MBA Evidence-Based Innovation

The economic recovery may still be sluggish, but if retail sales from the beginning of this holiday shopping season are any indication, consumers are feeling a bit more confident about the future even with looming concerns about the “fiscal cliff”. 

At long last, the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign is over.  While the President, members of Congress - and for that matter, political junkies – can now focus on “getting back to work," it is worth taking a moment to reflect on what happened.  And, you don’t have to be inside the Beltway to benefit from the lessons learned. MBA admissions officers all over the country can apply the takeaways from Decision 2012.

First, political pundits have been echoing a variation of the familiar adage of the late NBC News’ Tim Russert, “demographics, demographics, demographics.”  It has been reported again and again that a dramatic transformation in the demographics of the American electorate over the past several years, specifically the large turnout of the Latino vote, played a significant role in this month’s election outcome.  

With Halloween fast approaching, it’s that time of year when thrill seekers get their adrenaline pumping at haunted houses throughout the country. And, if there was ever any question about the best places to get spooked, haunted attractions have joined business schools, consumer goods, and celebrities as yet another subject of media rankings.  From Screamworld in Houston to The House of Horrors in Buffalo, Reader’s Digest has it all covered in the 11 Best Haunted Houses Across the Country.

While many Americans are focused on a certain election this November, MBA admissions officers all around the world are counting down to a different kind of election. 

If you are planning to conduct a MBA satisfaction survey, it is important to do everything you can to boost your response rate to minimize cost and speed up the turnaround time.  This is one of a series of articles to provide tips and tricks to help you get the best possible response rate from your business school market research.

If you are planning to conduct a business school stakeholder survey, it is important to do everything you can to boost your response rate to minimize cost and speed up the turnaround time.  This is one of a series of articles to provide tips and tricks to help you get the best possible response rate from your business school market research.

Around this time each year, we glance at our calendars and exclaim in surprise, “Where did the summer go?!?”  Although September arrives seemingly out of nowhere, you know it is just around the corner when yellow school buses are once again streaming down suburban streets and retail shelves are overflowing with back-to-school supplies.  For parents of school-aged children, this often signals that time to shop for new and bigger backpacks. With a dizzying array of colors, shapes and sizes, the choice becomes even more complex with the option of solar backpacks - underscoring just how connected our culture is today.

It was one of the biggest upsets of the 2012 Olympic Games and it came early.  Sixteen-time medalist Michael Phelps was defeated in the 400-meter individual medley by rival and teammate Ryan Lochte who took home the gold for Team USA. It was the first time Phelps didn’t win an Olympic medal since the 2000 Sydney Games and it didn’t take long for speculation to begin.  Why did Phelps come in fourth? Did he not practice enough in the past two years? Perhaps his body was rebelling with age. Or, was he distracted by all interviews and attention since Beijing? 

If you are planning to conduct a MBA satisfaction survey, it is important to do everything you can to boost your response rate to minimize cost and speed up the turnaround time.  This is one of a series of articles to provide tips and tricks to help you get the best possible response rate from your business school market research.

July may be best associated with Independence Day parades and fireworks, but did you know that it also happens to be National Ice Cream Month?  The average American eats 48 pints of ice cream per year - more than any other nationality – and July tops the list for ice cream sales.  With record heat waves sweeping across the nation this summer, chances are consumption will be even higher this July.

Then again, some may be less inclined to take a big bite into this favorite summer-time treat when triple-digit temps transform your Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk into a gooey pool of chocolate milk.