SMITH BRAIN TRUST — People who study financial economics regularly assume that the markets in which firms sell their products are perfectly competitive, or alternatively that firms operate in isolation. This all-or-nothing thinking is unrealistic.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — The gender pay gap, widely cited for full-time workers in the United States as women earning 79 percent of what men earn, drew 100 businesses to sign on to the White House Equal Pay Pledge in 2016. It also prompted professor Margrét Bjarnadóttir at the University of Maryland’s Robert H.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Researchers can discover creative solutions to complex problems when they combine know-how from different disciplines, but they should understand the potential penalties involved. A new study, co-authored by Christine Beckman at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, shows risks and rewards for multidisciplinary research.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — In the global economy, team leadership is often not as simple as gathering employees into the conference room to talk over a project or plan the next set of goals. The team is likely to span time zones and continents, presenting particular challenges for leaders.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Millions of government employees are counting on the funds from their pension plans to get them through their retirement years. But a potential economic crisis looms.  Many state and local pension systems teeter on the brink of financial disaster. What is more, there is no federal oversight of the asset managers controlling the $3 trillion in these funds.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Consumers via online communities are sharing information and connecting with each other at unprecedented levels. But to what extent can this phenomenon affect healthcare? A recent study led by Ritu Agarwal at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business identifies two advantages of online communities toward closing the rural-urban gap in access to quality healthcare.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – Can Victoria's Secret get her groove back? Faced with shifts in customer preferences, rising online shopping and fading mall traffic, the queen of lingerie has reported a slowdown in sales and is cautioning that this year's revenue won't be among its perkiest. Now experts are wondering whether the brand can bounce back.

Student members of The Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC) are collecting nominations from seniors at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business for the 2017’s Faculty Member of Distinction Award. This year’s recipient will be honored on May 4, 2017, at the 17th Annual Undergraduate Senior Awards Dinner.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Aspiring entrepreneurs want more than a bigger paycheck when they quit their corporate jobs and strike out on their own. New research from Rajshree Agarwal at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and two co-authors shows that, more than anything, spinout founders want two things: Creative freedom and equity — a sense of fairness for contributions made.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – Can Volkswagen’s recently announced $2 billion spending plan on zero emission and electric vehicles be a tipping point for the U.S. electric car economy? No, says management professor David A. Kirsch at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.