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People who are phone snubbed – or “phubbed” – by others are, themselves, often turning to their smartphones and social media to find acceptance, according to new research from Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. Building on their earlier study that phubbing can damage relationships and lead to depression, researchers Meredith David, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing, and James A. Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing, have found that the circle nearly completes itself as the offended parties frequently jump online to find affirmation in the likes and shares and positive comments of social media. Their study, “Phubbed and Alone: Phone Snubbing, Social Exclusion, and Attachment to Social Media,” is published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. The research investigates the relationship between phubbing, social media attachment, depression, anxiety and stress. “When an individual is phubbed, he/she feels socially excluded, which leads to an increased need for attention. Instead of turning to face-to-face interaction to restore a sense of inclusion, study participants turned to social media to regain a sense of belonging,” said David, lead author of the study. “Being phubbed was also found to undermine an individual’s psychological well-being. Phubbed individuals reported higher levels of stress and depression.” “We’re looking online for what we’re not getting offline,” Roberts said. “It’s a vicious cycle.” As part of their research, David and Roberts surveyed more than 330 people across two studies. They found: * Nearly half of those who were phubbed reported spending more than 1.5 hours on their phone each day. In addition, one-quarter of those phubbed reported spending more than 90 minutes per day on social media sites. * More than one-third of phubbed individuals indicated that they turn to social media to interact with new people. * More than half of individuals who said they were phubbed indicated that social media enhances their life and makes their life better. The majority reported that people’s comments on their social media posts makes them feel affirmed and more accepted. “Although the stated purpose of technology like smartphones is to help us connect with others, in this particular instance, it does not,” David said. “Ironically, the very technology that was designed to bring humans closer together has isolated us from these very same people.” Source:
When Your Spouse Calls and Interrupts Your Workday, Is That a Good Thing?
Consider these scenarios. You’re focused on an important project at work and your phone rings. It’s your spouse. You’ve just finished dinner with your family and you’re cleaning up the table. Your phone buzzes. An email from your boss. Are these interruptions of your work and family time harmful or helpful? Yes and no, according to a new Journal of Management study spearheaded by work-life balance expert Emily Hunter, Ph.D., associate professor of management in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. “Our results demonstrate that the effect of interruptions in the work and home domains are twofold: On one hand, they may lead to unwelcome consequences, including obstruction of goals, negative affect, decreased satisfaction with investment in work and family and work-family conflict,” researchers wrote. “On the other, greater integration of work and family may afford workers increased positive affect, as these interruptions help them meet certain work or family goals.” Hunter said technology is blurring the boundaries between work and family, and this can have daily consequences on workers. “When you give to one domain, you must take from the other. There are only so many hours in the day,” Hunter said. “Interruptions from family ‘take’ from work in the form of work goal obstructions, negative emotions and lower satisfaction with investment in work.” When work invades family time, employees can use that to their advantage as well, Hunter said. “Workers who work from home in off-job hours can also benefit from managing co-worker expectations about availability after hours, setting aside time after children go to bed to accomplish work tasks with minimal obstruction to their family role and setting limits on hours of smartphone use for work purposes,” she said. Source:
Are you one of the Canadians most likely to get a tax audit this year?
Every year, Canadian taxpayers fear the worst - a notice from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) informing you that you’re going to be audited. You should always prepare and file your income tax return under the assumption that your return will be looked at and scrutinized. The reality is, there very few are actually checked by the CRA - but that does not do you any good if you are the one. Apart from a random selection process there are many reasons why your return might be pulled for review or audit. If this is the case, the best advice we offer is to get your accountant involved immediately. Far too often our clients will start the process alone, answering a few questions that they think are simple and straightforward only to find they have simply provided the auditor with reasons to further pursue his or her review of your taxes. This is not to suggest that the questions are misleading. We are simply pointing out that you might not be aware of the implications of your answers and you can do yourself a disservice by providing an answer that simply leads to more questions. If you have prepared your return yourself go over it with a professional as soon as you receive your letter from CRA and let that individual deal with the CRA representative going forward. If you used a professional to prepare your return - get them involved immediately. Michael Burch is a managing partner at Welch LLP in Ottawa and is an expert in the fields of business, corporate/personal taxation and finance. He is an excellent speaker and is available to talk with media regarding this important topic. Simply click on Michael’s icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Baylor Smartphone Addiction Expert Featured in The New York Times
James Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, is a featured expert in this story about society’s “love” for smartphones. “A key to a healthy relationship is being present,” said Roberts, who authored the book “Too Much of a Good Thing: Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?” The article also cites research conducted by Roberts and Meredith David, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing, which found that “phubbing” – phone snubbing – can damage relationships and lead to depression. Source:
Baylor Film Expert Featured on NPR's Marketplace to Explain Marketing of Faith-Based Films
Chris Hansen, M.F.A., associate professor and chair of Baylor University's film and digital media department, is a featured expert in this Marketplace story by Adriene Hill about the marketing of faith-based films. During the interview, Hansen discussed how Mel Gibson’s 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ” – which made more than $600 million worldwide – helped kick-start Hollywood’s interest in faith-based films. "Once ‘The Passion’ came out and did that kind of business, Hollywood was all over the idea of making films for this audience,” he said. Source:
Small businesses will suffer most from bridge collapse
The fire that burned under a bridge on I-85 North Thursday evening did more than cause a collapse of the roadway and potentially months of traffic woes. It added a cloud of smoke that blurs the future for countless businesses in the area. Goizueta Business School's Tom Smith says the disruption in traffic could create real pain for local establishments that rely on foot traffic or fresh deliveries. Source:
The new U.S.-Canada council on women in business, unveiled at Justin Trudeau’s first meeting with Donald Trump last month, has been dismissed by some as little more than a symbolic photo op. But that’s a mistake. Symbols matter. Source:
