Not taking some R&R could leave you carrying some heavy baggage down the line, bringing you and your company down. WUSTL entrepreneurship specialist Clifford Holekamp advises that shorter vacations are less stressful for small startups that are "very dependent on the founder to run the day-to-day operations."

References:

1. June 25, 2009 — Vacation: What the Heck Is That? in the MSN Money

Controversy over compensation received by the president of the shipyard workers union, much of which was returned after it was disclosed to the government. Several labor analysts expressed concern about the union's pay practices and the changes it made in its financial reports. Labor consultant and WUSTL law professor emeritus Neil Bernstein comments.

References:

1. May 11, 2009 — Union boss returns some of $1.2 million pay in the The Washington Times

In less than two months, regulators have seized 14 banks. Experts think many more banks will collapse before the financial crisis is over. "We'll have a banner year [of failures] this year," said Stuart Greenbaum, retired dean and professor emeritus at the WUSTL's Olin Business School.

References:

1. Feb. 20, 2009 — Get ready for a wave of bank failures in the CNNMoney.com

The news that President-elect Obama may include more than $300 billion in tax cuts as part of an economic recovery package was preceded by a lobbying push by businesses, which argued that providing tax relief may be a better way of reviving the economy than simply directing money to pay for road and bridge construction. Includes comments by WUSTL economics professor Steven Fazzari.

References:

1. Jan. 5, 2009 — Business welcomes talk of tax breaks in stimulus in the TheHill.com (DC) online

Experts disagree on how to fix the economy. Advisers to President-elect Barack Obama are assembling a huge plan to stimulate the economy. Some experts doubt this is a good idea. David Kestenbaum talks with some experts, including WUSTL economics professor Steve Fazzari.

References:

1. Jan. 2, 2009 — Economists Duke It Out over Stimulus Plan in the NPR Morning Edition

Workers of the Republic Windows & Doors factory began a sit-in protest after the plant closed leaving hundreds without jobs, severance pay or health insurance. Includes comments by labor law expert and WUSTL law professor emeritus Neil Bernstein.

References:

1. Dec. 8, 2008 — Parties to meet over Chicago factory sit-in in the USA Today

and 1 others.

Citigroup's bailout by the U.S. government means that the banking giant is going to have to be more aggressive in fixing its troubles — and that's likely to mean deconstructing its financial supermarket model. WUSTL finance professor Stuart Greenbaum says he believes "that some of these super large financial institutions are motivated by the, 'Too Big to Fail' [theory]."

References:

1. Nov. 24, 2008 — Citi Bailout Could Spur Longed-for Unwind in the TheStreet.com

WUSTL law professor Samuel Buell comments on prosecuting white-collar crimes.

References:

1. Oct. 31, 2008 — Commentary: Jailing Executives Is One Thing Bush Did Right in the Bloomberg.com

As recriminations fly over the world's banking crisis, the role played by flawed tax policy may not escape scrutiny for much longer. WUSTL law professor Adam Rosenzweig comments on the role tax breaks played in fueling the hedge funds' use of the derivatives market.

References:

1. Oct. 22, 2008 — Tax breaks are part of the problem in the Financial Times.com (UK)

Wayne Fields, WUSTL political rhetoric expert, comments on the federal government's financial rescue plan and the pitfalls of calling it a bailout.

References:

1. Sept. 29, 2008 — The new bailout pitch: It's NOT a bailout in the Associated Press

and 19 others.

The Bush administration is expected to seek sweeping new powers from Congress next week to pull off its still-sketchy rescue plan. The bailout could operate through a newly formed federal agency, in the same vein as the Resolution Trust Corp., which was established two decades ago to unwind failed thrifts.
WUSTL banking professor Stuart Greenbaum comments.

References:

1. Sept. 20, 2008 — How will the plan work? in the Chicago Tribune

and 2 others.

P rofessor Stuart Greenbaum comments on the ways that bankers, politicians and economists are grasping for ways to address the financial crisis.

References:

1. Sept. 19, 2008 — Would a Resolution Trust Corp.-type solution work? in the Los Angeles Times

and 3 others.

In announcing the takeover of Fannie and Freddie, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said it was necessary to continue "supporting the availability of mortgage finance."
But there are those who think the bailout should be a prelude to a reduced role of both Fannie and Freddie in the supply of mortgage money.
WUSTL finance professor Radhakrishnan Gopalan said that in the long term, he sees a significantly diminished role for Fannie and Freddie.

References:

1. Sept. 11, 2008 — A Bid to Rescue Homeownership in the The Washington Post

and 4 others.

The battle for America's iconic beer turned nasty Monday, with brewer Inbev escalating its offer for Anheuser-Busch into a hostile bid while the maker of Bud accused the Belgian company of undervaluing its worth.
WUSTL business strategy professor Bill Finnie comments.

References:

1. July 7, 2008 — InBev's bid for Anheuser-Busch turns hostile in the Associated Press

and 71 others.

Widespread efforts by companies to prevent consumers from pursuing class-action suits against them are increasingly getting quashed by state courts. "There is an increasing sense on the part of courts that [corporate] accountability in the marketplace is being eliminated" by class-action prohibitions, says WUSTL law professor and consumer law specialist Michael Greenfield.

References:

1. July 3, 2008 — Recent Rulings Bolster the Case for Class Actions in the The Wall Street Journal

Conventional wisdom has it that breakthrough ideas come only from the minds of geniuses. Edison, Tolkien, Darwin -- history's biggest brains are responsible for its biggest innovations. Many companies are organized with this idea in mind.
But creativity isn't a solitary affair -- and it's not the exclusive domain of the brilliant and gifted. In fact, research shows that people working in groups are far more innovative than previously thought.
WUSTL education and psychology professor Keith Sawyer offers advice on what businesses can do to take advantage of their employees' creativity.

References:

1. June 10, 2007 — No Ideas? You're Not Alone in the U.S. News & World Report

With an agreement to take control of Chrysler, Cerberus, a private equity firm, is venturing into virtually uncharted territory in taking on a company with the problems the size of Chrysler's and with a union as powerful as the United Automobile Workers.
WUSTL law professor and vice dean Daniel Keating comments.

References:

1. May 15, 2007 — Cerberus Goes Where No Firm Has Gone Before in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

California's attorney general today filed criminal charges against former Hewlett-Packard chairwoman Patricia Dunn and four others involved in the corporate spying scandal.
WUSTL law professor Samuel Buell comments on the case.

References:

1. Oct. 4, 2006 — Charges filed in HP spying scandal in the NPR Marketplace

Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants on Thursday asked to be released from federal mediation so they can strike the carrier after a federal judge ruled they couldn't walk off the job. WUSTL law professor and labor relations expert Neil Bernstein comments.

References:

1. Sept. 15, 2006 — Judge again blocks flight attendants from striking against Northwest Airlines in the Associated Press
2. Sept. 22, 2006 — Attendants seek mediation end in the Chicago Tribune

and 5 others.

Article looks at car dealerships that are actively seeking women from jobs at local malls and recruiting them to be car salespersons.
Some evidence suggests women may even be better at selling cars than men.
WUSTL law professor and labor relations expert Neil Bernstein comments on the legality of the practice.

References:

1. April 12, 2006 — Car dealers recruit saleswomen at the mall in the Wall Street Journal

and 2 others.