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Network collaboration established between TU and Dublin City University

Collins College of Business at The University of Tulsa (TU) and the Irish Institute of Digital Business (IIDB) at Dublin City University have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote research-focused cooperation and exchanges between their faculty, administrative staff, departments and research institutions.

Large brown-and-black building
Dublin City University Business School

This agreement, which covers an initial five years, sets the groundwork for a collaborative relationship between the Collins College of Business and the IIDB via the creation of dotLAB Midwest at TU. This will be the first dotLAB network member in North America. The other members are in Brazil, France, Italy and Slovenia.

The IIDB and dotLAB Midwest

The IIDB is a center of excellence for theoretical and applied research that investigates and accelerates the adoption of digital technologies and the transformation of business using these technologies. Its research incorporates key enabling technologies that are catalyzing digital transformation, including cloud computing, mobile, social media, analytics and blockchain.

Series of tall pillars of different heights behind large blue letters DCU
Outside Dublin City University

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership with TU’s Collins College of Business,” said Mark Cummins, the IIDB’s director. “The addition of dotLAB Midwest to our global network of dotLAB partners now means we have research collaborations extending across North America, South America and Europe. TU’s business college brings a wealth of knowledge that opens up a unique opportunity to work together on digital business problems of relevance both sides of the Atlantic. We look forward to the future as we embark on this exciting new phase.”

On the TU side, the principal architects of this alliance were Collins College of Business Senior Associate Dean, Academics, Adrien Bouchet and Charles Wood, chair of the Department of Management, Marketing and International Business. “We are delighted in this research partnership with the IIDB and Dublin City University,” Bouchet commented. “This relationship will help both institutions strengthen their research capabilities by utilizing excellent data and faculty resources.”

“Sharing data, expertise and the coordination of projects will represent the substance and main body of work for dotLAB Midwest, and will include research publications crediting the partnership,” explained Wood. “We are also planning for TU faculty and student travel to the IIDB and to the other international universities in the dotLAB network to solidify and expand these collaborations.”

Activities, cooperation and next steps

The creation of dotLAB Midwest at TU will support various activities:

  • Collaboration on domestic and international research projects and proposals on the management and use of key enabling technologies to optimize and transform processes and organizations of all sizes and sectors
  • Knowledge transfer on specific themes and projects
  • Student and faculty exchanges
  • Development of faculty and researchers

The IIDB and the Collins College of Business also envision several areas of cooperation:

  • Visits by graduate students for research
  • Visits by and interchange of faculty and staff for research and collaboration
  • Exchange of information, including, but not limited to, exchange of data and research publications
  • Joint research activities
  • Joint educational activities, including, but not limited to, workshops and short courses

dotLAB Midwest’s first steps include a return visit to TU by two IIDB faculty in fall 2021. On this trip, Professor of Digital Business Theo Lynn and Assistant Professor in Business Analytics Pierangelo Rosati – who visited TU in 2019 — plan to explore and expand further research collaborations with TU faculty. A reception and formal announcement are planned.

For more information and to get involved in dotLAB Midwest, contact Charles Wood at charles-wood@utulsa.edu.

For more information about IIDB, contact Mark Cummins at mark.cummins@dcu.ie.

Business students team up with local firms and nonprofit organizations

Students in The University of Tulsa’s Collins College of Business regularly share their expertise with companies and nonprofits in Tulsa and surrounding communities. These projects not only give the students real-world experience, they also help local businesses and nonprofits find creative solutions to expand their brands and better reach consumers.

Professor Charles Wood wearing a green shirt and smiling
Professor Charles Wood

Professor of Marketing Charles Wood believes that hands-on experience is a valuable tool for learning about the world of marketing. “The purpose of all of these collaboration projects is for students to apply concepts they learn in class to real-world settings,” Wood said. “For an applied discipline such as marketing, real learning occurs best when students are required to synthesize and experientially use theories and concepts in new contexts.”

Dee Harris of Tulsa’s Family and Children Service Center worked with TU business students in both the spring and summer semesters. “Professor Wood’s classes are the perfect example of balancing student learning with community need,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be a partner in real-world learning as it invigorates students and provides nonprofits with a new perspective about our marketing and communication plans. I always look forward to collaborating with students and enjoy watching them discover, create and solve.”

Integrated Marketing Communication

A potent example of this university-and-community engagement arose in the spring 2020 Integrated Marketing Communication course. In this course, undergraduate students formed teams and worked with seven local nonprofit and for-profit organizations. At the beginning of the project, representatives of the organizations came to campus multiple times to check-in with the students’ progress and provide assistance where needed. Then, once the COVID-19 pandemic altered the semester plans, the meetings between student groups and their organizations continued, albeit online.

Despite the unexpected transition to online classes, the students and their companies maintained a close working relationship that promoted growth for both parties. The student teams developed and managed a full Google AdWords campaign to help their clients achieve their goals. A local social media expert, Joe Hart, came to these sessions and supported the teams throughout the semester.

Consumer Behavior

During the summer, community engagement continued, but this time with graduate students. A consultancy brief project in the master of business administration (MBA) Consumer Behavior course paired small groups of students with 10 local companies including Scoops Rolls and Creamery, Runners World and Marshall Brewing. Each group of students listened to their partner-firm’s concerns and developed personalized plans to meet their needs.

For the summer course, Wood explained, “the only selection criteria provided was that the business be locally owned. Students were encouraged to choose their own clients based on what they believed was the organization’s potential and clear need for some advice and assistance, meet with the owners and then proceed from there.”

All the groups delivered potential aids to the companies, including ideas about better use of social media, customer loyalty programs, community engagement, retail layout improvements, partnerships, branding and promotions.

Danny Donley smiling and wearing a blue polo shirt
Danny Donley, MBA student

One student in the MBA course, Danny Donley, said of the summer experience: “The chance to work hands-on with a real company in our community that is struggling a little extra because of the COVID-19 pandemic was a tremendous experience. My team worked with a small massage therapy company and helped use our knowledge and research to immediately revitalize the company’s marketing strategy and reach. We had the opportunity to put creative ideas into action to test our own skills while benefiting a local firm, which is rewarding in two ways.”

A business degree from TU will bring you in contact with faculty members at the forefront of their fields who are excellent teachers as well as scholars. Learn about this vibrant, welcoming community.