Six research projects by students from the George Washington University School of Business were featured at the GW Research Showcase on May 1, 2024. The event invites GW community members to present their findings and collectively demonstrate the innovative and creative magnitude of scholarly engagement at the university.
A graduate and undergraduate student from an independent study course taught by Vikram R. Bhargava, assistant professor of strategic management and public policy, were among the students who participated in the university-wide event. Their projects were “To Operate or Not to Operate: Ethical Implications of Corporations Operating in Unjust Regimes” and “Awareness to Action: The Impact of Media Representation on Addressing Societal Injustice.”
Mitali Amit Thepade, a graduate student in the Master of Human Resource Management program at the GW School of Business, authored the paper “To Operate or Not to Operate,” and explained the consequences that can result when sanctions and other coercive measures are imposed in response to regimes that wage a war of aggression against another nation, without a just cause or claim. Thepade, who holds a bachelor of science in international business from the school, showed in her study that civilians living in countries governed by these regimes largely bear the consequences of such sanctions. This can lead to uncertainty for multinational corporations that operate within the countries. Thepade argues that corporations have a moral obligation to continue their operations to prevent the adverse impacts of sanctions on the civilian population.
Multinational media companies have a platform that enables them to communicate with audiences across the globe.
Chelsea Acheampong, an undergraduate student at the school, posited in her research that corporations should use this influence to bring awareness to the injustices and other societal challenges that affect individuals globally, emphasizing the need to broadcast to those who could address the injustices. Acheampong also discusses how media companies should avoid sensationalizing the stories of those who are enduring hardships.
Students in the Global Financial Environment class taught by Anoma Kulathunga, visiting assistant professor in the Department of International Business presented "Unraveling the 2008 Financial Crisis: Causes, Consequences, and Lessons Learned,” which explored the factors that contributed to the global financial crisis that began in 2008, the role and impact on financial institutions and the effect of the crisis on investor decision making and risk management. Another group from the class presented research on "Navigating the Eurozone Sovereign Debt Crisis: Causes, Impacts, and Lessons" which examined the European debt crisis and its emergence, also in 2008, and the fiscal and financial policy responses that proved essential in stabilizing European markets.
Critical thinking, data analysis, and other skills were exhibited by the students through their research process, Kulathunga said. A full list of research projects from students at GW Business is included below.
School of Business Student Presentations at GW Research Showcase 2024
Chelsea Acheampong, “Awareness to Action: The Impact of Media Representation on Addressing Societal Injustice”
Omar Akeel, Sare Arpaci, Omar Imran Boshnak, Megan Kim, Marc Levy and Henry Xuan, "Navigating the Eurozone Sovereign Debt Crisis: Causes, Impacts, and Lessons"
Soleil Lech, Carlysle Devane-Schneider, Ethan Fernandes, Maddie Haynes, Anh Huynh, Luke Lyu and Megan Tallman, "Unraveling the 2008 Financial Crisis: Causes, Consequences, and Lessons Learned"
Li Liang, “Financial illiteracy and behavioral biases in trading”
Monet Ortega, "How the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework can be altered to fit the needs of small companies and emerging markets"
Mitali Amit Thepade, "To Operate or Not to Operate: Ethical Implications of Corporations Operating in Unjust Regimes"