Media Matters – SFU Business in the News – November 5, 2010
Nov 08, 2010How SFU Business fared in the news for the week ending November 5, 2010.
Premier Campbell Resigns
- The Province and the Victoria Times Colonist also spoke with SFU business professor Lindsay Meredith, who commented that it was former premier Bill Vander Zalm and his anti-HST campaign that was responsible for Campbell’s move. “Zalm set the clock ticking,” Meredith told The Province.The Vancouver Sun also quoted Meredith from an SFU Issues & Experts media alert.
The Province (story #1): http://at.sfu.ca/MrQLqN
The Province (story #2): http://at.sfu.ca/WsGoPt
The Vancouver Sun: http://at.sfu.ca/fTLcsE
Victoria Times Colonist: http://at.sfu.ca/Itnjsh
Liberal Leadership
- Despite all the political turmoil going on, the anti-HST campaign is moving forward, reports the Nanaimo Daily News. SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith said Campbell was pushed out the door because the Liberals feared the recall campaign. “Once the recall campaigns got moving the Liberal MLAs would have got picked off like flies,” Meredith said.
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/LLMqBo - Being in the public spotlight – and often in the crosshairs of critics – took its toll on himself and his family, Campbell said at a news conference. The former premier became a lightning rod for all of B.C.’s problems, according to The Vancouver Sun. SFU business professor Mark Wexler said this is part of a larger change in politics. “My sense of politics as an area of decorum – this debating society version of it – is long gone,” Wexler told the paper. “I think the analogy now is more like (WWE) wrestling. I make that analogy in the sense of crowd-pleasing, getting people emotionally involved in your positions.”
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/rvmPqF
Halloween
- Despite the negativity towards consuming too much candy, Halloween is more popular than ever, according to SFU marketing professor Lindsay Meredith. He told The Vancouver Sun that spending for Halloween has been “astronomical” in the past 10 years. “We know chocolate is evil, we know candy is evil,” said Meredith, who noted that Halloween is one way of rationalizing consuming a product that we know isn’t good for us. “And we don’t need a lot of encouragement; candy is easy to market as a comfort or a reward for being good.”
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/wOXLiH
Welcoming Websites
- The Globe and Mail highlighted research by SFU business professor Dianne Cyr that shows “there are distinct website design preferences for different groups – whether in different country locations or for men and women.” Cyr has looked at cross-cultural and gender preferences in website design and what she calls “social presence” impact on website users. According to the paper, “For instance, women tended to prefer websites with less clutter and fewer graphics. They tended to seek content to ‘engage them, whereas men were more utilitarian.’”
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/NaYRYx
Does Information Technology Help or Hinder?
- The debate in The National Post is whether the biggest technological revolution known to mankind proved to be accurate. According to the paper, there were tremendous expectations for information technology (IT) and some argue today that predictions of increased productivity never came to fruition. Of course, IT did change the way we work and how organizations communicate around the world, and now there are new expectations with the arrival of IT Revolution 2.0. This time around, the paper says researchers, educators, and high-performing companies are addressing areas to “bridge the gap between the potential of technology to dramatically improve both productivity and innovation and what really takes place on the ground.” SFU business professor Blaize Reich said the key for IT Revolution 2.0 to succeed is improving organizational competence to manage change. “Change is hard. People get used to doing things in certain ways and even if there’s better ways of doing it, it’s still difficult to adapt. Some organizations are good at change competence, but often they’re not,” she said.
Full story (in The Vancouver Sun): http://at.sfu.ca/OJlJxX
Sears offers HST Rebate
- Despite legal threats from the provincial government against Sears, SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith likes the plan by the company to offer an HST rebate if the tax is repealed next fall. “Five-hundred-thousand (petition) signatures are not to be ignored,” Meredith told CBC News. “Sears are using a pretty good marketing strategy to capitalize on that.”
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/awvTuL
Preferential Treatment
- The Nanaimo Daily News spoke with SFU business professor Mark Wexler about a potential conflict-of-interest case involving a city councilor. Wexler told the paper a good test in these situations is whether financial gain is involved. “Follow the money,” said Wexler. “If a person stands to gain as a consequence of the decision that is usually a smoking gun,” he said.
Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/KLcYwn
Also in the News
- Greenwashing, the act of misleading consumers about the environmental practices of a company, was a hot topic for the media. SFU marketing expert Lindsay Meredith responded to a number of interview requests after a new study showed almost all green products make one “false, misleading, or unproven” environmental claim. Meredith was also sought out to comment on Premier Gordon Campbell’s televised address. In total, Meredith did 12 interviews with media outlets within a span of 24 hours, including Global TV, CityTV’s Breakfast Television, CFAX radio (Victoria), CKNW’s The Bill Good Show, The Province, and CTV News.