2025 Dr. J. R. Smith Business Research Conference
April 3-4 | 2025
College of Business | Jackson State University
About the Conference
The theme of the conference, “Transforming the Future of Business: Integrative Approaches to Global Challenges,” highlights the urgent need for global leaders to develop comprehensive solutions to today’s business challenges. In a rapidly evolving global landscape marked by technological advancements, environmental issues, and shifting social dynamics, businesses are facing unprecedented changes. Key factors such as globalization, digital disruption, climate change, and economic volatility are reshaping how businesses operate, innovate, and grow.
Greetings from the Dean of the College of Business
Dr. Fidelis Ikem
Welcome to the 3rd annual J.R. Smith Research Conference. The College of Business Research Conference was renamed in memory of our former colleague Dr. J.R. Smith. Professor Smith organized the symposium for many years as a labor of love to inspire and showcase research. The primary goal of this conference is to provide a platform for faculty, students, and other research practitioners to present their work and receive feedback in a scholarly and collaborative environment. This year’s presentations promise to be exciting with numerous PhD students showcasing their work. Presenters from several states are represented, and we are delighted to have representatives from Northwestern University and the University of Vienna—Austria presenting keynote addresses.
For those of you who will be participating I look forward to personally welcoming you.
Fidelis M. Ikem, PhD
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Julian M.R. Runge
Julian Runge serves as assistant professor in the Integrated Marketing Communications program. Runge studies the effects of digital marketing technologies and algorithms in digital media and games. With a background in behavioral economics, he works on problems of high practical relevance in digital marketing. To date, his research has been published in leading marketing and information systems journals such as Information Systems Research or Marketing Letters. His paper on “Price Promotions and ‘Freemium’ App Monetization” won the 2022 best paper award of the journal Quantitative Marketing and Economics.
Dr. Muhammad Zafar Yaqub
Muhammad Zafar Yaqub earned his PhD from University of Vienna, Austria. Earlier he finished his MBA (with distinction), M.A. (Economics) and M.A. (Political Science) degrees from reputed educational institutions. Besides KAU, he has adjunct association with University of Vienna, Elite Innovation College Cambridge, University of Applied Sciences, and Al-Faisal University. He has been affiliated, as Lead Editor (SI), Co-editor (SI), Associate Editor and/or reviewer with eminent scholarly journals like Management Science, Industrial Marketing Management, Small Business Economics, European Journal of International Management, Managerial & Decision Economics etc. He has been a member of eminent scholarly bodies such as SMS, AIB, BAM, ANZAM, EMNET.
Conference Agenda
April 3, 2025
Greetings
Dr. Sadia Khan
Committee Chair
Associate Professor of Marketing, Jackson State University
Welcome
Dr. Fidelis Ikem
Dean
College of Business, Jackson State University
Dr. Denise J. Gregory
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Jackson State University
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Dr. Sadia Khan, Associate Professor of Marketing
Keynote Address VIA Zoom
Dr. Muhammad Zafar Yaqub
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudia Arabia
Session I: Management and Leadership
Moderator: Dr. Rishabh Rana, Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management at Jackson State University
9:45 am – 10:15 am
Mitchell Cook, Cayleigh Bland, Zachary Nelson and Rishabh Rana, PhD
Strengthening Healthcare Supply Chains in The Gambia: Policy Reform and the Potential of Digital Technologies
10:15 am – 10:45 am
Phillip Ayokunle, Ph.D
Trade Globalization and the Performance of Manufacturing Sector in Nigeria
10:45 am – 11:15 am
Jing Chang, PhD
Integrating Mentorship in Business School Curricula to Develop Future Business Leaders
11:15 am – 11:45 am
Jimmy Vu and Hyonsong Chong, PhD
Impact of Customer Orientation on Front-Line-Service Employees’ Recovery Performance Amid Consumer Incivility
11:45 am – 12:15 pm
Babu George, PhD and Anupama Mattathil
A Conceptual Framework for Social Marketing Implementation in SNAP-Ed Programs: Integrating Theory and Practice
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm
LUNCH
Panel Discussion: Workforce Development and the Future of Supply Chain Talent in Mississippi
1:15 pm – 2:00 pm
-
Jennifer Steele, Special Projects Coordinator, College of Business, Jackson State University
-
Joshua Tafeni, Public Policy and Administration, Jackson State University
Session II: Operations and Supply Chain Management
Moderator: Dr. Marcus Ambe, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, Jackson State University
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Hyonsong Chong, PhD
Perceived Stress and Coping and Self-Care Among Social Work Students at a Historically Black College and University
Session III: Finance, Accounting and Economics
Moderator: Dr. Bobbie Daniels, Associate Professor of Accounting, Jackson State University
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Hicham Chbihi Kaddouri, PhD, Mahamed Kadous, PhD
Exploring the ESG reporting: A bibliometric Literature Review and Future Research Agenda
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Bishno Pada, PhD and Chakra Barti, PhD
Transformative Approaches for Global Challenges: Advancing through Sustainable Finance Policies and Women Empowerment
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Chakra Barti, PhD
The Impact of Stock Price Information on Herd Behavior and Propagation of the Stock Price Crash Risk: An Empirical Study
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Geungu Yu, PhD
A Modified Discount Model to Find Fair Values of High Growth Stocks
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Mark Morgan, PhD, Billy Morehead, PhD, Stephen Trouard, PhD, Esther Emeakpor
The Value of a Certified Government Financial Manager – Perceptions of Government Financial Managers
April 4, 2025
9:00 am Greetings & Keynote Introduction
Dr. Palaniappan Thiagarajan
Committee Member, Associate Professor of Marketing, Jackson State University
Dr. Sadia Khan, Associate Professor of Marketing
Dr. Julian M.R. Runge, Assistant Professor of Integrated Marketing, Medill—Northwestern University
Keynote via Zoom: “Games are Marketing Media”
Access slides here
Session IV: Finance, Accounting and Economics
Moderator: Dr. Dal Didia, Professor of Economics, Jackson State University
9:35 am – 10:00 am
Okechukwu Anyamele, Ph.D
Financial Well-being and Economic Mobility among the Different Racial/Ethnic Groups in the US
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Antara Mahbub, PhD
A Literature Review of Emotional Intelligence at the Workplace: Why So Crucial for Employees?
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Duy Nguyen, Ph.D.
Trade Diversion and Supply Chain Realignment: Long-Term Effects of the U.S.-China Trade War on US-MCA Members and Vietnam
Panel Discussion: Government Contracting
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Policy Shifts and Their Impact on Mississippi Small Businesses
Moderator: Mr. Sydney Brown, Director, Women’s Business Center, Jackson State University
Panelists:
-
Rickey Jones, Director, SBDC, Jackson State University
-
Terri Ashley, Director, Procurement and Contracts, Department of Finance and Administration, Jackson, MS
-
Kimberly Harris, Director, Procurement Services, Jackson State University
-
Janita R. Steward, District Director, Small Business Administration (SBA)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
LUNCH
Session V: Marketing and Consumer Insights
Moderator: Dr. Edith Davidson, Associate Professor of Marketing, Jackson State University
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Julian Runge, Ph.D.
Diagnosing the Market? Leveraging Marketing Analytics to Detect Compulsive Lootbox Consumption in Mobile Games
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Palaniappan Thiagarajan, Ph.D.
Advanced Management Thoughts Found in Classical Languages 4000 Years Ago
Session VI: Technology and Digital Transformation
Moderator: Dr. Fidelis Ikem, Dean, College of Business, Jackson State University
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Olga Shugurova, Ph.D.
Regional Analysis of AI Adoption in Mississippi Businesses: Implications for Agile Skills Development with a CustomGPT Approach
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Esther Konan
Port Electrification as Strategic Innovation: Integrating Port Technology, Policy, and Management for Decarbonization
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Brittany Myburgh, Ph.D. and Sadia Yaqub Khan, Ph.D.
Empowering Workforce Readiness: The AI Agency’s Interdisciplinary Approach to Business Challenges
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Georgios Lefkakis
Applied AI in Industrial Operations and Workforce Efficiency
Session VII: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Moderator: Jennifer Steele, Special Projects Coordinator, College of Business, Jackson State University
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Brandon Newton, Bryan McKinney, Monica Henderson, Manuchim Didia
GENMED Labs
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Donald Causey, Ph.D.
Empowering Rural Communities: A Solar Solution for Nonprofits and Affordable Energy
5:00 pm
Closing Remarks
Dr. Fidelis Ikem, Dean, College of Business
Acknowledgements
The College of Business would like to express its sincere gratitude for the support that made the Dr. J.R. Smith Research Conference possible:
-
Jackson State University President Marcus L. Thompson
-
Dr. Denise Gregory
-
Dr. Preselfannie McDaniels
-
Attorney Saurndra McFarland
-
JSU Small Business Development Center
-
JSU Women’s Business Center
-
Cengage Learning
-
Dr. Mary M. White
-
Sodexo Magic
-
Event Pros, LLC
-
College of Business Faculty and Staff
Dr. J.R. Smith Research Conference Committee Members:
-
Dr. Sadia Khan, Co-Chair
-
Dr. Marcus Ambe, Co-Chair
-
Dr. Palaniappan Thiagarajan
-
Dr. Bobbie Daniels
-
Dr. Nizar Alsharari
-
Dr. Dal Didia
-
Ms. Deborah Haymon
-
Dr. Young Rhee
-
Mrs. Monica Williams
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
Network of International Business Schools
In Memoriam
Dr. J. R. Smith, Professor of Marketing
Dr. Smith dedicated 51 years of service to the College of Business and Jackson State University.