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New Studies Target Global Workforce, Interest Rate Perceptions
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Contact
Rosalie Tung, 604.291.3083; tung@sfu.ca
Christophe Perignon, 604.291.3471; perigno@sfu.ca
Daniel Smith, 604.291.4675; drsmith@sfu.ca
Elicia Maine, emaine@sfu.ca
Tom Lawrence, 604.291.5154; tom_lawrence@sfu.ca
Rosalie Tung, 604.291.3083; tung@sfu.ca
Christophe Perignon, 604.291.3471; perigno@sfu.ca
Daniel Smith, 604.291.4675; drsmith@sfu.ca
Elicia Maine, emaine@sfu.ca
Tom Lawrence, 604.291.5154; tom_lawrence@sfu.ca
June 29, 2006
A string of SFU Business research projects – targeting global employment, public innovations, interest rates and new industry creation — will receive nearly $327,000 in standard research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Global careers
SFU Business professor Rosalie Tung will study global workforces and “boundaryless” careers to see how they may be affecting Canada’s international competitiveness. “Immigration is vital to Canada’s ability to acquire a pool of human capital that will sustain our international competitiveness,” says Tung. “Yet studies on immigrants from Hong Kong have shown that, in general, the more productive individuals leave after obtaining Canadian citizenship.”
Public innovations
Tom Lawrence, Weyerhaeuser professor of change management, will study the diffusion of public innovations, using the Vancouver safe injection site for intravenous drug users. “Public innovations require the cooperation of multiple independent parties,” says Lawrence, “and their benefits extend beyond the boundaries of the innovators.” Further safe injection sites are on the public agenda in cities aross the country and Lawrence hopes his research will help to understand the social processes that help to spread such innovations.
Interest rates
Assistant professors Christophe Pérignon and Daniel Smith say it is a widely held public misconception that the monetary authorities are in command of all interest rates. “In fact,” notes Pérignon, “central banks only control the most short-term interest rate.” Since intermediate and long-term rates determine the actual costs of borrowing for both individuals and firms, Pérignon and Smith want to improve our understanding of interest rate behaviour in Canada.
Innovation and new industry creation
Assistant professor Elicia Maine says it’s difficult to predict what conditions contribute to radical innovation and new industry creation. Some experts say that innovation is more likely when organizations establish cross-disciplinary product development teams working at the intersection of two or more diverse technology streams, such as nanotechnology and biotechnology. Maine will study current and historical examples of this kind of research and hopes to formulate managerial and policy recommendations to help technology firms make better strategic and organizational decisions related to research and development.
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Website.
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council: http://www.sshrc.ca
Global careers
SFU Business professor Rosalie Tung will study global workforces and “boundaryless” careers to see how they may be affecting Canada’s international competitiveness. “Immigration is vital to Canada’s ability to acquire a pool of human capital that will sustain our international competitiveness,” says Tung. “Yet studies on immigrants from Hong Kong have shown that, in general, the more productive individuals leave after obtaining Canadian citizenship.”
Public innovations
Tom Lawrence, Weyerhaeuser professor of change management, will study the diffusion of public innovations, using the Vancouver safe injection site for intravenous drug users. “Public innovations require the cooperation of multiple independent parties,” says Lawrence, “and their benefits extend beyond the boundaries of the innovators.” Further safe injection sites are on the public agenda in cities aross the country and Lawrence hopes his research will help to understand the social processes that help to spread such innovations.
Interest rates
Assistant professors Christophe Pérignon and Daniel Smith say it is a widely held public misconception that the monetary authorities are in command of all interest rates. “In fact,” notes Pérignon, “central banks only control the most short-term interest rate.” Since intermediate and long-term rates determine the actual costs of borrowing for both individuals and firms, Pérignon and Smith want to improve our understanding of interest rate behaviour in Canada.
Innovation and new industry creation
Assistant professor Elicia Maine says it’s difficult to predict what conditions contribute to radical innovation and new industry creation. Some experts say that innovation is more likely when organizations establish cross-disciplinary product development teams working at the intersection of two or more diverse technology streams, such as nanotechnology and biotechnology. Maine will study current and historical examples of this kind of research and hopes to formulate managerial and policy recommendations to help technology firms make better strategic and organizational decisions related to research and development.
- 30 -
Website.
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council: http://www.sshrc.ca