When Intended Strategy Meets Reality in Turbulent Times By Rajshree Agarwal

Thursday, October 2, 2014, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, October 5, 2014, 7:30 a.m. Should you buy or rent? Consumers have long debated this decision when it comes to homes and cars, but a recent explosion in the rental market has provided more rental options than ever before. Everything from movies to designer handbags and dresses to jewelry and beyond can be rented. And according to new research, consumers have no problem opening their wallets to rent. 

Thursday, September 18, 2014, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, September 21, 2014, 7:30 a.m. Where should you put your money? For the average person, figuring out where and how to invest can be overwhelming. But if you have the right mindset, it doesn’t have to be.  In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, host Jeff Salkin sits down with David Kass to talk about investing and how to figure out a strategy that works for you. 

SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- Do not wait for permission to be a leader. J. Gerald Suarez, Smith School Professor of the Practice in Systems Thinking and Design, says individuals can take charge of their future and act as leaders, regardless of their positions within an organization.

Digital piracy has persisted in the past decade. In the music world, the Recording Industry Association of America claims illegal downloads annually drain $12.5 billion and 70,000 jobs from the U.S. economy.

A recent CBC Music report holds up music bands as models of good Tweeting skills, citing Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame as one example with 1.3 million followers. “@wakaFlockabsm has something for everyone,” the report says. “Fun interactions with fans, inspirational quotes and weird hashtags.” Social media has become increasingly important for musicians to engage fans, promote output and subsequently lift record and concert sales — a dynamic analyzed in a recent study from the Smith School.

The University of Maryland has selected Smith School Professor Gilad Chen as a 2014-15 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. He is one of six professors to receive the honor this year.

China’s fastest-growing luxury auto seller is not from Europe, Japan or the United States. The honor goes to Tata Motors from India. Meanwhile, Shanghai Electric earns its largest revenue outside China from India. Anil K. Gupta, the Michael Dingman Chair in Global Strategy and Entrepreneurship, shows how Indian and Chinese companies are winning in each other’s markets in his new book, “The Silk Road Rediscovered.” “They are whetting their appetite for further global expansion, ensuring that they will have two of the world’s four largest economies by 2025,” Gupta says.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith, UMD ’10, and 14 other NFL players gathered in Baltimore for offseason training — but not for the gridiron. Instead, they worked on their business skills during a program designed by Smith’s Office of Executive Programs and NFL Player Engagement.