Academia Sees Case Studies in iPhone Marketing

Academics see case studies in the marketing of Apple, Inc.'s new iPhone 3G, with the lower price a main predictor of success. Features like GPS, Microsoft Exchange support, third-party applications, worldwide connectivity and multitasking in the iPhone 3G are being noted. Observers say Apple is making the right moves to gain market share.

Apple is making headlines with the new iPhone 3G, and the academic world is seeing some opportunities for business case studies.

The iPhone 3G has built-in GPS for expanded location-based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software with support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. It can run hundreds of third-party applications built with the recently released iPhone software developers kit.

Fareena Sultan, a digital-marketing professor at Northeastern University's business school, said with features such as 3G, enterprise support, third-party applications and availability in more countries, the iPhone can better appease the enterprise customer.

"This could enable Apple to challenge the Blackberry market more aggressively," Sultan said. "Also, more third-party applications could help soften the impact of the Android initiative from Google and the Open Handset Alliance."

Gloria Barczak, chairperson of the marketing department at Northeastern, said Apple's additions of 3G technology and GPS are the right moves to gain market share in the enterprise market.

She said download speed was a notable deficiency in the original iPhone and slowed enterprise adoption of the product. But the lower pricing may do the most for consumer adoption, she added.

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JustLuxe, RedButler partner for luxury targeting

FROM BIZ REPORT

The luxury consumer is becoming harder to target. Not because these consumers aren't online or reading magazines but because with a recessionist economy in the US, even luxury consumers are cutting back. These coveted consumers are still around, however, the key is targeting them.

A new partnership between JustLuxe.com, a luxury content provider, and RedButler.com, a global concierge company, is said to target the luxury consumer where they live online: content. RedButler.com will connect its members with the content and ads in the JustLuxe.com online publication.

RedButler will publish the "Luxury Lounge", thereby connecting users with suppliers of luxury goods and services in the JustLuxe network. JustLuxe's network publishes thousands of articles and helpful hints to readers searching for information on things from cars to yachts.

“This is a valuable step in expanding our brand by establishing strategic content partnerships with Red Butler and other leading companies in various segments of the luxury market," said Gilbert Gautereaux, President of LuxeMont, JustLuxe.com’s parent company.

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Interesting job twist: student gives mentor/alum job upon graduation

As an interesting job placement stories, I thought I'd share one provided to me by Julie Hertenstein, the faculty director of the Executive MBA program at the College of Business Administration at Northeastern University - a corporate mentor and alum who received a job from a student he was mentoring:

"In the week-long Opening Residency, at the very beginning of the Executive MBA (EMBA) program, an alum who is reaching retirement from his job as a CEO is in residence for most of the week. In his position as alumni-in-residence, he makes himself available to all students for whatever questions or concerns they may have. He has even watched the rehearsals of student presentations, and provided feedback.

"During the Opening Residency, the students are introduced to the role of the CEO by analyzing a case that we have written about one of out EMBA alums who is a CEO. Student teams prepare a presentation on the situation faced by the alumni-CEO, and the alumni-CEO attends the student presentations, and provides feedback to the students.

"Alumni are invited to participate in several events in the program throughout the year. For example, they are invited to join the students on the two international residencies. In addition, they are invited to the Global Forum class, where all EMBA students join together to hear a special speaker or panel speak on an important, current international issue.

"We have two types of alumni mentors who support the current students. The first type is called “team mentors.” These individuals are recruited from the most recent two graduating classes. They meet with their student teams (usually two mentors to a team of five) during the Opening Residency, and several times during the first semesters. Their primary role is to help the individuals adapt to the demands of the program, and to facilitate the functioning of the student teams. The second type is called “career mentors.” These individuals have been out of the EMBA program for quite a few years, and hold senior positions. They are introduced to the EMBA students later in the program, to provide career guidance as students complete the program, and after the program as well.

"Since our students have on average 15 years of experience, both students and alums are able to benefit from the networking; the benefits flow in two directions, not just one. For example, recently one of the team mentors (an alum) was offered a job – and accepted – from a student who holds a very senior position in her field."

AT&T Feeling Pain From iPhone Fever

Subsidizing the 3G iPhone will undoubtedly hurt AT&T in the short term, costing the carrier about 10 to 12 cents per share off the top of its earnings this year and next year. AT&T's expected hit also illustrates how strong Apple's bargaining position was.

The release of the 3G iPhone has Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) enthusiasts pumped up, but it left AT&T (NYSE: T) investors feeling deflated over the carrier's decision to heavily subsidize the new, cheaper device in the hopes of reaping longer-term gains.

AT&T's subsidies follow a well-worn path in the mobile phone industry, Gloria Barczak, a professor of marketing at Northeastern University in Boston, told MacNewsWorld.

AT&T's move falls in line with the industry standard to subsidize most cell phones, she said. "It also lowers the phone price to buyers, thereby expanding the base of users. Although customers are tied into a two-year contract, chances are that they will add services over time, increasing the revenues and profits to AT&T. The services are where the carriers make money, so it makes sense to lower the price of the phone to increase the number of users and the services they utilize."

The strategy is not unique to the cell phone world. In fact, it's a virtual version of the razor and razor blade model that was also adopted for printers -- with companies such as HP (NYSE: HPQ) selling printers for little or no profit and then making money on the ink cartridges, Barczak added.

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Scandals out of Cambodia

I thought you might be interested in more details on things discovered by Dr. John A. Hall, law professor and director of the Center for Global Trade and Development at Chapman University School of Law in Orange, CA, while in Phnom Penh (he will be going back there from May 22 to June 12 to help make a documentary film).

(1) Cambodia is positioning itself as a "sweatshop free" manufacturing base. This dates back to the US-Cambodia bilateral trade agreement, which linked access to US market with guarantee of labor rights and a program of factory inspections. Since end of garment quotas in '06, AFL-CIO et al convinced Cambodian government to voluntarily continue many of these programs. Is it working? Is the Cambodia model a viable model for manufacturing and labor elsewhere? Couple of assassinations of labor leaders suggest may not be as successful as it appears.

(2) Cambodian Beer Girls. International beer companies employ young women to sell beer in clubs and bars. Clear link to prostitution, as the girls are pressured to flirt with customers and sleep with the biggest spenders. Number of beer girls have died of HIV. Sexual abuse, victimization, encouraged to sleep with customers, all to sell Budweiser, Corona etc. They are treated sometimes as little more than slaves.

(3) Cambodian returnees/deportees: mainly young men (permanent legal aliens) deported from US (many for violent gang crimes, but some for such absurd things as public drunkenness, public urination etc). Fascinating story. I'll be working with Tiny Toones - a group run by former Long Beach gang member, teaches hip hop to street kids, teaches them dangers of glue sniffing etc. That's a positive outcome. But for most returnees it has been extraordinarily difficult, many dead, drugs, joined violent gangs, alienated. Why did Cambodian government agree to take them, when many had not direct connection to Cambodia (left as children after KR, or born in Thai refugee camps). Asian impact of US immigration crack-down.

Apple's 3G iPhone Stands Better Chance Against BlackBerry

Apple's 3G iPhone could become a strong competitor against the BlackBerry and weaken Google's initiative to build an open source operating system for smartphones.

Apple's just-announced 3G iPhone has the potential of becoming a stronger competitor in the business market against Research In Motion's popular BlackBerry, and could weaken the impact of Google's initiative to build an open source operating system for smartphones, experts said Tuesday.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs introduced the latest version of the iPhone on Monday at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. With support for carriers' 3G, high-speed wireless networks, third-party applications, a number of security protocols, and Microsoft's Exchange e-mail server, the new iPhone has what it needs to appease enterprise customers, experts said.

"This could enable Apple to challenge the BlackBerry market more aggressively," Fareena Sultan, digital marketing professor at Northeastern University, said in an e-mail. "Also, more third-party applications could help soften the impact of the Android initiative from Google and the Open Handset Alliance."

Gloria Barczak, chair of the marketing department at Northeastern's business school, agreed. "Apple's announcement of the iPhone 2.0 with 3G technology and GPS [global positioning system] are certainly the right moves to gain market share in the enterprise market."

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Fuel costs may ground more airlines

It's certain that the summer of 2008 won't be pretty for the airline industry: higher fares and fees for customers, more red ink for the airlines.

But what about next year, assuming that jet fuel prices remain at their historic highs?
Experts are predicting higher fares, a lot fewer travelers, a lot less capacity, fewer flights to fewer places and maybe a lot fewer airlines.

U.S. airlines are already outlining plans to make huge cuts in capacity. In recent days, United Airlines Inc., American Airlines Inc. and Continental Airlines Inc. have announced airplane groundings and schedule reductions for the latter part of 2008 and into 2009.

Many airlines have revealed plans to defer or cancel airplane deliveries in 2008 and 2009. Even rapid growers such as AirTran Airways, Southwest Airlines Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp. have slammed on the brakes.

But retrenching won't be enough to avoid big financial losses, industry observers say.

Finance professor Harlan Platt at Northeastern University in Boston said he expects oil prices to drop as the U.S. economy slows down and the impact ripples to other countries such as India and China. But oil prices must drop considerably from today's levels to save the airlines.

"If you don't have an oil price of about $75 or $80 a barrel, at the end of 2009, you'll have most of the airline industry on the financial ropes," Dr. Platt said. "They will have run out of cash or virtually run out of cash."

He noted one industry analyst's prediction that oil will hit $150 a barrel soon.

"If that happens and if that price holds, the industry will continue to hemorrhage through the end of 2009, and they'll have run out of options," he said. "They'll need to file for bankruptcy protection. And by 'they,' I mean most of the airline industry."

From Food to Fuel: The Sweet Promise of Corn

Few things are as enjoyable as the first fresh ear of corn in the early summer. Boiled or grilled, the golden kernels speak of warm sunshine, family picnics and relaxed informality. Known scientifically as Zea Mays, and more traditionally as Maize, corn is a thoroughly American vegetable that has gained a global following. And it’s not just fuel for the body, it’s also fuel for the automobile: ethanol produced from corn forms a foundation of U.S. planning for a post-oil world.

Packed full of nutrients, and offering an oil-free future for car lovers everywhere, what’s not to love about this all-American beauty?

Well, quite a lot actually. Today’s corn agribusiness is a manufacturing behemoth fully participatory in the global economy, with more in common with BP, ExxonMobile and Shell than with the rural smallholders of American history.

Corn is hands-down America’s number one field crop, leading all other crops in both value and volume. Around 80 million acres of land are planted to corn in the U.S., and 2007 saw the largest corn crop in history at over 13.1 billion bushels, 10.6 percent above the previous record of 11.8 billion bushels set in 2004. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) proudly points to the fact that the US accounts for nearly 40 percent of global corn production.

But surely growing corn is an effective way to combat global hunger?

Unfortunately not. Most of the U.S. corn crop is used as feed for livestock. Indeed, corn accounts for more than 90 percent of the total value and production of feed grains. Few forms of agriculture are as calorically inefficient as growing crops to feed animals: the corn-fed animals ultimately provide a mere fraction – between one-third and one-tenth – of the food value that has been fed to them.

Unfortunately developing nations are following the factory farming practices of the U.S., and use corn overwhelmingly as livestock feed. China and India, newly prosperous as a result of globalization, have adopted western methods of factory farming animals to provide meat for their increasingly prosperous middle class. As a coherent plan for fighting global hunger, using corn as feed for raising animals is nothing short of lunacy.

What about processing corn into ethanol for use as a clean alternative to fossil fuels?

The corn lobby loves this particular golden kernel: corn is not only an environment-friendly fuel it’s also patriotic, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. What a relief for Americans facing sharply increasing oil costs: thanks to corn we won’t have to contemplate a future without cars, don’t need to expand public transportation or rethink our love of the suburbs and distant shopping centers. Thanks to corn we can expect a future not so dissimilar to today. We grow it, we drive it. A perfect win-win situation.

These are golden times for the corn industry. President Bush has called for the production of 35 billion gallons of ethanol by 2017, which would equal about 15 percent of the U.S. liquid transportation fuels. Over the next five years, $5.7 billion in federal tax credits will support the ethanol market. The NCGA states that it “continues its tireless work building demand for ethanol to ensure that the tremendous growth we’ve experienced in the industry will be dwarfed by what’s to come.” Its top priority remains an energy policy that establishes a renewable fuels standard which “could increase ethanol production by 5 billion gallons per year in the next decade.”

But there are problems with this happy vision. First, of course, is growing concern over the use of hundreds of millions of pounds of pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers and other additives used to grow corn. The National Academies has warned that if projected increases in the use of corn for ethanol production occur, the harm to water quality could be considerable, and water supply problems at the regional and local levels could increase.

Second, using corn to produce ethanol is not particularly energy efficient. The Cato Institute has noted that it takes the equivalent of seven barrels of oil to produce eight barrels of corn-derived ethanol. In contrast, sugar-cane ethanol of the type produced in Brazil is almost eight times more fossil fuel efficient to produce than the U.S. corn-based product. Yet the U.S. government – under massive pressure from the powerful corn lobby – continues to focus on encouraging domestically produced corn-ethanol while imposing high tariffs on imported alternatives.

Third, switching corn production to ethanol manufacture, and diverting food crop production globally to ethanol-producing corn, threatens to further undermine and destabilize global food production. The environmental and political costs of oil-reliance have been evident for decades. The true costs of switching to ethanol-driven transportation are only just being contemplated.

Perhaps, after all, corn is not so good for us. The agribusiness of corn manufacture poisons our water, diverts food production, and stimulates the inefficient use of food crops as livestock feed. Neither is corn a panacea for our failed transportation policies, unless we are willing to stomach a future where people starve so that we can drive. It’s time for the U.S. government to rethink its policy of automatically bowing to the corn lobby’s false promises of a golden corn-based future.

The author of this piece, John Hall is an Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Global Trade & Development, Chapman University School of Law, Orange, Calif.

Continental to Trim Jobs, Flights as Fuel Costs Rise

In the latest round of big cutbacks at major airlines, Continental Airlines Inc. said it will slash about 3,000 jobs and significantly reduce domestic flights in its battle against soaring fuel prices.

"These actions will help Continental survive the crisis," said a letter to the company's 45,000 employees from Chairman and Chief Executive Larry Kellner and President Jeff Smisek. The two executives said they would also forgo incentive pay for the rest of 2008. The company declined to comment further.

Continental is decreasing capacity by 11%, beginning in September. The Houston-based airline will remove 67 airplanes by the end of 2009. Continental officials estimate fuel will cost the company an additional $2.3 billion more in 2008 than in the previous year.

Harlan Platt, a professor of finance at Northeastern University in Boston specializing in airlines, says he expects capacity and staff cuts to continue as oil prices rise. He says oil prices need to be at $70 a barrel for most airlines to break-even or begin making a profit.

"It's not a situation where the airlines will go bankrupt next month, but they have got to begin conserving their cash," Mr. Platt says.

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Severe Jet Lag

FROM THE TRENTON TIMES

Airline industry forced to confront problems, changes

Larry Kellner hit the rivet on the head.

"The airline industry is in a crisis," the chief executive of Continental Airlines said yesterday.

Kellner made that assessment as he announced his airline, the largest carrier at Newark Liberty International Airport, would reduce aircraft, flights and staff -- just as other airlines have done. Continental is slashing 3,000 jobs as well as reducing the number of flights 16 percent this fall.

Houston-based Continental is following United and American airlines, which also are cutting back unprofitable routes. It is a tacit ad mission by the carriers their business model is broken.

"Everything is coming together at the wrong time for the airlines," said Kevin Mitchell, president of the Business Travel Coalition, an advocacy group for business travelers. "It means the end of the experiment of deregulation and the democratization of the industry."

But can the airline industry be saved? Analysts say Continental will be a likely survivor because of its competent management, financial strength and good labor relations. But if fuel prices continue to soar, some carriers will not survive, said Harlan Platt, a finance professor at the business school at Northeastern University who follows the airline industry.

"I don't think oil prices will stay at this level, but if they do, some will start to go out in 2009," he said.

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IBM studying impact of telecommuting

According to Salary.com, telecommuting has been one of the hottest compensation trends over the last few years. At IBM, more than 40% of their workers don’t come into the office every day. It is for this reason that IBM is evaluating the pros and cons of telecommuting through a study by Jay Mulki, a marketing professor at Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration.

According to Prof. Mulki, telecommuting presents two major challenges: a feeling of isolation and achieving a work-life balance.

“Isolation happens when telecommuters can't get the support they need,” Prof. Mulki said. “When face-to-face communication isn't possible, workers need a substitute -- and voice mail isn't it,” he said.
“The other aspect is a feeling that work isn't being recognized. Employees appreciate managers who ‘toot their horn,’” Prof. Mulki said. “And those who successfully manage telecommuters differ from traditional office managers,” Prof. Mulki added.
"Managers are not the traditional command-and-control managers; they're more like coaches," he said. "They say, 'Tell me what you need, and I'll go get it,' or they run obstacles for their employee."

“Mutual trust is key to this work situation,” Prof. Mulki said. “Employees resent managers who give the impression of monitoring them. And when it comes to work-life balance, working from home can be good -- or bad. On the employer side, when you're at home, you're always available," Prof. Mulki denoted. "On the employee side, you wanted to be there to pick up your kid, or whatever the case may be."

“When you're commuting to an office, the drive is a transition time,” he said. "When you're working at home, if you're not careful, you're never disengaged. You're always involved," Prof. Mulki said.

You can find Prof. Mulki’s bio here: http://cba.neu.edu/faculty/directory_detail.cfm?e=205 I have included the text of the executive summary of Prof. Mulki’s research below.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of this research study is to examine the challenges that remote employees face and the use of personal and organizational coping strategies. This report represents the findings from the first exploratory phase of the study based on 34 semi-structured interviews with remote employees and managers. Twenty-eight of the remote informants are Company A employees. The following highlights the key findings related to two significant challenges: 1) workplace isolation and 2) work-life balance issues.

High Experiences of Workplace Isolation

Deliberate actions by employees and managers are critical to minimizing the effect of workplace isolation. In particular, the informants identified a lack of informal communication, face-to-face communication, and visibility to management as the key challenges associated with workplace isolation. Employees reported the use of technology to increase informal communication as a means to reduce feelings of isolation, to build camaraderie, and as a partial substitute for face-to-face communication. In addition, employees suggested increasing opportunities for face-to-face interactions as well utilizing their own personal social networks to help address isolation perceptions. Findings suggest that workplace isolation may be more of a concern with new members of the team. Newcomers should be matched with a mentor and/or a traditional office employee to assist them in being more effective in the remote environment. Our results suggest that managers should provide support, mentoring, training (conferences, teleconferences, workshops, etc.) and work on developing community activities to help remote employees to address isolation issues. It was specifically recommended that the manager should meet face-to-face with each remote employees at least once every year.

Challenge in Managing Work-Life Balance

This study demonstrates that remote employees find it more difficult to disengage from work and tend to work longer hours. This tendency to overwork results from the lack of boundaries between work and home life and the nature of remote work (i.e., increased communication/conference calls and working with team members/customers in different time zones.) We suggest that remote employees should set routines to establish a work structure enabling them to disengage from work. Remote employees should also communicate to managers and team members when they are not available. We also recommend that remote employees should create physical boundaries between work and home life. Managers should help remote employees limit overwork by setting priorities on tasks. Finally, we recommend that both managers and the organization set clear remote work norms (i.e., not working on holidays, child care).

In conclusion, our qualitative findings enrich our organizational understanding of the best coping practices to address the challenges of virtual work from both employee and manager perspectives. An empirical study with survey responses from a larger pool of respondents will help us validate the findings and to enhance the knowledge base.

Continental Airlines to cut capacity 11%

Continental Airlines became the latest U.S. airline to unveil plans to slash its overall capacity by 11% and cutting more than 3,000 employees. In a unique twist, Continental’s CEO and its president both said will not take salaries or incentive pay the rest of the year. Continental said it will announce next week which flights and destinations it will reduce or eliminate.

Continental also renegotiated its capacity deal with low-cost carrier ExpressJet. Its new deal calls for ExpressJet to continue flying the 205 regional jets it currently operates for Continental in the first year but allows Continental to scale back the fleet by 15 after that period. The new seven-year deal also allows ExpressJet to fly for other carriers and to continue the consideration of strategic alternatives, including the company's possible sale.

In a Wall Street Journal article, Harlan Platt, a professor of finance at Northeastern University in Boston specializing in airlines, says he expects airlines to continue cutting capacity and staff as oil and fuel prices rise. He says oil prices need to be at $70/barrel for most airlines to break-even or begin making a profit.

"It's not a situation where the airlines will go bankrupt next month, but they have got to begin conserving their cash," Platt says.

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iPhone: One year later

Apple's splash into the cell phone market proved consumers will pay for hip devices. Now the race is on to one-up the iPhone.

What a difference a year makes. This month, the hip iPhone celebrates its first anniversary, following its riotous launch last June 29. Its birth followed six months of prerelease hype that was ignited by Apple Inc. CEO and industry luminary Steve Jobs.

The company that brought you the Macintosh computer, and the fabulously successful iPod and iTunes, has jumped -- well, dive-bombed, really -- into the wireless phone business like no cell phone vendor before.

"As the innovation leader, the iPhone is currently facing fierce competition from look-alike and feature-alike products. Apple cannot let up on innovation, because its competitors certainly will not," says Gloria Barczak, professor of marketing at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration.

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CA tax law specialist comments on Snipes sentencing

As you cover the Wesley Snipes tax prosecution story, I thought you might be interested in the thoughts of Frank Doti, a California bar association tax law specialist and professor at Chapman University’s School of Law (you can find his bio here: http://www.chapman.edu/law/faculty/doti.asp):

“Obviously this case has garnered a lot of media attention because of the celebrity status of Wesley Snipes. Although the IRS does not say so directly, it is commonly known that it criminally prosecutes persons of notoriety. The IRS believes that the media attention, especially around tax filing season, tends to put fear in the minds of your average taxpayer to properly file and pay taxes. An unknown tax cheat will probably not have the same effect, if it's even covered by the major media,” Prof. Doti points out.

“Another example of the IRS prosecuting a celebrity is Richard Hatch, who won the first Survivor competition. He is still in prison serving his five year sentence for failing to file and pay taxes on his $1,000,000 winnings from the contest.

“Snipes and Hatch tried to blame others for their failure to file. Snipes used as the basis for his defense the advice he received from his "tax advisor." He alleged that the advisor told him the federal income tax is unconstitutional. Others have tried to use this defense in the past. In recent years the courts have not been sympathetic to these arguments. I recall being in court a few years ago for one of our clinical education cases and watching a women argue her own case claiming the income tax is unconstitutional based on advice she read in a book. The judge was very diplomatic, but ruled against her,” Prof. Doti states.

“The bottom line is that excuses about illegality of the tax code have been rejected over and over again. Swipes probably took the chance at a time when the courts had not yet imposed the severe civil penalties which they are imposing now. Also, he was probably advised that he would not face criminal prosecution because others were claiming the same defense. That was obviously a big mistake, especially because of his celebrity status,” Prof. Doti concludes.

United backs off US Airways deal

CHICAGO - United Airlines scrapped its latest attempt to combine with US Airways and create the world's largest carrier, formally backing away Friday from a deal that likely would have meant fewer routes and higher ticket prices for consumers.

Now the question for those and other U.S. airlines is how to make money with oil prices near $130 a barrel.

"The failure of United to find a merger partner is not surprising given the fact that no airline, Southwest included, can survive at $130-per-barrel oil," said Harlan Platt, a finance professor at the business school at Northeastern University who follows the airline industry closely. "Either prices must rise by $50 a ticket or massive layoffs and cutbacks are needed."

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UNITED TALKS DEAD

US Airways, flying solo, may struggle

Airline likely will cut flights, add fees to offset fuel costs, analysts say

With no money-saving merger on the horizon, US Airways customers likely will see fewer flights and even more fees as high fuel costs continue to strain the carrier's finances.

After filing for bankruptcy protection twice this decade, Charlotte's dominant carrier should have enough cash to avoid the same fate this year, airline experts say.

US Airways, like other major airlines, has cash in reserve. The cushion has shrunk from $3.5 billion last summer to about $2 billion this spring, but it's enough to get the airline through this year, said Harlan Platt, a finance professor at the business school of Northeastern University in Boston, who follows the industry.

United is in a similar situation, Platt said, which could explain why the two airlines held off on a merger. "The sense of urgency is not there," he said.

"This is not the 39-year-old who says I'm going to marry the next person I go out with," Platt said. "These companies are now about 30. They know the clock is ticking, but they've got time."

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Northeastern University International Business Program Ranked 13th In Nation By U.S. News & World Report

Program Moves Up in Ranking, First in New England

Boston, MA (Vocus/PRWEB ) November 10, 2008 -- Northeastern University's College of Business Administration (CBA) today announced that its undergraduate International Business program advanced in the ranking among "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report, moving to 13th from its previous ranking of 15. It remains the highest ranked undergraduate international business degree program in New England. CBA's Bachelor of Science in International Business (BSIB) is the only degree of its kind in which students study overseas in the host school's language and work overseas, building upon Northeastern University's long-established strengths as one of the originators of cooperative education.

Helvetica, sans-serif; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.cba.neu.edu/">The BSIB program has gained its national and international stature, in part, because it has been developed in response to our business partner's belief that students truly learn much more successfully when they are effectively prepared to experience life, study and work abroad

Established in 1994, the BSIB program is a unique, innovative and demanding curriculum that prepares students for positions of international responsibility. Students can earn a Northeastern undergraduate international business degree and a second degree from a partnering foreign university in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico or Ireland. The new China option started in 2007. BSIB students study at the partner university in the host school's language. Also students are required to complete a six-month work assignment in the host country, giving them the opportunity to gain valuable, hands-on business experience in the country's unique business culture and environment.

"The BSIB program has gained its national and international stature, in part, because it has been developed in response to our business partner's belief that students truly learn much more successfully when they are effectively prepared to experience life, study and work abroad," said Peggy Fletcher, associate dean, undergraduate programs at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration.

Students who earn the BSIB degree study international business extensively, in addition to functional business subject areas such as finance, marketing, and supply chain management. The international business curriculum requires courses that cover the global business environment, global social responsibility and ethics, culture differences and their impact on all aspects of a firm's international business involvement, global strategic issues, international marketing, international finance and global supply chain management. Along with the classroom learning, the program's overseas study and work component is designed to replicate what managers on a foreign assignment may experience. To this end, one innovative course, Living and Working Abroad, prepares the BSIB students for living and studying overseas in the classroom before their departure and online while students experience cultural differences. Upon their return to the US, the course's last assignment requires a reflection study on the student's study and work experience overseas.

Graduates of the BSIB program have been sought after by both global companies headquartered abroad as well as U.S.-based companies with international offices. In the last several years alone, more than 30 foreign-based companies in four European countries have hired BSIB graduates to work abroad. In France these companies have included Rexel, Societe Generale, Natexis Bleichroeder, Lexmark, General Electric, GE, Nissan Europe in Trappes and State Street Banque. Among the participating companies in Spain have been LaNetro Zed, HSBC, Warner Brothers, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Daimler/Chrysler, Fiat, Sony Computer Entertainment Espana, Accenture, Robert Bosch Espana, AIG Life, Coca Cola, Coldkit, UBS Investment Bank and Lufthansa. Companies in Germany have included Bosch, US Commercial Service at the US Embassy-Berlin, Landesbank Baden-Wurrtemburg, Open Business Club AG and Otto (GmbH & Co KG). Among the list of participating companies in Ireland have been Palm, BNP Paribas Group, Merrill Lynch-Dublin, Citigroup, eSpatial Solutions Ltd, Gamestop and Amas.
At the same time BSIB graduates have secured jobs with foreign firms and with international offices of U.S. multinational corporations. Such U.S. multinational corporations include Bain & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb, JP Morgan, Liberty Mutual, PFC Energy and Raytheon.

About Northeastern University College of Business AdministrationNortheastern University College of Business Administration, established in 1922, provides its students--undergraduate, graduate and executive--with the education, tools and experience necessary to launch and accelerate successful business careers. The College credits its success to expert faculty, close partnerships with industry and is emphasis on rigorous academics combined with experiential learning.

The College is highly ranked by several prestigious publications. BusinessWeek ranks the College 34th and #1 in internships in its "Best Undergraduate B-schools." The College's Bachelor of Science in International Business program is ranked #13 by U.S. News & World Report. The undergraduate program is also distinguished by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine #14 of the U.S. top 25 entrepreneurship programs. For more information about Northeastern University's College of Business Administration, visit www.cba.neu.edu.

United-US Airways consolidation effort called off

CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines scrapped its latest attempt to combine with US Airways and create the world's largest carrier, formally backing away Friday from a deal that likely would have meant fewer routes and higher ticket prices for consumers.

Now the question for those and other U.S. airlines is how to get by and make money with oil prices near $130 a barrel.

The decision came against the backdrop of the latest rise in oil prices over $127 a barrel Friday after a recent drop.

"The failure of United to find a merger partner is not surprising given the fact that no airline, Southwest included, can survive at $130-per-barrel oil," said Harlan Platt, a finance professor at the business school at Northeastern University who follows the airline industry closely. "Either prices must rise by $50 a ticket or massive layoffs and cutbacks are needed."

If you would like to read this entire story, please visit: http://www.paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/airwaysconsolidation.htm

Landing profits with lobster traps

Maine's annual lobster catch was down 15 percent last year. But a pair of lobster-catching brothers came up with a plan to beat the economic odds -- they rent their traps to their customers and FedEx them the catch.
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TEXT OF STORY

Tess Vigeland: A lot of small businesses are feeling the pinch of the sour economy. Rising fuel and food prices make it tough to eke out profits when the margin is small in the first place. Lobstermen --and women -- are on the list of jobs in deep water. The annual catch is down. And market prices are stagnant. Reporter Lenora Chu found two brothers who are clawing back by inviting customers to adopt-a-lobster-trap.

If you would like to read this entire story or listen to the radio interview, please visit: http://www.paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/lobstertrap.htm

Impact of Presidential Elections on stock market

I thought you might be interested in a new research which looks at the impact of presidential elections on the US stock market. Presidential Election Uncertainty and Common Stock Returns in the United States, written by Jeffrey Born, a professor of finance at Northeastern University’s business school, provides evidence that the most important factor in an election’s impact is the certainty of the outcome. In other words, the tighter the race, the more volatile the market.

Below is an abstract of the research piece. You can find Prof. Born’s bio here: http://cba.neu.edu/faculty/directory_detail.cfm?e=138. Please let me know if you’d like to read a draft of the entire report, or if you’d like to speak to Prof. Born.

There is substantial evidence on the existence of a political business cycle. Studies demonstrate marked differences in the policy choices of the two major political parties in the United States. These policy differences are associated with significant differences in macro-economic outcomes and performance. The influence of macro-economic forces on common stock returns is well documented in the finance literature. This suggests the following linkage: political change produces policy change, which produces different macroeconomic outcomes, which should impact the distribution of common stock returns.

In an efficient market, the expectation of, or uncertainty about, political change should be incorporated into share prices. Prior research into the influence of political change has frequently been flawed by the assumption that the outcome of the election is known a priori. Furthermore, prior studies failed to control for the possibility of serial correlation in daily common stock returns, which has the potential to bias test statistics. We incorporate the uncertainty of a presidential election's outcome into our analysis of pre-election returns in the United States through the use of candidate preference (i.e., polling) data. Standardizing the difference in the two leading candidate's preference percentage by the sampling error of the poll produces a measure of electoral outcome uncertainty. We find that political uncertainty does impact aggregated common stock returns during the presidential election cycle.

If the candidate of the incumbent political party (who could be standing for re-election) does not enjoy a significant lead in the polls, stock market volatility rises. Not surprisingly, as total risk rises, mean returns rise. However, if the candidate of the incumbent political party moves to (or opens with) a commanding lead in the polls, the possibility of political change diminishes, as does volatility and mean daily returns.

Mishkin: Asset Bubbles Not a Fed Problem

Asset bubbles like the real estate crisis rocking the economy are a policy concern for the government but not necessarily the Federal Reserve, says Federal Reserve Board Governor Frederic S. Mishkin.

Mishkin, who recently announced he would step down from the Fed, was apparently responding to calls for the Fed to increase regulation of financial institutions in the wake of the credit crunch and mortgage market meltdown.

Other economic observers were somewhat taken aback by Mishkin’s comments.

“He seems to say that monetary policy is simply the setting of short-term, overnight interest rates,” Timothy A. Canova, an international monetary policy expert at the Chapman University School of Law, tells Moneynews.

“Free market ideology gets in the way of sensible regulation.”

If you would like to read this entire article, please visit: http://www.paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/assetbubbles.htm

Chapman Lures Top Legal Scholar

SANTA ANA - Well-known legal ethics and constitutional law expert Ronald D. Rotunda will join the law school faculty at Chapman University on Aug. 1.

Rotunda is the second nationally prominent law professor to come to Chapman from George Mason University in recent years and the fourth academic overall.

Nobel economics prize winner Vernon L. Smith joined Chapman's law and business schools inJanuary along with several other economics and law professors from Mason.

Earlier this month, Chapman announced that a team of physicists and computational scientists would be coming on board from Mason, including frequent Nobel Prize nominee Yakir Aharonov, the co-discoverer of a important phenomenon in quantum physics describing how distant forces act on local particles.

If you would like to read this entire article, please visit: http://www.paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/chapmanluresscholar.htm

Interesting (and disturbing) economic indicator

Here is an interesting (and disturbing) economic indicator sent to me by Timothy A. Canova, international monetary policy expert and associate dean/professor of international economic law at the Chapman University School of Law. You can find Dean Canova’s bio at http://www.chapman.edu/law/faculty/canova.asp.

Here’s an unusual anecdotal measure I’ve mentioned before about how bad things have become in the housing market:

At least two people have died and dozens have come down ill from West Nile virus In Orange County, California. According to reports in the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register, public health officials in Orange County believe the return of West Nile virus is the result of mosquitoes breeding in the stagnant waters of swimming pools of abandoned and foreclosed homes. Public health officials in Los Angeles and San Diego are also facing record numbers of human cases of West Nile virus, and are now introducing the Gambusia affinis, a tiny fish that devours mosquito larvae, into the stagnant pools to help eliminate the threat.

For verification, here’s one report: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2008/06/tiny-fish-helps.html

B-school/law school prof provides analysis of '08 stimulus package

As a follow-up to stories on the recently passed economic stimulus package, I thought I would send post some thoughts from Francine Lipman, a professor of both law and economics at the law and business schools at Chapman University. You can find her bio here: http://www.chapman.edu/law/faculty/lipman.asp.

With President Bush's signature the 2008 Economic Stimulus bill became law last week. As a result, taxpayers and their professionals and the IRS are struggling to understand the new legislation. Specifically taxpayers are asking do I qualify for the tax rebate; how much will I receive and when will I receive it. Most notably, low-income taxpayers who often rely on their tax refunds to finance their critical needs are struggling to understand how this works.

Like most tax laws, the new legislation is complicated and lacks transparency. While the rebate is a 2008 tax credit the advance payment of the 2008 tax credit will be based upon 2007 tax filings. However, taxpayers who do not qualify for the advance payment can qualify for additional amounts with their 2008 tax return filing. Unfortunately, this means that millions of individuals who do not otherwise need to file (because their income is so low or because their only source of income is Social Security benefits or Veterans disability income) must file a 2007 tax return to get the advanced payment of the 2008 tax rebate. Low-income taxpayer advocates are concerned that much of the $300 tax rebate for these individuals will end up in the pockets of paid tax preparers who often charge $100-$200 for a tax filing and more for Refund Anticipation Loans (a loan against the future forthcoming rebate).

In addition, to requiring at least $3000 of earned income; certain Social Security benefits or Veterans benefits, eligible individuals must have a Social Security number (SSN). If a taxpayer files married filing jointly both taxpayers must have a Social Security number. This may force certain taxpayers with a spouse that does not have a Social Security number to file married filing separately, which may have adverse tax consequences and cause the loss of other tax credits (e.g., educational tax credits, exclusion from taxation of Social Security tax benefits). IN addition, to qualify for an additional $300 per qualifying child, the child must have a SSN. The legislative history for this requirement is that Congress did not want the rebate to go to undocumented immigrants. However, this requirement is overbroad (there are legally present individuals in the US who do not have SSNs because they are not permitted to work and they are not working) and poorly targeted (there are many individuals who have SSNs who are VISA overstayers or who have a SSN that states that they are not authorized to work who will receive the credit).

The requirement for a SSN under the 2008 tax rebate is similar but less restrictive than the requirement for an SSN under the earned income tax credit (EITC). Under the EITC all taxpayers (including working or nonworking spouses must have a SSN), but if they receive a SSN at a later date they may retroactively file for EITC benefits for up to three prior tax years. This can generate a significant refund. The 2007 EITC can be as great as $4716. Under the EITC only SSNs which permit work qualify a taxpayer for the credit, but this does not seem to be a requirement under the tax rebate.

The requirement for a SSN under the 2008 tax rebate is more restrictive than the requirement for the current child tax credit (which is up to $1000 per qualifying child). To qualify for the child tax credit a qualifying child must have a taxpayer identification number, which can be a SSN (permitting or not permitting work) OR an individual taxpayer identification number (that is, an ITIN).

Given these complexities as well as others the 2008 tax rebate is consistent with our overly complicated tax system.

Struggling homeowners find little hope in federal program

WASHINGTON — In the nearly four months since Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson challenged mortgage lenders to modify distressed home loans voluntarily to ease record numbers of foreclosures, it remains difficult to gauge the program's success.

McClatchy followed several homeowners as they worked with — and sometimes battled — lenders and loan collectors during the mortgage modification process, called Hope Now.

"The big question is how many real loan modifications are happening, and I don't think they know," said Kurt Eggert, a professor at the Chapman University School of Law in Orange, Calif., and a member of a Federal Reserve consumer advisory board. "How can you say you are on top of the problem if you don't know how broadly the 'best solution' is being applied?"

McClatchy also closely followed another borrower, in this case without revealing to the lender that a reporter was watching.

If you would like to read this entire story, please visit: http://paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/strugglinghomeowner.htm

Telecommuting Is Not Cure to All Workplace Ills

As fuel prices rise, interest in telecommuting does as well, as I wrote just last week. My blog mentioned several companies that were adding or expanding telecommuting options for their employees in response to high prices at the pump, and also to attract talented folks who may not want to relocate for a job.

Yet some early advocates of telecommuting are beginning to question the practice, eWEEK points out. Among those recalling telecommuting workers to the office are Intel, AT&T, HP and some federal government agencies. And IBM, which lets 40 percent of its employees work outside the office, participated in a telecommuting study by Northeastern University professor Jay Mulki.

If you would like to read this entire article, please visit: http://paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/telecommutingnotcure.htm

Fractional Ownership - Latest Luxury Trend of "Want it All"

I thought you might be interested in some thoughts on the “latest luxury trend – fractional ownership” – provided by Aaron Weddell, associate editor of Fractional Life and contributing editor to JustLuxe (www.justluxe.com):

The “want-it-all, want-it-now” generation is moving away from the more traditional methods of obtaining the accepted societal demonstrations of wealth—luxury vehicles, exclusive vacation properties and private aviation, amongst others. They still aspire to such end-user heights, but it is not simply a case of blind purchasing to satisfy consumer desires, but look to balance their spending between experiential reward, financial outlay and, most topically, environmental impact.

This shift has created a consumer breed referred to by trend-watching gurus as ‘transumers’ or ‘fractional lifers.’ This group values not the actual full ownership of goods, but instead focus on the experiences that those goods can provide and the short-term reward, leading to the rapid rise in popularity of fractional ownership.

Fractional ownership and asset sharing gives you an ideal way to get the most out of your investment by purchasing only the shares or time you require from an asset. All other aspects are split - both the benefits and the costs, amongst a limited number of Shareholders or Members. Fractional ownership means you physically own a percentage of the asset until you decide to sell.

To take ownership of a luxury yacht as a simple example- the purchase and ownership costs of running a yacht are terribly high and one would only get enjoy the more pleasurable side of ownership- actually using your yacht- a handful of times per year. So why not split the cost between a number of people and share the downsides of ownership without sacrificing the time you get at sea?

Other fractionals that do not lend themselves traditionally to fractional ownership and instead offer club membership based asset sharing schemes include luxury goods from designer handbags to £150k+ supercars for a fixed annual cost. Supercar club membership for instance negates the issue of lengthy waiting lists, running costs and depreciation but still sees you behind the wheel of the world’s most desirable cars without the financial guesswork.

Although broader acceptance of fractional ownership is only just filtering into the daily life of many consumers already for some fractional lifers fractional ownership is, as the appellation suggests, a way of life.

For more on fractional ownership trends, visit Forecasting 2008: Six Fractional Luxury Trends To Watch

If it's jilted by US Airways, United may be out of suitors

United Airlines could find its last, best hope for a merger partner slipping away if talks with US Airways stall, observers say.

The two carriers have been negotiating for weeks, and at one point appeared close to a deal. But discussions reportedly are on the verge of falling apart, though the top executives of both airlines have a meeting set up today in an attempt to hammer out some differences, according to the Wall Street Journal.

United has been courting possible suitors for several years.

Harlan Platt, a turnaround specialist and finance professor at Northeastern University in Boston, said stronger partnerships could provide a temporary bridge for struggling airlines. But he thinks they would only delay the inevitable consolidation of the U.S. airline industry.

"Longer-term, all of the big airlines will start to merge together," Platt said. "They're going to have to. As the bartender calls out last call, the potential partner you chose not to leave the bar with earlier looks awfully good at this point."

If you'd like to read this entire story, please visit: http://paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/jiltedbyusair.htm

Two More High-Profile Law Profs Lured from George Mason to Chapman

George Mason law professor Ronald Rotunda is joining Chapman law school along with his wife, Kyndra, an expert on military personnel and disability law.

Rotunda has written a well-known case book on legal ethics and has helped emerging democracies craft constitutions and legal codes. He will help Chapman create a formal concentration in constitutional law, according to the school’s dean, John Eastman. In a press release he called Rotunda one of the most highly regarded law professors in the country.

The Rotundas are the second and third professors to jump to Chapman law school from George Mason within a year, reports The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. The first was Nobel economist Vernon Smith.

Ronald Rotunda told The BLT that Chapman is pushing to become a major force in legal education, with funding from an increased endowment. He said the school’s student-teacher ratio rivals that of Yale. “We’re very pleased to be joining a university on its way up,” he said.
He added that George Mason “has some problems” but did not elaborate.

Chapman reports on its website that it has moved up to the third tier in the latest rankings in U.S. News & World Report, a “noteworthy achievement for a law school that has been in existence for barely a dozen years.”

The website announcement, posted March 28 before the Rotundas were hired, says the law school has appointed 11 new faculty hires since last year’s U.S. News balloting in an “unprecedented expansion in faculty and programs.”

Ultimate Whiskey Offering

I wanted to share with you an extremely unique high-end offering that have been put together by Angel’s Share (www.angelsshare.com) out of Novato California.

The Ultimate Whiskey Offering: This extremely exclusive package consists of the world's most expensive cask of single malt scotch whisky, "The Ultimate Cask." The whisky was distilled at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay--known as the "Scotland's most progressive whisky distillery"-- and is currently maturing entirely in a barrel we obtained from Chateau d'Yquem. This is the only cask of its kind from this highly rated distillery--they won't be making another one--so it truly is the only one of its kind in the world.

Since the whisky takes ten years to mature we've put together a wonderful program of lifestyle experiences, including a private shooting expedition on the Distillery Manager's grounds (with presentation of an engraved Holland & Holland shotgun), the chance to drive a Formula racing car on track, and other wonderful offerings. This opportunity promises to go beyond the typical "castles and kilts" view of Scotland and really experience the people and whisky distilling firsthand and up-close from a famous Master Distiller (James McEwen). The price tag on the cask and experience is $300k.

Forces Plague UAL-US Air Deal

UAL Corp. and US Airways Group Inc., caught between long-standing airline industry concerns and new realities, face difficult choices in deciding whether to pursue a merger or carry on as independent carriers.

Both US Airways and UAL, parent of United Airlines Inc., have been seeking a partner for the better part of two years. When talks heated up between the airlines last month, many thought the companies had finally found a transaction that would allow them to cut capacity and overhead costs in the face of cutthroat competition and rising fuel prices.

Harlan Platt, a finance professor at Northeastern University who follows the airline industry, described the talks between United and US Airways as "like two condemned prisoners sitting down the night before their execution," willing to discuss anything.

"The failure to find a partner simply shows that no easy solutions exist," Platt said. "This is the most dire moment in the entire history of the industry."

If you'd like to read this entire article, please visit: http://paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/forcesplagueairdeal.htm

Lenders try to help homeowners in trouble but is it too little, too late?

As foreclosure numbers break records, politicians and banks scramble for a solution.

Banks are helping a broader array of homeowners struggling with their loan payments, but the sheer number of bad loans is overshadowing their efforts.

Experts say lenders and loan servicers are now willing to work with financially strapped borrowers even if they are current on their loans. During the housing boom, banks generally modified home loans only after borrowers missed at least one payment and thus dinged their credit, sources said.

One reason banks have changed their tune: record foreclosures.

Credit counselor Lohrenz said after years of working with people with credit problems her thinking has shifted on government intervention in the housing market.

"I personally feel the bottom line is we can't bail out all these people," Lohrenz said. "Then you just have the same problems again. I think we have to let them fail for the market to correct itself. I know there is a lot of pain in people's lives, and we do what we can."

But others disagree.

Kurt Eggert, a law professor at Chapman University who has followed the mortgage industry, said government needs to find a way to mandate loan modifications.

"The challenge is to figure out what the leverage should be," Eggert said.

One possibility would be to revive a previously rejected congressional plan that would allow bankruptcy court judges to order loan modifications. That would motivate loan servicers to work with borrowers to avoid the borrower filing bankruptcy, he said.

"The purpose of loan modifications is too mitigate losses to the investor by keeping the borrower in the home," Eggert said. "It's not like it's charity to the borrower."

If you'd like to read this entire story, please visit:

http://www.paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/lendershelphomeowners.htm

More thoughts on job hopping...

Job hopping's become a norm for younger workers (particularly millennials). Is this a passing trend or the future of the workplace?

Here are some more thoughts from Lynne Sarikas, director of the MBA Career Center at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration:

The latest figure I heard was that people have on average 7 different jobs over the course of their careers and I suspect that will increase. Not only do workers switch jobs on their own more often these days, companies don't keep employees for life either with downsizing, restructuring, mergers, acquisitions etc.

It is unfair to claim this is a phenomenon unique to the millenials. While the baby boomers tended to have careers for life, most people in the workforce today have not stayed with the same company for their entire careers. It is unusual to see a resume with a single employer. The trick is to have a story to tell about the changes. Why did you make each move, what experience did you gain from each, how do the combined experiences best prepare you for the next step? No one should be going in to an interview apologizing for having had multiple jobs.

The companies that tend to retain employees for significant periods of time tend to be the very large companies and they are successful in retaining the employees the really want by offering them regularly opportunities to grow and change. While someone may work at a Raytheon or IBM for more than 25 years, they frequently never have the same job for more than two years. Large companies have enough diversity of opportunities to keep people moving and growing.

While employers will still claim to look for stability when recruiting, they are truly looking for the best skill set and fit for their culture regardless of whether that skill set was built in a single company or a series of different companies. There is value in demonstrating the ability to learn a new company or industry. There is value in demonstrating the ability to work in organizations of different size and styles.

The job search is really a sales job and that means doing your best to sell your unique set of skills and experience regardless of how you acquired them. Focus on what the employer is looking for and sell your advantages regardless of how many employers you have on your resume. Just be prepared to explain why you made the changes, and how you gained valuable experience from each that prepares you for this new opportunity.

Human beings are learning beings - as long as you learn something from the experience and can demonstrate that, it has value. Obviously one should avoid the extreme of jumping from one to job to the next too quickly. It is helpful to show some progression and promotion within an organization but offer the big jump in responsibilities comes by changing companies.

It will be interesting to watch the millenials to make sure they aren't changing jobs every time their attention span wanes!!

4 Ways to Burn Out, Effort-Free

Bored? Dissatisfied? Disinterested? You're well on your way to burning out!

By Liz Wolgemuth

Job burnout: The phrase might conjure up images of work-obsessed lawyers sneakily checking their BlackBerrys from the front row of their kids' elementary school plays or from the sidelines of their soccer games. But it should probably also bring to mind images of desk drones mindlessly filling out spreadsheets, preparing TPS reports, and shooting spitballs toward the ceiling. Indeed, the state of being perpetually underworked may be about as exhaustion-inducing as that of always having more work than you can handle.

Work at home or communicate only through E-mail and IM. The more time you can spend in mind-numbing isolation, poking at your keyboard and reading through your spam folder, the better to reach a state of burnout. Indeed, isolating work can contribute to employee drinking, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

A sense of being isolated comes when solitary workers are not getting necessary support from supervisors and peers, says Jay Mulki, an assistant professor at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration who has studied workplace isolation among telecommuters and office workers. "That leads to stress in the sense that a person feels that he's not visible, nobody cares about him, his achievements are not known, nobody cares about whether he has done his work or not," Mulki says. "And he also feels that, most of the time, somebody may feel that he is goofing off."

Physical distance contributes to the sense of being isolated, but even employees who work elbow-to-elbow with others can experience the lonely sensation, Mulki says. It can happen if coworkers communicate solely through E-mail or instant messaging, or if a job requires such constant tasking—as with call-center employees—that it allows no time for connecting.

To combat isolation, employees need to make a point of talking about their accomplishments regularly with their supervisor. Telecommuters can seek out local mentors or find other nearby telecommuters to occasionally share their work space, Mulki says.

If you'd like to read this entire story, please visit: http://www.paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/fourwaystoburnout.htm

IBM Hops on Web Syndication Bandwagon

IBM joins Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec and other heavyweights in offering Web Syndication services to channel partners.

The last thing VARs, especially smaller shops like Lighthouse Computer Services, want to spend time on is updating information and listings of hundreds, even thousands, of vendor products on their Web sites.

Considering the sheer number of product lines, products and cross-brand solutions IBM offers, Sylvestre says that task was nearly impossible.

One alternative was to redirect customers to the IBM site, but that quickly put an end to the customers' interaction with the Lighthouse site, Sylvestre says. The WebCollage Web Syndication tool keeps customers and prospects within the Lighthouse site, and automatically updates the site with accurate information about products and solutions, he says.

IBM joins heavyweights Microsoft, Symantec and Cisco, among others, in offering the Web syndication services to its channel partners. The syndication services, powered by Web Collage, are a no-brainer: Syndication services can automatically feed VARs' Web sites with accurate, up-to-date information about vendors' products.

To read this entire story, please visit: http://www.paradigmshiftpr.com/media/placements/ibmsyndication.htm

Subprime problem: branding much larger crisis?

Kurt Eggert, a law professor who has testified to Congress on these issues and is a past member of the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Advisory Council, recently provided some thoughts on the following question: Is "subprime" becoming a form of branding a crisis that actually is larger than the global uncertainty stemming from sales of bundled American mortgages in the residual market?

“The credit crunch is outstripping the subprime market and the subprime crisis if anything reveals that lenders weren't doing good risk assessment. Now, the entire market is much more wary of risk and unwilling to make loans without being able to determine the risk characteristics of the borrower,” Prof. Eggert points out. “Given that much of the subprime risk out there is not transparent, is hidden away in complex structured entities that are difficult to price, this is causing the credit crunch we've seen out there.”

“As to banks writing down their other loans, banks should be writing down loans that have gone bad and if they don't, if they try to conceal the reduced value of these loans, this can cause broader harm as again other parties become suspicious of the true value of their holdings,” Prof. Eggert adds. “So, we should be encouraging both banks and rating agencies to be writing down loans and ratings of securities backed by loans as those go bad.”

Below is Prof. Eggert's bio.

Professor Kurt Eggert is a Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Legal Education. He also runs Chapman's Alona Cortese Elder Law Center, and teaches both clinical and doctrinal classes. His scholarship has focused on several different areas, among them predatory lending, consumer credit, gambling regulation, and elder abuse. He has testified to Congress on predatory lending issues and is a member of the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Advisory Council, where he chairs the subcommittee on Consumer Credit. Previously, he was an adjunct professor of law, teaching Elder Law, at Loyola Law School. From 1990 until 1999, he was a senior attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services in Los Angeles, where he specialized in complex litigation, including consumer fraud and home equity fraud. Professor Eggert received his B.A. from Rice University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and received his Juris Doctor from Boalt Hall, the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. He teaches Legal and Equitable Remedies, Elder Law, Legal Research and Writing, Civil Procedure and Depositions/Discovery Complex Litigation.