Dr. Cortney Rodet
Experiments on R&D Investment and the Business Cycle
Dr. Cortney Rodet, Assistant Professor of Economics, was awarded a Baker Fund grant of $10,800 to complete a study using economic experiments to understand firms’ investment into research and development in response to macroeconomic fluctuations.
Experts indicate that times of economic downturn present an ideal opportunity for firms to invest in R&D – new technology and innovative ideas that drive the economy forward – because input costs, such as materials and scientist salaries, are often lower. Research, however, has found that firms behave in the opposite manner and tend to invest more in R&D during periods of economic growth.
This last stage in this ongoing study will expand upon previous methods in several ways, including an increase in the number of firms studied within a laboratory marketing setting and inclusion of different calibers of R&D. Ohio University students will also be recruited to participate in this study.
Rodet was one of five Ohio University faculty members awarded a total of $57,968 from the John C. Baker Fund during the 2019 spring semester for research and scholarly work that embodies the commitment to excellence embraced by both the fund’s namesake and the alumni who created it.
Each fall and spring, the John C. Baker Fund provides competitive awards of up to $12,000 to support faculty and staff research, scholarship and creative activity, with preference given to projects that are near completion and can be brought to completion with the funding.
Comments