Unionization is having a moment, but reaching initial contract agreements is proving challenging
In 2022, employees at a Trader Joe’s grocery store in Massachusetts successfully voted to unionize. However, almost two years later, the company has yet to present any contract proposals. Despite the company's initial dismissal of a $30-an-hour wage proposal, they failed to provide a counter-offer, contributing to a broader trend of extended negotiations for new unions' inaugural contracts.
Pension funds can drive greater returns by participating more directly in value creation
Pension funds manage enormous amounts of capital, but they don’t create as much value as other players in the financial sector. Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and private equity funds all play a more direct role in launching projects and creating value.
A McGill MBA alumnus is integrating the latest technology into supply chain management
Bachir Sentissi (MBA’98) wants to make it easier to access the Internet of Things (IoT). After completing his MBA, Sentissi worked with Canadian National Railway, and became interested in how organizations collect and process information.
Economic uncertainty will continue in 2024, and businesses can benefit by planning for it
Last year was one of economic uncertainty – and a challenging year for many small businesses. Despite this, small business owners demonstrated remarkable resilience, ingenuity and leadership, and looked for ways to turn obstacles into new opportunities, writes Don Ludlow (MBA’01) in CanadianSME Business Magazine.
MMR student shares how L'Oréal Brandstorm led to internship
Last year, after months of hard work and 'brandstorming', two McGill Desautels teams took the podium at the 31st annual L'Oréal Brandstorm competition, competing against top teams from across Canada! Madison Laxer and her fellow Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) teammates, Aditi Bali and Supreet Kaur, took third place.
McGill Desautels leads the way in McGill Workplace Sustainability Certifications
This winter, the sustainability efforts of 13 University offices were recognized by the rigorous Sustainable Workplace Certification program hosted by the McGill Office of Sustainability, with nearly half coming from McGill Desautels.
‘Buy now, pay later’ loans are not covered by existing consumer protection laws
Buy now, pay later technology offers loans to consumers to pay for purchases in instalments over time. A soft credit check verifies eligibility, and can extend credit to users who might not otherwise have access to credit products. These loans claim to improve the financial inclusion of lower-income young people, but should be approached with caution, writes Vivek Astvansh in The Conversation.
This holiday season, shoppers are spending more and getting less
Christmas is just around the corner, and even with inflation slowing down, gift prices are higher than ever. Canada’s Consumer Price Index is at an all-time high of nearly 160 points, Associate Professor Vivek Astvansh tells CTV News Montreal. “Consumers are feeling the pinch, and while they want to buy stuff, they are resisting purchases,” says Astvansh.
Idealizing specific body types in the workplace causes inequities
When you think of a shopping centre Santa Claus, a specific body type comes to mind: a bearded, rosy-cheeked, older, white man. In fact, many work in fields where their bodies are intentionally governed by organizational systems intent on shaping them into an idealized image of a worker, argues Assistant Professor of Strategy and Organization Rohini Jalan.
Raising tuition for out-of-province students risks undermining world-class academic programs, writes Prof. Henry Mintzberg
Funding for universities is not a zero-sum game, writes John Cleghorn Professor of Management Henry Mintzberg in a LaPresse op-ed. And the Quebec government’s plan to increase tuition for out-of-province students risks undermining the very source of funding it hopes to leverage.
Tip creep and tip-flation leading to a review of tipping culture in Canada
Tipping has gotten out of control in Canada. Not only are restaurants’ automated payment systems prompting patrons for tips of up to 30%, there are even some tip prompts at self-serve kiosks. More than half of Canadians say they’d prefer a no-tip, service-included model that ensures higher base wages for employees.
When it comes to long-term thinking, family-controlled businesses have an advantage
Family-controlled businesses demonstrate exceptional long-term performance. Since 2005, such businesses have significantly outperformed the S&P/TSX Composite. Family-controlled businesses earned an annualized return of 8.3%, compared to 7% for their publicly-traded counterparts, according to the National Bank of Canada’s Family Advantage 2023-24 Report.
A combination of approaches results in better decisions
Navigating decision-making complexities is no easy feat, but Henry Mintzberg, John Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University, and Frances Westley, J.W. McConnell Chair in social innovation at the University of Waterloo, have crafted insightful methods to ease this process.
Long-term investments help Canadian pension plans outperform international counterparts
Canadian pension funds have outperformed their counterparts elsewhere, and a recent study co-authored by Associate Professor of Finance Sebastien Betermier examines how they’ve accomplished this. The study analyzes four deals – in the agricultural, railway transportation, real estate development, and financial services– that diversified their holdings and enabled their success.
More Canadians are renewing their mortgages at higher rates, as economy heads toward forecasted recession
More than 3 million Canadians will be facing mortgage renewal in the next 18 months – and with interest rates still at their highest level in years, many will face payments that are 30-40% higher. “Inflation has been off the charts for the past couple years, and when the Bank of Canada raises interest rates, it is to bring inflation down,” explains Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance.
