Lubin Research Seminar Series

12:10 p.m.– 1:10 p.m.
Dean's Conference Room (Room W414D), One Pace Plaza, New York City Campus
and Zoom

Yu (Renee)'s research focuses on performance evaluation and benchmarking through the development and application of optimization models, identifying inefficiencies, and enhancing the productivity and efficiency of decision-making units (DMUs). Her primary research methodologies include data envelopment analysis (DEA) and random forest algorithms. Yu has published in leading journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research, Annals of Operations Research, and the Journal of the Operational Research Society; she has presented her works at the INFORMS and DSI annual conferences. Further, she served as an ad-hoc reviewer for OMEGA, Annals of Operations Research, INFOR, and Empirical Economics.

Paper to be presented

Bank financial sustainability evaluation: Data envelopment analysis with random forest and Shapley additive explanations (Renee Shi)

Abstract

Ensuring financial sustainability is imperative for a financial institution's overall stability. To mitigate the risk of bank failure amid financial crises, effective management of financial sustainability performance becomes paramount. This study introduces a comprehensive framework for the accurate and efficient quantification, indexing, and evaluation of financial sustainability within the American banking industry. Our approach begins by conceptualizing financial sustainability as a multi-stage, multifactor structure. We construct a composite index through a three-stage network data envelopment analysis (DEA) and subsequently develop a random forest classification model to predict financial sustainability outcomes. The classification model attains an average testing recall rate of 84.34 %. Additionally, we employ SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to scrutinize the impacts of contextual variables on financial sustainability performance across various substages and the overall banking process, as well as to improve the interpretability and transparency of the classification results. SHAP results reveal the significance and effects of contextual variables, and noteworthy differences in contextual impacts emerge among different banking substages. Specifically, loans and leases, interest income, total liabilities, total assets, and market capitalization positively contribute to the deposit stage; revenue to assets positively influences the loan stage; and revenue per share positively affects the profitability stage. This study serves the managerial objective of assisting banks in capturing financial sustainability and identifying potential sources of unsustainability. By unveiling the “black box” of financial sustainability and deciphering its internal dynamics and interactions, banks can enhance their ability to monitor and control financial sustainability performance more effectively.

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12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.
Zoom

Zhe Zhang is an assistant professor of Marketing at Ivey Business School. He holds dual doctoral degrees - a PhD in Marketing from C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Vermont. His research interests lie in branding and marketing communications. His work has appeared in premier academic journals, including the Journal of Marketing, and practitioner outlets, including Harvard Business Review. Dr. Zhang was awarded the Research Merit Award and David G. Burgoyne Teaching Award from Ivey Business School, and has received multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) grants to fund his research.

Paper to be presented

Brand Nicknames & Nickname Branding (Dr. Zhe Zhang)

Abstract

This research investigates nickname branding, a novel phenomenon whereby firms incorporate the 'street' names consumers give brands into their own marketing (e.g., Bloomingdale's opening a Bloomie's store; UPS's "What can Brown do for you" tagline). While practitioners anticipate positive results from deploying this tactic, the current research serves as the first empirical investigation of its likely effectiveness. Drawing on speech act theory, we theorize that using a nickname in place of a formal name serves as an act of power redistribution, effectively signaling submission to consumers, thereby reducing the perception of a brand's power and weakening its performance. Using a multi-method approach that incorporates secondary data analyses, field studies, and pre-registered experiments, the results support this view across a range of performance metrics. In addition, we show this effect is contingent on two factors, such that nickname branding (1) harms performance more for competent brands than warm brands; and (2) is less pronounced when nicknames are used in messages that are communal-oriented (vs. transactional-oriented). Our research introduces a new theoretical perspective centering on the illocutionary meanings embedded in the process of naming brands and highlights actionable insights on how marketers should approach or avoid consumer-based slang in their marketing.

12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.

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Mary Kaltenberg, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Pace University in New York City. Her work is at the intersection of labor and innovation aimed at understanding what impacts scientists and scientific output, and the impact AI has on labor markets. She has published in journals like Research Policy, worked on technical papers in collaboration with UNIDO, IADB, and UNICEF, and served as a reviewer for a variety of journals including, Industry & Innovation, Journal of Human Resources, Cities, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, and Journal of Evolutionary Economics. She received her PhD from Maastricht University (UNU-MERIT) and her Master’s and Bachelor degree in Economics from The New School for Social Research in New York City.

Paper to be presented

Does Maternity Leave Find Lost `Shirley Jacksons’? (Mary Kaltenberg and Ling Zhao)

Abstract

Female invention participation has steadily grown in the US over the past few decades, but the gender innovation gap remains substantial. This growth in participation corresponds with an overall increase of female labor force participation and changes in maternity leave policies. Using inventor data from patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office, this paper seeks to evaluate the impact of unpaid maternity leave (FMLA) of female inventors of child-bearing age on their exit decisions, productivity, and innovative activity. Our findings suggest that unpaid maternity leave policies promote retention of female inventors, but these policies have little impact on increasing productivity.

12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.

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Dr. Seo's research interests primarily revolve around Strategic Human Capital, Technology Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. He has contributed to the academic field with several publications in reputable journals, including the Strategic Management Journal and Evidence-based HRM. Additionally, Dr. Seo has presented his research at various conferences, including the Academy of Management Annual Meeting and the Decision Sciences Institute's Annual Conference. Furthermore, he has served as an ad hoc reviewer for journals like Business Strategy and Environment, and Industry and Innovation. Dr. Seo is also a member and reviewer for the Academy of Management.

Paper to be presented

Collaborative structure and post-mobility knowledge spillovers: A dyadic approach

Abstract

How does the dyadic collaborative structure between the hiring firm and the losing firm influence knowledge spillovers following an employee's move? We demonstrate that knowledge spill-ins (to the hiring firm) and spill-backs (to the losing firm) are the greatest when a firm with a strong collaborative density hires an employee from another firm that too has a strong collaborative density. Furthermore, such a dyadic combination results in the greatest degree of access to the broader knowledge of the other firm. By considering the role of relative collaborative structures in post-mobility knowledge-building activities, we inform the extant literature on the importance of this factor. In doing so, we invite scholars to take a more holistic view of the risks and benefits associated with “learning by hiring.”

12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.

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Hussein Issa is an Associate Professor of Accounting Information Systems at Rutgers Business School. He received his PhD in Accounting Information Systems from Rutgers University in 2013. He led numerous research projects with banks, large multinational consumer products companies, a telecommunication company, and one of the Big Ten universities' internal audit departments, among others. His research focuses on the applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning to auditing and accounting. He developed different methodologies to identify and prioritize exceptions (which was the topic of his dissertation "Exceptional Exceptions"). In these projects, Hussein developed various statistical and machine learning models to address business problems, such as fraud detection, outlier identification, pattern recognition, operational efficiency, customer profiling, and continuous control monitoring of procurement systems, among others. Hussein has also recently taken interest in Robotic Process Automation (RPA), generative AI, and the application of AIS methodologies to government reporting. Last, Hussein serves on the dissertation committees of several PhD students.

Paper to be presented

Business Education 4.0: A Pedagogical Emphasis on Innovation, Flexibility, and Scalability (Huijue Kelly Duan, Hussein Issa, Miklos Vasarhelyi)

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face increasing competition, not only from peer institutions but also from technology companies and software developers. The traditional educational model in HEIs is losing its appeal in comparison to more targeted learning offered by specialized outlets. This study proposes an innovative educational model aiming to help higher education avoid obsolescence. The proposed model, dubbed Business Education 4.0, treats content as building blocks that can be used to build personally tailored courses. The model guides students through creating their modularized custom courses, delivers course materials, analyzes student performance, offers students continuous support, and gathers feedback. Two pilot cases were conducted to evaluate the practicality of the proposed model, and a follow-up survey was used to collect feedback, which was significantly positive.

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Room W414D (Dean's Conference Room)
One Pace Plaza, New York City Campus/Zoom

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Dr. P.V. Viswanath is Professor of Finance and Graduate Program chair in the Finance Department at the Lubin School of Business in New York City. His research is mainly in the area of corporate finance and the role of finance in society. An important part of his research is the intersection of religion, law, and economics. A recent publication examines the nature of gifts in an ancient Buddhist Vinaya Text, while a work in progress includes the economy of ancient India as reflected in the works of the medieval Indian poet, Kalidasa; sale and purchase contracts in ancient Hindu legal texts; and the nature of gifts described in 11th century Cairo geniza correspondence among Jewish Indian ocean traders.

Paper to be presented

Product Returns Policies and Economic Growth: Evidence from Ancient India (P.V. Viswanath)

Abstract

Although the Dharmaśāstras (ancient Indian legal codes) were not written as history texts and although they were not written by historians, they deal with matters pertaining to the ordinary life of people. As such, it is legitimate to ask if we can learn anything about the economic situation of the period when these texts were written by looking at their content. We look at the rules regarding annulment of sale/purchase transactions, as laid down in several early texts. By making a small number of judicious assumptions regarding the dating of these texts, we attempt to make inferences regarding the change in the nature of markets over the period around the beginning of the first millennium CE.

12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.

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Ming Chen is an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Chen's research interests focus on quantitative marketing and retailing. She is interested in applying statistical models and machine learning methods to examine the influences of consumers' visual attention on their subsequent behaviors and to uncover the underlying factors that affect consumers' eye movement during shopping journeys. Her research has been published in academic journals such as Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Letters, and Journal of Advertising. Dr. Chen teaches Digital Marketing Analytics to both undergraduate and graduate-level (MBA) students. Dr. Chen received her MBA (concentration in Finance) from Johns Hopkins University and has a PhD in Marketing from the University of Houston.

Paper to be presented

"Understanding Shoppers' Attention to Price Information at the Point of Consideration using In-Store Ambulatory Eye-Tracking" (Ming Chen, Raymond R. Burke, Sam K. Hui, and Alex Leykin)

3:25 p.m.–4:25 p.m.

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Dr. Samir M. El-Gazzar is the KPMG Professor of Accounting at the Lubin School of Business. He previously served on the faculties of Columbia University, Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey, Baruch College of the City University of New York, and Tanta University in Egypt. Dr. El-Gazzar's research focuses on capital-market–based accounting issues, information production, and financial contracting. His research appears in top accounting and finance journals such as The Accounting Review, The Accounting Horizons, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Contemporary Accounting Research, The International Journal of Accounting, and The Journal of Business Finance and Accounting. Dr. El-Gazzar also contributed to the Encyclopedia of Management, published by Blackwell Publishing, England.

Dr. El-Gazzar teaches financial reporting, accounting theory, research methodology in accounting, cost and managerial accounting, and contemporary issues in accounting courses. He also teaches doctoral concentration seminars in accounting and supervises doctoral students during their dissertation work. He was awarded his PhD in accounting from Baruch College-Graduate School, City University of New York. Dr. El-Gazzar has also consulted with numerous businesses, as well as academic institutions. Business consulting services include reconciliation of financial reporting problems with the SEC, debt contracting for financial institutions, financial reporting information systems' review and evaluation, and data mining and grouping.

Paper to be presented

Corporate ESG Activities and Shareholders' Value Creation Strategic Planning: Are They Contradictory or Complementary Policies? (Samir M. El-Gazzar)

Abstract

This research investigates whether corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities complement or contradict with shareholders' value creation strategic planning. For many decades, the shareholders' value creation perspective of finance theory has been dominating corporate practice in strategic planning. Under this strategy corporate operations and investment decisions focus on maximizing shareholders' wealth. Recent developments in the business world require corporations to satisfy all stakeholders' interests: shareholders, debtholders, employees, society, and environment. Satisfying interests of all stakeholders requires firms to adopt programs and devote resources to perform the necessary activities for such satisfaction, which may contradict shareholders wealth maximization. Moreover, activists of sustainable environment and global organizations such as the United Nations (UN) have been asking corporations to take an active role in reducing environmental pollution and devote resources for society and communities' interests. In response to these demands, many corporations have adopted and implemented ESG programs and voluntarily disclose them. Prior research is inconsistent regarding the benefits of corporate ESG activities to the value of the firm. This paper empirically investigates the incremental valuation relevance of ESG activities in the presence of shareholders' value creation strategy.

The base sample for this investigation is the Fortune 1,000 firms for the period 2010 to 2021. ESG data was obtained from Bloomberg database while financial data was downloaded from the COMPUSTAT data files. The results show several important findings: 1) ESG activities (total score) have incremental valuation relevance in the presence of shareholders' value creation strategy; 2) because of the voluntary disclosure of ESG activities, data availability for each of the ESG pillars are not consistent in terms of number of activities and disclosures; 3) when testing for the impact of each individual pillar on firm value, both environment and governance measures have a positive and significant relationship with firm value while the social measure, although significant, is negatively related to firm value which is inconsistent with expectations; 4) the type of industry (polluting versus non-polluting) is positively and significantly associated with firm value; and 5) other control variables such as firm size and profitability are significant but some exhibit unexpected direction, which can be due to data skewness.