From the Dean's Desk

Guest Column: Rob Kelly

Martijn Cremers

Martijn Cremers

Monday, 10 October 2022
As the kids say these days, it’s been a minute. I have learned this means it’s actually been much longer than a minute. For me, it’s been just over 14 months since I joined Mendoza.
I’m grateful for the past year working alongside many of you in the College. I have learned so much and continue to grow in my understanding and appreciation of our important work. And, wow, can we work! The list of accomplishments from this past year is a powerful display of productivity across the College.
Last year’s priorities, as I shared in my first Exchange entry, highlighted three areas of focus and I’m pleased to share that we made significant strides in each. Just to mention a few:
  1. Strategic Planning. We launched our new Mission, Vision & Goals
  2. Matrix Management. We evolved both our structure and the ways we work. (More on this below.
  3. Student Journey. We elevated the orientation, registration and commencement experiences while enhancing facilities for all our programs and started in earnest to build out the MBA Pathways.
And yet, there is also still much left to do. But before I jump to this year, I believe it’s important to acknowledge some changes that occurred recently. The Marketing & Admissions teams joined the team-of-teams we call the Mendoza Experience & Engagement Team (MEET). This group of staff are led by nine high-performing, experienced and collaborative functional directors (in photo order left to right, top to bottom):
  • Ryan Retartha - Alumni Relations
  • John Rooney - Career Development & Content Marketing
  • Megan Piersma - Experiential Learning
  • Morgan McCoy - Facilities & Program Operations
  • Tracy Biggs - Finance
  • Chris Fruehwirth - Information Technology
  • Brian Connelly - Marketing
  • Maria Stutsman y Marquez - Admissions
  • Christine Gramhofer - Student Services
Collectively, and in close partnership with Kara Palmer and Carol Elliott’s teams, this group of leaders is responsible for the experience that our students, faculty and staff realize daily.
Dean Cremers is putting a special emphasis on the alignment of our OKRAs coming out of the strategic planning process and that’s leading to greater alignment across the College. I’m giving special attention to ensure my priorities mesh well with those of Kara Palmer, Craig Crossland, Kristen Collett-Schmitt and Ken Kelley. While I note these as my priorities, below, I share significant portions of them with Kara, Craig, Kristen and Ken and I will be contributing to their priorities as well.
My renewed priorities in the coming year are:
  1. Organization: The functional directors and I will continue to shape a cohesive, inclusive and service-minded Mendoza Experience & Engagement Team while Craig, Kristen and I support the academic and functional leaders in delivering on each program’s promise to its students through our staff.
  2. Operational & Financial Excellence: We have ambitious goals across our programs and functions. We will need to execute exceptionally well and with renewed discipline in order to achieve them within the budgets that we’ve set for ourselves.
  3. Strategic Planning, Continued: Now that we have a College plan that charts our path for the next five years, we will be driving the identification of key performance measures while we will build out the supporting functional, program and initiative plans, including a facilities master plan, a long range financial plan, etc.
As you might imagine, there’s actually quite a bit of detailed work planned across the College so we will be sharing those plans and updates throughout the year. 
Also, today, Amanda Rink and I welcome Emily Marrese to Mendoza as our newest teammate and Senior Administrative Assistant. Emily comes to us from the Provost Office with over 12 years of experience at Notre Dame. Emily will sit directly across from me in the Dean’s suite. Please reach out to Emily (epaul1@nd.edu) to welcome her as well as to find some time on my calendar if you would like to connect with me on anything.
Gratefully,
Rob 

Research Roundup

Dean Martijn Cremers

Dean Martijn Cremers

Monday, 3 October 2022
Happy fall!
We have a number of exciting events coming up, including the Fireside Chat With Dean Cremers featuring guest speaker Dr. Willis Lonzer at 3 p.m. on Thursday (October 6) in the Jordan Auditorium. Dr. Lonzer is the general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity for African American men. The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is an important and ongoing partner with Mendoza in developing young leaders, which includes hosting programs such as the Inclusive Leadership Immersion in 2021 and the Solidarity Summit taking place in the College today and tomorrow. Please consider attending the Fireside Chat on Thursday.
I’m glad to highlight a selection of Mendoza research papers recently published in top academic journals:
Brad Badertscher, Deloitte Professor of Accountancy
Assurance Level Choice, CPA Fees, and Financial Reporting Benefits: Inferences from U.S. Private Firms (Journal of Accounting & Economics)
Many U.S. private firms choose either a financial statement compilation or review rather than the higher assurance provided by an audit, yet little is known about these choices. Brad and co-authors find that assurance choices are associated with bank debt, trade credit and internal information reliability. They explore economic aspects of assurance choice and find that CPA fees more than double for each increment in assurance, yet the financial reporting benefits are similar for audits and reviews.
Ken Kelley, Edward F. Sorin Society Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations

Sample Size Planning for Replication Studies: The Devil is in the Design Psychological Methods (Psychological Methods)
Research in the social sciences has been under fire over the last several years for supposed “failures to replicate.” However, formally designing studies for the purposes of replication has not been considered much. Rather, research for replication studies have been planned as is there were primary studies, which the researchers argue is problematic for several reasons. The article details four ways to design replication studies and does so for estimating magnitude or showing the existence of an effect. The paper suggests that a well-designed replication study will help with the supposed replication crisis and help to build a more cumulative literature.
Yoon Son, Assistant Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations

Effectiveness of Integrated Offline-and-Online Promotions in Omnichannel Targeting: A Randomized Field Experiment (Journal of Information Management Systems)
Leveraging omnichannels has become a new norm of strategic marketing in the retail industry, with many vendors foregrounding the value of customers who wish to maximize their shopping experiences across all channels. Using a randomized field experiment design, the researchers provide empirical evidence of an offline direct experience effect and reveal short-term channel substitution behaviors among online-only customers. They further examine omnichannel conversion behaviors after exposure to online promotion and develop different coupon discount schemes based on responses to the previously offered offline initiative. Finally, the research detects significant patterns of post-treatment omnichannel migration and confirms the effectiveness of integrated omnichannel promotions in fostering a shift to omnichannel shopping.
Jun Yang, Assistant Professor of Finance
Bank Stress Testing: Public Interest or Regulatory Capture? (Review of Finance)
The research tests whether measures of influence on regulators affect stress test outcomes. The large trading banks – those most plausibly ‘Too Big to Fail’ – face the toughest tests. Supervisory stress tests have a greater effect on large trading banks’ portfolios; the large banks respond by making more conservative (initial) capital plans; and, despite their more conservative capital plans, the large banks still fail their tests more frequently than other banks. In contrast, while Jun and co-authors find little evidence that political or regulatory connections affect the quantitative element of the stress tests, these connected banks do face less scrutiny under its qualitative dimension.
Thank you to Brad, Ken, Yoon and Jun for their contributions to Mendoza’s research efforts.
Yours in Notre Dame,
Marti

Guest Column: Kristen Collett-Schmitt

Kristen Collett-Schmitt

Kristen Collett-Schmitt

Monday, 26 September 2022
I hope your fall semester is off to an excellent start and you are enjoying the traditions of Notre Dame football weekends and long-awaited fall weather! On July 1, I began my term as the inaugural associate dean for innovation and inclusion here in Mendoza. This new role is part of the leadership changes organized around areas at the core of our Mendoza mission, which are faculty and research, academic programs, and innovation and inclusion.
Since I officially began this role, I’ve had many conversations with colleagues and students about it. Questions revolve around what is meant by “innovation,” how I will be able to influence inclusion, and most importantly, how innovation and inclusion are connected. All of these questions are excellent. Let me start with “innovation,” which is critical for the success of business school programs and their graduates. A survey of the current landscape would suggest that some of the best business schools have been willing to adapt, change, and re-envision their mission around such topics as experiential learning, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, the global mindset, flexible curriculum and alternative credentials, and lifelong learning. Additionally, it’s clear that the best business schools are also innovating with respect to diversity and belonging efforts, which is where I believe the two areas I oversee intersect.
The good news is that Mendoza is very active in most of these areas already, notably in areas like experiential learning where we offer such transformational experiences like Business on the Frontlines. However, Mendoza has an opportunity for greater alignment with the Notre Dame Board of Trustees’ Task Force Report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic framework. This framework focuses on increasing representation, strengthening our culture of inclusion and belonging, holding ourselves accountable, being a force for good in the world, and committing adequate resources. In that spirit, please let me share with you a few of my goals and related initiatives for the academic year 2022-2023 that reflect Mendoza’s commitment to innovation and inclusion.
In the space of innovation, my top priority is special curricular projects within our undergraduate and graduate programs. I have also been tasked with reimagining our non-degree offerings, narrowly considering programs that reflect the College’s academic strengths and talent and lead to opportunities for our degree programs. The Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV-Madrid) Capstone Integral Leadership Program, championed this past summer by Sam Miller, is an example of non-degree programs we are open to pursuing in the future.
With respect to inclusive excellence, it was a joy to learn in my new role how much our faculty and staff are already supporting students through individual action, whether it be advising or intentional efforts in and out of the classroom. The following is a brief accounting of my DE&I goals that will help further the work that is already underway and expand impact:
  1. Launch a series of educational workshops on inclusive excellence, lectures on DE&I, and social events highlighting diverse experiences for faculty, staff, and students. This connects to the College’s goals of both fostering a culture of encounter and offering formative educational experiences. Our first offering in this series is a reading group for the book, “Relationship-Rich Education” by Peter Felten and Leo Lambert.
  2. Provide strategic oversight to new DE&I webpages for the College and academic programs, starting with the MBA program. This contributes to the College’s goal of enhancing our accountability.
  3. Strengthen College support of undergraduate and graduate student Affinity Groups, which allows us to create a welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds.
  4. Coordinate and co-sponsor DE&I-related events that connect faculty, staff, and students, both internally and with other Colleges on campus. Our first event took place last week and was a panel of black alumni working in the sports and entertainment industries, co-sponsored with the Law School, Athletics, and the MBA Black Graduates in Management club. Additionally, I am working closely with our staff DE&I Council on overlapping initiatives.
  5. Increase student representation in our undergraduate and graduate programs, through expanded recruiting initiatives, like Diversity in Leadership and our Alpha Phi Alpha partnership.
  6. Run the 2023 DE&I Grow the Good in Business Case Competition for all undergraduate and graduate students in Mendoza in Spring 2023, which increases opportunities for more formative student experiences related to DE&I
Thank you in advance for your support as I transition into this new role. Please consider this an open invitation to reach out to me if you would like to discuss anything related to my role or innovation and inclusion in general.
In Notre Dame,
Kristen

Mission, Vision, Goals, Objectives

Dean Martijn Cremers

Dean Martijn Cremers

Monday, 19 September 2022

 

I am glad to share with you the College’s new strategic plan, which serves to guide our decision making and outlines the College’s priorities.

In January, we began in earnest to develop our strategic plan for the next five years. Working with the University’s Office of Strategic Planning & Institutional Research, we convened a Strategic Planning Committee made up of a cross-section of Mendoza faculty and staff who were charged with drafting four items:
(i) A mission statement describing our purpose as a College;
(ii) A vision statement stating where we want to be in the future;
(iii) Our objectives for the next five years; and finally
(iv) The key results that describe the outcomes of the actions we plan to take to achieve those objectives in the near future (1 – 2 years).

Our intention throughout the process was to create a strategic plan that is guided by and in support of the larger mission, vision and goals of the University, while also providing a roadmap for our departments, staff and faculty members in setting their own objectives and key results (OKRs). We hope that the strategic plan has a practical use, helping all of us to align our efforts through the sharing of the College’s priorities.

We still have some work to do; in particular, to finalize the College’s key results (KRs) that provide specific and measurable actions to support our priorities in the year ahead. On a yearly basis, we will ask the programs and departments to align their annual strategic goals with the College’s KRs to ensure we're working together to achieve our five-year goals. We will communicate the KRs in the near future.

I have included the mission statement, the vision statement and the goals from the strategic plan below. You also can pick up a beautifully designed one-page printed version from Faculty Support, which would be fit for display in your workspaces.

MISSION: As a leading business school guided by the University's Catholic identity, the Mendoza College of Business seeks to grow the good in business to improve the human condition in an ever-changing society. Through impactful research and educational programs, we contribute to the formation of ethical business leaders who integrate the mind and the heart, and have the competence to see and the courage to act.

VISION: The Mendoza College of Business will be a premier global business school widely recognized for innovative research, rigorous educational programs and formative student experiences, all informed by our Catholic character. Mendoza will be the business school of choice for talented students, faculty and staff who are called to serve and have a desire to advance the human community through business as a force for good.

GOALS:

(i) Elevate the quality and quantity of impactful research with relevance to business and society.
(ii) Provide an unsurpassed educational experience that contributes to the formation and preparation of undergraduate students who will meaningfully contribute to the world.
(iii) Elevate our flagship MBA program while offering a strategic portfolio of specialized graduate programs that are distinctively mission-centric, are market-relevant, leverage faculty strengths and contribute to Mendoza's advancement.
(iv) Develop an innovative curriculum and formative experiences that integrate the business disciplines with the perspective of the human person, preparing students to contribute, cooperate and compete in an ever-changing society.
(v) Attract, hire, develop and retain a diverse, world-class faculty and staff who advance our mission and extend our vision.
(vi) As a community of students, faculty, staff and alumni in pursuit of excellence, cultivate an engaged, caring and inclusive culture informed by the University's Catholic mission.

Please note: Tomorrow (September 20) from 2:30-3:30 p.m, we will hold our first Business Encounters meeting for all staff in Stayer Commons A on the topic of the strategic plan. As announced earlier, the Business Encounters are optional one-hour meetings open to all Mendoza staff members with the intention of facilitating conversation on key strategic initiatives. The topic for tomorrow is the strategic plan. Please bring your questions and feedback.

I am very grateful to the members of the Mendoza Strategic Planning Committee, who devoted countless hours to creating our strategic plan: Corey Angst, Brad Badertscher, Tim Bohling, Shane Corwin, Mike Crant, Heather Denton, Hong Guo, Vamsi Krishna Kanuri, Ken Kelley, Rob Kelly, Stephannie Larocque and Kara Palmer.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn

Mendoza 2021-22 OKR Progress

Dean Martijn Cremers

Dean Martijn Cremers

Monday, 12 September 2022
In this week’s column, I will be reviewing the College’s objectives we had set for the 2021-2022 academic year and share with you how we did. Next week, I will follow up with our objectives for this academic year and share with you our new strategic plan.
Last year, we identified five pillars – research, DE&I, undergraduate program, graduate programs and strategic planning – to the College’s mission to improve the human condition in an ever-changing society and formulated objectives for each of these pillars. The great progress we have made in these areas is all thanks to your hard work!
Following are highlights of some of the notable achievements of faculty, staff, programs, centers, institutes and other groups forming the Mendoza community toward each of these five pillars and objectives in the past year. A more comprehensive report (although still not inclusive of all of our activities) is available online.
Objective #1: Emphasize research excellence.
  • Launched the Ph.D. Program in Management and the Ph.D. Program in Analytics – historic firsts for the College – with four students enrolled in each program’s inaugural cohort. You can visit the brand-new Ph.D. student offices in Mendoza’s basement and read the students’ profiles here.
  • Launched the Business Ethics and Society Program (BESP) with Jim Otteson as academic director to support interdisciplinary teaching, research and other scholarly activities to further understanding of how business can contribute to integral human development.
  • Established two new research labs:
    - Human-centered Analytics Lab (HAL) with Rob Easley and Ahmed Abbasi named as co-directors.
    - Gaming Analytics (GAMA) with Nick Berente named as the director.
  • Hosted high-level academic conferences, including:
    - CARE Conference 2021: Accounting for Sustainability and Responsible Investing
    - The 41st annual Management Communication Association Conference hosted by the Fanning Center.
    - Investment Management Conference hosted by NDIGI and the Finance Department.
Objective #2: Engender a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture.
  • Appointed Kristen Collett-Schmitt as the inaugural Associate Dean for Innovation and Inclusion. Her role will focus on student programming and working with leaders across the College to form a more inclusive environment for our students in the College.
  • Partnered with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and with Marian University to provide leadership development programs for underrepresented people to prepare them for graduate business programs.
  • Hosted NDIGI’s fourth annual Women’s Investing Summit (WIS ’22) where 100% of the speakers were prominent female executives.
  • Dedicated efforts toward building a “culture of encounter” for faculty, staff and students through shared social events and celebrations, leadership engagement opportunities and recognitions of team and individual excellence.
Objective #3: Enhance the undergraduate curriculum.
  • Debated and decided on the new Business Core curriculum, resulting in a comprehensive revision that expands undergraduate students’ academic opportunities and provides greater flexibility in plans of study while enabling increased specialization.
  • Launched the Business Honors Program, with Jim Otteson as faculty director and Craig Iffland as program director.
  • Integrated analytics across the curriculum, implementing the new requirement of all business majors to take the new Coding Fundamentals with Python course by the end of their sophomore year.
  • Expanded the undergraduate Innovation & Design Thinking learning opportunities led by Management & Organization teaching professor Wendy Angst, offering three sections serving 100 students to teach them the fundamentals of design thinking working on an experiential learning project around community engagement in Uganda.
Objective #4: Elevate the Notre Dame MBA, Specialized Master’s and Executive Programs.
  • Established the Stayer Center as the new home location for the MBA program, adding new team rooms, renovating space for a lower-level student lounge and installing new furniture in the third-floor lounge, among other improvements.
  • Continued the focus on growing applications and enriching the class profile, and improved the student experience across their entire student journey through efforts such as increased collaboration, alignment and consistent messaging across the matrix structure. We were glad to see the improved ranking (to No. 25 from No. 36) of our MBA Program in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
  • Expanded graduate experiential learning opportunities, including hiring key positions for the Experiential Learning Program team and expanding the Meyer Business on the Frontlines Program to four different MBA courses for the first time. 
  • Launched the MSBA-Sports Analytics program.
  • Created and launched a new Specialization in Ethical Leadership Program in partnership with ND Learning through Coursera.
Objective #5: Engage in strategic planning and continuous improvement.
  • Renewed our strategic plan using the University’s process, forming the Strategic Planning Committee under the leadership of Rob Kelly and Kara Palmer and in partnership with the Office of Strategic Planning (more on this next week).
  • Continued to advance the matrix organizational restructuring and staffing of functions to support the entire College, which included introducing a leadership structure to support our degree programs and restructuring staff leadership by creating a new senior director of operations position and hiring Rob Kelly. 
  • Instituted changes to our budgeting and financial planning processes, under the leadership of Tracy Biggs, to provide accurate and timely reporting, increase spending discipline and support future planning for the College’s strategic initiatives.
I hope this report gives you a better idea of the many activities, projects and programs going on in the College. I am so grateful for your contributions as individuals and teams. 
Yours in Notre Dame,
Martijn

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