Oxford Odyssey

Category: Academics

  • When Good Customer Service Becomes Complex – And Why AI Chatbots Can Be Frustrating

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    Contextual ServiceStarbucks is often cited as the epitome of a customer-focused business, inspired by Howard Schultz’s vision of fostering community around coffee. Sitting in Gail’s as I write this, I can’t help but reflect on how many of us equate good service with the cheery greetings and casual chats we share with baristas. However, good…

  • Climate Change – explained in economics

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    Climate change has been acknowledged for many years now. A majority of people (about 70% of the population across the Western hemisphere) believe that it is a problem. It’s an impending catastrophe with a solution that is completely within grasp. The problem is man-made, and can hence be stopped if we had the willpower to…

  • Game Theory

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    Game theory is about anticipating the reactions of the other party and making your move based on that reaction, projecting it out into the future. However, it is often reduced to iconic examples like the Prisoner’s Dilemma, a scenario so frequently cited that it risks trivialising the depth and breadth of this field. While the…

  • Mergers & Acquisitions: How a company can be less than the sum of its parts

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    I blame both Spring Week and Summer Associate recruiting for the number of times I told an interviewer that M&A was my passion and intellectual calling. I had to read up on so many deals – looking at each bank’s transactions and picking one to express my amazement at the genius of such a deal.…

  • The Signalling Problem in Higher Education: Why Gen Zs in University have it tough

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    Is a university degree still worth it? For many in Gen Z, the question feels more urgent than ever. Despite skyrocketing tuition fees and growing student debt, university enIs a university degree still worth it? For many in Gen Z, this question shakes the once-unquestionable value of further education. Many were told growing up that…

  • Finance – Why we should look to new asset classes in our career

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    Disclaimer: This is not financial advice – just my thoughts about how I would structure my buyside career. In the early days of private equity, firms like KKR were trailblazers in a largely untapped market. Their landmark deal buying RJR Nabisco in 1989 set the tone for what private equity could achieve, delivering staggering returns.…

  • The Beauty of Behavioural Economics

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    Behavioural economics is a fascinating field that bridges psychology and economics, offering insights into how people actually make decisions, often in ways that deviate from traditional economic models. In this article, I walk through some of the main branches of behavioural economics that are covered by the economics department at Oxford: nudges and inertia, as…

  • The Innovator’s Dilemma in biotechnology

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    The Innovator’s Dilemma is a concept popularised by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. The dilemma refers to the challenges that established companies face when they have to decide between focusing on improving their existing products and services or investing in disruptive innovations. Established companies’ management face strong pressure to focus on their existing, profitable…

  • Political resources and competitive advantage

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    The resource-based view (RBV) of firms posits that competitive advantage is rooted in the possession of scarce, valuable, and non-substitutable resources. While this framework traditionally focuses on tangible and intangible business assets like intellectual property, skilled labor, or unique technology, political connections can also be seen as a vital resource. The ability to influence, navigate,…

  • The Paradox of Risk: Gambling vs. Risky Investments

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    Disclaimer This article is for general educational and informational purposes only. It reflects the author’s personal views and should not be treated as investment, financial, legal, tax, or other professional advice. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results, and examples mentioned…