Author: Claire Hall


New Members Inducted into Business Honor Society on Sunday

More than 100 UConn business students were inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma scholastic honor society during a dinner and ceremony on Sunday evening.

Beta Gamma Sigma recognizes students with the highest academic achievement at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. Students from Storrs, Stamford, Hartford and Waterbury attended the ceremony in the Dave Ivry Seminar Classroom at School of Business. Keynote speaker was Dean John A. Elliott.Continue Reading


Work-Life Balance

Flexible Work Time Could be Salvation for Families–and an Advantage for Employers–So Why Do Companies, Employees Resist?

The typical two-income American family is stretched to the breaking point with responsibilities, and, for many, flexible work time would be helpful in finding a work-life balance, said Robert Bird, professor of Business Law.

“There are millions of people in our country under intense pressure,” said Bird, who is also the Northeast Utilities Chair in Business Ethics. “They are two-parent, working families taking care of children and/or elderly parents. Inflexible work schedules are making the stress even worse.”Continue Reading


Does SOX 404 Have Teeth?

A regulation that is supposed to provide a warning bell and greater transparency for investors is hampered by a lack of enforcement, according to new research conducted by accounting professor David Weber.

Professor David Weber

The School of Business has awarded one of its 2015 Best Paper Awards to Weber for his research titled, “Does SOX 404 Have Teeth? Consequences of the Failure to Report Existing Internal Control Weaknesses,” co-authored with UConn doctoral student Biyu Wu and Sarah Rice of Texas A&M. It will appear in the American Accounting Association’s premier journal, The Accounting Review.

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Accounting, Finance Faculty Members Recognized for Outstanding Research

2015-03-20_facultyThe School of Business has awarded its 2015 Best Paper Award to professors David Weber, from accounting, and Jose Martinez, of finance, for their exceptional research articles that will appear in esteemed academic journals.

Weber’s research paper is titled, “Does SOX 404 Have Teeth? Consequences of the Failure to Report Existing Internal Control Weaknesses.”

“Picking Winners? Investment Consultants’ Recommendations of Fund Managers,” is the title of Martinez’s work. His paper also recently received a prize from the University of Cambridge and the Commonfund Institute.

“Both papers are to appear in very prestigious journals in their respective fields, The Accounting Review and Journal of Finance,” said Sulin Ba, associate dean of academic and research support. “The selection committee was particularly impressed by the public policy implications that came out of both research projects. These implications will have an impact on our society in the years to come.”

The competition was intense this year with 10 nominations, all papers accepted in top academic journals, Ba said.

“Dr. Weber’s paper, co-authored with Ph.D. student Biyu Wu, addresses the requirement that corporations and their auditors publicly disclose internal control weaknesses, which is one of the most contentious and costly provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act,” said Mohamed Hussein, accounting department head. “The study is important because it shows that the enforcement mechanisms surrounding internal control reporting are often ineffective and in some cases may even provide disincentives for compliance.”

“This paper is one of many research projects conducted by the UConn accounting faculty that addressed critical accounting and tax issues,” said Hussein, noting that UConn accounting faculty research has been cited in Congressional hearings and in the British Parliament.

Chinmoy Ghosh, department head in finance, said he is pleased with his colleague’s success.

“Within a very short period of time since arriving at UConn in August 2014, Jose has made a significant contribution in almost every aspect of the job. Acceptance of his paper by the Journal of Finance, the top journal in the discipline, brings tremendous visibility and prestige to the department and the school,” he said. “Very recently, his research has been recognized by a leading academic group in Europe. His style of teaching and knowledge drew great praise from the Risk Management students at both our Hartford and Stamford campuses.

“Jose has also shown great interest and objectivity in various academic issues currently under review by the department faculty. We are very pleased to have him as a colleague and look forward to many more productive years from him at the School of Business.”

The Best Paper Award is funded by the generous support of the Arnold M. Robin & Rochelle M. Robin Excellence Fund.

Related articles:

Professor Jose Martinez Earns Triple Recognition for Work on Dubious Investment Management

Professor David Weber Finds Lack of Enforcement Surrounds Key Provision of Sarbanes-Oxley Act


Picking Winners?

Professor Jose Martinez Earns Triple Recognition For Work on Dubious Investment Management

A four-year research project by UConn finance professor Jose Martinez found no evidence that recommendations by highly paid investment consultants to institutional investors subsequently outperformed the market.

Professor Jose Martinez

In his paper, “Picking Winners? Investment Consultants’ Recommendations of Fund Managers,” Martinez presents survey data from investment consultants with a combined share of 90 percent of the consulting market, and focuses on the recommendations consultants made for actively managed U.S. equity funds.Continue Reading


Have the Skills But Not Getting Promoted? Your Lack of Confidence May Be Sabotaging Your Career

Could you give a speech in front of a room of strangers? Would you have the courage to run for elected office? Could you ask for a raise—and stand a good chance of getting it?

Those were some of the questions that executive coach, lecturer and author Barbara Roche asked more than 100 people during a program titled, “Women, Wisdom and Worth.” Continue Reading


Business, Law Students Collaborate During UConn’s First Joint Negotiation Competition

The University of Connecticut School of Law hosted the first UConn Law School-UConn Business School Joint Negotiation Competition last month.

The event fostered professional achievement and collaboration among the students, with four MBA students continuing on to a regional competition at Villanova University in April.Continue Reading


Top Connecticut Experts Discuss Success of Healthcare Initiative: “We’re Not There Yet—But We’re Making Great Strides”

2015-03-16_aca2When it comes to access to healthcare, Connecticut residents are much better off now than they were prior to the creation of the Affordable Care Act, according to a panel of experts.

But, this new system is still in its infancy and there is still much to be done in order to achieve an ideal healthcare delivery system, they agreed.

The five panelists shared their expertise in a UConn School of Business program titled, “Grading the Affordable Care Act.” The March 4 program drew 75 people to the Graduate Business Learning Center in downtown Hartford. Continue Reading


UConn MBA Students Win First Prize in APICS Business Case Competition

A team of four UConn MBA students were awarded First Place and Grand Champions in the APICS Northeast Business Case Competition in Albany, N.Y., last month. This is the fourth time that a UConn MBA team has been awarded top honors.

The winning team members are first-year MBA students Jason Harris, Akhilesh Kumar, Jared Siraco, and Yogendra Bhosrekar. As a result of the win, the team will next compete in the Global APICS Competition which will be held in Las Vegas in October. Continue Reading


U.S. News Names UConn’s MBA Program Among Top 50 in Nation, Top 25 Among Public Universities

The University of Connecticut School of Business has been ranked among the Top 50 “Best Graduate Business Schools” for 2016 by U.S. News and World Report.

The Full-time MBA Program is ranked No. 48 nationally. Among public colleges and universities, UConn ranks No. 23, up from No. 28 last year, and was the top program in that category in New England, according to the same report.

This is the fifth consecutive year that UConn has improved its standing, and the first time it has been in the Top 50.

“The annual improvement in our rankings, for the last five years, reflects our persistent efforts at continuous improvement,” said School of Business Dean John A. Elliott. “I appreciate the investment by faculty, staff, students and employers that have produced these improvements.”

Meg Warren, interim director of the Full-time MBA Program, said the Top 50 ranking is a tribute to the entire School of Business.

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