Academy of International Business hold annual conference

SALISBURY, MD ---The Academy of International Business - Northeast Chapter recently held its 2002 annual conference at Salisbury University, focusing on "Global Transformations" in recognition of the world's technological changes and economic and political upheavals. Sponsors for the day and a half conference were SU's Franklin P. Perdue School of Business and K&L Microwave.

While most of the participants were from the Northeast, others came from the Southwest and Midwest as well as from Asia and Europe, presenting 41 professional papers related to the conference theme in 12 different paper sessions. Some sessions examined transformations in business functions such as entrepreneurship, human resources, finance and marketing. Other sessions explored transformations in world regions such as Eastern Europe and South Asia. The papers were published in the conference proceedings.

Keynote speakers at the conference included Lou Abaggnaro, president of K&L Microwave, Dr. Eric Swanson of the World Bank and Dr. Briance Mascarenhas of Rutgers University.

A number of innovations were introduced at the conference including a special panel of business executives from regional multinational firms and a panel on e-learning across cultures. The business panelists included: Rafael Correa, founder and president of MaTech, Inc., an international machine tool firm; Jean DellAmore, president of Stertil-Koni, the U.S. branch of a worldwide producer of equipment for automotive maintenance; and Mitch Boswell, export manager for Perdue Farms, Inc.

Moderator William Moore, dean of the Perdue School, led a lively discussion following the panelists' remarks. "Including a panel featuring business leaders added to the conference's success. Their unhesitating willingness to participate speaks well of the business community's support of Perdue School programs," said Dr. Moore.

Best paper awards were given for the first time in three categories: best empirical paper, Drs. Brent Allred and Scott Swan, College of William and Mary; best conceptual paper, Nehad El Sawaf and Dr. Earl Honeycutt, Old Dominion University; and best doctoral paper, Denise Dunlap-Hinkler, Temple University. The University of Scranton provided a cash award to the doctoral student winner, presented by Dr. Susan Trussler, past program chair.

The conference was organized by SU's Dr. Richard C. Hoffman, professor of management at the Perdue School, who served as program chair, and Janine Vienna, Global Programs and M.B.A. director, who served as conference coordinator. Hoffman and Vienna also served as co-editors of the conference proceedings.

Members of the program committee included: Dr. John Preble, University of Delaware; Dr. Vincent Luchsinger, University of Baltimore; Dr. Rajib Sanyal, College of New Jersey; Dr. Tagi Sagafi-Nejad, Seton Hall University; Dr. Susan Trussler, University of Scranton; and Drs. Gerry DiBartolo, Kashi Khazeh and Ying Wu, Salisbury University.