News

Price disruptions are sure to have impacts on consumer behavior. Market-watchers have suggested that an “inflationary psychology” is starting to set in. Northeastern experts break down what that means.

Northeastern is hosting 45 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, who will be gaining hands-on experience at Boston asset management and life sciences companies through new United Negro College Fund programs.

The baby formula shortage has left families scrambling to feed their children. Northeastern faculty explain why breastfeeding—or buying breast milk—isn't necessarily an easy solution. Photo by Paul Hennessy/Getty Images

“Our research found that 79% of those who currently use someone else's password would not get their own subscriptions if Netflix outright banned account-sharing,” says Ben Treanor, whose company surveyed so-called “streaming swindlers.” And Netflix will have a fine line to walk if it introduces ads, says Yakov Bart, a marketing expert at Northeastern.

President Joe Biden has ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the country's petroleum stockpile for the next six months to combat the nation's oil crisis as the Russian war in Ukraine marches toward its third month. But some, including two Northeastern professors, question whether Biden was right to do so.

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.