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What will the extradition of Meng Wanzhou mean for relations between Canada, China, and the U.S.?
There is the rule of law, and there’s politics – but what happens when you are a country like Canada stuck in the middle of an ugly legal battle between China and America? This Monday, in Vancouver – a hearing is underway that will see one of the world’s titans victorious and the other, probably quite angry. Legal arguments at the B.C. Supreme Court in the extradition case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou may stretch into next year. Crown lawyer Robert Frater told the court Wednesday that lawyers for both sides will propose a new schedule later this month that would bring the hearings to a close in early 2021 at the latest, instead of this fall. The Unites States wants Canada to extradite Meng over allegations she misrepresented the company’s relationship with Skycom Tech Co., putting HSBC at risk of violating U.S. sanction against Iran, a charge both she and Huawei deny. Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes dismissed the first phase of arguments last week by Meng’s lawyers who claimed the case should be thrown out because the U.S. allegations against her wouldn’t be a crime in Canada. Global News - June 03 It has been a long and drawn out process and will likely stretch into this year, and odds are patience is wearing thin. Can any of the countries expect retaliation and what would that look like? Is the United State right seeking extradition of this official? Will a change at the Whitehouse see this effort dropped? And what are the underlying issues at play that may be attributing to this drama? If you are a journalist covering this topic – then let our experts help. Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include comparative politics and international relations theory. Glen is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
FAU College of Business Experts Available to Discuss May Unemployment Numbers
Professors in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business are available to discuss U.S. unemployment figures that are scheduled to be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, June 5. The U.S. unemployment rate jumped to 14.7 percent in April in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the highest level since the Great Depression, and analysts fear it could be years before the economy fully recovers. If you are a journalist covering this important story about employment and the economy of Florida and America – let our experts help. Rebel Cole, Ph.D., a Lynn Eminent Scholar Chaired Professor of Finance, has expertise in financial institutions, commercial banking and small business finance. He spent 10 years working in the Federal Reserve System. Cole has been interviewed by numerous national media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal and The Palm Beach Post. William Luther, Ph.D., an assistant professor in FAU’s Economics Department, has expertise in economic growth, monetary policies, business cycles and cryptocurrencies. He has authored more than two dozen articles. Luther’s research has obtained media interest across the nation, including recent coverage by Politico and Florida Trend. Both Professor Cole and Luther are available to speak with media – simply click on either expert’s icon to arrange an interview today.
TORONTO, ON., May 29, 2020 — International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada announced today the release of 20 new research reports to help vendors understand the impact of COVID-19 on the Canadian ICT market, including five new forecast documents. In addition, most analysts have created an additional report analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on their specific technology patch, providing our clients with additional details on the impact and guidance for vendors in that market. IDC Market Forecasts help technology suppliers identify market drivers and size, measure current performance, analyze leading market indicators, as well as plan for future opportunities and growth. The five forecast reports are listed below: Canadian Communications Services Forecast, 2020–2024: COVID-19 Turns Telecom Inside Out (IDC# CA45063520 ). This IDC study presents IDC Canada's five-year forecasts for communications services spending by market and customer segments, company size, industry sector, and region for 2020–2024 based on the annual update of IDC Canada's Communications Market Model and replaces our previous comprehensive spring and fall 2019 forecasts. "Communications providers are largely recession proof and fortunately investments in next-gen network technologies and architectures are allowing communications service providers to cope with unrivalled demand," says study coauthor Lawrence Surtees, vice president of Communications Research and principal analyst at IDC Canada. "But the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic is still a great unknown and its associated economic shocks could dramatically impact the current forecast." Canadian IT Professional Services Forecast, 2020–2024 (IDC# CA45064220 ). This IDC study provides the spring 2020 market size and forecasts for the Canadian IT professional services market. The professional services market is made up of four submarkets: Custom application development, IS consulting, Network consulting & integration, and Systems integration. "The Canadian IT professional services market relies on discretionary capital spending budgets, which are typically suspended or curtailed in times of economic uncertainty. 2020 will be a challenging year for professional services firms due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the market is expected to recover as the Canadian and global economies recover and businesses reinstate capital spending for IT projects," says Jim Westcott, research manager, Professional Services, IDC Canada. Canadian Infrastructure Outsourcing Services Forecast, 2020–2024 (IDC#CA45058420). This IDC study provides IDC's forecast for the Canadian infrastructure outsourcing services market for 2020–2024. It is an update of the previous forecast published in Canadian Infrastructure Outsourcing Services Forecast, 2019–2023 (IDC #CA43804019, May 2019). "The infrastructure outsourcing market continues to change, and COVID-19 will likely accelerate change. The decline in 1st and 2nd Platform technologies is leading to slow outsourcing spending on these areas, while the growth in 3rd Platform technologies to support digital transformation are increasingly incorporated into outsourcing and managed service engagements," says Jason Bremner, research vice president, Industry and Business Solutions. Canadian Consumer Wireless, Internet, and Wireline Voice Services Forecast, 2020–2024 (IDC# CA45059520). "In an already-competitive consumer market in the middle of great technological change, the global Coronavirus pandemic and the precautionary restrictions it has placed on Canadians has not only caused drastic socioeconomic changes but has forced consumers to weigh out the value proposition of each consumer service," says coauthor Manish Nargas, senior analyst for Consumer Services and Mobility. "Survival of the fittest is the call of the hour, and it seems that some consumer services will fare better than others after the dust has settled. While easier said than done, service providers need to think beyond the today's losses in order to plan for tomorrow's win." Canadian Consumer TV Services Forecast, 2020-2024 (IDC#CA45059620). This IDC study examines the forecast for Canadian consumer TV services subscribers and revenue. It also addresses the factors shaping the market as well as the key drivers and inhibitors underlying the forecast. "TV service providers will have to bring out their A game as they look to harness their next-gen TV service capabilities and create symbiotic, seemingly 'complementary' partnerships with OTT video providers to keep consumer eyeballs on their TV service platforms all the while combating economic ill effects of COVID-19 restrictions in the short term," says coauthor Manish Nargas, senior analyst, Consumer Services and Mobility at IDC Canada. "Based on our forecasts from May 1, 2020, we’re looking at an unprecedented 5.4 per cent decline for the year for the combination of telecom and IT spending in Canada. The cumulative impact of trade restrictions, supply chain impairments, commodity price declines, significant lay-offs and freefalling consumer and business confidence has led to a more dramatic impact on the overall ICT market than we had predicted in early April," says Nigel Wallis, vice president, IoT & Industries at IDC Canada. IDC develops detailed forecasting reports and analysis for major technology markets in Canada, which are published annually during the month of May. IDC's Forecast Scenario Assumptions for the Canadian ICT Market, 2020 and Beyond (IDC# CA46217620 , May 20 20 ) supports the underlying macroeconomic assumptions for each of the ICT market forecast reports. We also recently released a new interactive Canadian COVID-19 IT Impact Dashboard tool to help our clients visualize the impacts, in partnership with Rel8ed.to, which is available for everyone to use. For our clients that need to know the impact of the pandemic on ICT Spending beyond Canada’s borders, IDC created our global COVID-19 Resources microsite which contains more research reports, webinars, press releases and blog posts from around the world. We’ve also done a series of free webcasts for our clients with the first one on April 2 and the second one on May 6. Our third webcast in this series will occur on June 4th. Register today for COVID-19 Impact: Preparing for Recovery in the Canadian Tech Market. Here’s the list of our recently published Canadian-based COVID-19 research reports to help our clients meet the challenges from the pandemic, anticipate market changes and keep business moving: COVID-19 Impact on the Canadian ICT Market (IDC#CA46134820) Canadian Datacenter Infrastructure Action Item, Q2 2020: The Impact of COVID-19 (IDC#CA45057420) Impact of COVID-19: Canadian IT Services Market (IDC#CA46166120) All Priorities Aside: The Canadian Government's Singular Response to COVID-19 (IDC#CA46166920) The Impact of COVID-19: Canadian Security Solutions Market (IDC#CA46166520) Canadian Communications Service Provider Capex Spending, 2019–2020 (IDC#CA45063820) Canadian Government Wireless Price Policy - Ill-conceived and Horribly Timed (IDC# CA45663920) COVID-19 Business Impact: Hierarchy of Needs; Moving from Pandemic Risk Management to Organizational Agility (IDC# CA46228420) How is the Pandemic Crisis Impacting Digital Transformation in Canada? (IDC# CA46235620) Impact of COVID-19: Canadian Software as a Service Market (IDC# CA46166620) COVID-19 Impact: What’s Next for the Canadian Tech Market (IDC# CA46281820) COVID-19 Impact: Canadian Retail & Wholesale Market (IDC# CA45674020) COVID-19 Leadership: Canadian CIOs Strategize on Responses to COVID-19 (forthcoming) Critical Networks Provide Critical Care: Role of Communication Networks to Treat and Prevent COVID-19 (forthcoming) COVID-19 Impact: Canadian Vertical Markets Overview (forthcoming) For more information about the market forecast reports, the COVID-19 related reports, or to arrange a one on one interview with any of the report authors, please contact Cristina Santander at AskIDC@IDCcanada.com.
Are China and America set to face off in a warmed-up version of the cold war?
Tensions and temperatures are rising between the United Stated and China. The straws on the camel’s back have been adding up in recent years, and the recent rhetoric about the origins of COVID-19 and the reaction to China’s further pursuit of the ‘One-China’ policy may be seeing both countries crossing the political Rubicon and headed toward a stand-off. The first shot fired may be China sending two air raft carriers to the Yellow Sea. This will be the first time China's new aircraft carriers deploy together for the first time and the move has sparked fears in Taiwan of a possible invasion of its Pratas islands - which could then be used as a staging point for an attack on the mainland. It comes after Beijing threatened to "reunify" Taiwan in response to Donald Trump saying he could "cut off the whole relationship" with China. Tensions have been growing between the US and China over the origins of Covid-19. The US said on Friday it is set to ban trade with 33 Chinese companies. But China's foreign minister Wang Yi said yesterday this would risk "a new Cold War" as he rejected Washington's "lies" over its handling of coronavirus while saying Beijing was open to an international effort to find its source. Wang said the United States had been infected by a "political virus" compelling figures there to continually attack China. He said: “It has come to our attention that some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage and pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War." May 25 – The Sun It is a concerning development given the current state of global affairs. And there are a lot of questions to be asked: What will it take to de-escalate the issue? What would a 21st Century cold war look like? And at what cost will this come to both countries who are dealing with serious economic pressures at home? If you are a journalist covering this topic – then let our experts help. Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include comparative politics and international relations theory. Glen is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Is your job killing you? Stress, lack of autonomy and ability can lead to depression and death
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As millions continue working from home during the pandemic or are required to report to jobs as essential employees, many have raised questions about how these work conditions impact our health -- and not just as they relate to COVID-19. A new study from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business finds that our mental health and mortality have a strong correlation with the amount of autonomy we have at our job, our workload and job demands, and our cognitive ability to deal with those demands. "When job demands are greater than the control afforded by the job or an individual's ability to deal with those demands, there is a deterioration of their mental health and, accordingly, an increased likelihood of death," said Erik Gonzalez-Mulé, assistant professor of organizational behavior and human resources at the Kelley School and the paper's lead author. "We examined how job control -- or the amount of autonomy employees have at work -- and cognitive ability -- or people's ability to learn and solve problems -- influence how work stressors such as time pressure or workload affect mental and physical health and, ultimately, death," he said. "We found that work stressors are more likely to cause depression and death as a result of jobs in which workers have little control or for people with lower cognitive ability." On the other hand, Gonzalez-Mulé and his co-author, Bethany Cockburn, assistant professor of management at Northern Illinois University, found that job demands resulted in better physical health and lower likelihood of death when paired with more control of work responsibilities. "We believe that this is because job control and cognitive ability act as resources that help people cope with work stressors," Gonzalez-Mulé said. "Job control allows people to set their own schedules and prioritize work in a way that helps them achieve their work goals, while people that are smarter are better able to adapt to the demands of a stressful job and figure out ways to deal with stress." The study, "This Job Is (Literally) Killing Me: A Moderated-Mediated Model Linking Work Characteristics to Mortality," appears in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology. It is a follow-up toprevious research the pair published in 2017, which was the first study in the management and applied psychology fields to examine the relationship between job characteristics and mortality. The researchers used data from 3,148 Wisconsin residents who participated in the nationally representative, longitudinal Midlife in the United States survey. Of those in their sample, 211 participants died during the 20-year study. "Managers should provide employees working in demanding jobs more control, and in jobs where it is unfeasible to do so, a commensurate reduction in demands. For example, allowing employees to set their own goals or decide how to do their work, or reducing employees' work hours, could improve health," Gonzalez-Mulé said. "Organizations should select people high on cognitive ability for demanding jobs. By doing this, they will benefit from the increased job performance associated with more intelligent employees, while having a healthier workforce. "COVID-19 might be causing more mental health issues, so it's particularly important that work not exacerbate those problems," Gonzalez-Mulé said. "This includes managing and perhaps reducing employee demands, being aware of employees' cognitive capability to handle demands and providing employees with autonomy are even more important than before the pandemic began."
Featuring: B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D. A former process development executive in the pharmaceutical industry, B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D., was coaxed out of retirement to teach in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. Gupton, whose research focuses on improving health care by making pharmaceutical production cleaner and more cost-effective, is founder and CEO of the Medicines for All Institute (M4ALL), based in the VCU College of Engineering. The institute began with a simple idea: expand global access to lifesaving medications by producing them more efficiently. The institute’s team of chemical engineers and chemists demonstrated compelling results with its first target, the anti-HIV/AIDS drug nevirapine. As the researchers continue to work on additional therapies for HIV/AIDS treatment and other diseases, M4ALL is now working with a manufacturer in South Africa and partnering with the government of Ivory Coast to bring their advances to the places they are most needed. VCU Engineering’s experts are available to speak about how M4ALL is transforming pharmaceutical engineering and improving access to medicines around the world. Gupton is the Floyd D. Gottwald Junior Chair in Pharmaceutical Engineering, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering. An award-winning researcher and National Academy of Inventors Fellow with multiple patents, he is an expert in his field. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded and healthcare organizations began experiencing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), faculty, staff and students at Georgia Southern University stepped up to fulfill a need. Making use of the 3D printers on the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses, as well as at the FabLab at the Business Innovation Group’s (BIG) downtown Statesboro location, the campus communities quickly began production of protective face shields and respirators. “We can’t afford to sit back and wait for things to happen,” said Dominique Halaby, DPA, director of the BIG. “We have to make them happen. We have this responsibility to make a difference, to be a part of that front line, whether it’s immediately in our community, our state or our respective area.” To date, the Department of Manufacturing Engineering has sent 200 3D-printed protective face shields with headbands to Augusta, Georgia, for healthcare workers at Augusta Medical Center, while the BIG has sent 100 face shields and 10 “Montana Masks,” a 3D-printable respirator filtration mask that can be fitted to a healthcare provider’s face and sanitized between uses, to Atlanta-area hospitals. The Department of Mechanical Engineering on the Armstrong Campus has also printed Montana Masks that will be delivered to workers in the St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital System (SJCHS) in Savannah, Georgia, while the Respiratory Therapy Program in the Waters College of Health Professions donated 10 ventilators to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. “I am unbelievably proud of our faculty, staff and students who have their own families to take care of, but are putting themselves on the line to help our medical professionals in this time of critical need,” said Mohammad Davoud, Ph.D., dean of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing. Wayne Johnson, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering, believes providing these materials to the Savannah community during a time of critical need is reinforcing a longtime commitment to the region. “The Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern has a long history of working within the Savannah community, and during this pandemic, it was especially important for mechanical engineering faculty and students at the Armstrong Campus to step up during a time of great need,” said Johnson. “ Our work with SJCHS to develop, test and donate 3D-printed respirators may also lead to other research and development collaborations in the post-COVID-19 future.” In addition to benefiting area healthcare workers, Johnson believes this project is a great way for students to put their classroom skills into practice. If you would like to learn more about how the students, staff and faculty at Georgia Southern University are helping out during the COVID-19 crisis – the let our experts help. Wayne Johnson is an expert in additive manufacturing, mechatronics, biomechanics and engineering education. He is available to speak with media about this great initiative, simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
Scarcity reduces consumers' concerns about prices, research shows
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- During the current pandemic, panicked overbuying of products such as toilet paper, cleaning products and similar items often has led to limited options for consumers and empty store shelves. What's often left are generic or lower-priced branded products. According to new research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, it may not be because consumers during this crisis are viewing higher-priced products as having better quality. A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research finds that scarcity actually decreases consumers' tendency to use price to judge a product's quality. "Scarcity is aversive and triggers the desire to compensate for the shortage, and to seek abundance," said paper co-author Ashok Lalwani, associate professor of marketing at Kelley. "People who face scarcity are less likely to view less vs. more expensive options as belonging to different categories, and thus are open to differences at either or both ends of the price continuum." This is the first paper to directly show the impact of scarcity on price-quality judgments. The findings are applicable amid times of economic crisis, natural disasters and social disturbances. "We suggest that people may not only differ in terms of how they categorize purchases, but also in terms of the extent to which they categorize, and scarcity reduces the tendency," Lalwani said. While consumers frequently judge the quality of a product based on its price, they change their thinking during times of scarcity and are less likely to categorize objects and less likely to use the price of a product to infer its quality, Lalwani and his co-authors found. The business implications for managers at high-end stores or those who want to increase sales of high-priced items are numerous. Lalwani suggested that one way such managers can activate the belief that higher prices indicate higher quality is by varying context or environmental factors. This could include encouraging consumers -- such as through contests or sweepstakes -- to categorize assorted items by price to facilitate the use of price-tiers as a basis for judging a product's quality. "The same objective could also be attained by reducing consumers' desire for abundance," Lalwani said. "For example, inside the store, managers could have portraits, displays or ads highlighting the harmful effects of gluttony or hoarding behavior. Doing so may increase customers' price-quality inferences and shift them from purchasing lower-priced to higher-priced goods. "Our findings also suggest that when stronger price-quality inferences are desired, retailers are advised to avoid utilizing scarcity messages, such as 'sale ends this week' or 'while supplies last,' especially for product categories in which the proportion of high-priced items is high, as priming scarcity among consumers may decrease their price-quality inferences." Other authors of the paper, "The Impact of Resource Scarcity on Price-Quality Judgments," were Hanyong Park, assistant professor of marketing at the Eli Brand College of Business at Michigan State, and David Silvera, retired associate professor of marketing at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
As the race for the White House continues, speculations are growing on who former Vice President Joe Biden will have as his running mate. As of late, the direction Biden is being shown is to choose a woman of color. After a devastating start to the Democratic primary, Biden’s campaign was revived when black voters in South Carolina and throughout the south overwhelmingly sided with him. Now that he is the presumptive Democratic nominee, black voters and leaders are pressing for him to pick a black woman as his running mate. Biden launched a committee last week to begin vetting possible candidates for the vice presidency, a process he has said will likely last through July. He has already committed to picking a woman. But black voters and leaders say he needs to go further and pick a black woman. They argue that Biden’s success – and that of the Democratic Party as a whole – depends on black people turning out to vote in November. They want a tangible return for their loyalty to the democratic party. Political analysts like Augusta University Political Science Professor Dr. Gregg Murray say Sen. Kamala Harris from California and former Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams are the two standout choices that fit this bill. Although Harris and Abrams each bring positives to Biden’s campaign, Murray says they both have some baggage. “Harris is respected in the senate and including Abrams on the ticket could help the Democrats penetrate the traditionally GOP voting south,” said Murray. “However, Harris has an unfavorable record among critics of criminal justice reform and Abram’s lost in Georgia’s governor’s race raises questions on her electability beyond her home territory. I’m sure Biden’s team will consider all the facts before making their final decision.” As campaigns need to revamp and reconsider strategy in an election run in the wake of a pandemic, getting the ticket in order might come sooner than later. And if you are a reporter covering this topic, then let our expert help. Murray, professor of political science at Augusta University, is available to talk about the upcoming election. Murray’s research focuses on political behavior and psychology with specific interests in voter mobilization and turnout. He is also executive director of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences. He has been featured on CNN and is a go-to for national media covering campaigns. Click on his name to request an interview.
As the world watches – Many wonder who is next in line in to the throne in North Korea?
It’s the rumor that won’t go away. The mysterious leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un is dealing with serious health issues. Some are even speculating death may be close or has even potentially occurred. The news of a nuclear armed rogue nation that could soon be leaderless has the west watching and worried. If you’re a journalist covering, there are many questions to be asked. What is the succession plan for North Korea’s leadership? Will the traditionally patriarchal country allow Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister to ascend to power? Are there more distant relatives who could make a claim to the role? Is there a chance North Korea could accept a change in power structure or even adopt a non-dictatorial style of government? And, is now the opportunity for change in North Korea? If you are covering, we’re here to help. Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include comparative politics and international relations theory. Glen is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.