Dear friends:

As we near the end of a semester in which we’ve just celebrated a milestone five years with the nation’s best graduate supply chain management programs, I'd like to invite you to engage with our Spring 2021 issue of Broad Matters.

These selected highlights feature Broad faculty research, scholarly contributions and insights, not only covering our response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but also impactful expertise on timely topics.

Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
Eli and Edythe L. Broad Dean

For doctors using telemedicine, virtual bedside manner is crucial

During the past year, the use of telemedicine has exploded due to its convenience and safety. New research from Michigan State University and the University of Central Florida is the first to reveal how hospitable telemedicine is critical for patients to have positive emotional outcomes and feel empowered.

“The pandemic has been challenging for people all over the world. Patients are more eager than usual to seek humane help and support provided by health care organizations,” Lu Zhang, associate professor of hospitality business, said. “Thus, it is important to study ... how the ‘kind and sympathetic’ gene in hospitality can help empower patients.”

How information spillover impacts asset pricing

Investors gather and analyze information prior to trading — but what information are they paying attention to, exactly? And how does the information help produce higher returns? New research from MSU, Rutgers, Rice University and the University of Notre Dame is the first to provide a direct measurement of information processing by institutional investors across many stocks.

“We wanted to test the theory that stocks are riskier and earn higher returns when cross-learning occurs, like when peer firms have important announcements, or when there are important macroeconomic announcements,” Ryan Israelsen, assistant professor of finance, explained.

Scaling technologies for smallholder farmers around the world

Ranjani Krishnan, Ernest W. and Robert W. Schaberg Endowed Chair in Accounting, is a member of the Appropriate Scale Mechanization for Sustainable Intensification Consortium, which received a $2.24 million grant to scale technologies for smallholder farmers in West Africa, Bangladesh and Cambodia.

The new grant builds on a previous project focused on developing technologies for farmers in West Africa and South Asia. This second phase aims at scaling the technologies, leading to adoption by a large number of farmers and having a real impact on these economies.  

How retailers can boost performance while expanding globally

With a projected global industry value higher than $31 billion by 2023, the incentive for retailers to expand internationally is a no-brainer. But there are many factors that brand managers must take into consideration. Research from MSU, Clemson University and California State University is the first to look at how these factors interact and offer practical recommendations to impact retailers’ global marketing strategy.

“Our study indicates ... brand standardization is a critical factor that seems to be much more beneficial for firms with retailers that tend to be already global,” Ahmet H. Kirca, associate professor of marketing and director of MSU’s International Business Center, said.

What does it take to become a supply chain powerhouse?

Join Department of Supply Chain Management faculty Steven Melnyk, Judy Whipple and Vedat Verter on the Broad Matters podcast to get a look inside the nation’s No. 1 supply chain programs and hear how these researchers are creating opportunities for collaboration and new innovations in learning.