Winter 2021 Volume 3 Issue 2
RANKED #1 IN CANADA FOR CLASS AND FACULTY DIVERSITY New marketing reality
Meet Goodman's Distinguished Leader
Online learning successes
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Dean’s message................................................................................................ 3 Goodman news: New and notable............................................................... 4 Augmented reality courses teach new reality of marketing................... 6 Goodman Distinguished Leader offers words of wisdom........................ 9 Becoming Canada’s most diverse business school.................................... 10 Using an entrepreneurial mindset to cope with the pandemic.............. 12 Prof makes mark with experiential learning............................................... 13 Goodman facts and figures............................................................................ 14
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How Goodman staff and students persevered in a virtual world.......... 16 Accounting alumni recognized for career accomplishments.................. 18 Goodman grads celebrate decade of partnership..................................... 20 Goodman welcomes new faculty members............................................... 21 Dean's Advisory Council.................................................................................. 21 2020 Departmental Researcher of the Year Award recipients................ 22 Goodman researchers gain support from SSHRC...................................... 24 Prof's Perspective: COVID-19 and the tragedy of the common............. 26
PUBLICATION MANAGER Susan LeBlanc EDITOR Jocelyn Titone ASSISTANT EDITOR Tiffany Mayer DESIGNER Kev Greene PUBLISHER Goodman School of Business
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CONTRIBUTORS Paul Dunn, Daniela Gatti, Andrew Gaudes, Min Huang, Cathy Majtenyi, Tiffany Mayer, Michelle Pressé, Jocelyn Titone
PHOTOGRAPHY Capital University of Economics and Business, Fab Formisano, Andrew Gaudes, Kaitlyn Little, Mitchell Morrone, Michelle Pressé, Orville Sutari, Jocelyn Titone, Amel Trabelsi, Tara Walton, Shelley Zhang, Xiaoming Zhong
PRODUCTION Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario ISSN 2561-6706 (Print) ISSN 2561-6714 (Online) goodman@brocku.ca
COVER Brock University’s Goodman School of Business has been ranked 12th out of 20 Canadian business schools in the 2021 QS Global MBA Rankings, including the distinction of first in Canada for the Class and Faculty Diversity indicator group.
DEAN'S MESSAGE It's approaching a year since faculty, staff and students were sent home at the onset of the pandemic. Working from home, online teaching and virtual information fairs are no longer methods of just surviving. We have adjusted to constant change and uncertainty and have developed programming that informs, engages and supports our students and communities in a virtual environment. Our faculty members continue to advance knowledge through innovative teaching and research. In this issue of Goodman: The Magazine, we highlight some of our award-winning researchers and feature our new Augmented Reality (AR) Marketing course — the first of its kind. Have your phone ready so you can try the AR experiences on pages 7 and 8. Goodman has also made great strides in its commitment to foster an inclusive and diverse community. Although there is more work to be done, we are proud to share that our MBA program was ranked by QS Global Ranking as first in Canada for faculty and class diversity. With 69 countries represented in all Goodman classrooms and 74 per cent of our professors educated outside of Canada, the Goodman experience offers students a global business perspective in an inclusive environment. For many, 2020 was a year of great change, reflection and learning that challenged our resilience, opened our eyes to the injustices taking place in the world and taught us the value of compassion and understanding. As we start a new year, we are optimistic the positive changes we’ve collectively made will continue into 2021. We plan to lead with passion, perseverance and professionalism as we navigate new challenges and opportunities. Wishing you health, wellness and peace, Andrew Gaudes, PhD, ICD.D Dean, Goodman School of Business
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GOODMAN NEWS
NEW AND NOTABLE Left: Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB) campus. Opposite, top: Liana Biktimirova, fourth-year BBA Co-op student and VP of Finance for the Business Students’ Association. Opposite, bottom: The online nature of the seventh annual Goodman Alumni Retreat attracted graduates from around the world.
NEW INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE MPAcc PROGRAM By Daniela Gatti
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he Goodman of Business has expanded partnerships for international opportunities in Brazil and China. New agreements have been signed with Fundação Escola de Comércio Álvares Penteado (FECAP) University in São Paulo, Brazil and Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB) in Beijing, China, establishing a direct entry to the Master of Professional Accounting
(MPAcc) program for qualified students. These new agreements focus on accounting and business graduates who want to obtain their Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation through preparation in the MPAcc program. They are new partnerships for the Goodman School in Brazil and China. The MPAcc program is designed to give international professionals and recent graduates an integrative
approach to Canadian accounting principles. In 2019, the program received accreditation by CPA Ontario under the CPA National Recognition and Accreditation Standards for Post-Secondary Institutions. Students will be able to submit their graduate school transcripts to CPA Ontario for assessment and determination of equivalencies upon successful completion of the MPAcc.
BUSINESS BREATHERS WEBINARS HAVE GLOBAL APPEAL By Jocelyn Titone
S Samir Trabelsi, Professor of Accounting and Governance at the Goodman School of Business, led a live webinar discussion from his home in June 2020. His presentation on governance during a crisis was the most globally attended Business Breathers webinar, with more than 360 people registered from 20 countries.
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ince the beginning of May 2020, Wednesdays have offered an opportunity for members of the local and global business communities to catch their breath and learn something new. Anyone from around the world can tune in at 11 a.m. ET to watch free ‘Business Breathers’ webinars on timely topics led by industry and faculty experts. Goodman Group, the Goodman School of Business’s community-focused learning and development services provider, launched the initiative in May 2020 to support its clients and community partners in an era of uncertainty. As of December 2020, the webinars have attracted nearly 2,500 registrants from 20 countries. Topics have focused on leadership,
management and innovation, as well as the financial and social impacts of trending topics. Of the 24 webinars presented in 2020, the most popular were led by three of Brock University’s thought leaders. Gervan Fearon, President and Vice-Chancellor, discussed ‘Corporate social responsibility in the era of Black Lives Matter’; Andrew Gaudes, Dean of the Goodman School of Business, led ‘Managing through the unimaginable’; and Samir Trabelsi, Professor of Accounting and Governance for Goodman, talked about ‘COVID-19: Good governance in crisis or good crisis for governance?’ The Business Breathers webinar series will continue into 2021. Visit brocku.ca/goodmangroup/business-breathers for a list of upcoming topics and to watch past webinars.
COVID-19 EMERGENCY BURSARY SUPPORTS GOODMAN STUDENTS By Jocelyn Titone
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he Business Students’ Association (BSA) has established a bursary to support Goodman undergraduate students struggling financially because of the pandemic. With their in-person events cancelled and programming moved online, the BSA saw an opportunity to redirect student levy funds that would continue to provide value to Goodman students. “It was clear the pandemic would have lasting impacts financially on students for the coming year,” said Liana Biktimirova, BSA Vice-President of Finance. “Without the opportunity to work a summer job, many students lost the income they rely on to support themselves for the year. We wanted to use the money we saved from cancelling our large physical events to help students during this stressful time.” The BSA donated $10,000 to establish 20 bursaries valued at $500 each. The short-term financial aid is
part of Brock’s COVID-19 Student Emergency Bursaries, which were launched last April through funding from the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice-President of Research, the Brock University Students’ Union and the Graduate Students’ Association, as well as with donations from alumni, donors, faculty members and staff. The Goodman emergency bursary also falls within the BSA’s Goodman Gives Back initiative, which included an inaugural charity gala that raised $3,000 for Community Care, as well as a matching campaign that raised $3,500 in support of organizations funding Black Lives Matter initiatives and Yemen and Lebanon crisis relief. Students in need of financial support can apply for bursaries through Brock University’s OneApp. To make a one-time gift online to the COVID-19 Student Emergency Bursaries, visit brocku.ca/donate.
ALUMNI PROVIDE FEEDBACK AT FIRST VIRTUAL GOODMAN ALUMNI RETREAT By Daniela Gatti
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his fall, the Goodman School of Business hosted its first virtual and seventh annual Goodman Alumni Retreat. The unique invitation-only event is an opportunity for alumni to engage with the School and provide meaningful feedback that helps in setting the direction and future of Goodman. The event was hosted over two sessions during the fall semester via Microsoft Teams, and 24 Goodman alumni attended from around the world to provide input on new Goodman initiatives. “Although it is the seventh time we have run this event, this is the first time we have been able to engage alumni from outside of Southern Ontario,” said Kajsa
Cirocco (MBA ’17), Goodman School of Business Alumni Co-ordinator, who organized and facilitated the event. "Attendees joined us virtually from Germany, Ireland, China, the United States, and from across Canada in Ottawa and Calgary.” The fast-paced format and small group discussions allowed graduates to generate a large number of ideas in a short period of time. Topics included elevating Goodman’s reputation and awareness in the community as well as new micro-courses to offer Goodman alumni. Past retreat discussions have led to implementing the Goodman Ambassador Scholarship Program and the Competitor Development Program.
BETA GAMMA SIGMA CELEBRATES TOP GOODMAN STUDENTS By Jocelyn Titone
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his past October, more than 200 Goodman students were invited to be inducted into the international honours society Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS). Twice a year, Goodman invites the top 10 per cent of its undergraduate students and the top 20 per cent of graduate students to join BGS membership, which is exclusive to business schools accredited by AACSB International — the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Students who accept their invitation to join the society are encouraged to participate in a formal induction ceremony, which Goodman hosted online. The event was attended by more than 135 people from around the world. “Students inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma are the most accomplished business students in the world,” said Andrew Gaudes, Goodman Dean. “All excel academically, and many work part-time jobs and get involved with sport and student leadership initiatives. They truly are amazing and deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments.” Liana Biktimirova was one of these exceptional students. The fourth-year Business Administration Co-op student’s involvement as a part-time research assistant and finance tutor, varsity tennis player, and Vice-President of Finance for the Business Students’ Association earned her a $500 Beta Gamma Sigma Scholarship. The award was granted to Goodman as part of the School’s recent recognition at the 2020 Beta Gamma Sigma Outstanding Chapter Awards. Goodman was chosen from 600 chapters in 190 countries to receive ‘Best Practice in Connections’ for its activities, programs and events available to students. Alyssa Freeman, Goodman’s Accreditations Co-ordinator and BGS Chapter Adviser, received honorary membership for her diligence and commitment to advance Goodman’s BGS chapter. Past honorary members of Goodman’s BGS chapter include Brock University President Gervan Fearon, former Brock University Chancellor Shirley Cheechoo, Goodman graduate Rhonda Klosler (BBA ’93) and Niagara business leader Robin Ridesic.
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Peter Van-Helsdingen in the barrel cellar at Calamus Estate Winery.
AUGMENTED REALITY COURSES TEACH NEW REALITY OF MARKETING By Tiffany Mayer
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sk someone in the wine industry how to connect with a consumer, and they might suggest visiting a winery to meet the vintner and taste their handiwork. Peter Van-Helsdingen is keen to try a different approach. The owner of Calamus Estate Winery has enlisted a Goodman master’slevel marketing class, taught by Prof. Joachim Scholz, to develop both a marketing campaign and a bottle label for his high-end appassimentostyle wine, incorporating augmented reality to immerse consumers in the story of Calamus without ever having to set foot in his Jordan, Ont., tasting room. In the process, Van-Helsdingen hopes to forge a connection with wine drinkers that will make them loyal to the Calamus brand from the comfort of their homes. “Our whole marketing plan is to create an experience (consumers) can’t get at another local winery,” Van-Helsdingen said. By dictionary definition, augmented reality, or AR, “is an interactive experience in which a user’s real-world environment is enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information” that taps into the senses and emotions of the person using it. It can be something visual or a
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sound created by technology. Think of Pokemon Go. It wasn’t the first use of AR but it took the technology mainstream when the app enticed people to use their smart phones to find Pikachu and friends in their neighbourhood. Van-Helsdingen got the idea to use AR to market wine from Australian vintner 19 Crimes, which encourages consumers to use a smart phone app to bring labels to life and learn the story of the criminals whose mugs grace their bottles. By working with Brock students enrolled in what’s believed to be the only dedicated AR marketing course offered in the world, Calamus is poised to be the first Canadian winery to use the technology to sell its wine and, with it, an experience that goes beyond the glass. Meanwhile, students get an experience beyond any textbook while learning to understand that AR is more than applying bunny ear filters to their selfies in Snapchat. “Augmented reality is one of the most exciting developments with marketing and society as a whole,” Prof. Scholz said. “There’s going to be huge opportunity for students at Brock University. As more
EXPERIENCE AR USE YOUR PHONE TO BRING THIS PAGE TO LIFE. Open your phone's camera app and hover it over the QR code below. Alternatively, you can type BrockAR.ca in your phone's web browser, where you will be prompted to open your phone’s camera. Next, point it at the photo of the wine bottle and see what happens.
businesses adopt augmented reality, they’re learning there’s lots they don’t know about it.” AR is set to be the next digital disruptor, he added. Some in the industry, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, predict that in the next five to 10 years, it will be as pervasive as smart phones are today. So offering courses on the topic not only makes a name for Goodman as a leader in the field of AR education, it helps students do the same for themselves on the job where they can use the technology on their employers’ behalf to create brand recognition and consumer loyalty. Prof. Scholz runs his classes like a virtual marketing agency. Students work with a local business, like Calamus, and devise a marketing strategy using AR to tell a story that will sell a brand or product to a target audience. Students also access outside consultants — in
this case UP360 Media run by former Brock student Harrison Olajos — to help implement the strategy on a pro bono basis. The point is to achieve an end result that’s more than a make-work project. “So many times students make a pitch and nothing happens and I wanted to change this,” Prof. Scholz said. “(The business partners) are very excited to give all the creative freedom to students to market their most prestigious wine.” John DiLorenzo, who took Prof. Scholz’s undergraduate course last spring, expected only to learn the theory behind AR. Instead, he saw how it’s used in everyday applications, including seeing furniture in your home before purchasing it. In turn, that gave him ideas for how he could use it to help the class’s business partner and future employers.
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Left: Calamus Estate Winery in Jordan, Ontario.
SHARE YOUR BROCK SPIRIT. To experience this face filter, scan the QR code below using your phone's camera app or type BrockAR.ca/FF in your phone's web browser. Once there, select a social media app of your choice. Point the camera at your face and watch the magic happen! Share your Brock Spirit on social media by tagging @GoodmanSchool. “It actually consumed me. It was ‘How can we do this?’ This didn’t feel like I was doing a course, it felt like I was doing work, a career,” DiLorenzo said. “The biggest thing I learned about (AR) is how much you can use it in our daily lives. It’s not just gimmicks and video games.” Undergraduate Rafay Rehan, who recently completed his last semester focusing on international business, had a similar epiphany about the technology. Take, for example, a clothing store that used AR to enable customers to try on outfits in the safety of their own home during this age of physical distancing. The pandemic put AR marketing into context, he explained. “As soon as the pandemic started you could see the need companies are going to have for this,” Rehan said. “Social distancing is in place and so many people are interacting less with each other.” Still, Van-Helsdingen hopes people will be keen to interact with his wines and perhaps one day visit Calamus thanks to the master's students efforts last term. “The goal of the augmented reality label is to create an experience,” he said. “We’re super excited to be one of the first in Canada to do it.”
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GOODMAN DISTINGUISHED LEADER OFFERS WORDS OF WISDOM By Tiffany Mayer
Bonnie Lysyk, Auditor General of Ontario, was recognized as the Goodman School of Business 2020 Distinguished Leader during a virtual fireside chat Monday, Oct. 19.
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t’s a common question in job interviews: Where do you see yourself in five years? If Bonnie Lysyk is doing the interview, however, she’ll never ask. The Auditor General of Ontario and the Goodman School of Business 2020 Distinguished Leader is a big proponent of focusing on the here and now, not there and then. “If you focus too much on that, it’s stressful and you put too much pressure on yourself to get somewhere,” she said. “If you work at something where you have passion and knowledge, you’ll get to where you want to be.” That reassurance was among the many words of wisdom Lysyk, who also sits on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Goodman School of Business, offered Brock students and staff during her virtual fireside chat with Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes last October. The event was supported by the Willmot Foundation and is part of the D.G. Willmot Leader Series. Lysyk answered questions from Gaudes about her career, which included time spent as the Provincial Auditor for Saskatchewan, and as Deputy Auditor General and Chief Operating Officer of Manitoba before that. Through it all, Lysyk credited her success not just to hard work, but the people she’s met along the way. Lysyk is the protégé of many mentors. And all of them, from the grade school teacher who told her she should go to university to her former boss at Manitoba Hydro who invited his staff to coffee each day, have shaped Lysyk, her career and how she leads the team today that watches over the provincial government’s public accounts. “You’re going to have many people who impact you, whether you call them a mentor or not,” Lysyk said. In addition to discussing her own teachers, Lysyk got to spend some time mentoring Goodman student leaders during a virtual roundtable discussion that happened after the fireside chat. Manpriya Arora, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) co-op student, who also serves as the Business Students’ Association (BSA) Vice-President of Corporate Relations, was most impressed by Lysyk’s collaborative leadership style. “What I took away most of all is she seems to have a lot of genuine respect for the people she worked with. It was refreshing to hear that from someone who’s leading,” Arora said. “Everyone has a different leadership style but working with a team, I realize that’s the style I more identify with. The type of leader I am, I never feel like I know more than anyone on my team.” Fourth-year BBA student Axel Cruz Ceballos joined the virtual roundtable with Lysyk for a glimpse into life in the public sector. Cruz Ceballos, whose study focus is operations management, wants to keep his options open when he graduates. While Cruz Ceballos, who hails from Mexico, was struck by Lysyk’s international work experience, it was her humility and determination that really resonated. “It made me feel like I was talking to someone who has been in my shoes,” he said. “She’s been to school and struggled. It reminded me of what you can do when you put your mind to it.”
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CORE VALUES: T GOODMAN’S PATH TO BECOMING CANADA’S MOST DIVERSE BUSINESS SCHOOL By Andrew Gaudes
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his year we opened ourselves to participating in the QS Global MBA Ranking. This is a process of discovering our strengths and weaknesses; one that allows us to consider how we can leverage both towards better programs and future rankings. Initially, there wasn’t anything apparently extraordinary about the results we received in September. The Goodman School of Business’s overall ranking was in the 200-plus range of the participating 258 business schools around the world. That overall ranking was where one might expect to land on a first-time submission. Indeed, we have room to grow across the ranking indicators and learned a lot by entering our School for consideration. However, when we started to peel back the layers of the survey to review the results of the five indicator groups contributing to an overall score, we discovered Goodman ranked first in Canada for class and faculty diversity. We received this distinction because of the percentage of staff and faculty who are women, the number of nationalities in our classrooms, and the percentage of international faculty in our School. You can view our numbers in these categories in the Goodman Facts and Figures section on Page 14 in this issue of The Magazine. Our score also placed us second in North America and 39th globally. To put this into further perspective, we had a higher diversity score than 23 of the 25 top-ranked business schools around the world; higher than such globally recognized institutions
as Yale, Harvard, Wharton, Oxford, MIT, Stanford, Columbia, HEC Paris, and INSEAD. This is an outstanding result. Gender distribution and diversity of nationalities within a school does not occur overnight. On the leadership front, and in particular with my own Advisory Council, we’ve introduced new voices who represent various industries and backgrounds. The discussions that take place around the table are richer for the multiple perspectives on issues. In addition, we have met with the leadership of our student groups to encourage them to broaden their representation so all Goodman students will see themselves and their interests reflected in these areas. These efforts make Goodman more attractive to people of varied backgrounds who are considering working or learning here. Faculty candidates see diversity on the selection panel at their candidate interviews and during campus visits, and recognize Brock University and the Goodman School of Business as a safe environment. Our students also see our School as a place where they can feel comfortable living and learning, knowing an inclusive community exists here. Every student, faculty and staff member, and administrator at Goodman benefits from this. For one, a safe and inclusive environment results in a sustainable international education model. Research has also shown that diversity in the classroom and workplace contributes to a higher level of cultural intelligence — the ability for individuals to relate to and have flexibly to adapt across different cultures. This will help them going forward in their careers, whether they choose to run their own business
or work for someone else. Companies with a more diverse and inclusive workforce perform better financially. There is no endpoint to being a diverse and inclusive place of learning, however. We will never state that we’ve arrived or that our mission is accomplished. Much like ourselves as individuals, our School is a work in progress, continually learning and evolving, and remaining open to reflection and adjustment. Going forward, it’s imperative that Goodman signal to the broader community that an education in business is possible for everyone. Engagement programs offered through Goodman Group’s Venture Development team, such as Goodman Lemonade, Kick-Starting Entrepreneurship, Monster Pitch and our High-School Entrepreneurship Co-op, introduce elementary and secondary students from all backgrounds to business education opportunities in creative and safe environments. We must also present to children business role models of diverse backgrounds to inspire and capture their imaginations about what’s possible for their futures — that any child can dream of and embark upon an education in business and, in the process, their own personal path to greatness. Our hope is to offer everyone — now and in the future — a safe, inclusive and everevolving learning environment, where ideas and perspectives are not only welcome, they contribute to a world-class, and top-ranked experience for all.
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USING AN
ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET TO COPE WITH THE PANDEMIC By Min Huang
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ntrepreneurial mindset is the ability to sense, act and mobilize under uncertain conditions (McGrath & MacMillian, 2000), yet it’s not just for entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs know exactly how to manage a company “when uncertainty and rapid changes are the norm.” In a pandemic, stress also comes from uncertainties and changes; for example, the uncertainty about our health and the health of our loved ones can cause anxiety because of the easy contraction and unknown path of community transmission of COVID-19. The same is true when it comes to our future financial situation. The changes in our daily lives have been substantial since March. The way we shop for groceries, the way we socialize with people, the way we work and study — everything has changed. We all need to pivot in some way to regain control amid the new routines of life. How does an entrepreneurial mindset help us? By building a growth mindset, cultivating resilience and learning to take calculated risks, we can better manage the stress of the pandemic.
Goodman MBA student Min Huang wrote a version of this article as a blog post assignment for an entrepreneurship course taught by Associate Professor Shawna Chen.
GROWTH MINDSET
A growth mindset is the foundation of the entrepreneurial mindset. Entrepreneurs don’t just look around and see problems. They see problems as opportunities to innovate and create value for others. It’s not their abilities, but their growth mindset that enables entrepreneurs to persevere.
RESILIENCE
Resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress” (Kawana Waters State College, 2019), such as setbacks, family issues, relationship difficulties, health problems or work stressors. It’s a valuable quality to help people get through tough times successfully.
REFERENCES:
TAKE CALCULATED RISKS
Gunther McGrath, Rita & MacMillan, Ian. (2000). The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Strategies for Continuously Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty. R. Gunther McGrath, I. MacMillan.
Entrepreneurs face multiple risks every day, but they never step back. They manage risks by planning wisely to reduce the probability of adverse outcomes. In a pandemic, there is a risk of contracting the virus in almost any social activity, but there are high-risk and low-risk activities. Staying away from high-risk activities can largely reduce our chance of contracting the virus and our anxiety. Risks are unavoidable but we will feel more comfortable when we know the risks are low. We have to face so many new challenges in life that could negatively affect our mental health. Developing an entrepreneurial mindset can help us pivot for the better by changing the old and fixed mindset, developing a positive attitude to face uncertainties, and finding balance. When we take these actions, we develop resilience. And we will become stronger and better able to adapt to any new changes in life.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Coping with Stress. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managingstress-anxiety.html Kawana Waters State College. (n.d.). Growth Mindset And Resilience. https://kawana-waterssc.eq.edu.au/Supportandresources/ Formsanddocuments/Documents/Curriculum/Senior%20Secondary/ growth-mindset-and-resilience-2019.pdf
Kai-Yu Wang, Professor and Chair of the Marketing, International Business and Strategy department at the Goodman School of Business, is the 2020 recipient of the Brock University Award for Distinguished Teaching.
PROF MAKES MARK WITH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING By Tiffany Mayer
K
ai-Yu Wang is certain that before 2011, his marketing Even better, many of them are willing to pay upwards of $400 for research students weren’t always interested in what he was students to carry out a two-week search engine marketing and social teaching them. media campaign, despite being asked to contribute only $100. At the But then a colleague mentioned integrating experiential end of the two weeks, students provide instructions to the business to learning into his classes and Wang’s world — and that of his students continue the online marketing strategy themselves. — changed. Wang’s tenacity in providing relevant learning experiences earned Wang, Chair of the Goodman School of Business Marketing, him the Brock University Award for Distinguished Teaching for International Business and Strategy department, connected his 2020. He’s the second business professor to win the award since its students with businesses from the community. Together, they would inception in 1998. tackle real-world challenges faced by those companies, and the results “I take teaching very seriously,” Wang said. “I enjoy teaching and would reinforce to students the concepts Wang taught while helping spending time with students, and I enjoy teaching all the subjects I organizations succeed at the same time. teach in the classroom.” Except it didn’t happen that way. For the first few years, students’ Still, Wang wasn’t sure his in-class approach measured up to others timelines for completing Wang’s service-learning projects competed who’d won previously. It did. with the pressures of other course work. Businesses had their own “Prof. Wang’s dossier demonstrated his extensive educational deadlines to meet, and the two sides never seemed to mesh. leadership with a focus on engaging community business partners “To be honest, I almost gave up,” Wang recalled. “They were so much and students for experiential opportunities related to real-world topics work to co-ordinate.” and projects,” wrote Madelyn Law, Associate Vice-Provost, Teaching Still, Wang persevered and hit his stride with experiential learning and Learning, in her announcement of Wang as the award recipient. when he started teaching Goodman’s Internet and Social Media “Also, his dedication to his own teaching and learning professional Marketing course in 2016. development to enhance student learning experiences was a major He treated the working relationship between businesses and strength of his application.” students as a partnership. Then he applied for a teaching and innovation As rewarding as the accolades are, so too are the job offers he sees grant, netting $2,700 to be divided between nine student teams. students get from some of the business partners they meet in his The students would create social media marketing proposals for classes. Ditto for the thank you notes students send him because of their business partners and get paid $300 to test it for two weeks. The the impact his teaching style has had on them. approach was so successful that four years later, Wang has upwards of “When I see these notes, I feel all the time I spent and the hard work 30 businesses reaching out to him each semester to work with his class. has paid off,” he said.
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FACTS AND FIGURES NUMBER OF COUNTRIES REPRESENTED IN THE CLASSROOM
GOODMAN IS PROUD TO OFFER A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT TO LEARN AND WORK
trophy-star GOODMAN MBA
UNDERGRADUATE 60
30
1
#
48 39
50 40
RANKED
64
70
27
25
26
2015/16
2016/17
28
IN CANADA FOR
2017/18
CLASS AND FACULTY DIVERSITY
20 2014/15
2018/19
30
25
28
24
27
2020/21
2021 QS GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS
GRADUATE 35
2019/20
30
31
29 GOODMAN FACULTY DEMOGRAPHICS
25
74%
20 2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
2020/21
GOODMAN STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
2,367
1,209
Domestic students
International students
INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS
14
69%
graduation-cap
50%
location-dot
50%
child
26%
Educated outside Canada
PhD from within Canada
Male
Educated in Canada
PhD from outside Canada
Female
31%
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Peer-reviewed journal articles
95
71
91
93
95
Books, chapters and cases
17
16
15
13
14
Conference proceedings
39
34
28
20
53
Research awards
27
26
16
19
11
Teaching and service awards
9
4
9
2
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ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
BUSINESS BREATHERS Free online webinars facilitated by Goodman Group, the Goodman School of Business’s community-focused learning and development services provider.
Event Attendees
67
users
116
HEADSET
user-check
COMMENTS
webinars
registrants
minutes of Q&A
24 2,439 360
Speakers
Panelists
message-dots
56 Mentors
Judges
6
8
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
map-location-dot
720
20
minutes of expert-led discussion
participating countries
MOST VIEWED TOPICS
STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN GOODMAN ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES
Corporate Social Responsibility in the Era of Black Lives Matter
TOTAL: 3,786 Managing Through the Unimaginable
1,266
0
500 Career events Orientation programs
337 316 265 538
1,000
1,500 Career office appointments Student club events
2,000
2,500 Case competitions
803
3,000
280
3,500
Development programs
Other events
COVID-19: Good Governance in Crisis or a Good Crisis for Governance? To watch recorded sessions, visit brocku.ca/goodman-group/business-breathers
MSc GRAD ACCOMPLISHMENTS Goodman’s Master of Science in Management (MSc) program prepares students for careers in academia, research and industry. Ali Anwar (MSc ’18), a PhD candidate at Wilfred Laurier University, recently passed his comprehensive examination. A paper he and Goodman Professor Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl co-authored has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Strategic Marketing. The paper is titled “Strategic Imperatives of Mobile Commerce in Developing Countries: The Influence of Consumer Innovativeness, Ubiquity, Perceived Value, Risk, and Cost on Usage.” Farooq Durrani (MSc ’13) completed a PhD in Finance from Temple University in June 2020. He started a position as an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Louisville in July 2020. Minyoung Pyo (MSc ’14) completed a PhD in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University in May 2020. He started a position as a Financial Economist with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. Ziwen Wang (MSc ’19) started a Research Analyst role at Shoppers Drug Mart in February 2020.
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Associate Professor of Marketing Todd Green used music and discussion to engage students and remove barriers sometimes brought on by virtual learning.
desktop REAL SUCCESS:
HOW GOODMAN STAFF AND STUDENTS PERSEVERED IN A VIRTUAL WORLD By Tiffany Mayer
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ivot was easily a contender for word of the year in 2020. And few had to adjust as quickly and readily to changes brought on by the pandemic as educators. There are many ways Goodman faculty and staff adjusted to the new reality, however, making the Business School a shining example of pandemic-age education. Here are just a few.
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music
CONNECTING OVER A SONG
Todd Green struggled when he switched to online learning in the spring. The Associate Professor of Marketing was more nervous talking into his laptop than he ever was at the front of his class. He missed the visual cues that students understood what he was saying, or whether they were listening at all. A few course reviews at the end of the winter term tipped Green off to just how challenging virtual instructing had been for all involved. So when his spring term MBA introductory marketing course started, Green checked in with his students, most of them overseas, and learned how much they missed connecting with each other and their professors. Green took it upon himself to make virtual lectures as close to interacting IRL as possible by setting aside 10 minutes to talk about anything but school. He’d ask students to post a GIF describing how they felt that day. Sometimes they would talk about their dream jobs or ideal vacations. Next came connecting over a song. Green, who leads a children’s choir and plays drums, performed solos that inspired students to show off their own musical skills, including singing for each other. Between the questions and the performances, it removed the barriers brought on by talking into a laptop and helped classmates get to know each other differently. “I feel like people were more willing to share and open up because other people had sung for them, which is a fairly vulnerable thing,” Green said. “I think it just opened people up to each other.”
A CASE FOR ONLINE COMPETITION
When Mark Rosario took his post as Vice-President Competitions with the Goodman Graduate Business Council (GBC), the MBA student was provided a blueprint from his predecessors for how to run the group’s annual case competition. But those instructions didn’t help in a pandemic with large gatherings ruled out in the name of public safety. Rosario and the rest of the GBC decided to reinvent the case competition. It wouldn’t be easy. Getting participants who were studying at home and across different time zones would be a challenge. So starting last July, the GBC reached out to previous winners, asking them to talk up the benefits of the competition on social media. The group also tapped academic advisers for help marketing the competition to second-year MBA students, who don’t typically participate in large numbers. In total, 52 students registered for the competition, held at the end of September, nearly matching the 60 participants in 2019. About 20 second-year students participated, too, up from three a year earlier. Students in St. Catharines were teamed with others in China, India, or those on Pacific Time, and had to navigate the challenges posed by being in different time zones. With a week to work together, 12 teams submitted 10-minute recorded presentations in early October, overcoming everything from time differences, unreliable Internet connections, lighting and home life in the process. When the competition closed on Oct. 3, both the GBC and competitors were happy with the results. Now Rosario has a new competition blueprint for his successors to use for planning this year’s competition. “It was a wonderful experience to organize,” he said. “I’m happy it went really smoothly. It was a proud moment when the event came to a close. We pulled it off really well.”
Mark Rosario, Vice-President Competitions with the Goodman Graduate Business Council, reinvented the student club's annual case competition for a virtual environment.
A CO-OP TERM UNLIKE ANY OTHER
Brock's Co-op team led a virtual coaching and scouting event called Brock's Got Talent to keep co-op students and employers engaged through the spring pandemic lockdowns.
MICROPHONE-STAND
The headlines were dire last spring. Co-op students throughout Canada were having a tough time getting placements. With many parts of the country locked down, work terms shifted online or were cancelled altogether. The hiring cycle for fall work terms loomed and worry set in at Brock and Goodman. “What we had to ask ourselves was what are we going to do if there were no co-op jobs on the job board,” said Julia Zhu, Associate Director of Co-op Education. To prevent that, Zhu and her colleagues used a virtual coaching and scouting event called Brock’s Got Talent, which ran from mid-May through to the end of June, to keep students and employers engaged. About 10 to 15 students participated in each session, doing an elevator pitch and then receiving feedback from employers. It helped students polish their skills while employers saw the talent available for hire. Staff from the co-op office offered advice tailored to each student before making their pitch — something that wouldn’t have been possible at an in-person event. In the end, the efforts helped Goodman achieve a 93 per cent employment/match rate when hiring happened for September work terms. That bested the national hiring rate of 70 per cent for co-op students. “You want to keep your leads warm, your employers warm,” Zhu said. “It’s not saying ‘We’re not doing business.’ You also want to keep students engaged. When hiring began, things moved very quickly.”
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ACCOUNTING ALUMNI RECOGNIZED FOR CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
rocket-launch GOODMAN DEGREE ‘ROCKET FUEL’ FOR JEFF PARK’S LIFE AND CAREER By Michelle Pressé
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o say Brock University played an important role in Jeff Park’s life would be a dramatic understatement. “It was rocket fuel for my business career and life,” said Park (BAcc ’95). “Brock is also where I met my wife and (it) introduced me to friends that are still a big part of (my) life.” As both a dedicated graduate and leader in his industry, Park was honoured in September during Brock’s Virtual Alumni Recognition Reception, where he received the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award, presented by the Brock University Alumni Association. This wasn’t the first time Park, a transformational leader with extensive experience in the pharmacy, pharmacy benefits management and health-care industries, has been recognized by his alma mater. He was named the Goodman School of Business Distinguished Graduate in 2011. Park, who has held key managerial, financial and operational responsibilities, is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WellDyneRx, an independent pharmacy benefit manager. “It’s an honour to be recognized by Brock as it played such an important role in my development and put me on a career trajectory that changed my life,” he said. Park added that Brock proved to be an ideal place to pursue his degree. The Bachelor of Accounting program prepared him to obtain his accounting designation, and the co-op stream helped him pay for school and meet his accounting work requirements. Prior to his role at WellDyneRx, Park sat on the Board of Directors at Catamaran in 2003 and later joined as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2006. As a result of his success at Catamaran, he was recognized by Institutional Investor as a top CFO in his industry. In 2014, he was promoted to Executive Vice-President, Operations, before Optum
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acquired Catamaran the following year, where Park led the $65 billion OptumRX as Chief Operation Officer. In 2017, he joined the Board of Directors at Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy and held the role of Interim-CEO until May 2018. A champion for education and the opportunities it provides, Park established the Jeff and Lucia Park Bursary in 2013 with a substantial gift to the University. “Education can change someone’s life; it did mine,” he said. “It opened my mind, gave me the gift of loving to learn and helped me get positioned in a rewarding career that allowed me to care for my family. I believe we have an obligation to give back. It’s rewarding and helps me pay it forward to other students.”
Jeff Park (BAcc ’95) is the recipient of Brock University's 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Sean Washchuk (BAcc ’96), Senior VicePresident and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for CCL Industries, is the recipient of the 2020 Goodman School of Business Distinguished Graduate Award.
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DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE SEAN WASHCHUK CREDITS HARD WORK FOR CAREER SUCCESS By Jocelyn Titone
or Sean Washchuk, the adage of ‘hard work pays off’ rings true. Washchuk (BAcc ’96), Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for CCL Industries, was recognized with the 2020 Goodman School of Business Distinguished Graduate Award as part of Brock University’s Virtual Homecoming celebrations this past September. “I went to school with a ton of people smarter than me, but I got really lucky working hard,” Washchuk said. “Because of that hard work, when opportunities came up, I always filled the open spot. With hard work and patience, people will notice you.” Throughout his career, Washchuk served in a variety of financial roles with increasing responsibility, including nine years in his current role at CCL Industries and 11 years at Vitran Corporation Inc. as Vice-President, Finance; Chief Financial Officer; and Corporate Controller. Prior to Vitran, Washchuk was Controller for Nexcycle Plastics Inc. and acquired auditing experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
My career hasn’t been anything glamourous,” he said. “None of the companies I’ve worked for have flashy slides in their lobbies or nap rooms for break time. I was fortunate to work in industries that were always needed, whether it was garbage and recycling, trucking transportation and logistics, and now, packaging and labelling.” His decades of experience as a Chartered Accountant and accomplished CFO include financial reporting, treasury, corporate finance, tax planning, international financing structure, acquisitions and investor relations. Over the nine years he’s worked for CCL Industries, Washchuk helped grow the company from $1 billion in revenue to more than $5.5 billion, returning more than 1000 per cent to its shareholders. In addition to contributing to the success of the companies for which he’s worked, Washchuk has positively impacted his alma mater through his financial contributions to Brock’s Annual Giving Fund and by attending alumni events. “Sean’s contributions to industry, strong work ethic
and commitment to Brock University make him an outstanding candidate to receive the Distinguished Graduate Award,” said Andrew Gaudes, Dean for the Goodman School of Business. “He’s an inspiring leader who exemplifies our School’s values of passion, perseverance and professionalism.” Washchuk is honoured to be recognized as a distinguished graduate, and thanks the many Brock professors and past colleagues who have influenced his career path. When asked for his advice to the next generation of business professionals and accountants, he challenged students to get out from behind their computer and phone screens, explaining that effective leadership requires strong interpersonal skills. “Texting and TikToking aren’t real ways to develop relationships,” Washchuk said. “I don’t think social media tools are a substitute for genuine leadership. Getting to know people, understanding what is going on in their lives and business — you can only do that if you’re genuinely talking to people.”
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Left: Tyler Stark (BBA '11) and Darryl Moyers (BBA '11) Below: January 2011: Stark and Moyers took first place at the 33rd Inter-Collegiate Business Competition in the Management Information Services event.
FROM CASE COMPETITIONS TO CRM CONSULTING:
GOODMAN GRADS CELEBRATE DECADE OF PARTNERSHIP By Jocelyn Titone
A
first-place finish in a prestigious business case competition 10 years ago has led to a successful business partnership for two Goodman grads. Darryl Moyers (BBA ’11) and Tyler Stark (BBA ’11) met in their fifth year at Brock University when a professor encouraged Moyers to find a partner to enter the Management Information Systems (MIS) event of the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC). “We hit it off and quickly realized our skills complemented each other in this specific space where technology and business meet,” said Moyers, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Co-op with concentrations in Marketing and Information Systems. “Five hours in a room [analyzing the case for the competition] gives you a pretty good perspective as to whether or not you can work with the other person and whether your skill sets are aligned. Half the battle of ICBC was to come out of that room on the same page, aligned and still friends.”
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The duo ended up winning first place in the ICBC MIS event, a title yet to be won by another Goodman student team. They remained friends after graduation and continued working together, first as data analysts for the Ontario government, and then as business partners. In 2014, the duo founded their own company, Moyers & Stark Consulting, a business focused on providing solutions for small-to-medium enterprises looking to implement customer relationship management software, such as Salesforce. “We help businesses go through a transformation journey,” said Stark, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems. “A lot of businesses we work with are trying to provide better customer service and optimize their operations. We come in as business and technology consultants to provide training and support and help implement tools they can grow with.” Their Toronto-based team is comprised of six full-time permanent staff members and two to three Goodman co-op students, depending on the academic
term. Moyers and Stark hired two MBA Data Analytics students for the winter term, and this past fall, they employed three undergraduate students. “We relish the opportunity to show non-MIS students the practical side of information systems,” Moyers said. “A lot of people view MIS as traditional IT support services, but that's not what it is. MIS is more aligned with business process improvement and human change management. It’s a great challenge convincing a 50-year-old business owner who has been doing things on paper for a long time that there is a better way.” Moyers and Stark take great pride in championing their degree and continue to stay connected with the professors who inspired them to excel in their field. “Our professors not only encouraged us to work together on ICBC, they set us up for success for where we are today,” Stark said. “We’re grateful for all they’ve done for us and would encourage students to give MIS another look or consideration. It’s a challenging and rewarding career path with increasing employment opportunities.”
GOODMAN WELCOMES NEW FACULTY MEMBERS
DEAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS FEBRUARY 2021 Mark Arthur
President, Industrial Alliance By Daniela Gatti
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his summer, the Goodman School of Business welcomed two new faculty members with more additions in the coming months. Both bring diverse work and academic experience to the School, contributing to Goodman’s strong teaching and research environment.
Mishka Balsom
President & CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Julia Deans
President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada
Mark Dockstator
Past President, First Nations University of Canada
Daniel Goodman
Owner, GFI Investment Counsel
Scott Hawkes
President & CEO, FortisOntario Inc.
Bonnie Lysyk
Auditor General of Ontario
Manik Mair
Co-Chair, Goodman Alumni Network
George Soleas
President & CEO, LCBO
SADIA JAHANZEB
Sadia Jahanzeb joined the Goodman School of Business as an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management in 2020 but is no stranger to the School. Her first appointment at Goodman was in 2014 when she spent four years as a Research Fellow and Assistant Professor after completing her PhD in Human Resource Management from the International Islamic University, Islamabad in Pakistan. She has since taught as an Assistant Professor of Business at Memorial University in Newfoundland. She also holds a Master of Science in Management from International Islamic University, Islamabad, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Karachi. Jahanzeb’s research interests lie in workplace mistreatment, including bullying, supervisory issues and workplace ostracism. Her research has been published in multiple academic journals, including Journal of Business Ethics and European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology.
MARK PARKER
Mark Parker returned to his alma mater this year as he joined Goodman as a Lecturer of Strategy. He previously received his Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Goodman School of Business and is currently completing his PhD in Strategy at the Edinburgh Business School of Heriot-Watt University. Parker has previous teaching experience as a Professor of International Business at Niagara College and is also an Adjunct Professor with Niagara University. His research experience is in innovation ecosystems, business strategy and international business management. He currently serves on the editorial board with the Global Journal of Management and Marketing.
Doug Wilkinson Partner, Deloitte
TORONTO ADVISORY GROUP Deepak Chopra
President & CEO (Retired), Canada Post
Graeme Deans
Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Dan McGrath
COO, Cineplex Entertainment LLP
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY GROUP Greg Berti
Vice-President Global Markets & Industry Relations, Andrew Peller Ltd. Members of the Dean’s Advisory Council are recognized leaders and influencers in their industries who offer diverse expertise, perspectives and advice to the Dean and faculty. They enhance relationships between the School and the business community; assist Dean Andrew Gaudes in shaping the direction of the School; and help the School achieve its overall mission. Most members of the council are not alumni. They have no affinity to the Goodman School of Business other than their belief in the School and its leadership.
Lili Tomovich
Chief Experience Officer, MGM Resorts
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award
2020 DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENTS
DIRK DE CLERCQ
Professor of Management Departmental Researcher of the Year Award Winner for Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship and Ethics Primary research focus: The antecedents, nature and outcomes of people's entrepreneurial activities, at the individual, firm and country levels. What are some of the most significant antecedents impacting the outcomes of entrepreneurial activities? “Doing Good, Feeling Good? Entrepreneurs’ Social Value Creation Beliefs and Workrelated Well-being" is a recent study I did with colleagues that was published in the Journal of Business Ethics. It’s based on secondary data collected from German and Swiss entrepreneurs and shows that entrepreneurs report higher job satisfaction and work engagement, and lower work burnout, to the extent that they believe their organization creates social value. A key explanation for that is their sense of work meaningfulness, which in turn is activated by their social concerns with respect to the common good. Were there any surprises in your findings? Social and commercial entrepreneurial activities may differ, but the choice between them is not binary. Social and commercial objectives, in fact, may complement and reinforce each other. What can companies and governments do to better support and encourage the success of entrepreneurs? Entrepreneurs are happier with their work when they believe they create social value with their businesses — particularly if they have concerns about the common good and well-being of society. Entrepreneurship educators might highlight the importance of social value creation and teach various pathways to reach this outcome, which would benefit not only society but also the entrepreneurs themselves. Entrepreneurs also might actively launch social value programs within their companies to encourage stronger commitments to and opportunities for pursuing social value creation goals among employees. For example, they might ask employees to come up with their own ideas for how the organization can make positive societal contributions. Finally, entrepreneurs with strong social concerns likely thrive most to the extent that they can adjust their businesses’ social orientation to match their own personal priorities.
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MICHELLE LAU
Assistant Professor Departmental Researcher of the Year Award Winner for Accounting Primary research focus: Using economics, psychology, and sociology theories to examine the use of accounting for judgment and decision making by managers. What are some of the ways accounting information can affect trust levels between people? Many assume accounting is objective, value-free, and representative of external realism, providing an “as is” view of economic reality. Though accounting aims to provide a clear picture of reality, economic reality is socially constructed by accounting. Accounting is also the language of business, and often the starting point for business decision making. Relying on a socially constructed version of reality requires trust, and comes with the expectation it is grounded in integrity and competence. Yet, the socially constructed reality accounting aims to present does not exist independently of people’s beliefs and attitudes, which subjectively influence situations in limited and one-sided ways. In turn, accounting can affect all stages of trust among stakeholders; for example, sharing proprietary accounting information can help to establish and maintain trust across economic partners in negotiations. Likewise, proprietary information can be used opportunistically, impairing trust. Accounting can also violate expectations of economic reality, exacerbating trust as illustrated by corporate scandals such as Enron and Lehman Brothers. Still, accounting can be used to repair trust with mandatory regulations, including Canada’s recently enacted Extractive Sector Transparency Act used to increase transparency and reduce corruption within the global extractive industry. Do more regulations create greater trust between stakeholders? Much research remains to be done. Whether accounting regulations affect trust symbolically, based on traditional assumptions of accounting as an objective representation of external realism, or can substantively change human behaviour towards honesty and integrity may hold the answer for managing stakeholder trust. How do you hope your findings will be used in the world of accounting? My research underscores accounting as a social construction of reality rather than an objective presentation of reality, which is key for improving the use of accounting for making decisions.
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he Goodman School of Business Departmental Researcher of the Year Award recognizes research excellence among faculty members in each of the School’s four departments. Excellence in research is represented by the quality and quantity of refereed publications, grants, awards and other research-related activities accomplished in the previous academic year (July 1 to June 30) as reported in the annual report. Each recipient is presented with a plaque and a monetary award deposited in the recipient’s university research account.
KAI-YU WANG
TEJASWINI HERATH
Primary research focus: Investigating the development of brand loyalty in brand communities from a positive psychology perspective.
Primary research focus: The adverse effects of ever-changing and demanding security requirements on employees.
Many people think of the flow theory as it applies to work and being absorbed by the task at hand. What is it related to a brand and brand loyalty? Flow refers to individuals' experience of full engagement, fun and enjoyment in performing or participating in an activity. Researchers have argued that consumer experience should be the centre of brand community. Flow has been shown to enhance customers’ relationships with a brand and its community. This research investigates the role of flow experience in building brand loyalty. Specifically, we study what generates flow experience and how flow influences brand loyalty in brand communities.
What is security-related stress? Security-related stress (SRS) is caused by internal or external security-related demands that tax one’s cognitive resources or abilities. Problems arise when employees experience SRS overload.
Professor of Marketing Departmental Researcher of the Year Award Winner for Marketing, International Business and Strategy
What inspired you to do this research? Years ago, I was curious why several of my friends were so involved in automobile brand-related activities, including brand fests and car racing. Marketers have been using brand communities, for example, Jeep, Apple and HTC smartphones, to build brands. Social media has grown brand communities. For this research, we recruited participants from 31 automobile brand communities in Taiwan to understand how flow experience influences the development of brand identification and loyalty. What do you hope your findings will achieve? We hope they can provide managerial implications in developing successful brand communities. This study demonstrates the impact of community cohesiveness and information quality on generating flow and that flow plays an important role in building brand identification and loyalty. Brand managers should devote efforts to enhancing community cohesiveness through online and offline brand-related activities. In addition, as flow involves skill-challenge balance, the occurrence of flow requires members' active participation. Thus, brand community activities that offer challenges are essential. Brand managers could provide “flow sharing opportunities” for members to share how they are fully engaged in brand community activities. Flow sharing could be mobilized as a facilitator by building a well-organized, easy-to-use social media platform.
Associate Professor of Information Systems Departmental Researcher of the Year Award Winner for Finance, Operations and Information Systems
What effect can SRS have on employees and the organizations in which they work? When security requirements increase workload, become increasingly complex, or are continually updated, they can cause employees stress. That’s because of added time pressure to complete job duties, diminished time and energy for job-related tasks or having to constantly adjust to new requirements with little chance to develop a base of experience or assimilate security into their work routines. As a result, employees have to work harder and faster to compensate for the overload caused by this security requirement. To deal with SRS, employees may modify tasks, reinvent and adapt the technology, complain to supervisors, or reduce the emotional distress by rationalizing and morally disengaging from correct behaviour. What should corporations do to counter the effects of SRS caused by information security requirements? Organizations should develop precise and clearly written security policies, procedures, or guidelines, without excessive technical jargon and legal terms. Periodic security education, training, and awareness (SETA) programs that convey the latest security knowledge and technical skills would also help. Organizations can also involve employees in designing and implementing security requirements, including testing new security requirements, providing feedback, and communicating security changes to co-workers. Additional ways to counter overload can include responsive technical support, such as handling password issues in a timely manner, and user-friendly software solutions, including single sign-on authentication. In addition to dealing with SRS, organizations need formal sanctions to prevent employee rationalization mechanisms that evoke ISP violations, and to clearly articulate those sanctions.
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GOODMAN RESEARCHERS GAIN SUPPORT FROM THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA By Cathy Majtenyi
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oodman researchers Shawna Chen and Robert Steinbauer often get frustrated when they watch business pitch competitions. “People will ask women and men different questions,” noted Chen, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship. “They will ask men, ‘What is your vision for this venture?’ and they will ask women, ‘Are you capable of doing this? Who are your competitors?’” Steinbauer, Associate Professor of Business Ethics, nodded his head vigorously. “We see that males and females have the exact same pitch, but the males are a lot more likely to get funded.” The duo is passionate about contributing to a more level playing field for women entrepreneurs. They submitted a project proposal to Canada’s national research funding agency for financial support.
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When the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) awarded the team an Insight Development Grant for their project “From thinking to doing to being: The entrepreneurial journey of the overlooked and underestimated,” it was a boost that went way beyond the money. “SSHRC support means that we speak to the general public, not just to the academics,” Chen said. Steinbauer added, “It means that what I’m doing is important, not just to myself. Somebody thinks what we are doing can actually have an impact.” In the latest funding round, SSHRC awarded 11 Brock University researchers $655,000 towards Insight Development Grants. About a quarter of these grants were captured by Goodman faculty. Chen and Steinbauer’s research team will explore
perceptions that influence the thoughts and actions of early-stage entrepreneurs in marginalized groups, particularly women. Using a smartphone application developed specifically for the project, some 200 entrepreneurs in the process of launching their ventures will reflect on what they think of experiential activities, such as mentorship programs, and how these shaped their subsequent actions, their state of being, and their venture status. “We would like to see stakeholders in entrepreneurial ecosystems apply our research findings to design more tailored programs for women and marginalized entrepreneurs,” Chen said.
Kemi Anazodo, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
Shawna Chen, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship
Tatyana Sokolyk, Associate Professor of Finance
INSIGHT DEVELOPMENT GRANTS AWARDED
Two other Goodman School research projects received Insight Development Grants this year. Kemi Anazodo and her team are researching how people with a criminal history can be best integrated into the workforce. The Assistant Professor of Organization Behaviour and Human Resource Management, forged relationships with the John Howard Society of Ontario and academics across the United States to carry out research analyzing employers’ attitudes and practices regarding the hiring of workers with criminal pasts. “We know from past research that an essential aspect of integrating people with a criminal history into society is with gainful, sustainable employment. However, most individuals experience so many barriers and hardships in being able to attain that,” she said. Also being awarded an Insight Development Grant is Assistant Professor of Strategy Sylvia Grewatsch for her research, “Reimagining the role of government in catalyzing solutions to grand challenges: Lessons from a 20-year experiment.” She is using the case study of the Alberta government’s Alberta Oil Sands Research and Technology Authority (AOSTRA) — created by thenPremier Peter Lougheed in 1974 and involving more
Sylvia Grewatsch, Assistant Professor of Strategy
Robert Steinbauer, Associate Professor of Business Ethics
than 1,000 innovative projects — to investigate how governments can move beyond playing the “passive” role of providing conducive markets and incentives to take on a more active, “catalytic” role in solving large-scale societal and environmental problems. “The insights of the historical case of AOSTRA will help to inform organizational and management researchers about the role of governments in tackling the grand challenges of our times, such as decarbonizing or diversifying economies,” Grewatsch said. “By making research documents publicly available in an online repository, the research team further aims to inform similar projects in other research disciplines as well as to support governments in making large-scale public investments for sustainable developments.” The Insight Development Grant is designed to support research in its early stages, where new research questions are being explored, or new methods, theoretical approaches or ideas are being used. The research is short-term and smaller scale.
FUNDING FOR LONG-TERM PROJECTS
Long-term, large-scale projects are being funded by SSHRC’s Insight Grant program. In the latest round of Insight Grant funding, Tatyana Sokolyk, Associate Professor of Finance, was awarded funding for her research project “Asset allocation decisions of professional money managers worldwide.” Most academic research on professional money managers tends to focus on asset allocation decisions of U.S. mutual funds at the home market. Sokolyk and her team are expanding that research to advance understanding of asset allocation decisions of professional money managers worldwide to develop practical implications of these decisions for individual investors and policy-makers. “A better understanding of how professional money managers make portfolio allocation decisions in international markets and their performance implications will be useful to individual investors, professional investors, financial advisers, policy-makers, and academics,” she said. As the name implies, SSHRC funding supports research projects and training for students and post-doctoral fellows in the fields of humanities and social sciences in post-secondary institutions all across Canada. SSHRC funding opportunities are available through three programs: Talent, Insight and Connection.
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PROF'S PERSPECTIVE:
COVID-19 AND THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMON
head-side-mask virus HANDS-BUBBLES Paul Dunn, Professor of Ethics
By Paul Dunn
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he COVID-19 pandemic has brought out some of the best and worst in people. Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers in Beamsville, Ont., used its supply of alcohol to produce hand sanitizer that it freely gave to health-care professionals — an example of a firm being socially responsible for the greater good of society. Similarly, the government closed bars, restaurants and gyms in red zones for public safety. Preventing the spread of the disease benefits all of society. Unfortunately, personal self-interest encouraged some to flout the lockdown as they travelled to non-red zones for dinner or to attend spin class. The parable of the tragedy of commons is normally used to illustrate the need for sustainability. The story also applies to diners and spinners, and future business leaders. In ancient England, the townsfolk built their cottages around a large grassy, common area. At night, their animals grazed here. Eventually, one entrepreneur realized that if she put two cows on the common, she could sell the extra milk for a profit. Her next-door neighbour thought that if she could put two cows on the common, then he could have three sheep, and sell the extra wool for a profit. The third neighbour then decided to put four goats on the common. Eventually, there were so many animals that they ate all the grass. From the perspective of each person’s narrow economic self-interest, the decision to put an additional animal on the common is rational. Unfortunately, it does not provide for the common good of the community.
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The moral of the story is that if goods are perceived as freely available for anyone to use, then people will exploit them. Resource companies strip the earth of its minerals because the ores are there for the taking. People overfish the oceans because fish are plentiful. There is no economic motivation for any one firm or person to look out for the common good. Let everyone else be responsible while I make a profit. The tragedy is a reminder that all economic decisions have social consequences. Unrestrained economic selfinterest results in the world’s resources no longer being available to future generations. Listen to the call of the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The parable also has application to COVID-19. By travelling to a non-red zone, diners and spinners have the potential to harm the interests of society by increasing the chances of the disease being spread. Unbridled self-interest must be constrained for the common good. If we do so, eventually everyone can go to theatres, restaurants, bars and gyms because collectively we will have controlled the pandemic. At the Goodman School of Business, we are developing and training future business leaders. Part of our mission is to ensure they are all keenly aware that every one of their economic decisions has social implications. Unconstrained self-interest may be economically worthwhile but is undesirable for the collective good. Ethically responsible leaders know that the survival of the common is essential for the continuation of business and society.
“
The tragedy is a reminder that all economic decisions have social consequences.
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Paul Dunn
GOODMAN
MBA 87%
OF GOODMAN’S MBA CLASS ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
74%
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IN CANADA FOR
CLASS AND FACULTY DIVERSITY 2021 QS GLOBAL MBA RANKINGS
OF GOODMAN PROFESSORS WERE EDUCATED OUTSIDE CANADA
LEADING IN BUILDING YOUR GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. Get there with Goodman.
brocku.ca/goodman/mba WINTER 2021
27
THE LAST WORD
"Working with Goodman's Augmented Reality Marketing course has been a glimpse into the future of marketing education. Students come out of this course with real-world experiences dealing simultaneously with technology and brand partners. As AR becomes more mainstream, a fundamental understanding of the technology and how brands can leverage it for marketing will be a highly sought-after skill." – Harrison Olajos, CEO of UP360 Inc., Development partner with Goodman's Augmented Reality Marketing course
Brock University Niagara Region 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1
brocku.ca/goodman
