Knowledge@Emory -- Public Policy and Management

Volatile Oil Prices a Byproduct of Demand or Lack of Alternative Sources?

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:49:58 EST

The recent dip in gas prices in the U.S. may have made the Labor Day weekend celebration a little brighter, but analysts warn the price break is not likely to last. Faculty at Emory University's Goizueta Business School agree, noting that even after the unrest in several oil producing nations abates, gas prices are likely to stay high.

Blackboards or Basketballs: The Future of American Education?

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:41:31 EST

Does the U.S. have the willpower to return to its historical commitment to funding excellence in education? President Barack Obama wants to reignite the education system, but in a country that has fallen demonstrably behind their counterparts in Asia, and where science and math often take a backseat to sports, is significant change possible? Emory University professor Jag Sheth, who is founder of the India China America Institute (ICA), addresses these and other education questions, noting that while parents need to step up their game when it comes to helping educate their children, more government action is also necessary if the U.S. wants to regain its place at the head of the class.

Will the U.S. Small Business Jobs Act Have a Big Impact?

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:58:17 EST

The September 26 passage of the U.S. Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 has the potential to help boost the economy, supporters say. But faculty at Emory University and its Goizueta Business School and others are mixed about the bill’s impact on the weakened American economy. While easing the ability of banks to lend to small businesses sets the stage for expansion and hiring, the psychological impact of the recession has led consumers as well as large companies to pay down debt and resist spending. In this environment, is any push for stimulus likely to succeed?

Oil Scarcity and Its Impact on Business

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:57:30 EST

The BP oil spill that continues to devastate America's Gulf Coast has reignited the debate over the country's dependence on oil. In a recent interview with Knowledge@Emory, Anita McGahan discusses her current research on the growing scarcity of petroleum-derived oil and its strategic implications for business. Prior to the interview, McGahan, a professor and the Rotman Chair in Management at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, was the keynote speaker at the seventh annual Atlanta Competitive Advantage Conference (ACAC), co-sponsored by Emory University's Goizueta Business School, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and Beckmill Research.

Raw but not Simple: Commodities, Consumers, and the Environment

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:21:08 EST

In the wake of the BP oil disaster, U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and its implications are once again front and center. But the link between key commodities, consumers, and the impact on the environment is complex. Financial journalist Kevin Morrison examines and clarifies the issues in his book Living in a Material World: The Commodity Connection, delineating for readers the connections between high-tech lifestyles and the secure supply of raw materials.

Will Legislation Stem 'Too Big to Fail'?

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:21:08 EST

After months of wrangling, Congress in mid-July appeared poised to send beefed up financial regulation legislation to U.S. President Barack Obama. Proponents say such legislation is needed to limit the spread of the “too big to fail” syndrome by financial institutions and thereby prevent another global economic meltdown. But is the concept of “too big to fail” something that really needs massive government intervention, or can the free market do a better job of handling a disruption like that? Faculty at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School weigh in on the topic, making it clear that the answer may not be so cut and dried.

India: Land of Global Business Opportunity

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:06:29 EST

Blessed with the “3-D advantage” of demographics, democracy, and diversity, India offers potential for “organized retailing for the masses,” such as ready-to-consume products and services, says Jagdish Sheth, a chaired professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Speaking as part of a keynote address at the recent Emerging India Summit held at Emory, Sheth contends that India is poised to overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest economy by 2050, provided that the nation continues to forge bilateral trade agreements with advanced and emerging economies, develops its agricultural sector, and calls on its impressive pool of technical and scientific manpower.

CCX's Richard Sandor on Financial Innovation and the Protection of our Air and Water

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:06:29 EST

For Richard Sandor, chairman and founder of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the world’s first and North America’s only legally binding, rules-based greenhouse gas emissions trading system, commoditizing of rights and obligations surrounding air and water is the next major value proposition in the realm of financial innovation. Speaking as part of the Dean’s Leadership Speaker Series at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, Sandor discusses this emerging market and why the opportunities created will allow those involved to address major environmental challenges.

Will the Escalating U.S. Deficit Spur Americans to Pay More Taxes?

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:29:15 EST

April 15 is tax day in the U.S. and as Americans file to the post office or send their returns online, the growing cloud of the deficit is adding an extra pall to the annual event. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal deficit is likely to swell to $1.5 trillion for fiscal 2010. With those stats it's no surprise that there’s a lot of squawking about fiscal responsibility. But will politicians and the public face up to the mess and start paying down the debt? Faculty at Emory University and its Goizueta Business School explore the reasons for the deficit's trajectory, ways to attack it, and how the recently passed healthcare reform may be the ultimate catalyst for change.

The New Normal: Legislating a Place at the Top for Women

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:29:15 EST

On March 15, Deutsche Telekom AG (DT), Europe’s largest telecommunications company, became the latest corporation to announce that its all-male board had agreed on a plan to create its own quota system, which includes a commitment to appoint women to 30% of all senior and middle management positions by 2015, up from 12% today. In the political realm, the Indian Parliament passed a bill on March 9 that would reserve seats for women in both houses of the national parliament. If the lower house approves the law later this spring, women will soon make up 33% of the parliamentarian vote. Is legislating a percentage of top spots for women the new normal? Faculty at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and outside experts weigh in on the topic.

Reversal of Fortune: The Supreme Court Restores First Amendment Rights to Corporations

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:28:00 EST

In a move that surprised even constitutional scholars, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on January 21 that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in federal elections. The decision overturns decades of settled law and reverses two precedents, raising the question of judicial activism in the Roberts Court. Constitutional law and political science faculty at Emory University discuss the merits and likely effects of the ruling, including a greater spotlight on disclosures and anti-corruption measures. Though the long-term results of the Court’s decision are uncertain, one thing’s sure: the debate, in academia, corporate America and Congress, will continue.

Building a Foundation for Relations

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:28:01 EST

The devastating earthquake in Haiti last month has prompted an outpouring of support from the U.S. and other countries. But this goodwill and desire to help are not necessarily representative of the historical relationship between the U.S. and Haiti, according to several scholars of Haitian history, culture, and migration who gathered recently at Emory University for a film screening and teach-in. They argue that support of democracy, inclusion of Haitians as coordinators of aid—not just as recipients, the building of a stronger education system, and an appreciation of Haiti’s cultural complexity and its agronomist roots are all vital ingredients in the long-lasting transformation of a ravaged country.

Reading the Economy: Books on the Current Financial Crisis

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:58:48 EST

Learning is always at a premium, but never more so than during times of economic downturn. Economists, pundits, historians, and professors are among those offering their analyses and advice in an array of books addressing the global financial crisis. According to Susan Klopper, executive director of the Goizueta Business Library at Emory University, students are beating a path to the library’s doors in a search for books that will help them to understand the current situation and—hopefully—keep them from repeating some of the mistakes that led to it.

A Historical Look at the Power and Impact of Stimulus

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:26:10 EST

It's too early to tell whether U.S. President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package will be an antidote for an economy that’s on life support or prolong inefficient industry practices, reward bad choices, and saddle America with crippling debt. Economic stimulus to jump-start an ailing economy, however, is far from new and has been used in the past with mixed results. Faculty at Emory University and its Goizueta Business School explore the historical implications of economic stimulus and offer their thoughts on the challenges ahead

French Ambassador Pierre Vimont Calls for Revitalizing U.S.-European Relations

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:49:14 EST

With a new party at the helm in Washington and new directions in foreign policy under President Barack Obama, the French ambassador to the U.S., Pierre Vimont, says that the transatlantic relationship between the U.S. and Europe faces “a moment in history of great importance” and an “opportunity we haven’t had in the past.” In a recent presentation at Emory University as part of the Halle Speaker Series, Ambassador Vimont discussed the common challenges facing the U.S. and the European Union—including the financial collapse, climate change, and the Middle East—arguing that “we need to find a collective solution” to these crises, because “no single country can find a way out alone.”

CARE CEO Helene Gayle on Empowering Women and Strengthening Foreign Assistance

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:18:35 EST

According to Helene Gayle, president & CEO of CARE, USA, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, there is still a need for a more comprehensive and systematic approach to foreign assistance. More often than not, assistance money is earmarked for specific projects or concerns, such as HIV. If a community is in dire need of a good water system, it can’t spend any or part of assistance money designated for other things to build one, Gayle explained to students during a recent visit to Emory University's Goizueta Business School. Says Gayle, “There’s a lot more potential to extend what we do in ways that are more useful.”

What Lies Ahead for U.S. Automakers?

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:36:48 EST

With a federal bailout proposal for the Big Three U.S. automakers in tatters as Knowledge@Emory goes to press, many observers wonder if executives at American carmakers—still depending on gas-guzzling SUVs 35 years after the auto industry was first shaken by seesawing fuel prices—have really learned anything. To find out, Knowledge@Emory spoke with Jagdish Sheth, a chaired professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Sheth said that a simple handout will not solve the problems faced by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Instead, he says, the car companies need to rework the way they do business. Sheth’s published works include The Self-Destructive Habits of Good Companies...And How to Break Them.

The U.S. Economy: What Happened & What�s Next?

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:36:10 EST

Making sense of the myriad events that catapulted the United States into a recession is no easy task. Six economists from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School tackled the topic during an October 30 panel discussion sponsored by Knowledge@Emory. According to the professors, years of short-sighted decisions dug the hole the U.S. economy finds itself in, and it will take long-term leadership to climb out of that hole.

Understanding the Potential Impact of the U.S. Financial Bailout

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:33:12 EST

With the revamped Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 now finally passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, and signed by President George W. Bush, the much-debated financial bailout plan is now a reality. But as the Dow plummets, the global financial markets take a hit, and U.S. credit markets freeze, can the plan provide relief fast enough to rescue the nation’s beleaguered financial institutions and, in turn, the faltering economy? Professors at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School spoke with Knowledge@Emory about the implications of the bailout.

Assessing Conservatorship for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:05:35 EST

On September 7, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. revealed the Treasury and Federal Reserve approved a plan placing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in conservatorship that day. Now, a newly created independent regulatory body, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), is charged with the onerous task of getting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of their financial woes. Goizueta professors discuss the dramatic move and look ahead to what the future might hold for these government-sponsored enterprises—holders of at least one-half of the nation’s home mortgages.