http://www.bus.umich.edu/rossthought/ Ross Thought in Action provides content for business leaders, thought leaders, and the media. Our editorial team focuses on research that is clearly applicable to organizations and presents text, video, and audio features about faculty and ideas. We update this page frequently, and we send an email newsletter to subscribers every other month. en-us http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23841 Optimists hope a recent uptick in U.S. manufacturing means better days are ahead for the sector. There is momentum, but it'll take the right policy decisions by elected officials and business leaders in the coming years to keep U.S. manufacturing thriving, say Michigan Ross professors Wally Hopp and Roman Kapuscinski. They're co-authors of the Booz & Co. study Manufacturing's Wake-Up Call, which estimates 40 percent of the U.S. manufacturing sector still hangs on the edge. The wrong decisions could lead to permanent manufacturing job loss, while a series of smart steps could make the country a manufacturing powerhouse again. Mon, 9 Apr 2012 06:21:00 EST http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23841 http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23843 What should I eat and how much? Despite more nutrition information than ever, consumers still ask those questions, while rising obesity rates underscore their importance. Two Michigan Ross marketing professors are at the forefront of this rich area of research. Works from Aradhna Krishna and Brent McFerran were featured in a recent special report on food choices in the Journal of Consumer Research. Krishna's research on "guiltless gluttony" examines how misleading labels can lead to overeating. McFerran's work looks at how people select food portions based on how much the people around them select, and whether those people are heavy or thin. Mon, 9 Apr 2012 06:21:00 EST http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23843 http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23819 Would Reaganomics work now? Should we move to a single, national sales tax? Should we expect any bipartisanship in addressing the national debt? Michigan Ross professor Joel Slemrod dives into these tax policy questions, and more, in the University's Ask M series. In this video, Slemrod, also chairman of the Department of Economics, provides insight on the long-term fiscal imbalance and the relative silence on the issue from presidential candidates. Slemrod, a former senior staff economist for the President's Council of Economic Advisers, is a leading expert on taxes and tax policy. He is co-author of the book Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen's Guide to the Great Debate over Tax Reform. Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:21:00 EST http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23819 http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23699 Social networks are important tools for gathering information about job opportunities. How people perceive and utilize their networks following job loss can determine how quickly they find employment. Past research has shown that networking across diverse clusters of contacts provides people with access to the most useful employment-related information. New research from Michigan Ross professor Ned Smith suggests people who perceive themselves in a lower economic status don't leverage this. Instead, they consider their networks as smaller and more dense than they actually are, which limits access to potential advocates and opportunities. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:21:00 EST http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23699 http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23759 Negotiation. The word evokes images of adversaries at a table scheming to outwit one another. Delete those images, say management and organizations professors Shirli Kopelman and Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks. Their research illuminates several techniques that can lead to victory and sustainable relationships. Kopelman and Sanchez-Burks share those methods in the Michigan Ross Executive Education program Negotiating for Positive Results. In the following interview and video, these experts reveal an array of human biases and shatter popular myths along the way. Oh, and that negotiating table? Don't expect to find one. Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:21:00 EST http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23759 http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23739 Claims on food labels describing a product as organic, locally produced, or made by workers subject to fair labor practices may mislead consumers into believing such foods are low-calorie, according to research from marketing and psychology professor Norbert Schwarz. "Social ethics claims on food packaging can promote the misperception that foods are lower-calorie and therefore appropriate for greater consumption," Schwarz says. "As obesity rates reach record levels, advertising claims have become more common on the fronts of food packaging, fueling concerns they may lead consumers to see foods as healthier than they really are." Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:21:00 EST http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23739 http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23779 Sharing mobile phones is a common practice among poor consumers at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP). But it's an imperfect solution that doesn't offer users privacy or convenience. A new case study by BoP expert Ted London tracks the story of Movirtu Ltd., which created a cloud phone service to deliver full use of mobile technology to customers who need not own a phone or SIM card. The case explores a wide swath of issues, from entrepreneurship, strategy, and innovation in the poorest markets to impact investing, venture capital, and other financial considerations. Thu, 8 Mar 2012 06:21:00 EST http://www.bus.umich.edu/NewsRoom/ArticleDisplay.asp?news_id=23779