It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, February 05, 2026
USF study: firms 'build' or 'buy' talent based on resources, demand
Study shows how resources and uncertainty drive whether companies develop talent in-house or hire externally
Talent strategy follows pressure: Stable, well-resourced firms tend to grow talent internally, while firms facing volatile workloads are more likely to hire from the outside.
Mentorship enables growth: Having enough senior leaders to train junior staff is a key factor in whether companies can successfully “build” talent.
Hiring shapes competitiveness: Decisions to build or buy talent directly influence a firm’s long-term adaptability and success.
TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 5, 2026) – Firms flush with resources tend to develop talent internally while younger firms, facing unpredictable workloads, will hire from the outside to fill their talent gap, according a new USF study.
The article, co-authored with researchers from the University of Cincinnati and the Institute of Management Technology Hyderabad, explores when firms choose to develop talent internally — known as a “build” strategy — versus hiring experienced employees from external labor markets, or “buying” talent.
“This research challenges the idea that talent strategy is purely a matter of culture or preference,” Chauradia said. “Instead, it shows that the decision to build or buy is shaped by the firm’s internal capacity and the volatility of the environment.”
Using data from 174 large U.S. law firms over an eight-year period, the study found that firms with more money and available senior staff tend to “build” talent by training and mentoring junior employees. In contrast, firms facing sudden or unpredictable workloads are more likely to “buy” talent by hiring experienced workers from outside to meet immediate needs.
The study’s insights provide practical implications for human resources leaders, emphasizing that talent strategy should align with both long-term goals and immediate operational pressures.
“For executives and HR leaders, this study highlights that talent decisions are strategic levers, not simple administrative choices,” Chauradia said. “A firm’s decision to build or buy talent directly shapes its future competitiveness.”
The study, “Talent Hiring Strategies: When Do Firms Build versus Buy Their Human Capital?,” also underscores how mentoring capacity within an organization can support sustainable internal development.
Firms with more senior-level leadership available to coach and support junior employees are better equipped to pursue a build strategy, the authors found.
A version of this story appears on the USF website.
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About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report recognized USF with its highest overall ranking in university history, as a top 50 public university for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the top 15 best values among all public universities in the nation. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $750 million in research funding in 2025 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of nearly $10 billion for the state of Florida. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.
Journal
Human Resource Development International
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Talent Hiring Strategies: When Do Firms Build versus Buy Their Human Capital?
The mean stress level of fans of the football club Arminia Bielefeld was 41% higher on the day of the German Football Association’s (DFB-Pokal) 2025 Cup final compared to non-match days, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The authors suggest that this reaction, known as ‘football fever’, may be driven by the intensity of fans’ emotions towards their team, each other, and the sport.
Football — also known as soccer — is the world’s most popular sport and can evoke strong physiological and emotional reactions in fans. The 2025 DFB-Pokal Cup final took place on the 24th May 2025 in the Berlin Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion) and was the first time that Arminia Bielefeld reached this stage. The opposing team, VfB Stuttgart — who reached the final for the seventh time — beat Arminia Bielefeld 4-2 and won the Cup final for the fourth time.
Christian Deutscher, Christiane Fuchs, and colleagues analysed smartwatch data from 229 adult Arminia Bielefeld fans over a 12-week period, beginning ten days prior to the cup final and concluding ten weeks afterwards. They analysed changes in participants’ heart rates and stress levels — inferred from a combination of heart rate and heart-rate variability — and investigated the factors influencing these using survey data from a subset of 37 participants, who were 54% male and had a mean age of 39 years. The authors found that the mean stress level of participants was 41% higher on the day of the cup final compared to non-match days. Stress levels rose in the hours prior to the match, peaked just as it began, and remained elevated after it ended. Participants’ mean heart rate increased from 71 beats per minute on a non-match day to 79 beats per minute on the Cup final day. When the authors compared the smartwatch and survey data, they found that the mean heart rate was 23% higher among participants watching the match in the Olympiastadion than among those watching on television or at public gatherings. It was also 5% higher among those who had consumed alcohol, compared to those who had not.
The findings highlight the strong physical reactions of football fans to major matches. The authors note that elevated heart rates in combination with alcohol can increase the risk of adverse cardiac events such as arrhythmias. They suggest that future studies should investigate physical responses to intense events in greater detail across different types of high-stress situations.
Fans of DSC Arminia Bielefeld experience matchday excitement far more intensely in the stadium than in front of the television when watching football (soccer). A study from Bielefeld University demonstrates clear differences in heart rate and stress levels during the 2025 cup final of the German Football Association (DFB). According to the study, being physically present in the stadium significantly amplifies reactions to goals and match events. Researchers recorded vital signs from 229 fans over a twelve-week period using smartwatches. The study was published in Scientific Reports, a peer‑reviewed journal of the Nature Publishing Group.
Key facts at a glance:
Football fans in the stadium recorded an average heart rate of 94 beats per minute—compared with 79 for TV viewers and 74 at public viewing events.
Supporters on site reacted to goals with heart‑rate increases of up to 36 per cent.
Saturdays are the most stressful days for fans even without a match. The cup final pushed stress levels up significantly further.
The atmosphere inside the stadium drives the pulse upwards. Arminia Bielefeld fans who followed the German cup final on 24 May 2025 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium showed an average heart rate of 94 beats per minute. Fans watching on television reached only 79 beats per minute, while those attending public‑viewing events recorded just 74.
The difference becomes even more pronounced during emotional highlights. After Arminia Bielefeld scored their first goal, the heart rate of fans in the stadium surged to an average of 108 beats per minute—36 per cent higher than that of TV viewers. ‘Being physically present appears to amplify the body’s reaction considerably,’ says Professor Dr Christiane Fuchs, co‑author of the study and head of the Data Science Group at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at Bielefeld University. The research team recorded where participants watched the final using a questionnaire administered after the match.
The available data do not allow the causes of stadium fever to be clearly identified. According to the authors, close proximity to the action may increase cardiovascular strain. High stimulus density, emotional contagion and anticipatory tension may be more intense in the stadium than at home, while these effects appear to be attenuated at public‑viewing events despite the shared atmosphere.
Saturday is stress day
Even on ordinary Saturdays, Arminia fans experience higher stress levels. The data show significantly elevated values compared with weekdays. The study’s authors attribute this to generally increased activity on Saturdays. On the day of the final, however, measurements rose dramatically. Average stress levels reached 45.3 points on a scale from 0 to 100—compared with just 31.9 on regular days. The daily pattern is particularly striking.
As early as six o’clock in the morning—14 hours before kick‑off—values were already above the normal range. Tension increased steadily, peaking shortly before kick‑off at 8 p.m. ‘We can see the excitement long before the match begins,’ explains Professor Dr Christian Deutscher from the Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science. Even after midnight, stress levels remained elevated.
The study also shows that alcohol increases cardiovascular strain. Half of the surveyed fans consumed alcohol during the match—among stadium spectators, the figure was 65 per cent. Alcohol consumption raised heart rate by an average of 5.3 per cent. During emotional moments such as goals, this effect increased to 11.7 per cent. The combination of excitement, stadium atmosphere and alcohol can place additional strain on the cardiovascular system, the researchers warn. Previous studies have shown an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias during major sporting events.
Twelve weeks of vital‑data collection from fans
The study—known as the ‘Football Fever Study’—recorded vital data from 229 Arminia Bielefeld fans over a twelve‑week period. The analysis was based on Garmin smartwatch data voluntarily shared by participants. A total of 194 participants provided data on the day of the final, while 37 additionally completed questionnaires. The final was historic for third‑division club Arminia Bielefeld, who reached the DFB‑Pokal final for the first time in the club’s history. Despite the 2:4 defeat against VfB Stuttgart, fans again showed peak heart‑rate values in the closing minutes after two late goals. ‘Although the chances of victory were objectively low at that point, fans still displayed pronounced reactions in the closing minutes,’ says Christiane Fuchs. The study is associated with QUAMU, a Focus Area at Bielefeld University dedicated to quantifying and managing uncertainty. The research was supported by Bielefeld’s Wissenswerkstadt (Knowledge Hub), which promotes innovative approaches to connecting science and society.
Assessment by Professor Dr Christian Deutscher on the topic ‘Our football study is the first to continuously monitor more than 200 fans over several weeks and to demonstrate how strongly the viewing location affects physiological responses. The stadium is a completely different world from the living room.’
Press release announcing the launch of the study (in German)
Press release on the first data analysis (in German)
The pulse of football fans varies markedly depending on where they follow the match. The graphic shows average heart rate during the German cup final in the stadium, at public‑viewing events and in front of the television. Half‑time and goals are marked.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) and chronic low back pain (LBP) together represent a massive global health challenge. Current treatments often focus on symptom relief rather than addressing underlying causes. A groundbreaking review by Dr. Zhang’s team, published on Spine Research, synthesizes evidence suggesting that short-term simulated weightlessness could be a game-changing therapeutic strategy.
This review pinpoints how short-term simulated microgravity works: First, it unloads the spine, allowing compressed discs to rehydrate and regain height. Second, it stimulates the production of vital compounds like glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) to repair the disc’s supportive extracellular matrix (ECM). Third, it activates key cellular signals (e.g., the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway) that promote tissue regeneration.
The research evaluates practical ground-based techniques to achieve this effect—from costly parabolic flights to more accessible options like water immersion and patient-friendly dry immersion therapy. These techniques are particularly valuable for athletes, whose spines endure persistent high stress, serving as a powerful rehabilitation tool to relieve nerve pressure, correct spinal alignment, and lower re-injury risk.
Compared to surgery or medication, this approach targets underlying pathological processes directly. Unlike local traction, it unloads the entire spine systemically and can be combined with posture training for enhanced results, with progress tracked using standard Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and VAS pain scores.
While current evidence comes mainly from early-stage studies, the potential is significant. The review calls for full-scale clinical trials and integrated rehabilitation programs. In conclusion, short-term simulated microgravity presents a paradigm-shifting, non-invasive strategy poised to transform the future of spinal care and sports medicine.
The work titled “Exploring short-term microgravity as a therapeutic intervention for spinal degeneration and disc space narrowing: A narrative review”, was published on Spine Research(accepted on Sept. 17, 2025).
