2022 UCR School of Business Magazine and Dean's Report

Dean Yunzeng Wang

Associate Dean and Department Chair Margaret C. Campbell

Associate Dean, Graduate Programs

Rami Zwick

Associate Dean, Undergraduate Program Thomas Kramer

Senior Director of Development Jennifer June

Editor-in-chief, Assistant Dean, Marketing & Communications Kathleen Drake Editor Laurie McLaughlin Contributors

Elias Almarez-Herrera ʼ23 Brian Bombarda Darin Estep

Stan Lim Holly Ober Victoria Pike Bond Carlos Puma Carrie Rosema Milka Soto Design Teresa Fritzler

CONTACT US

Marketing & Communications businessmarketing@ucr.edu

University of California, Riverside

School of Business

Anderson Hall

900 University Avenue Riverside, CA 92521

UCRBUSINESS

BUSINESS SHOWCASE

2 A Message from the Dean

As a new academic year begins, Dean Yunzeng Wang celebrates breaking ground on the new School of Business building, the great accomplishments of students and faculty, and the professional success of UCR

s business alumni.

3 UCR Business News

Noteworthy people, events, accomplishments, honors, and service projects underscore the School of Business

s core values of inclusion, integrity, innovation, and collaboration.

8 Center for Economic Forecasting & Development

A wide range of economic information and resources is available to the Southern California business community through the Center for Economic Forecasting & Development.

10 Executive Fellows

Within our Executive Fellows program, business leaders are selected for their outstanding leadership, professional experience, and business expertise. The 2022-2023 fellows, all alumni, advise and mentor students.

52 Final Take

The ultimate celebration, more than 1,100 business students graduated in 2022. Masterʼs students in the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management also indulged a spring day of fun.

©2022 University of California, Riverside

University of California, Riverside School of Business | A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management

NEW HOME FOR BUSINESS

The new School of Business structureʼs contemporary, resilient design embraces innovation—ready to flex with technologies and educational advances yet unknown— creating extraordinary new opportunities to serve our students, the regionʼs businesses, and the UC Riverside campus community.

BUSINESS RESEARCH

12 Made to Order

Mass customization can make fashion more sustainable if customers are willing to wait for it.

14 Too Many Questions

Itʼs tempting to assume more data is better, but surveys with repetitive questions yield bad data.

16 Speaking Creatively

How company leaders talk about creativity can hurt investor confidence.

CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS

22 Your UCR Business Network

UCR business alumni are leading organizations across the state, nation, and globe. This vast network is a valuable resource willing to share expertise.

2021-2022 DEAN’S REPORT

34 With exemplary performance by our students and faculty, the UCR School of Business and the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management look at the considerable accomplishments over the last year within our vibrant community.

FOLLOW

A Message from the Dean

New Year, New Building, New Opportunities

As we begin the new academic year, it was a great privilege to host our fall welcome back celebration— a tradition at UCR Business—bringing new and returning students as well as faculty and staff together to kick off the year. We look forward to resuming other traditions as the year progresses.

Over the summer, we received the final approval for our new School of Business campus, which encompasses our current home, Anderson Hall, and a new beautifully designed 63,400-square-foot building and adjacent areas. This has been more than five years in the making—including the vision phase, design competition, awarding of the contract, and groundbreaking this fall. You will find renderings of the new business school campus on pages 18 through 21. We hope you are as excited as we are about this next chapter for the UCR School of Business!

This issue of our magazine also includes the 2021-22 Deanʼs Report, summarizing the yearʼs accomplishments and featuring some of the people involved in that success. Our enrollment grew again, and we have added a new Bachelor of Science degree in actuarial science, with the first students beginning the program this fall.

We also feature our expansive alumni network, one that is diverse, strong, committed, and growing in influence. This accomplished community of professionals is an extraordinary resource for all alumni.

We are always pleased to get updates from alumni and friends of the School of Business. Let us know what you are doing, and we hope you may consider sharing your expertise with our students.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Yunzeng Wang

Dean, UC Riverside School of Business A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management

Carrie Rosema Brian Bombarda

Participating in a student networking event on campus in 2022, Diana Cullen ʼ19 MBA, senior manager of retail operations at Fabletics, is among the thousands of successful professionals in our vast alumni network.

Supporting Career Success

advancement, the Career Development Center at the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Business also provides opportunities for students, alumni, and employers to interact socially, an important arena for establishing beneficial relationships. To participate in center activities and learn more about their resources, including recruiter services, visit business.ucr.edu/cdc.

MBA student David Cooper ʼ23 talked with alumni and fellow masterʼs students at the May 2022 Career Development Center Networking Dinner.

From across Southern California, professionals in a variety of industries joined students on campus for the Career Development Center Networking Dinner in April 2022. The reception and dinner offered a friendly venue for students to connect with seasoned business leaders.

In addition to support services helping students traverse internships, job searches, and professional

Business professionals from across the region, including Wells Fargo Senior Recruiter Lynn Nguyen ʼ99, pictured, shared career advice and connected with current students at the Career Development Center Networking Dinner.

Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society Recognizes the Very Best

This spring, 94 students were inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society. These students are among the top 10% of undergraduates and the top 20% of graduate students.

A distinctive group of students was welcomed into the School of Business Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society with lifetime membership at an induction ceremony on May 23, 2022. Only schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—less than 5% of business programs worldwide—may have Beta Gamma Sigma chapters. Within the school, the top 10% of undergraduates and the top 20% of graduate students are invited to join.

The UCR society is one of a limited number of chapters nationally to hold Honors Chapter status,

which reflects the UCR societyʼs high student achievement and opportunities to make professional contacts, as well as the societyʼs student-oriented activities. “The society provides an outlet for Beta Gamma Sigma members to get to know one another,” says Assistant Professor of Teaching in Marketing Jonathan Lim, the chapterʼs advisor and the eventʼs master of ceremonies, who administered the oath of integrity to the students. “Among the benefits of the organization is the networking that begins long before graduation.”

Brian Bombarda

Brian Bombarda

Building on History History

Anderson Hall, the current home of the UCR School of Business, opened in 1917 as the Citrus Experiment Station for state-funded agricultural research approved by the University of California Regents. One of the very first structures erected on the acreage that would become the universityʼs campus, the Mission-style building hosted various departments over the years.

Ambassadors Serve the Community

With gloves, shovels, and seedlings, A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management ambassadors dug up the earth last fall to plant trees in Riversideʼs Eastside Neighborhood with the TreePeople organization, one of many community-service projects that the ambassadors participated in over the last year.

B.S. in Actuarial Science

New degree meets the business communityʼs demand for professionals

The UCR School of Business has launched a new Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science beginning in fall 2022. This is the first such degree offered in a business school in the University of California system. With a healthy demand for professionals in the actuarial field, this program answers the need for future employees with a deep understanding of mathematics, statistics, and business management, as well as the ability to communicate and manage complex financial issues.

Increasing Diversity in UC Graduate Schools

The UCR School of Business participated in the May 2022 Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders (SIEML) at UCLA and provided workshops and resources while co-hosting 50 emerging leaders currently enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) across the nation. SIEML is an initiative to increase diversity in graduate business programs within the six University of California business schools.

Executive Fellows Discuss Avenues to Success

Defining success personally and professionally, facing fears, the importance of hard work, and the obligations of leadership were among the topics explored by a group of accomplished business executives during a virtual panel discussion last fall. The panelists have each served in the UCR School of Business Executive Fellows Program.

Among the themes examined by the fellows was the responsibility of business leaders to share success and give back to their communities as well as their employees. “Iʼm going to put my CFO hat on and tell you success is about shareholder return, but doing that with honesty and integrity is key,” said 2019-2020 Executive Fellow Michael Zemetra ʼ93, executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Veritone Inc.

“Itʼs important to be able to make meaningful contributions back to the community, whether itʼs hiring employees or doing philanthropic work. I always stress balanced lives for employees, our biggest assets.”

Moderated by Darin Anderson ʼ89, ʼ91 MBA, chairman and CEO of Salas OʼBrien Inc., the panelists also included Susan Atherton ʼ77, independent philanthropist, co-chair of the board of directors for Humane Society of the U.S., and chair of the board of directors for Humane Society International; Beverly Bailey, president and CEO of Stronghold Engineering Inc.; and Timothy Greenleaf ʼ78, an active venture capital investor and advisor to three venture capital funds. For more information about the Executive Fellows Program, see page 10.

Darin Anderson ʼ89, ʼ91 MBASusan Atherton ʼ77 Beverly Bailey

Timothy Greenleaf ʼ78 Michael Zemetra ʼ93

Each year, one of the six University of California business schools hosts the Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders. In 2017 and 2021, the UCR School of Business hosted students from across the nation. Attendees participated in numerous activities, including leadershipbuilding exercises.

Students Honor Faculty for Their Outstanding Work in the Classroom

UCR School of Business faculty members recently received recognition with student-voted accolades for their effectiveness and expertise in the classroom:

Assistant Professor of Teaching in Information Systems Rich Yueh was honored with the 2021-2022 James Merino Innovation Award, which was created and endowed by alumnus James Merino ʼ98 to recognize faculty bringing new ideas, methods, tools, and technology to the classroom.

Assistant Professor of Teaching in Management Kyle Ingram was the recipient of the 2021-2022 Shulman Endowed Excellence in Teaching Award, which was established by an alumnus and his wife to honor David Shulman, a former associate professor of management and economics. The designation recognizes an exemplary business professor who embodies the fulfilment of learning through excellence and achievements in teaching, just as Professor Shulman did.

For the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence, students annually choose professors providing the best overall classroom experience for learning,

engagement, teaching style, and innovative teaching methods. The 2021-2022 Golden Apple awardees:

• Lecturer John Acker for business administration pre-requisite and core courses

Associate Professor of Management Michael Haselhuhn for business administrative elective courses

• Associate Professor of Management Ye Li for graduate elective courses

Lecturer Alexandru Roman for graduate core courses

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Professor of Marketing Rami Zwick for graduate elective courses

These honors reflect our low student-to-faculty ratios, which afford these innovative instructors the ability to get to know their students and connect and teach in a personalized, effective manner.

Among the award-winning faculty, from left, are Associate Professor of Management Ye Li, Assistant Professor of Teaching in Information Systems Rich Yueh, Assistant Professor of Teaching in Management Kyle Ingram, Associate Professor of Management Michael Haselhuhn, and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Professor of Marketing Rami Zwick.

Carlos Puma U.S.

Competitive Victories

Top Case Study

At the inaugural April 2022 UC Davis Graduate School of Management Case Study Competition, one of UCRʼs two business teams placed third among 11 teams representing several business schools in California, Washington, and Colorado, and was awarded $1,000. The case study focused on the food industryʼs supply chain challenges throughout the pandemic and was presented to the teams the evening before the competition. The teams worked through the night to then present their cases to the judges in the morning, and winners were announced at a luncheon.

11th Annual Win

UCR business teams saw multiple second- and third-place finishes in the 2022 International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition (ICBSC) held virtually in April 2022; it was the 11th year UCR has entered, and the team extended an uninterrupted string of wins over more than a decade. The ICBSC competition teams compete over a three-month period, and student team members make all the strategic decisions for their own simulated company: production output, hiring and firing, advertising and marketing, sales force management, financial decisions—even building factories.

“For 12 weeks, these students ran their ʻbusinessesʼ with weekly strategy decisions and meetings culminating in three days and nights of the intensive phase, including the final presentation to their ʻboard of directors,ʼ who also serve as the judges,” says Professor of Practice Sean Jasso, the teamsʼ advisor, of the rigorous competition. “They were all amazing and worked like UCR executives.”

11

WINS IN A ROW

Annual International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition

Business students exhibited their expertise at both the intensive worldwide ICBSC contest and the UC Davis case competition

For the 11th year in a row, UCRʼs students were victorious at the International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition.

UCR business students placed third among 11 teams at UC Davisʼs Management Case Competition.

Center for Economic Forecasting & Development

Demographic Dilemma: Slowing Population Growth, Not Pandemic, Are at the Root of U.S. Worker Shortage

The ability to meet current and future demand is challenged, and the problem is magnified in California due to housing scarcity

Today, the population growth rate of prime working age people in the nation is 0.2% —one-tenth of what it was 40 years ago.

Supply chain struggles have been widely blamed for the inability to meet consumer and business demand throughout the pandemic. While fixing the supply chain should be a top priority, it is worker scarcity, driven by the lack of basic, long-term population growth that is the true underlying cause—and a critical future challenge for the economies of the United States, and particularly California, according to the recent analysis by the UCR School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting & Development.

“For several decades, there has been a substantial slowdown in the growth of Americans in their prime working years,” says Christopher Thornberg, the centerʼs director and the reportʼs author.

“Whether itʼs the missing factory worker, delivery truck driver, or salesclerk, the scarcity of workers is hindering the ability to connect demand to supply and is slowing economic growth.”

According to the analysis, long-run population growth of people between the ages of 25 and 54 accelerated dramatically in the U.S. in the 1970s, peaked in the mid-1980s at over 2% growth per year, and then collapsed just as fast, driven by sharp declines and birthrates. International migration into the United States jumped in the 1990s, offsetting some of this baby bust, but that slowed sharply after the turn of the century.

Today, the population growth rate of prime working age people in the nation is 0.2%—one-tenth of what it was 40 years ago. The mass wave of retirements that occurred during the pandemic both accelerated and exacerbated todayʼs worker shortage, but it is not the root cause.

Thornberg notes that these population trends have been observed in the data for many years, but because itʼs the kind of thing that happens gradually,

the issue simply hasnʼt been a primary focus for policymakers or business leaders.

As bad as the labor shortage is nationally, it is worse in California, especially Southern California, according to the analysis. The stateʼs lack of housing acts as a functional cap on population and labor force growth, degrading affordability, and driving workers and businesses to other locations. Moreover, the stateʼs demographic forecasts do not paint an optimistic outlook for future trends.

STUDY FINDINGS

• Restrictions on gig work and flexible work schedules should be reduced, not heightened as California is currently doing.

• Older employees who wish to remain active in the labor market should be encouraged and supported by reducing or eliminating potential reductions to existing retirement benefits.

• Regulation should shift to allow employers to offer a variety of wage/ benefit/training packages depending on worker desires rather than being based on preset publicly mandated minimums.

• Policymakers should relax licensing requirements and staffing rules.

According to the analysis, all of this means government agencies and policymakers need to concentrate on increasing labor supply and helping employers adapt to a new world where workers are a scarce resource. In the immediate term, there is a relatively passive way leaders can help: They can relax labor market regulations to allow employers maximum flexibility in how they hire their workforce.

“This is a long-term demographic problem, not a short-term cyclical one,” says Thornberg. “It is not going to disappear as the COVID crisis fades.”

— By Victoria Pike Bond

View the full report, The Big Shortage: Californiaʼs Worker Scarcity and Economic Growth, and other recent center research at ucreconomicforecast.org.

Center for Economic Forecasting & Development

Supporting Businesses

A valuable resource for the UCR business community, the Center for Economic Forecasting & Development (CEFD) provides extensive information and services supporting enterprises in the Inland Empire and beyond.

The center offers consulting expertise in economic and revenue forecasting, economic impact analysis, residential and commercial real estate markets, economic and workforce development strategies, public policy analysis, the creative economy, and regional industry analysis.

A fertile meeting ground for new product development, original research, and collaboration between industry, government, and the broader community, the center is the first economic forecasting center in Inland Southern California.

2022 Annual Economic Forecast

The centerʼs 13th Annual Economic Forecast Conference, “The Changing Economic Outlook: Worrying About the Wrong Recession,” was held on Oct. 5, 2022, at the Riverside Convention Center and featured CEFD Director Chris Thornberg and Research Manager Taner Osman.

The conferenceʼs title sponsor was Bank of America, and opening remarks were made by Master of Ceremonies Bansree Parikh, president, Bank of America Inland Empire. A cocktail reception followed the forecast with robust networking among the more than 300 attendees. Generous support was also provided by Gold sponsors, Holland & Knight and Riverside County Office of Economic Development; Silver sponsors, Altura Credit Union, City of Moreno Valley, and The KPC Group; Bronze sponsors, City of Ontario, HUB, Provident Bank, and Schools First Federal Credit Union; Media sponsors, Inland Empire Business Journal and KOLA 99.9; and In-kind sponsor, Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce. (All sponsorships are current as of Sept. 1, 2022.)

Explore the Center of Economic Forecasting & Development resources that may expand your knowledge and help your business at ucreconomicforecast.org.

UCR Center for Economic Forecasting & Development Director Christopher Thornberg

Executive Fellows

Executive Fellows Mentor Students

Within our Executive Fellows program, business leaders are selected for their outstanding leadership, professional experience, and business expertise. The program is unique among top business

schools because executive fellows are deeply involved with future business leaders as they advise and mentor students in their careers, new business ventures, and professional challenges.

Executive Fellows past and present gathered at the April 2022 Executive Fellows Installation Dinner. From left, Armen Karamardian ʼ93, UCR School of Business Dean Yunzeng Wang, undergraduate business student Hisham Qotami ʼ23, Anita Alamshaw ʼ91, Tim Siegel ʼ91, MBA student Victoria Guidry ʼ23, UC Riverside Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Watkins, and Michael Zemetra ʼ93.

At the Installation Dinner, MBA student Victoria Guidry ʼ23 shared her appreciation of the mentorship she received: “Thank you, executive fellows, and the UCR School of Business, for being instrumental in spreading this worldʼs most scarce resource … hope.”

Carrie Rosema

Welcome, 2022-2023 Fellows

With extraordinary credentials, the School of Business is looking forward to the role these executive fellows will play in the professional development of students in the coming year.

Anita Alamshaw ʼ91

Executive director and general manager of U.S. value and access, Amgen

Anita Alamshaw ʼ91, executive director and general manager of U.S. value and access at Amgen, reminds students that there is extraordinary value with in-person contact among professional peers in the digital age: “You canʼt put a price tag on that connectivity and building relationships with face-to-face personal interactions.”

Alamshaw also serves on the Board of Advisors for both the UCR School of Medicine and the Student Initiative Committee.

Armen Karamardian ʼ93

Chief executive officer, Zovʼs Restaurant Group

For Armen Karamardian ʼ93, chief executive officer of Zovʼs Restaurant Group, his philosophy for work, personal life, and as an executive fellow mentor is simple: “Iʼd like to leave this place a little better than when I found it,” he says. “I feel thatʼs important. Itʼs a lesson that I want for my kids to see because you canʼt just take in this life— you have to give. Thatʼs how I was raised. Community is everything.”

Kenneth Leung ʼ89

Director of marketing, database, and infrastructure, Oracle

As Kenneth Leung ʼ89 looks to the year ahead mentoring students, he underscores the need for genuine interaction: “Donʼt let technology replace your interpersonal skills,” says Leung, director of marketing, database, and infrastructure at Oracle. “I know there are people who say, ʻIʼll never leave my house again.ʼ Youʼre missing out on a lot of experiences when you decide that. The people you work with, socializing with them, that is part of life.”

Recognizing Exceptional Students

Thank you, 2021-2022 Fellows

During the past academic year, these executive fellows generously served as mentors sharing their time and expertise with UCR business students.

Four masterʼs students are awarded Executive Fellows Scholarships

Now studying for a Ph.D. in operations and supply chain management at UCR, Zhiyu “Zoe” Su ʼ22 was awarded an Executive Fellows Scholarship while earning an MBA and the highest GPA in her class at the A. Gary Anderson School of Management.

Maria Anguelova ʼ03 MBA

Sony Pictures Entertainment executive vice president, corporate development

Tim Siegel ʼ91

Managing partner, LS Capital

Founder and chief executive officer, SeaCliff Beauty Packaging & Laboratories

“The Executive Fellows Scholarship not only supported me mentally and financially but also encouraged me to do my best during the rest of my MBA journey,” says Su, who will focus her doctoral research on sustainability. “When I was studying for my undergrad law degree in China, I would not have imagined that one day Iʼd be earning my Ph.D. in business on the other side of the globe. Iʼm so grateful for being able to continue my education with UCR.”

Other recent scholarship recipients are Master of Finance students Venkatesh Balasubramaniam ʼ21 and Sindy Fabrizio ʼ22, and MBA student Fatemehzahra Hamidin ʼ22.

Carrie Rosema Courtesy of Kenneth Leung

Vonda Simon ʼ82

Executive Fellows Scholarship recipient Zhiyu “Zoe” Su ʼ22 MBA

Made to Order

Mass customization can make fashion more sustainable if customers are willing to wait for it

By Holly Ober

The fashion industry produces far more inventory than it sells, consuming and polluting more of the planetʼs resources than necessary and generating about 10% of the worldʼs greenhouse gas emissions. This excess merchandise ends up in landfills or is burned, prolonging the environmental assault. Mass customization, where customers order clothing made to their own style tastes and measurements, has been proposed as one solution to overproduction. But the logistical challenges of tailoring garments to individual customer requests and lengthy manufacturing lead times have discouraged most firms from adopting mass customization.

Adem Orsdemir, assistant professor of operations & supply chain management

They might want to reconsider that decision, according to a new study co-authored by UCR Assistant Professor of Operations & Supply Chain Management Adem Orsdemir: “Is adopting mass customization a path to environmentally sustainable fashion?”

Published online in Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, the study suggests that under the right circumstances, mass customization can generate higher profits and reduce environmental waste considerably.

Customers willing to wait for bespoke clothing from a company that both mass produces and mass customizes garments can make the fashion industry more environmentally sustainable, but only when overproduction is really a problem, according to the study. Government policies that make recycling or disposal more expensive for companies boost the sustainable effect in certain situations.

Orsdemir and co-author Aydin Alptekinoglu at Pennsylvania State University developed an analytical model of a mass production firm that went hybrid by also adopting mass customization. The researchers modeled product variety, price, and inventory decisions the firm makes to maximize its profits. They found that when customers could be persuaded to wait longer for customized garments, the benefit of mass customization increased unambiguously. The benefit also unambiguously increased when policymakers targeted high disposal fees or costly recycling programs at firms with a low cost of product variety, such as fast-

fashion brands like H&M, to deter overproduction, and targeted firms with a high cost of product variety, such as most luxury brands, to acquire technology that would make recycling profitable. In some cases, the conflicting demands of mass production and mass customization caused the firm to overproduce. For example, a hypothetical denim

company mass produces a quantity of jeans that usually sell out each season. Some people switch to custom, increasing overall production and making the environmental impact worse. For hybrid mass customization and mass production to be profitable for the firm as well as environmentally beneficial, companies need to strike a balance between the two production modes.

“If you can promote it as a sustainable way of producing fashion goods and increase the customerʼs patience with waiting, mass customization is more likely to become a win-win,” says Orsdemir. Though their work focused on the fashion industry, the authors think their findings could also apply to other industries where overproduction creates environmental problems.

“Mass customization can be helpful or hurtful,” says Orsdemir. “The bottom line is itʼs helpful when thereʼs a lot of overproduction. Mass customization can improve that. But when overproduction isnʼt really a problem, mass customization can make overproduction worse.” 

“

If you can promote it as a sustainable way of producing fashion goods and increase the customerʼs patience with waiting, mass customization is more likely to become a win-win.”

Too Many Questions

It’s tempting to assume more data is better, but surveys with many repetitive questions can yield bad data

By Holly Ober

Surveys that ask too many of the same type of questions tire respondents and return unreliable data, according to a UC Riverside-led study, “The more you ask, the less you get: When additional questions hurt external validity,” published in the Journal of Marketing Research.

Ye Li, associate professor of management

questions lead to respondents providing less useful responses as they adapted to the survey,” says the studyʼs first author Ye Li, a UC Riverside associate professor of management. “Could this paradoxically mean that sometimes asking more questions gets worse results?”

While it may be tempting to assume more data is always better, the authors wondered if the decision processes respondents use to answer a series of questions might change, especially when those questions use a similar, repetitive format.

The research addressed quantitative surveys of the sort typically used in market research, economics, or public policy research that seek to understand peopleʼs values about certain things. These surveys often ask a large number of structurally similar questions.

Researchers analyzed four experiments that asked respondents to answer questions involving choices and preferences.

Respondents in the surveys adapted their decisionmaking as they answered more repetitive, similarly structured choice questions, a process the authors call “adaptation.” This means they processed less information, learned to weigh certain attributes more heavily, or adopted mental shortcuts for combining attributes.

In one of the studies, respondents were asked about their preferences for varying configurations of laptops. They were the sort of questions marketers use to determine if customers are willing to sacrifice a bit of processor speed in return for increased storage capacity, for example.

The study found that respondents repeatedly answering questions that vary only slightly tend to adapt a simplified process that gives similar answers to all questions as the survey progresses. Marketers, policymakers, and researchers who rely on long surveys to predict consumer or voter behavior will have more accurate data if they craft surveys using a variety of different question types designed to elicit reliable, meaningful answers, the researchers suggest.

“We wanted to know, is gathering more data in surveys always better, or could asking too many

“When youʼre asked questions over and over about laptop configurations that vary only slightly, the first two or three times you look at them carefully, but after that, maybe you just look at one attribute, such as how long the battery lasts. We use shortcuts, and using these can mean your survey responses start to provide less information about your true preferences,” says Li.

While humans are known to adapt to their environment, most methods in behavioral research used to measure preferences have underappreciated this fact.

“

In as few as six or eight questions, people are already answering in such a way that youʼre worse off if you're trying to predict real-world behavior.”

“In as few as six or eight questions, people are already answering in such a way that youʼre worse off if youʼre trying to predict real-world behavior,” says Li. “In these surveys, if you keep asking people the same types of questions over and over, they start to give the same kinds of answers.”

The findings suggest some tactics that can increase the validity of data while also saving time and money. Process-tracing, a research methodology that examines the way people arrive at their decisions, can be used to diagnose adaptation, helping to identify when it is a threat to validity. Adaptation could also be reduced or delayed by repeatedly changing the format of the task or adding filler questions or breaks.

Finally, the research suggests that to maximize the validity of preference measurement surveys, researchers could use an ensemble of methods, preferably using multiple means of measurement, such as questions that involve choosing between options available at different times, matching questions, and a variety of contexts.

“The tradeoff isnʼt always obvious. More data isnʼt always better. Be cognizant of the tradeoffs,” says Li. “When your goal is to predict real-world behaviors, the adapted decision process people use can be quite different from those they would use in realworld choices.”

Associate Professor Li was joined in the research by Antonia Krefeld-Schwalb, Eric J. Johnson, and Olivier Toubia at Columbia University; Daniel Wall at the University of Pennsylvania; and Daniel M. Bartels at the University of Chicago. 

Speaking Creatively How company leaders talk about creativity can hurt investor confidence

By Holly Ober

Creativity is often touted as a positive activity for organizations, but it is inherently risky.

Research led by UC Riverside management professors has found that when company leaders discuss creativity and innovation, investors react negatively to the perception of risk, displaying a creativity bias. However, the research also shows that this reaction may not be warranted because creativity-speak is linked with higher firm financial performance.

Moreover, investor confidence is affected by the tone company leaders adopt when talking about creativity and innovation. Leaders who talk about creativity in a confident, positive manner reassure investors, while creativity-speak that takes a more negative tone turns them away.

“Companies love to play up innovation and creativity, and most research on creativity says itʼs a good thing,” says Michael Haselhuhn, UCR associate professor of management and co-author of the study, “Investors respond negatively to executivesʼ discussion of creativity,” published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

“But there is some research that suggests the opposite. Creative ideas are inherently risky, and people donʼt like novelty or uncertainty in leaders. We wanted to see if the creativity bias holds in the real world where it matters, so we looked to see how investors respond to executivesʼ discussions of creativity.”

For the study, Haselhuhn and Elaine Wong, also a UCR associate professor of management, and Margaret Ormiston at George Washington University, obtained transcripts of conference earnings calls made to investors. They used a computer program to analyze the transcripts for words related to creativity and innovation, tracking how many times these words were mentioned during the conference calls. From other sources, they found stock return data and financial performance data. Then, the researchers ran regressions and robustness checks on the combined datasets and found correlations between creativityspeak, investor confidence, and earnings.

They found that firms whose top executives discussed creativity and innovation to a greater degree had relatively lower stock returns, indicating lower investor confidence. But the same did not hold true for company earnings.

“Surprisingly, and in contrast to the creativity bias expressed by investors, firms with leaders that engaged in creativity-speak actually had higher earnings,” says Wong. “The perception of risk, however, was still enough to deter investors, but only in certain circumstances.”

Michael Haselhuhn, associate professor of management Elaine Wong, associate professor of management

When executives talked about creativity with a positive tone and emotions, and communicated confidence and optimism, such as crediting creativity for recent positive performance, the researchers found no negative effect on investor confidence. But when executives talked about creativity in a more negative tone, for example, suggesting that creativity and innovation were solutions to lagging company performance, investors turned away.

“The tone of conversation was more important than the industry or situation. If you mention negative things alongside creativity youʼll hurt investor confidence,” says Ormiston. “Investors are wary of creativity and innovation as evidenced by lowered stock returns in response to creative expression. Top executives

understand this concern and make

CREATIVITY-SPEAK

“ Leaders who talk about creativity in a confident, positive manner reassure investors, while creativity-speak that takes a more negative tone turns them away.”

$

★

★

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BUILDING A NEW HOME FOR BUSINESS

This fall, the UCR School of Business starts construction on its iconic new facility. The contemporary structure’s resilient design embraces innovation—ready to flex with technologies and educational advances yet unknown—creating extraordinary new opportunities to serve our students, the region’s businesses, and the UC Riverside campus community.

The extraordinary new UC Riverside School of Business building is breaking ground.

The iconic structure of brick, glass, metal, and exposed concrete is designed with the essential physical and technological flexibility for inevitable growth.

The accelerated use of technology, innovations in interdisciplinary collaboration, the expansion of local business partnerships, and the focus on increased global reach and connectivity demand a contemporary and forward-thinking facility. Our new home will fulfill our ambitious plans to build more

Our new home will fulfill our ambitious plans to build more connections and partnerships and is tailor-made for our UCR School of Business students, research faculty, and our local and global business partners.

connections and partnerships and is tailor-made for our UCR School of Business students, research faculty, and our local and global business partners.

Over summer 2022, the University of California Board of Regents and Capital Strategies Committee approved moving forward with the project proposal—the result of two-and-half-years of work and invaluable input by students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the community.

The four-story buildingʼs exterior is inspired by UCRʼs rich architectural heritage and takes its cues from other iconic campus buildings, including the 1953 Physical Education Building. The new buildingʼs two-story front porch mirrors the scale of the schoolʼs current home, Anderson Hall, which was

Hillside gardens create shaded gathering areas on the northeast side of the building.

built in 1917. The exterior also utilizes the campusʼs ubiquitous brick palette, which is so familiar to those who study and work at UCR.

With the clear intention to encompass all the demands of our business school community well into this century, our new home will set the international standard for business school facilities—physically, technologically, and educationally.

The southwest façade facing Anderson Hall. The buildingʼs design incorporates brick, glass, metal, and exposed concrete.

The buildingʼs spaces are designed for both academic activity and community outreach, like this fourth-floor boardroom.

constant activity day and night, the new building offers both

Building a Home

The new facilityʼs work environments have been intentionally conceived with a welcoming, healthy, and technologically sophisticated design, along with a commitment to environmental stewardship within the materials used for its construction for

Gold certification.

School of Business campus for

students,

Your UCR Alumni Business Network

UCR business alumni are leading organizations across the state, nation, and globe. This vast network is a valuable professional resource willing to share expertise.

By Darin Estep and Laurie McLaughlin

Courtesy of Northrop Grumman

Hal McKinley ʼ19 MBA, human resources business partner for Northrop Grumman

Brandy Taylor: UCR Connections Lead to Wetzel’s Pretzels

Brandy Taylor ’13, ’20 MBA creates franchise ownership opportunities for ethnic minorities and women

youth, which she credits with helping stay on track in college. While her childhood was unstable, she excelled during her years as an undergrad and earned two bachelorʼs degrees—in business administration and in psychology—in 2013 and an MBA in 2020.

“Since childhood, I have loved finding ways to overcome obstacles and improve existing conditions— from figuring out how to finish chores more efficiently

Brandy Taylor ʼ13, ʼ20 recently spearheaded the launch of the Wetzelʼs Pretzelʼs corporate Access to Equity program. “Itʼs a comprehensive program designed to increase franchise ownership opportunities for ethnic minorities and women interested in owning a Wetzelʼs Pretzels,” says Taylor. She is the process improvements and contracts administration manager for the company, which has more than 350 stores currently in operation around the globe and more in development. Making a change and taking on challenges is familiar territory for Taylor. She began her college career as an undergraduate at UCR with the support of the universityʼs Guardian Scholars Program for foster

to joining organizations to build new skills,” says Taylor. The Guardian Scholars Program again aided Taylor in her pursuit of a masterʼs, and that connection created an opportunity with Wetzelʼs Pretzels. Among the programʼs donors are alumni Mary and Terry Schuler, who also provide in-person support.

“During my first year in the MBA program, I was having lunch with Terry Schuler, and there was an opportunity to meet his daughter, Jennifer Schuler, the CEO of Wetzelʼs Pretzels, and tour the corporate office,” says Taylor. That visit resulted in a summer internship with the company. “I enjoyed the Wetzelʼs Pretzels experience so much, and I was able to stay on as a permanent, full-time employee. I absolutely love it. Itʼs amazing to work for such a fast-growing, exciting, and engaging company that fully supports my professional development.”

In thinking about the connections that are so important in a career, she says: “I was fortunate to have incredible mentors and professional contacts at UCR who have provided me with amazing opportunities and connections. I appreciate the ability to do the same through the Wetzelʼs Pretzels Access to Equity program—itʼs so important to create opportunity for others wherever you can.”

“ Itʼs important to create opportunity for others wherever you can.”

Brandy Taylor ’13, ’20, Wetzel’s Pretzels process improvements and contracts administration manager

Randolph Kim: The Flywheel Effect

The professional network that Master of Finance grad Randolph Kim ’11, ’14 has established is an integral part of his finance and investment career

Kim also earned a Master of Finance at UCR in 2014, and he was one of the student founders of the School of Businessʼs Hylander Financial Group, a student organization that dives into the world of investments, and he remains connected with these student investors. “I try to give back and offer guidance or insight to new and upcoming graduates, and I get to see the progress in their careers,” he says.

He also routinely attends investment conferences and dinners to establish new relationships and reconnect with old ones. “There are several familyoffice networks, and I am part of one that hosts quarterly dinners presenting a handful of the best ideas that have come across during that quarter,” he says. “I have met many capital groups and dozens of family offices through these events, and most of our deal flow comes through these personal connections.

“By having a growing and varied pool of relationships, I have introduced and connected founders, early career seekers, and investors.”

A UCR undergraduate business course on the stock market and valuations pointed Randolph Kim ʼ11, ʼ14 to his career. “That particular course led me to where I am today,” says Kim, who is senior investment

It takes on a positive flywheel effect as these new relationships lead to additional introductions, business ventures, investment opportunities, and friendships.

associate at TI Capital Management, a single-family office focused on private equity investments. “I find fascination in the art of investing and dealmaking and enjoy the challenges that come with it.”

This type of outreach—to current students, fellow alumni, and business colleagues—is an integral part of expanding a career, says Kim. “The UCR alumni network is large and varied, and I was able to find and reach out to several people who were on similar or parallel career tracks.

“It takes on a positive flywheel effect as these new relationships lead to additional introductions, business ventures, investment opportunities, and friendships.”

Milka Soko

Randolph Kim ʼ11, ʼ14, senior investment associate at TI Capital Management

Diana Cullen: Invest in Your Network

As senior manager of retail operations at Fabletics, Diana Cullen ’19 MBA underscores the importance of keeping professional networks alive, including strong connections with UCR alumni

As senior manager of retail operations at Fabletics, Diana Cullen ʼ19 is responsible for the internal processes of retail locations globally for the popular active-lifestyle ecommerce brand, which has scaled up from 30 to almost 100 stores in the last three years.

“Itʼs been a wild, empowering ride,” says Cullen, who finds satisfaction in the challenge of a worldwide company. “I am continuously developing and maintaining retail standards and tools that touch all aspects of our business, from launching new initiatives and brands to tailoring and selecting the communications that come from our headquarter partners.”

In 2019, Cullen earned a Professional MBA from UCR, and she values the strong connections she made on campus as she participated in extracurricular activities and served as an A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management student ambassador.

“Because of these personal and professional relationships, we are a network and give referrals, connect each other with career opportunities, and build an overall ʻsafety netʼ—we all have each otherʼs back because weʼve done the work together and understand the strengths we each bring to the table,” says Cullen, who is married to fellow alumnus Jordan Cullen ʼ17 MBA, principal product marketing manager at Upstart.

“The UCR program is only as strong as its alumni network. We need to give back to current students, because when they go out to get jobs, they are an extension of us, a representation of us all. Thatʼs important to me,” says Diana, who participated in the Career Development Centerʼs Networking Dinner for current masterʼs students and the Alumni Success Stories Panel for future graduate students.

She also works to maintain her vast array of professional allies, mentors, colleagues, and fellow successful alumni as her career soars. “A few times a year, I gather with UCR alumni and attend conferences and mixers related to my field,” she says, and advises: “Invest in your network. Spend the time necessary to keep professional relationships alive.”

Diana Cullen ʼ19, senior manager of retail operations at Fabletics

“ A few times a year, I gather with fellow UCR alumni and attend conferences and mixers related to my field.”

Carrie Rosema

Maria Anguelova: Bold Moves from the Start

Sony Pictures Entertainment Executive Vice President Maria Anguelova ʼ03 shared her distinctive professional journey with students and alumni while serving as an executive fellow at UCRʼs School of Business during the 2021-2022 school year.

In group settings and one-on-one consultation, Anguelova imparted first-hand knowledge hewn from her own experience: “Donʼt be afraid to take risks, especially early in your career,” she says, because seniority and experience make it harder to change

direction later in a career. “Try to explore as many things as possible. Donʼt be afraid to fail. If youʼre not completely satisfied with an opportunity, look for something else and do it early on.”

Anguelova made a bold move right at the beginning, when she decided to leave Bulgaria to earn an MBA at the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.

“The UC Riverside program was very diverse and catered really well to international students,” says Anguelova, and as executive vice president at Sony Pictures Entertainment, she is head of global corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and strategy.

As a student, Anguelova worked as a teaching assistant at UCR and connected with alumni to secure an internship at a credit union and worked on special projects. After completing the MBA program, she landed a series of jobs at investment banks, where she got an up-close perspective on entrepreneurship and worked with major studios and talent agencies. Several promotions helped her recognize her resourcefulness and aptitude for management.

“I donʼt know if I was as mindful of my strengths initially in my career,” she says. “My advice is to figure out what your core strengths are. You need to also be interested and passionate about your job, but if you can utilize what youʼre good at, you will really excel.”

Maria Anguelova

is Sony Pictures

executive vice president,

Sony Pictures Executive Vice President Maria Anguelova ’03 advocates taking risks early in a career

“ If youʼre not completely satisfied with an opportunity, look for something else and do it early on.”

Maria Anguelova ʼ03 MBA is Sony Pictures Entertainment executive vice president, corporate development

Thomas Walker: Sharing Business Experience with a New Generation

Netflix’s Thomas Walker ’08 encourages young professionals to reach out to established alumni and maintain ties with former colleagues

Walker retains his ties to the Riverside campus, sharing his business experience with a new generation of students and talks about how he used his education and expertise in business and finance to find a role in the industry he loves.

“I think itʼs valuable to know that these positions exist,” Walker says. “As a minority, I like supporting the perception that these things are possible. People from UCR are at these companies, and weʼre making an impact.”

While Thomas Walker ʼ08 studied business at UCR, he was a regular at the Multimedia Library, where he watched old movies, including every winner of the Academy Award for best picture from 1927 onward.

Walker encourages young professionals to “reach out to established alumni—but be sure to do the research and ask the right questions,” he says. “Youʼd be surprised how many people donʼt take the opportunity to just write what it is that interests them, to frame the questions they have.”

Walkerʼs own journey includes a Master of Fine Arts at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse and many positions with various companies before he arrived at Netflix in 2018. Each job provided a valuable experience, and Walker also advises maintaining close connections with former colleagues and bosses.

He draws on the examples of his previous coworkers as he now manages a team, and he takes the responsibility as a leader very seriously.

He continues to feed his passion for the movies. As residuals manager at Netflix, heʼs working at the leading edge of the industry: He manages a team that handles the complex finances of residuals in the streaming era.

“Theyʼre always on your mind, and youʼre always thinking about what you can do for them,” he says of his team. “I just want to make sure Iʼm giving the necessary bits of wisdom that I have in the industry and that I find myself being what others have been for me.”

“ I just want to make sure I’m giving the necessary bits of wisdom that I have in the industry and that I find myself being what others have been for me.”

Milka Soko

Thomas Walker ʼ08, residuals manager at Netflix

Hal McKinley: Helping Others Take Off

With a career in human resources at Northrop Grumman in Virginia, MBA graduate Hal McKinley ’19 supports success for others both professionally and at home in the Inland Empire

Virginiaʼs Hampton College—a door swung wide open for McKinley at Northrop Grumman, also in Virginia, where he is currently a human resources business partner.

“A classmate referred me. I wasnʼt looking to go into the aerospace/defense industry, but Northrop provided me great opportunity and was one of the first large corporations to see my value,” he says. “At Northrop Grumman, I get to coach leaders and help employees navigate challenges in and outside the office.

“I look at compensation strategy and tell stories through data about retention, growth, and diversity

With the opportunity to live at home in the Inland Empire and study for an MBA focused on human resources at UCR, Hal McKinley ʼ19 says he “earned an education locally and made it a point to show the kids in my community what it looks like to dream and fly.

“I just want the Inland Empire kids to understand that they can be great and make an impact through higher education.”

During his own educational pursuit—which included a bachelorʼs degree in business management at

goals. But the root of my passion is helping people find their way within their careers and personal lives.”

McKinley also serves on the board of the Riverside chapter of the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA). “The members are a great support team, and I highly recommend taking advantage of local organizations like PIHRA.”

A panelist at a recent online forum featuring alumni sharing their stories with prospective students, he imparted his job-seeking tactics, including taking an unpaid internship because the exposure and experience would create opportunity, and attending career fairs at other universities and institutions.

“Riverside County and the Inland Empire have a lot to offer in business careers,” he told forum participants.

“Itʼs the future of California.”

Hal McKinley ʼ19, human resources business partner for Northrop Grumman

“ The root of my passion is helping people find their way within their careers and personal lives.”

Tyson Avery: Advice From the Starbucks Ethics Of ficer

For every professional wondering how they are going to find their place in the world, Tyson Avery ʼ96 wants them to know they have a superpower available to them.

“The one power you have that you donʼt know you have—or at least most donʼt think you have—is the power to ask,” says Avery, senior vice president, deputy

general counsel, and chief ethics and compliance officer at Starbucks.

“My entire career has been about finding what I love, pouring myself into it, and being able to look back and recognizing that what I do matters,” he says.

“I donʼt care if you are in the medical industry, in law, in business, or if youʼre a barista. If you love sincerely what you do and see how it contributes to the overall good, you have found your spot.”

After earning a UCR degree in business administration, Avery attended University of Kansas Law School, then promptly put his new law degree to work in the U.S. Marine Corps, which led to 10 years as an active-duty officer and judge advocate, including serving as a Geneva Convention magistrate in Iraq and in the White House Counselʼs Office. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom and retired as a lieutenant colonel with 23 years of active and reserve service.

He joined CBRE Inc. as senior vice president, chief ethics and compliance officer, and director of internal audit, before assuming his current role at Starbucks.

As might be expected for someone who oversees

ethics and compliance, Averyʼs advice is to hold on to your values throughout your career, and he shared that guidance with students during a virtual talk in early 2022: “Have passion and be able to look back at your work and believe that it matters—but also that you did it the right way.”

“Starting from a place of values will always get you to the right place. It can be hard at times, but ultimately that will garner respect, and that will help you move up in your career.”

Tyson Avery ʼ96, senior vice president, deputy general counsel, and chief ethics and compliance officer at Starbucks

“

The one power you have that you donʼt know you have … is the power to ask.”

OF EXCELLENCE

The School of Business Strategic Plan Sets a Framework for 2022-2027

At the UCR Business School, the new five-year strategic plan builds on the successes of the last five years and commits the school to multiple goals designed to achieve excellence in all we do based on an environmental foundation that fosters engagement and empowerment: Environment

Each day, we work together to create an inviting, respectful, and inspiring environment empowered by the relationships we form.

Engagement

Increased engagement brings greater opportunities for all stakeholders, and in the process, improves our environment.

Empowerment

We are committed to a culture that empowers our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to achieve excellence and better engagement.

Our key performance indicators, or categories of measurement, serve to gauge our success toward achieving these goals:

Student success

Student caliber and diversity

Faculty and staff diversity

Fiscal strength Efficiency

Institutional reputation Faculty productivity

Societal impact

Recent alumni employment outcomes Alumni engagement

Core Values

OUR MISSION

We create knowledge through impactful research, unlock potential through exceptional educational experiences, and foster success in an innovative and collaborative environment, thereby contributing to the upward mobility of our diverse student population.

We accomplish our mission by adhering to our schoolʼs core values.

Inclusion: We celebrate the diversity of our institution and the inland Southern California region and embrace our differences as a source of strength and wisdom.

Integrity: We adhere to strong ethical and moral standards, as they are consistent with the values that are core to our identity.

Innovation: We empower our stakeholders to imagine, develop, and implement new ideas and solutions that address the challenges facing individuals and businesses in the global economy.

Collaboration: We are committed to a working environment based on respect, trust, and mutual support, and we use our knowledge and abilities to contribute to humanity.

The graduate programs at UCR School of Business have always focused on utilizing scientific methods and data to support the practices and theories within the fields of business. Attaining the STEM certification was not a challenge for the School of Business, but rather a testament to the rigorous curriculum of our program.

Business Dean Yunzeng

MBA Students Expand Careers

Organizations that have recently hired UCR Business graduate students:

Amazon

AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation

AT&T

CITIC Securities Co. Ltd.

Deloitte

Esri

EY

Fast Enterprises

Fox Corporation

Goldman Sachs

J.B. Hunt

JP Morgan Chase Kia Motors

KPMG

Niagara Bottling

Nike

Nordstrom

Northrop Grumman

PepsiCo

Precise Aerospace Manufacturing Inc.

PwC

Robinhood

RSM US LLP

Target

T-Mobile Ventura Foods

The Walt Disney Company Wells Fargo

$86,000

Median starting salary

Employed in the USA 10.5% Employed internationally

Career Support for Students and Alumni

The Career Development Center at the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management ensures our graduate students have the resources and tools they need to advance their careers. Among the centerʼs services:

• Executive Mentor program

• Career development resources and workshops exclusively for graduate students

• Quarterly recruiter/talent acquisition networking panel

• Quarterly career panels and networking events

• MBA Fellowship program

• One-on-one and group career counseling

• Live job board and search engine access

• Career readiness assessments

89.5%

“The Career Development Center helped me realize what I wanted to do. With their resources— résumé and cover letter templates, interview preparation, and other tools—I successfully landed a position at Fisker. The centerʼs team believed in me and helped me realize my potential.”

— Joanne Zhen ʼ22, social media data analyst, Fisker

Carrie

MBA Profile

of domestic MBA students

as being a member of

underrepresented group

Incoming 2021 MBA students:

Averaged

months

of work experience

Average age

years

Big Points for Perseverance

Determination earned Dominick Pickett ’20, ’22 MBA a walk-on spot on the court, and he then set UCR basketball team records

Dominick Pickett ʼ20, ʼ22 uses his own story to inspire others: As a high school basketball player, he did not get selected by the colleges where he wanted to play. However, he had already prioritized a college education over all else and headed to UCR.

“My family and I realized that the ball was going to stop bouncing one day,” says Pickett, who earned both a bachelorʼs with a concentration in management and an MBA. “But I still wanted to be around basketball and reached out to the UCR coaches and became a student manager.”

Pickettʼs willingness to see what was most important while simultaneously making the very best of a situation—by excelling as a student manager, working out with the players, and impressing the coaches—led to a walk-on spot with the Highlanders a year later. His exceptional on-the-court performance earned Pickett a full-ride masterʼs scholarship and into the record books for the basketball programʼs most games played and top-10 most steals, as well as two all-conference honors.

Upon graduation, Pickett is planning to bounce the ball a bit longer and play overseas. Simultaneously, he has job leads that will help him score the career of his dreams at either a Fortune 500 company or a sports organization working behind the scenes.

“I will always take full advantage of whatever situation is in front of me,” he says, citing his perseverance as a student manager. “I donʼt want to look back and wish I had done things differently.”

Dominick Pickett

MBA picked up

moves as a leader among his teammates

career.

AGSM Student Ambassadors

A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM) Ambassadors Program expands the leadership experience and network of a select group of graduate students. The ambassadors serve as representatives of the school as they host official events, participate in public service, network with business leaders, and help with recruitment of prospective students. Over the last year, ambassadors also engaged with business leaders, including alumni executives

Meta, Starbucks, and Salesforce.

Supporting Fellow Latinas in Business School

Student Ambassador Stephanie Moya ’21, ’23 is determined to see more Mexican American women earn master’s degrees

While MBA student Stephanie Moya ʼ21, ʼ23 is immersing herself in the coursework, class projects, and community service that make up her masterʼs experience, sheʼs also focused on the issue that matters to her most: Supporting first-generation Mexican American students, especially women.

“It is essential to motivate students, particularly Latina, who are underrepresented in MBA programs, and show them it is possible to pursue higher education,” says Moya, who earned a political science degree at UCR in 2021 and decided to pivot to a masterʼs in business to bolster her pursuit of a tech-industry career.

She is also an A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management student ambassador, and within that role, she reaches out to other graduate students: “It is crucial to pave the way for future generations who will be first in their families to earn a masterʼs degree,” she says.

“I can help others because I understand the doubts they may have as firstgeneration students.”

“ Where there is a more diverse, inclusive workforce, there is a greater understanding of the wants and needs of customers, which increases innovation and productivity.”

Looking forward, her concern and support for Latinas in business will continue. “Where there is a more diverse, inclusive workforce, there is a greater understanding of the wants and needs of customers, which increases innovation and productivity,” she says.

“More ideas will prosper, and that will make the world a better place.”

AGSM Student Ambassador Stephanie Moya ʼ21, ʼ23 MBA reaches out to other masterʼs students who are also first in their families to attend college and graduate school.

As the largest undergraduate business program in the prestigious University of California system, students who earn their Bachelor of Science in business administration at UC Riverside are well prepared to become world-class leaders and scholars.

Shaping

Undergraduate Student Ambassadors Expand Their Networks and Knowledge

The Student Ambassador Program at the School of Business selects students to represent the school as they host events; mentor prospective students; and participate in special events, speakers series,

workshops, and field trips to develop skills in leadership, public speaking, group dynamics, and communication.

New Student Business Leadership Council Supports Clubs

With the growth in the number of student-led clubs and organizations, School of Business students and undergraduate programs staff worked together to create the Student Business Leadership Council (SBLC)—a centralized body to facilitate collaboration among various business clubs and provide funding to support activities and events.

“We donʼt host events; we support events,” says the councilʼs former President Pengchi Xiao ʼ22, and the activities range from résumé workshops and LinkedIn seminars to hosting prominent guest speakers.

Exceptional students represent the business school and interact with the business community

The undergraduate student ambassadors are, front row from left, Mandy Tsai, Rachel Lennen, Kathleen Leung, Lorena Romero, and Jimmy Le, and back row from left, Purva Patel, Andy Phu, Bryce Speckmann, Anjali Kansara, and Sneha Sudharsan.

Internships Point to a Career

For Student Ambassador Anjali Kansara ’22, internships were an important frontline experience for changing her academic concentration to information systems and choosing a career

The value of internships during her undergraduate career was front and center for Anjali Kansara ʼ22 as she earned her bachelorʼs degree.

“I created social media content, monitored analytics, and conducted interviews with potential clients,” says Kansara of her marketing internship at Free Logic.

“Being a startup, the experience taught me a lot about navigating a fast-paced work environment.

“Most importantly, the internship showed me that I didnʼt enjoy front-facing marketing, and I am much more interested in the backend analyzing performance. I decided to switch my concentration from marketing to information systems.”

Kansara explored her new concentration in the classroom and through work experience. “Having a foundational background in data analytics and project management was a huge advantage,” she says.

“During my second internship, with Zeno Group, I was introduced to data visualization and the importance of social listening as I was analyzing monthly metrics, global media coverage, and growth opportunities for major brands, like Tinder and Zoom.”

That internship led to a job at Zeno Group, a global public relations agency, and Kansara is currently a junior data analyst on the analytics team. “My time interning here was an absolute dream,” she says. “Iʼm now looking forward to further developing my technical and analytical skills to harness the power of data.”

Student-managed Investment Fund Outperforms

The Hylander Financial Group (HFG) is a UCR club open to students of all disciplines and levels of financial expertise. Finance student Bryan Reyes ’23 is vice president of HFG and also involved with the Hylander Student Investment Fund (HSIF), which is managed by students with real money and was established with a $200,000 donation from an alumnus in 2019.

“The target asset allocation for the HSIF portfolio is 80% equity and 20% fixed income,” reports Reyes. “By using and sticking to this strategy, we hope to outperform the benchmark.” The fundʼs benchmark is 70% of the Russell 3000 and 30% of the Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate Bond Index. For the fourth quarter of 2021, HSIF returned 6.59% while the benchmark returned 5.52%.

Adds Reyes: “I have learned that the art of investing is not only to build a strong real-world portfolio, but to develop the skills to keep it growing.”

Anjali Kansara ʼ22 worked at two internships that decidedly shaped her professional path.

College Factual

Bryan Reyes ʼ23, vice president of UCRʼS Hylander Financial Group student organization

A World of Education

Business students travel to Oxford, England, and Washington, D.C., for a look at policy, national security, technology, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies

Study trips resumed for UCR business students, after postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with travel to Washington, D.C., and Oxford, England.

Washington, D.C.

The DC Intensive Program brought students in direct contact with policy scholars at George Mason Universityʼs Schar School of Policy and Government in December 2021 with lectures on political polarization, gender and race in a policy context, and national security and intelligence. The group also attended briefings with a lobbying firm, the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Reserve, and private tours of national and cultural monuments in the nationʼs capital.

Oxford, England

In March 2022, UCR business students attended the Oxford Young Entrepreneurial Leadership Program held at Oxford Universityʼs Mansfield College and focused on the critical challenges and opportunities impacting business leaders as technology reshapes the workplace. The group also examined the impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on

organizational productivity, and explored new technologies in financial management, including cryptocurrencies. 

The student trip to University of Oxfordʼs Mansfield College focused on technologyʼs reshaping of the workplace.

UCR business students gather at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial during their trip to the nationʼs capital.

Strong Ties with the Business Community

David A. Robinson ’79 is chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council and champions the business school’s role in the health of the region

A business trial lawyer specializing in complex disputes, David A. Robinson ʼ79 is the executive partner of the Orange County office of Holland & Knight, a global law firm. He also serves as the chair of the UCR School of Business Deanʼs Advisory Council.

With a long career in prestigious law firms and an expansive list of clients, including many in the Inland Empire, Robinson is clear about the role UCRʼs School of Business plays in the region.

“One of the great things about business in a capitalistic society is that itʼs constantly in a state of reinvention owing to disruptive technology and competition. The only way to succeed in that kind of environment is to have access to the latest and greatest ideas and best talent,” says Robinson, who earned an

“

Business needs the product created at UCRʼs School of Business, and the business school needs access to the communityʼs opportunities.”

undergraduate degree in political science at UCR before heading to UC Hastings for his legal education.

“Itʼs common sense for businesses to want an extraordinarily high-quality incubator of talent in its back yard. Business needs the product created at UCRʼs School of Business, and the business school needs access to the communityʼs opportunities.”

As the council chair, he adds, “My job is to be an ambassador to connect the two.” 

The Dean’s Advisory Council includes leaders from the business, governmental, and nonprofit arenas who champion and support the school’s initiatives. Council leaders play an active role in securing the critical relationships and resources needed for the School of Business to execute its strategic plan.

At the spring 2022 Deanʼs Advisory Council meeting, from left, are Dean Yunzeng Wang; the councilʼs president, David A. Robinson ʼ79; and Vince Ferragamo, former National Football League quarterback and founder of Touchdown Real Estate in Anaheim Hills, California.

Taking Lessons to Work

Associate Professor Elaine Wong sparks valuable dialogue between students and visiting alumni

coursework he completed when he took Associate Professor of Management Elaine Wongʼs popular Organizational Behavior course.

“This course introduced me to the six leadership styles,” said Campos, who began his career with The Walt Disney Co. as an intern and is now a strategic sourcing analyst for the company. “Itʼs important to know your own leadership style and how that varies for others. If youʼre butting heads with a member on your project team, youʼll need to adjust your leadership style for future projects with them.”

Wong hosted a panel of current PMBA and former MBA students, including Campos, who shared what they have each learned about emotional intelligence in the workplace since embarking on their respective careers.

The ability to understand and evaluate varying personality types has played a crucial role in the development of his career, according to Erick Campos ʼ16, ʼ18 MBA. Itʼs a skill he credits to

When asked how the Organizational Behavior course set him up for success in his career, panelist Arnold Ramirez ʼ20 MBA, president of consulting management company CU Intellect, said: “Iʼm able to step back from personal beliefs in business situations and focus on organizational business tactics. Itʼs important to understand personalities. People are more dynamic than they may seem on the surface.”

Associate Professor of Management Elaine Wongʼs popular Organizational Behavior course has been useful to MBA students in their careers.

Erick Campos ʼ18 MBA, far left, a strategic sourcing analyst at The Walt Disney Co., participated in the Organizational Behavior course panel discussion and told current students: “Itʼs important to know your own leadership style and how that varies for others.”

New Faculty

Margaret C. Campbell, professor of marketing, joined the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management in 2021 and serves as the Anderson Presidential Chair in Business Administration, as well as associate dean and department chair. Her research focuses on consumers as intuitive psychologists who use their knowledge to understand and make choices in the marketplace. She is well known for her research on consumersʼ understanding of persuasion and on price fairness. More recently, her work examines marketplace-relevant knowledge in children, studying topics including childrenʼs responses to the use of cartoon characters on product packaging and other aspects related to health. Campbell has served as the president of the Association for Consumer Research and editor of the Journal of Consumer Research

Richard Carrizosa, assistant professor of accounting, has published widely, and his primary areas of research include financial contracting with an emphasis on debt and compensation contracts, corporate governance, and financial reporting and disclosure. He earned a Ph.D. in accounting from New York University.

Sanjoy Moulik, assistant professor of teaching in information systems, is also a managing partner with CAL2CAL Corp. His research focuses on the effect of emerging technologies on consumersʼ behavior, as well as business strategy. He is particularly interested in developing technology solutions for chronic disease management for better clinical outcomes. He holds a Ph.D. in information systems from Claremont Graduate University.

Demetrius Lewis, assistant professor of management, uses a network analytics perspective to study entrepreneurship and innovation and how people and organizations collaborate through networks to integrate new information and resources. His research also explores investors, social status and innovation, and creative innovation. His work has been published in journals including Organization Science. He earned a Ph.D. in organizational theory at Stanford University.

Adrienne Reynolds, assistant professor of teaching in management and U.S. Army veteran, focuses her research on expatriate adjustment, crosscultural influence on disability policy, and experiential learning in international business courses. With extensive industry experience, she has worked and taught in the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. She holds a Ph.D. in organization and management from Capella University.

Margaret C. Campbell, Anderson Presidential Chair in Business Administration

Richard Carrizosa, assistant professor of accounting

Sanjoy Moulik, assistant professor of teaching in information systems

Demetrius Lewis, assistant professor of management

Adrienne Reynolds, assistant professor of teaching in management

Faculty Publications and Honors: 2021-2022

John Acker, lecturer in the School of Business University Writing Program

Recipient of the student-voted 2021-2022 Golden Apple Award for business administration pre-requisite and core courses

Eric Allen, assistant professor of accounting

“The Impact of the Mandatory Disclosure of Corporate Tax Returns on Reporting Bias”

With Aydin Uysal

Western Region American Accounting Associationʼs Best Paper Award, 2022

Adem Orsdemir, assistant professor of operations and supply chain management

“Is Adopting Mass Customization a Path to Environmentally Sustainable Fashion?” (see page 12)

With Aydin Alptekinoglu

Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 2022

Marlo Raveendran, associate professor of management

Associate editor, Journal of Organizational Design, 2022

Editorial review board, Strategic Management

Journal, 2022

Editorial review board, California Management Review, 2021

Alexander Roman, management lecturer

U.S.

“How Elon Musk Saved Big on Taxes By Giving Away a Ton of His Tesla Stock” News article published by The Conversation, Associated Press, and Yahoo News Subramanian Balachander, professor of marketing and Albert O. Steffey Chair

“Crowdfunding Project Design: Optimal Product Menu and Funding Target”

With Qiang Liu and Xiaofeng Liu Production and Operations Management, 2021

Hai Che, associate professor of marketing

Recipient of the student-voted 2021-2022 Golden Apple Award for graduate core courses

for Veterans, College Factual, 2022

U.S. News & World Report, 2022

Danko Turcic, associate professor of operations and supply chain management

“Pricing, Quality, and Stocking Decisions in a Manufacturer-centric Dual Channel”

With Xiaomeng Guo and Panos Kouvelis Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 2022

“Building the Momentum: Information Disclosure and Herding in Online Crowdfunding”

With Yi-Chun (Chad) Ho and Shengsheng Xiao Production and Operations Management, 2021

Michael Haselhuhn, associate professor of management

Recipient of the student-voted 2021-2022 Golden Apple Award for business administration elective courses

“Investors respond negatively to executivesʼ discussion of creativity” (see page 16)

With Elaine Wong and Margaret Ormiston Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2022

Kyle Ingram, professor of teaching in management

Recipient of the UCR Academy of Distinguished Teaching Award for Innovative Teaching and the student-voted 2021-2022 Shulman Endowed Excellence in Teaching Award

Ye Li, associate professor of management

Recipient of the student-voted 2021-2022 Golden Apple Award for graduate elective courses

“The More you Ask, the Less You Get: When Additional Questions Hurt External Validity” (see page 14)

With Daniel Bartels, Antonia Krefeld-Schwalb, Eric Johnson, Olivier Toubia, and Daniel Wall Journal of Marketing Research, 2022

“Supporting Operations with Financial Hedging: Cash Hedging Vs. Cost Hedging in an Automotive Industry”

With Panos Kouvelis

Production and Operations Management, 2021

Elaine Wong, associate professor of management

“Investors respond negatively to executivesʼ discussion of creativity” (see page 16)

With Michael Haselhuhn and Margaret Ormiston

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2022

Richard Yueh, assistant professor of teaching in information systems

Recipient of the student-voted 2021-2022 James Merino Innovation Award

Ivy Xiying Zhang, associate professor of accounting

“Is Conservatism Demanded by Performance

Measurement in Compensation Contracts? Evidence from Earnings Measures Used in Bonus Formulas”

With Ke Na and Yong Zhang

Accepted by Review of Accounting Studies, June 2022

Rami Zwick, professor of marketing and associate dean for graduate programs

Recipient of the student-voted Golden Apple Award for graduate elective courses

Subramanian Balachander, professor of marketing and Albert O. Steffey Chair

Raveendran, associate professor of

Professor Richard Savich Retires

Richard Savich, adjunct professor of accounting and former director of the Master of Professional Accountancy program, recently retired. Savich joined UCR is 2006, and he has published widely in various academic and professional journals around the

world. He has also shared his expertise with clients in dozens of countries as president and founder of ABKO Consulting. The entire UCR School of Business community wishes him well.

In Memoriam

David Mayers, emeritus professor of finance and Philip L. Boyd Endowed Chair in Finance, passed away April 6, 2022. Widely published, Mayersʼ research introduced nonmarketable assets (such as human capital) in the capital asset pricing model, and he presented early research on block trades.

He was also well known for his considerable body of research in the insurance industry.

He joined UCRʼs School of Business in 1995, and he retired in 2008 but taught courses and continued his research at the business school through 2015.

Jorge Mario Silva-Risso, emeritus professor of marketing, passed away on Sept. 15, 2021, at age 68 following a long battle with aphasia, a neurological disease. Silva-Risso joined the UCR School of Business faculty in 2003 and taught courses on marketing institutions, marketing channels, and behavioral economics, and he received many scholarly accolades within academia. He retired from the university in 2018.

Kenneth Weigel ʼ19, a lecturer at UCRʼs School of Business since 2017, passed away Feb. 15, 2022, at age 56. He was president and CEO of ABC Office Systems and previously served as an international business consultant. In 2019, he earned his MBA from UCRʼs A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.

David Mayers Kenneth WeigelJorge Mario Silva-Risso

Associate Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management Danko Turcic co-authored “Pricing, Quality, and Stocking Decisions in a Manufacturer-centric Dual Channel” recently published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management

Final Take

In the SoCal Sun

HAPPY COLOR FESTIVAL

During the spring quarter, masterʼs students in the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management took advantage of a beautiful April 2022 day and the chance to be together for some “colorful” recreation at the Happy Color Festival hosted by the schoolʼs Student Association.

Carrie Rosema

2022

COMMENCEMENT

The June 10, 2022, School of Business commencement ceremony was filled with celebration by students, families, and friends. We are very proud of our graduates, many of whom persevered through two years of the pandemic to complete their studies—congratulations to all members of the class of 2022!

Find more photos from commencement and other UCR Business events on the Flickr link at business.ucr.edu.

Carrie Rosema