Dear Spartans and friends:

As the semester draws to a close, I invite you to review our fall 2023 issue of Broad Matters, which recognizes some of the many contributions of our Broad College faculty and staff. These selected highlights feature our research and thought leadership on timely issues and topics as we work to inspire the future of business.

Warm regards,

Judith Whipple
Interim Dean

Broad College of Business

Spartans drive the global supply chain

Shipping delays and empty grocery store shelves have made more consumers feel the impact of disruptions in receiving goods and services. Supply chain disruptions are something faculty and researchers at MSU have known about and studied for more than half a century.

In this MSUToday feature, learn what supply chain is and how it works from Spartans in the country’s top program. Jason Miller, Eli Broad Professor of supply chain management and interim chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management, and Li Cheng, assistant professor of supply chain management, talk about taking on real-world challenges to make a difference worldwide — and how this sets us apart.

What to know about consumer preferences this shopping season

Although two big shopping days are behind us – Black Friday and Cyber Monday – U.S. retailers still must account for a significant increase in shoppers this December. In fact, for some companies, the holiday shopping season accounts for 50% of annual revenue. But economic uncertainty and recent inflation could put a damper on customers’ holiday spending, according to research from Ayalla Ruvio, associate professor of marketing and director of the Master of Science in Marketing Research and Analytics program, and Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing.

For the second year in a row, they surveyed more than 500 Americans about their holiday shopping plans, finding that, this year, consumers are excited for deals and looking forward to treating themselves, but they are feeling squeezed by high prices. At MSUToday, Ruvio and Morgeson provide insight on current consumer preferences and answer questions about the impact of inflation this shopping season.

Why so many packages don’t get delivered

It’s an inconvenience we’re all increasingly familiar with: the product we ordered online doesn’t arrive on time. Up to 20% of e-commerce packages aren’t delivered on the first attempt. These failed deliveries not only cost companies billions of dollars each year — they also impact customer satisfaction and damage retailers’ reputations.

Delivering packages successfully is a major priority given that online spending has hit around $6 trillion annually, representing nearly a fifth of global retail sales. In an article published online at Harvard Business Review, Stanley Lim, assistant professor of supply chain management, writes about why deliveries fail and what companies can do to improve delivery success.

The FDA might ban toxic chemicals in hair-straightening products. That could affect Black women most.

In recent years, we’ve learned that many products we use in our daily lives — from sunscreen to baby powder to housecleaning items — contain harmful chemicals. Fast Company reports that the Food and Drug Administration has proposed a ban on formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, which are used in hair-smoothing and hair-straightening products sold in the United States.

For Black women, there’s a hair dilemma with deep roots in racism. Research from Christy Zhou Koval, assistant professor of management, found that they were routinely cited as being less professional or less competent if they had natural hairstyles. The FDA ban would affect many Black women who straighten or smooth their hair to conform to white beauty standards and avoid workplace and social discrimination, including the 88% who use chemical straighteners.

Applying an ethical framework to business

The first episode of Broad Matters’ seventh season kicks off by welcoming a new co-host: Quinetta Roberson, John A. Hannah Professor of Organizational Behavior. She joins returning co-host Ken Szymusiak, managing director of the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in a conversation with Beth Hammond, managing director of the Broad College’s Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership. Since the center’s launch in March 2022, Hammond has been leading the charge to ensure that Broad students become ethical business leaders.

New grads have no idea how to behave in the office. Help is on the way.

Recent graduates might be great at accounting or coding, but they need a little help when it comes to dinner parties and dress codes, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many such students spent their college years partially in virtual mode with hybrid internships and virtual classes. They didn’t learn some of the so-called soft skills they might have in the past by osmosis on the job, from mentors and by practicing on campus.

Marla McGraw, director of career management at the Broad College’s Russell Palmer Career Management Center, shined a light on MSU’s leadership in addressing this challenge. She told the Wall Street Journal about a new requirement for many business students to take classes on soft skills in the workplace, guiding them step by step through networking conversations and in-person career interactions.