News

JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines are seeking to partner with Spirit Airlines, the low-cost carrier. “From a competitive standpoint, either of these mergers will probably result in higher fares,” says Ravi Sarathy, a Northeastern professor of international business and strategy who studies the industry.

If the COVID-19 pandemic showed businesses that depend on offshore production anything, it's that one stoppage along these vast delivery channels can propagate across the entire system, Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern, said in the annual Robert D. Klein Lecture on Tuesday.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine extends into its fourth week, its effect on global supply chains—already beleaguered by the COVID-19 pandemic—is only just beginning. “This is going to have a significant impact,” says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern. “I'm extremely concerned.”

The invasion of Ukraine has raised concerns that Russia may launch a cyberwar against the west. In recent years, cyberattacks have become more frequent, wreaking havoc on organizations around the world. Even the largest multinationals cannot escape the risk that such attacks pose to their longer-term viability.

Moscow's famed cyber prowess may not be as sophisticated as people believe, say Northeastern experts. And, Russia may not have the appetite to launch a digital war on top of a traditional one with tanks and bombs. “They don't want a war on two fronts if they don't have to,” says global strategy professor Luis Dau.

Spencer Fung, who runs a Hong Kong-based supply-chain manager, spoke to Northeastern students about the future of the global supply chain as businesses contend with a host of disruptions—from the continued rise of e-commerce to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rebrands are rare, says Paul Fombelle, who worked at one of the world's biggest advertising agencies before teaching marketing at Northeastern. For the franchise most recently known as the Washington Football Team, a new name and logo won't matter as much as the play on the field, he says.

Self-scanners—like this one at an Amazon Go Grocery in Seattle—are part of a larger trend that is overhauling the U.S. job market. Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images

Michael Enright, a leading expert on global competitiveness and corporate strategy, and a Center for Emerging Markets Faculty Fellow, was named the first Pierre Choueiri Family Professor in Global Business at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business.

Supply-chain shortages will distress the global economy far beyond the holiday shopping season, says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply chain management at Northeastern. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire AP Images