Goodman: The Magazine, Summer 2020 - Vol. 3, Issue 1

Summer 2020 Volume 3 Issue 1

PIVOTING THE PANDEMIC

GOODMAN RESPONDS TO CORONAVIRUS CRISIS How COVID-19 has affected grads in food industry

MAcc program turns 20

Goodman co-op student receives national award for UN work

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Dean’s message

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Goodman news: New and notable

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Calculated success: MAcc program turns 20

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Student project helps chicken wing chain fly above the radar

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Brock research suggests using online criticism to build brands

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Strong showing by Goodman at case competitions

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Goodman facts and figures

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THE MASTER OF 18 ACCOUNTANCY

Third-year student shares insights from co-op experience

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Goodman co-op student receives national award for UN work

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Grads share effects of COVID-19 on food industry

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Professor’s research aims to improve prison work release programs 20

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF THE GOODMAN GRADUATE PROGARAM Human experience critical for employees working from home New faculty bring fresh perspectives

Dean's Advisory Council CPA invests in Goodman

Double Degree celebrates milestone

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Goodman grad sets high goals for budding cannabis company

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Case-based learning is a teaching staple for marketing prof

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Enterprising efforts lead to Distinguished Scholar Award

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Emerging scholar’s research ventures where few journals dare to go 25 Prof's perspective: How Twitter could ease coronavirus pandemic

PUBLICATION MANAGER Susan LeBlanc

PUBLISHER Goodman School of Business

EDITOR Jocelyn Titone

CONTRIBUTORS Daniela Gatti, Andrew Gaudes, Douglas Hunt, Allison Ives, Kaitlyn Little, Cathy Majtenyi, Tiffany Mayer, Hiba Tahir, Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl, Jocelyn Titone

COPY EDITOR Tiffany Mayer DESIGNER Kev Greene ILLUSTRATOR Cynthia Quillman

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GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHY Manuth Buth, Kajsa Cirocco, Lori Collard, Ashleigh Doyle, Daniel Ehrenworth, Zach Ferbrache-Kirkness, Fab Formisano, Amanda Gaudes, Jill Jennings, Koray Korkmaz, Teighan McIntyre, Divino Mucciante, Delan Perera, Rafay Rehan, Derek Spaulding, Jocelyn Titone

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PRODUCTION Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario ISSN 2561-6706 (Print) ISSN 2561-6714 (Online) goodman@brocku.ca

Cover: The Goodman School of Business Atrium is normally filled with students studying; however, it has been vacant for months due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Faculty and staff have been working from home since March and business courses will be delivered online until at least January 2021.

DEAN'S MESSAGE

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he events of the past several months have truly tested the assumptions and values we all hold in our day-to-day lives and our long-term aspirations.

In March, when the novel coronavirus was declared a global health pandemic, Brock University moved quickly to cancel in-person delivery of classes and transitioned thousands of employees to a remote working environment. Within one week, Goodman faculty members moved nearly 300 business courses online so 3,000 of our students could successfully complete the winter term — a feat that would have been considered inconceivable only weeks earlier.

Staff members scrambled to secure co-op placements for our students and assisted in the safe return of more than 100 students studying abroad through Goodman international exchanges and double degree programs.

Employees and departments across campus responded to healthcare workers’ urgent need for personal protective equipment by creating and donating supplies, including face shields, masks, lab coats and gloves.

Events were cancelled, including Spring Open House, Brock’s premier recruiting event; Monster Pitch, Goodman’s annual student pitch competition; and the DECA International Career Development Conference, a business case competition in which our students have historically done well. Instead of crossing the Convocation stage, thousands of Brock students celebrated their graduation through a personalized virtual experience.

At the same time, this spring presented disparaging scenes of racial injustice coming out of the United States, leading to protests there as well as here in Canada and other parts of the world. We observed Blackout Tuesday on our Twitter feeds and President Gervan Fearon posted a message on The Brock News, which was re-posted on the AACSB website, asking us to find a way to shape a better future. While we work together to end the global disruption caused by COVID-19, we must also work together towards the global disruption of racism

and hatred. Now more than ever, our University’s commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation and decolonization must resonate in us as we guide our students towards their personal and professional fulfilment.

As we plan for a fall term in which business courses will be delivered exclusively online and the recruiting season is limited by travel restrictions and physical distancing, we will rethink our programming. Faculty members will collaborate with learning partners and each other to design high-quality online course offerings, and our student engagement team will create new digital methods for prospective, incoming and returning students to connect with the school community.

Among all these pivots, we also had to adjust how we produced this issue of Goodman: The Magazine. Physical distancing and stay-athome recommendations limited photographs to those supplied to us or already on file, and the ever-changing circumstances surrounding the pandemic has placed a limited shelf life on some of the content within the articles.

While this issue celebrates innovative research, student achievements and a significant program milestone, it also addresses the reality of an empty university campus, alumni facing challenges brought on by the pandemic, and the struggle for human rights and connection in a digital environment. Our Goodman values are being tested, and our students, staff and faculty are demonstrating an ongoing and inspirational level of passion, professionalism, and above all, perseverance.

Please feel free to reach out to share your experiences, comments or feedback.

I wish you good health, wellness and peace, Andrew Gaudes, PhD, ICD.D Dean, Goodman School of Business

SUMMER 2020

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GOODMAN NEWS

NEW AND NOTABLE More than 100 accountants, academics and students gathered at the Goodman School of Business in February to discuss the future of accounting.

GOODMAN SYMPOSIUM DISCUSSES THE FUTURE OF ACCOUNTING

By Jocelyn Titone

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he need for critical thinking and communication skills was a recurring topic of discussion at the Future of Accounting Symposium hosted by the CPA Ontario Centre for Public Policy.

The symposium, which was held in the Goodman Atrium in February, featured a mix of panel discussions and presentations from practitioners and academics from across Canada. Topics ranged from analytics and social issues to innovative technology, such as artificial intelligence.

“Employers are looking for people who can engage and adapt quickly in a fast-paced world,” said Andrew Gaudes, Dean of the School. “It’s not about the technical skillset as much as it is about the human experience. As educators, we’re looking to provide opportunities for students to develop critical thinking and emotional intelligence, while still addressing students’ educational interests, such as innovation, data analytics and sustainability.”

During a panel discussion about the future of accounting, Mark Squire (BAcc ’05,

MAcc ’07), a partner with Crawford, Smith and Swallow Inc., said automation benefits entry-level accounting professionals because it eliminates boring and menial tasks.

“Entry-level positions are starting at a higher level than ever before,” he said. “As a co-op student, I did a lot of data entry. Now, co-op students jump right into the exciting parts of analysis, interpretation and discussing results with clients.”

Automation and new technologies are scary for some, said event organizer Jennifer Li, who is also a Goodman professor and Director of the CPA Ontario Centre for Public Policy and Innovation in Accounting. But there is potential for accounting professionals to take on new roles in the industry.

“Artificial intelligence may improve assurance quality. However, there will be a need to ensure the technology is working properly and ethically,” she said. “We’re all confused about technology’s implications about the future of accounting. The symposium was one way to face the issue head on, get a bit uncomfortable and share ideas for how we can all move forward for the overall betterment of the industry.”

NEW PARTNERSHIP EXPANDS DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAM TO THE UNITED KINGDOM

By Kaitlyn Little

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rock University business students can now study and work in the United Kingdom thanks to a new partnership with Lancaster University.

The agreement allows students from the Goodman School of Business to study at the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) as part of Goodman’s Bachelor of Business Administration Co-op International Double Degree program.

The double degree program offers undergraduate students the chance to study and work abroad. They earn degrees from two universities for the price of tuition at Brock.

“LUMS is highly respected and is in great alignment with the programs that Goodman offers in terms of our shared values of corporate social responsibility and commitment to global engagement,” Goodman Dean

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GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

Andrew Gaudes said.

Students starting Goodman’s double degree program in September will be the first cohort to choose Lancaster as their preferred international university. The program includes two years of study at each university and a co-op placement in both Canada and the U.K. Both Brock and Lancaster are members of the International Partnership of Business Schools, a network of 13 partner schools that promotes language and cultural fluency alongside business aptitude through double degree programs.

“Welcoming these top students from our partner schools into Goodman classrooms adds a diverse and important international perspective,” Gaudes said. “The program benefits our students studying both at Brock and abroad.”

Lancaster University, United Kingdom.

FEMALE BUSINESS LEADERS SHARE ADVICE, EXPERIENCES AT THE RISE PANEL

MBA PROGRAM RECEIVES CIM ACCREDITATION

By Allison Ives

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By Jocelyn Titone

oodman expanded its CIM accreditation this past January to include the MBA program, with the BBA program receiving reaccreditation as well.

The accreditation from CIM Chartered Managers Canada’s National Centre for Management Accreditation (NCMA) recognizes Goodman’s programs as satisfying the educational requirements for the Certified in Management (CIM) and Chartered Manager (CMgr) professional designations.

The CIM designation signifies that its holder has completed a rigorous business education and demonstrated competence and skill in management and administration, including areas such as management operations, accounting, strategy and leadership.

The MBA program has a reputation for teaching students the skills desired by employers. The CIM accreditation means students will enjoy a more streamlined application process for the CIM and CMgr designations after they graduate. “It’s a bonus for students,” said Mohsen Alghazali, Goodman’s Accreditations and Quality Assurance Manager. “Accreditation does not change their learning, but it opens doors for them after they leave Goodman.”

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ork-life balance, adapting to change and following passions were some of the topics discussed at The Rise, a panel in recognition of International Women’s Day. Hosted by the Brock Women in Business student group in the Goodman Atrium in March, the second annual event provided students with the opportunity to network with female business leaders, who have diverse experiences across several industries.

Students also heard first-hand how the women rose to the challenge of being in a male-dominated business world.

“I’ve lost five potential client jobs because of the gender challenge,” said Crystal D’Cunha, CEO of The Insider View Inc. “I often say you have to fail fast, forward and famously so you can learn from the challenges and make adjustments.”

Kiran Prashad, Executive Vice-President of DAG Group, shared how she set visionary goals for herself to climb the ranks. Over more than 30 years with the same company, Prashad held 15 different roles and progressed from an account co-ordinator to vice-president.

“I hustled,” she said. “At times, it was incredibly hard for me to build a career and raise two kids at the same time. But now I run the largest revenue-generating and client relationship office in New York City and am financially independent.”

Prior to the panel discussion, more than 20 student leaders participated in small, informal discussion groups with one of the four panelists.

“It allowed for more intimate conversations in the small groups, as well as exploration of overarching questions in the panel discussion,” said Shania Walden, a fourth-year Business Administration student and President of Brock Women in Business.

“Many students don’t know what to expect when they enter the business world, so the event was a nice stepping stone to ask questions and learn from experienced female business professionals.”

Brock University hosted its first applicant reception tailored to Goodman students at Spark Power Corporation in Oakville.

FIRST GOODMAN-TAILORED APPLICANT RECEPTION A SUCCESS

By Allison Ives

T The Rise panelists. From left, Jayna Sutaria, third-year Business Administration student and Vice-President of Events for Brock Women in Business; Shania Walden, fourth-year Business Administration student and President of Brock Women in Business; Kiran Prashad, Executive Vice-President of DAG Group; Crystal D'Cunha, CEO of The Insider View Inc.; Seema Iyer, Founder and Owner of Sat Yuga Life; and Karen Thompson, IT Team Lead, BI and Analytics Canada at John Deere Canada ULC.

his winter saw Brock University’s first applicant reception tailored to new Goodman School of Business students.

Held at Spark Power Corporation in Oakville in March, the event guided applicants through the steps needed to accept their offer, register and set themselves up for success at Brock.

Cristina Greco (BA ’18), Goodman Recruitment Co-ordinator, positioned the event to showcase the School’s thriving alumni network and reputation for fostering employability in its students.

“Although it's important for incoming students to meet current students, we wanted to demonstrate our strong alumni connection,” Greco said. “I think it's an important factor students should consider when choosing a post-secondary institution.”

Hosting the event at Spark Power was a natural fit. Jason Sparaga (BBA ’94), the company’s Co-CEO and Co-Founder, is a Goodman graduate and past member of the School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. His firm has hired numerous Brock co-op students and alumni, and has been involved with Goodman events, including sponsoring Monster Pitch, a student business pitch competition inspired by Dragon’s Den. Anthony Marotta (BBA ’14), Spark Power’s Director of Mergers and Acquisitions, and former Chair of the Goodman Alumni Network, helped Greco organize the event.

SUMMER 2020

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NEW EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAM OFFERS HANDS-ON CONSULTING EXPERIENCE

By Jocelyn Titone

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tudents interested in a consulting career have a new opportunity to gain experience and knowledge.

The Goodman School of Business Consulting Pathway is a non-credit extracurricular program that provides business students with hands-on training from faculty members and industry experts through workshops, events, projects and by working as a consultant for a startup business.

The program is a partnership between the School’s Communications and Engagement Office and Goodman Group, its community-focused learning and development services provider.

There are three phases to the program that students must complete. First, they’re trained in areas including business case competitions, presentation etiquette and case-based interviews. Next, select students receive further customized training before being divided into teams and matched with a startup company receiving services from

Business Students’ Association President and fourth-year Accounting student Manvir Brar presents a $3,000 cheque to Betty-Lou Souter, CEO of Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold, at the student group’s inaugural Goodman Gives Back Gala fundraiser.

Twenty-seven employees from Pathstone Mental Health participated in Goodman Group’s custom Healthcare Business Management Certificate.

GOODMAN GALA RAISES $3,000 FOR COMMUNITY CARE

FIRST HEALTHCARE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE COHORT GRADUATES

By Allison Ives

By Kaitlyn Little

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his past March, the Business Students’ Association (BSA) held their inaugural Goodman Gives Back Gala, a hybrid networking dinner and charity fundraiser.

The event was a culmination of activities the student group hosted throughout the 2019-20 academic year in support of Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold and where the BSA formally presented $3,000 in fundraising proceeds to the Niagara not-for-profit.

“Community Care is extremely grateful to the BSA for their continued support,” said Betty-Lou Souter, Community Care CEO. "Over the years, the agency and the BSA have partnered together to make a difference in the community through various projects and initiatives. This new event has taken the relationship to a new level, which is extremely rewarding at this very challenging time. The BSA’s donation gives the agency the ability to ensure food security for those in need.”

For BSA President Manvir Brar, the gala represented a change in direction for his team, which was committed to revitalizing its support for Community Care and incorporating community involvement elements into each event they ran for the year.

“It’s a simple way to have people feel more involved with the School and feel like what they’re doing is contributing to something bigger while also providing them with the professional experience they need in, say, a networking environment,” he said.

Attendees networked with Goodman alumni as well as BSA sponsors Desjardins, Wealthsimple and Front Row Ventures.

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Goodman Group's Venture Development division. They then spend several months working on a consulting project in areas such as business strategy, human resources, marketing and sales, or finance before formally presenting their recommendations to the company.

Once students successfully complete the first two phases, they have an opportunity to become paid consultants with Goodman Group’s Consulting Services division.

Abdul Rahimi, Goodman Group Director, said the program benefits students, startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with which they work.

“While students gain the hands-on experience desired by consulting firms, the startups receive a high-value service,” Rahimi said. “High-calibre students get the opportunity to work on consulting projects for SMEs. Goodman School of Business staff and faculty members work alongside select students to provide high-quality consulting services to SMEs at a fraction of the cost of the Top 4 consulting firms.”

GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

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custom-designed program for Niagara’s mental health leaders celebrated a milestone in January: its first round of graduates.

The partnership between Pathstone Mental Health and Brock University’s Goodman School of Business created a 12-week professional development program that focuses on key aspects of strategic planning, change management, leadership, performance management, communication and teamwork in the mental health sector.

Developed by Goodman Group’s Professional Development Office, the Healthcare Business Management Certificate was designed to support Pathstone’s unique needs, training 27 Pathstone employees in its inaugural class.

“We were proud to develop and deliver this program that takes a transdisciplinary approach to management development and supports the wonderful work that Pathstone is doing in our community,” said Abdul Rahimi, Goodman Group Director.

The program builds on the partnership between Brock and Pathstone established last year.

Bill Helmeczi, Pathstone Director of Strategic Planning, Standards and Practices, said the program addresses the organization’s commitment to better support those it serves.

“The training in leadership health care is an excellent example of this commitment, Helmeczi said. “Goodman Group worked with us to flesh out a curriculum that would provide a level of management insight and expertise to meet this need.”

THE MASTER CALCULATED T OF SUCCESS: ACCOUNTANCY MAcc PROGRAM TURNS 20

here’s a surefire way to get Stephen McCourt (BAcc ’99, MAcc ’01) to notice a resumé when applying for a job at RSM Canada’s Toronto offices.

Mention your accounting degree is from Brock University’s Goodman School of Business, and you’ll pique the interest of the partner at one of North America’s largest independent audit, tax and consulting firms.

“There’s no doubt for me when I see that, I’m going to dig a little deeper into that resumé,” McCourt said. “It’s definitely a differentiator in the pile for me.”

That’s because McCourt, himself, is a Goodman Accounting Co-op alumnus. More notably, though, he was also one of the first students to enrol in and graduate from the School’s Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program when it launched 20 years ago last winter.

Pursuing a graduate degree in accounting wasn’t a requirement of the profession at the time. But McCourt had a passion for numbers, higher learning — he was considering pursuing his PhD — and especially for Brock.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF THE GOODMAN GRADUATE PROGARAM New faculty bring fresh perspectives

By Tiffany Mayer

CPA invests in Goodman

Double Degree celebrates milestone

SUMMER 2020

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“I already had a strong affinity for Brock and enjoyed my time in the undergraduate program. I really valued what it did for my personal and professional development,” McCourt said. “There was an element of loyalty and excitement to continue on the journey that I was already on. I also had the full support of my employer. This support and loyalty has led me to now being a partner at the same firm that I articled with as a co-op student at Brock.”

Still, it was a bit of a risk. Brock, which had been known as a primarily undergraduate university at the time, didn’t yet have a reputation for graduate programs.

And with the MAcc being the first one offered by what was then Brock’s Faculty of Business, these truly were untested waters.

McCourt, who had been working in the finance department at Queen’s University before returning to school in January 2000, got a scholarship, and with it, the chance to teach.

As one of the first students, McCourt also had the opportunity to help shape the program for future classes.

For a guy in his early 20s, it all added up to the ideal situation for putting his career on pause to pursue another degree.

A nudge from the founding professors of the program didn’t hurt either. Both Linda Stillabower and Barbara Sainty taught McCourt during his undergraduate degree.

He would have them again as they taught that first cohort of 12 master’s students.

“They reinforced the decision for me. They told me it was a good opportunity for me and a good opportunity to learn,” McCourt said. “I knew (Linda) was one of the two professors instrumental in establishing the program.

Linda Stillabower really went above and beyond and invested in me personally and I really valued that. So, I wanted to continue my journey with her. I felt she was

my advocate and champion and she would push me “We knew them quite well and we worked their butts and challenge me to be better.” off,” said Stillabower, who still teaches in the program.

She did, but it took some serious planning and “That first day of orientation, I could barely believe it strategizing to get the MAcc in place to begin with. without crying. The last class, everybody cried — Barbara Stillabower was hired as an accounting professor at (Sainty), too. That first year was really intense.”

Brock in 1993. She was determined there would be Sainty, who had come to Brock from Western a day when her students would include those at the University’s Ivey School of Business specifically to graduate level. teach at the graduate level was giddy with excitement.

Three years later, she sat on a committee that Together, she and Stillabower taught integration and included fellow accounting professor Ian Adamson and analysis, which examined accounting’s widespread role others invested in launching a Master of Accountancy in more than just number crunching and bottom lines. program. Together, their mission was to get the Students were assigned a novel to read over summer proverbial green light from both the University and the and then asked how they would apply it to a business province to launch the year-long program. Stillabower setting, for example. One read Harry Potter and tied it had a hand in creating two master’s programs previously to playing to individual strengths.

— one at the University of Toronto and another at Case “We challenged the students, we read articles, we had Western University in Ohio — so she knew the work class discussions,” Sainty said. “It wasn’t about teaching that was required. content. It was about how to be a better person and At Brock, that included developing an integrated accountant with all that was going on in the world. curriculum, a concept that was ahead of the curve but “Brock and Linda were ahead of the time recognizing would bode well for the School later when its MAcc this was critical to the profession,” she added. “We was certified as a Chartered Professional Accountants were the first graduate program in Ontario to be fully of Ontario (CPA) pathway program in 2013. It would accredited (by CPA Ontario) because of that. It made the be the first to be accredited in Ontario and become pathway easier and we were much more ready to teach a flagship for Goodman in the process. The MAcc also it. Other universities had to redesign their programs, but blazed a trail for other business graduate programs at we were already 75 per cent there with how we were Brock, including the Master of Business Administration teaching the MAcc program.”

(MBA), Master of Science in Management (MSc), and In those early days when McCourt was part of the certificate and double degree programs that followed. original cohort and it wasn’t a pathway to a professional But in 2000, four years after the committee was designation, the program was a lesson in discipline and struck to establish a graduate program in accounting, dedication. McCourt remembered a routine of being at after much negotiation and many sales pitches, school from morning to night that year, going home to Stillabower wasn’t thinking about any of that as she sleep and getting up to do it all over again the next day. stood in front of a dozen students — most of them Brock The payoff was a more confident version of himself — graduates. Instead, she was marvelling at the inaugural someone with strong communication and presentation class and trying to keep tears in check. skills, and the ability to think on his feet and outside

ORIGINAL CLASS

The first Master of Accountancy class, circa 2001.

Back row, from left, Brian Cardinal (MAcc ’01), James Moore (BAdmin ’89, MAcc ’01), Shari (Leitch) Sekel (BAcc ’99, MAcc ’01) and Stephen McCourt (BAcc ’99, MAcc ’01). Middle row, from left, Patricia Brown (BBA ’98, MAcc ’01), Yuqing Wang (MAcc ’01), Rosaria (Zompanti) Cross (BAcc ’00, MAcc ’01) and Norma (St. Pierre) Sierra-Vasquez (MAcc ’02). Front row, from left, Steven (Keith) Herring (BAcc ’00, MAcc ’01), Christopher Brown (BAcc ’00, MAcc ’01) and Leo Borgatti (BAcc ’99, MAcc ’01).

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GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

10-YEAR REUNION

Seven of the first Master of Accountancy graduates recreated their class photo at a reunion celebration on Jan. 28, 2012.

Standing, from left, Brian Cardinal (MAcc ’01), James Moore (BAdmin ’89, MAcc ’01), Shari (Leitch) Sekel (BAcc ’99, MAcc ’01) and Stephen McCourt (BAcc ’99, MAcc ’01). Seated, from left, Steven (Keith) Herring (BAcc ’00, MAcc ’01), Christopher Brown (BAcc ’00, MAcc ’01) and Leo Borgatti (BAcc ’99, MAcc ’01).

the proverbial box.

He also learned to consider issues and challenges from a variety of perspectives.

“Very quickly I realized I had to be all in,” he recalled. “There was lots of dialogue in all sessions. You had to be prepared. There was a bonding and accountability that happened in that group and it was intense. There was no shortage of work to be done.”

And soon after, some of that work was done by international students when Brock expanded MAcc recruitment efforts oversees.

Richard Ye (MAcc ’01) arrived in St. Catharines from Shanghai by leap of faith in the fall of 2000 to study in a program so new, it hadn’t yet had time to carve out any kind of reputation. That didn’t matter because, as Ye recalled, everything he would experience in St. Catharines and Brock was new to him. He was just keen to partake in a popular right of passage among young Chinese business people: go abroad and see how things are done elsewhere.

Ye had already spent three years working for Ernst & Young in China so coming to Canada to study was the ideal opportunity for personal and professional advancement.

“The Canadian accounting standards are very solid and superior in the accounting world,” Ye said. “In China back then, three credentials were very famous: AICPA in the U.S. and the ACCA in the U.K. The third one is Canadian and it was the CGA. It wasn’t the biggest body in Canada (at the time), but these three were very recognizable in the Chinese market. If you held international credentials, you were very marketable.”

Ye spent his first three months polishing his English before joining the second cohort of the MAcc program in January 2001. In addition to language barriers, he had to overcome culture shock, getting used to the Canadian way of life — everything from eating to studying — as quickly as possible. To help, Ye had a homestay living arrangement.

Like McCourt, sleep was at a premium for Ye once the program started. He’d attend class, go out with his classmates afterward for the Canadian student experience, then head home to study until the wee hours of the morning.

“We are a very hardworking people so to catch up on language, school and culture, the way to do that is to cut down on sleeping time,” Ye recalled.

During Ye’s waking hours, the MAcc program taught him to apply his accounting knowledge to Canadian business. Students were able to “get into the weeds” of business and tax law.

“It’s not like a lecture. It’s case studies and it helps you a lot,” Ye said. “Undergrad is more like teaching textbook concepts. This was more applied. It’s more executive-style training, which was helping me a lot to develop for my future.”

That future included staying in Canada, having both his family and career here. His academic achievements and previous work experience helped him secure a job with an accounting firm before graduating from the MAcc program.

Today he’s the Director of Treasury at Maple Leaf Foods and a proud Goodman alumnus. Ye, who found the homestay experience as invaluable as his academic one, also remains in touch with the woman he lived with as a student.

“Brock University itself is a small university but when you’re talking about the business program and the accounting program, it’s very strong. The graduates were getting jobs very fast,” Ye said. “If you google the program, you will know the difference.

Brock is an accounting school.”

The growth in applications to Goodman’s MAcc and other graduate program over the years is proof of that, noted Carrie Kelly, Goodman’s Director of Graduate Programs.

When Kelly started at Goodman six years ago, she would see about 1,100 graduate program applications a year. That number has since climbed to almost 1,700 applications for one of about 400 spaces.

Given the MAcc is a pathway to earning the CPA designation today, the program holds even greater allure than when it originated in 2000. It allows students to earn the professional certification in less time than those balancing an accounting job with CPA exam preparations.

Goodman’s MAcc graduates also have a high success rate on the CPA exam, Kelly explained.

Today, a large number of students come from overseas, much like Ye did all those years ago, to study at Goodman in all of its graduate programs. “We go to (recruitment) fairs in India and parents will come and say ‘My son’s there right now.

We just wanted to come meet you and my other son’s interested in coming to Brock as well,’ ” Kelly said. “Even though recruitment is throughout the world, it feels like a small world.”

Especially when McCourt sees Brock University and the Goodman School of Business on a CV. He credits his MAcc degree with helping him get to where he is in the accounting world today, including hiring the best and the brightest accountants in the country.

“The skills I developed in that program have helped me in my career,” McCourt said.

“Without a doubt, it was the best decision I ever made.”

BROCK SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR CHINESE NATIONALS TO STUDY MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY Martin Kusy, Professor of Operations and former Dean of the Faculty of Business, and Yan Yumin of Shanghai Foreign Service Corporation shake hands in January 2000 after signing an agreement that allowed qualified Chinese nationals to pursue graduate studies in the Master of Accountancy program.

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR FIRST INTERNATIONAL COHORT OF MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY PROGRAM Martin Kusy, Professor of Operations and former Dean of the Faculty of Business, front left, is joined by Andy Panko, former Vice-Chair of Brock’s Board of Trustees, and Eddie Wu of the Shanghai Foreign Service Corporation at an official ribbon cutting in October 2000 to mark the start of the first cohort of international students enrolled in the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program. Standing in the background are Brock’s first MAcc international students: All were professionals from accounting firms and multinational businesses in Shanghai, China when they started the program in October 2000.

Students, front row, from left, Xiaoyue (Carol) Pan (MAcc ’01), Weiyin (Vivian) Shen (MAcc ’01), Yuhong (Carol) Qian (MAcc ’01), Yonghui (Claire) Shen (MAcc ’01), Ying (Emily) Jiang (MAcc ’02) and Jun (Jackie) Qian (MAcc ’01). Students, second row, from left, Zhizhong (Richard) Ye (MAcc ’01), Wei (Vivian) Chen, Wei (Grace) Chen (MAcc ’01), Yinhao (Stella) Hu, Junqing (Cynthia) Qui (MAcc ’01), Wen (Ellen) Wang (MAcc ’02), Limin (Amanda) Xing (MAcc ’01), Lili (Lily) Sun (MAcc ’01, BSc ’06), Fanxi (Fiona) Kong (MAcc ’01) and Lili (Lily) Gao. Absent: Zhengmin (Jessie) Zhou (MAcc ’01).

SUMMER 2020

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GOODMAN BMA PROJECT HELPS CHICKEN WING CHAIN FLY ABOVE THE RADAR WITH STUDENTS

By Tiffany Mayer

Students from the Brock Marketing Association worked with Wild Wing in St. Catharines by analyzing their marketing tactics and suggesting ideas to better attract student patrons.

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hen the local franchise of a national chicken wing restaurant wanted Other ideas included selling more Niagara wine and beer, offering vegetarian to attract more student diners, it didn’t enlist the help of a fancy and vegan food options, and emphasizing promotions to better compete with marketing firm. neighbouring restaurants selling chicken wings at lower prices. Wild Wing could also Instead, Wild Wing in St. Catharines turned to their prospective beef up its menu by adding Brock Badger-themed wings. customers for help. The business asked the student-run Goodman Brock Marketing Delivery was also suggested so students without a car or easy access to Association (BMA) for ideas that wouldn’t leave the restaurant winging its marketing, transportation could enjoy Wild Wing’s fare. all the while giving students real-world experience to cluck about on their resumés.

The BMA’s findings and ideas were presented virtually to the company at the end “It’s a benefit to both sides,” said Emily Sleegers, BMA President and third-year of the term.

Business Administration student. “The goal isn’t to give them an exact plan of what Gina Lambrinos (BA ’19), Social Media Co-ordinator for Wild Wing Hospitality Inc., to do but to inspire their marketing and give them ideas of what they can do. It’s a is a Brock alumna and knew about the opportunity to work with Goodman students on win-win on both sides because the company has nothing to lose.” the company’s marketing issues. Some of Lambrinos’s favourite projects when she was The project, which ran through the winter term, was one of four tackled by the a student involved helping community partners with their marketing and social media.

BMA this past school year. Most BMA projects help non-profits or local startups, Being on the receiving end of advice this time, Lambrinos said the BMA was able Sleegers explained, so working with an established national brand like Wild Wing was to do research and offer insight that would have been difficult to do on her own. She’s a challenge the student group readily accepted. already tapped into some of the students’ ideas, including drafting a promotional plan Goodman students in all years and programs gathered weekly under the guidance for the entire chain, not just the St. Catharines store. of two project managers to analyze Wild Wing’s current marketing tactics, where “When I suggested reaching out to Goodman, I did this because of the positive they fell short, and what it could do to get more students through the door at its outcome that I had as a student, knowing that I accomplished a marketing strategy and Glendale Avenue location. opportunities to ensure success of a company’s product or business,” Lambrinos said.

They continued collaborating and working remotely on the project when Brock’s “I would gladly recommend other businesses work with Goodman BMA because of the campus was closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. external resources and new perspective the project managers and group had to offer.”

The BMA determined early on with a survey that there was little recognition of the The BMA helps students flourish as much as it helps businesses grow, Sleegers noted.

Wild Wing brand among students. To change that, the project group suggested Wild Sleegers, who’s in her final year of marketing at Brock, got involved with the club Wing connect with the Brock University Students’ Union about bringing a food truck in her second year to gain practical experience that would help her during co-op to campus for events, and sending its mascot up the escarpment once in a while, too. placements.

“One of the bigger (suggestions) to gear toward students is for the local location Joining the BMA made her resumé stand out, but it did something else for Sleegers, to connect with Brock,” Sleegers said. “They need to bring (Wild Wing) to students who wrapped up her term as club president in April. to get more students engaged.”

“When I first joined in second year, I was always the quietest in the room. I was The BMA also found missed opportunities on social media where the local franchise so shy. The fact I went to these meetings was a big thing for me,” she said. “It gave could post more frequently, host competitions, and better use hashtags to get specials me a chance to grow and come out of my shell. It’s a very good club for personal and important information in front of more eyes. The suggestion: hire a social media development and growth.” co-ordinator who reflects the target market.

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#SORRYNOTSORRY: BROCK RESEARCH SUGGESTS USING ONLINE CRITICISM TO BUILD BRANDS

By Cathy Majtenyi

Research from Joachim Scholz, Assistant Professor of Marketing, International Business and Strategy, suggests not all online criticism is bad for companies.

S

ocial media has made it easier than ever Nike’s recent advertisement supports the Black Lives for consumers to speak up and voice their Matter movement by claiming ‘For Once, Don’t Do It.’ discontent. How should marketers respond?

The video goes on to say in white text on a black screen: Take a social media firestorm. Intuitively, ‘Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. company officials cringe at the thought of their brand Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent being subject to a barrage of online criticism, and do lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. whatever they can to avoid such a situation.

Don’t think this doesn’t affect you. Don’t sit back and But is online criticism always bad for a company? be silent. Don’t think you can’t be part of the change.

Definitely not, says Joachim Scholz, Assistant Professor Let’s all be part of the change.’ of Marketing at the Goodman School of Business and “Nike stayed true to their values despite getting Research Scholar with Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology caught up in a firestorm two years ago,” Scholz said. and Viticulture Institute.

“As a result, their current ad comes across as sincere and “There is a certain form of controversy online that authentic, rather than clueless or opportunistic.” companies can actually use to build their brand, to Whether they realize it or not, brands are often stand out, to create brand value for themselves and caught up in complex cultural tensions. In the heat of their customers,” Scholz said. the moment, when the firestorm erupts, these tensions About 60 per cent of social media firestorms are are not always easy to identify, which can make it sparked by what he calls a “morally-infused crisis.” difficult for a company to decide how to respond to These are instances in which a company takes a moral criticism. position and is met with intense criticism online. The Complaints about the quality of a product are firestorm comes from customers, and even the general definitely concerning and need to be rectified public, who disagree with the company’s portrayal of, or immediately with a “public, sincere apology” along with alignment with, a particular social issue. measures such as recalling or relaunching the faulty A high-profile example is Nike’s 2018 advertisement product, Scholz said.

‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing For morally infused firestorms, things are more everything. Just Do It’ in support of Colin Kaepernick, complex. Scholz suggests marketers ask themselves a the NFL player who knelt during the American national number of questions to decide whether they should take anthem to protest racism and police brutality in the a stand or alter their course. These include: United States.

• What are the values we stand for? Is this who we are The ad sparked a huge debate across the U.S. and as a company? even saw a boycott of Nike products.

• Who are our customers? What are their values?

“Nike stood by its risky ad because they believed it • What is the general sentiment among the public was the right thing to do,” Scholz said. “They acted on regarding this particular moral issue? Are the voices their own values — even when facing initial backlash.” of support or dissent coming from “fringe” groups or Fast-forward to the Black Lives Matter protests the mainstream? of 2020, and one can see the long-lasting benefits • What are our opponents’ perspectives? companies can reap when they stand for something.

Companies confident in the position they’ve taken on a particular social issue should “fan the flames of the firestorm,” Scholz said.

“Fighting back can be the best option, especially when criticism comes from groups that are opposed to the core values of the company and its customers.”

He gives the example of a U.K. fitness and nutrition company called Protein World, which ran an ad campaign called “Are you beach body ready?” featuring a thin, scantily clothed woman.

Critics charged that Protein World was perpetuating sexist stereotypes through their ads and, by extension, body-shaming people who were not athletic. Instead of apologizing, the company pursued a number of strategies to fight back, Scholz said.

One was to employ a tactic known as ‘cultural jujitsu’ where the force of someone’s argument is made to work against them, in the process effectively “re-framing” the opponent’s position.

“The company turned the criticism that they were body-shaming people who were not very athletic around and said to its critics, ‘Well, you’re fit-shaming our model if you say she cannot achieve that certain body form as she did through exercising and having a healthy diet,’ ” Scholz said.

Scholz urged companies to resist acting in panic when faced with criticism. He gives the example of the Hallmark Channel, which aired, then pulled, then re-aired a commercial showing a same-sex couple kissing.

“After flip-flopping back-and-forth between two morally-opposed camps, Hallmark Channel has won neither battle,” he said.

SUMMER 2020

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STRONG SHOWING BY GOODMAN AT CASE COMPETITIONS

By Daniela Gatti

F

rom hosting JDC Central on campus and breaking their own record at DECA U Provincials, to remaining undefeated at the World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara International Case Competition, Goodman School of Business students experienced another successful business competition season last winter and exemplified the importance of extending their classroom learning to real-life scenarios.

“Case competitions prepare students for the working world by encouraging them to think critically and

problem solve, hone their communication skills, and demonstrate competence and confidence in their business knowledge,” said Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes. “What’s more is the camaraderie they form with other students and the feelings of accomplishment they experience when they are recognized for their achievements.”

Although students performed well in the competitions they attended, their season was unfortunately cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. Goodman’s DECA

team wasn’t able to attend the International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, a competition where all 16 Goodman delegates placed in the Top 10 last year and brought home a record 34 medals. Other students were unable to compete in the University of Waterloo Accounting Conference in Toronto and members of Brock Finance and Investment Group couldn’t participate in the Quinnipiac University GAME Forum X finance competition in New York City.

JDC CENTRAL

First place JDC accounting case competition winners. From left, Besma Matar, fourth-year Business Administration Co-op International Double Degree student; Lewis Stevenson, faculty advisor; Harshita Santha, first-year Master of Accountancy student; and Urooj Manzoor, fourth-year Accounting Co-op student.

The competition season kicked off in early January with the Goodman School of Business hosting one of the largest business school competitions in the country.

More than 550 students from across Canada attended JDC (Jeux du Commerce) Central Jan. 3 to 5 to compete in the 'business school Olympics.'

Students from 11 universities across Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes competed in eight pillar academic business categories, as well as sports, debate and social competitions.

After an intense weekend, Goodman students placed second for the prestigious School of the Year award, finished first in the accounting and wild card

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First place JDC wild card case competition winners. From left, Sam Farberman, fifth-year Business Administration student; Lewis Stevenson, faculty advisor; Monica Upadhyay, first-year Master of Accountancy student; and Manvir Brar, fourth-year Accounting student.

case competitions, and ranked second in both digital strategy and overall participation. Goodman’s quickball team finished third and its sports team received the team sportsmanship award.

In addition to students showcasing months of practice and proficiency in their categories, they often form lifelong relationships at JDC Central.

“The most rewarding part of participating in JDCC every year is the friendships everyone forms within the team,” said Rosie Di Matteo, a fifth-year Business Administration Co-op student and co-captain of the Goodman JDC Central team. “Although we did not successfully defend our School of the Year title this

year, working with my co-captain Shane Shibley and our JDC team felt like being with family — it was the most rewarding part of it all.”

Nick Hollard (BBA '17), Goodman alumnus and former Goodman JDC Central delegate, returned to Niagara to help organize the competition as the Vice-President of Competitions with the Canadian Association of Business Schools.

Organizing the competition on hometown soil made the experience extra special for him.

“Coming back to showcase the place where I developed so many profound memories was really amazing, both on a professional and personal level,” he said.

trophy award certificate

DECA U PROVINCIALS

DECA ONTARIO RESULTS:

Goodman students earned a school record of 24 medals at this year's DECA U provincial competition in Toronto.

When Nimrat Brar first arrived at Goodman as a Business Administration student, she looked for ways to get more involved with the school community. She joined Goodman’s DECA team even though she felt nervous to compete in case competitions. Four years later, she led Goodman’s team to victory at DECA U Provincials, collectively earning a school record of 24 medals.

More than 1,400 students from 20 schools participated in the provincial competition this past January in Toronto. Delegates competed in business categories, individually or with a partner, and had 15 to 20 minutes to prepare solutions to a case before presenting them to an industry-professional judge.

With 75 per cent of Goodman’s DECA team being first-time delegates this year, Brar, who served as

President of Goodman’s DECA team, said training took a different focus.

“We were not focused on the medal count; we wanted to focus on building the team for future years,” she said.

“Our training was more about how the delegates felt they were progressing and the personal development opportunities that came from practice.”

After placing first in the travel and tourism category in her first internal Goodman DECA competition, Brar knew she would continue with Goodman’s DECA team throughout her undergraduate degree. Now, with four years of case competitions on her resumé, Brar is confident she made the right choice.

“It is wonderful to be able to grow with the club year after year,” she said. “Getting to lead a club is like running a startup. It’s amazing to be part of the process.”

WORLD TRADE CENTER BUFFALO NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL CASE COMPETITION

The following teams received medals for their final award standings in their categories: • Business Law: First place, Sam Farberman and Amani Ahmad • Marketing Management: Second place, Manpriya Arora and Srushti Rajgopal • SEED (entrepreneurship pitch): Third place, Matthew Reid The following students received medals for placing in the Top 5 of their individual categories: • Accounting: Aman Juthani (case 1 and case 2), first place overall • Corporate Finance: Liana Biktimirova (case 1), third place overall • Corporate Finance: Manvir Brar (case 1 and case 2), first place overall • Corporate Finance: Angelo Pirrera (case 2) • Fashion and Retail Management: Martina Cutruzzola (case 1 and case 2), first place overall • Human Resources Management: Chris Kislinsky (case 2) • Management Consulting: Kolton Leung (case 1) • Management Consulting: Sukhwinder Gill (case 1) • Restaurant and Food Services Management: Simon Denford (case 1), second place overall • Restaurant and Food Services Management: Shruti Parikh (case 2) • Travel Management: Nimrat Brar (case 2)

JDC CENTRAL RESULTS: Goodman students placed first for the second consecutive year in the World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara International Case Competition.

From left, Sukhwinder Gill, third-year Business Administration student; Diana Oprea, fourth-year Business Administration Co-op International Double Degree student; Nimrat Brar, fourth-year Business Administration student; and Tyler Bergey, fourth-year Business Administration student.

Goodman students also found success on an international stage this year when they brought home a first-place trophy for the second consecutive year.

A team of four Business Administration students reigned undefeated at the second annual World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara International Case Competition in February after competing against teams from five other universities in western New York and southern Ontario on a real-world international trade case provided by the American company Moog.

The case challenged students’ business knowledge and their time management skills. Tyler Bergey, Nimrat Brar, Sukhwinder Gill and Diana Oprea, were provided the case the evening before the competition and had to submit a thorough recommendation by 9 a.m. the next morning. The next day, the teams were at Niagara University in Lewiston, New York ready to present their report to industry executives.

Participating in the international competition was a unique and unforgettable opportunity for the students.

“Being able to represent Goodman and win first place for the second year was an amazing experience, said Bergey, a fourth-year Business Administration student. “Because the competition is still quite new, it was different than any other competition I’ve participated in. It was extremely rewarding.”

The following teams received awards at JDC Central: • Goodman JDC Central: Second place, School of the Year • Accounting: First place, Besma Matar, Urooj Manzoor and Harshita Santha • Wild Card: First place, Manvir Brar, Sam Farberman and Monica Upadhyay • Digital Strategy: Second place, Sukhwinder Gill, Jayna Sutaria and Roshanth Thulasiram • Sports Team: Third place in Quickball and team sportsmanship, Justin Dilgert, Lucas Di Nardo, Luis Macias Gutierrez, Zain Ibrahim, Chris Kislinsky, Monica MacDonald, Cassandra Plute and Nicole Smith

OTHER COMPETITIONS: • World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara International Case Competition: First place, Tyler Bergey, Nimrat Brar, Sukhwinder Gill and Diana Oprea • LIVE Case Competition: First place, Fadi Kara, Thomas Barnes, Kevin Diep and Denise Brennan; second place, Tyler Berger, Emily Sleegers, Ryan Tully and Roshanth Thulasiram; fifth place, Manvir Brar, Sukhwinder Gill, Ashley Harold and Martina Cutruzzola

SUMMER 2020

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FACTS AND FIGURES GOODMAN ENROLMENT

WORK TERMS COMPLETED BY GOODMAN CO-OP STUDENTS 1,200

2,962

2,907

2,882

2,842

2,920

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 2015 / 16

2016 / 17

2017 / 18

2018 / 19

1,000

899

986

1,051 1,028

976

800 2019 / 20 600

615

547

614

594

699

400

200

GRADUATE STUDENTS 2015 / 16

2016 / 17

2017 / 18

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

0

2015 / 16 BAcc Co-op MBA ISP

TOTAL GOODMAN STUDENTS

2016 / 17

2017 / 18

BBA Co-op MAcc

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

BBA Dual MPAcc

MBA Dom

4,000

3,500

3,389

3,497

3,501

3,576

3,619

3,000 2015 / 16

2016 / 17

2017 / 18

2018 / 19

2019 / 20

WHERE RECENT GOODMAN GRADS WORK

COVID-19: MOVING TO AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

HOUSE-USER USER-HEADSET LAPTOP SUN

128 3,029 287 132

Faculty and staff relocated to work from home students transitioned to online learning

in-person winter term courses moved online

Spring/summer online courses

STATUS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Greater Toronto Area

AT GOODMAN

49% Outside Canada

2%

Niagara region

17%

Other areas in Ontario

15%

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Hamilton

11%

Other areas in Canada

6%

18

44

12

exchange students returned to their home countries

Double Degree students returned to their home countries

Double Degree students stayed in Canada

ABROAD

3

25

9

exchange students returned to Canada

Double Degree students returned to Canada

Double Degree students stayed in their host countries

GOODMAN SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

HANDSHAKE-ALT USERS CLIPBOARD-CHECK CHALKBOARD-TEACHER

60 2,172 501 5

THROUGH GOODMAN GROUP STARTUP SERVICES

community partners students

student team reports shared with community members

132

174

27

advisory service hours provided

entrepreneurs supported

entrepreneurial events & programs delivered

courses incorporated experiential education for the first time

CONSULTING SERVICES

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIES

Budget and forecast strategies

Business growth and strategy

Marketing research and strategy

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLANS

Advanced business analytics

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES

Marketing and communication plans BUSINESS ETHICS AUDITS AND STRATEGIES

Design thinking strategies

SOCIAL MEDIA & SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

19

890

student consultants engaged

billable consulting hours provided

New product development plans

e-business applications QUEUING AND WAIT TIME ANALYSIS

OPERATIONS PLANS

Health and safety plans

Feasibility studies

INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN

PROJECT TOPICS

Wine marketing strategies

EXECUTIVE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

125

100

38

unique program participants

seminars planned/delivered

instructional faculty members involved

RECENT GOODMAN GRADUATES GRADUATION-CAP UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

GRADUATE STUDENTS

CERTIFICATE STUDENTS

104

451

85

176

14

31

FALL 2019

SPRING 2020

FALL 2019

SPRING 2020

FALL 2019

SPRING 2020

MSc STUDENT AND GRAD ACCOMPLISHMENTS Goodman’s Master of Science in Management (MSc) program prepares students for careers in academia and research.

Ardalan Eyni, a current Goodman MSc student, was recently awarded a 2020-21 Ontario Graduate Scholarship of $5,000 per term for three consecutive terms. Eyni, whose MSc thesis is “Visual Thickness Effect: Why and How It Boosts Brand Evaluation and Relaxes the Visual Asymmetry Side-effect,” also recently won the 2019-20 Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Award.

Goodman MSc program graduate Rahul Pandey (MSc '14) is expected to graduate with a PhD in Business Administration from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University in August 2020. Following Convocation, Pandey will join the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at The University of Memphis as an Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management. In addition to teaching an undergraduate course for the fall term, he plans to continue his research in supply disruption management.

SUMMER 2020

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LESSONS LEARNED: THIRD-YEAR STUDENT SHARES INSIGHTS FROM CO-OP EXPERIENCE

By Hiba Tahir

T

he first few weeks of my co-op terms were difficult. Every day, I struggled with an internal battle between wanting to grow and learn new skills, and being afraid to make mistakes and look incompetent. I spent eight months at RBC completing two coops, first as a Resolution Officer as a member of the global reconciliation services team, and then as an Operations Analyst with the data and analytics team. Throughout my time, I faced difficulties and learned three important lessons.

Lesson 1: Saying yes is crucial for self-growth. As a BBA finance student, my comfort zone has been limited to the business perspective of work. However, there was a larger technical aspect to my second internship. When my term began, I doubted my ability to match my teams' expectations, so I stuck to the work I was familiar with and avoided anything new. As time passed, I realized I wasn’t achieving any goals or learning new skills. I needed to make a change. I forced myself out of my comfort zone by saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity that came my way.

Some tasks I already knew how to do, but I had to learn others. Saying ‘yes’ was daunting because I often didn’t know what I was getting myself into. As time went on, though, I started to feel comfortable taking on new tasks, my curiosity grew, and my anxiety lessened. I learned how to use software programs, such as SQL, and learned introductory coding, which is something I used to find intimidating.

Lesson 2: Co-op students can make a difference. Although I entered my work terms with the mindset of learning as much possible, I didn’t think about how I wanted to impact the team. I didn’t realize co-op students could make an impact. As I became more comfortable in my role, I took initiative to work on tasks beyond my job mandate. I analyzed areas of improvement and found solutions. I re-wrote the training manual for my position and suggested ways to automate two processes in my job. I created a lasting impact on my team: The new training manual will help incoming co-op students transition more smoothly into their roles; and the automation suggestions I made could permanently save 45 minutes each week.

Lesson 3: You shape your own experiences. What students put into their co-ops is what they get out of them. Both my co-ops were great experiences. I practised many new skills, met great people and expanded my network, learned a lot about the banking industry, and decided on a career path. I achieved more than I could have imagined, but I feel it’s because I put in a lot more effort than I initially anticipated. It wasn’t easy balancing work responsibilities with extracurriculars, but I made the most of my co-op experience by trying new things and doing more than was expected of me.

A co-op term is more than just a job. It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself and apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. It’s a chance to learn new skills and leave your mark.

Co-op was one of the best experiences of my undergrad. If someone you know has the opportunity to do a placement, encourage them to make the most of it.

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Goodman student Hiba Tahir reflects on the eight months she spent at RBC completing two co-op terms.

Ahmed Jawa received the Co-operative Education and WorkIntegrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada Student of the Year Award for Cooperative Education at a University for his work term serving the United Nations Development Programme in Cambodia. He's pictured here in June 2019.

GOODMAN CO-OP STUDENT RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR UN WORK

By Douglas Hunt

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ilk farms and minefields are not the settings for their land, or the smiles on the faces of families who Nations Association of Canada, I knew this would be a typical co-op work term, but Ahmed Jawa was could significantly increase their income through our a transformational opportunity for students as well not a typical co-op student. sustainable silk production project.” as the countless lives residing in communities where The Honours Bachelor of Business With these lessons in mind and a once-in-a-lifetime they will be located,” Gaudes said. “This program is for Administration student recently received the experience to draw from, Jawa was able to land a job exceptional students like Ahmed Jawa, with personal Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning as an Associate Consultant for IBM in Toronto after and professional fulfilment objectives that include social (CEWIL) Canada Student of the Year Award for finishing his classes in August. contributions extending beyond the boardroom. We Co-operative Education at a University for his work term However, his interactions with Brock’s co-op team believe so strongly in these opportunities that the UN serving the United Nations Development Programme were not done yet. internship is funded through the transformational gift in Cambodia.

In early March, Jawa was one of the recipients of we received from the Goodman family in 2012, and we Jawa is the first Brock University student to receive Brock’s Co-op Student of the Year award. And several remain the only business school in Canada to have such the award, which recognized the positive impact that weeks later, he was notified of another honour. an agreement with the UN.” participating in a work term had on a co-op student, “I read the email from CEWIL telling me that I had won Jawa said he was incredibly grateful for the award and as well as their contributions to the host organization the national award and it was unbelievable,” he said. “I to represent Goodman and the co-op team in Cambodia. and the University. was next to my mother and was in a state of shock. She “I am super proud, humbled and thankful that I have In Jawa’s case, time working on a variety of wanted to know what was going on, and when I told won this award,” he said. “I work hard, but I never assignments in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, including her, she was super happy and began to cry. It was very thought I’d win such a prestigious honour. Coming evaluating the success of landmine removal projects, emotional for my parents.” through my Goodman studies, and the partnership introducing silk production to local farmers and In addition to family, the 23-year old Mississauga they provided with the UN through the co-op program, promoting the rapid growth of modernized industrial native said the Co-op Education team had been there was super valuable and helped guide me to where I projects, proved to exceed all of the qualifying criteria. for him throughout his time at the University and all am today.”

For Jawa, the six-month humanitarian work term three of his co-op work terms.

Having now returned to Canada and begun his through the Goodman School of Business’s first-of-its“What sets co-op at Brock apart is the people,” he said. career, Jawa hopes other students will embrace the kind partnership with the United Nations Association “Julia Zhu and her team worked hard for my success from opportunities co-op work terms offer. in Canada was about more than just qualifying for an the first day I met them. They were always ready to offer “It is the best way to add to your degree,” he said. award. It set a clear course for his career while also any help I needed to keep my career aspirations on track.” “Education is great, and it adds value to the way you allowing him to make a difference in a country that has Andrew Gaudes, Dean of Brock’s Goodman School make decisions and process things, but when you are dealt with unthinkable violence and poverty. of Business, said Jawa is the type of student the school out in the field, you can grow and make mistakes and “I fell in love with project management and consulting had envisioned when they signed the partnership with learn in a different way that’s very beneficial to your while I was working in Cambodia,” he said. “I was able the United Nations. personal and professional goals.” to see the difference our demining projects made for “Right from our earliest discussions in proposing villagers who were previously not able to use all of the first university co-op partnership with the United

SUMMER 2020

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Carl Ngo (MBA '12) stands in the empty dining room of his restaurant Cibo, which has been open only for takeout and delivery. As a result, Ngo's revenues have decreased more than 60 per cent because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ashleigh Doyle (BBA '10), Manager, Marketing and Communications for United Way Niagara, delivered 13,000 protein bars to agencies across Niagara, including Project SHARE in Niagara Falls. Pictured with Doyle is Shane McKee, Food Warehouse Co-Administrator for Project SHARE.

PIVOTING THE PANDEMIC: GOODMAN GRADS SHARE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON FOOD INDUSTRY

By Jocelyn Titone

T

he novel coronavirus pandemic has had a profound effect on the economy — lose customers. He began operating with reduced staff: one full-time person to and perhaps one of the most affected industries has been food. manage the kitchen and fill orders, and another to deliver meals part-time.

Restaurant owner Carl Ngo (MBA ’12) felt the impact almost immediately.

“Takeout and delivery aren't enough to cover our operating expenses,” Ngo said.

As more consumers flooded grocery stores to stock up on essentials in “Before the crisis, takeout orders accounted for less than 20 per cent of our revenues, preparation for an unprecedented global health crisis, the owner of Cibo, an Italian which now means the restaurant is suffering. We know we’re not the only one, though.” restaurant in Grimsby, Ont., noticed fewer patrons dining in or ordering takeout.

A federal wage subsidy, an emergency business loan program and rent deferrals Revenues started to decline. have helped keep Ngo’s cash flow positive, but he’s unsure of how long he can continue Less than a week after the World Health Organization proclaimed the novel to operate without dine-in customers. He hopes things will return to normal — or at coronavirus a global health pandemic, the Ontario government declared a state of least a modified new normal — within the next few months. emergency, effectively limiting restaurants to only takeout and delivery.

“Summer is our busiest time of year — it’s when we sell the most food,” he said. “We Ngo’s revenues plummeted 60 per cent by the end of March. Despite this, he was have an outdoor wood-burning pizza oven and live music on the patio.” determined to keep his restaurant open, afraid that if he closed, he would permanently

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FOOD FACILITIES GETTING INTO GROCERIES

Restaurant suppliers, including Brooke Iannuzzelli (BBA ’14), Human Resources Generalist and Health and Safety Specialist with Riverview Poultry in Smithville, Ont., are also facing challenges.

Riverview Poultry is Ontario’s largest processor of large roaster chickens. Their clientele is primarily small Toronto-area Asian restaurants, which have closed indefinitely, either because their restaurant wasn’t adaptable for takeout service or they weren’t making enough money.

“This niche market has done very well for us, but as a result of COVID-19, it’s not worked in our favour,” Iannuzzelli said. “Finding new restaurants has been a bit of a challenge for our sales team.”

As a result, Riverview Poultry has been trying to move into grocery sales. The company has been reaching out to butchers and smaller specialty grocers to get their products on shelves. Riverview has also established a new connection with Loblaw to supply its stores with roaster chickens.

“At the grocery store, most consumers want to buy a six- or seven-pound chicken, not an eight- to 10-pound roaster chicken,” she said. “We’ve been working with another processing plant to prepare our chicken in different forms and servings, so we can sell them to smaller retailers.”

Adam Warriner, Food Procurement and Warehouse Manager for Project SHARE, prepares boxes of emergency food with the help of his colleague Jo Low, Garden and Wellness Educator.

FUTURE OF FOOD INDUSTRY

Spaulding expects more changes for the food industry as the pandemic continues.

“Consumer behaviour is changing without consumers even realizing it,” she said. “They're making fewer trips to grocery stores and ordering online for curbside pickup or delivery. They're limiting the number of items they touch and planning for several weeks of meals. For us, this has an impact on everything from packaging and distribution channels to brand positioning.”

That could mean packaging and selling product in family-sized boxes and bulk individual portions. Spaulding predicts consumer habits may change in another way.

“Instead of shopping for every food product in one place, more people will be shopping by food category,” she said. “They might subscribe to a butcher or a fruit and veggie box for their fresh items and shop grocery stores or Amazon Pantry for their non-perishables. A couple times a week they might supplement their groceries with a meal delivery kit, in which the ingredients are pre-cut and pre-portioned ready for consumers to follow a recipe.”

INCREASING FOOD INSECURITY

Brooke Iannuzzelli (BBA '06) is a Human Resources Generalist and Health and Safety Specialist with Riverview Poultry, Ontario’s largest processor of large roaster chickens.

Alicja Spaulding (BBA ’06), Vice-President Marketing for Niman Ranch, has been working from home since March.

SIMILARITIES IN U.S. FOOD INDUSTRY

The circumstances are similar for Alicja Spaulding (BBA ’06), Vice-President, Marketing for Niman Ranch, a food processing company in Colorado that works with a community of independent farmers to produce all-natural pork, beef, lamb and prepared products for U.S.-based food service and retail businesses, including Chipotle and Whole Foods.

With most of their restaurant clients closed, Niman Ranch quickly adapted its business model to focus on grocery stores and other food retailers. The processor repurposed some of its products to accommodate the increasing demands of grocery stores and shoppers while continuing to promote its restaurant clients offering takeout and delivery.

“Premium cuts of meat, such as pork chops and ribeye steak, are normally reserved for our restaurant clients," Spaulding said. "When demand shifted, we made them available for grocers' fresh meat counters. Items behind the glass fresh cases don't require a UPC code or labeling, so we were able to quickly package and deliver orders."

At the same time, the company’s food distributor partners, who typically sell Niman Ranch’s meat products to restaurants, made their own pivots by selling directly to the public.

“With restaurants closing or reducing orders, distributors lost their customer base,” Spaulding said. “So to keep their staff working, the business still running, and to prevent perishable inventories from going bad, they opened their doors to the public.”

Another side effect of the pandemic has been an increase in people who are food insecure with more than three million Canadian jobs lost and the country’s unemployment rate rising to double digits. The need for emergency food is on the rise.

Kevin Jong (BBA ’13) and his team at United Way Niagara had to quickly pivot from planning an end-of-campaign celebration to crisis fundraising when the state of emergency was declared in Ontario in March.

“We’ve never been through a situation like this where there’s suddenly such an urgent need and people are responding so quickly and significantly,” said Jong, United Way Niagara’s Director of Development. “We have hundreds of new donors because it’s so clear there are food security problems and agencies are struggling to change while continuing to serve their clients.”

Through donations to United Way Niagara’s emergency response fund, the non-profit has distributed $50,000 worth of food to seven Niagara-area food banks.

It plans to raise another $200,000 with the help of a donor-sponsored matching grant. “$50,000 of food is enough to feed about 10,000 people for one week,” Jong said.

Project SHARE in Niagara Falls is one of the agencies receiving food donations through United Way Niagara. The food bank is currently operating without the assistance of their more than 300 volunteers.

“It’s been a big change for many of our employees,” said Pam Sharp (BA ’05), Project SHARE’s Director of Community Engagement. Sharp was one of the first people to receive a Goodman Group Non-Profit Leadership Certificate.

“We chose to operate as staff only to keep our volunteers safe at home, so a lot of our staff are now handing out food to our emergency clients. Instead of working at a desk or being out in the community, they're in the warehouse hauling boxes of canned goods or screening clients behind a plexiglass screen.”

Project SHARE's daily distribution of emergency food has increased from $8,300 to $9,200 as a result of the crisis. Although it receives financial support through foundations and community funds, such as United Way, the food program relies heavily on the generosity of corporate and individual donors.

“The longer this crisis lasts, the more clients we’re going to see, so it's hard to forecast what our needs will be down the road,” Sharp said. “We’ve received a lot of donations in response to the crisis, but we're not sure how long the philanthropy will continue.

We’re encouraging people to donate online so we can use the funds to purchase food in bulk and stretch dollars as far as we can.”

SUMMER 2020

19

Kemi Anazodo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship and Ethics at Goodman.

PROFESSOR’S RESEARCH AIMS TO IMPROVE PRISON WORK RELEASE PROGRAMS

By Tiffany Mayer

W

ork release programs are essential to helping those who’ve been incarcerated overcome stigma and find a job after they’ve served their time.

But what happens when those programs are perceived to favour one gender over another? It can make the odds that much harder to overcome for someone with a criminal record, especially when it comes to getting hired and reintegrating into society after they’re released from prison.

That was the finding of Kemi Anazodo, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship and Ethics at Goodman. After spending time speaking with individuals who were incarcerated at a co-ed institution in the U.S., Anazodo learned that women behind bars felt work release programs were geared more toward their male counterparts — everything from the types of jobs for which training was available to accessing transportation to work opportunities.

“They find that challenging,” Anazodo said. “When we talked to men, they didn’t perceive this challenge of resources the same as women.”

Part of the problem, Anazodo explained, is societal ideas about who is and isn’t a criminal. In a game of word association, it’s more likely for someone to think of criminals as men — and hyper-masculine at that.

Meanwhile, incarceration rates for women are on the rise. In the U.S., for example, women are the fastest-growing jail population, increasing 700 per cent in the past 30 years.

And that makes understanding the existence of gender differences in programs, including work release, critical to helping those with a criminal history return to their communities and enter the workforce.

Still, employment training available to incarcerated persons is often focused on male-dominated industries, such as construction, manufacturing, or heavy equipment operation. Even if they do successfully complete training, women have a harder time being hired for these jobs upon release.

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GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE

Incarcerated women who spoke with Anazodo and her study co-authors, Nicole C. Jones Young of Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania and Jakari Griffith of Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, said they were interested in training for jobs in cosmetology or hairdressing, for example.

“Some women are interested (in working in male-dominated) industries. For some, that would be beneficial,” Anazodo said. “But they’re not given the opportunity to get experience in industries that are more female-dominated.”

Another issue, Anazodo explained, is that many female-dominated professions, such as teaching or nursing, require certification and work with vulnerable populations.

“Being someone with a criminal history and being incarcerated, it’s impossible or next to impossible to get that certification,” she said. “Rather than saying everyone with a criminal history should not work with vulnerable populations, we should be asking ‘What was the crime?’ If there’s really no link between the crime and the job they’re doing, are we missing hiring someone who would be capable in that role?

Are we excluding someone based on their past when they don’t necessarily have to inform one another?”

Anazodo hopes her research will get government to reconsider policies and practices pertaining to work release programs.

There’s also room for improvement in many organizations’ employee recruitment practices. Businesses and organizations may say they’re open to hiring people with a criminal record, but their actions don’t back that up, she said.

“Often we get into a pattern of doing things. Do a background check. If the background check turns up a red flag, move away from that person,” Anazodo said. “We know employment is how we get people reintegrated and contributing positively to society, but we make it difficult to do that. Many of us, whether we’ve been incarcerated or not, have a lot more to offer than shines through (on a job application) if that willingness to hear a person’s backstory is there.”

DEAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS JUNE 2020 Mark Arthur

President, Industrial Alliance

Mishka Balsom

President & CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Andrew Gaudes, Dean, Goodman School of Business.

Julia Deans

Corporate and Non-Profit Director

Mark Dockstator

HUMAN EXPERIENCE CRITICAL FOR EMPLOYEES WORKING FROM HOME

Past President, First Nations University of Canada

Daniel Goodman

Owner, GFI Investment Counsel

Scott Hawkes

President & CEO, Fortis Ontario

Bonnie Lysyk

Auditor General of Ontario

Manik Mair

Chair, Goodman Alumni Network (ex officio)

George Soleas

President & CEO, LCBO

Doug Wilkinson

By Jocelyn Titone

I

n an unprecedented era where nearly all knowledgebased employees are working from home, Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes says the human experience remains important, perhaps now more than ever.

Gaudes has studied telework and crisis management for more than two decades, including writing a master’s thesis on virtual officing during periods of interruption, which examined frameworks for creating telework environments in periods of crisis.

Gaudes says under normal circumstances, an important element of a distributed work model where employees are in locations other than the central office is encouraging and supporting them to come together with others outside their regular work tasks.

Whether it’s with office neighbours gathering at local coffee shops or at centrally located satellite work centres, the intent is to maintain social interaction and share ideas beyond the daily work routine.

But when the current response to the COVID-19 pandemic is to advise people to stay apart, how do you encourage that human connection?

“In our new reality, it’s a persistent challenge to maintain human interaction without human proximity,” Gaudes said. “Now more than ever, it’s important for managers to be creative and reach out to their employees with regular communication, to understand what they may need in terms of resources and support,

Partner, Deloitte as well as to create environments where using the technology we are applying towards our work is also applied in supporting social interaction, too.”

Like many others around the world, Gaudes and the roughly 200 faculty and staff of the Goodman School of Business have been operating in a distributed work model since March. Across Brock, one of the largest employers in the Niagara region, all but a handful of operational staff have been working remotely.

Frequent and regular communication, as well as virtual coffee breaks applying office technology, such as Microsoft Teams and Lifesize, have been encouraged.

“It’s an opportunity to see each other’s faces, discuss daily life and tune out from regular work tasks, if only for a few minutes,” Gaudes said.

Whether the world returns to ‘business as usual’ weeks or months from now, he expects there will be an increased number of knowledge-based employees working from distributed places, such as their homes.

“No matter what we’re doing today, and what will change once we’re on the other side of this crisis, there will be a continued need for the human experience,” he said. “As organizations incorporate distributed models of work, they’ll also need to factor in opportunities for people to engage and interact, so they can satisfy the fundamental human need of social interaction.

TORONTO ADVISORY GROUP

Deepak Chopra

President & CEO (Retired), Canada Post

Graeme Deans

Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

Dan McGrath

COO, Cineplex Entertainment LLP

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY GROUP

Greg Berti

Vice-President Global Markets & Industry Relations, Andrew Peller Ltd.

Lili Tomovich

Chief Experience Officer, MGM Resorts

SUMMER 2020

21

GOODMAN GRAD SETS HIGH GOALS FOR BUDDING CANNABIS COMPANY

By Jocelyn Titone

S

ince winning Ontario’s first cannabis lottery last year, Steven Fry (BBA ’09) has dedicated nearly 10,000 hours to growing his business, conquering many obstacles while doing so.

The Goodman alumnus was one of 25 people randomly chosen in January 2019 from a pool of more than 59,000 entrants to receive a cannabis retail store licence.

“People say I’m lucky, but they don't realize how much work is involved in opening and managing a cannabis store,” he said. “I often tell people I have a PhD in retail cannabis because I’ve been at this for a good 18 hours a day for almost a year and a half. I learned a tremendous amount through what seems like a crash course in the ever-changing cannabis sector.”

Immediately after being awarded the licence, Fry was inundated with calls from companies wanting to partner with him on his Hamilton store. They made him offers ranging from $50,000 into the millions. He decided to partner with High Tide Inc., a mid-sized cannabis retail company out of Alberta with stores across the country under the brand Canna Cabana. Fry would be the owner and operator, and High Tide would provide him support when needed.

The next three months were a blur for Fry. Working towards a government-set opening date of April 1, he continued to work his day job as Vice-President of Operations at Shared Services West, while at the same time working evenings, weekends and vacations to open the store. Retailers who failed to open by the deadline would face hefty financial penalties.

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Among other tasks, he secured financing, located and renovated a store, launched an extensive marketing program, and researched what product to stock and how to order it. He also hired and trained more than 30 employees, programmed a new computerized inventory and sales system, unloaded trucks of product to stock shelves, and developed a comprehensive business plan.

Despite his exhaustive efforts, Fry wasn’t ready to open by the April 1 deadline and was issued a $12,500 fine. Although he was ready to open by the next deadline two weeks later, he was fined another $12,500 because a government inspector could not get to his store in time. A few days later, he passed inspection and set an opening date of April 20, a day recognized as ‘weed day’ by the cannabis community.

On opening day, nearly 1,000 people lined up to be the inaugural customers of Hamilton’s first legal cannabis store. They enjoyed a celebratory atmosphere — a Jamaican band played drums, models handed out water and T-shirts, and customers were treated to complimentary food. By the end of the first week of operation, Fry served thousands of customers, making approximately $350,000 in sales.

The pace continued into the following weeks and months, and with it came a whole new set of challenges.

Employees worked long hours with many burning out.

Government supply shortages and order limits meant reducing daily store hours. Within a month of opening, the store had to be closed two to three days per week to prevent shelves going bare. Fry even received death threats from angry customers and illicit market stakeholders.

Goodman grad Steven Fry (BBA ’09) was one of 25 people randomly chosen in January 2019 from a pool of more than 59,000 entrants to receive a cannabis retail store licence from the Ontario government.

Despite these setbacks, Fry said his store was “one of the most successful cannabis stores in the country.” It was on track to sell two tonnes of cannabis within a year.

In August 2019, when the Ontario government announced the second round of lottery winners, Fry reached out to winners with a proposition.

He co-founded a new company, called Sessions Cannabis, that would help lottery winners navigate the complicated business process of opening a cannabis retail store and become part of an emerging leading brand.

“I wanted to get away from big corporate and create a brand that was about embracing the cannabis community, supporting local businesses and focusing on the consumer experience,” he said.

Nine months after opening his Canna Cabana store — and generating $14 million in cannabis sales in the process — Fry sold it back to parent company High Tide to pursue Sessions Cannabis full time.

Sessions Cannabis has since developed a franchise business model where store owners can license the Sessions Cannabis brand and receive management consulting services.

There are currently two Sessions Cannabis stores in Ontario — one in Toronto and another in Collingwood.

Fry is on track to open 25 corporate and franchise stores in Ontario by the end of the year.

“We will become the biggest brand in the province,” Fry said. “There’s still a tremendous amount of opportunity in the cannabis retail space and it continues to grow. We have our goals set high.”

Associate Professor of Marketing Eric Dolansky received the 2020 Goodman Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, in part, for his use of casework in the classroom.

W

hen Eric Dolansky noticed that a board game and collectibles store where he shopped had lower prices than elsewhere, he recognized an opportunity for the business and his students.

The Associate Professor of Marketing sat down with the shop owners. They were at a crossroads in their retail endeavour, trying to decide how to grow and better compete with similar retailers.

Should they try online sales, they wondered.

Dolansky teased all of this out of them in a one-on-one interview, then wrote a business case about the decisions that might help the operation expand at a sustainable pace.

In the end, the case he wrote steered the store owners to establish an online retail presence, much like many of their competitors had already done. The case was also published and Dolansky went on to win an award from the North American Case Research Association (NACRA) for his work.

But Dolansky, who has since been named NACRA Co-President, didn’t write the case for the business owners alone.

He did it as much for a teaching tool in his marketing classes at Goodman where he uses case research to inspire students to apply what they’re learning to real-world scenarios.

“The real benefit is less for the business and more for the students,” Dolansky said. “Using cases is much more in line with what students will do when they graduate. They’ll take information and make decisions.”

Case research often fills voids in the textbooks professors use to complement their lectures, he added.

Textbooks are great at defining theories and providing an example or two, but they don’t often encourage the application of the concepts written within them. Using case research, based

CASE-BASED LEARNING IS A TEACHING STAPLE FOR MARKETING PROF

By Tiffany Mayer

on issues and decisions real businesses face at a point in time, is more experiential, and encourages students to voice their ideas and work toward solutions.

“It’s similar to a real business. If you’re going to graduate and work in business, you’re not going to be able to sit quietly and say nothing. You’re not going to have success if you don’t prepare or participate,” Dolansky said. “It’s up to students to bring convincing arguments and speak in favour of their point of view.”

Using case research in the classroom isn’t a new concept. It was the teaching tool of choice among Dolansky’s professors when he did his MBA at Ivey Business School at Western University.

These days, Dolansky researches and writes two to three cases a year. He also prepares teaching notes, including learning objectives and questions to spark student conversation, so others can use his work in their own classrooms.

“It’s rewarding when I find out a case I wrote five years ago has been seen by 4,000 students across North America,” he said.

Dolansky’s passion for creating and using relevant classroom material was recognized this the spring when he received the 2020 Goodman Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. He sees the honour as an endorsement of his enterprising efforts to nurture the next generation of marketing leaders.

“I really love case teaching. I love the interaction it provides me with the students in the classroom,” he said. “Because a big part of what I do in the classroom is case teaching, I see this award as a recognition of the value of my teaching approach. I have found over my career that students respond very positively to case learning, and this award validates that in large part.”

SUMMER 2020

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ENTERPRISING EFFORTS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCHER LEAD TO DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR AWARD

By Tiffany Mayer

D

irk De Clercq is fascinated by entrepreneurship.

What it is, its drivers and outcomes, the role of education in entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals within an organization — these are just some of the areas of interest for the Professor of Management at Goodman.

It’s those enterprising efforts when it comes to researching and understanding entrepreneurship that have led to De Clercq being named the School’s Distinguished Scholar of the Year.

It’s the second time De Clercq, who has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, has received the honour. He was the first Goodman researcher to earn the accolades when the award was launched in 2014.

“I was happy, of course — honoured and grateful for the award,” De Clercq said.

He was also quick to share the credit, noting his research and ensuing recognition are helped along by the support he receives from Goodman, including through grants.

“But also the collaboration with different colleagues,” De Clercq added. “That gives me energy. It’s enjoyable (to work with others) both inside and outside of the school.”

Some of De Clercq’s most recent work includes examining why employees within Canadian banking and financial organizations engage in change-oriented behaviour. Everything ranging from a person’s social interactions with colleagues and the level of trust between them to conflict at home and the support employees receive to deal with issues can all affect individually motivated, positive change in a workplace, he found.

De Clercq has also worked on a study that looks extensively at women entrepreneurs and their difficulties balancing work and family expectations. The study, which was done with two colleagues from other universities, used secondary data from countries across the globe to understand the female entrepreneur paradox of increased flexibility and stress.

De Clercq and his research partners found that the more women entrepreneurs experience an imbalance between work and home life, the less satisfaction they derive from running their own businesses.

The study also identified broader cultural and institutional factors that can diminish the issue; for example, greater support from government and education institutions for women entrepreneurs in the workplace and at home. Such support would make it more likely for women entrepreneurs to manage the stress of both worlds and be successful running their own companies.

De Clercq’s body of work in entrepreneurship is extensive. He’s one of 100,000 most cited academic authors in the world, ranked in a database published by PLOS Biology.

After his studies in engineering and general management, he took a job as a research assistant on a project about the role of education in entrepreneurship in his native Belgium.

“From this study, I got excited about entrepreneurship in general,” he said. “From there, I did my doctorate in the United States and got even more excited about it.”

Being named Goodman’s Distinguished Scholar for 2020 reinforces that passion for the topic, he added.

“It’s recognition of what I’ve been doing the last six years,” De Clercq said. “These awards, in general, are nice stimulus for Goodman researchers.”

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Professor of Management Dirk De Clercq, who has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, was recently named the Goodman School of Business 2020 Distinguished Scholar.

Yun Ke, Assistant Professor of Accounting, was named the Goodman School of Business 2020 Emerging Scholar, in part because of his research studies on social trust and social capital.

EMERGING SCHOLAR’S RESEARCH VENTURES WHERE FEW JOURNALS DARE TO GO

By Tiffany Mayer

B

usiness isn’t just about bottom lines and clever his colleagues at Goodman. Ke was named the School’s marketing.

Emerging Scholar for 2020, in part because of those two Ask Yun Ke, an Assistant Professor of studies on social trust and social capital.

Accounting at Goodman, and he’ll tell you “All of your (Goodman School of Business) colleagues there’s also a significant sociological component. Ke are impressed with your research records over the knows this because he’s written about how both social course of the past year, which includes the two highcapital and social trust can influence the behaviour of quality, high-impact journal articles … and the five a company’s chief executive officer. manuscripts, which are currently under review and/or When there’s a higher level of social trust — a belief revision at highly reputable journals,” Narongsak (Tek) in the honesty, integrity and reliability of others — Thongpapanl, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate within an organization, CEOs tend to behave better. Programs, wrote in an email congratulating Ke. “We are CEOs are also less likely to waste money when there’s very appreciative of what you have been working (on) abundant social capital, which is the connections with us to advance our school’s research and teaching between individuals, and the trust and reciprocity in excellence.” their relationships.

Ke, who’s currently on leave from Brock to teach at Still, for a long time, it was a hard sell convincing the University of Texas at El Paso, wasn’t expecting the journals to see the merits of sharing such research. accolades.

“Traditionally, they didn’t publish these papers,” Ke “At first I was surprised but also very happy,” he said. said. “They don’t like the sociological aspects of this.”

“I’m on leave so I never thought they’d consider me."

Fortunately, that’s changing. Ke has papers about The award comes with a grant to further support the effects of social trust and social capital on executive Ke’s work, which also includes a working paper on the perks and dividend payouts under review for publication readability of annual reports by American companies. in the Journal of Business Research and in the Journal of Reports that are easy to read depend on good Banking & Finance. writing and limiting jargon to describe a company’s Meanwhile, his work hasn’t been a hard sell among performance. But Ke found something else of note.

“Previous study finds when a company has a good performance, their annual report is easy to read,” he explained. “When a company has a bad performance, it’s hard to read. They’ll use language you can’t understand.”

Based on the literature, easy-reading annual reports are often penned by companies in rural areas, a finding Ke wrote about in a paper he co-authored that’s under review by the Journal of Accounting and Economics.

Rural firms hope that a highly readable annual report will attract investors, who often pay closer attention to companies in big cities, such as New York, Chicago or Philadelphia.

“They invest more in urban companies and have analysts paying more attention to urban companies, so we think (rural companies) are trying to improve their situation,” he said.

Earning the Emerging Scholar Award certainly improves Ke’s situation. He plans to use the seed money he received with it to further his research and help with the costs of getting that work published.

“That’s very meaningful,” Ke said. “I really appreciate the business school’s support in that sense."

SUMMER 2020

25

PROF'S PERSPECTIVE:

HOW TWITTER COULD MORE EFFECTIVELY EASE THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS

By Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies Professor of Marketing and Product Innovation

I

n the wake of a disaster or flooding, people turn to trusted sources for information.

In today’s digitally connected world, those sources of information often take the form of social media.

These platforms allow for the rapid dissemination of information, which is deemed vital for disaster-related information.

We’ve seen this most recently amid the spread of the coronavirus, as information about the outbreak has flooded social media feeds — information coming from both government sources as well as non-governmental organizations and private individuals.

Research I’ve conducted with my colleagues, Dr. Panom Gunawong, Assistant Professor in public administration at Chiang Mai University, and Ms. Caitlin Ferreira, PhD candidate at Luleå University of Technology, contrasted the effectiveness of disasterrelated information shared on Twitter by both public and private organizations.

Twitter has gained recognition as a tool that is able to assist in the disaster or crisis management process, allowing individuals to search specific hashtags through linking algorithms.

Aside from being a central information and alert system, Twitter also provides a platform for the narratives of those personally affected by disasters or outbreaks, which is useful when it comes to humanitarian assistance and support.

By providing users with pertinent and reliable disaster-related information, Twitter has the potential to reduce the impact of a disaster.

While our mixed-method research found that Twitter was successful in disseminating disaster-related information, we found that both public and private organizations used the platform in a conservative manner, not releasing information quickly despite the heavy social responsibility.

We noted that these public and private organizations had a distinct lack of interaction with followers, which limits the efficacy of the content to encourage

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public participation. The usefulness of disseminating this information could be greatly improved by enhancing the quality of interaction online, ensuring a two-way dialogue.

Our research further established two key organizational characteristics that significantly influenced the effectiveness of using social media for disaster-related communication: First, internal policies of creating and disseminating information; and second, the organization’s processes relating to decisionmaking influenced the efficacy of disaster-related communication.

Both internal policies and decision-making processes reduced the speed of communication, ultimately decreasing the effectiveness of the timesensitive information, which should be opportunely made available to the public to limit confusion and misunderstanding.

Typically, public and governmental organizations exerted great care and carefully constructed their content in order to comply with official standards, policies and regulations. This often significantly adds to the time taken to release the content.

On the contrary, private organizations — by virtue of being independently owned and operated — were able to exert far greater flexibility in adhering to regulations and certain standards of operations.

Public organizations were also hindered by the decision-making authority for social media content.

Typically, a social media administrator would need several levels of approval before posting content on a public organization’s Twitter feed about an ongoing disaster or outbreak.

As a result, the volume of published information and data produced in the public sector is less than that of the private sector. While it is vitally important that this information be fact-checked to ensure its validity, once this accurate information finally reaches a mass audience, it may be too late to have any meaningful impact.

“

Twitter has the potential to reduce the impact of a disaster.

”

Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl

With private organizations, our research showed information was still validated before sharing, but the decision-making process was completed in a timely manner. This resulted in a greater portfolio of information being disseminated efficiently.

So what are the lessons of our research so far?

We have learned that organizations using Twitter to disseminate disaster-related information should ensure they’re eliminating superfluous levels of approval for validating information. They should place a greater importance on the timely dissemination of the information. And they should also encourage public participation and actively engage with followers to reduce the potential impact of disasters.

Simply put, organizations need to craft and maintain their social media platforms so they are timely, accurate and interactive.

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EXPERIENCE. GROWTH. GET THERE WITH GOODMAN. Connect with us today at brocku.ca/goodman-group

SUMMER 2020

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THE LAST WORD

“I had the pleasure of working with Goodman students as part of a JDC business competition, in which my company was the case study. I was incredibly impressed with their aptitude, creativity and presentation skills.

It’s clear the Goodman School of Business is producing high-calibre students that would be an asset to any business or organization globally."

– Seema Iyer, Founder of Sat Yuga Life

Brock University Niagara Region 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1

brocku.ca/goodman