How has India become a thriving center for outsourced services? Why has manufacturing flourished in China? What has enabled Taiwan to succeed in the computer industry? Are there common threads? What can other countries learn from the achievements of these developing countries?

   

Sumit K. Kundu

These questions have occupied the College's Sumit K. Kundu, Ingersoll-Rand professor in international business, since graduate school. His dissertation focused on the globalization of the service sector, looking at entities such as multinational hotels, then moving on to consider the high-tech industry, primarily the software sector. Much of his work delves into how export-driven entrepreneurship contributes to economic growth in developing countries.

   Kundu's research examines the small, such as statistics, and the large factors, such as aspects of each country's infrastructure—including regulations and restrictions—that may have had an effect on economic growth. Since entrepreneurs thrive on freedom, he has studied the impact of lightened limitations on that freedom in India, China, and Taiwan. He also has evaluated the necessary and sufficient factors for growth, including engineering and technical capabilities, as well as more liberal government policies.

   "As part of my work, I look at the lessons we can learn from other countries," Kundu said. "If less government intervention and if deregulation create an atmosphere in which entrepreneurs are able to deliver and to compete elsewhere, this trend may be a positive signal for those who believe in free trade and liberal government policies."

   He has conducted much of his research on site. For example, in 1999, he traveled to India, which had begun to liberalize its policies in 1991. He focused on a cross-section of software companies that had internationalized their operations very quickly.

   "During my two months in India, I talked to ten to fifteen entrepreneurial companies with fewer than ten employees and in their first or second year of business," he said. "I found out about their challenges and obstacles, and examined the incentives and policies most conducive to their growth."

   A recent article, "The Role of Export-driven Entrepreneurship in Economic Development: A Comparison of Software Exports from India, China, and Taiwan" was written with a colleague and published in Technology Forecasting and Social Change in October, 2004. The article is listed on "ScienceDirect TOP25 Hottest Articles," indicating it is among the most frequently downloaded journal articles from its vast database.

Christos Koulamas

.: Faculty member's research among most requested in his field.

   In its recently-published list of the top 25 most requested papers from April 2002 to April 2004, Computers and Operations Research reports that the article by Christos Koulamas, chair, Decision Sciences and Information Systems, was #2 on the list, with 1,164 total requests. The article is entitled, "Scheduling Two Parallel Semiautomatic Machines to Minimize Machine Interference."

FOCUS ON

.: Real Estate Alumni Council becomes a Business Alumni Affinity Group.

   On Tuesday, May 24, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Miami City Club, the College of Business Administration will welcome the Real Estate Alumni Council as an Affinity Group of the FIU Business Alumni Chapter. Attendees at this exciting event, to which all business alumni are invited, will be able to help forge the direction of the group through the creation of a steering committee that will build on the Council's past activities and create the direction for its future.

.: Raffle winner savors her prize.

   Valentine's Mixer lucky raffle winner Melania Rivas (BBA '03) enjoys lunch for two at Baleen restaurant, courtesy of the Business Alumni Chapter.

.: Alumni speed network at Oxygen Lounge.

   Business Alumni Chapter members and guests gathered on April 7, 2004, at Oxygen Lounge in Coconut Grove to enjoy speed networking with a fun twist. If you've never tried speed networking, here's how it works..

   Professionals are paired up and given three minutes to network. Following the three minutes, a bell is rung, and individuals move on to meet another business professional. After the speed networking session is over, people have identified key contacts with whom to network further.

   Missed our speed networking session? Please visit our web site for upcoming events.

.: Alumni give a helping hand to The Everglades Outpost.

Nelson Vallin (BBA '99), Business Alumni Chapter vice president of programming, and Maria Gutierrez enjoy themselves while helping a worthy cause.

   On March 13th, Business Alumni Chapter members assisted The Everglades Outpost, a facility that cares for injured wildlife and gives refuge to unwanted, confiscated, and abused exotic pets. Alumni carried out various tasks, including raking leaves, cleaning landscaping, and helping touch up the paint of the facility.

.: Spring Commencement launches accomplished graduates and honors a College alumus.

   Six hundred and forty-four undergraduates from the Landon Undergraduate School of Business, including 38 students from the Weekend BBA+ program and 78 from the School of Accounting, graduated during the Spring Commencement Exercises on May 3rd. At the undergraduate level, women graduates slightly outpaced their male counterparts, a sign of the increased presence of women preparing for an active role in the business world.

   At the master's level, 107 students from the Chapman Graduate School of Business applied for Spring 2005 graduation. Eleven completed the Executive MBA; twenty finished the Evening MBA; the same number completed the Master of International Business; ten received the Master iof Science in Finance; one earned the Master of Science in Management-Human Resource Management; and seventeen received the Master of Science in Taxation. In addition, graduation included 28 students from the College's Global Programs. Also, two Ph.D. students applied for May graduation.

   

Thomas M. Cornish

Thomas M. Cornish (BBA, '85), president and CEO of Seitlin, Florida's largest independent insurance agency and consultancy, received Florida International University's Distinguished Alumni Service Medallion during the evening Commencement Exercises.

   Before assuming his current position in September, 2003, Cornish was city president of Miami for SunTrust Bank South Florida, where he was responsible for SunTrust's Commercial Banking activities in seven South Florida counties. He also had oversight of the bank's activities in Latin America. During his nineteen-year tenure at SunTrust, he held a number of different positions.

   Cornish is actively involved in a number of civic organizations. He currently serves on the executive committee of the Beacon Council and is a board member of the Community Partnership for the Homeless, Inc.; the Greater Miami Performing Arts Center Foundation, and the Miami Children's Hospital Foundation. He is immediate past chairman of the Beacon Council.

   Cornish's bachelor's degree from FIU was in business administration with a major in finance.

.: Master of International Business students travel to Spain.

   Between March 14 and 23, a select number of students from the Chapman Graduate School of Business' Master in International Business (MIB) program participated in an enlightening trip to the cities of Barcelona and Madrid, Spain.

   According to Anna Pietraszek, the program's manager, the purpose of the trip was to expose students to components of international business by meeting with executives and personnel from Spain's largest and most reputable companies.

   Accompanied by Tomi Mandakovic , associate dean of the Chapman School, and Pietraszek, the students visited Cordoniu and Grupo Damm in Barcelona and Iberia, Indas, and El Corte Inglés in Madrid. They also met with officers in the Confederación Española de Organizaciónes Empresariales (CEOE), Spain 's largest and most important political interest group for business.

   During their visits, the students were presented with background information about the companies and were encouraged to ask questions to get a better understanding of the differences between business in Spain and the United States.

   According to student Elliott Konig, "The trip to Spain was certainly a worthwhile experience in my pursuit of the MIB degree. The company visits were informative and helped me grasp the differences between businesses in the two countries. I feel that every student should take part in a trip like this."

   A wide range of topics and issues were discussed over the course of the trip, including trade relations with the United States and Latin America, issues of logistics and operations management, and the general environment for business within Spain and the European Union.

   For many on the trip, the company visits provided an opportunity to make use of the concepts they learned in the classroom.

   "The learning experience of the trip was great and the directors and executives we met were very generous and open in sharing their views with us," Mandakovic said. "I am very proud of how our students conducted themselves—their questions were sound and intelligent."

   He added that, following the meetings, the executives in Spain told him they had been extremely impressed by our students and the MIB program.

.: Building for Business Building Complex Campaign gathers momentum.

   Since the College's successful launch of the public phase of its Building for Business Building Complex Campaign on March 10, a number of pledges and gifts have come in—online and in person. The evening of the launch, the College had received $8.3 million of the $15,000 million it needs in private support to build a home for its students. Since that date, the College has received an additional $331,800, leaving a total left to raise of $6,368,200.

   A number of naming opportunities are still available. To learn more about the Campaign, take a virtual tour of the new complex, and find out how you can help, visit our web site and/or contact Annabelle Rojas (BBA '87, MBA '98), director of resource development and external relations, (305) 348-3339, rojasa@fiu.edu.

.: Upcoming seminar focuses on diversity.

   South Florida's cultural diversity has proven to be a strong attraction to students, who routinely say they were drawn to Florida International University because of its multinational population. However, companies sometimes are challenged when they try to unlock the full potential of a diverse workforce.

   According to Alvaro G. de Molina, president, Capital Market & Investment Banking, Bank of America, Charlotte, North Carolina, who has hired a number of the College's graduates and sits on the Dean's Council, "A diverse work force is no longer a matter of political correctness: for companies to succeed today, it's a commercial imperative."

   He sees the College's multicultural and ethnically-diverse graduates, with their top-notch business savvy and strong work ethic, as one of its major strengths in helping organizations meet that imperative.

   To showcase this strength and to help companies capitalize on the economic potential of diverse employees in ensuring their success, College Executive Dean Joyce Elam and Chapman Graduate School of Business Dean José de la Torre are hosting a day-long seminar entitled "Achieving Diversity" on June 9th. A reception the evening before will kick off the event.

   The free seminar will demonstrate to corporate diversity officers from around the country how a diverse workforce can add to their organizations' effectiveness in multiple ways. Topics that will be addressed include

• Mentoring diverse employees
• Developing individuals from minority groups for future promotions
• Policy making for diversity throughout the organization
• Recruiting for diversity
• Giving back to the community through corporate diversity efforts

   There is no fee for the seminar; however, registration is required. To register or to obtain more information, contact Barry Shiflett, director of Career Management Services, at bshiflett@fiu.edu or at 305-348-7396.

.: Advisory Board member recognized in Hispanic Business.

   Maria Villar, who serves on the advisory board for the Master of Science in Management Information Systems, was highlighted in the April issue of Hispanic Business magazine as one of the "Elite and Outstanding Women" in the U.S. Hispanic Business' "Elite and Outstanding Women" are chosen from hundreds of influential Hispanic women around the country who have exhibited outstanding drive, achievement, innovation, and civic service. Villar is the vice president of Information and Business Intelligence Transformation at IBM. She is responsible for providing data warehousing, information management, and business intelligence solutions to enable on-demand integrated supply chains.