Students are increasingly interested in using business principles to do good in the world. The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has made a commitment to teaching students how to do so. In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up, host Jeff Salkin sits down with Christine Beckman, associate professor of management and organization, to talk about her new roles as academic director of the Smith School’s Center for Social Value Creation. 

SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- When you’re at work, there are two types of people you compete with: People with similar responsibilities at your own company and rivals with similar duties at other companies. How do those different flavors of competition shape behavior?

College Park, Md. – February 24, 2015 – The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has appointed Christine Beckman as the first academic director of the Center for Social Value Creation. 

Research by Christine Beckman Entrepreneurial boards typically stay actively involved in the growth of a new venture and can be critical to the company’s success. So it is important for startups to know which types of people they should offer board seats to. 

On the road to success, it can be helpful to be shown a speedier route or be warned of a traffic jam just ahead. But how do we do it?

Setting your sales goals for the new year? The best way to get everyone motivated is to get them invested from the start. Smith School professor Christine Beckman recently studied how the process of setting budget goals is the key to motivating individuals to hit their numbers.

When CVS announced it would ban heavily retouched photographs from its marketing campaigns, suggesting those images set unrealistic beauty standards for the millions of women who shop in its stores, it wasn't just a good deed. It was also good business.