Author: Tanya Maki

Par-Tee Time 3rd Annual Golf Outing

The Par-Tee Time Golf Outing will be held on August 4th, 2012

It’s that time of year, get your golf clubs out … it’s time to golf!

The School of Business and Economics, along with the MBA Association (MBAA) and the student chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), invite you to join us for this great opportunity to network with the new dean, alumni, students, staff, faculty and community members in a friendly competitive environment. Bring your friends, all are invited!

When:
Saturday, August 4th, 2012
9am registration and practice range
10am shotgun start; scramble format

Where:
Portage Lake Golf Course
46789 US Highway 41
Houghton, MI  49931

Cost:
$70/person (must be paid by August 3rd)
MTU student price – $40
Pay day of – $320/team, $80/person
Price includes golf, lunch, cart and two beverage tickets per person.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners in each flight (which means if you’re not a very good golfer, you are still eligible to win in your category). There will also be cash prizes for the three course games,  and a special $10,000 Hole In One Contest!

Our raffle list keeps growing, Michigan Tech departments and over 70 local businesses have donated some really great prizes … hotel jacuzzi suites, ski passes, oil change, wheel alignments, spa gift basket, Aroma Therapy Whirlpool to name a few!

To register, please print the registration form here.

You can find more detailed information, as well as  sponsorship opportunities by clicking on the appropriate links.

For questions, please call Tanya at 487-2668, or email golfouting@mtu.edu.

Visiting Women and Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series – Rebecca Gonzalez

Rebecca Gonzalez
Dr. Rebecca Gonzalez visits campus as part of the Women in Minotirities Lecture Series.

As part of the Visiting Women & Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series, which is funded by the Michigan Tech President’s Office and a grant to the Office for Institutional Diversity for the State of Michigan’s King-Chavez-Parks Initiative, Dr. Rebecca Gonzales will be on campus April 12th and 13th, 2012.

Please join the School of Business and Economics in welcoming Dr. Gonzales during two events open to the campus community. This is an excellent networking opportunity.

• Student presentation to Economic Decision Analysis class on Friday, April 13 at 12:05pm in DOW 641.
• Research presentation titled, “Credit and Finance Perceptions in Latino Community Enclaves,” on Friday, April 13 at 1:30pm in the Academic Office Building, room 101.

Research Presentation titled “Credit and Finance Perceptions in Latino Community Enclaves”

This study analyzes financing perceptions within the Latino community and how these might impact individual entrepreneurship and home-ownership efforts. Prior research on entrepreneurship and home-ownership focuses on factors that might push/pull immigrants into self-employment as well as why immigrant populations choose to reside in ethnic enclaves. Quantifiable factors such as longevity of residence in the United States, educational background, legal status, income, and English language proficiency are found to impact the quality of life of many in the Latino community. However, little research has attempted to garner information on Latino perceptions of their financing possibilities through small business loans or mortgages. This study will compile data from the towns of Robbins and Candor in North Carolina, two towns with a large Latino presence that are attempting to promote economic development and home ownership within their communities. Survey data will provide greater insight into why members of this community might be hesitant to seek out loans and how their perceptions of their personal credit situations might impact their willingness to seek out mainstream financing.

Lunch Research Presentation with Visiting Scholar Hong Yang

Join the School of Business and Economics and Visiting Scholar Hong Yang for a brown bag lunch presentation on Wednesday, April 4th at Noon in Academic Office Building 101. The campus community is invited to attend.

Her presentation is titled: “Eco-Compensation Mechanism for Ecological  Functions in Headwater Conservation Zones: A Case  Study of Sanjiang Yuan.”

Duo Takes on Resources Policy

With a prestigious new coeditorship, two professors in the School of Business and  Economics will have the opportunity to impact the analysis and public understanding of resources and mineral economics policies around the world.

Gary Campbell and Mark Roberts have been named coeditors of Resources Policy, The International Journal of Minerals Policy and Economics. Established in 1974, the journal is published by Elsevier and is aimed at economists and decision makers in academia, government, and industry. Campbell and Roberts, who are currently acting as associate editors, will take over the position in January 2012 from Philip Maxwell, professor emeritus in mineral economics in the Western Australian School of Mines at Curtin University.

“We are proud to be a part of a strong editorial tradition,” said Campbell. “We’ve been working together for more than twenty-five years, and, as coeditors, we will be able to exchange ideas and dedicate our combined energies to continue Resources Policy’s contributions to the field.”

The coeditorship is an honor that recognizes Campbell and Roberts’ service to the profession and their expertise in minerals policy and economics. Campbell, whose research focuses on metal markets and the urbanization and sustainability of mining, helped establish and now coordinates the master’s program in applied natural resource economics at Michigan Tech and the associated Peace Corps Master’s International program. He is also an adjunct professor with the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences. Roberts, who is also involved in the Master’s International program, analyzes cycles of metal, energy, and commodity prices and studies the environmental issues and impacts of mining. Both maintain full teaching schedules.

Campbell and Roberts have a long history with Resources Policy as regular contributors and reviewers. Roberts was a member of the editorial board for twenty years. As coeditors, Campbell and Roberts will solicit papers, assign reviewers, communicate with authors, and send papers through the editorial system.

The greatest challenge of the position, said Roberts, will be finding qualified reviewers for each piece. “One of the benefits of working together will be the chance to pool our contacts to find reviewers who have expertise in the topic of each article,” he said.

“We are honored to accept the position,” said Roberts, “and we look forward to the challenge.”

Campbell and Roberts’ first coedited issue of Resources Policy will be published in March 2012.

And the Survey Says . . . Or Does It?

MBA student, Tao Guo

As part of our modern culture, people are inundated with questions regarding their personal opinions and experiences. College students, in particular, often experience the brunt of these inquiries. During their college careers, students may fill out countless surveys regarding their personal interests, classes, professors, and even some for their educational institution.

What if the information collected during these surveys isn’t always reliable? Should college students be surveyed in the same manner as non-students?

As a Michigan Tech MBA student, Tao Guo asked these questions while working as a research assistant. This inquiry led to a research project and a refereed paper presentation at the 2010 Marketing Management Association Fall Educators’ Conference in Indianapolis.

The paper, “The Effect of Rating Scales on Systematic Differences Between Students and Nonstudents in Survey Research,” was written with help from Junhong Min, assistant professor of marketing, and the late Bob Mark, professor of practice.

“Tao came to me with a question about using surveys in consumer research that kept leading to more questions. His enthusiasm and dedication to this project led to the honor of presenting at the conference. We’re very pleased with his work,” notes Min.

Guo’s initial research found two divergent views exist about the usefulness of college students as subjects. One stream of research questions the use of student samples, while the other shows no difference between student samples and nonstudent samples. Guo tried to fill this gap by examining when the differences between student samples and nonstudent samples occur.

Tackling a common practice found in consumer research studies that survey college students, Guo took a closer look at the use of scales. When examining data from student assessment surveys, he found that either a five-point scale or a seven-point scale was typically used. Both of these scales are employed to measure how strongly the subject agrees with a survey statement. His results empirically illustrate how the five-point scale is more effective at capturing the differences between student and nonstudent samples. In addition, Guo discovered that behavior-related questions (e.g., frequency, the number of purchases) are more sensitive to differences between students and nonstudents than attitude questions (e.g., willingness to purchase, perceived importance).

“The research suggests to the practitioners that they should interpret their results with caution when student samples are involved,” says Guo.

Guo researched the subject for five months. The opportunity to present his paper was a notable achievement for a student, since most presenters at the conference were professional business educators from universities across the nation.

“The professor hosting my section was very excited about my findings and gave me a lot of suggestions for further research,” he said. “I learned a lot by listening to others’ presentations and established several new connections with MBA students and faculty from other universities.”

Guo is from Zhoukou, a small town in Henan Province in central China. He attended Northeastern University in Shenyang, China, where he majored in English and minored in finance. Before coming to the US, he worked for four years at Northeastern University, including a position as deputy director of the Engineer Training Center.

“I came to realize the value of higher education and overseas experience after I interacted with several very successful scholars and corporate executives,” says Guo. “That’s why I made up my mind to switch my career and pursue an MBA degree in America.”

Support from faculty was important to Guo. “I have really appreciated the broad range and depth of interests of the faculty in the School of Business and Economics. Other than professors Min and Mark, I also worked on an independent study with Assistant Professor Maria Schutte. Every time you feel like you have a question or you want to learn something, you can always find the right professor. And they are all willing to help.”

Because of Guo’s research and his successful student career at Tech, he has been accepted into the PhD program in Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University. “I am very grateful to Michigan Tech for the opportunity to do research as an MBA student and for my educational experience in general. It was an overall great learning experience and will be very beneficial to me in my future endeavors.”

This article was originally published in Impact, the Michigan Tech School of Business and Economics magazine.