Speaker: Jean Schtokal, Foster Swift Collins and Smith

Air Date: August 12, 2016

Hosted by Tomas Hult, this interview segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat focuses on current issues regarding international trade, trade agreements, negotiating trade agreements, and what areas of the world thrive by engaging in trade agreements. Jean Schtokal, Senior International Trade Lawyer at Foster Swift, a major law firm headquartered in Michigan, is the guest sharing her expertise on international trade.

Speaker: John Sztykiel, Created to C

Air Date: August 12, 2016

Hosted by Tomas Hult, this interview segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat focuses on global innovation research. Many companies thrive on being innovative, and some parts of the world even has more innovative companies (and countries) than others. In this segment, we focus on idea generation and implementation of innovative ideas from the angle of state-of-the-art business practice. John Sztykiel, Founder of Created-to-C and former CEO of Spartan Motors is our guest. Created-to-C (www.createdtoc.com/) is a company John Sztykiel started with his wife Joni to help, create, and incubate ideas from various people and companies along the innovation path to success.

Speaker: John Sztykiel, Created to C

Air Date: August 12, 2016

Hosted by Tomas Hult, this interview segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat focuses on Created-to-C, a new company founded by John and Joni Sztykiel and located in Old Town, Lansing, Michigan. John Sztykiel is the guest on the show. He is former CEO of Spartan Motors. Created-to-C is a unique and important “incubator-type” company in Michigan focused on to helping, creating, and incubating ideas from various people and companies along the innovation path to success.

Speaker: Claes Fornell, American Customer Satisfaction Index

Air Date: August 12, 2016

Hosted by Tomas Hult, this interview segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat focuses on customer satisfaction as a driver of stock returns. Claes Fornell, Chairman of the CFI Group (cfigroup.com) and Founder of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (theacsi.org), is the guest. Tomas and Claes discuss why stock returns on customer satisfaction beat the market based on recent research they published in the Journal of Marketing (September 2016). Claes also elaborates on why some people are skeptical about the abnormal returns on customer satisfaction and why they should not be. He also discusses his viewpoints regarding “A healthy economy has satisfied consumers… (and) a healthy company has satisfied customers.

Speaker: Forrest Morgeson, American Customer Satisfaction Index

Air Date: August 12, 2016

Hosted by Tomas Hult, this interview segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat focuses on customer satisfaction as viewed by both company managers and its customers. Forrest Morgeson, Director of Research of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (theacsi.org) is the guest. Recent research by Tomas and Forrest shows that managers may not know what their customers think and or why. Forrest elaborates on the core takeaways from this research, and why companies need to care and need to do much better in understanding their customers.

Speaker: Michael Giebelhausen, Cornell University

Air Date: August 12, 2016

Hosted by Tomas Hult, this interview segment of the globalEDGE Business Beat focuses on incentivizing participation in voluntary green programs. Michael Giebelhausen, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Cornell University, is the expert guest. Recent research by Tomas and Michael shows that incentivizing participation in voluntary green programs has both logical and not so obvious implications. Michael elaborates on what is meant by “adjusting the warm-glow thermostat” and why companies are becoming “greener” in their strategic thinking.