Thought Leadership

The lifeblood of a business school is its faculty, and at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business our faculty members are inspiring, supportive and world-class. We are attuned to a marketplace that values innovation, entrepreneurialism, analytical thinking and hard work. Our teaching and research equips students with the wisdom of business scholarship rooted in the experiential lessons of the marketplace.

March 26, 2018
Recover From a Service Failure
It happens. Sometimes companies let their customers down. And when they do, they need to fix it fast, says Janet Wagner of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Read the article : Recover From a Service Failure
March 21, 2018
Get the Most From a Shared Experience
Have a social outing coming up? Take a minute at the outset to make sure you're on the same page about what you each hope to get out of the experience. You'll have a better time, according to new research from Smith School professor Rebecca Ratner.
Read the article : Get the Most From a Shared Experience
March 18, 2018
Calculate the Value of Social Media Buzz
How much is social media buzz worth to your brand? A new working paper, co-authored by Smith School professor Wendy W. Moe, quantifies the value of word-of-mouth mentions in terms of equivalent advertising dollars spent to influence consumers.
Read the article : Calculate the Value of Social Media Buzz
March 14, 2018
Shield Your Brand From Customer Misbehavior
Smith School professor Amna Kirmani explores how a company's corporate social responsibility activities might influence whether consumers will try to cheat the company.
Read the article : Shield Your Brand From Customer Misbehavior
March 12, 2018
Stop Flaunting Your Upscale Brands
If you've got it, don't flaunt it. That's the conclusion Smith School professor Rosellina Ferraro and two colleagues came to when they studied how people display the brands they use. Using brands in a conspicuous manner is a turnoff for many others.
Read the article : Stop Flaunting Your Upscale Brands
February 28, 2018
The Perks of Being a Hotel Goer
When it comes to booking a hotel, where to stay can be influenced by more than price. Two Smith School professors examine which hotel amenities are most likely to keep guest coming back.
Read the article : The Perks of Being a Hotel Goer
February 22, 2018
‘Black Panther’ Isn’t Just a Great Movie; It's Great Marketing
It's not often that a film smashes box office expectations in quite the way that Marvel Studio's "Black Panther" has. But it's not often that a superhero film gets so many things so right – from the screenplay, to the casting, to the marketing, says the Smith School's Henry C. Boyd III.
Read the article : ‘Black Panther’ Isn’t Just a Great Movie; It's Great Marketing
February 13, 2018
Why Fashion Week Still Matters
In an era of social media, where the internet brings far-flung places closer and makes location an almost secondary consideration, there is a week when being in the right place – New York City – still matters. It's Fashion Week."It is precisely because of social media that Fashion Week has become…
Read the article : Why Fashion Week Still Matters
February 8, 2018
When Finding the Right Words Pays Off
The Smith School's Michael Trusov, associate professor of marketing, proposes a two-part approach to help advertisers gauge how well their paid search ads are performing.
Read the article : When Finding the Right Words Pays Off
January 24, 2018
Market Research for the Hashtag Era
Social tags are the keywords that users create as they discuss or categorize topics on social media. And they can offer valuable insights into consumers’ perceptions of products and brands.
Read the article : Market Research for the Hashtag Era