We congratulate the following students for achieving this highest honor for the 2013 winter term:

MASTERS

Christopher Badgley (MBA)
Hajera Begum (MBA)
Heather Bye (MBA)
Mary Heaney (MBA)
Rasul Mohammadi (MBA)
Nathan Reno (MBA/JD)
Todd Rouse (MBA)
Eric Russell (MBA)
Jennifer Sherman (MBA)
Jason Walter (MBA)
Tyler Webb (MBA)

UNDERGRADUATES

Shadeed Abdullah- Sr. (MIS)
Scott Aberle- Jr. (MGT & MIS)
Jihan Almohtasib- Sr. (ACC)
Vincenzo Amormino- Sr. (MGT)
Wahida Begum- Jr. (ACC)
Adam Blitchok- Sr. (MGT)
Matthew Buttigieg- Jr. (ACC)
Maureen Carey- Jr. (ACC)
Muhammad Chaudhry- Sr. (ACC)
Lara Colling- Jr. (ACC)
Aaron Denny- Sr. (ACC)
Catherine Ferguson- Jr. (MGT)
Brian Garner- Sr. (MKT)
Alexa Gates- Jr. (GSC)
Erika Giroux- Jr. (ACCH)
Daniel Jones- Sr. (FIN & MGT)
Henry Ketvirtis- Sr. (GSC)
Natalia Kumar- Jr. (MKT &MIS)
Andre Kzirian- Jr. (FIN)
Derek Lin- Jr. (MIS)
Brian Markham- Jr. (ACC)
Austin Mertins- Jr. (FIN)
David Piazza- Jr. (MKT)
Catherine Praet- Jr. (FINH)
Ylli Qoshi- Sr. (MISH)
Michael Roberts- Sr. (MIS)
Flavia Rumano- Sr. (GSC)
Julian Sandoval- Sr. (MGT)
Evan Sudomier- Jr. (ACC)
Jacquelyn Tramper- Sr. (ACC)
Jessica Vanderwerven- Sr. (ACC)
Shanee Yelder- Jr. (MIS)
Willy Zhang- Sr. (ACC & MIS)

A photo slideshow from the induction ceremony on April 26, 2013 is below.

“Our research is showing three years of stability in the Southeast Michigan economy,” said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s business school. “This is a very encouraging sign.”

Butler said that a sharp increase in new orders, from 55.9 to 60.6, the Employment Index of 59.4 and the Vendor Deliveries Index of 54.5 contributed to the favorable reading this month.
However, he noted that the Finished Goods Inventory Index fell to 45.5 and the Commodity Prices Index dropped to 50. Commodity prices worldwide are declining, primarily as a result of a sharp slowdown in China, the major consumer of a large amount of commodities related to their industrial expansion.

Items increasing in price in Southeast Michigan included pharmaceuticals, aluminum, butadiene and crude oil based commodities. Propylene based resins, polypropylene, polyester fibers and copper were reported as down in price.

“According to our reports from purchasing managers in the region, most are expecting continuing stability in the local economy,” said Ken Doherty, a member of the Institute for Supply Management and assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University. “It remains to be seen how worldwide commodity prices and fiscal policy in Japan, Europe, and the USA may impact the Southeast Michigan region.”

The latest report shows that 72.7 percent of purchasing managers expect that the economy will remain about the same over the next six months, while 15.2 percent indicate the economy will be less stable and 12.1 percent say that the economy will be more stable.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for April is available for download here.
 

"Ending the Wage Gap," co-authored by Professors Sudip Datta, Mai Iskandar-Datta and Abhijit Guha, was published in the May 2013 issue of the Harvard Business Review. Their research found a 4.5-5 percent wage gap for female chief financial officers (CFOs) two years after hiring. The authors examined hand-collected data from 1994 to 2007. The 1,598 CFOs studied were controlled for similar educational background and industry. Only 10 percent of the CFOs studied were women. The co-authors suggest ways for female CFOs to address this issue and provide practical advice for employers.

“The question of gender-based wage gap has been at the forefront [of the conversation] for several decades,” said Datta, T. Norris Hitchman Endowed Chair, professor of finance and interim chair for the business school’s finance department.

According to Datta, prior research on the subject of pay parities between males and females focused on the lower levels of corporations; however, even at the C-suite wage gaps exist.

“Women who are at the upper echelons of the corporation who are more informed, better educated and more driven with leadership qualities also experience this problem,” Datta said. “If they cannot reduce the gap, then how can women at lower levels get parity?”

The innovation of this study is that it looks at the compensation at different points in time. Most previous studies do not distinguish between compensation at the point of hiring and at later points in time. However, given that most executives are more likely to engage in negotiations when hired, the pattern of compensation may differ depending on when it is measured.

According to the study, at the time of hiring women get a slightly higher salary offer; however, in two years time the women’s salaries fall behind the men’s salaries.

“Our study is pointing out the pattern for human resource departments, so they can be proactive,” Datta said. This is important for boards of directors because they want to keep talented individuals regardless of their gender.”

“It is a travesty that even women executives at the highest levels are sometimes not rewarded in an equal manner. Keep in mind that we control for firm performance. So even after we control for performance, female CFOs are not paid similarly. It seems that the perception out there is that female executives will settle for less,” said Iskandar-Datta, professor of finance, Board of Visitors fellow and dean's research chair.

But that does not have to be the case. The authors suggest four key things women can do to rectify the situation and ensure equal pay: they need to show their willingness to move, they should also compete within the firm, get a contract clause at time of hiring pegging their future pay to that offered at comparable firms, and be willing to negotiate salary raises in years after hiring.

“To reduce the compensation gap, we advise female executives to be more aggressive with their annual negotiation for performance-based compensation,” Iskandar-Datta said.

“When women are looking for jobs they negotiate just as hard as the next executive, but after that, they settle for whatever raises they are given,” Iskandar-Datta said. “If someone is underpaid, they have to step up and discuss it, that’s what the research says.”

“The [woman] CFO has to stop worrying about being liked,” said Guha, assistant professor of marketing. Guha’s main focus for the article was human behavior and academic prescriptions for what women should do.

Guha says this research is important because it is relevant and useful to managers and workers alike.

The co-authors began this research two years ago and are working on a second study focusing on how women approach raises.

Read an online version of the article here.
 

Robert G. Riney, president and chief operating officer of Henry Ford Health System, was awarded the Executive of the Year Award. Riney is a 1982 graduate of WSU.

“I am honored to be recognized by a university that is doing such a stellar job in cultivating our region’s future talent and leaders,” Riney said.

Riney has been with Henry Ford Health System since 1998 and has held his current position since 2011. In 2012, the Henry Ford Innovation Institute opened its doors and allowed students from WSU to collaborate in shaping the future of healthcare through medical innovations.

“One of my favorite days is going over and listening to the projects from students because if they come in with any sense of intimidation, they certainly shed themselves of that quickly as they go through the process. It’s one of those moments that you just enjoy because you’re listening to certain ideas and you give yourself permission to feel stupid and say ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ and it’s a good thing,” Riney said in an interview with Detroiter Magazine last month.

David E. Meador, executive vice president and chief financial officer at DTE Energy, was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Meador is a board member on the Wayne State University Foundation. He earned both his bachelor’s in accounting in 1979 and M.B.A. in 1988 from WSU.

“The classes at Wayne State were tough, especially the accounting theory classes. I had to work hard for my grades and it helped to have friends in Beta Alpha, the precursor to Beta Alpha Psi, because we would study together,” Meador said.

“What I didn’t appreciate at the time was that the classes taught me the fundamentals of economics, accounting and finance that would serve me for the next 30 years,” he said.

Meador was the founding president of the Beta Alpha Psi chapter at WSU.

“Many of the leaders in the founding group went on to do great things in their lives and now are in a position to give back to the community,” Meador said.

Meador has advice for current students.

“When you can combine business acumen with people skills, you have a powerful combination,” he said.

Kirk King, a 2006 graduate of WSU’s School of Business Administration, received the Emerging Leader Award. King’s journey was not easy, but since childhood he knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur.

In 2001, King graduated with honors from Lawrence Technical University with his undergraduate degree. He completed the M.B.A. program at WSU with honors.

King has spoken to students in Gary Shields’ entrepreneurial management class about the importance of differentiation and diversification.

“I wanted to reiterate that Gary spoke the truth,” King said. “Do not buy a company unless you are willing to work 80 hours a week [and] live and breathe the company for many years, if not decades.”

King bought Continuity Programs Inc., a database marketing company that provides client follow-up programs. He was able to save the struggling company at the brink of bankruptcy and has returned it to profitability by transforming it into an intelligent database marketing company with an ever-growing client list.

King recalled Shields saying that it is less risky to buy an existing company and transform it than to start one from scratch.

“That statement resonated with me for years,” King said.

These awards were presented at the Detroit Institute of Arts during the Annual Recognition and Awards Program on April 23.

Mai Iskandar-Datta and Scott Julian are co-recipients of the Excellence in Research Award. Datta is a professor of finance and dean’s research chair. Julian is an associate professor of management with a focus on strategic management. 

“I am thrilled to have received this research award,” Iskandar-Datta said.

Her co-authored work on wage gaps appears in the May 2013 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

“All of my work is very practical and relevant to businesses,” she said.

She received her Ph.D. in business from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1986.

Julian is also the recipient of this year’s Board of Visitors Faculty Fellowship Award.

Julian earned his Ph.D. in management from Louisiana University in 1994. He serves on the school’s Faculty Senate and the Faculty Senate Strategic Planning Committee.

He has co-authored 17 peer-reviewed publications and is internationally recognized as a contributor to research on strategic issue diagnosis and strategic management in emerging economy contexts.

Ranjan D’Mello, associate professor of finance, was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award. D’Mello teaches graduate and undergraduate students and is often a student’s introduction to the finance component of his or her degree.

“I believe that for students, communication of concepts requires two major steps: constant practice with problems and applications of these problems to real-life situations,” D’Mello said.

D’Mello received his Ph.D. in finance from Ohio State University in 1995. He previously won this award in 2006.

Paul Reagan, senior lecturer of management, received the Sue Garr Innovative Teaching Award. This award was given for his contributions to students both in the classroom and in the field.

Reagan earned his Ph.D. in management, industrial and organizational psychology, and labor and industrial relations from Michigan State University in 1986.

“I’ve been lucky to find businesses and business people willing to share their business lives with our M.B.A. students. I have always communicated to our students the responsibility they have to businesses because of the high accountability and trust that is placed with them,” Reagan said. “Once the student accepts their accountability, that’s where the learning starts. They take accountability for the results, and they find ways to make expectations happen.”

“Each professor is richly deserving of recognition for the quality of their work as it elevates their careers and the reputation of the school among our peers and ultimately benefits our students in the classroom,” said Margaret Smoller, interim associate dean of academic and financial affairs.

These awards were presented at the Detroit Institute of Arts during the Annual Recognition and Awards Program on April 23.
 

Sanders served as the chief operating officer for the Business Student Senate for two years and is a member of the business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma. He has participated in Leadership Wayne II, a 56-hour leadership program where he interacted with Detroit-based CEOs. During his junior year, he was hired as the chief marketing officer at a growing Detroit-based tech startup. He would like to launch an international business that creates a centralized approach for consumers to get the quality products they need.

Sota is a founder of WSU’s chapter of the Financial Management Association and also peer mentors business students. As a summer intern, she traveled to Central America with PricewaterhouseCoopers to instruct citizens on financial literacy. Sota will be taking the CPA exam and moving to New York City to begin work with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“I will always be grateful to the business school for providing me with the best education and allowing me to grow as a person and into a true professional,” Sota said. “It has meant the world to me to be considered for such a high award and to be recognized for the hard work I have put into my undergraduate degree.”

Sota said Associate Dean Margaret Smoller has been a key figure in her undergraduate years.

“Professor Smoller has helped me grow academically. I’ve always been able to consult her for advice—whether it’s about the B Start program, [Business] Student Senate or the Financial Management Association,” Sota said.

Sanders and Sota join 35 past recipients of this award since it was first presented in 1981. Two students were selected for the Outstanding Student Award in a single year only three times.

Timothy Garmo, a marketing major with a 3.98 GPA, received the Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key Award for obtaining the highest cumulative GPA of this year’s graduates. Garmo is a presidential scholar. He is the president of marketing at his family’s business, TMG Inc. of Commerce Township. Since 2012, he has been working on the best methods for keeping customers informed and increasing the company’s customer base.

“WSU has taught me to embrace diversity. We do a lot of group projects and every time I put myself in as diverse a group as possible,” said Garmo. “This allows me to consider different perspectives that I might not have encountered before.”

“I am proud of our student recipients; they have proven that hard work and dedication leads to success,” said Margaret Williams, interim dean of WSU’s School of Business Administration. “Perhaps one day in the future we will see these students recognized with the Executive of the Year Award, Distinguished Alumnus Award or the Emerging Leader Award.”

The Business Student Senate received the Student Organization Community Service Award for continuing to set and achieve goals for students at the business school.

In addition to these awards, approximately 150 students received scholarship awards during this year’s Annual Recognition and Awards Program at the Detroit Institute of Arts on April 23.
 

WSU is one of 15 universities the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors selected to participate in the EcoCAR 2 competition. More than 400 universities applied to compete in the three-year program that gives engineering students the opportunity to design and build cars that meet vehicle standards of the future. In the first year of the competition, the Hybrid Warriors designed the vehicle. During stage two, the team is building the technology using a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

“Students are producing or doing research on hybrid technology that focuses on reducing environmental impact and reducing fuel consumption for the consumer. This saves the consumer money on daily travel and reduces pollution,” Enajero said.

Davis and Enajero (pictured second and third from left) began their roles as co-managers in October 2012. Their tasks range from sponsorship and fundraising to project management and risk analysis.

Davis oversees the budget and sponsorship. EcoCAR 2 sponsors include General Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, General Dynamics, IAV Automotive Engineering Inc., Delphi and NextEnergy.

Davis is a first-time manager and thinks the experience has allowed her to take on more responsibilities.

“I feel more inclined to take initiative; in the beginning I was just asking for tasks,” Davis said.

Enajero’s main tasks include project management and risk analysis.

“If an engineer did not receive a part in time, it is my job to determine to what extent this would delay our project,” Enajero said. “It’s about getting a picture of the project timeline, so we can stay on track and build in a timely matter.”

Enajero said what he likes most about EcoCAR is experiencing what he can expect in the field after he graduates.

“I am gaining more perspective on the day-to-day tasks in the fields of project management, marketing and engineering through EcoCAR,” Enajero said.

Enajero and Davis plan on continuing in the automotive field upon graduation.

“This experience is unparalleled,” Davis said. “You are not going to get this experience at the average internship.”

 

Patrick Shrout's presentation “Implementing multilevel analyses of daily diary data” focused on how daily diary methods offer opportunities to study behavioral, emotional and cognitive processes over time in natural contexts.

Tima Bansal presented “Tips and Traps for Publishing Qualitative Research: An Editor's Perspective” where she described what she believes to be an emerging boilerplate for qualitative submissions, based on insights drawn from over 200 editorial decision letters she had written. She also listed the top 10 traps, along with a few tips in dealing with them.

A total of 240 faculty and students from 34 of CARMA’s Consortium Webcast Program member organizations viewed the webcast, and 20 of Wayne State's faculty and graduate students attended both the webcast and "Meet the Methodologist."

CARMA has one more live webcast scheduled this spring. CARMA will partner with Georgia Tech University for a live webcast honoring Professor Larry James of Georgia Tech. Larry James is a long time CARMA contributor and a past webcast presenter. The live webcasts will be Friday, April 26 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm EDT. These webcast lectures will be available free, with no login required, through the CARMA home page on the day of the event. CARMA encourages group viewing of the webcast, and individual viewing is also allowed. Recorded versions will be made freely available through the CARMA website the week after the event. For more information about this event, click here.

Learn more about CARMA at its website, Twitter profile, and YouTube channel
 

“When I found out that I had been selected as a recipient of the FEI award, a wave of shock washed over me,” Ciennik said. “I immediately began to reflect on my experiences at WSU and how they have shaped me into the individual I am. WSU has presented endless opportunities [for me] to accomplish my personal and professional goals and has put me in the position to be considered for such an award.”

Students from six universities, including WSU, receive this award annually. FEI selects two students, one undergraduate and one graduate, for this honor. Professors at the universities nominated the students.

“Being recognized as a high-performing student in the fields of accounting and finance gives me great strength and confidence to continue to pursue these fields once I graduate,” Sota said. “More so, this award means that all the hard work that I put in throughout my time at WSU has been noticed by academia.”

Ciennik and Sota considered reasons for being nominated.

In 2010, Ciennik was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma; however, he was still able to complete the semester while maintaining dean’s list status.

“I feel that my ability to overcome adversity resonated with the faculty committee. During my battle with cancer, I chose to attack the disease and my school work with a positive attitude and a ‘will-to-win at all costs’ mentality,” Ciennik said.

He has celebrated two years cancer free.

“Being a part of the Business Student Senate, a founder of WSU’s chapter of the Financial Management Association and peer mentoring allowed me to show professors, who I did not have for classes, my work ethic and ambition,” Sota said.

“They are outstanding students and I am proud that they received this recognition,” said Margaret Williams, interim dean of WSU’s School of Business Administration. “It is always an honor to see our students excel and be recognized for all the hard work they do both inside and outside the classroom.”

Since 1931, Financial Executives International has aided public and private senior-level financial executives with financial solutions through independent research.

 

New orders gained 7.3 points, increasing to 55.9 in March after dipping below the threshold index in February to 48.6. The Employment Index increased 6.4 points, from 54.2 to 60.6, and the Production Index increased 1.5 points to 52.9 from 51.4 last month.

The Commodity Prices Index dropped 7.9 points to 58.8 from 66.7 in February. Petroleum, gas, diesel, oil-based products, aluminum and active fine chemicals were noted as up in price.

“Commodity prices, mainly of petroleum and petroleum-based products, are quite volatile,” said Nitin Paranjpe, an economist and supply chain faculty member at Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration who interpreted the results of the purchasing managers survey. “The moderation in their rate of growth is welcome, though easily reversible.”

The confidence element of the PMI survey indicated that purchasing managers’ expectations of future business activity over the next six months were generally supportive of stability, but indicated some increase in uncertainty over the past two months. According to the survey, 14.7 percent of purchasing managers expect more stability, 64.7 percent expect conditions will remain the same and 20.6 percent expect less stability.

“Comments from participants indicated the influence of Europe, sequestration, budget impasse and health care reform, to name a few, and hoped that some of these influences would be temporary,” said Ken Doherty, assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University and a member of the Southeast Michigan chapter of the Institute for Supply Management.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for March is available for download here.
 

Mahmood is only the fourth Wayne State University student to receive this honor. The AAF convened Feb. 4-6 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City to honor the recipients. Students were selected based on the quality of their recommendations, academic merit, professional experience, ethical practice and community engagement.

“It’s definitely an honor to receive induction into the Most Promising Minority Students class of 2013,” Mahmood said.

While in New York for the MPMS program, she also was awarded the Pepsi Campus to Corporate Award, a national designation given to the four highest student achievers, on campus and professionally, in the advertising, marketing and communications industries.

The MPMS event connected the inductees with those leading the path in the advertising field and offered recruitment and networking opportunities for the students. The awards program brought together some of the highest ranked industry leaders and more than 50 of the most prestigious agencies in advertising. Participating companies included General Mills, Leo Burnett, Interpublic, Omnicon, Publicis, McCann World Group, CNN and the New York Times. The program included a variety of industry immersion opportunities through networking events, professional panels and tours.

“I explored new perspectives, met key decision makers in advertising and expanded my professional network,” Mahmood said. “It’s rewarding to connect with industry leaders who share a similar passion for learning and development in advertising and marketing communications.”

Apart from industry immersion events, the class of 2013 was invited to an exclusive career fair featuring the “best places to work” in advertising and marketing communications.

The program offers continuing support to the inductees.

“Through the MPMS programming, I hope to heighten my knowledge of the industry through meeting and learning from influential professionals,” Mahmood said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the advertising community in New York City. It’s inspiring to experience the creative office spaces where so many innovative ideas are conceived and cultivated.”

Mahmood is interested in the advertising and digital media landscape and is developing a strong foundation in communication-based technology. She wants to learn more about consumer insights, emerging media, metrics, measurement techniques and analytics.

Being selected as an MPMS has benefits besides the initial honor.

“The recruiters acknowledge that such distinctions differentiate career seekers in advertising,” said Richard Beltramini, professor of marketing and Mahmood’s mentor. “A number of them have referred to active participation in the American Advertising Federation activities like National Student Advertising Competition, Alpha Delta Sigma National Advertising Honorary Society and others as a ‘seal of approval’ on resumes.”

Mahmood plans to eventually pursue an M.B.A. or even a Ph.D. Her current focus is on completing her undergraduate education and gaining more technical industry experience.

“I am a firm believer in continuous learning and development, so even when I am not sitting within a classroom I remain intellectually curious about emerging trends,” Mahmood said.

Mahmood works at Universal McCann Detroit as a portfolio management associate, a part-time position she has held since April 2011. She has been on the dean’s list for eight consecutive semesters. She is also the winner of 30 academic and leadership awards.

Mahmood says that attending the School of Business Administration has challenged her academically, socially and professionally. She is currently enrolled in her second advertising class with Beltramini.

“I have the highest regard for his teaching principles,” Mahmood said. “His courses allow students to gain real world experience by working in teams to consult for and present solutions to a client.”

Beltramini has taught all four of Wayne State University’s MPMS inductees.

“This significant honor is not the kind of thing that happens every year,” said Beltramini, who has taught at the university since 1995.

“I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to work with a number of promising advertising students over the years. I believe learning is a shared responsibility; instructors must provide learning opportunities which push students to excel and students must push their instructors to stay current in this constantly changing industry,” he said.

Beltramini has framed photos of the four MPMS winners in his office which he looks at for inspiration before each class. He says it’s the students who earn the honors.

“Ms. Mahmood has pushed herself to deserve this award. She’s taken on several internship and volunteer activities and is now one of the leaders of our student advertising organization,” he said. “This is an industry for ‘hand raisers.’ When opportunities present themselves, you cannot just sit in class without actively participating in learning opportunities. It’s gratifying to watch her professional development from the basics to higher level strategic planning.”

The AAF’s Most Promising Minority Students list was published in the Feb. 4 issue of Advertising Age.

Mahmood said that in addition to media coverage, having an AAF Most Promising Minority Student will be a great opportunity to heighten national awareness about the WSU marketing major.

“I want fellow students, especially local AAF chapter members, to follow my lead and seize the many opportunities available to them through Dr. Beltramini and the advertising community,” she said.

After networking and lunch, Matt discussed his personal path to the CEO office and dispensed career advice. He encouraged young professionals to take on tough assignments which present opportunities for growth and differentiation. Matt suggested a career and organization assessment every five years to make sure the company and job is a good fit for personal career goals.
 

This is Wayne State’s third year participating in the competition. The team was comprised of Tyler Haksluoto, Lovejeet Sidhu, Caitlin Himes and Melissa Zack. Lori Sisk, adjunct faculty of supply chain management, coached the team. This was the first time these senior business students participated in the Operation Stimulus competition.

Michigan State University placed first at the competition.

“As much as we would have loved to come in first place, we made a big statement of our potential and talent,” Himes said.

This competition is giving Wayne State national exposure as a major competitor in the supply chain management field. WSU previously competed in 2011 and 2012, but did not make it to the finals.

“In the end, I felt we all had a strong sense of accomplishment, knowing that we had represented Wayne State to the best of our ability and placed in the top three,” Sidhu said.

“As a team we spent approximately 100 hours preparing for the case, so it was very rewarding to receive second place for all of the hard work we did,” Zack said. “It was also really exciting to bring an award back to Wayne State and continue to promote our amazing supply chain program.”

The students were given the packets for the competition three weeks in advance. The team was only to consult each other regarding the case. Participants were allowed to review online literature, course notes and use their own knowledge. Seeking outside help from professors, professionals and other students would result in disqualification from the competition.

A total of 17 universities participated in the competition. The three day event, Jan. 31-Feb. 2, taught the case competition members many lessons they can apply to their future careers.

“The biggest lesson I took away from the competition was being flexible in any situation and working in a team,” Sidhu said.

“This competition taught me to look at the bigger picture when analyzing a case; it also taught me how to sell an idea,” Zack said. “We were not given a list of items the judges would be looking for so we had to give them as much information as we could and sell them our overall process.”

This was Sisk’s first time coaching this case competition, although she was also the advisor for the WSU/General Motors case competition last year in Detroit.

“It was an incredible experience. I had great students; they exceeded my expectations. Students learned if they dedicate the time and know their facts that they can succeed,” Sisk said.

Sisk believes the students took away many lessons from the competition including the importance of presentation, style and mannerism. She said those factors play a very big role in the decision making process.

Sisk added the case competitions are not only benefiting the students’ growth in the field, but also benefiting the companies involved.

“Companies have been able to use solutions students come up with,” she said.

“A lot of our faculty are industry professionals and bring real-world examples into the classroom and relate them to textbook concepts, which I feel really puts things in perspective,” Sidhu said.

“Every professor I have had has been able to bring industry situations and stories regarding the topics we are learning,” Zack said.

WSU’s School of Business Administration prides itself on its ability to provide students with opportunities for skill development, experiential learning and extracurricular activities to enhance their educational experience.

“Competitions like this are a core part of supply chain programs,” said John Taylor, chair of the marketing and supply chain management department, director of supply chain programs and associate professor of supply chain management.

“I have to give a great deal of credit to John Taylor and his faculty for preparing me and the team,” Haksluoto said. “In addition, our entire team had a wide variety of real-world experiences.”

Students are highly recommended to have an internship as part of their program. Haksluoto will intern with GM in the summer and has volunteered at the WSU/GM case competitions.

Sidhu said being adaptable is a crucial trait for those in the supply chain field.

“The most difficult part of the competition was being creative with our answers so that we would stand out,” Haksluoto said.

“I learned the importance of having a contingency plan for any and all processes you put in place, and to make sure you have a backup plan for every important point in the case solution,” Himes said.

“I felt very prepared at the competition, but the majority of that confidence came from having a great team,” Himes said. “The four of us had great communication, ideas and brought strong traits to this project.”

Each team member brought something unique to the team that was beneficial to the end goal of figuring out the best way to address their client’s challenge.

Haksluoto mentioned how the group’s personalities all worked together for the success of the competition. He complimented Himes’ work ethic and presentation skills, Lovejeet’s international experience and Zack’s researching skills.

“Because of the knowledge I have gained, I feel that I am ready and able to obtain a position in the supply chain field,” Zack said.

“WSU has definitely trained me to be to competitive in the supply chain field,” Sidhu said.

“The Southeast Michigan PMI has maintained a value over 50 for 35 of the past 36 months, indicating a steady strengthening of the regional economy,” said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s business school.

Butler said the Production Index of 51.4, the Employment Index of 54.2 and the Vendor Deliveries Index of 55.6 contributed to the favorable reading this month. He added that the New Orders Index dropped to 46.6, which indicates that there was a reduction in new orders in the region in February.

“The change in the New Orders Index is somewhat troubling, because if new orders contract over the long haul, other elements and the index itself will likely show contraction,” said Ken Doherty, a member of the Institute for Supply Management and assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University. “It’s not a cause for alarm, just something to keep our eye on.”

The Commodity Prices Index increased sharply to 66.7 from the January index of 58.9. This is the highest Commodity Price Index since October 2011, according to the Southeast Michigan PMI survey report. Items increasing in price included plywood, plastics, copper, aluminum, stainless steel and electrical components. The only commodity reported down in price was steel.

Of the purchasing managers surveyed, 63.9 percent indicated that the economy will remain about the same over the next six months, 13.9 percent indicated the economy will be more stable and 22.2 percent responded that the economy will be less stable.

“Respondents from the heavy truck industry expressed concerns of a downturn, and in the health sector there is concern over the implementation of health legislation,” Doherty said.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for February is available for download here.
 

The January 25 webcast featured lectures by Professor Jose Cortina of George Mason University and Professor Bob Vandenberg of University of Georgia.

Cortina’s presentation, “Moderated Mediation”, focused on how research models have become more complex in organizational studies because of the increased involvement of transmitting mechanisms and boundary conditions.

Vandenberg presented "More Urban Legends” which focused on myths and legends related to common method variance, cut-off criteria for goodness of fit measures and reliability, mediation, moderation, exploratory factor analysis, control variables, formative measures and meta-analysis.

Before the lecture, CARMA held the "Meet the Methodologist" interview program with the presenters, which was broadcast live on Ustream via its Facebook page. More than 320 faculty and students from 43 of CARMA’s Consortium Webcast Program member organizations viewed the webcast. Thirty of Wayne State's faculty and graduate students attended both the webcast and "Meet the Methodologist."

On February 22, CARMA hosted Professor Mo Wang of the University of Florida. His presentation “Growth Mixture Modeling” focused on how to investigate sub-populations within the context of structural equation models. A total of 220 faculty and students from 37 of CARMA Consortium Webcast Program member universities viewed the webcast online, and 30 of Wayne State’s faculty and students attended both the webcast and the “Meet the Methodologist” interviews which were broadcast live on Facebook.

CARMA will present its two final live webcast lectures on April 19.

Additionally, CARMA has open registrations for its Short Courses in Detroit, Michigan at Wayne State University, May 13-18, and in Melbourne, Australia at the University of Melbourne, April 3-5.

Learn more about CARMA at its website, Twitter profile, and YouTube channel.
 

Whether Elliott Management Corp. decides to make a better offer for Compuware Corp., it likely will ask for a shake-up of the company's board of directors, based on its past proxy battles with other publicly traded information technology companies. Barring, that is, Compuware's sale to another suitor. On Thursday, Reuters reported that Compuware has held preliminary talks with New York City-based Blackstone Group LP and Fort Worth, Texas-based TPG Capital LP. In a release dated Jan. 25, Compuware said it would entertain other offers. "I'm not surprised at all with this takeover bid by Elliott. The Compuware board is an ideal candidate for what not to do with your board," said Sudip Datta, interim chairman and a professor in the department of finance at the Wayne State University School of Business Administration. "There are several things that stand out for me," Datta said. "One, it's an inside board. It's too parochial. It's too Detroit-centric. These board members play in the same sandbox with the same social connections. You have to be worried that there are social connections that make true independence impossible. Two, you definitely need more board members with a background in IT or finance. And it's too big. It has 11 members. It'd be better off with eight or nine. There's academic literature on board size and effectiveness, and the larger board you have, the harder it is to be nimble and make quick, hard decisions."

Crain's Detroit Business
 

“I was really inspired to see the camaraderie and the emphasis on teams and teamwork,” Bresnahan said. “They were very committed, very passionate, and they put their best foot forward on the projects they were working on.”

Bresnahan won access to these high-level mentors the old-fashioned way—by asking. He believes success comes from “putting yourself in front of people and showing that you’re passionate and capable.”

“If you express interest and passion in this industry, people are willing to give you a little bit of their time to talk about what it is they do and answer questions you might have,” Bresnahan said, adding that these conversations can yield invaluable advice about what it is like to work in the industry.

Bresnahan’s invitation to visit Goldman Sachs stemmed from a conversation he struck up with a company team member at a wedding and their subsequent email correspondence. His private meetings at Blackstone grew out of his involvement in Wayne State University’s business incubator Blackstone LaunchPad, which is funded by The Blackstone Group’s Blackstone Charitable Foundation. Bresnahan and his partner launched the mobile technology firm PickOne Productions with assistance from WSU Blackstone LaunchPad and sought out a Blackstone executive at an event in metro Detroit.

“I caught him as he was leaving and made my two-minute pitch,” Bresnahan said. “I told him I would be in New York at Christmas and asked if I could have 15 minutes of his time when I was there. From there we emailed back and forth, and he was able to get me a few minutes in front of members of the firm’s investment groups.”

Bresnahan credits his ease with networking to past sales jobs, “where income comes from being proactive and contacting people you may not know,” and participating in business school activities.

Connections are great, but connections that lead to business are better. And that’s where Blackstone LaunchPad comes in, notes Bresnahan. The incubator alerted PickOne Productions to a high-profile mobile application competition and helped Bresnahan and his partner develop and pitch their bid. The two made it to the final round of selection.

“Blackstone LaunchPad is a phenomenal companion to the university,” Bresnahan said. “The support they give aspiring entrepreneurs is tremendous, particularly when it comes to helping you locate the resources to move forward with your idea.”
 

New orders gained more than 10 points, increasing to 58.9 in January after dipping below the threshold index in December at 48.5. The Employment Index increased slightly, from 53.2 to 55.4, and the Production Index increased just less than a point to 55.4 from 54.5 last month. The Commodity Prices Index rose 4.4 points to 58.9 from 54.5 in December.

“We are not only finding relative stability and growth in the overall index, but the employment index appears to be stabilizing as well,” said Nitin Paranjpe, a supply chain faculty member at Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration who interpreted the results of the purchasing managers survey. “In the automotive sector, demand for engineers and other professionals is reportedly high, and wages for information technology contingent labor are going up. Many commodity prices are increasing with demand, but decreasing energy prices are providing a boost to the economy.”

The confidence element of the PMI survey indicated that, overall, purchasing managers were optimistic in their expectations of the business environment over the next six months. According to the survey, 10.7 percent of purchasing managers expect more stability, 82.1 percent expect conditions will remain the same and 7.1 percent expect less stability.

“Concerns of most of the respondents centered around legislative issues such as health care reform and gun control,” said Ken Doherty, assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University and a member of the Southeast Michigan chapter of the Institute for Supply Management. “The possibility of stricter gun laws appears to be benefiting suppliers of gun and rifle accessories, who are reporting increasing orders. There is concern the benefit will be short term, and stricter laws will have long term negative consequences to the industry. Other industries expressed concerns about how new taxes, insurance reforms and decreases in government budgets might affect their businesses.”

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for January is available for download here.
 

Kevin Tuczek, a 2011 Wayne State University MBA graduate, was one of three 2012-13 recipients of the Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship and the only recipient from Wayne State. The Adams Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program, hosted by Michigan’s largest technology and business association, Automation Alley, allows fellows to work at the management level through early startup companies while receiving mentoring from the company’s management.

Tuczek, who was interested in changing his career path, thought this would be the perfect opportunity. He was paired with Billhighway, a company that works with nonprofits and member-based organizations to make the financial part of handling a business a little easier, so businesses can focus on their missions. Tuczek said the fellowship program helped him understand business more, especially at a startup level.

“I get to experience the challenges of building a business, like entering new markets and developing new products, while at the same time working at a company with really smart, successful people who are all driving towards the same goal,” Tuczek said.

Tuczek is living the unpredictable life of an entrepreneur through Billhighway. As an entrepreneur, he has experienced his role changing as the needs of the company evolve.

“For an entrepreneur, one day might mean being the CEO, head marketing person, customer service rep and the janitor,” Tuczek said. “You basically do whatever it takes to get the job done. That was my view going in and it hasn't really changed.”

Tuczek is the growth development analyst and is responsible for achieving the company's growth goals including: developing strategies to break into new markets, conducting deep market research on prospective customers, being an active part of the sales process through prospecting, getting meetings and discussing terms, and working to further develop indirect sales channels.

“Essentially, I'm living the entrepreneurial life without assuming the risk normally associated with starting a business, plus I'm able to sit down with C-level folks and ask questions, develop ideas, and so on,” Tuczek said.

Pursuing a career as an entrepreneur brings many challenges including resources for funding. A generous stipend allows the fellows to be fully committed to the experience without worrying about having to work another job.

The fellowship is not just about financial support; it puts the fellow in an environment where he or she can grow and make lifelong connections.

As an Adams fellow, Tuczek has an opportunity to advance his career and build his network in the community. That network now includes other Adams fellows with whom he can share knowledge and build relationships.

“One of the best parts is I'm surrounded by like-minded people every day—meaning entrepreneurial folks who are looking to create and develop ideas. I also have regular meetings with the program director, who is a wealth of knowledge himself. I'm learning a ton and building my network with great people,” Tuczek said.

“The fellowship is important to me because it's an opportunity to get first-hand knowledge and experience about entrepreneurship, along with regular access to a range of successful entrepreneurs, which most people don't get,” Tuczek said.

Before Tuczek pursued an MBA, he was a communications and public relations professional. He knew he wanted to apply to the fellowship after he first heard about the program while working at the School of Business Administration and pursuing his MBA. He also discovered an entrepreneurial environment was best for him and had to figure out a way to be in one.

“Kevin was a great student—very engaged in the course content. I could tell from the start that he was serious about being an entrepreneur,” said WSU Adjunct Faculty of Management Gary Shields.

His entrepreneurial spirit serves him well at Billhighway.

“Kevin has been a valuable member to the team; he jumps right into projects and is proactive,” said Tracy-Ann Palmer, Billhighway’s chief growth officer and Tuczek’s boss. “He has the skills of an entrepreneur; he is flexible and adaptable.”

“Kevin is a great Adams fellow because he has the intellectual and academic skills needed to understand the totality of a new business start-up, a healthy tolerance of risk and uncertainty needed to take the plunge and a real desire to see his ideas come to life. The Adams experience will get him one step closer to realizing his dream,” Shields said.

Through Tuczek’s training in communications, he has been able to help with the organization’s newsletter and other communication needs of the company.

The fellowship at Billhighway is not something Tuczek takes lightly.

“I want to add value by helping the company grow,” Tuczek said.

I have the opportunity to apply lessons learned from discussions with executives, like how to best approach solution selling, on my daily work. The end goal after all of it is to keep forging my career path and feeding my entrepreneurial drive.”

At the end of the one year fellowship, Tuczek hopes to continue with Billhighway.

“All of this is preparing me for the future because I wanted to change my career path and I'm doing it. The Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship is a key piece of that transformation,” Tuczek said.
 

Shadeed Abdullah( ISM)
Scott Aberle (MGT & ISM)
Iklas Alharbi (ACC)
Ajdin Alic (GSC)
Jihan Almohtasib( ACC)
Jon Ametlli( GSC & FIN))
Ruhul Amin (ACC & FIN)
Alexis Anderson (MKT & MGT)
Shivakumaran Annamalai( FINH)
Zlatan Arnautovic (GSC)
Alida Asmar (ACC)
Wejdan Ba-Arma (MGT)
Nour Bacha MGT
Christa Balow (ACC)
Snigdha Banda (MKT)
Shannon Barrington (ACC)
Albina Basic (ACC)
Wahida Begum (ACC)
Geraldi Bejkolli (ACC)
Cydney Biessel (MKT)
Adam Blitchok (MGT)
Chelsea Borders (ACC)
Amanda Botz (ACC & FIN)
Trent Brodbeck (MKT)
Melissa Burnham (GSC)
Willie Burton (MGT)
Ryan Buter (FIN)
Matthew Buttigieg (ACC)
Joseph Cadeau (MGT)
Robin Callas (MGT)
Justin Camarena( MGT)
Jenny Caradonna (ACC)
Evan Caramagno (GSC)
Maureen Carey (ACC)
Nihar Chakraborty (ISM)
Muhammad Chaudhry (ACC)
Shumana Choudhury (ACC)
Joseph Colletti (FIN & ACC)
Lara Colling (ACC)
Evan Connors (ACC)
Christopher Copacia (MGT)
Robert Cox (ACC & FIN)
Jeffrey Crocker (ISM)
Juliette Croteau (GSC)
Kemal Cufurovic (FIN)
Randal Cumming (ISM)
Lisa Dabish (ACC)
Shawn Daghigh (FIN & ACC)
Fawzeih Daher (MKT)
Colton Dale (MKT)
Lina Darwiche (GSC & FIN)
Sarah Davis (ACC)
Heidi DeMiglio (MKT & GSC)
Maria Discenna (GSC)
Thomas Duran(MKT)
Philip Duveyoung (ACC)
Christopher Ellero (GSC)
Anthony Fanola (MGT)
Catherine Ferguson (MGT)
Michael Finch (ACC)
Dillon Fitzgerald (MKT)
Martin Fleszar (MGTH)
Scott Forbis (ACC)
Amber Ford (ISM)
Olha Foroshivska (ACC)
Timothy Fuller (MKT)
Oscar Gamarra-Baquerizo (FIN)
Timothy Garmo (MKT)
Shaheen Ghandchi (FIN)
Phillip Gibson (ACC)
Erika Giroux (ACC)
Donald Glazier (FIN & ACC)
Blerta Grajcevci (MGT)
Stephen Grimmer (MGT)
Isra Haider (ACC)
Tyler Haksluoto (FIN & GSC)
Hena Hassan (MGT)
Nancy Hazely (FIN)
Michael Herndon (ACC)
Nathan Hesche (GSC)
Benjamin Heymoss (MGT)
Daniel Hill (ACC)
Raquel Hiltz (MGT)
Breanna Holman (FIN & ACC)
Marianna Ingram (MGT)
Amanda Intravia (ACC)
Jeffrey Irving (GSC)
Albert Ivezaj (ACC & FIN)
Amber Jackson (MKT)
Daniel Jones (FIN & MGT)
Marianna Jordan (MKT)
Jordan Joseph (MKT)
Kristian Kajdic (MGT)
Henry Ketvirtis (GSC)
Omar Khan (FIN)
Andrew Kinde (MGT)
Jake Kiryakoza (FIN & MGT)
Brittany Koehler (ACC & ISM)
Steven Kudla (ACC & FIN)
Sejla Kulaglic (ACC)
Natalia Kumar (MKT)
Randal Kuzdak (MGT)
Kevin Lambert (FIN)
Christine Lamotte (ACC)
Jay LaRose (FIN)
Helena Le (ACC & MGT)
William Leannais (ACC & FIN)
Brian Leonard (ACC & MGT)
Andrew Leong (ACC & FIN)
Joseph Lucaj (ACC & FIN)
Kyle Lucia (MGT & ACC)
Alexandra Lupus (ACCH)
Brandi Mabry (FIN)
Anna MacDonald (ACC)
Juanita Manriquez (ACC)
Brian Markham (ACC)
Danielle Martus (ACC)
Hilary Mascot (MGT)
Mohamad Mazloum (FIN)
Kristen Mccarty (MKT)
Daniel McCray-Flynn (ACC)
Brian McCullough (GSC)
James McNeary (FIN)
Florjan Merxhyshi (MGT)
Mark Mitchell (MGT)
Laura Moberly (MGT)
Rafat Mohamed (MKT & MGT)
Erica Monear (MGT)
Mariam Mustafa (GSC)
Treva Nafsu (MKT)
Emmanuel Najor (MGT)
Tessa Newby (MKT)
Victoria Newby (MKT)
Brandon Newsome (ACC)
Qui Nguyen (FIN)
Kayla Niner (ACC)
Ezinwa Omodon (FIN)
Elizabeth Pantelis (MKT)
Roqhaelle Parr-Besemer (MKT)
Komal Patel (ISM)
Steven Patterson (ACC)
David Piazza (MGT & MKT)
Catherine Praet (MGTH)
Shelby Prascius (ACC)
Benjamin Puente (ACC & GSC)
Nicholas Recchia (ACC)
Claire Reichstein (ACC)
Dylan Reimer (ACC)
Cassandra Renaud (GSC)
Md Reza (ACC & ISM)
Thomas Roach (ACC)
Michael Roberts (ISM)
Flavia Rumano (GSC)
Mainul Sabuj (FIN)
Christopher Safar (MGT)
Anthony Salter (GSC)
Patrick Sanders (MKT)
Julian Sandoval (MGT)
Trace Schewe (ISM)
Allison Schwartz (ACC)
Joshua Shelton (ISM)
Rashmi Shivnani (GSC)
Alexander Singer (MKT)
Calvin Sitto (ACC)
Ryan Sitto (ACC)
Matthew Skeens (FIN)
Olta Sota (ACC)
Whitney Spencer (MKT)
Michelle Stallard-Hakim (MKT)
Mark Stanisz (MGTH)
Amanda Stephens (MGT)
Jason Stephens (MGT & GSC)
Evan Sudomier (ACC)
Romana Svytka (FIN & ACC)
Andrew Swindler (ISM & GSC)
Charles Takla (FIN & ACC)
Mahrukh Tariq (MGT)
James Thomas (ACC)
Brandon Tinsley (MGT)
Jacquelyn Tramper (ACC)
Nghia Tran (FIN)
Thiessalyn Trice (MGT)
Brandon Van Sickle (MGT)
Jessica Vanderwerven (ACC)
Ethan Vasilauskas (FIN & ACC)
Benjamin Walker (MGT)
Tyler Walker (ACC)
Eric Wang (ACC)
Aaron Weston (ACC & FIN)
Jessica Winters (MKT)
Nelson Wu (GSC)
Lawrence Yee (ACC)
Shanee Yelder (ISM)
 

Park graduated from WSU with his MBA in 2010. Soon after, he moved to Georgia to join auto supplier Magna International, Inc. He enjoyed his work with Magna, but felt compelled to respond to a message he received from his alma mater.

“During the spring of 2012, I received an email from the School of Business Administration Career Planning and Placement Office that a consultant position was available to assist a startup company with finance and marketing,” Park said.

He applied and was thrilled to learn that he was selected.

Park returned to Michigan in the fall of 2012 to begin his fellowship assignment with TechTown-based ENT Biotech Solutions.

ENT Biotech Solutions developed an innovative surgical tool that can decrease the amount of time it takes for an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon to perform an adenoid removal. Park said that the company will launch the new device in the second half of 2013, thus the fellowship began just in time for him to have a hand in its launch.

The fellowship allowed him to create business models, write business plans and gain extensive knowledge in the medical device field. He also created Gantt charts for the company, was involved in company retreats and assisted with finding information pertinent to the development of the medical device.

“ENT Biotech Solutions, LLC takes its responsibility seriously to develop the skill set of Jae Park,” said Andrea Dixon, president of ENT Biotech Solutions. “He is exposed to high achieving business executives.”

Though he planned to eventually return, Park credits the TechTown-based program for bringing him back to Michigan.

“I can be a part of Detroit and Michigan’s revitalization,” Park said. “TechTown and ENT Biotech Solutions have helped me to gain practical experience and knowledge in a growing industry in Michigan other than the auto industry.”

Park said that the fellowship has given him the opportunity to develop skills in the medical device industry, which is growing in Michigan.

Park’s career spans nearly two decades. An engineer, Park received his bachelor of science in manufacturing engineering in 1993 from Kettering University. Park is a graduate of the five year General Motors Institute program known as Kettering Institute. Upon graduating from Kettering, Park went on to work for General Motors, which included a stint in China where he helped to launch operations in the country.

“Working at ENT Biotech Solutions under the tutelage of CEO and former Wayne State University VP Andrea Dickson, I have learned a great deal about entrepreneurship, business development and management skills that go beyond the MBA coursework,” Park said. “The fellowship is the platform from which I will launch a new career and maybe one day my own business.”

“I hope Jae Park found this experience beneficial. He was an ideal fellow,” Dickson said.

Park’s fellowship was extended until the end of January. He will be working as a temporary contract employee with the company until April.

“Thank you to the family that funded this fellowship. It made a difference to this startup company,” Dickson said. “Although his background is impressive, it is not even as impressive as the actual work he produces.”

MASTERS

Colin Campbell
Matthew Hatch
Laura Melchior

UNDERGRADUATES

Jenny Coradonna
Shawn Daghigh
Corey Moore
Thomas Roach
Marzanna Sabo
Geoffrey Sarna
Charles Takla
 

“The Southeast Michigan PMI has maintained a value over 50 for 33 of the past 34 months, indicating a steady strengthening of the regional economy,” said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s business school.

Butler said the Production Index of 54.5 and the Employment Index of 53.2 contributed to the favorable reading this month, as did the Vendor Deliveries Index of 53. He added that the New Orders Index dropped to 48.5, which indicates that there was a reduction in new orders in the region in November.

The Commodity Prices index increased slightly to 54.5 from the November index of 51.4. Items increasing in price included armor plate steel, coiled steel and aluminum. Items reported down in price are liquid asphalt and polyethylene resin.

“The majority of purchasing managers responded that the economy will remain about the same or become more stable over the next six months,” said Ken Doherty, a member of the Institute for Supply Management and assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University.

“The ‘fiscal cliff’ was on the minds of purchasing managers, who worry about the impact on the regional economy. Now that it has been averted, it will be interesting to see if or how that reflects in next month’s PMI.”

Of the purchasing managers surveyed, 60.6 percent indicated that the economy will remain about the same over the next six months, 12.1 percent indicated the economy will be more stable and 27.3 percent responded that the economy will be less stable.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for December is available for download here.
 

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for November is at 51.9, dropping seven points from the October PMI of 58.9 and indicating slowing growth in the Southeast Michigan economy. Declines in production activity, new orders and hiring were the factors contributing to this month’s decrease.

Production, while still showing some growth at 51.4, decreased more than seven points from 58.8 last month. New orders dropped sharply, decreasing nearly 15 points from 64.7 to the threshold index of 50. The Employment Index dropped slightly from 58.8 to 55.7. The Commodity Prices Index was nearly unchanged at 51.4.

“A PMI value greater than 50 generally suggests an expanding economy, so at 51.9 the Southeast Michigan economy still experienced growth this month, but at a significantly slower rate than last month,” said Ken Doherty, assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University and a member of the Southeast Michigan chapter of the Institute for Supply Management.

“Purchasing managers expressed a variety of concerns about the economic environment over the next six months,” said Nitin Paranjpe, a supply chain faculty member at Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration who interpreted the results of the purchasing managers survey. “The ‘fiscal cliff,’ tax reform, economic conditions in Europe, China and the Middle East; and the implementation of new heath care laws were some of the concerns they shared in our survey.”

The confidence element of the PMI survey indicated that 51.4 percent of purchasing managers presume the economy will remain the same over the next six months, 21.6 percent expect more stability, and 27 percent expect less stability.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for November is available for download here.

           

A total of 381 colleges and universities are ranked for their undergraduate business programs, and 11 are in Michigan. Of the Michigan schools ranked, WSU’s program was listed as third in the state behind the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and Michigan State University, tying with University of Michigan – Dearborn at 166 on the overall list.

“Our school attracts research faculty who are committed to teaching and working with students both inside and outside of the classroom so that they can be successful in their careers,” said Margaret Williams, interim dean of WSU’s business school. “We are proud to hear that U.S. News and World Report is again recognizing our school.”

In order for a business school to be listed in the U.S. News rankings, it must have accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Rankings listed in the report are based solely on a peer assessment that was conducted during the spring of this year.

Additional information about the 2013 Edition U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges can be found on the U.S. News website.
 

The Princeton Review also reports on admissions selectivity, academic experience, financial aid and career/employment information. The findings were collected during the years of 2011 and 2012. The Princeton Review does not rank the business schools featured in the book on a single hierarchical list from 1 to 296, nor does it name one school as best overall.

For more information on The Princeton Review’s “The Best 296 Business Schools” 2013 Edition, visit their website.
 

GetEducated.com surveys and ranks more than 3,000 online degree programs. The programs listed have been independently reviewed and cost students less than the national average. WSU’s ranking was determined based on surveys of 85 business schools nationally, all of which are accredited by AACSB.

GetEducated.com features a profile for each of the schools listed, which highlights the school’s strengths and weaknesses through the use of “report cards.” The website provides grades for each school based on several criteria including affordability, student satisfaction and public perception. In the category of student satisfaction, WSU’s online MBA received an A grade.

“We are pleased to know that others recognize our commitment to providing our students with the very best education possible, including online formats and options,” said Margaret Williams, interim dean of WSU’s business school.

“We aim to provide quality learning opportunities for our students while keeping their education affordable,” she said. “As we launch our new exclusively online MBA format that allows out-of-state students to pay in-state tuition, we expect to provide value to even more students around the globe.”

WSU and Central Michigan University are the only two Michigan-based schools on the list. For more on Wayne State’s online MBA rating visit the GetEducated.com website.
 

“The rebounding October index should be viewed as an encouraging sign after the declining index results from late summer,” said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s business school who analyzed the survey data.

Butler said the economic factors contributing to the current PMI value includes the production index, new orders index, employment index and commodity prices index. The production index is up sharply in October to 58.5 from a September score of 47.1; and the new orders index is up substantially to 64.7 from 51.5. The employment index is also up to 58.8 from the threshold index of 50 in September. The commodity prices index was down significantly to 51.5 from a September index of 60.3. This component of the PMI is showing volatility over the past six months, with index values ranging from 43.5 to 61.3.

The purchasing managers survey includes a confidence element, and the percentage of respondents expecting the business environment to become more or less stable is equally divided. Total respondents expecting the economy to become more stable and less stable each came in at 21.2 percent, while the remaining 57.6 percent expect the economic environment to remain about the same.

“The majority of purchasing managers responded that the economy will remain about the same or become more stable over the next six months, and a good number of comments indicate improving business activity,” said Ken Doherty, assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University and a member of the Institute for Supply Management.

“Some respondents mentioned production bottlenecks, others mentioned increasing lead times on raw materials. These are indicators of increasing economic activity,” he said.

“Some of the more apprehensive respondents indicated concern about the ramifications of the U.S. election.”

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for October is available as a PDF download here.

Daniel Friesan, a doctoral student in marketing, received the award for research, while Matthew Ross, who is pursuing his doctorate in finance, was recognized for teaching before an audience that included Dean Williams, members of the faculty and fellow doctoral students. In addition to the certificate presentation, each student received $500.00.

“These awards inspire and encourage our students to reach for a high level of research productivity as well as effectiveness in teaching in their program,” said Amanuel Tekleab, associate professor of management, and Ph.D. program director.

“Receiving this award confirms the merit of their early work, which signifies their capabilities to prospective university employers. These awards also contribute towards being highly competitive in the academic marketplace.”

There are currently 18 doctoral students at the business school, each following a program designed to fit their research and career objectives. The program offers Ph.D. tracks in finance, management and marketing, preparing students for a professional career in university research and teaching. Highlights include its research-based platform, which focuses on quantitative proficiency as well as the opportunity to connect with tenured faculty as a colleague on research studies at the beginning of each student’s program.

Read more about the school’s Ph.D. program here.

Emerald Group Publishing Limited presented Dean Margaret L. Williams with its 2012 Citation of Excellence Award for her research in job satisfaction, pay and performance measurement and the development of a new comprehensive compensation satisfaction measure. Her paper, “A comprehensive model and measure of compensation satisfaction,” published by the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, showed how pay structure, variable pay procedures and benefits affect employees in the workplace.

“The research was undertaken to develop a sound measure of compensation satisfaction that provided adequate coverage of benefits because benefits have taken on such a critical role in the minds and lives of employees. Previous survey tools did not devote enough attention to benefits,” said Williams.

A key component of the research was development of the Comprehensive Compensation Satisfaction Questionnaire, which queried respondents about 29 different issues pertaining to benefits and compensation.

Reflecting on her role and those of her co-authors Williams said, “Research is stimulating because of how much the team learns about the phenomenon under study, in this case employees' reactions to pay and benefits. It is especially gratifying to know that others have found our work helpful in their own organizations and their own research. We certainly appreciate being recognized in this way,” she said.

In its 16th year, Emerald Group recognizes the 50 most outstanding articles published in the top 300 management journals in the world. As papers need at least three years to accumulate citation data, the 2012 awards were selected from papers published in 2008.

On September 28, the Center for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) hosted its first live webcast lecture of the 2012-13 Consortium Webcast Program at Wayne State University. The distinguished presenter was Steve Kozlowski of Michigan State University and his presentation was titled “Emergent phenomena: Theory and Methodologies.”

The presentation focused on theory, research design and data analysis issues related to studying individuals in teams. More than 338 faculty and students from 43 of CARMA Consortium Webcast member organizations viewed the webcast online. Thirty of Wayne State’s faculty and graduate students attended both the webcast and the “Meet the Methodologist” interview.

CARMA’s next live webcast will be on October 19 with Steven Floyd of University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Learn more about CARMA at its website, Twitter profile, and YouTube channel.

Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and General Motors brought some of the leading supply chain students from across the country to Detroit from Sept. 20 – 22 for an in-depth look at the supply chain systems that support the automotive industry and its high-tech vehicles.

The second annual General Motors/Wayne State University Supply Chain Case Competition, featuring the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu ECO, convened 16 university groups in the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. The program introduced students to the issues and challenges involved in producing leading technology vehicles through a case study. They examined topics such as risk mitigation, vehicle production schedules, launch dates and production locations.

“This was an opportunity to showcase the Southeast Michigan supply chain and its business opportunities, as well as introduce students to the many cultural and entertainment venues of Detroit,” said John Taylor, associate professor and chair of the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management.

“Additionally, students had ample time to network with automotive supply chain professionals and participate in several panel sessions on supply chain careers.”

The case recommendations were prepared in advance to allow the students plenty of time to explore Detroit and the automotive industry during their visit. One highlight was a tour of GM’s Lake Orion Assembly plant.

Prior to their visit, the students analyzed production plans for the Chevrolet Malibu ECO and studied the implications for key suppliers’ production strategies. The teams developed recommendations based on their investigation of the supply chain enterprise, data analysis and study of financial implications, and then presented their findings to a panel of judges during the competition portion of the program.

The 16 teams were divided into four groups and participated in a preliminary competition on the second day. The winning semifinalist teams received additional information and prepared a second presentation for the competition’s final round the next day. Winning teams were announced at an awards dinner that evening. Christine Krathwohl, executive director, General Motors Global Logistics and Containers, delivered the keynote address. Winners took home plaques and cash prizes.

This year, Howard University, Miami University (Ohio), Michigan State University and Pennsylvania State University were the four finalists with first place going to Miami University. Last year, Wayne State University’s team came in second place on the Chevrolet Volt case study. To prevent bias, judges do not learn a team’s university affiliation until after the competition is complete.

"The Supply Chain Case Competition was a great opportunity for General Motors and its suppliers to work with some of the top young supply chain talent in the United States to provide them with some real-world scenarios,” said Bill Hurles, General Motors executive director of global purchasing and supply chain. “This event was a win-win for all those involved – GM and other suppliers had a chance to hear new and creative ideas from future supply chain professionals and the students gained real-world experience.”

The case was developed by title sponsor General Motors and fellow sponsors Bridgestone, Delphi, Lear, and Ryder, in conjunction with WSU’s supply chain faculty. The competition also included the sponsorship of the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG).

Participating universities came from Colorado, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Washington D.C., and Michigan.

After two years, 128 supply chain students in the United States have participated in the General Motors/Wayne State University Supply Chain Case Competition.

For additional information, visit the program Web page.

 

Production, while still hovering below 50 at 47.1, increased more than five points from 41.9 last month. New orders grew significantly, increasing nearly 10 points from 41.9 to 51.5. Vendor deliveries increased from the threshold index of 50 last month to 55.9 in September.

The Employment Index dropped slightly from 53.2 to the threshold index of 50.

“Employment, which had been growing, has basically leveled off,” said Nitin Paranjpe, a supply chain faculty member at Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration who analyzed the purchasing report from the Southeast Michigan chapter of the Institute of Supply Management.

“Since employment is a lagging indicator, the growth in new orders and production activity should lead to a resumption of growth in employment in the future,” he said.

The Commodity Prices Index tempered slightly from 61.3 to 60.3, with purchasing managers noting copper, zinc, aluminum, steel, crude oil, resins, and petroleum based products up in price. Stainless steel, propylene-based resins and rare earth were down in price.

“Commodity price index slowed somewhat, though prices still remain at high levels similar to the trend seen in 2011, when they stayed high for 11 straight months,” said Ken Doherty, assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University and a member of the Institute for Supply Management.

Surveyed about their expectations of the business environment in six months, 47.1 percent of purchasing managers reported that they presume the economy will remain the same, 23.5 percent expect more stability, and 29.4 expect less stability.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for September is available for download here.

“This is a survey course and touches on every business discipline. We’re studying how businesses are examining the ways in which their practices influence the environment and society, as well as how business is responding to individuals’ environmental concerns and external regulatory pressures. In this class, students address these issues and examine how organizations can be good to the environment while being profitable,” explained Tangari.

Course objectives include:

• Examination of the impact of business on the environment
• Development of business practices that benefit both the environment and profitability
• Analysis of the advantages and risks of implementing sustainable strategies
• Exploration of how sustainability issues relate to all parts of an organization and how to address them

Tangari, who has conducted her own research on the topic of sustainability, added that she is interested in welcoming speakers to class who could address sustainability from a government regulatory perspective.

Beginning winter 2013, the course will be offered as a management or marketing elective under the name “Business and Sustainability.”

For further information about the course, or if you are able to present current regulatory issues, please contact Tangari at em1834@wayne.edu.
 

Dr. Abe Biswas, Dr. Sujay Dutta and Dr. Abi Guha, who share research interests in pricing, coordinated the conference for the first time at Wayne State University. The program included a special practitioner panel discussion geared toward industry professionals, students and alumni interested in learning about key pricing challenges facing businesses today. Four senior business executives with deep pricing expertise shared their knowledge.

“This session was an excellent forum for practitioners and academics to come together and share ideas,” said Margaret Williams, interim dean of Wayne State’s business school.

“We lined up a great panel of experts who shared their insights about important trends and changes in the pricing domain across industries, especially how consumers respond to various pricing mechanisms.”

The panel discussion, Pricing Challenges Faced by Businesses, featured the following panelists:

Ram Balasubramanian, Vice President, Global Pricing, Marriott International
Jeff Rolfs, Finance Director for Pricing and Incentives, General Motors
Marc Rubin, former Vice President of Global Pricing Strategy, Estée Lauder
Julian Ryu, Senior Manager, Pricing and Profitability Management, Deloitte Consulting

Highlights and more information about the conference can be found here.

By Matt Roush

“The components of the PMI that are responsible for the declining score are new orders and production, which both had an index value of 41.9,” said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s business school who analyzed the survey data.

Butler said the Finished Goods Inventory Index also indicated contraction, with an August index value of 45.2, down noticeably from the July index of 58.0.

“The Employment Index, while down sharply, is still above 50 at 53.2, suggesting that a modest level of hiring continues,” he said.

The Commodity Price Index value in August suggests sharply rising prices, according to Ken Doherty, assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University and a member of the Institute for Supply Management.

“The Commodity Price Index was below 50 during June and July, indicating declining prices overall, but in August, it increased to 61.3, suggesting a spike in prices,” he said.

Twenty-nine percent of respondents said that they expect the business environment will become less stable over the next six months, while 12.9 percent indicated that they believe the environment will become more stable. The remaining 58.1 percent expect that the economy will remain about the same.

Purchasing managers reported concern over the presidential election, as well as the impact of European economic problems.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for August is available for download here.
 

We congratulate the following students for achieving this highest honor for the 2012 spring/summer term:

MASTERS

Benjamin Abler
Syed Ahmed
Ahmad Aljared
Danuta Coumans
Samar Dalal Yasso
Sabriana Feerasta
Lydia Gold
Hank Goranson
Joshua Hunter
Rashmi Kottur Rajagopal
Melissa Lehner
Andrew O’Laughlin
Lisa Pollard
William Riegner
Daniel Spencer
Aidis Tuxhari
Alexander Vucenovic
Matthew Zuckero

UNDERGRADUATES

Bianca Arabo
Alida Asmar
Andriy Bilunskiy
Kemal Cufurovic
Phillip Gibson
Tyler Haksluoto
Marvin Hendricks
Natahn Hesche
Matthew Kemppainen
Andrew Livermore
Tiffanie Mosley
Manuel Packnet
Khushbu Patel
Theodora Pore
Dylan Reimer
Rashmi Shivnani
Amanda Stephens
Shane Syts
Dillon Tatro
Luke Thompson
Mark Zatezalo

This year the association more than doubled its net proceeds, adding approximately $75,000 to the endowment and bringing its total to more than $375,000. The number of sponsorships acquired also increased, from 36 last year to 54 this year, setting the stage to help even more students in the years to come.

Nia Henderson, a management student who received the scholarship in 2011, said receiving the scholarship had a great impact on her life.

"Receiving this scholarship has helped me continue to invest in my dreams. I did not have to stress over how my education would be funded because generous donors want to see me and the other recipients succeed," she said.

"Doors have opened for me that I didn't think would ever open and the opportunities have been more than rewarding."

Matthew Simoncini, CEO and president of Lear Corporation, is one of a group of dedicated alumni who actively contribute to the golf outing's success. He obtained the event's title sponsorship from Lear and recruited additional corporate sponsors.

"This event is the perfect combination of business networking, communication, fundraising and fun," Simoncini said. "I am very proud of my WSU roots, and I believe the university is one of Detroit's jewels. Its mission of providing a world-class education to those who may not otherwise have that opportunity needs to be supported.

"Swing for the Students helps us get this message out to a broad group of individuals while raising money for scholarships. I received support during my time as a student, and I feel a real obligation to do my part in helping to support today's students."

Visit the golf outing website early next year for more information about the 2013 event.

Read about how the scholarship is impacting students’ lives here. If you have not yet participated in the golf outing, we hope their stories will inspire you to participate in the future. You need not be a golfer to participate. Sponsorships are available for companies and individuals. Donations to the scholarship fund are also accepted.

Supply Chain Brain article

The Oakland Press article

Heather Sexton, a graduate of Wayne State University’s M.B.A. program, is currently competing against Andrew Linko for his seat as Brownstown Township Supervisor. Sexton, 32, is an attorney for Sexton Law PLC. Sexton served on the Woodhaven-Brownstown Board of Education from 2005 through 2009. She was appointed to the township’s Downtown Development Authority’s Citizen Advisory Council in 2005 and served until 2008.

The News-Herald articleContinued...

The specific components that drove the weakening PMI value include Production, which dropped to 50 from the June value of 60.9, and New Orders, which declined to 50 from the June index value of 54.2. Finished goods inventory increased to 58 above the threshold index value of 50. The Commodity Prices index increased slightly from 43.5 to 48, with purchasing managers noting that petroleum, specialty steel and abrasive products were up in price. Resins, plastics, copper, steel, rare earth metals, gas and oil were reported to be down in price.

“The only individual score consistent with signs of a rebounding economy is the upward trend for employment,” said Ken Doherty, a member of the Institute for Supply Management and assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University. “The Employment index is down from June’s index of 76.1, but remained very strong at 66.”

“Overall, the PMI seems to be trending down to slower growth, which does not portend too well for future growth in Southeastern Michigan,” said Nitin Paranjpe, an economist and supply chain management faculty member at Wayne State’s business school, who analyzed the survey data. “For some time our data were showing that Michigan’s economy was doing better than the national economy, but now we are beginning to see this downward trend. The general tone of comments from our survey respondents provides some preliminary evidence of a slowdown, with a focus on Europe, the upcoming presidential election, and health care.”

While 72 percent of respondents reported that they believe the economy will remain the same or become more stable over the next six months, this number is down from the June number of 77.3 percent.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for July is available for download here .
 

As part of the 14th Annual Pricing Conference, four senior business executives with deep pricing expertise will share their knowledge in this special breakout session of the academic conference.

“This session will be an excellent forum for practitioners and academics to come together and share ideas,” said Margaret Williams, dean of Wayne State’s business school.

“We have lined up a great panel of experts who will share their insights about important trends and changes in the pricing domain across industries, especially how consumers respond to various pricing mechanisms.”

The panel discussion, Pricing Challenges Faced by Businesses, features the following panelists:

• Ram Balasubramanian, Vice President, Global Pricing, Marriott International
• Jeff Rolfs, Finance Director for Pricing and Incentives, General Motors
• Marc Rubin, former Vice President of Global Pricing Strategy, Estée Lauder
• Julian Ryu, Senior Manager, Pricing and Profitability Management, Deloitte Consulting

Attending the panel discussion is complimentary, but seats are limited. The conference organizers request that prospective attendees email their contact information to wsupricing2012@gmail.com by close of business on August 12 to ensure that a slot is reserved.

Attendees are welcome to stay for light snacks immediately following the panel discussion and attend the academic research panel that follows, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Complimentary valet parking is available at MotorCity Casino Hotel. More information about the full conference is available here .

Four business majors recently received honors for contributions to their sports teams and outstanding achievements in the classroom.

Marketing and management major Thomas Ducret (Paris, France), who plays tennis at Wayne State University, has been voted to receive a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Spring 2012 Commissioner's Award. The awards, sponsored by Meijer, are presented after the fall, winter, and spring athletic seasons to six female and six male student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and on the fields of play.

Ducret was a First Team All-GLIAC selection for the second straight season and an all-league performer for the third time after earning the Second Team All-conference award as a freshman. He won all four of his matches (three doubles and one singles) at the 2012 GLIAC tournament and tied for the team lead with 16 singles victories. He compiled a 16-12 singles record including a 10-8 mark at No. 1 singles and had a 17-10 doubles record primarily at third doubles (13-6). As a member of the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team, Ducret helped the Warriors to a third place GLIAC finish with a 7-2 conference record and he was rated as the 10th best singles player in the region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Management major and basketball player Ian Larkin (Detroit, Michigan) was one of two WSU business students to receive a GLIAC Winter 2012 Commissioner's Award.

Larkin was a Second Team All-GLIAC selection as well as a GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team member for the 2011-12 academic year. He led the basketball conference in three-point field goal percentage (57.1 on 28-of-49), was fourth in both field goal percentage (57.9 on 99-of-171) and blocked shots (1.6 per game), tied for eighth in offensive rebounds (2.1 per game), 14th in scoring (13.4 ppg), and 20th in rebounding (5.4 rpg), while starting all 27 games. Larkin also set a career high with 43 blocked shots. He scored in double figures 19 times and will enter his senior year with 651 career points. While setting himself apart from the competition on the court, he has remained an honor roll student every semester with a cumulative grade point average of 3.68.

Management major and swimmer Fares Ksebati (Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan) also received a 2012 GLIAC Winter Commissioner's Award.

Ksebati, a Dean's Award winner for the WSU School of Business Administration, is a two-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honoree in swimming. He finished 11th in the 1650 yard freestyle, 12th in the 100 yard breaststroke and 16th in the 200 breaststroke, contributing to WSU’s successful defense of the GLIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Championship.

Finance major and WSU tennis player Oscar Gamarra (Guayaquil, Ecuador) has been voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District ® Men's At-Large First Team for District IV. With this honor, Gamarra becomes the first men's tennis player in WSU history to obtain the Academic All-America award.

He is a two-time Academic All-District selection and earned First Team honors in 2012 after being voted to the Second Team in 2011. He also was voted Second Team All-GLIAC on the court a year ago.

Not only is he a winner on the tennis court, but also a champion in the classroom. Gamarra has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for maintaining a grade point average at or above 3.5 all five semesters at WSU, including three 4.0 terms. He will enter his senior season ninth in all-time singles wins (36) and sixth in career doubles wins (41).

Through dedication and determination, these four gentlemen have proven that they can play hard on the court, and work even harder in the classroom.

Advance registration is required. Sponsorships are available for companies and individuals. Donations to the scholarship fund are also accepted.

Visit the golf outing website for more information or to register.
 

The Production Index value was strong at 60.9 and the Employment Index again was very strong at 76.1.

“The Employment Index continues to indicate that employment conditions in Southeast Michigan are favorable,” said Timothy Butler, associate professor of supply chain management at Wayne State’s business school. “The three-month average is at a very strong level of 75.5, and at 76.1 this month, the index is close to a five-year high.”

New orders dropped from 67.3 last month, but remained positive at 54.2. Finished goods inventory declined slightly to 47.8, beneath the threshold index value of 50.

The Commodity Prices Index dropped from 50.0 to 43.5, with purchasing managers noting that petroleum products and copper are down in price. Resins and plastics were reported to be up in price.

“Something is happening in the Southeast Michigan economy that is driving this dramatic drop in the Commodity Price Index, but at this time the cause remains unknown,” said Ken Doherty, a member of the Institute for Supply Management and assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University.

Over 77 percent of respondents reported that they believe the economy will remain the same or become more stable over the next six months.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for June is available for download here.
 

By Lisa Lambert and James B. Kelleher

When the largest U.S. union for public sector employees elect its first new president in a generation next week it will be a watershed moment. The new chief will be running an organization whose members are fighting almost unprecedented cuts in jobs, benefits, bargaining rights - and increasingly angry taxpayers who question the size of their pension and healthcare benefits. The public perception is "that public employees are overpaid, that the public sector itself is overstaffed and that the only victims here are the taxpayers," said Marick Masters, a business professor and labor historian at Wayne State University. Masters said that to a large extent the unions are being blamed for doing a good job for their members. "Public employee unions have worked very hard to make government a model employer," he said. "They have pushed to make them professional, service oriented, well trained, well-educated and well-compensated for the jobs they do," he added. "Today, public employees are a prime scapegoat for the ails affecting government.”

Reuters article

By Lisha Arino

Nicole Blaszczyk (Marketing, ’09), who won the Miss Michigan title in 2009, is profiled in a story highlighting the life of winners after taking off the crown. Blaszczyk is in her third week as the assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at Wayne State University, where she received a degree in business administration in 2009. She credits the Miss Michigan competition with helping her get to where she is today. "Miss Michigan kind of gave me that courage and the tools to go up to people and start communicating and just talk to people," she said, calling that ability an "important skill for business."

MLive article

The Gulf Today article

Two Metro Detroit companies have jumped into international soccer sponsorships, hoping to cash in on a sport that is bigger worldwide than pro football, which is the king of U.S. sports. The deals by General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet brand and Warren-based Warrior Sports — a sporting goods maker — represent a possible shift in sponsorship dollars as companies feel the need to broaden their reach by targeting new consumers, according to Attila Yaprak, professor of marketing and international business at Wayne State University. "For many of these companies," he said, "the future of their business is in other markets and not as much in the United States."

Detroit News article

Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker's recall election victory and the vote of two California cities to curb the pensions of city workers may embolden political leaders across the country to take on labor unions, experts said on Wednesday. The Walker victory stands in contrast to the big union triumph in Ohio last November with the defeat of a law that sharply reduced public worker collective bargaining rights in that state. Marick Masters, business professor and director of labor studies at Wayne State University, said the difference was that in Ohio the unions went after a law and in Wisconsin they went after a person. "The political battle became highly personalized in Wisconsin," Masters said.

Reuters article

The Center for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) at Wayne State University hosted their first set of research methods short courses for 2012 on the WSU campus from May 11 to 19.

The courses drew participants from 47 universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, Colorado State University, Indiana University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, and Purdue University. WSU was also well-represented, with participants from the School of Business Administration, School of Social Work, Department of Psychology, and College of Education.

A total of 119 faculty and doctoral students participated in the program, many of them in multiple courses, filling a total of 219 spots.

More than 1,200 faculty and students from universities throughout the world have attended CARMA short courses since the summer of 2004. In addition to the courses at WSU, CARMA will host other short courses in Hong Kong and China.

CARMA is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to assisting faculty, graduate students and professionals with learning about current developments in several areas of research methods and statistics, particularly those issues relevant to the management and organizational sciences.

More information about this and other CARMA events can be found on their website, and Facebook and YouTube pages.

CBS Detroit article
Manufacturing.net article
Detroit Free Press article
Crain’s Detroit article
The Oakland Press article
WJBK-Detroit Fox 2 video
 

Sandra Pierce (Marketing,'80; M.B.A., '87), former CEO and president of Charter One Bank’s Michigan operations, has joined Detroit’s financial review team which was created to help fix the city’s budget’s woes. Pierce also will continue to serve as chair of the Henry Ford Health System's board of trustees. And the 34-year banking veteran plans to remain involved with Business Leaders for Michigan, the influential group of CEOs from around the state. Pierce has ties to Wayne State University working at the university bookstore, earning an MBA from WSU and is a member of the School of Business Administration’s board of visitors.

Detroit Free Press article

Production, new orders, and employment were the primary components responsible for the high reading, at 69.2, 67.3 and 78.8, respectively. The Employment Index is at a five year high and continues to indicate that employment and hiring conditions in Southeast Michigan are favorable.

“This portends extremely well for the labor market in Michigan which for the longest period of time had struggled with a very high unemployment rate; one in excess of the nation,” said Nitin Paranjpe, an economist and supply chain management faculty member at Wayne State’s business school, who analyzed the survey data. “It is anticipated that the unemployment rate in Michigan will continue to drop, perhaps bringing it in line with the national rate, or even lower than the national rate.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan registered the largest jobless rate decrease from April 2011 to April 2012, decreasing 2.2 percent from 10.5 percent to 8.3 percent.

Commodity prices also moderated their prior upward pressure, pointing to stability or even some price drops. The Commodity Price Index dropped, from 65.5 in February and March to 50 in May. The three month average remains relatively unchanged at 57.5.

“It is not clear whether the drop in the Commodity Price Index reflects more competition or liquidation of inventories,” said Ken Doherty, a member of the Institute for Supply Management and assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University.

Doherty said that May showed aluminum, brass, gas, plastics, plastic resins, PVC items, steel, transportation, and zinc higher in price. Copper and petrochemicals were down in price.

“Michigan's growth is in sharp contrast to the slowing growth reported in the overall U.S. economy, in China, and the Euro zone where early indicators of manufacturing activity show sharp contractions in their respective economies. These are headwinds that would certainly affect the strong economic recovery,” Paranjpe said.

Comments from survey participants indicate that over 75 percent expect stability in the coming six months.

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is a research partnership between Wayne State University’s School of Business Administration and the Institute for Supply Management – Southeast Michigan. The complete report for May is available for download here.
 

Trade experts say a U.S. Department of Commerce decision Wednesday on trade subsidies could help Michigan-based Whirlpool Corp. but lead to higher-priced clothes washers for consumers. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that South Korean washing machine manufacturers and exporters have illegally received government subsidies ranging from 0.22 percent to 70.58 percent. Last year, Whirlpool accused South Korean and Mexican makers of large residential clothes washers of "dumping" or unfairly selling their appliances below cost. Attila Yaprak, professor of marketing and international business at Wayne State University's School of Business Administration, said many emerging market companies are taking away market share from American and other Western companies. "Companies will do everything they can to recapture or regain losses," he said.

Detroit News article

Crain’s provided a directory of new programs offered by Michigan’s educational institutions following interviews with academic, admissions and marketing executives within the schools. The list is designed to showcase programs of interest to a Southeast Michigan business readership. Included under Wayne State University is the College of Education, School of Business Administration and School of Law. This fall, the College of Education will begin offering a bachelor’s degree with a major in instructional technology, and the School of Business Administration will offer a graduate certificate in business. In winter 2013, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will offer a bachelor’s in gender, sexuality and women’s studies. This summer, the Law School will begin offering a Master of Laws in U.S. law.

Crain’s Detroit article

City unions upset about pay cuts, concessions and the looming layoffs of thousands of workers say they are not ruling out striking as the city works to finalize its budget. Although it's illegal for public employees to strike in Michigan, some union leaders say Detroit's consent agreement with the state — which they consider an attack on collective bargaining rights — invalidates the law. Squabbles between city officials and unions are nothing new. But adding state involvement to the mix via the consent agreement is making it even more frustrating, said Marick Masters, a  business professor and labor relations expert at Wayne State University. "The fact of the matter is there is a very big player in this and it is the state of Michigan, which is holding the reins of power," Masters said. "The state is the one who will be moving this forward."

Detroit News article

WDET-FM article

CBS Detroit article

In a letter to the editor, Margaret Williams, interim dean and professor of management in Wayne State's School of Business Administration, responds to Crain’s publisher Mary Kramer’s May 14 column: “Colleges need more funds, but with conditions.” Williams agrees with Kramer and Business Leaders for Michigan that our state should provide more support for public universities. However, she writes: “My concerns are with the way Ms. Kramer characterizes the work of faculty, and one item in Ms. Kramer's list of "strings" that should be attached to more state funding for higher education.”

Crain’s Detroit article (Subscription required)

WWJ-AM audio

Are you looking for a great opportunity to build your social capital while helping out our business leaders of tomorrow?

The School of Business Administration Alumni Board is seeking Wayne State graduates who can join our team as we continue to build a bridge between students and the business community. Please consider nominating yourself or a colleague for a position on the School of Business Alumni Board.

Click here for a nomination form, or email sbaalumni@wayne.edu for more information.