Research

Accrual intentions: Investors miss vital clues for smart stock buys

There are plenty of judgment calls associated with accrual accounting, giving managers some wiggle room in recognizing expenses and income. But can investors spot the wiggle? Do they identify and price that discretionary portion of earnings correctly?

Cover your basis: Hedging real estate risk

Since the turn of the millennium, real estate has become one of the fastest growing investment sectors, not just in the United States but globally as well. But as much as we would like to think otherwise, there's considerable risk involved in real estate investing.

Making it personal: IBM's Customer Obsession Program

IBM's Customer Obsession Program (COP) is focused on achieving a world-class client experience, service delivery that is consistently the best, and a passionate commitment to the customer.

AZ state spending: Up or down?

Spending by state government in Arizona is on the rise.

Keeping promises: Closing the services gap

Would your customers say that the services they received from your company are the services they expected to get? If not, then your company may suffer from a services quality gap.

Brian Walker: Lessons from crises and recovery

The chair reserved for the president and CEO at Herman Miller, a successful and innovative office furniture maker, must have appeared comfortable when Brian Walker took the helm in 2000, but it soon became a hot seat.

Consumer preferences and the relationship between health and consumption

In an ideal world, consumers' choices in relation to the incremental costs of producing goods and services would dictate what gets produced, and at what price. Choices should tell us about preferences.

Economists are from Mars, policymakers are from Venus: Translating the language of science

While many scientists applaud former Vice President Al Gore and his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," some scientists have said that the film exaggerates the nature of environmental problems and/or makes conclusions that the science doesn't uphold.

Another steak or another year of life? Consumption choices and the rise in health spending

Americans currently spend about 15 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on health care, but new research is projecting that by 2050, we'll be spending more than 30 percent of our income on health.