Research and Insights from Texas McCombs
How To Be Happier
Feeling blue? Check out these tips for seeing the brighter side of life from professor and happiness expert Raj Raghunathan.…
Mapping a Manager’s Brain on Incentives
How do incentives affect a person’s decisions? Researchers give managers an fMRI to find out. By Steve Brooks Can restructuring a…
First, Remain Calm: Tips for Today’s Crisis Managers
Don’t wait for a crisis to unfold before developing a plan for a fast, thorough, and strategic response by Terry…
Navigating Work Overseas with More Confidence, Fewer Gaffes
An expert offers three strategies for succeeding in cross-cultural work projects, because making it in a foreign job assignment takes…
How To Build a Better Team
Relationships and communication within a team may be more important than defined job roles and skill sets By Rob Heidrick…
How (and Why) To Start Mentoring
As the newest members of the workforce embark on their careers, try these methods to contribute to their development. And…
How Smart Managers Make Diversity Work
Leaders need more variety in their work teams. Here’s how to design — or fix — diverse teams for maximum productivity. Diversity is often…
CEO Politics Can Spur (or Stifle) Business Innovation
Political affiliation offers more reliable clues about a CEO’s inclination to take risks than factors like age or education By…
How To Spot and Stop Brand Sabotage
Companies still haven’t grasped the power of social media to inflict swift and substantial brand damage By Steve Brooks In…
Is Fear Holding You Back?
Consider these 5 strategies to fight fear and other discouraging thoughts By Neena Newberry, MBA ’92 No matter what anyone…
Protecting Your Retirement From Market Volatility
Your savings don’t have to bottom out even if the market does. McCombs investment experts explain how to safeguard your funds.…
The Right Ticker Symbol Can Mean Bigger Stock Returns
Some ticker symbols are easily recognizable while others look more like alphabet soup. New research says the right combination of…
The Myth of the Obsolete Accountant
There’s a persistent rumor that in the not-so-distant future, technology will replace accountants. Nothing could be further from the truth. By…
The Threat of Exit: How Investors Manage Management
Institutional investors exercise their power behind the scenes, and those private talks come with potent threats. By Steve Brooks On…
When the Glass Ceiling Shatters
Companies with women in top leadership see improvements in the bottom line By Steve Brooks Stephanie Paine, BBA ’03, could…
The Psychology of Risk and Decision-Making
Regret propels us forward and old habits drag us back, but companies still have to be profitable in the face…
Why Your Close Friends Don’t Buy You What You Want
Registries help make gift-giving easier, but research from McCombs explains why you still might not get what you asked for…
Avoiding Catastrophe: A New Way Retailers Can Stock for Hurricanes
McCombs professors have developed a better way to get supplies to customers before the next storm strikes. For retailers with locations…
Looking for a Trustworthy CEO? Hire a Military Vet
For companies hoping to avoid hassles with the IRS, financial restatements, or class-action lawsuits, consider a military background for your…
Reimagining the Future of America’s Health Care System
The amount the U.S. spends on health care is on par with peer countries, but many in America are getting…
Spam Shaming to Improve Cybersecurity
The effects of hacking can be dire for a company’s finances and reputation, but companies are loath to invest in…
Fixing Finance’s Embarrassing Paradox
Why it’s time to rethink how corporate finance is taught, according to a business school professor By Adrienne Dawson A…
If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?
McCombs professor Raj Raghunathan explains why happiness is elusive and what you can do today to make changes that count. By…
The Biggest Myth Isn’t That Unicorns Are Real, But That They’re Rare
Unicorns, once scarce, now number close to 150. A new analysis from McCombs examines how they’ll shake up financial markets…
Q&A: Business, Boycotts, and Backroom Politics
Consumer boycotts can cause politicians to back away from a business—at least publicly By Steve Brooks Flickr/Joe Brusky When the…
When No One’s Looking, Merging Firms Manipulate Earnings
When one company acquires another, it often promises that higher earnings will result. Do firms conspire to pump up those…
The Danger of Doctor Fatigue During Deliveries
The number of hours an obstetrician works before undertaking unscheduled deliveries significantly influences the risk of adverse outcomes for both…
Business Genius Can Be Borrowed
Research rooted in cognitive psychology explains how bold, new business models are often copied from other industries By Steve Brooks…
Q&A: Does Public School Choice Make Schools Better?
Cities from Dallas to Boston to San Francisco use public school choice methods for matching kids to campuses, but policy…
Want to Be a Better Negotiator? Understand Your Adversary
If you go into a negotiation just hoping to do your best, you won’t By Jeremy Simon You may not…
You’re Speaking Up. Why Isn’t Your Boss Listening?
According to research, supervisors develop selective hearing when it comes to feedback By Steve Brooks Picture this: Your boss has…
Do We Overeat Because It’s “Healthy”?
Terms like “all-natural” and “organic” may actually trigger overeating By Adrienne Dawson Before you even consider a food’s calorie count,…
How to Manage Life When an Entrepreneur’s Work is so Much More Than a Job
Venture rounds. Vision statements. Market validation. Customer service. Conference calls. Client demands. Not to mention date night, soccer practice, and…
Can You Read a Group? This New Test Will Tell
Most managers can gauge an employee’s emotions one-on-one, but can they do it with a group? By Steve Brooks Observe a…
To Motivate Your Employees, Let Them Work From Home
In 2013, Yahoo stopped allowing employees to work remotely, but research shows that decision may have reduced workers’ productivity By…
How Strangers Unlock Our Creativity
Our networks are full of friends, family, and people just like us, and that’s killing our creativity. Professor John Daly…
Beyond the Brothel: Can We Break the Global Human Trafficking Cycle?
Human trafficking is a global epidemic that claims millions of women and children as victims, and its reach extends far…
Americans: Living Rich, Retiring Poor
What you will need to retire, and why so many in the U.S. are financially unprepared for the future By…
Open Up and Say ‘Aha’: Encouraging Health Workers to Share Good Ideas
Hospital staffers don’t always go to managers with their ideas for improving patient care. Research prescribes methods for getting them…
Data: The Next Frontier
In its unrefined state data, is difficult to use. It must be cleaned and organized before it can be truly…
Kill Stress in 5 Minutes or Less
Research reveals effective strategies for overcoming work-related stress, including meditation and seeking positive advice from supportive peers By Jeremy Simon…
Can Music Survive the Music Industry?
Working musicians have a determined ally in Gary Powell. He talks about the hard realities of making a living in…
Hurricane Season Could Bring Higher Energy Prices
In addition to causing millions of dollars in property damage, hurricanes also create volatility in the prices of oil and…
The See-Food Diet: How Transparent Packaging Affects Eating Habits
Certain foods are more tempting when they come in clear packaging, while others are more popular when presented in paper…
How to Deal With Negative People
The key to dealing with negative people is understanding the reasons for their negativity, which are often rooted in fear…
Want More Creative Employees? Look to Your Company’s Management
Companies should provide managers with the incentive, power, and resources to turn their employee’s creative ideas into reality By Jeremy…
Red Wine, Soap Operas, and Other Surprises Await Travelers in the Arab World
Despite unsettling headlines from the Middle East and North Africa, Professor Vijay Mahajan says consumer markets there are robust and…
Ethics in the Workplace
Encouraging competition among co-workers can backfire on organizations, causing inter-office conflict By Jeremy Simon Workers looking to earn a bonus…