Robert H. Smiley
Professor Emeritus of Management
Research Expertise: Economics, strategy, public policy, competitive strategy, energy economics, public policy analysis, anti-trust policy, regulation
Consulting: Public utilities, telecommunications, wine industry, energy, strategy
Professor Emeritus Robert Smiley is an authority on competitive strategy, economics and economic trends, industrial structure, public policy analysis, antitrust policy and regulation. His course on Markets and the Firm concentrates on supply and demand, efficiency, pricing, the use and interpretation of economic data, and the rationale and effects of government policies on business. He can also comment on the impact that acts of terrorism, war and other major events can have on financial markets, and business and consumer confidence.
Smiley is a noted wine industry economist who studies global and national trends in the industry. He conducts an annual survey of wine industry insiders and CEOs of wineries, vineyards, distributors and wine sellers. He presents his research and findings at industry symposiums and conferences, and executive education programs for wine industry professionals.
Smiley served as dean of the Graduate School of Management from 1989 to 2003.
Room 3409
Toasting Success: Responding to Critical Issues in the Wine Industry
UC Davis Wine Executive Program Celebrates 12th Year
Responding to Industry Challenges
The wine industry is experiencing major change in response to both market conditions and consumer demand. Recently, the industry has become more professional, in the sense that senior managers are better trained–they realize what they don’t know. Companies bring in people from other industries to run different parts of the firm. It’s a dynamic, booming industry, but it faces specific challenges. We recently had a bad crop year; going forward we’ll see shortages of grapes simply because we’re not planting as much as we should. We’ll go from a surplus situation in the last five years to a shortage situation in the next five years.
The question is: will consumers stay with California wines if they can’t find them at a certain price or on discount, or will they turn to European or out of state wines?
Wine Grape Harvest Shows Signs of Shortage
Professor Emeritus Robert Smiley comments on his annual state of the wine business: “Going forward, consumers will likely see fewer wine discounts” on California wines because of the shortage in the crop. “If you don’t have enough product to meet demand, why cut price? You’re going to see the industry’s pricing tighten up.
Family Businesses Benefit from Outside Directors
The governance of a family business can be more complex than that of non-family-owned private companies because of the central role of the family that owns and typically leads the business. In a family business, the management, the family and the ownership group all need governance—and outside oversight.
Economy, Weather Put Squeeze on Wine Grape Supply
The sluggish economy and unusually cool weather have dramatically tightened the supply of wine grapes, a situation that will likely continue for several years, reports Professor Emeritus Robert Smiley. He presented findings from two recent surveys of wine industry professionals and executives at the 20th annual Wine Industry Financial Symposium in Napa, Calif.
Toasting a New Venture on Catalina
Robert Smiley, director of wine industry studies at UC Davis’ Graduate School of Management, comments on the challenges facing the owners of a new vineyard on Catalina Island.
Best of Times for Wine Consumers, Survey Finds
A wine industry survey by Robert Smiley, professor emeritus at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, found that California winemakers are once again bullish on the future of their industry and consumers have opportunities to purchase high-quality wines at discounted prices.
Stepping Back in Time: Former Deans Pen Histories of School
From its earliest days—indeed, during the many years between conception and founding—the Graduate School of Management has been a case study of turning ideas into action.
As UC Davis celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2009, GSM founding Dean Alex McCalla and former Dean Robert Smiley penned their perspectives about the Graduate School of Management’s early years and near three decades of growth.
Encouraging Prognosis for the U.S. Economy
The U.S. GDP will begin to rise and the credit freeze will begin to thaw by the end of this year, according to Professor Robert Smiley, who was invited to present his analysis of the recession to more than 150 wine industry professionals and business owners at the Second Annual Napa Valley Grape Growers Association meeting in March.
Wine Industry Intent on Going Green
The wine industry is making a concerted effort to adopt environmentally responsible practices but sees a need for better education among both consumers and professionals on many “green” issues, according to surveys of wine industry professionals and executives conducted by Professor Robert Smiley, director of wine studies at the School.
Wine Industry Intent on Truly Going Green
The wine industry is making a concerted effort to adopt environmentally responsible practices but sees a need for better education among both consumers and professionals on many “green” issues, according to two surveys of wine industry professionals and executives conducted by Robert Smiley, professor and director of wine studies at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.
California Winemakers Optimistic about the Future
Professor Robert Smiley, director of wine industry studies, presented his analysis of the current state and future of the wine industry to executives and financiers at the 15th annual Wine Industry Financial Symposium last September in Napa, California.
Wine Industry Growing
Optimistic winemakers will introduce a host of new wine varietals during the coming year, according to the 16th annual survey of wine industry professionals conducted by Professor Robert Smiley, director of wine studies in the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Smiley’s survey is the largest of its kind in the wine industry.
MBA Students Make Corporate Tour of Japan
Thirteen UC Davis MBA students guided by Professor Robert Smiley take a two-week tour of Japan that would be the envy of any trade delegation. The international study trip includes exclusive meetings with leaders of more than a dozen major corporations and a visit to the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Wine Industry Moving Out of Cellar, UC Davis GSM Survey Finds
Boosted by an improving economy, a diminishing glut of wine grapes in California and an uptick in prices, the wine industry is slowly recovering from one of the toughest retail markets in years, according to an annual survey by Prof. Robert Smiley.
Tough Market for Wine Industry, UC Davis GSM Study Finds
“Two-buck chuck” table wines, low-priced imports and consumers’ increasing taste for inexpensive wines have led to one of the toughest retail markets in years for the wine industry, according to an annual survey by GSM Professor Robert Smiley, a noted wine industry economist.