Research
We support innovative research that expands knowledge of international business and integrates global perspectives into teaching and scholarship.
The Business Climate in Maryland and the Impact of Federal Policy Changes
A Survey of Maryland Businesses
We conducted this survey to assess the business climate in Maryland. Our goal is to create a public resource that can be used by policymakers, businesses and the public to guide decision-making. The survey gave Maryland businesses a chance to speak directly about their circumstances — how current economic and policy changes are affecting them, and how they rate Maryland as a place to do business.
- We ask respondents to evaluate how their firms were doing in 2025 compared with the same period in 2024 and to share their expectations for the next six months.
- We collect detailed information on revenues, demand, employment, capital expenditures, costs, prices and financing conditions.
- We assess the impact of federal policy changes — including reductions in force (RIFs), procurement and contracting changes, and tariffs — on Maryland businesses.
- We measure overall business sentiment toward Maryland as a place to do business: Do firms view the state’s business climate as favorable or unfavorable? What challenges do they perceive? What do they see as Maryland’s key advantages?
2024 U.S. Business Needs for Employees with International Expertise
The ability of U.S. companies to compete in the global marketplace relies on their having access to a workforce equipped with international skills and expertise. The Centers for International Business, Education and Research (CIBERs) at business schools across the country have supported two previous surveys on U.S. business needs for international expertise and the role played by universities in training a globally competent workforce (Kedia and Daniel, 2003 and Daniel, Xie and Kedia, 2014). In 2024, the CIBERs conducted a third survey, repeating the 2003 and 2014 questions and adding questions on whether new technologies have altered the skills required.
The 2024 survey had 1217 responses from businesses of varying sizes and in varying industries. All of these firms do international business to some degree. In virtually every dimension, international business has increased in importance for firms since the previous surveys and there has been a corresponding increase in the perceived need for employees with global competence and skills.
AI Use and Regulation: A Survey of US Business Executives
Artificial Intelligence is having a significant impact on companies worldwide, leading them to reassess their products and processes. Governments are faced with the consequential choice of how to regulate AI. In this dynamic business environment, to better understand how these changes are impacting US companies, the Center for Global Business conducted a survey of US executives from a range of sectors and asked them about Artificial Intelligence use at their companies and their views on AI regulation. The results of the survey are summarized in this report.
Center for Global Business Survey of U.S. Business Executives Assesses AI Impact and Regulation Sentiments
As the AI landscape matures, U.S. businesses find themselves at the crossroads of innovation and regulation. A comprehensive survey led by Kislaya Prasad, academic director of the Center for Global Business, sheds light on executive sentiments, revealing both the concerns and support surrounding AI adoption and governance.
Here are five key takeaways:
1. People are concerned about job displacement. Younger executives and those more closely involved with AI are more concerned about the impact on their careers.
2. There is strong support for AI regulation. Asked about three types of AI regulation – transparency about AI use, explainability of autonomous decisions, and third-party auditing for bias in algorithms – respondents expressed strong support, although support for mandating explainability was slightly lower.
3. Restrictions on export of key AI technologies are favored by respondents in the Manufacturing sector. Respondents from companies with greater global sales favor export restrictions.
4. Generative AI is being widely used across sectors. The two most important uses overall are to power chatbots, and in marketing. In the Tech sector, another important use is for coding. After GenAI, machine learning and computer vision are the next most important applications.
5. Improving the customer experience and improving operations are the key drivers of AI adoption. Major reasons given for not adopting AI technologies were an absence of a clear use case or perceived need and limited technical expertise or resources.
Find out more about AI at Smith: Transforming teaching, research, and the practice of business.