https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from USC Marshall School of Business If you're in the market for a new car, and especially if you have a trade-in, the latest research from the USC Marshall School of Business marketing department suggests you aren't getting the deal you think you are getting. https://phys.org/news/2015-04-buyers-trade-in-raw.html Economics & Business Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:48:05 EDT news349627673 Some people hate to disappoint—and you should definitely get them on your team. It turns out individuals who are highly prone to feel guilty for disappointing their co-workers are among the most ethical and hard-working partners. However, new research suggests that these highly guilt-prone people may be the most reticent to enter into partnerships. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-12-guilt-prone-individuals-implications-workplace.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:05:25 EST news338486680 Financial innovations can make or break an economy. While the negative impact of financial innovation has been extensively covered, a new study of financial innovations before and during the last financial crisis indicates that financial innovations are not all bad. Many provide positive returns, especially in the United States. However, those that are easy for consumers to understand provide the best returns for investors. https://phys.org/news/2014-08-upside-financial.html Economics & Business Wed, 27 Aug 2014 10:53:44 EDT news328355610 Scalping gets a bad rap. For years, artists and concert promoters have stigmatized ticket resale as a practice that unfairly hurts their own sales and forces fans to pay exorbitant prices for tickets to sold-out concerts. But is that always true? https://phys.org/news/2014-07-scalping-ticket-prices.html Internet Fri, 25 Jul 2014 15:35:02 EDT news325521246 Narcissism, considered by some as the "dark side of the executive personality," may actually be a good thing when it comes to certain financial measures, with companies led by narcissistic CEOs outperforming those helmed by non-narcissistic executives, according to recent research co-authored by faculty at the USC Marshall School of Business. https://phys.org/news/2014-07-narcissistic-ceos-financial.html Economics & Business Thu, 24 Jul 2014 13:40:01 EDT news325426033 While Disney's Frozen Academy Award-winning diva anthem "Let It Go" has dominated the Billboard 200, sales records and parents' eardrums with its message of all-out emotional display, that approach probably won't always resonate in the boardroom, according to a recent study from Marshall and USC faculty. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-04-boardroom-facial-affect-cooperation.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 29 Apr 2014 09:14:27 EDT news317981650 Valentine's Day has come and gone. But those images of romance are still everywhere : a happy couple holding hands in an eharmony ad, two lovebirds sharing a tender kiss in a Nikon camera commercial. https://phys.org/news/2014-03-sales.html Economics & Business Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:20:09 EDT news313834027 Does giving a speech in public stress you out? Or writing a big presentation for your boss? What about skydiving? One way to cope, according to a new study from Sarah Townsend, assistant professor of management and organization at the USC Marshall School of Business, is to share your feelings with someone who is having a similar emotional reaction to the same scenario. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-01-stressed-people-equals-stress.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 29 Jan 2014 15:12:33 EST news310230717 Would you let other people's ethical preferences determine whether you act unethically on their behalf? Or would you instead rely on your own set of ethics? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-12-impact-moral-ethical.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:07:10 EST news306061615 Americans consume an enormous amount of media daily via television, radio, phone and computer. As you read this article on the Internet, perhaps while checking the text messages on your smartphone or listening to satellite radio, that statement undoubtedly rings true. But exactly how much media flows to individuals and households in a year? Try 6.9 zettabytes—that's 6.9 million MILLION gigabytes. https://phys.org/news/2013-10-americans-media-consumption.html Internet Tue, 29 Oct 2013 13:44:07 EDT news302273030 What truly inspires individuals to perform at their very best? When it comes to motivating others and ourselves, it turns out offering rewards in defined categories, even when they are largely meaningless, can heighten motivation. According to recent research co-authored by Scott S. Wiltermuth, assistant professor of management and organization at USC's Marshall School of Business, even if the rewards are the similar – and the categories arbitrary – the very act of segmenting rewards motivates people to perform better and longer, even on menial tasks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-task-master-categorizing-rewards.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 29 May 2013 17:34:35 EDT news289067664 Why do brands such as Manchester United and Apple capture hearts and minds? When consumers feel a strong emotional attachment to a brand, there is seemingly nothing we would not do–from paying more for it to defending it against detractors. For all the millions of dollars spent on advertising and other efforts, however, consumers rarely feel an affinity for brands. So how do marketers make consumers develop a strong attachment for a product or service? According to a recent study from USC Marshall School of Business, it is achieved by appealing to people's aesthetic needs (enticing/annoying to the self), functional needs (enabling/disabling for the self) and spiritual needs (whether something is enriching/impoverishing). In short, brands to which we are loyal, evoke warm feelings and provide pleasure, speak to who we are and help manage the problems we have in daily life. https://phys.org/news/2013-05-why-we-love-it-or.html Social Sciences Thu, 09 May 2013 10:46:20 EDT news287315173 In certain circles, such as publishing, it has been well-documented that female authors have taken male pen names to attract a larger audience and/or get their book published. But should marketers actually highlight gender and activate stereotypes to sell more products? https://phys.org/news/2013-02-technique-gender-stereotypes-em.html Social Sciences Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:40:01 EST news279900135 The bread and butter of investing for Silicon Valley tech companies is stale. Instead, a new method of predicting the evolution of technology could save tech giants millions in research and development or developments of new products—and help analysts and venture capitalists determine which companies are on the right track. https://phys.org/news/2013-01-law-ways-technologies.html Business Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:49:27 EST news278340502 Often, employees are shocked by what they think is a supervisor's severe reaction to a subordinate's seemingly minor transgression. The supervisors who punish them seem to be so absolutely sure that they are doing the right thing—they have a clear sense of purpose and there are no arguments to sway them. https://phys.org/news/2013-01-links-power-tendency-harshly.html Economics & Business Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:36:15 EST news277655768 Economists and professionals praise the merits of competition, as it leads to lower prices and improvements in quality. But in the automobile smog-testing industry, competition can lead to corruption and even public health problems, according to research by USC Marshall School of Business Assistant Professor of Management Victor Bennett. https://phys.org/news/2012-11-good-bad-behavior.html Economics & Business Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:50:01 EST news273400011 How do sexual cues affect consumer behavior? New research from USC Marshall School of Business Assistant Professor of Marketing Kyu Kim and Gal Zauberman, associate professor of marketing at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, reveals the reasons why sexual cues cause us to be impatient and can affect monetary decisions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-links-sexual-imagery-consumer-impatience.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 26 Jul 2012 16:19:29 EDT news262538338