Columbia’s Professor Nachum Sicherman noticed that dancers often gather outside to smoke after performances. As he put it: “the contradiction of seeing a person smoke who you would assume puts a high premium on staying healthy [was puzzling].” He posited that smoking in this context indicated a present-oriented time preference, supported by the fact that dancers have relatively short careers with little prospect of future income. Specifically, Sicherman wondered whether smoking among dancers reflected a preference for present benefits over future benefits (smoking may be gratifying now but is injurious in the long-run). After studying the problem, he concluded that “smokers, presumably because they are more present-oriented, are more likely to self-select into jobs that have lower wage growth and invest less in their own human capital.” (see article)

Pique your curiosity? This and more is available on the Columbia Ideas at Work site, which purports to serve as a bridge between business research and practice. Check it out. Staying in tune with cutting edge research is a good way to stimulate creative business thinking, learn more about current trends in business, and stay up to date on the work being done by faculty at your school (or the school you are applying to!).

For comparable sites at other schools, visit:

HBS Research Publications

Stanford GSB Knowledgebase

Knowledge@Wharton

MIT Sloan Faculty Research Spotlight

Kellogg Insight

Earlier this week, Financial Times reporter Neil Courtis offered up an enlightening examination of the pros and cons of one-year and two-year MBA programs. While there’s no denying that business school is intense, there are definite differences in the degree of intensity in each course. The fact that most American programs take two years and European counterparts typically take one to complete makes little difference in the area of rankings, employer preference or even syllabuses. So what are the differences, and how do you know which pace is right for you?

Compressed programs, such as the one-year MBA pioneered by INSEAD 50 years ago, leave little chance to catch up if you fall behind. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 7 p.m., even on public holidays. As FT points out, in this format, core courses are largely dispatched in a four-month sprint at the start of the year. Engineers and business graduates certainly have the upper hand with subjects such as statistics or accounting; those without either a quantitative background or business education will have a tough row to hoe.

When it comes to class composition, one-year courses may have more sponsored students who may be older and have more workplace experience. These seasoned students may find discussions of leadership frustrating in classes where few have ever managed other workers.

In terms of what happens in the classroom, the differences are clear, says FT. A one-year program might squeeze a course of 10 three-hour sessions into 16 90-minute slots. Two-year MBAs, such as that at IESE Business School in Spain, thus have time to stick to the Harvard model where every class revolves around a discussion of a business case. This means shorter MBAs do not waste time rehearsing material students can find in textbooks.

According to FT, the critical difference between the two modes of study is off campus. At the heart of the two-year program, in the long summer break between first and second years, is an internship. This summer job on steroids allows students to subsidize their study and try a different career for 12 weeks.

Ask yourself, how crystalized are your professional goals? This can help the decision-making process, as those with a definite goal may appreciate the efficacy of a one-year progam. Conversely, anyone still contemplating several career avenues would probably enjoy the flexibility of a two-year program and the increased opportunities internships provide.

The indecisive might consider the latest intermediate options. London Business School has offered students a 15-month course since 2005. FT points out that this option is popular for would-be entrepreneurs who have found a promising project. Columbia Business School offers a 16-month variation, whereby those who do not want an internship can begin the course in January and study through the summer, beginning the second year in sync with the September intake.

So which program is best? No one can say for sure as nobody takes both paths. However, if you’re looking for Fridays off and a semblance of work-life balance, definitely steer clear of Europe.

Low-impact, zero effluent, fully sustainable. What used to be a fringe obsession has become firmly entrenched in the mainstream, to wit, environmental awareness. At this point, it is hard to imagine folks who haven’t at least heard about issues such as global warming, waste, clean energy, and sustainable resources. The relatively new phenomenon is that big business has found a way to cash in on it.

And if it’s important for business, it’s important for business school. As discussed in Mindy Charski’s recent U.S. News and World Report article, “business schools are reflecting the change in the marketplace by integrating studies of corporate citizenship into their programs.” For example, Stanford GSB offers a course in Environmental Entrepreneurship. HBS has a course called Business and the Environment. As Charski put it, learning how to be ecofriendly is an important skill.

Going green is more than environmental awareness - it can be the next big business concept. For Ron Gonen, the inspiration for Recyclebank came while he was sitting in class at Columbia Business School. Recyclebank seeks to provide homes with a special recycling container housing an embedded microchip. When garbage trucks collect the recycling, they weigh the containers and credit each household’s account points based on the weight of the items they recycled. These points can then be redeemed at merchants such as CVS pharmacies. (see TIME article)

Recent news about business school forays into environmental study is abundant. For example:

1. The University of Pennsylvania joins forces with leaders from US businesses, government and non-governmental organizations to launch a new initiative on business and the environment. The Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL), led by Penn’s Wharton School, will address the environmental issues facing businesses today from academic and policy-oriented perspectives. (see Wharton IGEL and our recent post on the program.)

2. HBS offers new executive education program in China. The program will focus on, among other things, how environmental concerns drive innovation throughout the agribusiness industry. (see HBS EE program)

3. Whitman School of Management helps launch the Sustainable Business Collaboration, designed to “provide insight into the best practices and policies for various sizes of businesses; metrics for sustainable efforts; implementation strategies; and associated long-term benefits to an organization and the community.” (see Sustainable Business Collaboration).

Considering going green? Check out an article on post-MBA employment for green MBAs.