USM Business Students Present Research in Campus Showcase

Thu, 03/12/2020 - 11:04am | By: Van Arnold

In the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, student research is an important component of the educational experience for many students.

Because of the mentorship provided by the college’s faculty, business students Lacey Wallace, Matthew Yang, Rachel Bronson, and Nichada Satasuk were accepted and selected to present their research projects at the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice (AMTP) Annual Conference in Sandestin, Fla., this month.

Unfortunately, these plans changed due to the continued spread of COVID-19. The students’ remarkable efforts did not go unnoticed however. In lieu of university-sponsored travel restrictions, the School of Marketing hosted a showcase in Scianna Hall on the Hattiesburg campus for the students to present their research findings to a small group of faculty and peers.

Matthew H. Yang, a junior Business Administration and Economics double major presented his research titled, "The Impact of Culture on Multinational Business Expansion: A Case Study Evaluating Merchandising in Asian 7-Eleven Franchises". His faculty advisor is Dr. Gallayanee Yaoyunyong.

Lacey Wallace, a senior Marketing major presented her honors thesis research titled, "Yours, Mine, or Ours? Exploring the Role of Cultural Values in Sharing Economy Services". Her faculty advisor is Dr. Joanne T. Cao.

Rachel L. Bronson, a graduate student pursuing both her Master of Business Administration (MBA) and her Master of Science in Sport Management presented her research titled, "Building on the International and Diverse Make-Up of a Baseball Organization and How Teams Capitalize on This Growth: The Rise of Latin Americans in Baseball". Her faculty advisor is Dr. Chris Croft.

Nichada Satasuk, a graduate student pursuing both her Master of Business Administration (MBA) and her Master of Science in Sport Management presented her research titled, "Early-Career Professional Athletes, Social Media Marketing, and Sponsorship". Her faculty advisor is Dr. Gallayanee Yaoyunyong.

In addition, Mikhail Esipov, a graduate student pursuing his Master of Science in Economic Development presented his research titled, "REDRL Industry Targeting Analysis: A Tool for Regional Economic Development". His faculty advisor is Dr. Chad Miller. Although he was not attending the AMTP Conference, he, along with the other four students listed above, tentatively plan to present their research at the Undergraduate or Graduate Research Symposiums being held this semester on campus.

"These students put in a lot of hard work to prepare for these research presentations. It only seems right to provide them an outlet to share their findings," said Dr. Bret Becton, dean of the USM College of Business and Economic Development. "Following this successful showcase, we hope to continue hosting this annual event recognizing our incredible business student researchers."