Christopher Tang
UCLA Distinguished Professor; Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration; Senior Associate Dean, Global Initiatives; Faculty Director, Center for Global Management
About
Chris Tang’s early research focused on mainstream operations management problems, such as production planning and control, inventory models with yield uncertainties, design and control of flexible manufacturing lines, and capacity configuration problems. It now spans areas that include global supply chain management, retail operations and social business operations. His current interest focuses on social innovation for developing countries, looking at ways that companies can operate in the environment, doing good and doing well at the same time.
Topics
43 Articles
Strict Emissions Rules in China Spur Automotive Innovations
Tough standards led to an increase in auto-related patents
How to Reduce the Risk of Forced Labor in Agricultural Supply Chains
Improving the search for contractors that don’t use coercion
Distillers’ Dilemma: Sell Now or Let Whisky Age Further
Decision analysis for a firm considering adding a longer-aged product to its lineup
A Proposal To Improve Supplier Reliability in Tech Manufacturing
Withholding renewal of a supply agreement can be more powerful than other carrots and sticks
When Surge Pricing Comes to the Supermarket
Charging more at peak times could reduce congestion and lift profits. Would customers revolt?
Carbon Disclosures: Unflattering Supply Chain Data Omitted
Companies that report emissions appear greener only in a narrow measure
How to Reduce Food-Delivery Collisions
Fining drivers hasn’t worked. A model suggests penalizing the delivery app companies
Amazon (and Other Platforms) vs. Third-Party Sellers: Complicated Debate
Some data shows competing against the platform can help sellers, if not consumers
Can Supply Chains — Global, Opaque, Ever-Changing — Be Made Fair?
Amid the pandemic, price gouging and stiffing of suppliers and workers surged
Do the Benefits of Pay Transparency Accrue Mostly to Employers?
Revealed compensation might motivate workers to do more, without a raise
Want More Charging Stations? Spur Purchases of More EVs
Governments needn’t subsidize charging networks
Surge Pricing’s Benefits Go to a Subset of Ride-Hailing Drivers
Full-timers gain the least, part-time drivers the most
Online Reviews: Should Sellers Show All or a Subset Relevant to You?
Most sellers do one or the other, but giving shoppers both might lift sales
Unvarnished Merger Talk: Will This Deal Help Us Raise Prices?
Customer loyalty, barriers to entry and other factors at play
What Drives Engagement in $116 Billion Mobile Gaming Industry
Novelty and social connection boost time spent playing
Offering Free Upgrades Early to Manage Inventory and Boost Profit
Waiting until one product model runs out can be a costly mistake
Trump’s Tariffs Did, In Fact, Hurt U.S. Importers
Companies with Chinese suppliers suffered — those with more diversified supply chains suffered more
On Kickstarter, Beware of ‘Feature Fatigue’
Backers like to offer suggestions to a not-quite-finished product
Fixing a Food Bank’s Pandemic Logistics Problem
Enormous growth and a redrawn supply chain required a new system
A Survival Plan for the Developing World’s Tiny Retailers
Technology and mobile finance needed as nanostores’ compete against online behemoths
How Grocery Co-Ops Fit into the Competitive Landscape
Do for-profit supermarket chains tolerate higher-priced co-ops?
In COVID-19, Should the Logistics Tail Have Wagged the Vaccine Dog?
Balancing vaccine efficacy against need to quickly inoculate more people
Politicians and Labor Love Reshoring; Investor Reaction Is Mixed
Stock prices dip around some announcements of return of jobs
A Proposal to Even Out Flu Vaccine Supplies
A system of manufacturer rewards and penalties, consumer taxes and subsidies could aid vaccination rates
Bribery and the Motivation of Bidders on Foreign Contracts
Do bigger companies win even when they lose out on corrupt deals?
Orphan Drugs: An Expert Pricing Panel Could Bring Benefits
The goal is continued development of new drugs and reduction of often shocking prices
Not All Disruption Is Welcome: Reducing Fallout from Ride-Share Companies
Municipalities address increased traffic, pollution, taxi company bankruptcies and driver poverty
Food Delivery Apps: Driver Experience Turns Out to Be Crucial
A model improves on-time performance and yields more repeat business
Inventory Scarcity Messages in Online Retailing Can Backfire
If there are only six left, I guess I won’t be buying a dozen
Luxury Goods: The Perils and Profits in Lower-Priced Markets
A study uses game theory to suggest when designer companies should license their names for down-market goods
94% of China’s Pollution Inspections Find No Violation
Researchers offer a model for more effectively targeting wrongdoers
Opaque Pricing: How Sellers Can Gather Data and Boost Revenue
Websites peddle unnamed hotels and even cities; would you pay to omit one from the list?
Economics of Women-Driver Ride Hailing
Other safety measures are easier to implement, but research suggests how female driver pool could be increased
Should a Company Reveal Its Cost Structure to Customers?
In certain competitive situations, cost transparency can provide an edge
How Fashion Brands Can Best Ensure Worker Safety in Developing Nations
Collective action, rather than each brand working alone, appears more effective and costs less
Attracting Early Adopters: Best Way to Overcome Consumer Resistance to Innovative Products
Chris Tang’s research suggests a two-step pricing strategy can maximize sales and profits
Crop Choices: How Price Supports Can Contribute to Healthier Diets
Well-designed subsidies can help farmers and give consumers better food choices
Shining a Light on the Development Supply Chain
Field researchers constructed a model to subsidize essential goods for low-income communities in crisis, and profit in recovery
Beyond Uber: When Surge Pricing Makes Business Sense
Research seeks to predict how time-based price discrimination might spread
Uber-Like Services: Variable Driver-Company Revenue Split Improves Profit
A second lever, after "surge" pricing, adjusts the supply of drivers
Your Chinese Supplier Pollutes – It Dents Your Stock Price?
The market penalizes customers' shares more than those of the polluter