Welcome to the Smith School

The Simple Act That Can Make You a Better Leader at Work and Happier at Home

Being a leader is about more than a title; it’s a mindset. And it fluctuates – people may feel more “leader-like” on some days than others. Feeling capable and confident can make leaders more successful for their organizations, so helping them feel the part every day is critical.

How Companies Can Capitalize on Free Outside Knowledge

New enterprise software investments can lead to big benefits for firms by enabling business process innovations, but implementation is notoriously difficult. Having IT professionals with the right combination of both technical and business process knowledge is critical to a quick and successful adoption.

Why Outsourcing Sales Could Be the Key to Surviving a Hit to Demand

How do companies fare when demand for their products suddenly drops off? It’s a question many industries could face this year, as inflation continues in a tight labor market. Looking at a past demand shock has some answers, finds new research from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

When the Award Goes to … Someone Else

In new research in the Academy of Management Journal, Hui Liao and her co-authors look at how the experience of almost winning impacts the performance of nominees, specifically their collaboration with others.

Study Helps Retailers Figure Out What Consumers Want Next

Retailers are constantly trying to figure out not just how to sell their current inventory, but also what to offer to consumers for the next season. Thanks to new research from a University of Maryland marketing professor, predicting what consumers want could get easier.

How COVID-19 Showed the Cost of Doing Business Globally

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, multinational companies didn’t have to think twice about increasingly moving toward firm globalization. But the crisis amplified the vulnerabilities of doing business across borders. And now, new research from Maryland Smith is contextualizing the numbers to show the potential dark side of globalization.

What Today’s Retailers Can Learn from the H.H.Gregg Bankruptcy

Location, location, location. It’s the #1 rule in real estate and very important in the retail landscape we’ve been dealing with since 2010, when the retail apocalypse began. H.H. Gregg’s story is a cautionary tale that can teach us much about how stores can survive if they are in a mall that suffers the closure of a retail giant.

Why In-store Pickup Isn’t As Seamless As It Seems for Retailers

Buying online and picking up in-store has provided consumers with a new way to shop hassle-free. For retailers, it’s created new operational challenges toward fulfillment scheduling.

Under Sanction or Not: Female Doctors Face Bias in Online Reviews

Many people use online reviews when looking for a doctor, and since the pandemic began it’s become an even more popular way to find medical care. Margrét Bjarnadóttir and her co-authors have examined the link between online patient reviews and quality of care.

Design AI Poses a Threat to Human Designers’ Jobs

Technology has been replacing people on the job for years, and many displaced workers have done what they had to do - find other employment. Artificial Intelligence is the latest threat to human labor.

The Venture Capital Landscape Is Changing, and Perhaps Not for the Better

Startup companies have traditionally looked for the most experienced venture capitalists they could find to get their businesses off the ground and support their growth. That’s not always the case anymore, according to a study by Smith's Rich Mathews and co-author Naveen Khanna.

Creativity Plays a Role in Reducing Rudeness on the Job

Rudeness on the job is the worst. We now use the phrase “hostile work environment” to describe deliberate discourteousness or impoliteness that negatively affects an employee’s ability to do their job. Experiencing this at work has driven many workers to become part of the Great Resignation.