Cowboy Economics News

Aisle placements affect grocery sales, research shows

Saturday, November 14, 2009 00:00 MST

Supermarkets could increase their sales of related items, such as chips and soft drinks, by moving the items closer to each other in their stores, according to research by Ram Bezawada, assistant professor of marketing in the University at Buffalo School of Management.

CEOs make it out like their companies will save the world

Friday, November 13, 2009 00:00 MST

Many businesses feel that the content of annual reports has become more important than ever due to the tough business climate induced by the financial crisis and the growing pressure to be environmentally and socially responsible. Kristina Jon�ll, researcher and teacher at the University of Gothenburg's School of Business, Economics and Law, has taken a close look at a number of letters to shareholders and the pictures of the companies they convey.

Credit crisis, debt load a double whammy for investment

Thursday, November 12, 2009 00:00 MST

Firms with heavy long-term debt that came due amid the nation's recent credit crisis slashed investment more than three times as much as companies whose paybacks ducked the meltdown, a new University of Illinois study found.

Failing the sniff test: Researchers find new way to spot fraud

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 00:00 MST

Companies that commit fraud can find innovative ways to fudge the numbers, making it hard to tell something is wrong by looking at their financial statements. But a new warning system sees through accounting tricks by evaluating things that are easily verifiable, such as the number of employees or the square footage a company owns. If a company says its profits are up, but these nonfinancial measures are down, something is wrong.

We spend more on products with detailed nutritional information

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 00:00 MST

People would be willing to pay more for products that carry detailed nutritional information than for the so-called light items. Thus it has been confirmed by researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela and the Center for Agro-Food Research and Technology of Arag�n (CITA) in a new study on the nutritional labeling of breakfast biscuits.

Growing online sales could lower prices, but also trim choices

Thursday, November 05, 2009 00:00 MST

Shoppers could see lower prices but less variety to choose from as more manufacturers sell directly to consumers through the Internet, according to new research led by a University of Illinois business professor.

Americans who believe in equality are more likely to buy on impulse

Wednesday, November 04, 2009 00:00 MST

A new study from Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business finds that Americans who believe in equality are more-impulsive shoppers. And it has implications for how to market products differently in countries where shoppers are more likely to buy on impulse.

Third sector still innovating despite hard times

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 00:00 MST

Despite the recession, charities, social enterprises and voluntary organizations (the third sector) are still innovating, according to a publication out today from the Economic and Social Research Council.

Roth IRA conversion not a good fit for all, tax expert says

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 00:00 MST

Starting next year, anyone can convert retirement savings into tax-advantaged Roth individual retirement accounts, but the much-touted switch isn't for everyone, a University of Illinois expert on tax and elder law warns.

Irrational exuberance behind recent stock gains, says finance expert

Monday, October 26, 2009 00:00 MST

A second straight week of stronger-than-expected third quarter earnings from a broad cross section of US industries has held the nation's Dow Jones Industrial Average above the psychological benchmark of 10,000 points for the week of Oct. 19, but the climb isn't likely to last, says a finance expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Installed cost of solar photovoltaic systems in the US fell in 2008

Thursday, October 22, 2009 00:00 MST

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) released a new study on the installed costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the US, showing that the average cost of these systems declined by more than 30 percent from 1998 to 2008. Within the last year of this period, costs fell by more than 4 percent.

The 12-step path to white-collar crime

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 00:00 MST

Adelphia Communications, Barings Bank, Enron, HealthSouth, HIH Insurance, Hollinger International, Tyco International, WorldCom/MCI, Xerox ... the white collar crime list goes on. But, did the executives at these companies start out as criminals or did they head down the slippery slope to criminality one misplaced step at a time? According to research to be published in the International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, there are 12 steps to white-collar crime.

Buying green can be license for bad behavior, study finds

Sunday, October 11, 2009 00:00 MST

Just being around green products can make us behave more altruistically, a new study to be published in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science has found.But buying those same products can have the opposite effect. Researchers found that buying green can lead people into less altruistic behavior, and even make them more likely to steal and lie than after buying conventional products.

Third quarter engineering unemployment data show mixed trends

Saturday, October 10, 2009 00:00 MST

The unemployment rate for US electrical and electronics engineers (EEs), which had jumped to a record high in the second quarter, has eased, according to third quarter data just released by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the engineering profession as a whole, the rate continued to climb, but more slowly.

Study: Some stock repurchase plans just empty promises

Friday, October 09, 2009 00:00 MST

A new study backs longtime speculation on Wall Street that companies sometimes ballyhoo stock repurchase programs they never plan to pursue, hoping to stir a buzz that will mislead investors and pump up sagging share prices.