Business Insights: April 2026

Proudly Funding Doctoral Research

Dean Beth Walker

The College of Business is proud to foster the next generation of scholars committed to driving global change. Endorsed by Responsible Research in Business & Management (RRBM), the sixth annual Business for a Better World Dissertation Proposal Competition supports PhD students addressing critical social, environmental and economic challenges.

Winners receive financial support to advance their research and an invitation to present at the College’s annual Business for a Better World Research Symposium this fall. This competition is a cornerstone of our dedication to meaningful scholarship and our broader vision: Business for a Better World.

The Rise and Fall of Stars: The Swaying Effects of Displaying Online Rating Trends

MIS Quarterly |  Hamed Qahri-Saremi, PhD

Across four experiments, researchers show that trend information in online ratings shapes consumer decisions via psychological momentum. Trend effects vary with trends’ norm alignment, valence, presentation format and continuity.

The findings advance online ratings research and offer insights beyond relying on a single average rating.

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Still Waiting for Rewards? User Entrepreneur’s Reward Delivery Performance in Crowdfunding

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice | Stephanie Escudero, PhD

Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, researchers find user entrepreneurs deliver rewards more timely than non-users. Intrinsic motivation boosts delivery performance, while extrinsic motivation has limited impact. This study advances crowdfunding and user entrepreneurship research by uncovering drivers of post-campaign success.

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Dynamic Identification: Situational Relevance and Fluctuations in Team and Organizational Identification Salience Across the Workday

Journal of Management | Sherry Fu, PhD

This research develops a theoretical model of dynamic identification, showing workplace conflict drives within-day fluctuations in identification salience.

Multi-study findings reveal how team and organizational identifications interact, shaping workplace behaviors and advancing identification literature beyond static frameworks.

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The Impacts of Electronic Health Record Note Usage by Physicians on Quality of Care: An Analysis using EHR Audit Logs

Production and Operations Management | Gaurav Jetley, PhD
Analyzing 6.8 million EHR audit logs, researchers found lead physician note activity improves discharge efficiency and reduces readmission risk.

Timely nurse access to physician documentation improves care coordination, advancing healthcare IT and operations research and optimizing EHR utilization for efficiency and quality care improvements.

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