Review highlights of recent news coverage of Georgia Tech College of Management's people and programs.

 January  2012

•  Color Contrast: According to Georgia Tech marketing professor Koert van Ittersum's research, the color contrast between dinnerware and what's placed on top can affect how much we serve ourselves and consume. For example, instead of scooping vanilla ice cream into a white bowl, you'd do better to pick a different color dish, he explains. His research, which identifies the illusory phenomena leading people to over-serve themselves when given larger plates and bowls, won coverage from numerous media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Scientific American, Forbes, Herald Sun, and ABC's "Good Morning America."

•  Self-Diagnosis: Professor Nate Bennett co-authored in Forbes on diagnosing your leadership strengths and weaknesses. "It’s our contention that your strengths and weaknesses don’t matter nearly as much as your ability to recognize what a situation will demand of them—and your ability to display or disguise strengths and weaknesses accordingly," he wrote.

•  Using Time Wisely: Instead of kicking back over the year-end holidays, smart MBA students use that time to keep looking for full-time jobs or internships, reported Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The article quoted Jim Kranzusch, executive director of MBA Career Services at Tech, who said, "The biggest mistake students make is to just take three and a half weeks off," he says. "You have to be ready to go if you are a second-year without a job or a first-year anticipating on-campus recruiting for internships."

•  Future Opportunities: What kinds of new jobs and titles will the 21st century bring? Computerworld turned to IT management professor Sandra Slaughter for insight. "When you look at what's emerging today, usually the new jobs are tied to the new technologies," she says. Continued growth of the outsourcing/offshoring manager is one she predicts. "Outsourcing and offshoring are getting more complicated. The work may be going on in four or five different places now, not just in one place, so you need someone who can manage all the projects."

•  Breakdown Blues: Financial analysts are growing increasingly concerned about supply-chain practices and how they affect shareholder value, according to a CFA Magazine article. The article extensively cited research by operations management professor Vinod Singhal showing that supply-chain disruptions significantly impact stock price when announced. These companies continue to suffer from lower performance levels for at least two years after experiencing a disruption. Singhal's research on supply-chain disruptions was also cited in a major report of the World Economic Forum.

•  Lifestyle Adjustment: Learning to live like a student again is an adjustment for MBA students, reported a Bloomberg BusinessWeek article. Ann Scott, director of graduate programs for Georgia Tech College of Management, offered prospective students extensive advice in the article. "Start cutting back your life before you quit your job," she says. "You have to get out of that steak-and-potatoes lifestyle and get back to peanut butter and jelly."

• Hall of Fame: Distinguished alumni recognized by Georgia Tech College of Management were featured in the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Award winners included Edward J. Brown, president and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group; Thomas A. Fanning, chairman and CEO of Southern Company; and Jeni Bogdan, founder, owner and president of The Saxon Group.

• Job Engine: A CNN story on patent reform cited research by Stuart Graham, assistant professor of strategic management. Senator Patrick Leahy pointed to the study as an indicator that patent reform could lead to major job contribution through the issuing of higher-quality patents at a faster pace.

• Expert Opinion: When new banking fees generated major controversy, WSB-TV turned to Sudheer Chava, assistant professor of finance, for his insights.

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