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Business Research

School of Business Administration

Elliott Hall, Room 427
275 Varner Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4485
(location map)

Business has no boundaries, it is cross-disciplinary. Expert faculty from Oakland’s School of Business Administration have long recognized the importance of examining cross-disciplinary and societal issues through the business lens. Oakland business faculty members consistently publish their research in high-level academic journals on topics that advance the understanding of critical issues. In addition to providing insight to fellow academics, their research offers actionable data for professionals and influences classroom discussions.

Oakland University School of Business Administration Research Pillars

A word cloud with words related to business research. Key words include: entrepreneurship, marketing, sustainability, strategy, economics and more.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Studies topics such as cognitive-based models to learn written English, data analytics, performance and HR, predicting firm failure in the software industry, and data flow and distributed deep neural networks.

Faculty Affiliates
Osman Aydas, Venu Balijepally, Seong Yeon Cho, Jaemin Kim, Pratik Kothari, Yazan Roumani and Vijayan Sugumaran

Auditing, Disclosure, Assurance and Risk

Studies topics such as stock price crash risk.

Faculty Affiliates
Seong Yeon Cho, Qunfeng Liao, Robert Nehmer, Sha Zhao and Ellen Zhu

Behavioral Finance and Behavioral Economics

Studies topics such as behavioral agency theory, prospect theory and decision-making heuristics.

Faculty Affiliates
Ranadeb Chaudhuri, Michael Greiner, Austin Murphy and Steve Stanton

Blockchain Technology

Studies topics such as integration of Blockchain and ontology mapping in health care.

Faculty Affiliates
Eralda Caushaj, Robert Nehmer and Ramandeep Kaur Sandhu

Business Analytics and Data Science

Studies topics such as operations research methods applied to the solution of business problems.

Faculty Affiliates
Henry Aigbedo, Osman Aydas, Venu Balijepally, Xiaodong Deng, Mark Isken, Robert Nehmer, Yaman Roumani, Yazan Roumani and Ronald Tracy

Consumer Marketing and Behavior

Studies topics such as psychological processes underlying how consumers make decisions and how firms strategically use the marketing toolbox to influence consumer choices.

Faculty Affiliates
Xiaodong Deng, Brandon Gustafson, John Kim and Steve Stanton

Corporate Finance

Studies topics such as executive compensation, corporate financing policies, initial public offerings (IPOs) and seasoned equity offerings (SEOs), analyst forecasts and recommendations.

Faculty Affiliates
Seong Yeon Cho, Pratik Kothari, Hong Qian, Yin Yu-Thompson and Ellen Zhu

Corporate Governance and Sustainability

Studies topics such as agency theory, corporate social responsibility and corporate political activity, environmental performance-financial performance nexus and triple bottom line phenomenon.

Faculty Affiliates
Henry Aigbedo, Seong Yeon Cho, Michael Greiner, Joy Ruihua Jiang, Jaemin Kim, Junwoo Kim, Qunfeng Liao, Hong Qian, Jennifer Cordon Thor, T.J. Wharton, Sha Zhao and Ellen Zhu

Cybersecurity

Studies topics such as privacy in digital communications.

Faculty Affiliates
Xiaodong Deng, Eralda Caushaj, Yaman Roumani and Ramandeep Kaur Sandhu

Digital Marketing and Social Media

Studies topics such as impact of social media as an additional marketing channel.

Faculty Affiliates
Malika Chaudhuri, Xiaodong Deng, Brandon Gustafson, John Kim and Steve Stanton

Econometrics

Studies topics such as applications of semiparametric/nonparametric regression, panel data models, spatial models, and time series models including structural Vector Auto Regression (VAR) models, Proxy-VAR models, testing for asymmetries in the transmission of shocks, and GARCH models for measuring uncertainty.

Faculty Affiliates
Zeina Alsalman, Man Jin, Ronald Tracy and Shunan Zhao

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Studies topics such as innovation strategy, new product design, development, market launch, corporate entrepreneurship (intrapreneurship), technology spillovers and technology transfer.

Faculty Affiliates
Malika Chaudhuri, Xiaodong Deng, Jae Kang, Yan Ling, Jonathan Silberman and Janell Townsend

Financial Accounting and Economics

Studies studies topics such as stock returns, equity premium, energy shocks and financial markets, voluntary disclosures, money demand, earnings quality and earnings management.

Faculty Affiliates
Zeina Alsalman, Malika Chaudhuri, Seong Yeon Cho, Man Jin, Junwoo Kim, Qunfeng Liao, Anandi Sahu, Yin Yu-Thompson, Ronald Tracy, Sha Zhao and Ellen Zhu

Health Care Operations Analytics

Studies topics such as simulation and optimization modeling of health care systems, open-source occupancy analysis, the strategic use of staffing and scheduling policies to address patient demand and data-driven dashboard implementation.

Faculty Affiliates
Osman Aydas, Venu Balijepally, Mark Isken and Yazan Roumani

Information Technology and Management

Studies topics such as strategic planning for IT investments, and building and sustaining an organization’s management information system.

Faculty Affiliates
Venu Balijepally, Eralda Caushaj, Mohammad Dadashzadeh and Xiaodong Deng

International Business and Marketing

Studies topics such as international trade, trade policy, foreign direct investment, internationalization, market entry, global brand architecture, international marketing and international strategy.

Faculty Affiliates
Joy Ruihua Jiang, Steven Liu, Kasaundra Tomlin, Janell Townsend and Xie Zhu

Leadership in Organizations

Studies topics such as leadership during the organizational change, promoting employees’ innovative behavior, entrepreneurial passion, multilevel analysis and maintaining respect for people.

Faculty Affiliates
Caitlin Demsky, Gene Fliedner, Michelle Hammond, Hanna Kalmanovich-Cohen, Jae Kang and Yan Ling

Marketing and Finance Interface

Studies topics such as implications of marketing activities on the financial performance of the firm.

Faculty Affiliates
Malika Chaudhuri

Operations Management

Studies topics such as lean, supply chain management, interorganizational relationship management, quality management, scheduling and mechanism design.

Faculty Affiliates
Henry Aigbedo, Osman Aydas, Junhyun Bae, Gene Fliedner, Steven Liu, , Ram Orzach and T. J. Wharton

Organizational Research Methods and Applied Statistics

Studies topics such as meta-analysis, moderated multiple regression and text analysis.

Faculty Affiliates
Xiaodong Deng, Tammy Grace, Michael Greiner, Chuck Pierce and Greg Thrasher

Public Policy and Social and Group Impacts

Studies topics such as government policies in business and related areas that impact society and subgroups.

Faculty Affiliates
Timothy Hodge, Ram Orzach, Anandi Sahu and Jonathan Silberman

Real Estate

Studies topics such as REITs, climate change related issues, real estate mutual fund performance, housing affordability, property taxation (e.g., property tax assessments, property tax equity, taxable value caps and their unintended effects, property tax delinquency and foreclosure processes), and land valuation including amenity/disamenity effects.

Faculty Affiliates
Timothy Hodge, Pratik Kothari, and Jennifer Cordon Thor

Sports Management

Studies topics such as competitive balance in sports leagues.

Faculty Affiliates
Michael Greiner, Jaemin Kim, Cynthia Miree, Greg Thrasher and Kenneth York

Supply Chain Management

Studies topics such as supply chain design, procurement processes, transportation and distribution, supply chain risk and resilience, and mass customization.

Faculty Affiliates
Henry Aigbedo, Osman Aydas, Junhyun Bae and Xiaodong Deng

Work-Life Balance and Employee Well Being

Studies topics such as recovery from work demands, workplace relationships, workplace mistreatment, employee stress, stress management interventions and work-family conflict.

Faculty Affiliates
Caitlin Demsky, Xiaodong Deng, Gene Fliedner, Michelle Hammond, Hanna Kalmanovich-Cohen, Chuck Pierce and Steve Stanton

Workplace Discrimination and DEI

Studies topics such as workplace romance and sexual harassment in organizations, test bias in the selection of human capital, and workplace mistreatment.

Faculty Affiliates
Caitlin Demsky, Chuck Pierce, Steve Stanton, Jennifer Cordon Thor and Greg Thrasher

Investigating COVID-19 Impact: Resiliency is key to hospitality survival

Through his research into the impact of the pandemic on the hospitality industry, Henry Aigbedo, Ph.D., associate professor, production operations management, gained a clear understanding about how companies can position themselves to successfully respond and operate during a crisis.

Strategic Influence: Researching the intersection of politics, economics and management

Through his professional expertise and his research interests in corporate political activity (CPA), corporate social responsibility (CSR), stewardship theory, and agency theory, Assistant Professor Michael Greiner’s research work focuses on practical insight that can help businesses large and small plan for success.

Investigating technology innovations in accounting and auditing

Emerging technologies transform the way the world works. Robert Nehmer, Ph.D., professor of accounting and finance, has dedicated his research to examining the effects and applications of technology in accounting and auditing. For example, he has investigated how apps are freeing business professionals and small-business owners from mechanized work, allowing them to focus on growth and innovation.

Leadership across the lifespan

Management Professor Gregory Thrasher studies the psychology of leadership, diversity and work-life balance. His aging-at-work research highlights the efficacy of using the more tailored approach, offering employees a reasonable amount of autonomy to craft their own work roles.

Leadership Evolution Investigating Whole-Person Leadership

Oakland University Assistant Professor of Management Michelle Hammond, Ph.D, has spent much of her career focused on the process of leadership development, including how people grow to become confident individuals who are comfortable taking the reins, whether on the job, in their communities or in their own homes.

Strategic sustainability focus delivers competitive advantages

An analysis by Dr. Ravi Parameswaran, Ph.D., professor of marketing at the Oakland University School of Business Administration, shows how marketing can help organizations strategically transition from environmentally aware to genuinely sustainable by leveraging marketing’s unique dual role within organizations: function and business orientation.

Educating, empowering patients improves health

A recent study by Xiaodong Deng, Ph.D., professor of management information systems at Oakland University’s School of Business Administration, examined how empowering chronic disease sufferers to use information technology could help them better manage their illnesses.

Study examines best leadership styles for entrepreneurial startups

In a recent study, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Oakland University Jae Kang, Ph.D., examined the relationship between CEOs and managers by comparing transformational versus transactional leadership styles. The study focused on relatively small and young organizations that had innovative managers in an entrepreneurial organizational setting. View the full story here.

Money market mastermind decodes industry secrets

In a recent study Ranadeb Chaudhuri, PhD, found that the performance of investment products managed by firms where asset managers hold Ph.D.s is superior to that of products managed by similar firms that do not hire Ph.D.s. However, talent trumps training when it comes to the success of Ph.D. money managers. Innate ability matters more than field specific training among asset managers holding a doctorate degree.

Fighting workplace aggression

Oakland University assistant professor of management Caitlin Demsky, Ph.D., is studying how workplace aggression, whether physical or psychological, is making employees stressed, sick and unhappy. It’s also spilling over into personal lives, creating work-family conflicts. She offers actions to help individuals and organizations address this.

The cost of lower taxes

In his research paper, Timothy Hodge, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, observes that Neighborhood Enterprise Zone homebuyers do not often reap the financial benefits associated with the program.


Business Research Magazine Fall 2017

Cybersecurity

This center focuses on advancing interdisciplinary collaborative research and technology solutions by leveraging the partnerships and resources of the university. With strong research and scholarly direction, the center provides opportunities for student research and internships. Integration with the University’s incubators and their business connections serves as a strong nexus in engaging the community. Through community partnerships, the Center assists in providing solutions, training and talent.

Co-Director: Xiaodong Deng, Ph.D., MIS professor
weizhundz.com/research/centers/cyber-security

Data Science and Big Data Analytics

Through its collaborative approach, this center facilitates multidisciplinary data science research. The center combines the expertise of scientists from biological and biomedical sciences, and researchers in mathematics/statistics, engineering, business and finance. These experts use cutting-edge analytics, informatics and computing methodologies to conduct research and develop innovative solutions to address high-impact problems across disciplines. Experts are also available to consult with external industries and businesses. The research focus is on healthcare operations analytics, industrial and financial analytics, genome and evolutionary biology research, sensor networks and the internet of things. The center also partners closely with industry and other institutions to address current and trending issues.

Co-Director: Vijayan Sugumaran, Ph.D., MIS professor and chair, Decision Information Systems
weizhundz.com/research/centers/datascience