Self-customization is an increasingly popular strategy where customers are able to create their own product. However, it remains unclear how self-customization options in restaurants influence customers’ health-related dietary choices. HKUST’s Ralf van der Lans and colleagues shed light on this important topic from the perspective of autonomy and self ... Read More

Uber and other ride-sourcing companies rely on multiple types of data to optimize service delivery, and they often use Internet-based platforms to match passengers and drivers through smartphone data. However, this type of supply–demand matching remains challenging due to the need to balance speed, revenue, and quality. HKUST’s Guodong Lyu and colleagues aim ... Read More

Voice-activated shopping assistants have lasting benefits for online retailers, according to HKUST-led research. Zijun Shi and colleagues documented significant purchase increases on Tmall following the adoption of its voice AI, “Genie.” The mechanisms and limitations of this effect were also uncovered. “The vocal search process can make it convenient for ... Read More

Women are increasingly participating in financial markets as they accumulate personal wealth. However, they often face discrimination when seeking advice on investment decisions. Taking a novel perspective, HKUST’s Utpal Bhattacharya and Sujata Visaria and their colleagues set out to determine why financial advisors treat female and male clients differently ... Read More

Global mobility is critical to the success of multinational enterprises (MNEs), but we still know surprisingly little about how organizational structures affect the performance of globally mobile employees. Taking a much-needed structural perspective, HKUST’s Jiatao Li and co-authors shed light on how MNEs can best manage expatriate employees on assignment. ... Read More

In the gig-economy era, public safety and social justice can be secured simultaneously, according to HKUST’s Yanzhen Chen and Yatang Lin, working with a colleague. While the potential criminality of ride-share drivers has raised concern, governments can work with platforms and communities to safeguard riders without penalizing marginalized groups. Focusing ... Read More

Do executive compensation contracts align managers’ and shareholders’ interests, and if so, how? Scholars traditionally assume that compensation contracts incentivize managers to act in shareholders’ best interests, but more recent studies suggest that managerial and institutional factors also affect executive pay. HKUST’s Chao Tang and colleagues shed light ... Read More

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years has led to its widespread adoption in business operations, among both tech giants and more traditional enterprises. At the same time, uncertainty shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are affecting firm performance. Drawing together these trends, HKUST’s Miaozhe Han and co-researchers ... Read More

A recent study co-authored by HKUST’s Arthur K. Morris sheds light on how laws and taxes that affect the renegotiation of debt contracts—making the process easier or cheaper, for example—influence the way companies and lenders design these agreements at the outset. The researchers explore how changes in laws can affect these early choices, revealing how laws ... Read More

A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), also known as a “blank check” company, raises financing via an initial public offering to merge with a private target and take it public. Although SPAC deals are hugely popular, their performance is mixed. Thanks to HKUST’s Martin Szydlowski and a co-researcher, investors now have much-needed guidance for ... Read More