Duke on Demand

Join Leslie M. Marx, William and Sue Gross Research Fellow and Professor of Economics, as she presents "The Economics of Collusion." (Live Session) We will discuss: - How firms such as Coca Cola have paid too much for many of their inputs due to price fixing conspiracies among their input suppliers - Current research on the economics of collusion - Collusive structures required by cartels in order to deter secret deviations by cartel member - What you can do to defend your business against paying high prices due to collusion among your input suppliers

Uncertainty about the fiscal cliff has paralyzed the corporate sector in the United States. The Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook survey of nearly 900 CFOs say going over the cliff will lead to dramatic slowdowns in hiring and business spending in 2013 and will continue to hurt firms for years to come. Surprisingly, CFOs don't see the solution as solely cutting government spending. Instead, results show that 63 percent of companies prefer a plan like Bowles-Simpson, which pairs $2 of spending cuts with each dollar of tax increases. "It is shocking that CFOs overwhelmingly support Bowles-Simpson, which includes tax rate hikes to raise revenues," John Graham, a professor of finance at Duke's Fuqua School of Business and director of the survey. "CFOs generally prefer less taxation across the board, so their willingness to accept tax increases is dramatic."

The economics of trailer parks is a new area of study for Professor Becker and his assistants. Hear why the topic of trailer parks is of interest to this economist. More information on Professor Becker's research coming soon.

Learn more about Professor Becker at his homepage: http://econ.duke.edu/people/becker

Ms. Lazarus is passionate about developing people, and she is highly regarded for her success in tapping the human potential within her organization. This interactive dialog focuses on topics related to leadership, such as transforming the culture of an organization, and the importance of remaining curious throughout one's career.

After graduating from Columbia Business School, Ms. Lazarus started her career with Ogilvy & Mather in 1971. Since then she has held numerous senior level positions before becoming the CEO of the company in 1996. She is seen as a legend in the advertising, marketing, and communications industries, and has been repeatedly recognized as an impactful corporate leader. Ms. Lazarus has been named to Fortune Magazine's 50 Most Powerful Women list 10 times. She serves on the boards of organizations as diverse as GE and Merck, to the World Wildlife Federation and American Museum of Natural History. She was the first woman to receive Columbia Business School's Distinguished Leader in Business Award. Shelly is mother to three grown children and married to a New York pediatrician.

This event, held on November 13, 2012, is part of the Distinguished Speaker Series at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

Presented by the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History at Duke University

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was invited to speak at Duke by Fuqua's Latin American Student Association (LASA.) We asked Uribe about his future plans and the economic turnaround in Colombia in a Fuqua Q and A.