Newswise — In the highly digital world of portable computers, the old-fashioned business card still has its place. Exchanging the small paper cards at a meeting or conference provides a personal connection that can help a brief introduction evolve into a lasting professional relationship. Associate Professor Angelo Mele of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, a researcher whose work focuses on the economic impact of social interactions, has co-authored a new study that examines data based on business card exchanges in Japan. In the following Q&A, Mele describes how he and his colleagues were able to track the development of professional relationships after the study subjects had exchanged business cards…