News

The Biggest Culprit in VW’s Emissions Scandal

Concerning the Volkswagen scandal, Paul Argenti says "It may be many things, but my sense is that rather than a large conspiracy, it is yet another example of a company hell bent on growth whose performance culture created this problem rather than direct orders from the top of the company."

Oct 13, 2015

What Makes a Good Unicorn?

Adam Marcus T'07, managing partner at OpenView Venture Partners, explains why unicorn companies should focus more on execution than raising as much capital as possible.

Oct 13, 2015

Democrat Jumping into N.H. Governor’s Race

Highlights the announcement that Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern T’09 will be running for governor of New Hampshire in the upcoming election.

Oct 12, 2015

Fed ‘Painted in a Corner’

Peter Fisher argues that one of the reasons we have such weak energy and commodity pricing is because the interest rate has been kept at zero for the past eight years. Fisher states, “The boom and bust cycle in energy and commodities is partly brought to us by the zero interest rate policies. The perverse consequences are coming home to roost.”

Oct 12, 2015

The Briefing

Sydney Finkelstein says Volkswagen's CEO should be held culpable in the diesel emissions scandal. “We don’t know if he did anything (illegal), but it is the job of the CEO to set the cultural and ethical standards and values in an organization.”

Oct 12, 2015

These 27 Young Influentials Are Shaking Up Media, Marketing, Tech and Entertainment

Chris Rivera T’08, director of Miller Lite, is highlighted as one of 27 individuals under 40 who are remaking business and culture in media, marketing, tech and entertainment industries.

Oct 08, 2015

MBA Rankings 2016: The Best Business Schools For Career Prospects

Highlights Tuck in an article ranking business schools for career prospects based on a survey conducted by the Princeton Review that looks at the average starting salary and percentage of graduates employed after three months. Princeton Review ranks Tuck fourth, citing an average starting salary for graduates of $117,860.

Oct 08, 2015

Understanding the MBA Admissions Interview, Part I

Quotes Dawna Clarke on Tuck’s applicant-initiated interviews. “At Tuck every applicant has the opportunity to visit campus, not only for an interview but to sit in on a class with a current student, attend an information session with an admissions officer, take a student-led tour and have lunch with current students.”

Oct 08, 2015

How Scientists Fool Themselves–and How They Can Stop

Andrew King comments on how the widespread use of point-and-click data-analysis software has made it easy for researchers to sift through massive data sets without fully understanding the methods.

Oct 08, 2015

MBA Careers: Scorching Hot Demand For Data Analytics Talent Across Industries

Stephen Pidgeon comments on marketing managers in the media industry who need to develop the art of analytics stating, “Media is more and more about bringing analytics and creativity together and using the analysis to drive decisions.”

Oct 06, 2015

Is the Theory of Disruption Dead Wrong?

Andrew King argues that a majority of the examples cited in support of the theory do not fit the model. “We’ve shown that the theory is not very explanatory, it’s not very predictive, and it can only be narrowly applied.”

Oct 06, 2015

How Jack Dorsey Can Keep His Chill While Running Two Companies

Quotes Sydney Finkelstein on the recent appointment of Jack Dorsey as the CEO of Twitter while also the full-time chief executive of mobile-payments firm Square. Finkelstein believes the people in Dorsey's professional inner circle will be crucial to him, perhaps more than they've ever been.

Oct 06, 2015

How to Win the Global War for Talent

Quotes a recent report on competitiveness in which Matthew Slaughter wrote, "Since 1990, skilled STEM immigrants have … accounted for at least a third of total U.S. productivity growth."

Oct 06, 2015

Lebanon Startup Cleans Up in Contest

Lebanon-based FreshAir Sensor, cofounded by Jack O’Toole T'14, won $100,000 in funding from AOL founder Steve Case over the weekend at a competition among tech entrepreneurs. Also highlighted in the story is Robert Thelen T'16, co-founder of FliQ.

Oct 05, 2015

The ‘Wage Gap’ Myth That Won’t Die

An opinion piece by Sarah Hotchkiss Ketterer T’87 that challenges the age gap myth while citing The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, and offers factors that are not taken into consideration. Ketterer argues that California Govenor Jerry Brown should look at the unintended consequences before signing the California Fair Pay Act.

Oct 02, 2015

Hanover-based Picaboo looks to disrupt the school yearbook market

Mentions a group of a first-year Tuck students who were given the assignment to analyze the best market opportunities for the company Picaboo, an online application that enables users to design custom paper-bound photo books from digital pictures.

Oct 02, 2015

This Is the Golden Ticket to a Startup IPO

Research by Richard Townsend suggests that face time versus just Skype meetings and conference calls has a significant impact on a startup's success.

Oct 02, 2015

Volkswagen cheated on diesel emissions. Its image will survive.

Paul Argenti says, "My guess is if they do the right things—try to get on this quickly, put a box around what's going on and limit it so it's not every single product...I would be shocked if they don't come back from this."

Oct 02, 2015

Vogel: EB-5 Reauthorization

John Vogel argues that the EB-5 program is unfair to those families who play by the rules and wait 20 years before they can receive a green card.

Oct 01, 2015

Ask, and it Shall be Given

Fred McKinney, managing director of minority business programs, calls on politicians to increase the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) budget from $35 million to $300 million.

Oct 01, 2015

When Public Opinion Shifts, How Should Your Company Respond?

Pino Audia writes that deeply ingrained company values, norms, or beliefs can make an organization reluctant to acknowledge societal change.

Oct 01, 2015

A Little Help in the Kitchen with Pantry Meal Kits

Dennis Lasko T '08, started the new business Pantry that streamlines the process of home-cooked meals for the single cook, the dual income no-kids couple, or for the parent feeding a family.

Sep 25, 2015

VW’s Costly Emissions Cheat

Paul Argenti offers his opinion about Volkswagen's efforts to skirt emissions rules for diesel vehicles and the $18 billion fine the company could be facing.

Sep 25, 2015

Donald Trump Slams Surging Carly Fiorina as ‘Robotic,’ Unelectable

Paul Argenti says, “I do not think she is the worst CEO of all time, and I don’t think that she completely destroyed the company. In fact, I think the company probably ended up in a better place as a result of the strategy she set in motion.”

Sep 25, 2015

This University has Produced the Most VC-Funded Female Startup Founders

Tuck ranks 10th on a list of universities ranked by capital raised by companies founded by female MBA alumni.

Sep 25, 2015

Marketplace Morning Report

Paul Argenti comments on the impact of the Volkswagen scandal on the company’s brand. “The communications people are exceptionally good at this company and did a good job.”

Sep 25, 2015

Volkswagen Scandal: The US Is a Stickler for Rules

Emily Blanchard comments on the $18 billion fine VW may be facing. “The GM fine was the result of a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice. VW faces sanction by a different part of government—the Environmental Protection Agency—in what is effectively a case of fraud.”

Sep 25, 2015

Why We Trust Made-Up Facts

Sydney Finkelstein discusses why seemingly smart and capable people act as if make-believe facts were actually true.

Sep 25, 2015

New Employees Have Less Than 90 Days to Prove Themselves

Mentions the Tuck Business Bridge Program in an article focused around the short window of time new hires have to prove themselves in the workplace. Bridge is filling a gap left by corporations investing less in the training of young workers than they have in previous decades.

Sep 21, 2015

A New Strategy for Small Stocks

Highlights the three-factor model of Kenneth French and Eugene Fama. According to Dimensional Fund Advisors, of which French and Fama are board members, “No other major stock investment style has come close to small value's 16.2% annualized return from 1935 through 2014.”

Sep 21, 2015

Sporting Fixtures Influence the MBA Classroom

Recaps last year’s 32nd MBA Soccer World Cup hosted by Tuck.

Sep 18, 2015

Understanding the Rise of Manufacturing in India

Vijay Govindarajan writes about the rise of manufacturing in India. The article concludes, “While there is no single formulaic answer to manufacturing success in India, patience and a trusted local partner or advisor to guide western executives’ efforts are necessary—as well as an understanding of the challenges.”

Sep 18, 2015

The Undoing of Disruption

Quotes Andrew King about recent research he conducted that tests author and Harvard business professor Clayton Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation. King spent two years researching disruption and interviewing experts cited in Christensen's work, and found that only 9 percent of cases used fit Christensen's criteria.

Sep 16, 2015

How Useful Is the Theory of Disruptive Innovation?

Andrew King and a co-author have written about the influence of Clayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation. They write, “High-level theories can give managers encouragement, but they are no replacement for careful analysis and difficult choices.”

Sep 16, 2015

As EB-5 investor visa program faces sunset, should it be renewed?

John Vogel questions the need for the EB-5 investor visa program and the way it is being managed.

Sep 16, 2015

New B-School Courses On Innovation Supply Talent For Digital Economy

Alva Taylor comments on innovation in the classroom and the challenges of reforming established philosophies and cultures when trying to implement and pivot with technology. Taylor states, “Managing that evolution requires rethinking longstanding trade-offs between standardization and innovation, efficiency and flexibility, and centralization and decentralization.”

Sep 15, 2015