Several current and former members of the Mays family have stepped up to earn recognition recently.
At the Academy of Management (AOM) conference, Executive Associate Dean Duane Ireland received the 2017 Distinguished Service Award from the AOM and the Distinguished Service Award from the AOM’s Strategic Management Division. Professor Emeritus Mike Hitt received the 2017 Career Achievement Award for Distinguished Educator. Deidra Schleicher transitioned into Chair of the HR Division 2. Professor Bert Canella and Kunyuan Qiao (a Ph.D. student) received Outstanding Reviewer Awards from the Business Policy and Strategy Division 3 (BPS). Associate Professor Cindy Devers received a BPS Distinguished Paper Award. And a paper authored by Assistant Professor Mike Withers, Assistant Professor Mike Howard and Kai Xu won the best paper award from the International Management Division. Associate Professor Cindy Zapata received a Best Reviewer award from the Academy of Management Journal.
At the American Marketing Association 2017 conference, Marketing Professor Rajan Varadarajan was honored as Outgoing Vice President of Publications; Marketing Department Head Mark Houston and former professor Kelly Haws were co-organizers of the conference; and former Mays student Sundar G. Bharadwaj was given a JM – Sheth Foundation Award for a paper he co-authored, “Rethinking Customer Solutions: From Product Bundles to Relational Processes.” Also, Kapil Tuli – one of Bharadwaj’s co-authors on the award-winning paper – completed his MS (Marketing) at Mays before joining Emory University’s inaugural doctoral class in marketing. Tuli is now on the faculty at Singapore Management University.
In addition, a paper by Shankar and Jeff Meyer was selected as a finalist for the 2017 Best Services Article from AMA Services SIG. Their paper “Pricing Strategies for Hybrid Bundles: Analytical Model and Insights” was published in Journal of Retailing.
Mays Business School is committed to advancing the world’s prosperity. In part, achieving this vision is attained by creating impactful knowledge, knowing that the more challenged students are in class the more they will be prepared to initiate inspirational change as alumni. Mays is actualizing this undertaking by stressing the importance of enhancing research through two classes that are being offered during this upcoming school year.
One of the courses focuses on graduate-level academic research, while the other introduces undergraduate students to methods for researching material through the lens of business research. R. Duane Ireland, executive associate dean and University Distinguished Professor at Mays, said the courses will serve a greater purpose for Mays graduates.
“Learning is an important objective that drives Mays’ faculty members as they engage in academic research. In this regard, we know that to be successful, business people must strive to consistently learn more about the needs of customers, employees, suppliers and the local communities in which they work and live,” Ireland said. “Similarly, in addition to developing new knowledge, academic researchers are committed to learning about practices that when effectively followed, have a strong probability of helping business people and their firms create value for those they serve. We are indeed pleased that courses are now available to Mays’ students through which they will learn about the purposes of academic research and how it can help them understand how to be effective leaders throughout their careers.”
Introduction to Academic Research
The accounting department is offering a new course called an “Introduction to Academic Research,” which will be taught by Associate Professor Nate Sharp. Its purpose is to encourage students to consider pursuing a Ph.D. in accounting through introducing them to scholarly research. It also includes a discussion element regarding what to expect from Ph.D. programs and how to succeed both in the classroom and as a professor.
Students will hear from guest speakers on why they chose to pursue a Ph.D. and how it impacted their careers. The immediate interest in this innovative course resulted in an enrollment that quickly exceeded the number of classroom seats that were initially available. So many students were eager to participate in this course, the interest surpassed the capacity of the class. Sharp hopes that while teaching the course, he “will be able to persuade them (students) that the scope and novelty of accounting research goes way beyond what they have learned in their undergraduate and even master’s classes about accounting.”
This course is being offered to fifth-year accounting students in the department’s Professional Program (PPA). PPA is a five-year program that offers students the opportunity to simultaneously earn a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting, MIS, Management, Marketing, or Financial Management. Students in this program can learn from Sharp about the importance of academic research and the role that it plays in a university setting.
It will debut in the Fall 2017 semester.
Applied Business Competencies: Mays Business School Faculty Research
Business research is everywhere, from newspapers to journals to viral social media content. Used well, it can help firms make prudent financial investments, install talented leadership and shape successful advertising campaigns. It can also help everyday shoppers make more informed decisions and even provide rewarding opportunities for a potential career path as an academic researcher.
Yet many college students, outside of Ph.D. tracks and academic circles, are unfamiliar with business research. For them, research is esoteric at best; at worst, uninteresting.
But Stephen (Steve) Courtright, an assistant professor of management, hopes to change those perceptions. He designed an elective course “Applied Business Competencies: Mays Business School Faculty Research” to help make the world of academic business research more accessible to undergraduate and graduate students. The course launched in Spring 2017.
Through the one-hour-credit course, Courtright said he hoped to show students that business research is incredibly relevant for society. “What not everyone knows is that business research is like medical research; it has the potential to affect the quality of people’s lives,” he said. “It can improve how business is conducted and how organizations are run. This makes for a better work environment for everyone involved.”
He also explained that the life of the researcher is like an entrepreneur – and it comes with similar rewards. “Researchers are not just question-askers; they are problem solvers, and you have total freedom pursue the questions and problems that most interest you.”
During the first few weeks of the course, Courtright helped students understand what business research is. Students also learned to look past sensational headlines and questionable sample sizes to evaluate whether research is useful or not. The remaining few weeks of the course, Courtright invited professors from the various Mays departments as guest speakers to present on their own research pursuits and passions.
Participating professors included Nate Sharp, an associate professor of accounting; Matthew (Matt) Call, an assistant professor of management; Shane Johnson, a professor of finance; Subodha Kumar, an associate professor of information and operations management; and Leonard Berry, University Distinguished Professor of Marketing.
At the end of the semester, students wrote reflections on what they had learned during the semester.
Colton Bucey said the course helped him better see that the role of a researcher is like an entrepreneur. “Coming into this course, I thought I had a solid understanding of what professors’ jobs were like; I thought that professors each lectured for a few hours every week, held office hours, graded assignments and then were finished,” he said. “Actually, at any given time, professors can be working on numerous research topics. They are more or less their own bosses and have extreme flexibility in when/where they chose to work.”
Lauren Abiog, a business administration freshman, reflected on Berry’s presentation on his healthcare industry research and how it opened her eyes to the greater good that many researchers hope to realize. “Dr. Berry’s purpose in researching is to help improve the quality of life of others,” she said. “What a selfless and purposeful reason to live for!”
Courtright said he hopes the course will gain momentum with students in the coming years. “I want more students to be thinking about research as a career,” he said. “Even if they choose not to pursue it as a career, it will give them an appreciation for what faculty like those at Mays do for a living.”
The course is set to be offered in future spring semesters.
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By creating these two classes, Mays is providing a platform where professors can instill in students an interest in research that will extend past the four years that they are in college. It has the chance to influence learners to become more intellectually curious, which in turn increases their ability to develop innovative approaches to pursue while seeking to advance the world’s prosperity.
On March 24, Mays Business School hosted the 2017 Mays Marketing Research Camp, chaired by the Center for Retailing Studies Research Director and Coleman Professor of Marketing Venky Shankar.
In its 11th year, the event presents faculty the opportunity to share, hear and collaborate with some of the top scholars in marketing on the latest empirical, analytical and behavioral research.
Together, the four papers presented by faculty experts from Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, University of Madison-Wisconsin’s School of Business, University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and Mays Business School demonstrated how relevant research can advance the world’s prosperity. …Read more
On March 27, Leonard Berry, a University Distinguished Professor of Marketing at Texas A&M’s Mays Business School, hosted representatives from the Patients’ Cancer Hospital in Denmark in a new Undergraduate Honors Healthcare class (MKTG 489) at Mays.
The 15 medical doctors and executives are visiting the United States as part of an “inspiration trip” to learn from and share ideas at M.D. Anderson, then other American cancer hospitals. Berry met these doctors when he was in Denmark last summer and gave
a presentation at the Patients’ Cancer Hospital.
Dr. Dorthe Cruger, CEO of Lillebaelt Hospital and chairman of the Danish Cancer Society, discussed the creation of the new Patients’ Cancer Hospital, which is part of The Lillebaelt Hospital. Denmark launched a new comprehensive and national cancer plan titled “The Patients’ Cancer Plan.” The Cancer Society and hospital teamed up to identify what matters most to patients and not simply provide what the hospital believed they needed. “The vision and mission of the hospital, is always the patient first,” said Cruger.
The Danish Health Care System is a national health care system supported by an average tax of 50 percent of an individual’s salary to support free health care, a university education, and other social services. Denmark has one health plan and spends 50 percent less on healthcare than the U.S. In the national patient survey for Denmark, a 95 percent patient satisfaction rate is the goal. It measures several factors including whether patients and their relatives participate in decisions about treatment.
In a rapidly globalizing environment and ever-changing world, business schools are providing more value than ever. Today at its 2017 Deans Conference, AACSB International (AACSB) — the world’s largest global education network — unveiled 35 innovations that represent critical work being done by business schools to better their communities and society at large.
Mays Business School was recognized for its submission on the Texas A&M University Petroleum Ventures Program (PVP), which detailed a bold new entrepreneurial training program that better prepares students to be leaders in the oil and gas industry. By connecting the curriculum with industry needs, PVP gives students a competitive advantage in an interdisciplinary way.
The second annual “Innovations That Inspire” initiative showcases unique ways business schools are changing the status quo to address societal needs, while empowering the business leaders of tomorrow.
The AACSB’s second annual “Innovations That Inspire” initiative recognizes institutions that have championed change in the business education landscape. A total of 315 submissions were received across 33 countries, mirroring society’s growing global demands, as well as the critical need for strong, connected and forward-thinking business schools. The initiative—and the impressive work it showcases—underscores the important role that innovation plays in achieving the industry-wide vision for business education, which AACSB unveiled in 2016.
“With great pleasure, I am thrilled to recognize Mays Business School for its role in driving innovation in business education and fostering positive change in the areas of diversity and global economic prosperity,” said Tom R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB international. “Through meaningful ideas and increasing opportunities for engagement, Mays Business School has created a remarkable impact, to ensure a better and more connected world for many years to come.”
Eli Jones, dean of Mays Business School, said the Texas A&M Petroleum Ventures Program “an example of connecting innovation with our school’s vision to advance the world’s prosperity.” He added, “We are honored to receive this recognition for stepping up to serve our state and nation in this important area.” As part of the school’s new strategic plan, Mays aims to build the school’s research presence in the Mays Grand Challenge area of Energy.
The academic collaboration between Mays Business School and the College of Engineering fosters teamwork among petroleum engineering students and students in the Department of Finance at Mays. The first classes for the PVP Certificate Program were offered in Fall 2016. PVP is funded by a $12 million gift by Anthony Bahr ’91 and Jay Graham ’92, business partners in Houston-based WildHorse Resources Management Company in Houston.
About AACSB International
As the world’s largest business education network connecting academe with business, AACSB provides business education intelligence, quality assurance, and professional development services to more than 1,500 member organizations across 97 countries and territories. Founded in 1916, AACSB accredits 780 business schools worldwide. Its global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA; Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore; and its EMEA headquarters is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.aacsb.edu.
About Mays Business School
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 6,200 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, business, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The vision of Mays Business School is to advance the world’s prosperity.
Leonard Berry, a marketing professor at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, has stepped up his research of cancer care to encompass those closest to the cancer patients – the caregivers. Most often, the caregivers are family members, and are not professionals at caring for patients.
His paper, “Supporting the Supporters: What Family Caregivers Need to Care for a Loved One With Cancer,” isonline and will be in the January print issue of Journal of Oncology Practice. The journal is one of the two journals published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. It is widely read in the oncology community.
“It is an article that I am especially proud of because it addresses a real need to better prepare and support the family caregivers of cancer patients in their caregiving roles,” Berry said. “This is a group that is often overlooked, even though the caregiver is an extension of the medical team.”
Berry’s co-authors are Shraddha Mahesh Dalwadi, who earned her MBA from Mays and is a fourth-year medical student at Texas A&M; and Dr. Joseph O. Jacobson of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.
The researchers propose a four-part framework for supporting family caregivers:
– Assess caregivers’ needs using formal measures, just as the cancer patient’s own needs are assessed;
– Educate caregivers for their caregiving roles, most notably, with training in the low-level medical support that cancer patients require at home;
– Empower caregivers to become full-fledged members of the patient’s cancer team, all working toward common goals;
– Assist caregivers proactively in their duties, so that they retain a sense of control and self-efficacy rather than having to react to imminent medical crises without sufficient resources at their disposal.
An estimated 4.6 million people in the United States care for someone with cancer at home. Too often, these caregivers—spouses, other family members, or friends—are poorly prepared for this vital but demanding role that takes a toll on them and, by extension, the patient.Only one-third of all caregivers report being asked by a health-care provider what they need to care for the patient; even fewer are asked what they need to care for themselves. That lack of preparation can worsen the anxiety that caregivers already feel about a loved one’s health.
An at-home caregiver typically provides the patient with cancer with at least four types of assistance: daily living activities, medical care, social support and advocacy.
The psychological burden may be even greater for family caregivers than for the patient, especially as the disease advances,and greater for female than for male caregivers.Stress is particularly heavy if caregivers feel ill-prepared: a sense of low self-efficacy heightens the perceived burden, so it is important to develop self-confidence for the caregiving role.
Berry is University Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Regents Professor, and holds the M.B. Zale Chair in Retailing and Marketing Leadership in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. He also is a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence.
His research has focused on service, particularly in health care, and in recent years more specifically on cancer care.
“I became interested in studying service improvement in cancer care because we are making more progress on clinical care than service care, and when cancer strikes, patients and their families need both,” Berry said. “I am able to leverage my career background as a services researcher and the past 15 years intensively studying healthcare to contribute to our thinking about trying to ease the path for cancer patients and their families.”
As a visiting scientist at Mayo Clinic in 2001-2002, he conducted an in-depth research study of healthcare service, the basis for his book, Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic (2008). He also has conducted and published field research at Gundersen Health, ThedaCare and Bellin Health, three high-performance health systems in Wisconsin. Concurrent with his faculty position in Mays Business School, Berry is a senior fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement studying service improvement in cancer care for patients and their families.
Berry has written 10 books in all, including Discovering the Soul of Service; On Great Service; Marketing Services: Competing Through Quality; and Delivering Quality Service. He is the author of numerous academic articles and an invited lecturer throughout the world.
ing the United States as part of an “inspiration trip” to learn from and share ideas at M.D. Anderson, then other American cancer hospitals. Berry met these doctors when he was in Denmark last summer and gave
Leonard Berry, a marketing professor at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, has stepped up his research of cancer care to encompass those closest to the cancer patients – the caregivers. Most often, the caregivers are family members, and are not professionals at caring for patients.