Lewis F. Davidson

As companies seek to improve productivity, serve their customers better, and increase market share, they often turn to technology. But technology investments are costly. According to research by Lewis F. Davidson, professor of accounting in the College of Business Administration at Florida International University, taking a "balanced scorecard" (BSC) approach can help ensure that IT expenditures pay off.

"Businesses need to look at IT as an integral part of every aspect of their operations," Davidson said. "They can't just buy equipment or enhance their technology environment and assume these improvements will result in greater profitability. The BSC approach gives decision makers a roadmap by which they can integrate an IT strategy throughout their organizations."

Though the approach enables people to look at broad strategic objectives, its application doesn't stop there.

"BSC looks at specific performance measurements across multiple areas," Davidson said. "A company can measure any variable—such as number of calls a salesperson makes or average size of order by customer, for example—to help establish the kinds of actions needed to further their objectives. This makes BSC valuable in laying out both the strategy and concrete steps for achieving it."

In an article titled "The Effects of IT Expenditures on Banks' Business Performance: Using a Balanced Scorecard Approach," Davidson and Chang-Soo Kim (MACC '88; Ph.D '93), an FIU research fellow at the time of the study, analyzed data from all the commercial banks in Korea during the period 1990-1998. They found that the relationship between money spent on IT and business performance differed significantly depending upon the IT level of the bank.

"We discovered that in banks that maintained a high IT level, the IT expenditures appeared to have increased labor productivity, decreased payroll expenses, increased operating and total administrative expenses, increased market share, and increased revenue and profit," Davidson said.

According to him, the evidence from the research has two important practical implications.

"First, if banks use their IT strategy effectively to improve their competitive advantage, they are likely to reduce payroll expenses and increase both market share and profitability," he said. "Second, it's possible for bank managers to use a BSC approach to measure the business performance of both IT and management strategies."

Davidson and Kim published their findings in the prestigious journal Managerial Finance. For more information about the balanced scorecard approach, visit http://www.balancedscorecard.org/basics/bsc1.html.

FOCUS ON

.: Alumni Career Fair draws record attendance.

Florida International University's Alumni Career Fair, held on September 13, 2005 in Modesto A. Maidique Campus' Graham Center Ballrooms, received an overwhelming response from College and University alumni and area recruiters.

Approximately 400 alumni participated in the event and met with potential employers from companies that included Burger King, Carnival Cruise Lines, IBM, and Wachovia, among others. In all, 50 companies from different industries were present to recruit our alumni.

College of Business Administration's Alumni Director Monique Catoggio was a part of the planning committee for the event.

"As a Business Chapter, we believe it is important to support University-wide alumni projects, such as this Fair," Catoggio said. "Our business alumni are continually seeking career opportunities, and it is critical that we do what we can to support their advancement."

The Business Alumni Chapter hosted a table to promote its various alumni activities.

.: Traveling Happy Hour kicks off with Spanish zest.

The College's Business Alumni Chapter launched its "Traveling Happy Hour" on September 15th, where alumni took the opportunity to unwind in the beautiful terrace of Spanish- inspired Mosaico Restaurant.

"I had an amazing time with friends and networking with fellow-alumni," commented Robert Zurrita (BBA '01). More than 60 alumni and guests enjoyed complimentary drinks and appetizers from the event's participating sponsors, Bacardi and Mosaico.

Traveling Happy Hour is a series of networking events taking place the third Thursday of every month at upscale locations in the Brickell corridor and Coral Gables neighborhoods. Alumni who are members of the Business Alumni Chapter will automatically be entered into a raffle to win fabulous travel prizes each time they attend an event. Prizes will be raffled off at the conclusion of the series. If you are not a member, join today. Membership forms are available at http://cbalumni.fiu.edu/.

.: Real Estate Alumni Affinity Council hosts Real Estate Awards luncheon.

The Real Estate Alumni Affinity Council will host the Fifth Annual Real Estate Awards Luncheon on October 7th, 2005, at noon in The Banker's Club, One Biscayne Tower, in Downtown Miami.

Leading professionals who supported Florida International University's Real Estate program and The Jerome Bain Institute will be honored for their contributions during 2004-2005. The event will feature keynote speaker Frank Kowalski, president of The Florida Association of Realtors, who will be discussing "The Future of the South Florida Real Estate Market." If you're a real estate professional, you can't afford to miss this event!

Register online today! Pre-registration required. The cost is $15.

This event is sponsored by CBRE CB Richard Ellis, Florida Association of Realtors, and Staliker Utah Investments, LLC.

.: "The Leadership Dance" features University President Modesto Maidique.

Modesto Maidique

The Wharton School Club of South Florida, in collaboration with Florida International University's and the Columbia University's Club of South Florida, will be hosting "The Leadership Dance," a presentation led by University President Modesto Maidique on October 19, 2005, at 6:30 p.m. at the Kovens Conference Center—3000 N.E. 151 Street, in North Miami.

Maidique will introduce a powerful metaphor for leadership: leadership as a "dance," with leaders and organizations as dance partners, managing change.

Based on case studies, such those at IBM, HP, and DEC, among others, and numerous interviews with world leaders in industry and government, Maidique will identify the key competencies of leaders (i.e. character, stamina, "emotional quotient", and vision), partners (e.g., adaptability and membership), and dance (i.e. growth and change). The dance metaphor offers leaders a dynamic, interactive model for directing organizations that recognize the complementary roles of the leader and partner in the organizational dance.

Please RSVP in advance and no later than October 14 th to Whartonsfl@att.net if you would like to attend.

.: College welcomes new Alumni Circle member.

Alex Soria

Joining the Alumni Circle recently is Alex Soria, (BBA' 89), president of RBS Re. Special thanks to returning member Andre Teixeira (BACC '92, MACC '93).

The Alumni Circle is a group of senior-level alumni who work closely with the College's administrators and deans to develop programs and initiatives to achieve the College's goals. For more information about the Alumni Circle, call Monique Catoggio at 305-348-4227.

.: Alumni Spotlight

Osvaldo "Ozzie" Dominguez

Osvaldo "Ozzie" Dominguez (BBA '91), general manager for Dadeland Mall and College of Business Administration Alumni Circle member, was featured in the September issue of SouhFlorida CEO. Dominguez was highlighted in the NextGen section, an ongoing monthly column which profiles future South Florida leaders.

• Carlos A. Zarraluqui (BBA '98) has been named vice president of marketing and special projects for Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida.

• Leonely Valdes (BBA '91) has been appointed accounting manager at The Allen Morris Co.

• Luis Munoz (BBA '91) has joined Bright Star Credit Union as an investment representative.

• James M. Bond (BACC '89; MACC '94) has been named controller for Florida International University's division of finance.

• Barbara Yvonne Debesa (BBA '82; MAC '94) has been promoted to Chief operations officer of TotalBank.

Have you been promoted or changed jobs? Update your information.

.: College volunteers pack bags for kids in need.

Students in the BBA Weekend program assembled 137 book bags for kids in a local shelter.  

Hundreds of area kids started school this year with smiles on their faces thanks to new, well-filled packs on their backs, courtesy of three separate efforts by members of the College of Business Administration.

• About fifty faculty and staff formed an assembly line to stuff backpacks with school supplies as part of the "Back to School Campaign," sponsored by Kids Hope United. The recipients were all special needs kids in foster or relative homes.

"The response within the College was overwhelming, with people tapping their own, often-limited budgets, to buy packs and items," said Natalia Echeverría, corporate relations manager in the Chapman Graduate School of Business, who put out the word about the event and helped deliver the bags to a distribution point.

• The Miami Benefit Club took 140 book bags, many filled with school supplies for elementary students, to the Community Partnership for the Homeless, one of the core groups the Club supports. Before they were delivered, the bags were stored in the office of Randall Martin, instructor in the Department of Management and International Business, who has worked with the Club in the past and offered the project as an incentive in one of his courses.

• Also, the 21 members of cohort seventeen of the BBA+ Weekend program at the Pines Center in Pembroke Pines raised about $2,000 from family, friends, and employees, then used the funds to buy packs and school supplies. Each BBA+ Weekend cohort does a community project of its choosing as part of the Business in Society course, taught by Robert Hogner, associate professor , Department of management and International Business and known to his students as "Dr. Bob."

"Dr. Bob went with half the students to make the purchases," said Jennifer Reid, office manager of the Pines Center and a member of the cohort. "The other half went to Broward County Central Homeless Assistance Center/Huizenga Family Campus to pack the bags."

Their efforts netted 57 bags for high school students, 45 for middle school students, and 35 for elementary students.

As temporary shelters, both the Community Partnership for the Homeless and Broward County Central Homeless Assistance Center are holding many of the bags in reserve.

"The population is changing all the time," Reid said. "By having a stockpile of packs, new kids who enter the facility during the year will have a pack waiting for them."

The landmark Macy's building at 22 East Flagler Street has a new tenant: Florida International University's College of Business Administration.

Occupying three-quarters of the sixth floor, the business school's Downtown Center, conveniently located amid Miami's top firms, puts an array of graduate degree programs within easy reach of students who work in or near downtown, or in areas east of the Palmetto Expressway, such as Coral Gables.

From the vibrant city outside to the tiered, state-of-the-art technology-enhanced classrooms and lounge outfitted with wireless Internet access inside, the site embodies the energy of the college and its exciting partnership with forward-looking Macy's Florida.

Student lounge

"The building, constructed in 1912, is being reshaped to meet modern needs," said José de la Torre, dean of the Chapman Graduate School. "The president and executives of Macy's Florida have been very supportive as we've developed a partnership in which they benefit from our technology enhancements to the building and we benefit from their location."

The Center's first students in the Downtown MBA, the Executive Master of Science in Taxation, and the MBA for Public Managers began their degree work in late August. Recruitment is underway for a Master of Science in Finance, with a focus on international banking, and a Master of Science in International Real Estate—both due to launch at the Center in January. By the time these students begin classes, phase two of the construction, yielding a brand new tiered case room and four breakout rooms, will have been completed.

"We welcome visitors who would like to see the new classrooms and offices or to learn more about the offerings face-to-face from a Chapman School representative," said Lourdes Herrero-Matus, program manager of the Downtown MBA. "We're usually here between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. or later. Those who prefer to call for more information can reach us at 305-577-1681."

.: Study abroad participants give thumbs up to trip Down Under.

Eighteen students taking management courses in the College of Business Administration continued to take classes and explored Sydney, Australia, with side trips to New Zealand and Fiji between August 13 and August 27, 2005. J. Randall Martin, lecturer in the Management and International Business Department and coordinator of study abroad program, spent a year planning the trip.

Offered through the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), this first study-abroad trip to Australia was designed to expose students to a country known for its rich natural resources, its strong economic relationship with China, and its British roots—reflected in the language, food, and culture. All the study-abroad trips are based on the idea that learning about another culture while living in it deepens the academic experience for international business students.

Senior international business major Khabeer Mustapha, a veteran of study- abroad sojourns in Paris and Milan, thought the trip was "great."

"The study abroad experiences are always good, but it was nice to be in an English-speaking country," he said. "And the sights were really interesting."

One such sight was the world famous Sydney Opera House. The students, none of whom had ever been to an opera, attended a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni. Despite its length, which can tax even opera buffs, they enjoyed it.

They also enjoyed their site visits, a standard feature of the study-abroad trips along with coursework and sight-seeing. This group spent an entire day touring small vineyards, where they got the flavor of the up and coming Australian wine industry.

Although the Australia junket was arduous—24 hours just to get there and back—and more expensive than any of the other short study-abroad opportunities, CIBER may offer it again.

"The August trip is a wild card," Martin said. "Next year, we may go back to Australia or may go to Cape Town, South Africa."

For information about the many study-abroad opportunities offered through CIBER, visit http://www.fiu.edu/~ciber/.

.: College receives major award from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $286,209 to the College of Business Administration to conduct a program entitled "Small and Medium Enterprises Center of Excellence" (SMECE). The College's Knight Ridder Center for Excellence in Management will manage it.

Jerry Haar

"Early support from Florida FTAA, Inc. was crucial in helping us to develop a top-notch proposal for winning an award from USAID," said Jerry Haar, professor of management and international business, newly-appointed associate director of the Knight Ridder Center, and principal investigator on the project.

The critical initial investment of Florida FTAA, Inc., along with future contributions from participants, will bring the total value of the project to more than $379,000.

SMECE is an innovative business education program of executive training to reach small and medium-size entrepreneurs in Central America and the Dominican Republic through web-based, self-paced training in each participant's home country.

An intensive three-day, executive-level education program—encompassing classroom instruction at Florida International University and site visits to export-import companies in the Miami area—will follow the web-based training. The executives will learn how to access U.S. markets, including the requirements and procedures for dealing with ports, customs brokerages, and wholesale and retail outlets.

Ed Glab

According to Edward Glab, the Knight Ridder Center's interim director, "This innovative training program will help improve export of management knowledge and skills to small and medium-size business entrepreneurs from countries that have signed the U.S. Dominican Republic/Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR/CAFTA), thereby helping them to benefit from the agreement."

"I believe this grant is just one more indication of the growing recognition that the College of Business Administration is one of the most innovative and resourceful assets for international initiatives in the area of cutting-edge business education," said Joyce J. Elam, executive dean of the College.

.: Enrollment stats underscore College's diversity.

Demographics are in for the current undergraduate and graduate classes in the College of Business Administration and the figures support the aptness of the name Florida International University.

Each class—bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D.—reveals a rich gender and ethnic blend among the 5,543 students, 2,852 of whom are women and 2,691 of whom are men.

In the undergraduate class, consisting of 4,610 students, women outnumber men 2,408 to 2,202. The class consists of five American Indians, 160 Asians, 464 African Americans, 2,798 Hispanics, and 663 Anglos, as well as 476 students representing other ethnic groups. Some declined to identify their ethnicity.

At the master's level, the numbers reflect a similar ethnic mix, though men outnumber women by a small margin—458 to 430—in this population of 888. Members of the group include one American Indian, 56 Asians, 76 African Americans, 385 Hispanics, 121 Anglos, and 241 people from other countries.

Forty-five doctoral candidates currently are enrolled in the College: three Asians, two Blacks, six Hispanics, five Anglos, and 29 from other ethnic groups. Fourteen of the Ph.D. students are female, 31 male.

.: Chapman Graduate School contributes sponsorship and expertise to forum.

José de la Torre, dean of the Chapman Graduate School, was moderator of a panel on "Remittances: What This Represents for Latin America."  The panelists with him are (left to right): Sergio Bendixen, president, Bendixen & Associates; José Maria Ayuso, executive vice resident of Product Management & Member Relations, Visa International; and José Guerrero, CEO, Optima Compliance & Consulting, Inc.

For the first time, the College's Chapman Graduate School of Business was a corporate sponsor of the Americas Conference—an information-packed, two-day session focused this year on a number of business and political topics related to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Ninth Annual Miami Herald Americas Conference drew experts from across the region—from high ranking government officials to representatives of the media, corporations, academic institutions, and more—for speeches, panels, and question and answer sessions.

Among those experts: José de la Torre, dean of the Chapman School.

De la Torre moderated a panel discussion on the topic "Remittances: What This Represents for Latin America." Members of the panel were Jose Maria Ayuso, executive vice president of product management and member relations, Visa International; Sergio Bendixen, president, Bendixen & Associates; and José Guerrero, Esq. CAMS, CEO, Optima Compliance & Consulting, Inc.

The conference took place at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables September 29-30, 2005.

.: College creates Executive and Professional Education unit.

The team looks forward to meeting the business community's needs in the areas of professional and executive education.

As part of its ongoing commitment to ensure exceptional customer service to the business community, the College of Business Administration has created the Executive and Professional Education unit to deliver a variety of non-credit programs for executives and managerial professionals. Its range of offerings will enable business professionals to keep current, refine their skills, and get certificates that verify their expertise. And lining up these career-enhancing opportunities will be easy.

"Our customers will now have a single source for certificate programs and executive seminars," said Erica Gjorven, the unit's associate director of program development. "We have consolidated the Chapman School of Business's Office of Executive Education and the College's Office of Professional Education to form the new entity. In addition to offering a single point of contact, the consolidation will enable us to be even more efficient in meeting our customers' needs."

In the near term, people will be able to continue taking the same popular programs—in human resources, marketing, project management, leadership, and real estate, to name a few—that they've taken in the past.

"Our programs combine the very best in conceptual knowledge and academic theory with real world application," Gjorven said. "They all offer professional certificates and are uniquely qualified to provide the edge companies need, not simply to keep up with change, but also to set the momentum."

Longer term, the number of offerings will expand.

"We will look at all the relationships the College and the University have with corporations, the government, non-profits, and our internal resources and develop new programs that take advantage of these assets," said Margarita Royale, associate director of administration for the new unit.

"We feel that we have a strong team in place and that we will see significant growth in both executive and professional education," said College Executive Dean Joyce J. Elam.

For more information about the programs and current offerings, contact the Office at 305-348-4217 or online at www.ope.edu.