Expert

Young Hou

Assistant Professor of Business Administration

Hou researches the interplay between firm positioning and firm resources. Using machine-learning techniques, he examines how firms reposition themselves to enhance their competitiveness and increase the value of their resources.

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Expertise

Young Hou

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The findings of a new paper from UVA Darden Professor Young Hou suggest that today’s CEOs and companies operate in a world where the stance they take on social and political issues can affect the bottom line.

Walmart and Amazon are locked in a high-stakes battle for retail dominance. In a new UVA Darden case, Professor Young Hou sets the stage for a discussion on how tariffs, private-label brands and leadership will determine who wins.

A CEO goes on record supporting gun rights, and consumers react. Some stock up on the company’s products, others boycott. What fuels such “lifestyle politics”? Are consumers motivated by deep personal belief, or are they publicly signaling their values to an audience of like-minded peers?

In these politically divided times, everyone seems to have an opinion. Is it a good idea for CEOs to express theirs? What happens to an organization when its CEO takes a public stance on a controversial issue? New research examines the net effect of CEO activism, how the effects differ for liberals and conservatives, and the effects’ duration.