Gies Caterpillar Partnership Announced, and More – Chicago News
Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from Chicago business schools this week.
Government Got You Worried? It May Be Affecting Your Shopping Habits – Kellogg Insights
Northwestern Kellogg School of Management doctoral candidate Jessica Gamlin, along with professors of marketing Ping Dong and Aparna Labroo, found that “when consumers are thinking about politics, they are drawn to products they view as utilitarian rather than pleasurable.” In other words: “the more you fret about the state of the government, the more spartan your shopping cart might be.”
Speaking with Kellogg Insights, Gamlin explains her fascination with the dissonance between a seemingly banal meal-kit ad placed amidst a divisive political debate, “I was curious about why advertisers were choosing these different podcasts to advertise on in different quantities.”
Labroo also adds, “A desire for the government to do things in a more responsible manner translates into higher-order goals for the consumer, herself, to be responsible in her actions.”
Dong adds, “The reason is the more people think the political system is irresponsible, the more the desire to see the government be responsible is activated, and therefore, the more the consumer’s own goal is also activated.”
You can read more about the research here.
Caterpillar Invests in Students’ Futures with Illinois Business-Engineering Program – Gies College of Business News
As part of a decades-long relationship between the University of Illinois and the Peoria-based construction equipment manufacturer, Caterpillar has recently invested in the Gies College of Business and the College of Engineering’s new collaborative Hoeft Technology & Management undergraduate minor, in which “teams of business and engineering students learn and work together to develop comprehensive solutions to real-world problems.”
In the announcement, Caterpillar CTO and VP Tom Bluth says, “Becoming an affiliate of the program is a natural fit for us, because the intersection of business and engineering is at the core of how we develop the products and solutions that benefit our customers.
“We’re also proud to have been connected to the T&M Program since its start: A member of our Caterpillar family had the vision to create the program and the passion to make it possible.”
You can find out more about the Gies Caterpillar partnership here.
Six Marketing Fundamentals Founders Need to Succeed – Chicago Booth Magazine
Catherine Littell ’08
Chicago Booth Magazine recently profiled Catherine Littell (’08), whose Care Concierge LLC has taken an innovative approach to senior-care consulting. Littell, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the James M. Kilts Center for Marketing, discussed her “multipoint approach to launching a business in the digital age.”
- Know your customer. “There are a lot of great ideas out there. But can you take that idea and create a product for the right customer at the right time?”
- Hone your message. “It’s really about understanding your customer and creating an authentic experience.”
- Let the data speak. “Data will tell you whatever you want it to, good or bad, so make sure you use it to inform rather than just to affirm your decisions.”
- Run the numbers. “Starting a business is about gut feelings, but knowing the numbers can help you figure out whether or not a business is profitable or can be profitable.”
- Be comfortable with change. “You’ve got to be able to trust your gut and say, ‘If it works, great, and if it doesn’t, let’s change tactics and move forward.’”
- Hire the right team. “If you find people who have drive and passion, plus they love your product and can define what you do and stand for, that’s really powerful.”
You can read the full article here.
Schulich Alum Shares His Experience, and More – Toronto News
Toronto’s business schools have seen some exciting developments from students, alumni, and faculty this week. Let’s take a look at some of the high points.
Alumni Stories: Michael Zanella – MMgt – Schulich School of Business
A Schulich School of Business alum was recently profiled on his time in the school’s new 12-month Master’s of Management program.
Michael Zanella, a 2017 graduate, who turned his education into a role with Ceridian Dayforce as an Implementation Consultant Associate. You can watch his full interview below.
Wine, Beer, Spirits Brand-Builder WX Names Michael Lukan CFO – North Bay Business Journal
Michael Lukan was recently named the official new CFO of WX Brands, a company that creates wine, beer, and spirits. Lukan, an alum of Western University Canada’s Ivey Business School, co-founded Wine Hooligans in 2013. He has also worked at Purple Wine Company and Sonoma Wine Company. With news of the Lukan’s arrival at the company, WX Brands President and CEO Peter Byck says, “His well-rounded experience and entrepreneurial mindset will make him a great asset for WX Brands to continue to build on our tremendous growth.”
Regarding his new role, Lukan says, “Peter and the WX team have positioned the company for tremendous growth by delivering an exceptional customer experience and I’m looking forward to helping realize this opportunity.”
You can read more about Lukan and WX Brands here.
What Is Less Scary in the Dark? – Scientific American
Ping Dong, a Professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and Chen-Bo Zhong, Professor at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, recently conducted a study that examined the, “impact of visual darkness on people’s perceived risk of contagious-disease transmission.” The researchers predicted that the darkness would make people feel more separate or insulated from one another, so they would be less squeamish about the germs of those around them. In fact, the study concluded that being in a darker environment would make subjects reduce their caution when it came to unethical behavior, of which might include cheating on one’s significant other and other acts of selfishness.
Their research showed that perceived risk of contracting airborne illnesses decreased when participants were in more dimly-lit rooms, as well as when they were wearing sunglasses. “In addition,” writes Scientific American writer Cindi May, “visual darkness increased participants’ perceived distance from the confederate, and this increase in distance mediated the reduction in perceived risk of contagion in the dark. Their fear of non-contagious diseases did not depend on the lighting.”
You can read more about the duo’s research here.
U. Chicago and Northwestern Deadlines, and More – Chicago News
Let’s explore some of the most interesting stories that have emerged from Chicago business schools this week.
University of Chicago and Northwestern University Reveal 2018-19 MBA Deadlines – MetroMBA
Both of Chicago’s top-tier business schools—Chicago Booth and Northwestern Kellogg—have announced deadlines for the upcoming MBA application season, starting this fall and extending into April of 2019.
Northwestern Kellogg MBA deadlines for 2018-19 begin Sep. 19, 2018 / Photo via northwestern.edu
How Superstition Changes the Way We Make Decisions – Kellogg Insight
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management professors of marketing Ping Dong and Aparna Labroo recently published new research that explored the impact of superstitious actions on everyday decisions in an edition of Kellogg Insight.
According to the article, they were specifically interested in understanding how they “changed the way we calculate our odds of success or failure when deciding whether to do something risky.”
Labroo uses their study as an opportunity to suck the metaphysical life out of superstitious actions: “We can think about all kinds of good things happening and all kinds of bad things happening, but thinking about the probability and trying to compute expected value is less natural. It takes a little more effort.”
You can check out the full article here.
Could Walk-In Clinics Ease the Opioid Crisis? – Booth Chicago News
New York physician and psychiatrist Dr. Tamir Aldad was frustrated by the “boomerang” effect he experienced with the opioid addicts he treated for “substance use disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or potential risk of self-harm,” who returned to the “ER in a couple of weeks with the same or worse problem than they came in for in the first place.”
After Dr. Aldad enrolled in Chicago Booth’s Executive MBA program, he launched the Mindful Urgent Care startup, a “walk-in psychiatric clinic designed to … increase mental health access and speed quality and affordable treatment to a population of patients with unmet needs.” Dr. Aldad and his teammates placed first in Booth’s Global New Venture Challenge this past April.
Aldad writes, “In value-based care, patient outcomes really matter. What we are seeing now is that patients in mental health are costing more and more. If a patient winds up in a hospital because they couldn’t get in to their doctor’s office or have a medication refilled, the healthcare costs escalate. We have an opioid crisis, and we have to proactively work to find ways to prevent mental illness from getting worse.”
Read more about Aldad’s experience in the Booth EMBA program here.
Quinlan Alum Leads Through Service – Quinlan School of Business Blog
The Quinlan School of Business at Chicago’s Loyola University recently interviewed alum Illiana Alvarenga BBA ’14, BA ’14 about Quinlan prepared her for a multi-faceted career path that includes a healthy dose of service and service leadership as part of her position as the Chicago chair of UNICEF’s Next Generation Initiative.
“It was at Loyola that I strengthened my love for giving back. For me, Quinlan strengthened a foundation of being strategic, but also encouraged us to always keep in mind what’s good for our communities,” Alvarenga writes.
This year Alvarenga traveled to South Africa with UNICEF to figure out how they “can leverage technology to help with programs to stop illness through increased handwashing, help girls excel in STEM-based careers, and more.”
Alvarenga also works as a competitive intelligence senior associate at JP Morgan Chase, where she focuses on “supporting the business in understanding emerging consumer behavior trends, the changing payments landscape, digital and mobile initiatives in financial services, and new developments in financial technology.”
You can read the full Quinlan interview here.
