Schulich School of Business Professor James McKellar says that for some, businesses office condos often “don’t make sense economically” because it may be cheaper to lease than to buy in certain locations. Others may not want to commit to ownership when company operations could expand or shrink over time. One part of this niche market has drawn interest from Toronto-area immigrants, especially from China, South Korea and Iran, who value owning a long-term asset. “For what you get for your money in Toronto, [it] is extraordinary from their point of view,” said McKellar in The Globe and Mail Sept. 9. Read full story.
Women-only MBA fair helps the curious set a course
A turbulent Canadian retail market is an attractive learning target for Canadian business schools, reported The Globe and Mail Sept. 8. York University’s Schulich School of Business is the latest to offer a specialization in the sector – in this case a global retail management concentration within the MBA program. Read full story.
Ontario wants CRTC to regulate new media like Netflix
Schulich School of Business MBA candidate Zachary Kornblum, who appeared before the hearing as an individual, said new media escaped the heavy regulation that applies to conventional broadcasters due to a “semantic difference,” reported the Toronto Star Sept. 8…. He said new media is not yet a market share threat to conventional TV but is advancing rapidly and it is advisable to “regulate potential.” Read full story.
ISIS Canada
As the power of ISIS grows in both Syria and Iraq, the Canadian government has committed to providing military advisors to the Iraqi government, to help it contain the threat. On Sept. 8, Matt Galloway of CBC’s “Metro Morning” spoke about this with Thabit Abdullah, a York University professor of Middle Eastern history and associate dean of York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies. Listen to full interview.
Comfort and nostalgia on the shelves
Whether they are newcomers or well-established immigrants in Canada, ethnic Chinese prefer to shop for food at a Chinese supermarket not only because some items may not be available elsewhere, but also because they feel more comfortable speaking their own language and getting service like at home, said York University geography Professor Lucia Lo in China Daily USA Sept. 5. Read full story.
Public health agency flu vaccine maker is short 2 million doses
“Even if the problems that are interfering with the vaccine production now are not the same ones which the FDA identified previously, once you have one problem that’s one indication that there may be other problems in the same facility,” said York University health policy Professor Joel Lexchin in the Toronto Star Sept. 4. “In my estimation, that would mean that that facility is at higher risk for having problems and should be subject to a more intensive inspection process.” Read full story.
The growing threat of vicarious liability
“The question of whether an employer may be held liable for statements made by their employees on social media is, as yet, untested in Canada,” wrote Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Brent Kettles in the Sept. 12 issue of The Lawyers Weekly. “However, the doctrine of vicarious liability, as developed in other areas, suggests that employers may well be liable for certain statements made by employees on social media.” Read full story.
Law school clinics welcome legal aid funds
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is filling a gap in access to justice and at the same time giving law students experience and exposure to family law in university legal aid clinics, reported Canadian Lawyer Sept. 8. Six university-operated clinics, including Osgoode Hall Law School’s Community & Legal Aid Services Programme, will get more than $2 million from LAO to fund family law services programs for low-income Ontarians. The money will be provided over three years. Read full story.
Seven public school trustee candidates band together
Seven candidates in the upcoming public school election have banded together under a platform that includes putting a five-year moratorium on school closures…. Governance expert Richard LeBlanc says he’s never heard of a slate of municipal candidates publicly banding together under a platform. But he figures it helps newcomers get their names known. “It’s very clever,” said the York University professor in the Hamilton Spectator Sept. 4. Read full story.
Engineer again named woman of influence
A local engineer has made a top-25 list for the second consecutive year. Annette Bergeron has been named to the Top 25 Women of Influence list according to Women of Influence Inc…. Bergeron earned an honours bachelor of science (Material and Metallurgical Engineering) from Queen’s University and a master of business administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University, reported the Kingston Whig-Standard Sept. 8. Read full story.
Does responsible consumption benefit companies more than consumers?
We’re in an era of “responsible consumption” where companies sell us goods that do better by the planet and make us feel better about our place on it. But do they make any meaningful difference? Not according to a new paper by Markus Giesler and Ela Veresiu, two researchers at York University’s Schulich School of Business, in Canada. They argue that responsible consumption subtly shifts responsibility for big problems to consumers, leaving corporations free to continue as usual, reported Co.Exist Sept. 9. Read full story.