Texas Border Business
A Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) International Business Administration doctoral degree graduate won a cash prize for the Best Student Paper Award at the 24th Annual Western Hemispheric Trade Conference, hosted virtually this year by Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business.
Doreen Hanke received a cash prize of $400 for her paper submission, titled, “Can Employees Motivate Themselves? The Link between Peer Motivating Language and Employee Outcomes.” It will be published on a special issue of The International Trade Journal along with other best papers selected during the Conference.
The Honorable Mention Award went to Sethuraman Kalyanakrishnan, a graduate student at Prairie View A&M University, for his co-authored article titled, “Bribery and Corruption in Venezuela: An American Business Perspective.” Paper co-authors included Prairie View A&M University graduate students Waynisha Edwards, Tonya Barnes Stancil, Karen Jones, Kara Branch, and Marshall Bogan.
The Western Hemispheric Trade Conference attracts business leaders, experts, scholars and students from across the Western Hemisphere to TAMIU to explore various perspectives on international business and economics each year. It is co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, in partnership with Mexico’s Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas (UAT) Facultad de Comercio, Administración y Ciencias Sociales.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, on-site Conference activities were cancelled this year. Instead, proceedings took place virtually and the best articles from the Conference were selected for publication. A total of 88 submissions were included in the Conference program in either abstract or paper form, along with submissions from this year’s Partial Least Squares (PLS) Applications Symposium. The focus of the PLS Applications Symposium is on the application of PLS-based methods, from a multidisciplinary perspective. It encourages empirical submissions employing PLS as the main data analysis approach from a diverse range of disciplines.
Program chairs were Dr. Steve Sears, A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business Dean, and Dr. George Clarke, BBVA Compass Group Distinguished Associate Professor of Economics at TAMIU.
Dr. Sears said the Conference, despite its delivery modification this year, provided participants with a lively forum and space where they could contribute their perspectives on the state of business and economy in the Western Hemisphere.
“Each year in April, the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business and its Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric trade sponsors an international Conference where participants present their research papers, serve on panels and make presentations to attendees who come from the academic community, students and faculty from TAMIU, and business leaders in Laredo and the surrounding community,” he said, “As part of this Conference, the ARSSB encourages the students in its Ph.D. program in International Business Administration to submit their research papers for review to be considered as part of the program.”
Dr. Sears continued, “Doreen Hanke, a doctoral student in our program, presented her paper, and was recognized by a panel of experts with our annual award as the Best Student Paper Award at our 24th Annual Conference. We are very proud of Doreen’s work and she is another example of the outstanding students we have graduated from our Ph.D. program at TAMIU. We wish her well as she leaves us to take an academic appointment at another educational institution.”
This year’s conference sponsors included BBVA, Commerce Bank, Daniel B. Hastings, Inc., Falcon Bank, International Bank of Commerce, and Texas Community Bank.
For more information, contact Amy Palacios, associate director, Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, at 326.2820 or amy@tamiu.edu.
Additional information is available at facebook.com/tamiucswht
As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TAMIU’s campus is closed only to the general public. Entry to campus continues for students, faculty, staff and those having legitimate reasons to be on campus. Online and virtual services at the University continue, practicing all CDC Guidelines on gathering, masking and social distancing and with most staff working remotely. Office hours are subject to change and it is recommended that phone or email contact be made first to determine the office’s schedule of operation. An online directory is here.
The University’s dedicated COVID-19 website is updated regularly and includes information on office schedules and services, an expansive FAQ, quick links, student resources, official information resources and much more.