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Kelley School of Business Indiana University Bloomington
Kelley School of Business

At a time when many firms cut professional development, Kelley offers discounted courses and resources to help alumni keep current

Posted on by George Vlahakis

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Recent reports have highlighted the need for professional development during the COVID-19 crisis, as those in business and other fields react to tectonic changes in how work is done. The business world already had changed rapidly since the start of the Millennium, but the pandemic is accelerating that evolution.

At the same time, many companies have dramatically cut training and coaching programs as a result of the pandemic. For decades, the Indiana University Kelley School of Business has been a champion of continuous learning.

To help Kelley School alumni update and retool, Kelley’s Executive Education program (KSBEE) is offering them a 50 percent discount on any non-credit open enrollment certificate program or course offered online or in-residence.

Courses are designed and taught by the same faculty in the Kelley School’s award-winning degree programs. The programs are available to anyone looking to sharpen their business and management abilities. Alumni can bring along a colleague to the same program and they will also receive the discount.

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Three Kelley professors to receive American Accounting Association’s Wildman Medal for their research contributions to the profession

Posted on by George Vlahakis

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Three accounting professors at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business will receive the 2020 Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal Award from the American Accounting Association.

The Wildman Medal recognizes research that is “judged to have made or will be likely to make the most significant contribution to the advancement of the practice of public accountancy.”

Patrick Hopkins, chair of the Undergraduate Program and the Glaubinger Chair for Undergraduate Leadership as of August 1 and previously faculty chair of Graduate Accounting Programs; Joe Schroeder, associate professor of accounting; and Lori Bhaskar, assistant professor of accounting, will receive the award on August 12, as part of the virtual annual meeting of the American Accounting Association.

They were honored for their paper, “An Investigation of Auditors’ Judgments When Companies Release Earnings Before Audit Completion,” which was published in the Journal of Accounting Research in  May 2019. It also was supported by the Center for Audit Quality.

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Twelve top students from across Indiana selected for next class of Kelley Scholars

Posted on by George Vlahakis

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Twelve incoming Indiana University freshmen from across the Hoosier state have been selected as Kelley Scholars at the Kelley School of Business.

The Kelley Scholars, who intend to major in business at IU Bloomington, will receive standard tuition and fees, a stipend for living expenses and funding for academic activities such as possible overseas study.

The Kelley Scholars Program is funded by a multi-million-dollar gift from E.W. “Ed” Kelley and his family, made to IU in the fall of 1997. The university named its school of business for the Kelley family in acknowledgment of the gift.

This year’s class of Kelley Scholars was selected from a group of top students admitted to IU, who were invited to apply for the program because of their outstanding academic records. The application included references, a high school transcript, several personal statements on a variety of topics and an essay.

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Chatbots can ease medical providers’ burden, offer trusted guidance to those with COVID-19 symptoms

Posted on by George Vlahakis

Customer service and support live chat with chatbot and automatic messages or human servant. Assistance and help with mobile phone app. Automated bot and robot. Smartphone helpdesk for feedback cell.

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — COVID-19 has placed tremendous pressure on health care systems, not only for critical care but also from an anxious public looking for answers.

Research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business found that chatbots — software applications that conduct online chats via text or text-to-speech — working for reputable organizations can ease the burden on medical providers and offer trusted guidance to those with symptoms.

Researchers conducted an online experiment with 371 participants who viewed a COVID-19 screening session between a hotline agent — chatbot or human — and a user with mild or severe symptoms.

Alan Dennis

Alan Dennis

They studied whether chatbots were seen as being persuasive, providing satisfying information that likely would be followed. Their results showed a slight negative bias against chatbots’ ability, perhaps due to recent press reports. When the perceived ability is the same, however, participants reported that they viewed chatbots more positively than human agents, which is good news for health care organizations struggling to meet user demand for screening services.

“The primary factor driving user response to screening hotlines — human or chatbot — is perceptions of the agent’s ability,” said Alan Dennis, the John T. Chambers Chair of Internet Systems at Kelley and corresponding author of the paper, “User reactions to COVID-19 screening chatbots from reputable providers.” “When ability is the same, users view chatbots no differently or more positively than human agents.”

Other authors on the paper, forthcoming in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, are Antino Kim, assistant professor of operations and decision technologies at Kelley; and Sezgin Ayabakan, assistant professor of management information systems, and doctoral candidate Mohammad Rahimi, both at Temple University’s Fox School of Business.

Even before the pandemic, chatbots were identified as a technology that could speed up how people interact with researchers and find medical information online.

Antino Kim

Antino Kim

“Chatbots are scalable, so they can meet an unexpected surge in demand when there is a shortage of qualified human agents,” Dennis, Kim and their co-authors wrote, adding that chatbots “can provide round-the-clock service at a low operational cost.

“This positive response may be because users feel more comfortable disclosing information to a chatbot, especially socially undesirable information, because a chatbot makes no judgment,” researchers wrote. “The CDC, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other health organizations caution that the COVID-19 outbreak has provoked social stigma and discriminatory behaviors against people of certain ethnic backgrounds, as well as those perceived to have been in contact with the virus. This is truly an unfortunate situation, and perhaps chatbots can assist those who are hesitant to seek help because of the stigma.”

The primary factor driving perceptions of ability was the user’s trust in the provider of the screening hotline.

“Proactively informing users of the chatbot’s ability is important,” the authors wrote. “Users need to understand that chatbots use the same up-to-date knowledge base and follow the same set of screening protocols as human agents. … Because trust in the provider strongly influences perceptions of ability, building on the organization’s reputation may also prove useful.”

To the Kelley MBA community

Posted on by Kelley School

We appreciate your passion and care about the Kelley School. In this moment of focused attention on racial inequality, we have the opportunity as individuals and educators to recommit to make our university, school, programs, and our classrooms fair and just for all. We have a distinctive opportunity to shape curriculum and instruction in support of our ideal goals of democracy, diversity, inclusion, equity, equality, and social justice.

This is an important and pivotal moment. As Dean Kesner noted in a message to the Kelley community, Mr. Floyd’s tragic death has led to an understandable sense of fear, outrage, sadness, and discontent in addition to feelings of powerlessness. It is an all-too-familiar example of the injustices against the Black community in this nation—nicely summarized by the HBS note—and is an injustice that is grossly disproportionate in its impact on this community. It is an injustice so great that we are left wondering if, when, and how we can heal as a country.

Kyle met with the core faculty this morning. He is pleased to share with you that every member of the core has pledged to add cases or assignments where possible that deal with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. There was also a good discussion of working toward a case that might be used across some or all of the disciplines.

We, along with the administration of the program and school, and the core faculty support the petition you have presented. We are happy to commit to:

  • incorporate multiple cases/assignments in the Core that feature or focus on under-represented minorities and women. This will include required reading of the HBS note, “African American Inequality in the United States.”
  • allocate two days of the Core to lead DEI discussions using qualified external instructors
  • provide annual diversity and inclusion training for Kelley faculty and staff that deals with racism, implicit bias, and racial inequality using qualified and experienced person(s) of color.

In addition, we would like to share the following additional activities that will support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the Kelley School:

  • Professors Kolovou and Cattani are working with current Kelley Consortium students to develop a diversity, equity, and inclusion case specifically for Me, Inc.
  • The MBA Program administration and the Office of the Dean are working with the MBA Consortium leadership and Diversity Champions to explore additional diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for the Kelley MBA Program.
  • Dean Soni will meet regularly with the MBA Consortium leadership to facilitate these and other initiatives.
  • The Kelley Direct Program will also incorporate cases that feature or focus on underrepresented minorities and women. This will include required reading of the HBS note, “African American Inequality in the United States.”
  • Professor Cattani and Regina Funk, the Kelley Director of Diversity & Inclusion for the Graduate Programs, have been working on several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for the Kelley MBA Program.

We stand with our racially diverse students and alumni in solidarity and we are deeply committed to working together. All these initiatives will be developed and executed in collaboration with the current MBA Consortium and MBA student leadership. The MBA consortium leadership team has strong ideas and opinions and working with them provides an opportunity for them to assist Kelley while at the same time strengthening their own skills in areas such as leadership, teamwork, creative problem solving, communications, project management, and many other areas. Engaging the current students will ensure that we will create the curricular and co-curricular programming that will be meaningful and relevant for their experiences in the MBA Program. We ask a lot of them and we appreciate that they, in the long tradition of Kelley Consortium students, help make Kelley stronger.

Thank you for your continued engagement in our MBA program and the Kelley School.

Sincerely,

Idie Kesner, Dean, Kelley School of Business

Ash Soni, Executive Associative Dean for Academic Programs, Kelley School of Business

Kyle Cattani, MBA Program Chair, Kelley School of Business

Kelley course on the business culture of Greece honored by Greek Ministry of Tourism

Posted on by George Vlahakis

 

ATHENS – Sadly, study abroad programs for Indiana University students were cancelled this summer due to the current pandemic and the U.S. Department of State’s worldwide travel advisory. This impacted numerous international experiences for students in the IU Kelley School of Business, including those who normally enroll in Tatiana Kolovou’s “Business Culture of Greece” course.

Although the Athens native couldn’t return with her students during spring break to the land of her birth, Kolovou was honored on June 3 with one of the annual Greek Tourism Awards sponsored by the Greek Ministry of Tourism. She received a Silver Award in the educational program category.

This is the seventh year for these awards, which reward innovative ways to promote understanding and spur interest in traveling to Greece.

In recognizing Kolovou, pictured above with her students in 2014, the awards committee said the Kelley course “contributes significantly to the local economy and positively shapes the views of the new generation for Greece.”

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As international academic conferences are cancelled because of COVID-19, Kelley faculty step forward to host them virtually

Posted on by George Vlahakis

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Much has been reported about efforts at Indiana University and the Kelley School of Business to provide students with a high-quality educational experience online, but two major conferences hosted virtually by the school also demonstrate its ability to use the same technology to advance research knowledge.

In the aftermath of the novel coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions, scholars worldwide have been prevented from traveling to academic conferences to present their work and discuss topics of mutual interest.

Many academic, industry and tech conferences have been cancelled, rescheduled or moved online. They included the Conference on Financial Economics and Accounting – which Kelley will host in 2021 — major conferences presented by the American Marketing Association and the Financial Intermediation Research Society

In response, Kelley has been a leader in pivoting to present conferences online, drawing upon its considerable expertise in online education.

The University of North Carolina originally had planned to host the Society for Financial Studies’ 2020 North American Cavalcade. The annual event was nearly cancelled until finance faculty at Kelley offered to host it online. Their efforts built on the success of another event moved online, the annual Albert Haring Symposium on April 17-18, organized by Kelley’s Department of Marketing. (more…)

Three Kelley graduates recognized for their service on the school’s alumni association board

Posted on by George Vlahakis

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Three Indiana University Kelley School of Business alumni who are remarkable leaders in their industries have made immense contributions to the school and its leadership network — Steve Coverick, Shannon Watkins and Eric Derheimer. Their terms on the board of the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association end June 30.

They are being honored June 5, during their last board meeting, which was held virtually due to the pandemic.

Coverick, B.S. ‘09, a director with Alvarez & Marsal’s North American turnaround and restructuring practice in Dallas, served as president of the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association in 2018-19. Watkins, (pictured above) MBA ’02, Aflac’s senior vice president, brand and creative services, has been on the board since 2017. Derheimer, B.S. ‘04, managing director at CID Capital, was an inaugural member of the Kelley Leadership and Development Council in 2014 and has served as its Chair since July 2015.

“Steve, Eric, and Shannon represent some of our most invested and involved alums. Their contributions to the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association range from updating our mission and guiding principles to providing thought leadership to our board and councils,” said Derek Hicks, MBA ’02, current president of the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association and vice president, corporate development at Pfizer Inc.

Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management, praised contributions made by everyone serving on the KSBAA board and thanked Derheimer, Coverick and Watkins for their efforts benefiting fellow alumni as well as current students and faculty.

“The Kelley School of Business simply wouldn’t be as good as it is without our alums, and these three alumni have been valuable leaders as Kelley has increased in size and influence over the last few years,” Kesner said. “We will definitely miss their work with the KSBAA, but I know they will continue to be valuable ambassadors for Kelley.” (more…)

Dean’s statement on Kelley’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusivity

Posted on by George Vlahakis

To the Kelley Community,

Last week in our country, we experienced one of the most tragic weeks imaginable in our lifetimes.  This description is not simply a reference to the more than 100,000 lives lost to COVID-19.  This statement is a reflection of the horror we all witnessed in the killing of George Floyd.  Mr. Floyd’s tragic death has led to an understandable sense of fear, outrage, sadness and discontent in addition to feelings of powerlessness.  And it is an all-too-familiar example of the injustices against the African American community in this nation – an injustice that is grossly disproportionate in its impact on this community.  It is an injustice so great that we are left wondering if, when and how we can heal as a country.

This year, I had the privilege of spending time visiting civil rights museums in Montgomery, Alabama.  If you have never been to the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, I urge you to go.  This is far from my first visit to a memorial aimed at educating us on the important issues of social injustice. But this memorial, like no other place I have visited, focuses the mind on racial terrorism.  As you walk silently through the solemn spaces that capture the horror of slavery and lynchings, you are reminded of a dark, dark history in the chapter of the American experience.  Sadly, the events of this past week – and really more than that, the events of the past few years – remind us all that the word “history” is not the proper word.  History implies a sense of the past, and our country is clearly not past this dark chapter. We continue to live elements of it over and over again.

I am not a politician. I don’t have the power to change laws and leaders other than through my vote – my powerful, constitutionally granted vote.  But, I am a parent and an educator. As a mother, I cannot imagine, nor will I ever fully appreciate, the unbearable sadness and grief other parents are having to endure, especially if a loved one has been lost due to the injustice we are witnessing. Nor can I imagine the impossibility of having to make sense of this to a young child or even a young adult.

As an educator, I have always believed in the power of education as a tool to enlighten and uplift. And, like you, I have a voice.  It is my hope that in this collective moment of grief, we use our voices to speak up and educate those around us about injustices that can no longer be tolerated in our society. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “True peace is not the absence of tension:  it is the presence of justice.”

Please find ways to support each other during this time. If you are a student, check in on your classmates. Check in on your friends and your neighbors too. Be a beacon for change that is accomplished peacefully but powerfully in its impact. Whether you influence one or hundreds, each of us, in ways we are uniquely and individually qualified, can use our skills and knowledge to make a difference. I believe in our school’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusivity, and I pray you do, too. I ask that all of us – students, faculty, staff, and alumni – come back together this fall and bring our ideas for how we can strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusivity of our Kelley community.

Please stay safe.

Idalene “Idie” Kesner

Dean, Kelley School of Business and Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management

Despite COVID-19, IU student chapter finishes third in American Marketing Association’s national case competition

Posted on by George Vlahakis

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Despite not being able to make their presentation in person, a team of Kelley School of Business students in Indiana University’s student chapter of the American Marketing Association came in third in the professional organization’s national case competition.

In February, students and their advisors — Greg Kitzmiller, I-Core case coordinator and Uline Distinguished Lecturer in Marketing and Jennifer Riley Simone, a lecturer in marketing — learned that their team was one of 11 teams in the National AMA Collegiate Case Competition.

It was the first time that the IU AMA student chapter had qualified for the national finals since being established in 2010. More than 400 AMA student chapters worldwide participate in the competition annually.

The AMA Collegiate Case Competition is a year-long event that brings together top marketing students to work on a business challenge, which this year was submitted by Cotton Inc. Each AMA chapter team developed a 40-page recommendation to combat a lack of awareness among 15- to 18-year-old Americans regarding the fiber-content of their clothing. Cotton Inc. invested $1.5 million into the winning strategy.

Two days before students were scheduled to leave for New Orleans and the AMA International Collegiate Conference in mid-March, they learned their travel plans were cancelled due to COVID-19. Students initially were heartbroken upon learning they wouldn’t be able to attend the conference. (more…)

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