It is my pleasure to share the latest research from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Research and thought leadership are integral components of our strategy. By focusing on uncharted territory and making new connections, our faculty continue to bring new ideas forth, changing the way we think about the business world around us. Among the research featured are our Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises Department being ranked second in research productivity, as well impactful recent research papers in marketing, organizational behavior, and IT and cybersecurity. 
 
If you are a faculty member or a doctoral student and would like to present your work at Whitman research seminars, or if you have any suggestions or comments on the newsletter, please don’t hesitate to email me.
 
Michel Benaroch
Associate Dean for Research and Ph.D. Programs (mbenaroc@syr.edu)

Yes, say Erasmo Giambona, professor of finance and the Michael J. Falcone Chair in Real Estate, and colleagues in their recent paper in the Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking—the first to demonstrate this effect theoretically and empirically and to challenge previous theories.

Startups are meant to grow, and as fast as possible. At least that’s the conventional wisdom—one that Johan Wiklund, Al Berg Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship, and two colleagues hope to challenge in a new paper in Strategic Management Journal.

Kejetia Market in Kumasi, Ghana, is one of West Africa’s oldest and largest marketplaces, drawing an average of 25,000 visitors a day. Over the past decade, this massive and labyrinthine trade hub has been reshaped by substantial foreign investment. 

In high-stakes professions like ballet, the pursuit of excellence demands more than technical mastery—it may come at a steep emotional and physical cost. A new study led by Rachael Goodwin, assistant professor of management, reveals how even subtle workplace cues can push performers toward unhealthy perfectionism or help them cultivate a more sustainable drive for excellence.

When a wildfire ravages a region, it usually rolls through like a wave—relentless, fast-moving, and devastating. But sometimes, maps of the aftermath reveal small pockets of land that remain untouched and can’t be explained by geographical barriers.

Retailers increasingly use AI-based recommendation systems to help consumers make purchase decisions—but could these “shopping gurus” be too good at telling us what to do?

For a look at all Whitman School research activities from December 2024 through April 2025, visit the Whitman School’s Research News page.

Entrepreneurship comes in many forms, but one area that most interests new faculty member Hyoju Jeong is how people in marginalized communities come together to solve a problem, particularly when larger entities have overlooked them. That’s the type of research she hopes to continue to pursue as an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the Whitman School.

This fall, Zhang will pursue his research at Whitman, which ranges from pricing strategy, product design and the creator economy. One of his current areas of interest is looking at the digital artwork market, which is rapidly evolving due to technological innovations in blockchain and generative AI.

Sikochi is new to the Joseph L. Lubin School of Accounting at the Whitman School of Management, joining in Fall 2024 as a visiting professor and staying on as a full-time tenured faculty member this past January. He brings with him both experience in teaching, as well as research in areas of information disclosure, debt contracting and credit risks.

The 5th Annual Conference on Health and Entrepreneurship was hosted by the Whitman School in October 2025. Organized by Johan Wiklund, Al Berg Chair and Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, and Arielle Newman, assistant professor of entrepreneurship, the conference brings together scholars from around the globe to explore the intersection of health and entrepreneurial activities. The conference seeks to strengthen the community of researchers interested in entrepreneurs’ physical and mental health, ill-being, and well-being, and to create new connections. It is designed for academics specializing in entrepreneurship, management and related fields who are interested in advancing research on the relationship between entrepreneurship and health.

Johan Wiklund, Al Berg Chair and professor of entrepreneurship, has been appointed Distinguished Professor at Syracuse University by Provost Lois Agnew. One of three newly appointed Distinguished Professors at Syracuse, Wiklund was selected based on his extraordinary achievements and accomplishments and their high impact on his field of study. The selection process involved special consideration from an international group of peers who characterized Wiklund as one of the most productive entrepreneurship scholars and transformational leader in the study of neurodiversity and well-being entrepreneurship, among other things.

Natarajan Balasubramanian, The Albert & Betty Hill Endowed Professor, co- authored The AI-Centered Enterprise 1st Edition (with Ram Bala and Amit Joshi), A Chapman & Hall Book, 2025.

The 2025 New York-Ontario (NYON) Operations Day took place on Sept. 26, 2025. Steering the creation of NYON were The Steven R. Becker Professor of Supply Chain Management Burak Kazaz and Milind Sohoni (University of Buffalo). The single-day event brought together scholars in the areas of operations and supply chain management from academic institutions and industry located in Upstate New York and Ontario, Canada, including University of Buffalo, Cornell University, RIT, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Toronto and Queens University. This year's event was hosted at the University of Buffalo, Whitman will host next year.

David Park, associate professor of entrepreneurship, was quoted in the Newsweek story “UnitedHealth Stock Plunges as Company Faces New Scrutiny After CEO Shooting” (Dec. 9, 2024)

Ray Wimer, professor of retail practice, was interviewed and/or quoted for the Fox Business story “Sears out of bankruptcy, a handful of stores are left” (Dec. 5, 2024), The Dallas Morning News story “JCPenney is trying to reinvent itself again. Will it work this time?” (Jan. 22, 2025).

Kivanc Avrenli, professor of practice, was quoted in The National News Desk story “Influx of aviation disasters raise fears about air travel as investigators probe crashes” (Feb. 19, 2025)

Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice, was interviewed and/or quoted for the stories and articles at CBS News 19 “Coffee prices expected to rise in 2025,” Newsweek “Map Shows Where Most Chickens Have Been Killed Amid Egg Shortage” (Feb. 1); Yahoo! Finance “Denny’s announces ‘pricing decision’ about egg dishes” (March 4); The Baltimore Sun “Tariffs raise worries, ‘confusion’ for some Maryland business owners,” The National News Desk “Tech tariff exemptions add new element of uncertainty for trade rollout” (April 15, 2025)

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