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The Return of Mercedes-Benz

The Return of Mercedes-Benz

By: Anton Kozyrev Throughout the 20th century, Mercedes-Benz established itself as a principal leader in the automotive industry -- excelling in various developments and innovations. It began, of course, with Carl Benz’s Patent No. 37435 for a “three-wheeled, self-propelled vehicle with a rear-mounted single-cylinder engine.” This patent from 1886 serves as a “birth certificate” of sorts of the modern-day, gas-powered automobile. Many other innovations followed suit in following years, from the honeycomb radiator in 1901 and the Antilock Braking System (ABS) in 1978. With this brand ethic and work mentality of striving for continual improvement and development, Mercedes-Benz was able…
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Principles of Self-Investment: Professor Gary Kimball’s Take on Finance and Fulfillment

Principles of Self-Investment: Professor Gary Kimball’s Take on Finance and Fulfillment

By: Benjamin Lee On Wednesday, March 24th, Professor Gary R. Kimball was prepared to give a talk to the Vanderbilt Finance Club over Zoom concerning his extensive experience in finance. However, he ended up providing much more than that, delineating worthwhile lessons applicable across many facets of life. Below are five key takeaways from his  presentation.   Lesson 1: Do what fulfills you.   Both management consulting and investment banking are “fabulous ways to start your career” and “lead to nice opportunities.” At the same time, they lead down “a rigorous career path,” and while they can be “incredibly lucrative… like a lot of…
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Turnover Rate in the Banking Industry: Problematic but Reparable

Turnover Rate in the Banking Industry: Problematic but Reparable

By: Eric Wang The high turnover rate of employees in the banking industry has caused impacts on companies' development. According to one survey, junior analysts' retention rate has climbed to almost 50 percent high. Debates on maintaining employees and preventing damage to organizational effectiveness have brought attention from corporations' executives. Symptoms accompanied by a sky-high turnover rate include low job satisfaction, damage to the team working, and lack of loyalty to the company. Negative Cause: What makes the employee want to leave The studies conducted in the regional banking industry showed that low job satisfaction decreases performances and leads to…
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The Growing International Concern of Digital Tax

The Growing International Concern of Digital Tax

By: Luci Lyu If any winner emerged out of COVID-19, it would be the rapidly growing digital economy. In 2020, Zoom’s revenue spiked 369% from a year ago, Amazon’s sales grew by 37%, and Netflix’s stock price saw a 64% increase. Digital companies are not the ones affected. The pandemic has changed the way people work, socialize, and shop. As a result, many traditional companies must digitalize to stay competitive. This digitalization trend amongst corporations would likely persist, making the long-debated digital tax an eminent concern.  In 2019, France announced its decision to implement a 3% revenue tax on digital…
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The True Scope of Vaccine Passports

The True Scope of Vaccine Passports

By: Adam Messinger & Brendan O'Reilly After a year of shutdowns, restrictions, and isolation, there is no denying that the level of travel demand, both domestically and internationally, is at an unprecedented high. Individuals of all age groups are itching to escape to destinations far and wide, with 82 percent of American families planning to travel in 2021, according to research reported in Travel Pulse. However, COVID-19 has revolutionized how individuals and businesses travel. With nations still imposing various restrictions on the specific individuals that can cross their borders, a new type of “passport” is being developed to allow safe…
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The Market Ramifications of Semiconductor Manufacturing Localization

The Market Ramifications of Semiconductor Manufacturing Localization

By: Anton Kozyrev For much of the 20th century, there was one crucial commodity that rose above all others to assume its position atop the global pyramid of desirable goods, so to speak. We speak, of course, of oil. That is not to say that oil only became prominent in the 20th century -- far from it. During the 19th century’s phase of rapid industrialization and almost rhythmic conflicts between economies of scale and labor unions, one thing held absolutely constant -- the importance of oil as a key driver of further economic development and industrialization. The beginning of the…
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How Coronavirus Changed the Way We Do Health Care

How Coronavirus Changed the Way We Do Health Care

By: Justin Holmes As the US passes 124 million coronavirus vaccine shots administered, a return to normality seems just on the horizon. But while empty arenas and outdoor-only-dining may become relics of a socially distanced past, the emergence of telehealth—technologically supported long distance healthcare—is here to stay. Before the pandemic, telehealth had already been steadily growing in popularity. The percentage of hospitals at least partially implementing a computerized telehealth system more than doubled from 35% in 2010 to 76% in 2017. Telehealth was seen as an effective method to overcome geographic, transportation, patient mobility, and funding related barriers.  When state…
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The Online Shoppers’ War in Southeast Asia

The Online Shoppers’ War in Southeast Asia

By: Iris An Lazada, the online shopping site owned by the Chinese tech company Alibaba, is struggling to maintain its role as the leading ecommerce firm in Southeast Asia.  With a population of 670 million and over 400 million online users, Southeast Asia is one of the world’s fastest growing internet markets. The region enjoys some of the highest rates of internet adoption, the longest hours online per capita, the largest youth group, and an active local social media industry.  Last year, Southeast Asian countries received more than 40 million new Internet users, with the overall online economy hitting $105…
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The Implications of COVID-19 For Inflation and Its Measurement

The Implications of COVID-19 For Inflation and Its Measurement

By: Maximus Hamilton Amidst the enervating pandemic our country has dealt with the past year, numerous changes have taken place, not only in the social realm, but in the scope of our economy as well.  Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered consumer spending habits and patterns. With the need to minimize social encounters and slow the spread of the virus, many consumers have turned increasingly away (if not altogether) from most services, and as a result, the proportion of consumer spending on such services versus spending on consumer goods has been significantly altered. A close look at economic…
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