Knowledge@HEC: TOP 5 Posts of 2015

Check the Top 5 most-read Knowledge@HEC articles of 2015 and discover the research of HEC Paris Faculty in Luxury, Performance Management, Macroeconomics and Human Resources.

What does the future hold for luxury? 

Jean-Noël Kapferer, Emeritus Professor of Marketing

Like other markets, the luxury sector must cope with the inexorable shift toward digitalization, the challenges of sustainable development, and an explosion of demand from new consumers in emerging countries especially from China. At the same time, the luxury market is different from other markets, with highly specific management. Luxury brands must therefore come up with novel ways to deal with the technological and social changes that are creating a new world order.

How to abandon budgets for the good of the company

Sebastian Becker, Assistant Professor of Accounting and Management Control

Putting a stop to budgeting is a radical notion in the business world, yet some prominent companies have made this decision. Sebastian Becker’s study of four of these companies provides insight into why they did so, how it affects their business, and, in particular, how they went about abandoning one of management’s most taken-for-granted practices.

Culture and the economy: understanding the dynamics of globalization

Jacques Olivier, Professor of Finance and Dean of the Faculty and Research

Does the economy influence individual values and culture? Yes, say Jacques Olivier and his co-authors in a March 2014 research paper. They demonstrate that removing trade barriers impacts the way people behave in a way that further increases the rate of globalization. Here, we look at the reasons why. 

How personality traits influence sensitivity to technostress

Shirish C. Srivastava, Associate Professor of Operations Management & Information Technology

A groundbreaking study looks at the positive and negative effects of "technostress creators" and shows how its impact is moderated by personality traits. Organizations can leverage insight about this relationship to help prevent job burnout and foster engagement. 

Employer brand : The value of a name

Roxana Barbulescu, Associate Professor of Management & Human Resources

A study shows that prestigious firms can hire the best people without having to pay more than the market average. However, this employer advantage is time-sensitive. It applies at the start of a graduate’s career, and after 5 years, employees can take their firm’s status wherever they go. In addition, from VP level upward, high status firms have to pay employees significantly more than their lower status counterparts.