feeling unnecessarily pressured. Employers have a right to express their opinions, but doing so might make their employees feel nervous about publicly disagreeing, said BRUCE BARRY, a professor of management and sociology and Vanderbilt University and author of the book Speechless: The Erosion of Free Expression in the American Workplace. "Even when employers have the best of intentions, I think this sort of thing can have a chilling effect," Barry said.
10/24/07
THE TENNESSEAN
VUMC, OWEN SCHOOL CREATE HEALTHCARE SYNERGY
The partnership between Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT creates an ideal learning environment for healthcare management students.
10/23/07
BUSINESSWEEK
ANALYSIS: DRESS CODE IS ABOUT FAIRNESS
When a high-performing employee insists on coming to work dressed for a block party, his manager has to think big-picture. Making exceptions for one employee-even a high-performing one-who violates company policy on dress code would set the stage for trouble. Did it make sense for a manager to terminate a revenue-generating employee simply because of dress-code violations? "You want to ask first, 'Is this a wise use of power?'" says BRUCE BARRY, a professor of management and sociology at Vanderbilt University and author of the book Speechless: The Erosion of Free Expression in the American Workplace (Berrett-Koehler, 2007). "There are a lot of smart, talented people out there who don't like to dress up."
10/23/07
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
WHY YOU SHOULD LEAVE 'M.B.A.' OFF YOUR CARD
Business card etiquette is discussed. Listing M.B.A. credentials on a business card certainly isn't common practice and may even be frowned upon. “I wouldn't recommend it to our students," says JOYCE ROTHENBERG, director of the career management center at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management in Tennessee. "While an important professional degree, it is not like a certification or a license.”
10/23/07
BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE
COLLEGE ENDOWMENTS MEET SHAKY MARKETS
The recent market turmoil could affect college endowments, although pricier schools with bigger endowments are better equipped to offset pressure to raise tuition than other schools. MICHAEL SHOENFELD, vice chancellor of public affairs, is says "It lowers the cost of tuition; it's a fairly simple transaction. If we didn't have the payout from that endowment, the cost of educating students would not go down. It would have to be replaced somewhere else."
10/16/07
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
AFTER CRASH, NYSE GOT THE MESSAGE(S)
When the stock market crashed in 1987, 20 years ago this week, the New York Stock Exchange's trading systems were paralyzed, overwhelmed by a deluge of sell orders. Since then, the NYSE and other markets have spent billions of dollars on technology to stay a step or two ahead of a galloping increase in trading activity. Other changes play a role. After the 1987 crash, the NYSE instituted "circuit breakers" that would pause trading for 30 minutes or more in case of sharp declines in the DJIA. Such pauses can help traders find bargain-hunting investors after selloffs, says HANS STOLL, a finance professor at Vanderbilt University.
10/12/07
CNBC
'TAME' INFLATION CHEERS INVESTORS, NOT CONSUMERS
While investors cheered Friday’s relatively benign report on wholesale prices in September, consumers might not find much to be happy about. Many experts predict that this is just the beginning of what may be an extended period of higher living costs. “If the economy was booming then we would probably see a more rapid transition into inflation,” DAVID PARSLEY said. “As the economy slows down it’s not as easy to raise prices.”
10/12/07
THE CITY PAPER
SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS COMES BACK TO TOWN
BRUCE BARRY, professor of management and sociology, reads from his latest book, Speechless, at the annual gathering of Southern writers this weekend.
10/11/07
THE NASHVILLE SCENE
PRED HERRING
BRUCE BARRY, professor of management and sociology, comments on the deal to buy the Predators. He cites the work of John Siegfried, Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, which finds no correlation between sports facilities and economic development.
10/9/07
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
PRICING TACTICS OF HEDGE FUNDS UNDER SPOTLIGHT
New academic research suggests that some hedge-fund managers may cherry-pick flattering prices when valuing securities that don't actively trade in an effort to improve the performance of their funds. NICOLAS P.B. BOLLEN, associate professor of finance, is a co-author of the study. Previous academic research has found that a variety of hedge-fund strategies generate smoother returns than the underlying economics might justify. The recent paper by Mr. Bollen and Ms. Pool builds on this work but is different in that it suggests a manager "is going to round up returns to make sure they're slightly positive" rather than smoothing out both gains and losses, Mr. Bollen said.
10/8/07
THE CHRONICLE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
SCHOLARS WHO COUNSEL CANDIDATES WIELD POWER BUT FACE RISKS
Pulitzer prize-winning public policy professor Samantha Power is just one of dozens of university-based scholars advising the current crop of presidential candidates. LUKE FROEB, associate professor of management, is listed as an advisor for Sen. John McCain.
10/5/07
THE TENNESSEAN
FACTS CAN BE DISTORTED IN THE INFLATION DEBATE
DAVID PARSLEY, associate professor of management, authored an op-ed commenting on the recent Federal Reserve rate cut and disagreements about its effects on the economy.
9/28/07
THE TENNESSEAN
THE EYES HAVE IT: HIGH SCHOOL COACHES STAY ALERT TO 'SPIES'
BRUCE BARRY, a Vanderbilt University professor of management and sociology with a strong interest in ethics, says, in this discussion of the ethical boundaries of studying the habits of opposing athletic teams, “There’s an age-old kind of ethics test. Would you want your actions to be known to your mother, or to the editor of a local newspaper, or to the district attorney? That’s not a bad test. Before coaches or anybody else engage in mild forms of unethical behavior, ask yourself that.”
9/27/07
DUKE/FUQUA CENTER OF LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS
PhD STUDENT MAKES GOOD
Organization studies PhD student, JASON STANSBURY, has been named the winner of the Duke/Fuqua Center of Leadership and Ethics Dissertation Proposal Competition. Jason’s defended dissertation proposal was judged best among several entries on (quoting here from the Center) “several criteria including relevance to leadership & ethics, theoretical importance, practical importance, creativity/innovativeness, methods, and overall quality.” His dissertation chair was BART VICTOR.
9/21/07
NASHVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL
CRE INSIDERS ARE OPTIMISTIC IN THE FACE OF SUBPRIME CRISIS
As the subprime crisis continues to play out nationally, local observers of commercial real estate say they doubt it will affect them gravely, but they're still eyeing the situation. JACOB SAGI, associate professor at the Owen Graduate School of Management, is quoted.
9/19/07
BUSINESSWEEK
BAD TIMES CAN BE GOOD FOR B-SCHOOLS
With a possible recession on the horizon, business schools could soon be seeing the highest application volume they've seen in a decade. Many schools, including Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management, saw record application volume during that period."If things are not necessarily going well, especially in the financial market, it might be a good time to take a year or two out, especially if you're intending to get an MBA," says JOHN ROEDER, director of admissions at Owen.
9/18/07
THE TENNESEAN
SOME KROGER STORES TO GET WALK-IN CLINICS BY 2008
The Little Clinic, a Brentwood-based rival to the much larger MinuteClinic, plans to open walk-in clinics inside at least four Nashville-area Kroger stores by year's end. LARRY VAN HORN, director of health care programs with Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, said such clinics should find success here because Nashville has a significant number of high-paying jobs and successful and growing companies.
9/11/07
BtoB MAGAZINE
RESEARCH SPURS DEBATE OVER NET PROMOTER SCORE
An article about the Net Promoter Score, a method of measuring customer loyalty. BRUCE COOIL, professor of management, is cited as an author of a study challenging the effectiveness of the metric.
September/October 2007
BIZ ED
RELEVANCE AND REALITY IN BUSINESS EDUCATION
Dean JIM BRADFORD offers his thoughts on the importance of experiential learning in graduate business education. To be successful in producing graduates who are ready for today’s marketplace business schools need to do more than expose students to the basics of management.
Summer/Fall 2007
C-Span and BusinessWeek
FREE SPEECH IN THE WORKPLACE
Professor BRUCE BARRY’S book, Speechless, focuses on the collision of free speech and the workplace and suggests that there is significant downside when employers overreact . A highly relevant and timely topic, the author has been interviewed extensively by local and national media including C-Span and Business Week and has been cited in multiple business blogs.
Summer/Fall 2007
Journal of Marketing, Marketing News, Loyalty,
Colloquy and the Globe
THE DEBATE OVER NETPROMOTER
BRUCE COOIL, The Dean Samuel B. and Evelyn R. Richmond Professor of Management, and former student TIM KEININGHAM (MBA ’89) and Senior Vice President & Head of Consulting for Ipsos Loyalty, have sparked a global debate over the validity of NetPromoter, a popular metric that claims to provide “the single most reliable indicator of a firm’s growth. Their research findings published in July’s issue Journal of Marketing contradict key assertions of the popular metric and is fueling a passionate debate that is appearing in publications such as Marketing News, Loyalty, Colloquy, the Australia Post and the Globe in addition to numerous blogs that focus on marketing trends and customer loyalty.
9/5/07
The Tennessean
CHANGES IN HEALTH-CARE SPENDING GIVE RISE TO ONLINE SERVICE
A local startup called change: healthcare helps people track, organize and manage their medical bills and compare costs online. "In a world where the patient is paying their own bills and is responsible for their bill verification of what was delivered, it's important," said LARRY VAN HORN, faculty director of health care programs at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. "Where folks have modest co-pays, the importance is diminished."
APPLYING ECONOMICS TO BUSINESS DECISION-MAKING
Vanderbilt’s LUKE FROEB, William C. and Margaret W. Oehmig Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise, and the Former Director, Bureau of Economics, FTC, has paired with Brian McCann of Purdue University to publish MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS: A PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH . Considered a breakthrough textbook, the authors show MBAs how to use economics to solve business problems by focusing on the kinds of decisions managers face on a daily basis. “In twenty years, it will be seen as the standard way to teach economics”, says Robert Litan, VP for Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation.
8/27/07
The Tennessean
FREE SPEECH COULD GET YOU FIRED
An article about "Speechless: The Erosion of Free Expression in the American Workplace," by BRUCE BARRY, professor of management and sociology. Barry says the book represents the convergence of his own professional expertise — which includes teaching courses on conflict resolution, media and technology, and power and influence in the business world — and his role as a committed civil libertarian. Bruce Barry discusses and signs Speechless at Davis-Kidd Booksellers, The Mall at Green Hills on Wednesday, August 29th at 6 p.m.
8/24/07
The City Paper
WORKFORCE GETTING IN THE WAY OF EMPLOYEE FREE SPEECH RIGHTS
Vanderbilt professor of management and sociology BRUCE BARRY's new book explores First Amendment questions in the workplace. Barry will be reading from and discussing his new book Wednesday at 6pm at Davis-Kidd Booksellers.
8/24/07
Metroactive
TIE ONE ON
Joseph Rosenfeld had been oberserving so many men wearing open-collared shirts that I started to wonder whether the tie is dead altogether. So, he stuck out his currently unadorned neck to make a few observations on men and their cravats. It's pretty easy to find neckwear if you're of average height. Even extra-long selections are readily available for the taller gents. But for the 30 million working-age men under 68 inches in stature (including your image mentor), selecting and tying ties can be more of a nuisance, pun intended, After realizing that he was spending an extra 15 minutes a day trying to get his standard-length tie to look just right, JASON RAPPAPORT, an EMBA graduate from Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management, started his own Internet neckwear business, J. Raffiani. "The average man may buy three ties a year if he wears ties everyday. I've got men buying six ties at a time and can now complete their wardrobes with the best-fitting ties," according to Mr. Rappaport. Clearly, men are looking for ways to tie one on.
8/23/07
The Nashville Scene
GAG RULE
Speechless: The Erosion of Free Expression in the American Workplace by BRUCE BARRY, professor of management and sociology, is reviewed. The quashing of expression in the workplace is becoming a more serious threat to democracy and civil society, Barry says.
8/22/07
The Tennessean
MEDICARE RULE ON HOSPITAL INFECTIONS MAY LEAD TO MORE TESTS
Hospitals are places for healing, but they also can be hot spots for patients contracting certain infections that end up costing taxpayers billions of dollars a year. LARRY VAN HORN, associate professor at Owen Graduate School of Management, said the policy could have a larger effect on hospitals, because private health plans often follow Medicare's lead by adopting similar policies.
8/21/07
The Tennessean
NISSAN PUTS ITS BRAND ON ARIZ. DEVELOPMENT
Nissan North America made a two-deal to be "Official Automobile" of a suburban Phoenix commercial and residential development. STEVE POSAVAC, an associate professor of marketing at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, said success will depend on the quality of the development and events that bear Nissan's name. "It's the prestige and whether it's the right fit," he said.
8/19/07
WKRN.COM
Several local families will have a new place to call home, thanks to some Vanderbilt University students. Volunteers met in the parking lot of LP field early Saturday. They worked from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., putting together 280 wall panels. The walls will be transported to Providence Park and used to build seven new homes. Volunteer Jim Bradford, said, "They're very enthusiastic about community service and community support. We do a variety of projects through the year and this is a great one to start the year with, and we really enjoy it." Chris McCarthy, CEO of the Nashville Habitat fro Humanity, said, "Vanderbilt has been a major force in helping us grow in our service for hard-working, low income families who have no chance for home ownership. The school also pledged to contribute $2500 to the Nashville area Habitat for Humanity.
8/16/07
The Nashville Scene
BUSINESS SCHOOL LUNCH
When the B-school brainiacs return to Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management next week, they'll have a new on-campus dining option. Maher Fawaz, owner of Kalamata's Mediterrean restaurant, is partnering with second-year ANDREA JACOME to provide food to the student-run 8;10 Café. Named for the time of day when classes start, the 8;10 traditionally stocks sandwiches, bagels, soft drinks and snacks for students who don't have time between classes and study groups to leave the premises of Management Hall. the one-year experiment with Green Hills-based Kalamata's -which will supply breakfast and lunch foods, including the popular Great Greek Salad-promises a significant nutritional uptick for the previously carb-loaded student body.
8/13/07
The Nashville Post
DITCHMANSHIP? LOCALS WARILY EYE FED MOVE ON LIQUIDITY
The Federal Reserve announced it "is providing liquidity to facilitate the orderly functioning of financial markets." DEWEY DAANE, the Kennedy-era member of the Fed's board of governors and emeritus faculty member of the Owen Graduate School of Management, told NashvillePost.com this morning he is confident "they'll do the right thing and what they're doing is reassuring the market... The Fed is saying they stand ready, willing and able to provide liquidity, as needed; but, they're not saying they're going to change their target for federal funds. They're saying we're here to help you."
8/02/07
Memphis Commerical Appeal
MIDSUMMER NIGHT CLOAKED AARON'S 755th
While the world breathlessly awaits Barry Bonds' 755th homerun, and the history-laden wallop that follows, it is curious to reflect on how little furor surrounded Hank Aaron's 755th. EDMUND FITZGERALD, adjunct professor of management in the Owen School of Management, is quoted.
8/1/07
Business Week Online
ON CAMPUS, A DIFFERENT PYRAMID SCHEME
STUDENTS TAKE THE LEAD
At business schools, students are frequently behind the push for more base of the pyramid programs. Lat year a small group of STUDENTS at VANDERBILT'S OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT approached BART VICTOR, professor of moral leadership, and asked him if he would be interested in teaching a class about markets serving the world's poor. he accepted the challenge and designed an elective course called "Botton of the Pyramid." He walked into class on the first day and was greeted by an overflowing lecture hall filled with 70 students. "I thought I was going to have 10 students in a small seminar talking about business and poverty, but it kind of exploded into the whole thing, " Victor said. Since that pilot class last year, the B-school students, in collaboration with students from the divinity school, founded "The Project Pyramid Global Poverty Alleviation Program," a student group dedicated to ending global poverty. They secured $250,000 in seed funding for the group and have become an influential voice on campus.
July 2007
Ragan's Media Relations Report
GOT A BLOG? YEAH, YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE-
It's getting harder to get reporters (or anyone else) excited about your organization's new blog. So how do you come up with a fresh angle for what is fast becoming just another medium? Ne york PR firm gabbegroup faced this challenge when trying to pitch the OWENBLOGGERS blog, which was started up by students at Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt Unversity. The blog, which offers an unvarished view of B-school life, is not sponsored by the support graduate program, although it has its unofficial support.
July 2007
Alliance eBulletin
IS IT EVER BETTER TO LEND THAN TO GIVE?
According to BART VICTOR, Cal Turner Professor of Moral Leadership at the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, when the intention is the permanent alleviation of poverty, it might be. He argues in a working paper that, while perhaps more effective than micro-lending in relieving immediate conditions of poverty, gift-based aid tends toJonathan L. Lehman, associate dean for health care at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, has a secret talent – he is a trapeze artist. On any given vacation, you can find Jonathan L. Lehman, associate dean for health care at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, at a Club Med, where, encased in an aqua spandex unisuit, he is tumbling through the air as a trapeze artist. "You just have to make time to play," says Mr. Lehman. He was first introduced to the high-flying act at the resort in Port Saint Lucie, Fla., and while hesitant to try it at first, he was a natural when he took flight. So good, in fact, that the staff asked him to be a part of the trapeze show they put on each night. From there, a passion was born. "I like physical challenges and mental challenges, and there's something about being out there on the edge," says Mr. Lehman. be ineffective over the long term and can actually perpetuate poverty.
July 2007
Graduate Management News
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Spotlights on new Owen faculty, including TIMOTHY GARDNER, DAWN IACOBUCCI, ALEXEI OVTCHINNIKOV, STEVEN POSAVAC, JACOB SAGI and NICOLE THORNE JENKINS.
7/30/07
The Chronicle of Higher Education
HIGH FLYING DEAN
JONATHAN L. LEHMAN, associate dean for health care at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, has a secret talent – he is a trapeze artist. On any given vacation, you can find Jonathan L. Lehman, associate dean for health care at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, at a Club Med, where, encased in an aqua spandex unisuit, he is tumbling through the air as a trapeze artist. "You just have to make time to play," says Mr. Lehman. He was first introduced to the high-flying act at the resort in Port Saint Lucie, Fla., and while hesitant to try it at first, he was a natural when he took flight. So good, in fact, that the staff asked him to be a part of the trapeze show they put on each night. From there, a passion was born. "I like physical challenges and mental challenges, and there's something about being out there on the edge," says Mr. Lehman.
7/24/07
Dow Jones
VITAL SIGNS: WHAT IT TAKES TO PURSUE A SECOND CAREER IN HEALTH CARE
Pursuing a second career in the booming health-care field can be rewarding, experts say, though the demands depend on the job's specific coursework and licensure requirements. People drawn to the business side of health care may find a masters level business program to their liking. At Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management in Nashville, Tenn., applications for the two-year health- care M.B.A., which make up about a quarter of the M.B.A. program, are up 68% this year, said LARRY VAN HORN, faculty director of health-care programs. Graduates often are recruited by national companies with significant operations in the area, such as Humana and CVS/Caremark, he said. Vanderbilt's business school works with its medical school to offer an immersion week where health-care M.B.A. students observe surgery and spend a night in the pediatric intensive care unit, he said. "They get immersed in a whole bunch of clinical scenarios to deepen their perspectives." It also offers a transplant administration program for students who want to run transplant programs. Students tend to be in their late 20s, and 70% have worked in health care -- either as clinicians, for third-party payers or at pharmaceutical, biotechnology or medical-device companies. Their starting salaries in the Nashville area often are in the $90,000 range, Van Horn said. Older adults considering entering one of the high-demand health-care fields shouldn't fret that their age will be held against them, Lang said. "They may think, 'I'm 55. Who's going to hire me?' Not to worry. They will be hired."
7/23/07
For The Record
THE INFORMED PATIENT
An increasing number of patients travel to the doctor’s office fueled with data collected from the Internet, a trend that has the potential to change the way practices operate. LARRY VAN HORN, PhD, an expert and researcher on healthcare management and economics and associate professor of management at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., says even the most user-friendly sites, such as WebMD, serve a purpose. “WebMD is a high-profile site, but it is largely driven by advertisers who have their own incentive in providing valuable information to the healthcare consumer,” he says. It is for this reason that Van Horn encourages patients to discuss anything they find on the Web with their doctors. Van Horn directs patients to academic and peer-reviewed journals for information, if feasible. As for the Internet, he suggests using sites sponsored by teaching hospitals or other acknowledged experts in the field.
7/23/07
The Tennessean
FIGHTING 'FREE RIDERS' COSTING MANUFACTURERS
LUKE FROEB, professor of management, writes this opinion piece about the Supreme Court reversing a decision and allowing manufacturers to set minimum prices for their products.
7/20/07
The Nashville Post
PEOPLE: PROF WHO NAILED NADAQ TAKES A NEW ROLE AT OWEN
Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management has named BILL CHRISTIE as associate dean for faculty development.
7/19/07
BusinessWeek
GOLF CLUBS AT WORK?
Workplace distractions may cost American business $650 billion a year. Here's how managers can keep employees focused and productive: In a work environment where digital and cellular transmissions pile another layer of distractions on top of traditional horseplay on the shop floor and water-cooler gossip at the office, some distracting employees have not been so lucky. In fact, more and more businesses would be better cracking down on such distractions. It is estimated that American businesses lose around $650 billion a year through workplace distractions, according to Jonathan Spira, chief analyst of Manhattan consulting firm Basex, who authored a report called "The Cost of Not Paying Attention: How Interruptions Impact Knowledge Worker Productivity." BRUCE LYNSKEY, a former marketing director for technology company Wellfleet Communications , once fired a middle manager for spending an estimated 40% to 50% of his time wandering around the office disturbing other employees, surfing the Web, paying bills, and reading industry magazines. "It's nice to keep up with the industry, but I think you should do that on your own," says Lynskey, who teaches a course on managing fast-growing businesses at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management in Nashville, Tenn. Experts say that goofing off at work is rare, but more routine distractions can also have a detrimental impact on productivity.
7/9/07
The Tennessean
DISCOUNT STORES MAY LOSE THEIR EDGE
A recent Supreme Court decision gives manufacturers significantly more - although not unlimited - leeway to set prices for merchants that sell consumer goods."What it's going to dois make it easier for manufacturers to control the opportunistic behavior of retailers," said LUKE FROEB, professor of management at Vanderbilt University. By letting manufacturers set their minimum prices, it allows them to focus on making their products better in quality, FROEB said. Retail stores are able to provide more service to customers such as letting them more knowledgeable information about specialty products that consumers may not be able to read online, FROEB said.
7/9/07
The Tennessean
WORKERS SHOULD BE FREE OF RESTRICTIONS ON PRIVATE BEHAVIOR
BRUCE BARRY, professor of management and sociology, writes in this opinion piece that, "Asking whether obesity is becoming a workplace issue poses the wrong question. The right question is whether individual liberty, free from excessive employer regulation of personal behavior, is becoming a workplace issue.
7/3/07
The Tennessean
44 NAMED TO LEADERSHIP NASHVILLE
Leadership Nashville, an educational program for local executives, haas named its latest class, including the following people from Vanderbilt: JAMES W. BRADFORD, dean, Owen Graduate School of Management; Larry M. Goldberg, executive director and CEO, Vanderbilt hospital; and Gail P. Williams, associate director of public affairs.
6/28/07
Philanthropy News Digest
TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY, IS IT BETTER TO LEND THAT TO GIVE?
Commentary piece written by Professor BART VICTOR and PhD candidate WOODROW LUCAS
6/27/07
Voice of America and WPLN/Nashville Public Radio
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM TRIES TO SPEAK TO A NEW GENERATION
Museum officials have turned to college students to develop a strategy that will connect their peers not only with the past but also with current human right struggles. Comments from students ASHAKI BLACK and MICHAEL GOTTFRIED.
6/25/07
Financial Times
MBA STUDENTS FIND A DIVINE PERSPECTIVE ON GLOBAL POVERTY
As more MBA students become interested in the potential for the private sector to foster growth in the poorest parts of the world, one student-led initiative has led to a most unusual alliance - a partnership between Vanderbilt University's business school and its divinity students. Extensive comments from BART VICTOR, REHAN CHOUDHRY and ERIN HOFFMAN.
6/24/07
The Tennessean
BUZZ BUILDS FOR APPLE'S IPHONE
Apple has such loyal customers, said DAVID OWENS, a professor at Vanderbilt University's Owen School of Management who follows the computer company. "It really is a very classic guerilla, or viral, marketing," Owens said. "You find the people who are the most rabid enthusiasts and tell them the information. It's more effective for people to sell it to each other."
6/24/07
The Tennessean
VU TEAMS WORK FOR THE SALE: ACCELERATOR PROGRAM CONNECTS BUSINESSES WITH STUDENT MARKETERS
This was the problem facing a group of students at Vanderbilt University: Help Whirlpool Corporation sell a warehouse full of $199 clothes steamers no one seems to want. The company, with $18.1 billion in sales last year, wanted the students' help in figuring out ways to sell thousands of steamers it has in storage. The exercise was part of Vanderbilt's ACCELERATOR program, a 30 day, $8,500 course that presents undergraduates and recent graduates with real-world problems and, in some cases, can lead to internships or jobs. Extensive comments from MICHAEL BURCHAM and numerous student participants.
6/23/07
Good Company (Sirius Radio)
HOW DO YOU SOLVE GLOBAL POVERTY
Host Michael Connor interviews Professor BART VICTOR: "There are two kinds of freedom that are critical to really be non-poor. One of them is certainly the freedom of choice that comes with some wealth, but them there's also the freedom to choose, which he calls substantive freedom-whic comes with health, and hope, and voice, and identity, and know-how and the like. And so you can have what are effectively substantive unfreedoms with relative wealth, and still be effectively poor."
6/14/07
BusinessWeek Online
FEAR VS FREE SPEECH AT WORK
In his new book, Vanderbilt B-school professor BRUCE BARRY explores the sometimes threatened status of free speech in the workplace.
6/13/07
The Tennessean
WOMEN CAN DONATE KIDNEY AFTER EMPLOYER RELENTS
Tennessee Apparel's position troubled a business ethicist with Vanderbilt University, BART VICTOR, who said Melson's request seemed like a small sacrifice for the company.
6/11/07
Financial Times
WORD OF MOUTH SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO STUDENTS
There are many reasons for Amanda Hopkins to have chose the Owen Graduate School of Management over the other top business school's that offered her a place. But what tipped her decision was what she read on OWENBLOGGERS.COM, a student-run blog, about the business school experience. Extensive comments from Hopkins, ISAAC ROGERS, SHARRAN SRIVATSAA and JOHN LEHMAN.
6/10/07
The Tennessean
BOSS DENIES TIME OFF TO DONATE KIDNEY
BART VICTOR, a business ethicist with Vanderbilt University, said the situation boils down to the argument of whether a business has one obligation to its shareholders or to all its stakeholders, including the employees and the community. In this situation, Victor said, it's difficult for him to understand why the company would say no. "She is making a courageous and very generous offer for this man," Victor said. "It's a decision of life. It's a decision of charity. It seems to be a relatively minor sacrifice to them."
6/7/07
The Tennessean
CITIES VIE FOR TOP MANAGERS
"There is a competition for these people, so that salary tends to reflect that," said GERMAN BOER, a professor at Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management. "if we don't (offer competitive wages) the caliber of the person we get is not what we want, and if that person is not getting paid what they think is enough...they will go to another city."
6/6/07
BusinessWeek Online
VANDERBILT SEEKS THE 'X-FACTOR'
Owen's admissions director JOHN ROEDER talks about asking the right interview questions and how applicants can boost chance for success.
5/25/07
The Guardian (U.K.)
AS UN-AMERICAN AS HUMBLE PIE
Americans are justifiably proud of their constitution's First Amendment which sets in stone their rights to free speech, free assembly and a free press. But there's no mention of a specific freedom to blog. BRUCE BARRY, professor of management and sociology and author of Speechless: The Erosion of Free Expression in the Workplace, says "employers are getting all too fond of firing bloggers for sharing seemingly innocuous thoughts in cyberspace."
5/24/07
Vanderbilt News Release
SIX NEW PROFESSORS JOIN THE VANDERBILT OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT TEAM
The Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is putting more intellectual power into its already outstanding faculty, by welcoming six new researchers and teachers to the school. The new faculty members are DAWN IACOBUCCI, STEVE POSAVAC, JACOB SAGI, TIMOTHY GARDNER, NICOLE THORNE JENKINS and ALEXEI OVTCHINNIKOV.
5/24/07
Vanderbilt News Release
VANDERBILT OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AWARDS FIVE ENDOWED CHAIRS
The Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management has rewarded five talented and dedicated faculty members with endowed chairs. Three of these chairs are newly endowed--a generous gift given to the school to honor the memory of E. Bronson Ingram, former CEO of Ingram Industries and former head of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust. Recipients of the E. Bronson Ingram chairs are DAWN IACOBUCCI for Marketing, NICK BOLLEN for Finance and MICHAEL LAPRE for Operations Management. BRUCE COOIL, a professor of management in statistics, has been awarded the Samuel Richmond Chair in Management, established in 2004 to honor the Owen dean who served from 1976 until 1986. CRAIG LEWIS, professor of management in finance, has been awarded the Madison S. Wiggington Professor of Management Chair established in 1995 to honor the life member of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust and a co-founder of the Owen School.
