Shaping the Future of Business Through Academic Research
11 business professors share expertise needed to be Trusted to Lead in a future without a blueprint
By Wisconsin School of Business
September 3, 2024
Experts in Business | Trusted to Lead
What does it take to prepare the next generation of leaders? To transform the way we do business and address today’s most critical issues? To connect the dots others don’t see?
Research at the forefront of new business insights.
And that’s exactly what the faculty at the Wisconsin School of Business are delivering. These experts are helping businesses think farther into the future by uncovering new knowledge and developing solutions across industries and job functions.
Explore WSB’s new digital stories and discover how 11 business professors investigate an array of solutions to complex questions, including how to drive business innovation, harness the power of AI, push financial systems forward, spur entrepreneurship growth, solve the housing crisis, and improve our health care system.
Through these short videos, professors passionate about what lies ahead highlight the relevance and importance of business research in a future without a blueprint.
1:03
Artificial Intelligence
Changing the Game in Marketing With AI
Digital platforms have overtaken our lives and expanded our world. I’m combining computer science and marketing so businesses can keep up.
We often miss out on learning opportunities because we don’t realize what we don’t know. I examine how we evaluate–and misevaluate–our own expertise.
Featuring: Stav Atir, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources
1:16
Entrepreneurship
Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Entrepreneurship is about solving a problem—taking action when others are deterred by the unknown. I’m encouraging a new generation of entrepreneurs.
Marketing can be a link where creativity and productivity meet conscience. I’m using the power of marketing for the public good.
Featuring: Aziza Jones, Assistant Professor of Marketing Jeffrey J. Diermeier Faculty Fellow
1:01
Tax Systems
Optimizing Tax Systems
There are opportunities and flaws in our tax systems. I’m here to find the most efficient ways to move our systems forward.
Featuring: Fabio Gaertner, Professor of Accounting and Information Systems Cynthia and Jay Ihlenfeld Professor for Inspired Learning in Business
1:11
Change Management
Investigating Change Management Solutions
Something that starts with good intentions can cause a lot of damage if it’s not managed well. I examine organizations to discover why change fails.
Featuring: Jirs Meuris, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources John and Anne Oros Term Professor
0:57
Real Estate
Championing People-Centered Real Estate
Why are some groups more exposed to toxins at home? Why, really, are people evicted? I’m advocating for environmental justice through real estate.
Featuring: Chris Timmins, Professor of Real Estate and Urban Economics Gary J. Gorman Affordable Housing Professor
1:06
Financial Equity
Unlocking More Equitable Financial Opportunities
Upward mobility shouldn’t be for a select few—it should be for everyone. I’m exploring how to reduce racial discrimination in lending.
Featuring: Erik Mayer, Assistant Professor of Finance
0:56
Decision-Making
Uncovering Biases That Affect Decision-Making
​​People rarely understand their own decisions; we’re influenced without knowing it. I’m exposing the biases that affect how we evaluate performance.
Featuring: Chia-Jung Tsay, Associate Professor of Management and Human Resources Bruce and Janice Ellig Professor in Management
1:05
Creativity
Leveraging the Power of Creativity in Business
Creativity in business is misunderstood, and most organizations don’t know how to harness it. I help people use their creativity to find solutions.
Featuring: Page Moreau, Professor of Marketing John R. Nevin Chair in Marketing
1:22
Operations
Improving Health Care Operations and Outcomes
When you improve a specific moment in a complex system, it has a ripple effect of benefits. I’m working to create better outcomes in hospitals.
Featuring: Bob Batt, Associate Professor of Operations and Information Management Procter & Gamble – Bascom Professor
Academic research is a time-consuming labor of love, and its value isn’t always immediately understood by all. But at a time of unprecedented change, the application of these insights and the frameworks they provide are immediate and profound. Because research doesn’t just impact industries—it powers insights in the classroom and creates new educational opportunities, preparing students to lead in a rapidly evolving world.
These business professors are shaping the future of business by opening the door for new ways of thinking, creative partnerships, and overall value creation. The impact of that work —meeting needs in Wisconsin and beyond—pays dividends for generations, as each research paper and each generation builds on the work of others.
See how research at WSB develops frameworks and new solutions to address some of the most pressing matters and issues businesses and society face today. Read more.