Loyola Executive Spring 2011

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COLLEGE OF BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Dennis Lauscha, M.B.A. ’93, New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President and CFO

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS

SPRING 2011

A Saint with Maroon and Gold Ties

BUSINESS PORTFOLIO PROGRAM KEEPS STUDENTS ON TRACK • THE DL-TRADING GAME PROVIDES REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL CAPITAL CELEBRATES SUCCESSES • FACULTY RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTED


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LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS Loyola University New Orleans President

The Rev. Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J. College of Business Dean

William Locander Director, Portfolio & Internships

Kathy Barnett Associate Dean

Angie Hoffer Development Officer College of Business

Traci Wolff Loyola Executive Editor Publications Editor

Ray Willhoft ’00 Loyola Executive Designer

Craig Bloodworth Photographer

Harold Baquet Contributors

Kathy Barnett William Locander Nathan C. Martin


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COLLEGE OF BUSINESS MAGAZINE LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS SPRING 2011 • VOL.4 • NO.1 • WWW.BUSINESS.LOYNO.EDU

COVER FOCUS 6 A Saint with Maroon and Gold Ties

FEATURES 12 Business Portfolio Program Expands Student Services 16 Cats, Robots, and a Stock Trading Game 17 Baklava, Beach Volleyball, and Real Estate 18 Not Your Average Board Game 20 Center For Spiritual Capital Update 24 Celebrating a Lifelong Partnership 28 Faculty Research: Advancing the Theory and Science of Business Loyola Executive is published bi-annually for Loyola University New Orleans College of Business alumni and friends. Please address correspondence to: Loyola Executive Office of the Dean 6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 15 New Orleans, LA 70118 News and photographs for possible use in future issues may be submitted by readers. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Loyola Executive Loyola University New Orleans 7214 St. Charles Avenue, Box 909 New Orleans, LA 70118 Loyola University New Orleans has fully supported and fostered in its educational programs, admissions, employment practices, and in the activities it operates the policy of not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex/gender, or sexual orientation. This policy is in compliance with all applicable federal regulations and guidelines.


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“Over the years, I have tried to ‘repay’ Loyola for the wonderful education I received. Loyola gift annuities have allowed me to make gifts while receiving a secure annual income for life. The Office of Planned Giving pointed out the substantial tax savings which made it possible for me to be even more generous than I originally anticipated.” —Roland Hymel ’53

For information on how to save taxes while making a gift to Loyola, contact: Robert S. Gross Director of Planned Giving (504) 861-5565 rgoss@loyno.edu Or visit www.loyno.edu/plannedgiving


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From the Dean This is a very special issue of Loyola Executive because it features Loyola’s relationship with the New Orleans Saints. Dennis Lauscha is not only an MBA graduate of Loyola but serves as the chair of our Visiting Committee of executive advisers. We are proud to have Dennis as one of our alumni. You will also read about Tyler Cocek, a young alumnus who’s part of the Saints organization as well. In this issue, we also feature two of our junior faculty members, John Levendis and Mehmet Dicle, who have “invented” an online stock market game. It allows our students the chance to play a simulated stock game to learn before risking their own money. There is also a nice article on the Center for Spiritual Capital which features our upcoming programs and initiatives. In the article, you will find a recap of our inaugural year including the center’s accomplishments to date. The College of Business has published a research brochure highlighting the research interests of faculty. I am grateful to our faculty for not only being excellent teachers, but also productive scholars in their disciplines. To them, I say kudos! Last but not least, is a fine story of two people, Tom and Kitty Kloor, who met at the university and have been part of the Loyola family for decades. My thanks to them for sharing some family photos of the good old days at Loyola. I hope you enjoy this issue of the Executive as it is a reflection of all that faculty, students, staff, and alumni have accomplished for our college. Sincerely,

William B. Locander, Ph.D. College of Business Dean

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A Saint with Maroon and Gold Ties Aside from the $8 million gift of New Orleans Saints Owner Tom Benson, H’87, to Loyola University New Orleans, the College of Business enjoys a special relationship with this Super Bowl Champion organization. The executive vice president and chief financial officer for the NFL franchise is CoB alumnus Dennis Lauscha, M.B.A. ’93. In his 13th season with the Saints, Dennis says this is his dream job. Having grown up in New Orleans, he is a longtime Saints fan and now, an officer with his favorite NFL franchise. Dennis also serves as the chairperson of our CoB Visiting Committee. Dennis credits his Jesuit education in getting him to where he is today. He speaks fondly of his time at Jesuit High

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School and approaches the daily tasks of his job with the Saints with an eye towards Jesuit values. A conversation with him includes references to “being a man for others” and “seeking a greater good.” His actions reflect his views. He has served as president of the Preservation Resource Center and credits his work with that organization in understanding the importance of bringing the Superdome back to life after Hurricane Katrina. He has also served as president of the regional chapter of the Boy Scouts of America. Dennis’ attention to others is evident when he talks about how much the Saints organization has meant to the greater New Orleans community. Being part of an organization that has such close community

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ties is very special to him. He proudly tells of how following Katrina, the Saints indoor practice football field on Airline Drive became a military base of sorts. The indoor training facility became a make-shift barracks for close to 200 service people. The facility was kept dark 24 hours a day so that soldiers could sleep between shifts. Dennis even likens the inscription on his Championship Super Bowl ring (which by the way is HUGE) as not a far leap from Jesuit ideals. The inscription reads: “Smell greatness, finish, and be special.” And special the Saints have been. Their 2010 run to the Super Bowl ignited a city that needed something hopeful, a sign if you will, that things were going to be okay. Dennis says they couldn’t have done it without the fans, and speaks proudly of the fine reputation Saints fans hold throughout the league. As he says, “People in this industry say the experience at New Orleans games with the fans is like no other.” He loves the fans. Even while this is his self-proclaimed dream job, rest assured Dennis doesn’t spend his days tossing the football around with Drew Brees. In addition to maintaining the team’s finances, he oversees the Saints human resources, information and technology, and facilities and grounds departments. He is a key negotiator on various deals with the state government

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“Dennis has played a critical role for our organization for a long time. He understands our business and the market very well, which is a great combination in his role as our executive vice president/chief financial officer. Dennis is actively involved in his community, and we could not be more proud to have him as part of our team.” —Tom Benson, H’87, New Orleans Saints Owner

and was part of the negotiation to keep the Saints in New Orleans through 2025. He was also an important part of the negotiating team that landed Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans in 2013, sure to be a boon to the local economy. Not surprisingly, members of the Saints organization speak highly of Dennis. Mickey Loomis, executive vice president and general manager of the Saints organization, knows that this CFO brings much to the table. “Dennis is a critical member of our management team. He understands what an NFL

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team needs to be successful. He understands the relationship between winning on the field and winning on the business side. We would not have a successful NFL franchise in one of the smallest markets in the league if it were not for Dennis’ expertise. He has been a driving force behind projects such as Champions Square, the remodel of the Superdome, and the acquisitions of Fox 8 and Benson Tower. I value his opinion and frequently consult him on matters related to our team.” Saints Owner Tom Benson feels the

Spring 2011 www.business.loyno.edu

same way. “Dennis has played a critical role for our organization for a long time. He understands our business and the market very well, which is a great combination in his role as our executive vice president/chief financial officer. He sits on the team’s Board of Directors and is very involved in the short and long-term decisions we make about the team’s future. Dennis is actively involved in his community, and we could not be more proud to have him as part of our team.” When asked what advice he had for

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“People in this industry say the experience at New Orleans games with the fans is like no other.” —Dennis Lauscha, M.B.A. ’93

undergrads who are approaching entering the real world, Dennis responds with this: “First of all, study! Acquire a diverse business background so that you are well-rounded. Know that there will be ups and downs in your career, but you have to stay the course and not get discouraged.” When asked of what he is most proud of in

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his career, Dennis’ answer reminds you of the saying “there is no ‘I’ in team.” He answers in terms of what the organization has accomplished—keeping the Saints in the city and renovating the old New Orleans Center building and the Superdome to revitalize that area for the people of New Orleans who have long supported the Saints. Truly a man for others.

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From Intern to Full-Time Saint What happens when you mix talent and hard work with being at the right place at the right time? You get a chance to work in the National Football League. That’s how it happened for CoB alumus Tyler Cocek ’09. Tyler, a native of Dallas, Texas, is also a Jesuit High School graduate (Dallas). He was an accounting major at Loyola who landed an internship with the New Orleans Saints. As luck would have it, an employee in the finance division decided to retire after 42 years of service to the Saints, leaving a vacancy in a department where turnover is rare. By proving himself during his internship, Tyler landed the fulltime job. He too describes his work as his dream job and credits his Jesuit education with getting him to where he is today. “I learned to persevere” he says. His advice to undergrads: “Hard work really does pay off. Know what your dreams are and follow them.” The best perk so far of

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working for the Saints organization? Getting to attend the 2010 Super Bowl of course. The entire Saints staff was treated to a trip to the big game. “Being there with everyone and getting to experience that together was just indescribable.” Even though he doesn’t get to hang out with the players, he does see them from time to time if they have a question about their paycheck. In this case, all that accounting homework really paid off with a huge dividend—after all, how many staff accountants do you know who have their very own Super Bowl ring?

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Business Portfolio Program

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Expands Student Services I n a competitive job market, anything college grads can do to differentiate themselves from the competition is important. To ensure our College of

Business students can face the competition head on, we have added staff

and services to the Business Portfolio Program in order to more strategically

assist students in their career-development plans and job placement.

Karin Iwasaka, M.S., joined the Portfolio staff as career and academic counselor. Karin holds a master’s degree in counseling with an emphasis on career counseling from California State University, Long Beach. She worked as a career counselor at the University of California Santa Barbara Career Services office and as a career counselor intern with California State University Long Beach campus before following her military husband south. Karin is responsible for a number of Portfolio activities including workshop design, activity/assignment development, academic advising with freshmen, resume and cover letter reviews, mock interviews, and many one-on-one conversations with students on a variety of topics related to career and academic success. She says of her Loyola experience thus far: “Since starting as Portfolio career and academic counselor last August, I’ve enjoyed meeting with students individually to advise them on academic and career questions. It is exciting to see students adapt to university life, as well as think about who they are, what they would like to do in the future, and how they plan to get there. We’ve been working with sophomores to present their experiences accurately and confidently, without underselling or overselling their accomplishments through developing their resume writing and interviewing skills. The main point I’d like students to realize is that our office is a resource, and we enjoy working with them as they pursue success in academics, careers, and life.” Mark McLean, M.B.A. ’92, joined the Portfolio staff in early fall as the coordinator for the CoB’s Pilot Placement Services Program. Mark comes to us with an extensive corporate background having worked at Deloitte for more than 15 years in a variety of national and international HR positions including national director of coaching and career services and national HR director of human capital. He is currently working closely with our junior and senior students on career plan coaching and development. As Mark has observed, “Many of our junior and senior students with whom I have

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Mark McLean, M.B.A. ’92, coordinator for the Pilot Placement Services Program, gave students a presentation on career development as part of the Business Portfolio Program.

“Many of our junior and senior students with whom I have been meeting are more than adequately prepared on the technical front (their major) to succeed in their chosen career field. However, the vast majority are not yet prepared and/or have simply not yet put a plan in motion to achieve their career goals.” —Mark McLean, M.B.A. ’92, Coordinator, Pilot Placement Services Program

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been meeting are more than adequately

result in specific, immediate, and actionable

prepared on the technical front (their major) to

steps for each student to take (and own) to

succeed in their chosen career field. However,

move his or her career search forward. The

the vast majority are not yet prepared and/or

comment I often hear, particularly after our

have simply not yet put a plan in motion to

initial 1:1 discussion, is they are ‘relieved’ to

achieve their career goals. Students are often

have a concrete plan in place and to have

‘stuck’ in the land of not knowing exactly how

figured out their immediate next steps.”

to ‘jump-start’ their career search. To address this

And last but not least, Cathy Berry

gap in technical expertise and career planning,

joined the staff on a part-time basis as

we are piloting ‘placement services activities’

Portfolio secretary keeping track of the

including 1:1 career coaching sessions which

many, many details that go into running a

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The Business Portfolio Program hosted a College of Business Networking Event in November for juniors and seniors to mingle and apply the art of professional networking.

“It is exciting to see students adapt to university life, as well as think about who they are, what they would like to do in the future, and how they plan to get there.” —Karin Iwasaka, M.S., Portfolio Career and Academic Counselor

program that includes more than 300

addition of a placement services component

actively engaged students.

directly impacts our success in getting the

Kathy Barnett, Ph.D., continues as director of the Portfolio Program in addition to teaching,

Kathy and all Portfolio staff members

internships, and college marketing duties.

continue to work closely with Loyola’s Career

Barnett says the focus of the program this year

Development Center staff to ensure the best

has been to further develop a strong employer

possible career planning and job search

base and a strong pool of student job applicants

experience for all CoB students. Portfolio

to go along with that base.

students will leave the campus not only with

“We can get a host of impressive employers to our campus to interview, but if we don’t have a supply of well-prepared, focused student

Spring 2011

attention of potential employers.”

degree in hand but also a series of tools to go one-on-one with the competition. For

more

information

on

the

candidates for them to interview, those

Business Portfolio Program, visit

employers aren’t going to come back. The

www.business.loyno.edu/portfolio

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Cats, Robots, and a Stock Trading Game What do cats, robots, and a stock market trading game have in common? Answer: Professor Mehmet Dicle, Ph.D. The name Dicle is Turkish and causes even those who know him well pronunciation problems (pronounced die-sil). Mehmet joined the Loyola faculty in fall 2007 and has been a highly respected teacher and scholar ever since. Students sing his praises while his five cats whine for attention. One of Mehmet’s hobbies are his five cats. Mehmet says that cats are fascinating animals—all with unique personalities. He recalls with a laugh the time when, in the early morning hours, he was surrounded by his cats and trying to feverishly finish a long financial analysis for an academic paper submission when Katia gently walked across his keyboard as if it was her right of way. Mehmet says his cats are notoriously independent. Mehmet also designs and builds robots just for the fun of it. He even has one robot that entertains his cats. It turns out that the robot provides just what cats can’t seem to ignore— playful movement. The recent passion in his life, in addition to his wife, Betul, and newborn baby girl, is the trading game which he readily shares with students. He and another Loyola College of Business faculty member, Dr. John Levendis, have worked for the past few years in developing and publishing the trading game. The game has been used in Loyola’s finance classes since the summer of 2009. Mehmet said that students seem to like how the trading game applies all that they learn in the course. First, they learn the material. Then, they take a test drive with the game. Then, they take Dr. Ron Christner’s Student Managed Fund class for real experience. A recent semester’s students were actually asking for the game. They kept asking “when are we going to play the DL-Trading Game?” It is nice when students thirst for a learning experience. So, Mehmet’s life is full of activity—a crying newborn baby in hand with cats, robots, and computers in the background. All of these as a backdrop to a successful teaching, researching, and publishing career.

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Baklava, Beach Volleyball, and Real Estate There is no confusion that the name Levendis (as in Professor John Levendis ’97, Ph.D.) has its roots in ancient Greece. John is proud of his Greek heritage and his love of such dishes as saganaki, dolmades, gyros, and, of course, baklava for his sweet tooth. While there is a substantial-sized Greek community in New Orleans, John has a special attachment to his Greek heritage. John’s cousin, George, operates one of the few Greek restaurants in the area, Mr. Gyro’s. Ask John anytime and he is up for a Greek feast at his cousin’s restaurant. John joined the Loyola faculty in fall 2005. His Ph.D. degree is in economics from the University of Iowa but he came home to Loyola where he earned a B.B.A. in economics and was in the University Honors Program. John remembers fondly his undergraduate years at Loyola where he developed an appetite for volleyball. His interest continues as he plays beach volleyball regularly in a city league on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. John’s research interest, in addition to working with Dr. Mehmet Dicle on the Stock Trading Game, lies in the field of real estate. John used his talents in statistics to conduct a number of empirical studies on the effect of Hurricane Katrina on real estate values in New Orleans. His work has been published in prestigious journals like Applied Economics, Journal of Financial Education, and the Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money. His research is of personal importance as one from the New Orleans area. Some of his work has examined the effects of Hurricane Katrina on real estate values. His research examines flood hazards and urban housing markets including risk and geographic elevation of properties. John feels that it is important to understand unique real estate markets in areas like New Orleans. John’s contributions to Loyola’s College of Business as a talented researcher, excellent teacher, and, above all, outstanding colleague makes him popular with students and faculty alike.

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Not Your Average Board Game

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Having read the profiles of faculty members what they have learned in the course. First, Mehmet Dicle, Ph.D., and John Levendis, they learn the material. Then, they put it to Ph.D., on the proceeding pages, it should the test with the DL-TG. Next, they take Dr. come as no surprise that the two have created Ron Christner’s Student Managed Fund class a new and innovative teaching tool—The for real experience.” Future plans for the game include a DL-Trading Game (©2009). This online trading game gives students the opportunity to competition with other universities across the experience simulated trading with imaginary country. Currently, students from more than cash as part of their classroom experience. 10 states, Korea, and Russia are participating The two have utilized the game in classes in the game in addition to Loyola students. including Financial Management, Dicle and Levendis also presented a paper on International Financial Management, the game at the Financial Education Advanced Financial Management, and Association Conference and will have had a paper published in the Journal of Financial Derivatives since the summer of 2009. The game is incorporated into the Education. academic course material through case studies Perhaps the best testament of the DLspecifically designed for each class. Students are given certain requirements and directions they must complete that include simulated trading. Students then receive feedback from their professors and are —International Business Major graded on whether or not they fulfilled the requirements rather than their profits and Trading Game as a valuable teaching tool can losses. The students can see what they did be found in an e-mail response from an wrong and learn from their mistakes without international business major to his professor: having to take any actual risk. As one student “I was not looking forward to working on commented: “Better to make mistakes now anything school-related last night, but I really rather than in real life with real money.” The got into this game and had no trouble staying catch is that once a student trades a symbol no awake to get it done! I am not sure if I did one else can trade it, making each trade everything correctly, but I had a great time attempt a new attempt. The student accounts trying to figure it all out. It is a huge benefit are anonymous to ensure privacy. to us as students to have something like the Dicle and Levendis agree that the game has trading game to work with. I truly appreciate been a hit with the students. As Dicle the time and effort it clearly took to put it all commented, “The students seem to like how together, and had a great time taking this the DL-Trading Game allows them to apply course.”

“I was not looking forward to working on anything school-related last night, but I really got into this game and had no trouble staying awake to get it done!”

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Center for Spiritual Capital Update A Year of Firsts

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This year was the inaugural year for the Center for Spiritual Capital. We created

an

Advisory

Committee

consisting of Nicholas Capaldi, Ph.D., the center’s director; Bill Locander, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business; the Rev. Ted Dziak, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry and director of Loyola’s Jesuit Center; Roger White, Ph.D., of the Department of Political Science; founding partners John B. Levert, Jr., and Alan Arnold ’64, M.B.A. ’71; Susan Couvillon, of the Almar Foundation; and Mel Lagarde, president and CEO of HCA. Additions to the Advisory Committee will be made later this year. The center has a new office on campus in Miller Hall 213. Our website has been launched, and we are pleased to introduce our administrative assistant, Stephanie Willis. Our first event was a dinner last May

honoring

Alden

J.

“Doc”

Laborde and the naming of the award the Doc Laborde Award for Ethical Entrepreneurship (see previous issue of Loyola Executive for more details). At the dinner, Professor James Stoner of LSU delivered the First John B. Levert Lecture. Our major focus for the fall of 2010 was the advance showing of the film Doing

Virtuous

Business.

Doing

Virtuous Business is a new Emmynominated

PBS

documentary

by

Theodore Roosevelt Malloch, Ph.D.,

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University President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D., (left) and College of Business Dean William Locander, Ph.D., (right) honor Alden J. “Doc” Laborde (center) at the Center for Spiritual Capital dinner held in May. based on his book of the same title.

Beers, Ph.D., who has a long association

Malloch is the leading figure in the

with Legatus (a national organization of

Spiritual Capital movement in the U.S.

Catholic Business Leaders with 60 local

and internationally. The film explores the

chapters dedicated to studying, living, and

concept of virtuous capitalism and shows

spreading the faith in their business,

how

are

professional, and personal lives). Beers

applying it in today’s turbulent economic

spoke at a special luncheon for Legatus

landscape. The showing of the film was

members on February 16. His topic was the

followed by a panel discussion that

Catholic Entrepreneur. That evening, he

included Ted Malloch himself, Nicholas

delivered a university and community-wide

Capaldi, Corrado Giacona, of Corrado

talk titled “Edith Stein and Ayn Rand: Two

Container Corp., and John Finan, Jr.,

Approaches to Personalism.”

successful

business

leaders

president and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.

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Second, the center hosted P.J. Hill, renowned

economist

from

Wheaton

The spring of 2011 includes several

College and former president of the

events sponsored by the center. Our first

Christian Economists Association. Hill

speaker event of 2011 was Fr. J. Michael

spoke to a university-wide audience on

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Loyola Board of Trustees Member Rita Benson LeBlanc, Professor Lee Yao, Ph.D., Businessman/Author Ted Malloch, Ph.D., Businessman Corrado Giacona, and Professor Wing Fok, Ph.D., socialize after a screening of Malloch’s film Doing Virtuous Business.

March 30 on the topic

responsible business activities,

of the relation between

government influences on

Christianity and Markets.

corporate

accountability,

Our major event for the

corporate social responsibility

spring will be to host an

and corporate risk, and

International Conference

corporate social responsibility

on

and the triple bottom

Corporate

Social

Responsibility May 18 –

line.

20.

formal papers, there will

More than 100

participants

from

30

In

addition

to

be workshops, symposia,

different countries will be

poster

in attendance. There will

doctor colloquia where

be paper presentations on

graduate students can

such topics as sustainable

present their work.

business activity, multi-national corporate

sessions,

and

For more information or to be put on

entrepreneurship,

our mailing list, please visit the center’s

globalization and corporate activity, socially

website: www.loyno.edu/spiritual-capital

accountability,

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social

www.business.loyno.edu

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W

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hile love at first sight is certainly

pencil-thin mid-calf blue skirt, saddle Oxfords, and a

thrilling, it can also be unnerving.

pair of white socks. I went home that evening and

What if the person who caught your

talked about her to my family.”

eye declines to love you back?

Tom learned that the young woman’s name was

College of Business alumnus Tom

Catherine—“Kitty,” she’s called—and that her

Kloor ’52 remembers the excitement of immediate

brother had dated Tom’s sister. Armed with this ice-

infatuation from his first semester at Loyola, when a

breaker, Tom approached Kitty the next day in the

young woman rose from the front row of his religious

cafeteria as she sat with her friends. He introduced

studies class to pass out papers for the instructor.

himself and mentioned their mutual relations.

“I was so awestruck by her appearance that I felt I

“As well as he remembers what I was wearing,”

had to meet her,” Tom says. “I still remember what

Kitty says, “his statement at the table, after asking

she was wearing the first time I saw her: a white

about my brother, was, ‘You know, I’m in your

blouse with a brown neckerchief at her neck, a

religion class.’ And I said, ‘Oh, are you?’ I didn’t

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know who he was. I

world.’ So I told her father, ‘Well, I guess we can

didn’t know his name!”

rethink that.’”

“That was a real putdown,” Tom says. Despite

this

Kitty’s father owned a furniture store, and that is how Tom got his start in the industry. Tom worked

initial

for Kitty’s father and alongside her brother for 14

setback and a disastrous first

years, learning the business inside and out,

Celebrating a Lifelong Partnership date, Tom and Kitty Kloor

experiencing every step that made a furniture store

have been together ever

run smoothly.

since. Over the years, they

“I could do everything,” Tom says. “I could keep

have been an inseparable

the books, I could drive the truck, I could do the

unit and the force behind

collection route when we didn’t have collectors.”

the establishment of not

But there was a problem: Tom had been working

only a strong and loving

for his father-in-law for 14 years, but at the outset

family, but an outstandingly

Kitty’s father had promised to turn over the

successful furniture business

company to both Tom and Kitty’s brother after 10

in New Orleans, a glowing

years. Business had been so good that the old man

reputation that precedes

did not want to retire. So, one day, out of

them anywhere in the

frustration, Tom decided to quit his father-in-law,

region, and a number of

and he went into business for himself.

endowments, scholarships,

“Several people wanted me to come to work for

and other resources that greatly benefit the students

them,” Tom says. “But I said, ‘You know, I have 14

and faculty of Loyola University New Orleans.

years invested in people. There are people out there

Tom’s plan upon graduation from Loyola was to

who trust me, they like me, and I may as well take

make a life in the military. He had served two active

advantage of that.’ So I went into competition with

years in the Navy and four more in the reserve, been

my father-in-law.”

a distinguished ROTC student, and was offered

During the years Tom honed his abilities in the

regular commission by the Army his senior year. But

furniture business, Kitty pursued her own passion:

when Tom petitioned Kitty’s father for his daughter’s

teaching. She taught students at every level and

hand in marriage, that plan came to an abrupt halt.

nearly every subject for 18 years at St. Andrew the

“Her father told me, ‘I only have one daughter

Apostle School in Gretna, but her favorite level was

and one son,’” Tom says, “‘and I don’t think her

third grade, and her favorite subject was English.

mother and I would be very happy with you being

Kitty possesses an ardor for grammar, a healthy

married and having children stationed all over the

regard for legible handwriting, and a passion for

Spring 2011 www.business.loyno.edu

25


ExecSpring11_24_27_128_loyolaSpring_10_17 3/13/11 2:14 PM Page 4

This enthusiasm translated into serious action in Kitty’s classroom. “This is the kind of teacher I was,” Kitty says. “I walked, I never sat at the desk. If the principal came in for any reason, I was busy. I don’t correct papers in class, I’m teaching.” Kitty eventually left teaching full time to help Tom with his new furniture store. The company thrived thanks to Tom’s sound business sense, conservative handling of capital, strong work ethic, and vast network of loyal customers. Kitty added a woman’s touch to the operation, managing the store’s aesthetics and accessories, taking the occasional marketing trip, and meeting customers on the floor to help them select their new accoutrements. Kitty put to use the same impeccable appearance that had first enraptured Tom to assure patrons they were in good hands. “Kitty has never been without a hair in

Tom and Kitty Kloor in their Loyola days.

place,” Tom says. During the eight years following Tom’s departure, the furniture store owned by Kitty’s father slumped, and the man who had

pronunciation. She did not hesitate to send

introduced Tom to the industry decided to finally

misbehaving children home with dictionary

retire. Though the two had not spoken with one

exercises for extra homework.

another since Tom’s sour departure, Tom and his

“And she still corrects people—a lot,” Tom says.

father-in-law made amends and brokered a deal for

“When you marry someone who has a teaching

Tom to buy the company. Twenty-two years after a

background, you are always learning.”

young Tom Kloor first stepped foot in the furniture

No one enters into the teaching profession for money, but Kitty’s love of the school made pay

continues to this day.

almost a complete nonissue. She taught as a

Throughout their successful careers, Tom and

volunteer at St. Andrew for 10 years, only

Kitty have held Loyola in a special place in their

receiving a salary her last eight years.

hearts—not only as the place where they studied and

“All my life I was active at the school,” Kitty says. “I washed dishes in the cafeteria to be able to serve lunch to the kids. I liked it.” 26

business, he was at the helm of a furniture empire that

met long ago, but as an institution that represents and promotes values they cherish. “What you learn from the Jesuit system is to be Loyola Executive


ExecSpring11_24_27_128_loyolaSpring_10_17 3/13/11 2:14 PM Page 5

Alpha Kappa Alumni

Tom and Kitty Kloor relaxing in the outdoors.

Association. Whether attending meetings for these groups or Mass at Ignatius Chapel, Tom and Kitty regularly find a way to be on campus and part of the Loyola community. “If Tom turned the key in the lock and said, ‘Kitty, pack up, we’re closing this business,’ I would follow,” Kitty

generous,” Tom says, “and to love everyone. Not

says. “And people say, ‘What would Tom do if he

that you want to love them and hug them, but to

closed the business?’ I say, ‘He would not sit in the

give everybody justice.”

pair of wing-backed chairs we have in the den with

The Kloors are true embodiments of the spirit of

the ottoman and retire, because I wouldn’t sit in

generosity, and strongly exhibit their commitment to

the other one and watch him. He’d probably be at

social justice by supporting Loyola professors who

Loyola four days a week. Instead of one or two

teach it in their classrooms, as well as Loyola students

like he is now.’”

who learn it there. The Kloors were instrumental in establishing the Fr. Guy Lemieux SAK Professorship, which currently supports Professor Gary Herbert of the Department of Philosophy, and they have

iI Loyola Honors

established two generous endowed funds at Loyola: The Thomas and Catherine Kloor Professorship in Business and The Kloor First-Generation University Student Scholarship. They have received a number of honors from the university, including Tom’s being named College of Business Alumni of the Year in 2005, and in 2007, Tom and Kitty received the

Integritas Vitae Award – Tom and Kitty, 2007 College of Business Alumnus of the Year – Tom, 2005 Alumni Association Board of Directors President – Tom

Integritas Vitae Award, Loyola’s highest honor. Two of the Kloor’s three children graduated from Loyola—their middle child made a vow to never

Annual Fund Chair – Tom, 2005

follow his older brother to another school after they

Sigma Alpha Kappa Alumni Association President – Tom

both attended Jesuit High School—and Tom has

iI

remained actively involved via Loyola’s Alumni Association, Annual Fund, and the Sigma

Spring 2011 www.business.loyno.edu

27


ExecSpring11_28_29_128_loyolaSpring_10_17 3/16/11 1:08 PM Page 2

Faculty Research: Advancing the Theory and Science of Business WILLIAM BARNETT II

MICHELLE JOHNSTON

CHASE DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT

J.D., Civil Law, Loyola University New Orleans Ph.D., Economics, Michigan State University B.B.A., Economics, Loyola University New Orleans William Barnett’s research focuses primarily on macroeconomics, particularly business cycle theory and analysis, and most especially the Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT). Barnett’s particular interests include refining and updating ABCT, which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, to take into account changed and changing institutions. Specifically, he focuses on capital theory, the structure of production, and the misallocation of resources; the Federal Reserve System and its fraudulent financial statements; financial institutions, markets, and instruments; and money and credit. Barnett’s secondary research focus is on methodology, specifically the failure of mainstream economics to be scientific. This encompasses the ambiguous use of many critical terms, the failure to use dimensions/units consistently and correctly, the misuse of mathematics, and the failure to make explicit critical assumptions. The results of Barnett’s research have found, among other things, that although business cycles are usually initiated by a money-credit expansion, they can also be initiated by a credit expansion, in the form of massive mismatching between the maturity terms of financial intermediaries assets and liabilities. Also, he has found that demand and supply curves, which are mathematical functions, violate a basic principle of mathematics and, therefore, are mathematically unacceptable.

28

Ph.D., Louisiana State University M.A., Communication, Auburn University B.A., Communication, Auburn University Michelle Johnston’s recent research explores communication on organizational performance, with a specific focus on listening, and the relationship between internal organization culture and external customer relationships. Johnston and her College of Business colleagues Kendra Reed and Kate Lawrence have isolated and investigated a new dimension of listening, called Team Listening Environment. This research advances the understanding of how a strong listening climate can positively affect customer service, team outcomes, and financial performance. It finds that managers require an organizational culture that encourages customer orientation, and employees who feel confident that team members listen to their ideas may invest more effort in shaping their organization’s response to customers. In this way, managers who promote genuine listening among employees can build committed highperforming work teams who achieve organizational success and ultimately stronger financial outcomes.

Loyola Executive


ExecSpring11_28_29_128_loyolaSpring_10_17 3/13/11 2:15 PM Page 3

A new publication of the CoB, Faculty Research, highlights recent scholarly writings authored by our faculty. Following are a few of the professors included in the pages of Faculty Research. To view the entire publication, visit our website at www.business.loyno.edu

JEFFREY KRUG

MICHAEL PEARSON

JACK AND VADA REYNOLDS CHAIR IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTER

CHASE BANK/FRANCIS C. DOYLE DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF MARKETING

Ph.D., Management, Indiana University M.S., International Business, The Pennsylvania State University B.A., Economics, The Pennsylvania State University Jeffrey A. Krug conducts research on strategy and international business. His research has focused on global strategy, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and top management teams. Krug’s research has been published in several leading journals, and he has also authored or edited five books. Krug is nationally recognized for his research on the effects of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on target company executive teams. Conventional wisdom holds that executive-level turnover returns to “normal” levels within two or three years. Krug’s research shows that M&As actually lead to higher than normal turnover rates among target company executives that can last 10 or more years. Mergers and acquisitions appear to alter the underlying dynamics of many acquired company executive teams and lead to long-term leadership instability. This instability is not easily eliminated. Krug has been an external consultant for Accenture’s Organizational Change Strategy Group, consulting on post-merger integration and executive leadership issues. He continues to focus on producing new research insights that can be applied in practice—by executives, firms, and consultants.

Spring 2011

www.business.loyno.edu

Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder M.B.A., University of Colorado, Boulder B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota Michael Pearson’s research post-Hurricane Katrina has focused on New Orleans’ retail infrastructure and how it has and has not recovered after the storm. Pearson began gathering information on how New Orleans retailers were recovering immediately after Katrina, noting whether hard goods or soft goods retailers were leading the recovery, whether these were independent businesses or chains, and whether the retailers were large or small. While this research is still in progress, preliminary results have been presented at and published in proceedings of several national and international conferences. Pearson’s research has evolved from what he initially gathered from reports in newspapers and personal observations, to developing retail recovery propositions and testing those using Yellow Pages listings from preand post-Katrina in order to achieve a quantitative count of the increase or decrease in number of retail stores by merchandise category. Pearson then developed criteria to select American cities recovering from disasters to which he could compare New Orleans, and studied their retail recovery and recovery-based consumer buying behavior based on information gathered from the Census of Retail Trade.

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ExecSpring11_30_31_128_loyolaSpring_10_17 3/13/11 2:16 PM Page 2

CoB Fall Picnic Celebrates with Professors Chris Screen and Bill Barnett debate proper burger flipping techniques at their work station.

Students soaked up the beautiful sunshine and good company.

The Crazy Cat Lady, the Good Witch, and the Ghost of Picnics Past joined in the fun.

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Loyola Executive


ExecSpring11_30_31_128_loyolaSpring_10_17 3/13/11 2:17 PM Page 3

Costumes and Camaraderie

Students and faculty enjoyed a beautiful day with lots of good conversation and picnic goodies.

To Mary Sue, Valerie, and the CoB Staff— Thanks for another great CoB picnic! Fall 2010 www.business.loyno.edu

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ExecSpring11Cover_SummerCover 3/13/11 2:00 PM Page 2

OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS 7214 St. Charles Avenue Campus Box 909 New Orleans, LA 70118-3538

Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID Burlington, VT 05401 Permit no. 185


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