News Releases

CATONSVILLE, MD, September 4, 2019 –Eighteen people die every day waiting for transplants, and a new patient is added to the organ transplant list every 10 minutes. Much of the problem surrounds the lack of registered donors. New research in the INFORMS journal Management Science provides incentives that could lead to a solution and ultimately save lives.

CATONSVILLE, MD, September 3, 2019 – All parents want their children to get the best education possible, so how do school districts allow parents/guardians to have a say in where their child goes to school while still meeting diversity goals for the student body? New research in an upcoming addition of the INFORMS journal Operations Research has a solution, just in time for children to return to school for the 2019-2020 year.

CATONSVILLE, MD, September 3, 2019– Researchers from Texas A&M University published new research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science (Editor’s note: The source of this research is INFORMS), which shows that retailers’ branded mobile apps are very effective in increasing customer engagement, increasing sales on multiple levels, not just on the retailer‘s website, but also in its stores. At the same time, apps increase the rate of returns, although the increase in sales outweighs the return rates.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 26, 2019 – The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Accelerated Approval Program was created in 1992 to significantly accelerate the ability to bring certain new drugs to market. New research published in the INFORMS journal Manufacturing & Service Operations Management reveals a large number of drug manufacturers are failing to complete the approval process, meaning a significant number of drugs on the market are not yet fully approved.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 22, 2019 – New research shows that as the service sector continues to struggle with how to manage and minimize low labor productivity that hinders profits, the key may be in one word -- “teamwork” -- according to a new study in the INFORMS journal Management Science after studying firms in the restaurant industry. Researchers believe, however, that the findings can be generalized among the service sector to include hotel and retail services.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 20, 2019 – Should hospital advertising be banned? A few policymakers in Washington, D.C., have recently considered such an action based on a long-standing debate on whether it poses the spread of misinformation, and that it is not an effective or responsible use of an already limited healthcare budget. New research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science studies the impact of a ban on hospital advertising, and whether those fears are justified.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 15, 2019 – If you end up needing to go to the hospital, often times you’re hoping to get a bed without having to wait hours, but a new study shows you may want to wait a little longer, so that you are placed in the best ward for your needs. New research in the INFORMS journal Management Science shows that among patients admitted to the hospital, 19.6% are placed in beds in a ward outside the area of care they require. These patients who are placed ‘off service’ end up experiencing a 23% longer hospital stay and a higher chance of being readmitted within a month.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 13, 2019– Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, UCLA and the University of Texas published new research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science (Editor’s note: The source of this research is INFORMS), that reveals the power of word-of-mouth in social learning, even when compared to the power of following the example of someone we trust or admire. The same research found, however, that both word-of-mouth and following someone else’s lead are two of the most powerful dynamics in influencing others through social learning.

CATONSVILLE, MD, August 8, 2019 – More than a trillion dollars was spent on healthcare in the United States in 2018, with Medicare and Medicaid accounting for some 37% of those expenditures. With healthcare costs expected to continue to rise by roughly 5% per year, a continued debate in healthcare policy is how to reduce costs without compromising quality. 

CATONSVILLE, MD, July 29, 2019 – We’ve all been there… you’re out to eat and in need of a refill or the check and the wait staff is nowhere to be found. It slows down business, reduces customer satisfaction and hurts the bottom line. New research in the INFORMS journal Management Science shows to counter this, restaurants should introduce tabletop technology as a demonstrated way to improve service and satisfaction.