Research
More than outstanding teachers, the College of Business faculty include internationally recognized researchers and thought leaders in their fields. Our faculty engage in relevant, impactful research that yields important insights into the complex problems facing businesses today. Their research advances both the science and practice of their business disciplines.
Through their research, our faculty members model intellectual curiosity and problem-solving. Known for their dedication to teaching, our faculty leverage their research insights in the classroom to provide an enriched learning experience.
Department Spotlight: Analytics & Information Systems
Research highlights from the Department of Analytics & Information Systems
- Ehsan Ardjmand (Associate Professor of Analytics and Information Systems) and William Young (O’Bleness Professor of Analytics and Information Systems) conduct research on business analytics and operations. Their recent article titled “Competitive Pricing Under Local Network Effects” is published in the European Journal of Operations Research. This research explores how businesses selling similar products should set their prices in environments where customers communicate and are influenced by their peers' purchasing decisions. The study focuses on the competitive dynamics between companies operating in a market where word-of-mouth can significantly impact a product's success. The key finding is that the structure of social networks, through which word-of-mouth spreads, is crucial in determining the optimal pricing strategy. For instance, if both companies have a substantial overlap of influential customers, they may be inclined to engage in price wars to attract these customers. Conversely, if each company has distinct groups of loyal customers, they can potentially set higher prices, as these customers are less likely to switch to a competitor. This insight is particularly valuable for business managers as it highlights the importance of understanding their customer networks. By analyzing how customer groups intersect, businesses can make informed decisions regarding pricing, and marketing strategies.
- Guarav Bansal (O’Bleness Professor of Analytics & Information Systems) researches how the world shapes technology, and how technology shapes the world (humans, in particular). His recent article titled “She's Worth IT: Female CIOs and the Battle for Influence in Tech” in Information, Technology, & People . Considering the prevalence of unconscious gender biases and stereotyping at the workplace and growing female leadership in IT, the study examines how the internalization of stereotype beliefs, in the form of the employee's gender, impacts the relationships between leadership characteristics and IT security compliance intentions. This study redefines the concept of 'sticky floors' to explain how subordinates can hinder and undermine female leaders, thus contributing to the glass ceiling effect. In addition, the study clarifies how gender roles shape employees' responses to different leadership styles through gender stereotyping and internalization. This awareness is essential for understanding the complex interplay of IT leadership, the gender of the CIO, and the gender of the employee. This research underscores the urgent need for a continued effort to eradicate biases stemming from gender stereotypes and foster social inclusion, motivating us to commit to this important cause.
Special Merits and Accomplishments
College of Business faculty members serve as Editors, Associate Editors, and members of the Editorial Review Board for over 50 academic journals, demonstrating their impact within their specific disciplines.
- Nick Panagopoulos, O'Bleness Professor Marketing, has been named a Highly Ranked Scholar in the Sales discipline, where he is ranked #12 for his lifetime contributions to Sales (top 0.05% of all scholars).
- Adam Rapp, Ralph & Luci Schey Professor of Sales, has been named a Highly Ranked Scholar in the Sales discipline, where he is ranked #9 for his lifetime contributions to Sales (top 0.05% of all scholars), and ranked #3 (prior 5 years).
- COB Sales faculty research has been recognized for its impact and quality by ScholarGPS, where Ohio University is ranked #1 (prior 5 years) and #5 (lifetime) in their Global Institutional Ranking of Sales research.
- Guarav Bansal's research on AI titled “The Ambivalent Nature of Trust in AI” was featured as a “Best Paper” at the 2024 Academy of Management Meeting.
- Janna Chimeli, Ellen Gordon, Raymond Frost, and Lauren Kenyo, faculty in the Analytics & Information Systems Department, won the Most Innovative Research Paper at the National Business and Economics Society conference for their research, “From AI to TA: How to use ChatGPT to Quickly Create Statistics & Analytics Assessment.”
- Nick Panagopoulos, O’Bleness Professor of Marketing, was appointed Senior Editor of the Journal of Business Research (JBR) in the tracks of Sales, B2B Marketing, and CSR/Ethics. With an impact factor of 11.3, JBR is considered a top journal in the field of business.
- Luke Pittaway, Copeland Professor of Entrepreneurship, was awarded the 2023 Ohio University Presidential Research Scholar Award.
Research Grant Recipients
The following members of the College of Business faculty received research seed grants from the Intellectual Contributions Continuous Improvement Team (ICCIT) for 2023-2024. Each recipient will make at least one presentation as part of the College of Business’ Research Colloquia series:
- Tammy Rapp (Associate Professor of Management): "Role Enrichment and Role Conflict in Multiple Team Memberships: A Mixed Method Approach"
- Jeffrey Anderson (Professor of Instruction in Management): "Global University Partnerships: Ohio and Pecs, A Case Study"
- Grigorios Livanis (Associate Professor of Management) & Mike Geringer (Professor of International Strategy): "A Network Analysis of Productivity and Knowledge Diffusion in International Business"
Research-Focused Faculty Awards
2024
- Nick Panagopoulos: Excellence in Intellectual Contributions
- This award recognizes outstanding intellectual contributions in both qualitative and quantitative publications.
- Jacob Hiler: Research Mentor Award
- The Research Mentor Award is given to faculty members who have demonstrated a willingness to serve as a mentor to colleagues seeking to launch or improve scholarship and intellectual contributions or to support undergraduate and graduate research theses, projects, and related activities.
- Ehsan Ardjmand: Research Impact Award
- The College of Business Research Impact Award recognizes faculty members who have distinguished themselves as thought leaders in their discipline or profession on a national or global level. Recipients of this award are able to clearly demonstrate that their body of research and leadership has had an impact on one or more of the following: academic research, student learning, executive education, consulting, and the positive role of business on society and the economy.
2023
- Jitendra Tayal: Excellence in Intellectual Contributions
- This award recognizes outstanding intellectual contributions in both qualitative and quantitative publications.
- Nikolaos Panagopoulos: Research Mentor Award
- The Research Mentor Award is given to faculty members who have demonstrated a willingness to serve as a mentor to colleagues seeking to launch or improve scholarship and intellectual contributions or to support undergraduate and graduate research theses, projects, and related activities.
2022
- Sinan Gokkaya: Excellence in Intellectual Contributions
- This award recognizes outstanding intellectual contributions in both qualitative and quantitative publications.
- Luke Pittaway: Research Mentor Award
- The Research Mentor Award is given to faculty members who have demonstrated a willingness to serve as a mentor to colleagues seeking to launch or improve scholarship and intellectual contributions or to support undergraduate and graduate research theses, projects, and related activities.
Research Highlights Report
Summer Research Grant Recipients
The following members of the College of Business faculty received summer research grants from the Intellectual Contributions Continuous Improvement Team (ICCIT) for 2023-2024:
- Sinan Gokkaya (Professor of Finance)
- Tammy Rapp (Associate Professor of Management)
- Liz Wanless (Associate Professor in Sports Administration)