Faculty Research Papers

Faculty Research Glass bottles have been making a comeback, especially as a premium product. On a trip to Central Market in Dallas, Assistant Professor Savannah Tang had her first brush with glass-bottled milk from a local farm. Sparking her study’s interest, Tang reveals an analytical way of mapping out when different packaging strategies work for all stakeholders. Her research shows what levers companies—states and countries too—can pull to encourage sustainable packaging, when choosing between glass or eco-friendly plastic.

Faculty Research New research by Xue (Jane) Tan shows that donation-matching strategies that work in traditional fundraising can sometimes discourage giving in online civic crowdfunding, where real-time transparency changes donor behavior. By analyzing a decade of campaigns on Goteo.org, the study finds that goal-based matching can be more effective than visible dollar-for-dollar matches—especially depending on the type of social project being funded.

Faculty Research Can AI be effective in identifying mergers and acquisitions candidates and getting deals across the finish line? First and foremost, your data needs to be accurate and relevant. In new research, Xia and coauthor Walker analyze when AI works well in deals and when it does not. They found deal performance improved when firms had alignment in technology capabilities and were from a related industry. Technological capability alone isn't enough—success depends on deploying AI where relevant data exists—and recognizing its limitations.

Faculty Research Visual content shapes online decisions, but its impact is hard to measure. New research from SMU Cox Marketing Professor Gijs Overgoor and coauthors examines how AI and neuroscience can reveal how consumers respond to advertising images and what drives click-through behavior.

Faculty Research SMU Cox Marketing Professor Gijs Overgoor and coauthors study large-language models (LLMs) to see how capable they are in identifying performance for video ad creative. While AI models—with LLMs the visible workhorses of AI—show promise for scaling advertising research, fine-tuning with domain-specific training data is essential.

Faculty Research Resale clothing platforms like ThredUp, The RealReal, and Vestiaire have transformed how consumers think about secondhand clothing. The resale fashion market is booming, even outpacing traditional retail fivefold in 2024. In new research, information technology professor Sreekumar Bhaskaran of SMU Cox and coauthor Stephen Gilbert sort through the economics and social benefit of resale channels. Industry claims by some firms about sustainability benefits of resale channels are mixed, according to the findings.

Faculty Research In collaboration with co-authors, Kumar Venkataraman shares research on the efficacy retail investors can still have against institutional traders.

Faculty Research In collaboration with co-authors, Kumar Venkataraman shares research on the efficacy retail investors can still have against institutional traders.

Faculty Research Recent research out of the Finance department, led by Xiaowen Hu, shows that the best firms are using strategies of AI alongside human expertise. Vast amounts of data can be expertly and quickly analyzed like never before.

Faculty Research Haendler, assistant professor, presents new research on how mobile technology advancements by larger banks have stiffened competition for local, smaller banks. Smaller banks typically excel at relationship building and local lending.

Faculty Research SMU Cox professor Wayne Taylor recently conducted research explores online gambling legalization, analyzing its impact on tax revenue and gambling behavior across states.

Faculty Research In the paper, "Avengers Assemble! When Digital Piracy Increases Box Office Demand," Strategy Professor Wendy Bradley of SMU Cox and coauthors explore how digital piracy impacts the demand for creative goods, specifically movies, with broad implications for the digital world.

Faculty Research In a recently published paper titled “Experiencing Nature Leads to Healthier Food Choices,” SMU Cox Marketing Professor Maria Langlois, with co-author Pierre Chandon, explore how exposure to nature encourages healthier food choices.

Faculty Research In new research, Strategy Professor Wendy Bradley of SMU Cox and Julian Kolev of the U.S. Patents and Trademark Office analyze new products and services in the digital world, which helps in explaining the rise of intangible assets among firms.

Faculty Research In new research, Wang of SMU Cox and coauthors explore why narcissists are more promotable, enjoy longer tenures, and earn higher compensation than their peers.

Faculty Research In groundbreaking research, Darius Miller and Ruidi Huang of SMU Cox, with coauthor Erik Mayer, examine gender bias in promotions within the U.S. financial industry.

Faculty Research Does the failure of Silicon Valley Bank threaten the integral structure of banking? Read the causes and implications of SVB’s unraveling with expert analysis from SMU Cox professors Gauri Bhat and Hemang Desai.

Faculty Research In a forthcoming paper, Accounting Professor Hemang Desai of SMU Cox and coauthors analyze these firms’ carbon reduction pledges to understand the drivers behind pledges and whether the market finds them credible.

Faculty Research Ryan Murphy, research assistant professor at the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom, and co-author Colin O'Reilly recently published "Anti-growth safetyism" on WorksinProgress.co.

Faculty Research New research by Professor Toby Mühlhofer of SMU Cox and co-authors focuses on valuing illiquid assets, specifically commercial real estate and related securities.

Faculty Research Materiality is in the eye of the beholder. In a more disclosure-aware environment, unique angles are emerging that spotlight the effect of information. New research by Accounting Professor Hayoung Yoon of SMU Cox, with coauthors Thompson and Urcan, shows how presumably immaterial redacted information can have material consequences for investors.

Faculty Research The research, co-authored by SMU Cox Associate Professor of Management and Organizations and MNO department chair Marcus Butts, affirms that conflicts at home also negatively affect our energy and emotions throughout the workday and also shows that many employees react to their bad home experiences in a surprising way: by offering help to their colleagues.

Faculty Research Supply chain research has often centered on shock transmission. However, missing from the equation are insights into how firms are affected by supply chain risk—quantified at the firm level—and how they respond. New research by SMU Cox finance Professor Ruidi Huang with Ersahin and Giannetti reveals novel insights into the nature of supply chain risk.

Faculty Research In new research, SMU Cox Accounting Professor Sorabh Tomar with his coauthors highlight how diversity information influences jobseeker behavior—the “innovation” of their research being the specific focus on information.

Faculty Research Various types of analysts measuring environmental, social, governance (ESG) factors in the financial and corporate world come to the conclusion that the “E” is the most important part of the term. In a new study by SMU Cox Marketing Professor Mili Mormann and her coauthor, they actually show the effects of general and specifically-worded climate risk ratings on investment choices, the E.

Faculty Research Most investors, especially in their retirement portfolios, face the task of choosing a mutual fund, often with inertia. According to research by Finance Professor Feng Zhang of SMU Cox, the typical investor tends to lose money investing in mutuals funds.

Faculty Research In new research, Marketing Professors Matthew Fisher and Mili Mormann of SMU Cox shed light on a surprising persistent mistake consumers make that can have important consequences. The “off-by-100%” bias the authors observe impacts purchase decisions, with implications for every-day shopping decisions and even on trading on platforms like Robinhood and E-Trade.

Faculty Research Host Graham Richmond welcomed Lisa Tran and Jason Rife from SMU Cox to explore the symbiotic relationship between corporate relationships, admissions and career services that propels MBA graduates’ success.

Faculty Research Who are we becoming — as individuals and as members of society — the more we engage in technology-mediated spaces that are increasingly populated by robots and AI? These are the kinds of questions that have fascinated Ulrike Schultze, a professor in information technology and operations management (ITOM) at SMU Cox, for years.

Faculty Research Lean supply chains, which emphasize efficiency, leave very little slack in the system, with small changes in demand and supply patterns potentially leading to severe shortages.

Faculty Research SMU Cox Associate Professor Marcus Butts researches topics including workday social media usage and inter-team dynamics.

Faculty Research In the study, SMU Cox Strategy Professor Wendy Bradley and co-author Julian Kolev of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office observe how technology companies altered their intellectual property (IP) portfolio strategies after a period of piracy motivated more diversified innovation strategies.

Faculty Research In new research by ITOM Professor Sreekumar Bhaskaran of SMU Cox and co-authors, they re-think the congestion challenge and offer a new perspective about the traditional approaches of using the levers of price and quality. Rather than solely using higher prices to reduce traffic, the authors offer more nuance with the idea of “consumption control.”

Faculty Research Delivering on the promise of partnership with the city it calls home, SMU is launching a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign focused on the opportunities created through scholarships, meaningful research and teaching and community.

Faculty Research Professor Ruidi Huang of SMU Cox and his coauthors show how firms react to natural disasters and what actions can help supply chains stay resilient.

Faculty Research In new research, Accounting Professor Sean Wang of SMU Cox and his co-authors identify a group of firms that move in tandem with the VIX and find that these firms essentially act as bellwether firms, microcosms of the market itself.

Faculty Research In new research by ITOM Professor Vishal Ahuja of SMU Cox and co-authors Alvarez and Staats, they show that proximity of physical spaces, that they refer to as co-location, matters.

Faculty Research With mature crypto projects in short supply, new research from Cox ITOM Assistant Professor Rowena Gan sheds light on the optimal design of “uncapped” initial coin offerings.

Faculty Research This study is one of the first to quantify the effects of disclosing GHG emissions when the bulk of emitters transition from no disclosure to public disclosure.

Faculty Research SMU Cox management and organizations associate professor Marcus Butts and his co-authors discover that coworkers are displaying more concern for and less mistreatment of ill colleagues rather than self-interested behavior in this time of COVID-19.

Faculty Research Starting in the airline industry in the 1980s, loyalty programs have been adopted in businesses such as hotels, casinos, retailers, grocery stores, and restaurants. In novel research, Marketing Professor Wayne Taylor of SMU Cox and co-author Brett Hollenbeck analyze the competitive “spatial” landscape surrounding the customer and identify actionable marketing insights.

Faculty Research An assistant professor of information technology and operations management (ITOM) at SMU Cox and an adjunct professor of clinical sciences at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Ahuja leans on his years of experience in the corporate world to apply principles of operations management and data analytics to local healthcare data and improve patient outcomes and efficiency of care.

Faculty Research New research by SMU Cox finance professor Anna Cororaton and Samuel Rosen of Temple University sheds light on which public firms applied for and received stimulus funds, in one of the first empirical studies of the unprecedented fiscal programs to help keep American businesses afloat during the pandemic.

Faculty Research SMU Cox Finance Professor Darius Miller examines the effects of the Foreign Investment and National Security Act on shareholder wealth and the U.S. economy.

Faculty Research “Our biggest challenge is to spread the word from what we’re learning beyond the classroom to reach today’s marketers.”

Faculty Research New research by SMU Cox marketing professor Mili Mormann and coauthors Bazley and Cronqvist reveals how the visual presentation of financial information impacts important financial decisions.

Faculty Research Meet professor Zhen Zhang, SMU Cox School of Business’ newest faculty addition. Zhang brings his substantive expertise in leadership and analytical methods to the School.

Faculty Research Dallas Love Field and Southwest airline passengers received multiple boons when the Wright Amendment was repealed in late 2014. There were more nonstop flights and destinations, more gates at Love Field and reduced fares. Media stories reported that this policy reversal was a positive development. However, in new research, ITOM Professor Vishal Ahuja of SMU Cox and co-authors show that the repeal had some unintended consequences.

Faculty Research Bhaskaran has studied what makes startups successful, with an emphasis on how entrepreneurs find a balance between their businesses’ short-term survival and their long-term profitability. It’s a trade-off at the heart of a research paper he co-authored in 2019 entitled, “Sequential Product Development and Introduction by Cash-Constrained Start-Ups.” We spoke with him about why most startups fail and the skills needed to facilitate their success.

Faculty Research Vishal Ahuja's empirical study examined the impact of maintaining continuity of care in a primary care setting. For Ahuja, the research was personal, and a goal was set: Capture the value.

Faculty Research The COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have created a dependence on the use of videoconference platforms and telepresence. We spoke to Professor Amit Basu, who conducted an empirical study on the effectiveness of such technologies, for his insights.

Faculty Research In his paper “An Empirical Study of the Effectiveness of Telepresence as a Business Meeting Mode,” Information Technology and Management Journal, 2016, Professor Amit Basu reported on a large-scale empirical study of the use of various virtual meeting technologies in business meetings.

Faculty Research Over the last several decades, consolidation in the banking industry has created larger banks, according to new research by SMU Cox Finance Professor Erik Mayer, leading to some negative effects for low-income households.

Faculty Research In ambitious research, SMU Cox Accounting Professor Sean Wang and his co-authors develop a new way to measure intangible assets that has been lacking for decades.

Faculty Research In a new study, strategy professors Julian Kolev and Wendy Bradley analyze the link between digital piracy and innovation for technology firms in the software business.

Faculty Research Mystery and speculation shrouds short sellers, also known as the “smart money.” Who are they? Where do they trade and why? In new research, Finance Professor Mehrdad Samadi of SMU Cox and co-authors provide the first evidence of short sellers, or informed traders, trading venue of choice.

Faculty Research Vast amounts of knowledge are at our fingertips owing to the Internet. As we continually immerse ourselves in the online world of information, what are the cognitive effects of it? This fundamental question is on the mind of Marketing Professor Matthew Fisher of SMU Cox in new research about Internet learning and its consequences. According to Fisher, little research about the subject has occurred to date in understanding this phenomenon.

Faculty Research The mobile channel is poised to be the future of online markets, according to ITOM Professor Tom Tan of SMU Cox. And, retail operations managers should not blindly treat the mobile channel like the conventional PC channel. In a working paper, Tan and co-author Nitish Jain make important contributions to innovative retail practices and operational decisions.

Faculty Research Cross-border venture capital investments play an important role in the scaling up of high growth companies, according to Strategy Professor Wendy Bradley. Foreign capital, expertise, and the networks that accompany cross-border investments are welcome by start-up ventures. However, a concern is that they transfer the majority of economic activity to the investor country. In new research, Bradley of SMU Cox and her co-authors examine cross-border venture capital (VC) investments and its implications for public policy. “There is a need for cross-border investments and partnerships for the advancement of science and economic growth,” says Bradley.

Faculty Research Firms with strong corporate governance are like democracies, according to Finance Professor Nickolay Gantchev. Through their proposals and votes, shareholders can determine the broad direction of a company. In new research, Nickolay Gantchev of SMU Cox and Mariassunta Giannetti study the effectiveness of this low-cost form of shareholder activism. “Like a democracy, if you have more informed shareholders, when they vote, they can figure out which are good proposals, and prevent the bad ones from passing,” says Gantchev.

Faculty Research In new research, SMU Cox's Sal Mistry and co-authors unpack the challenges for employees belonging to multiple teams and offer ideas for creating a better multi-teaming environment.

Faculty Research For more than three years, ambiguous wording in the Texas Penal Code led to inconsistent treatment of black and white arrestees for low-value shoplifting, according to a new study by a professor at Southern Methodist University. Black women are affected most by inflated charges arising from poorly-defined law.

Faculty Research SMU Cox Marketing Professor Chaoqun Chen analyzes how consumers shop around various retail formats and how their behavior changed during the Great Recession. Her findings uncover truths about how consumers from different income levels adjusted to a new normal in their weekly treks.

Faculty Research Just when “simple" worries about the economy and the elections were on our minds, a new source of risk to the financial system emerges…

Faculty Research What if clinical trials could be conducted faster, required fewer patients, cost less, and led to improved health? "Our approach is good for patients, companies, and the public health at large, which would come from needed drugs being on the market sooner," states Vishal Ahuja, ITOM professor at SMU Cox.

Faculty Research At a time when capital has never been more mobile and available, financial protectionism is on the rise. The costs of these economic nationalistic policies are little known however. In new research, SMU Cox Finance Professor Miller and co-authors reveal the important consequences of government-related incursions in deals between foreign and domestic companies and the resulting decline in shareholder value for a wide range of industries.

Faculty Research The new scarce resource is attention, notes Marketing Professor Mili Mormann of SMU Cox. "We live in an attention economy, and our attention is limited." Through a multi-disciplinary approach, Mormann and co-author Cary Frydman reveal how attention is operating to influence economic choices in their novel research. "Attention is the step that leads a manager or consumer toward an action," she states. "We know we have about eight seconds to deliver a message on social media, in a TV ad, or for an investing decision or health care choice. But we do not know exactly how attention operates, in spite of the industry performing studies to gauge attention."

Faculty Research When it comes to corporate governance, hedge funds are the new sheriffs in town. That’s the take-away of “Do Activists Turn Bad Bidders into Good Acquirers?” Associate Professor of Finance Nickolay Gantchev and his co-authors reveal new insights about the mergers and acquisitions strategy of firms that shareholder activists target.

Faculty Research Getting inside the mind of the chief executive officer is a difficult research avenue. Knowledge about how CEOs process information, their cognitive style, has been relatively sparse. Strategy Professor Daniel Zyung of SMU Cox and co-authors unpack the cognitive mechanisms of CEOs in new research — and reveal how and why it matters. "Basically, this is a study about CEOs’ information processing style," Zyung says, "with many important implications, including their firm’s growth strategies."

Faculty Research The emergence of U.S. shale oil has expanded the global supply of oil. New research notes that the long-run impact of shale oil will depend on how much can be produced and how much it will cost. Few have good answers. In recent research, finance professor and energy expert James Smith of SMU Cox with co-author Thomas Lee determine what portion of known shale resources are economically viable at various price points and how many wells are likely to be drilled. So far, only a small portion of drilling sites have factored into the shale oil boom, according to Smith, and we have only depleted a fraction of U.S. shale resources.