Research Insights for a Better World - College of Business, Colorado State University
Dean Beth Walker

Supporting the Next Generation of Researchers

Research is central to our vision of using business to create a better world. I am proud to announce that CSU’s College of Business seeks submissions to our Business for a Better World Dissertation Proposal Competition. Now in its third year, the contest provides $6,000 in support of dissertation proposals with potential to address social, environmental and economic challenges. Winning scholars are also invited to present their research to College of Business faculty at a workshop in the fall. Endorsed by Responsible Research in Business & Management (RRBM), the contest is just one of our College’s initiatives to support positive change.

As we support doctoral candidates, our faculty continue to produce impactful research. I am delighted to share a selection of our recent research that promises to have impact in academia and industry.

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A young woman works on her laptop

Research links negativity bias, investment apprehension

The Journal of Financial Economics | 
Harry Turtle, PhD

By examining the link between irrational beliefs in the ’09-’10 swine flu epidemic and those same respondents' beliefs about stock market performance, the finance and real estate department’s Harry Turtle discovered that a psychological phenomenon known as negativity bias may be keeping individuals from investing.

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Board members attend a meeting wearing COVID masks

Want your company to weather a crisis? Watch the leadership of the board chair

Journal of Management | Mary Waller, PhD

Corporate boards chaired by a non-CEO using a directive leadership style are more likely to develop simplified strategies during a crisis and see performance improvements, as compared to boards chaired by a CEO using the same leadership style, COVID-era surveys reveal.

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A young woman frowns at her smart phone

Research develops nuanced take on social media attitudes

Information Systems Journal | Hamed Qahri-Saremi, PhD

Whereas previous research on social media measured users' attitudes based on a bipolar continuum, stretching from negative to positive attitudes, new research identifies that users can be ambivalent toward social media and simultaneously experience both positive and negative attitudes toward it, which can generate different patterns of social media use behaviors.

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Coworkers talk over a cup of coffee

HR practices have both positive and negative effects on employee mental health

Human Resource Management | Sherry Fu, PhD

Workplace resources and programs intended to improve employees’ mental health — and by extension, their performance and productivity — aren’t one-size-fits-all, according to new research. As many employers scramble to address mental health issues, their efforts could actually be backfiring. 

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