IC Shines as Host of International Business Conference

What would attract people from all over the globe — Belarus, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom — to Ithaca College? A conference devoted to international business, for one.

On a beautiful weekend in June the School of Business hosted the annual meeting of the northeast region of the Academy of International Business. This was the first time ever that Ithaca had hosted the AIB, which is the leading association of scholars and specialists in the field of international business. Established in 1959, the AIB has nearly 3,000 members in 65 countries.

The 2000 annual meeting was organized — in a process that took 10 months — by Hormoz Movassaghi (left), associate professor of finance and international business. "AIB conferences are true to the spirit of the association, bringing educators from around the world to exchange ideas and build relationships in a nurturing atmosphere," he explained. The 60 participants came from 21 universities in the United States and 5 universities in Asia and Europe. Forty-five papers were presented in 12 sessions, augmented by a panel discussion and two keynote luncheon addresses, over a two-day period. The papers related to a wide array of topics in international marketing, finance, human resource management, and e-commerce, among others.

"The conference was very successful," reported a tired but happy Movassaghi after the weekend. "So many people contributed to the success of the conference activities. The staff at the Office of Conference and Events Services, especially Sheila Reakes and Maryanne Brubaker, did an outstanding job in arranging the logistical elements — checking in the attendees, arranging housing, setting up and serving meals, preparing the presentation rooms and equipping them with audiovisual and computer equipment, and having support staff at all times to ensure the smooth flow of the entire process. I was very proud of the professionalism that our student workers displayed; whether assisting the guests with their check-in process or serving meals, they carried out their responsibilities conscientiously and with courtesy."

The conference proceedings, coedited by Movassaghi and Zafar U. Ahmed of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, were published under the supervision of Peter Kilcoyne of the Office of Publications. According to Movassaghi, the volume was "the best-looking one we’ve ever had."

Movassaghi and six of his Ithaca colleagues — Joseph Cheng, Abraham Mulugetta, Nazik Roufaiel, Fahri Unsal, and Raquib Zaman from the business school and Elia Kacapyr from the economics department — presented papers at the conference, and modern languages and literatures professor Sabatino Maglione participated on a panel, "Teaching Language in the Context of Business." Dean Robert Ullrich and associate dean Hugh Rowland attended the weekend’s events. "The deans have been very supportive," said Movassaghi, "and people attending noticed that, as well as the impressive organization of events and the beauty of the Ithaca College campus and facilities."

The 10 months before the conference were busy for Movassaghi. He and his coeditor had to line up peer reviewers for the papers submitted for presentation, get their feedback and communicate it to the authors, arrange for the authors of the accepted papers to revise their manuscripts as necessary, edit the revised papers, and prepare them for publication in the proceedings. "Doing all this — given the vast geographical span of those submitting papers, the location of my coeditor in Singapore, and strict timelines that we were operating under — was a monumental challenge," admitted Movassaghi. But, he added, "advances in telecommunication technology made things easier."

Two high-level executives delivered keynote speeches during the lunch sessions. Anthony D. Hansel, vice president for finance at BorgWarner Morse TEC (in photo, with School of Business dean Robert Ulrich), spoke about his company, its evolution, and its strategic positioning, focus, and outlook in the context of the ever-changing global automotive industry. Established in 1880 and headquartered in Ithaca, BorgWarner Morse TEC is among the world’s leading suppliers of engine, transmission, and transfer case chain systems. Known for its continuous product innovations, advanced technology, leading-edge manufacturing, and customer service, the company has operations in South America, Europe, and Asia; its clients include Ford, GM, Volvo, Saab, and Nissan.

W. Michael "Mike" Driscoll ’72, the second keynote speaker (pictured), shared lessons he has learned as a corporate executive and entrepreneur. Driscoll has worked in executive positions with global responsibilities in such well-known companies as Honeywell, AT&T, and Smith Corona. He has also served on the boards of firms in an array of industries, including semiconductor, computer software, and e-commerce solutions. His speech touched on many aspects of business, but particularly on the value of respect for difference among businesspeople in the global economy. "Off I went in 1978 to ‘teach’ the Singaporeans all about management accounting and controls," he remembered. "But from the day I first arrived in Singapore I have done no-thing but learn from my Singaporean friends and other international associates. Perhaps the most important value a young person can take with him into an international career is respect . . . for business, cultural, traditional, and religious differences — a key ingredient for success in any international situation."

Photo by Cascadilla Photography