Ģ��Ƶ News - Desautels Faculty of Management

Independent fashion designers likely to lose out in SSENSE bankruptcy

webfull — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:07:09 +0000

In a bankruptcy filing in late August, the Montreal-based luxury retailer SSENSE cited a liquidity crisis brought on partly by the unpredictable tariff regime in the United States. At the time of the filing, some independent designers who work with the company said they were owed tens of thousands of dollars, but hadn’t been paid in months. But Vivek Astvansh wouldn’t recommend taking legal action.

Published: 10 September 2025

Buy now, pay later loans promise to boost purchasing power—but can come with strings

webfull — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 19:00:31 +0000

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) programs allow consumers to pay for items in instalments. And the market for these financial products has been growing at a 12% annual rate, and is projected to reach $7.5 billion in 2025. Fintech companies like Afterpay, Flexiti and Sezzle allow users to break down major purchases into more manageeable monthly or quarterly payments.

Published: 4 September 2025

Stablecoins could change the economy, but Canada won’t be minting digital currencies anytime soon

webfull — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 16:30:37 +0000

Stablecoins are a form of digital currency whose value is tied to a physical currency, such as the US dollar or Euro. Stablecoins can be easily moved between countries, avoiding costly banking fees. But whether they will be widely adopted or not is still an open question. The Bank of Canada looked into the possibility of producing a stablecoin, but quietly dropped the project.

Published: 3 September 2025

Kai Zhao (MBA’25) recognized as 2025 MBA To Watch

webfull — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 14:12:55 +0000

Ģ��Ƶ Desautels MBA student Kai Zhao (MBA’25) has been recognized by Poets&Quants as one of its “MBAs To Watch” for the Class of 2025.

A former Canadian Armed Forces Logistics Officer, Zhao has distinguished himself at Desautels through his leadership as VP External of the Graduate Student Society, co-captain of the MBA Games team, and organizer of major networking events connecting students with industry professionals. He also launched a free webinar series to help graduates transition smoothly to life and work in Ontario.

Published: 3 September 2025

Despite rapid rise of AI chatbots in customer service, customers prefer human agents

webfull — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:48:10 +0000

If it feels like customer service chatbots are everywhere, it’s because they are. The worldwide chatbot market has grown from US$370 million in 2017 to about US$2.2 billion in 2024. But customers trust human customer service representatives more than they trust AI chatbots, writes Vivek Astvansh, an Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics at Ģ��Ƶ Desautels.

Published: 29 August 2025

Rebranding of DEI initiatives is a reactive response to external pressures

webfull — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:45:44 +0000

The pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs gained momentum in the first half of 2025. And while some institutions are eliminating DEI initiatives, others are rebranding them. “The University of Alberta, for instance no longer has a vice-provost of equity, diversity and inclusion,” writes Ģ��Ƶ Desautels lecturer Simon Blanchette in The Conversation. “Instead, it now has an office for ‘access, community and belonging.’” But these rebranding efforts are mostly about appeasement and lack genuine community engagement.

Published: 29 August 2025

Stranded travellers should keep their cool

webfull — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:43:43 +0000

When 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike, more than 100,000 passengers were left stranded. For many of those affected, the experience has been an overwhelming one. For stranded passengers, the Air Canada strike combines three powerful stressors: uncertainty, lack of control and crowding, writes Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour Jean-Nicolas Reyt in The Conversation. Each of these factors is stressful on its own, and combined, they can overwhelm even the most patient travellers.

Published: 29 August 2025

Whether renting or buying, Canadians are exposed to risk

webfull — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:41:02 +0000

Buying a home can help you build household wealth, but renting has fewer overall costs, which allows you to save more of the money you earn. While the conventional wisdom has been that buying is the better financial decision for most people, sky-high real estate costs change the equation. Stock markets have also performed well in recent decades, and investing the surplus left over from renting can pad your personal finances in a big way—if you actually do it.

Published: 29 August 2025

Ambiversion can be a workplace superpower

webfull — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:18:57 +0000

Being an introvert or an extrovert isn’t an either-or proposition. People who fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum are called ambiverts, and ambiversion can be a beneficial trait in business leaders. Prof. Karl Moore estimates that about 20% of business leaders are true ambiverts. But ambiversion is a kind of superpower for a leader—it allows them to adapt with greater ease than people at either extreme of the spectrum.

Published: 15 August 2025

Companies are bringing employees back to the office, but over time, the trend could reverse

webfull — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:16:42 +0000

Large Canadian companies such as Rogers, RBC and BMO recently announced their employees will be required to spend more time in the office moving forward. Many employees aren’t happy about it at all. “Research tells us that employees are more productive when they can work the way they want to,” said Prof. Jean-Nicolas Reyt in an interview with Radio-Canada’s Les faits d’abord. When employees telecommute, they have a greater ability to focus and don’t spend so much time commuting to and from work.

Published: 15 August 2025

Ģ������Ƶ News - Desautels Faculty of Management

Independent fashion designers likely to lose out in SSENSE bankruptcy

Buy now, pay later loans promise to boost purchasing power—but can come with strings

Stablecoins could change the economy, but Canada won’t be minting digital currencies anytime soon

Kai Zhao (MBA’25) recognized as 2025 MBA To Watch

Despite rapid rise of AI chatbots in customer service, customers prefer human agents

Rebranding of DEI initiatives is a reactive response to external pressures

Stranded travellers should keep their cool

Whether renting or buying, Canadians are exposed to risk

Ambiversion can be a workplace superpower

Companies are bringing employees back to the office, but over time, the trend could reverse

Ģ��Ƶ News - Desautels Faculty of Management