Media Mentions

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Donna De Carolis, Ph.D., associate dean for strategic initiatives, commented in an article on The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur blog entitled "Women Entrepreneurs, Why They Are Taking the Lead." De Carolis says, "In a networked economy, which is what we are evolving into, women entrepreneurs possess the innate collaborative and communication skills that lead to success in building a business. Women get the balance between collaboration and competition; and entrepreneurs in today’s environment need both. In addition, the essence of effective communication is being open and authentic; women are more prone to allow vulnerabilities to show through, engendering trust."

The New York Times

A New York Times Dealbook article references a research paper co-authored by associate professor of finance and Center for Corporate Governance Fellow David Becher, Ph.D.

The Associated Press

LeBow College of Business Dean George Tsetsekos, Ph.D., commented in an AP story about Kenneth Feinberg, the Obama administration’s so-called ‘pay czar.’ “He needs to find a way to review those executive compensation packages from the perspective of the long-term and this is very, very difficult for an outsider,” said Dean Tsetsekos. This article was picked up by more than 600 media outlets.

KYW News Radio

Management Professor and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Donna De Carolis, Ph.D., discussed how to handle negative press during her business commentary that ran on Saturday, July 11. De Carolis said “the worst thing you can do is give into a knee-jerk reaction. Rather, take time to process what has happened and carefully plan a response that incorporates your company’s core values.”

KYW News Radio

Management Professor and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Donna De Carolis, Ph.D., discussed patents, trademarks, and copyrights during her business commentary that ran on July 25. De Carolis said “Most innovations are eventually copied by competitors, but it’s still important to protect whatever rights you have to your innovation from the get-go,” she said.

Philadelphia Business Journal

David Becher, a fellow at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business Center for Corporate Governance and associate professor of finance, commented on an article about the sale of Harleysville National Corp. to Buffalo’s First Niagara Financial Corp. Becher said that depending on the issues involved and how a bank responds, a regulatory action could spell certain death.“If a bank is ordered to raise cash, that could be impossible for some,” Becher said. “But they can change board members or executives and improve the lending portfolio.”

Philadelphia Business Journal

Timothy Ericson bikes two miles to work each day. Soon you will be biking to work, too. At least that is the hope at CityRyde, a fledgling outfit that supports the growing “bike share” industry. Strong in Europe and expanding here at home, bike share offers urbanites a way to make short-term use of bicycles from a common pool, for a member fee that typically runs about $50 a year. A nice idea, but generally not profitable, according to Ericson, who founded CityRyde with Jason Meinzer, a classmate from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. With consulting services and an emerging software product, the partners and their two full-time employees are helping bike-share firms develop and implement pragmatic business models.

Healthcare Finance News

Kerry Anne McGeary, assistant professor of economics at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, says the current version of the health care reform bill in the House of Representatives will raise health care spending to 20 percent GDP more quickly than the proposed date of 2017. The health care reform bill, as currently proposed, offers major investments in one of our largest industries.“Roughly 17 percent of our annual GDP is spent on the healthcare industry. Without these proposed entrants, our healthcare spending was projected to increase to 20 percent of the nation’s GDP by 2017; however if the bill is passed, it is likely our healthcare spending will reach 20 percent of GDP much before 2017.”

The Bottom Line

David Campbell, Ph.D., head of LeBow College’s Accounting department, was quoted in an article about IFRS in The Bottom Line. “From my perspective, the FASB’s codification is a significant development for both U.S. practicing professionals and academics,” said Campbell. “Having the standards categorized by topical area will expedite efficient transaction analysis by both preparers and auditors. From an educational perspective, the codification will enhance the integration of transactional analysis into the financial reporting curriculum at colleges and universities.”

Reuters

LeBow College professor of finance David Becher was quoted in a Reuters article about problems at Huron Consulting Group Inc., a global consulting company that rose from the ashes of destroyed accounting firm Arthur Andersen. This story was picked up by many media outlets, including Forbes, The New York Times, MSN Money, and BusinessWeek. The scandal could turn out to be a misunderstanding or a “colossal mistake,” said Becher, who is also a fellow at LeBow’s Center for Corporate Governance. But the fact that senior Huron executives resigned may lead to concerns that executives were trying to manipulate earnings by making it seem like they paid less then they really did for the companies they acquired, he said. “They bill themselves as (experts who) help people get through these difficult regulatory environment post-Sarbanes Oxley,” said Becher, in reference to the corporate governance and accounting law passed after the Enron scandal. “You’d think they would know.”

Forbes.com and MSNBC.com

Dr. Ralph Walkling, executive director of the Center for Corporate Governance at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business, says that corporate boards should closely monitor shareholder votes, as director performance, firm performance and corporate governance are all reflected in these votes. "Boards need to be conscious of the fact that director elections do signal shareholder concerns about the firm and the way it is governed, even if on average, votes for directors are high," Walkling says.

KYW News Radio

Management Professor and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Donna De Carolis, Ph.D., discussed how creativity is important to innovation, sales, and profits during a recent business commentary on KYW News Radio, which ran Saturday, July 18. De Carolis also said that some autonomy is important for creativity.

The Boston Herald

Dr. Ralph A. Walkling, executive director of Drexel University's LeBow College of Business Center for Corporate Governance, commented in a recent article about the call for Harvard University President Drew Faust, who earns nearly $700,000 in salary and benefits and lives in a Harvard-owned home, to share in the pain unleashed by a 30 percent drop in the school’s endowment. Walkling said that while a Faust pay cut would be an important symbolic gesture, it has to be weighed against other factors. “There is intense competition in academia for talent,” Walkling said. “Like businesses, we try to hire the best and the brightest, and that takes money. . . . Frankly, $700,000 is not an outrageous amount at all.”

Philadelphia Business Journal

Edward Nelling, Ph.D., a fellow at LeBow College's Center for Corporate Governance, commented in a recent article on inflation. “The probability of facing inflation is higher than it has been in the recent past, so it is something that investors should perhaps consider,” said Nelling.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Dr. Ralph A. Walkling, executive director of Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business Center for Corporate Governance, commented on NRG’s recent director election in a Philadelphia Inquirer article. The vote was actually close by corporate democratic standards, where directors typically receive 94 percent, said Dr. Walkling. “I think there’s some dissatisfaction expressed in those votes,” he said.

KYW News Radio

Management Professor and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Donna De Carolis, Ph.D., discussed how to handle negative press during her business commentary that ran on Saturday, July 11, 2009. De Carolis says “the worst thing you can do is give into a knee-jerk reaction.” Rather, take time to process what has happened and carefully plan a response that incorporates your company’s core values.

KYW News Radio

Management Professor and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Donna De Carolis, Ph.D., discussed the essential pieces of a good elevator pitch during her business commentary on KYW News Radio, which ran Saturday, July 4, 2009. Among the essentials, De Carolis said, are: describing the market need, being clear about what your market segment and size is, why your customer would buy this product, and what differentiates your product. And De Carolis says, make your pitch with passion!

The Triangle

The Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship held their annual Business Incubator Competition June 4, in which startup businesses compete for funds and a designated space in the Baiada Business Incubator. Stabiliz Orthopedics, a company designing a new fracture fixation device to help trauma patients, won first place in the event. Stabiliz is made up of Doug Cerynik, CEO; Michael Adelizzi, CTO; Brad Grossman, COO; and Mark Seltzer, CFO. All four members are MBA candidates studying business administration in the LeBow College of Business.

The Scranton Times

The dying concept of spending an entire career with one employer, rollbacks in corporate hiring, expansion of individually owned 401(k) retirement plans and technological advances spark entrepreneurial activity even in recessions, said Mark Loschiavo, executive director of the Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship Technology at Drexel University in Philadelphia. "The risk equation is changed in terms of job security," Loschiavo said. "You're faced with challenges every step of the way. Most entrepreneurs have a strong internal locus of control."

The Philadelphia Inquirer

While they're not ignoring the recession, "I don't see them moping around," Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship director Mark Loschiavo said of denizens of the incubator. "From the entrepreneurs' perspective, they see the economy as just one of the many variables that they have to deal with, ... one more challenge to overcome," the director said.

Bloomberg News

Companies recruiting celebrities to their board often are seeking to burnish their image, said David Becher, associate finance professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia. “If I’m a firm that needs to raise money, a star may help you because of their public profile,” he said. “If a defense company is trying to get an Army or Navy contract, what better person is there than a retired general who has government contacts?”

KYW News Radio

Management Professor and Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Donna DeCarolis, Ph.D., discussed how a little bit of narcissism can be helpful to one’s leadership ability, but too much can doom it, during her business commentary on KYW News Radio, which ran Saturday, June 27, 2009.  

Philadelphia Inquirer

The team of students behind Stabiliz Orthopaedics won Drexel University’s 10th annual Baiada Incubator Competition earlier this month. The medical-device maker gets rent-free space in the campus business incubator for a year, $12,000 in seed capital, and $35,000 in in-kind support, such as legal advice and brand positioning.

Philadelphia Business Journal

A medical-device company took home the top prize in this year’s Baiada Incubator Competition. Stabiliz Orthopaedics, which has developed a fracture-fixation device for trauma patients, will receive $12,000 in seed money, more than $35,000 in in-kind support, and space in the incubator run by the Laurence A. Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship. The center is part of Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. It announced the competition winners at its annual Entrepreneur Conference, which was held at World Café Live last week.

Bucks County Courier Times

In an article entitled "Could Gas Situations Happen Again," Shawkat Hammoudeh, Ph.D., professor of economics, said he feared that eventually gas-supply problems would return. "I see shortages coming," he said. "We have to work on green energy. The only way the world will survive is by finding alternative energy sources, and I think we're on the right path."

Yahoo

In an article entitled "7 Things Every Woman Should Know About Obama's Health Care Plan," Kerry Anne McGeary Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, said that because preventive care and public health initiatives are a major component of this proposed reform, underinsurance would likely become less of an issue.

Sacramento Business Journal

A team of five Drexel University LeBow College of Business LEAD MBA in Sacramento students argued drug company marketing tactics in a national ethics competition Saturday. The group was one of four finalists in the annual Marketing Ethics Case Competition, which was sponsored by LeBow College. Sacramento students Ryan Baker, Kyle Glankler, Kenneth Harms, Hai Nguyen, and Sarah Standiford — considered a case study on a pharmaceutical company drug launch.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Shawkat Hammoudeh, professor of economics and international business at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business, says the perception is that even though U.S. unemployment reached 9.4 percent in May and home values remain depressed, there are rumblings of a recovery. "The oil prices are getting clues from the stock market about recovery, and the stock market usually predicts recovery within five months," Hammoudeh said. "According to the stock market, we should have a recovery starting in September."

Forbes.com

Drexel’s LeBow College of Business will soon be home to the first Center for Corporate Reputation Management at a U.S. university. With an official launch planned for fall 2009, the Center will get off the ground with its first advisory council meeting today, June 1, 2009. Under the direction of Elliot Schreiber, Ph.D., the Center will actively engage the global business community to identify best practices in reputation, encourage interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and research in reputation, and address how reputation enhances business objectives of organizations. Reputation management is a relatively new area for academic research. There is no single discipline that holds exclusive ‘claim’ to the area, as reputation research can be found in virtually every area of business including marketing, management, economics, and accounting and financial management. Reputation management is also studied in communications, sociology, political science and cultural studies, among others.

The Triangle

Several Drexel University graduate programs and schools improved their rank in the U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” Drexel’s LeBow College of Business was ranked 89 in the report. Teck-Kah Lim, associate vice provost for graduate studies, said excluding Master of Business Administration programs, the graduate programs were ranked based on peer assessment and not backed up by data. “There are no quantitative measurements, like graduation rate or student enrollment. [The rankings] are based exclusively on peer assessments,” Lim said. Lim said these are “gut feelings,” which makes the rankings harder to accept. The U.S. News and World Report Web site states the MBA program rankings are based on several factors in addition to peer assessment, including student selectivity and mean starting salary.