鈥淕ratitude interventions are exercises designed to increase your focus on the positive things in your life. One intervention involves writing down a list of things you are thankful for each day,鈥� says management Professor Shannon Taylor, who teamed up with fellow management Professor Maureen Ambrose and doctoral student and lead researcher Lauren Locklear for the study. 鈥淭hat simple action can change your outlook, your approach to work, and the way your co-workers see you.鈥�

Workplace mistreatment is widespread and can cost organizations millions of dollars each year. Bullying, gossip, and exclusion or ostracism have been shown to negatively impact physical health, job performance and job satisfaction. Mistreatment also hurts the bottom line, as it creates costs from productivity loss, employee turnover, and litigation.

鈥淲hile organizations spend quite a bit of time and money to improve employee behavior, there are not a lot of known tools available to actually make the needed changes,鈥� Locklear says. 鈥淲e found the gratitude journal is a simple, inexpensive intervention that can have a significant impact on changing employee behavior for the better.鈥�

For two weeks, study participants spent a few minutes a day jotting down the things, people and events they were grateful for 鈥� and as a result, their coworkers reported that they engaged in fewer rude, gossiping, and ostracizing behaviors.

鈥淕ratitude exercises are becoming increasingly popular products to improve employee attitudes and well-being, and our study shows managers can also use them to foster more respectful behavior in their teams,鈥� Taylor says.

The study was recently published in the . Locklear studies workplace deviance and mistreatment, as well as interventions in gratitude and mindfulness, and expects to graduate in the spring.

Taylor, who joined 麻豆原创 in 2012, has a doctorate in organizational behavior from Louisiana State University and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in finance from Bradley University. His areas of research include leadership and workplace mistreatment.

Ambrose is the Gordon J. Barnett Professor of Business Ethics at 麻豆原创 College of Business. Her research interests include organizational fairness, ethics and workplace deviance. Locklear studies workplace deviance and mistreatment, as well as interventions in gratitude and mindfulness, and expects to graduate in the spring.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in March, the country鈥檚 business landscape has rapidly shifted in favor of remote work, with very little time to plan for many companies. Researchers will review how companies moved to secure at-home work environments, examine remote workspaces and assess the overall impact on sensitive organizational information. What Posey鈥檚 team finds will likely have implications for companies long after COVID-19.

鈥淚n a nutshell, COVID-19 has thrown many things out of whack and prompted rapid decision-making for organizational leaders,鈥� Posey says. 鈥淭his research will be important for executives overseeing employees in non-traditional work environments.鈥�

As businesses continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic, employees are learning to share their workspaces with children, pets and housemates 鈥� all the while dealing with the resulting distractions. These unexpected working conditions can create a variety of responses among employees. Posey hopes his team鈥檚 research will uncover these behaviors and help prevent cybersecurity threats at companies large and small.

鈥淪ome employees might pay more attention to cybersecurity risks in the face of a disaster like the coronavirus because they are in a protective state of mind,鈥� Posey says. 鈥淥n the other hand, the added stress from working at home could lead other employees to pay less attention to security and take risky shortcuts and workarounds.鈥�

Supported by the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace program, the 麻豆原创 team will identify a sample of workers temporarily assigned to their homes due to the pandemic. Participants will be surveyed over a two-week period on their daily attitudes, stressors, actions and emotions regarding cybersecurity. In-depth interviews and assessments will be performed using several pools of participants working at home. Associate Professor Mindy Shoss of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Industrial/Organizational Psychology program will co-lead the research team with Posey. The proposal was accepted by the NSF as part of its Rapid Response Research funding mechanism, which supports studies with a severe urgency.

Posey received his doctorate in business administration from Louisiana Tech University and joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 , part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Business, in 2017. He is also a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Cybersecurity and Privacy Cluster.

Shoss earned her doctorate degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Houston. She joined 麻豆原创 in 2015.

About 麻豆原创 College of Business Established in 1968, the 麻豆原创 College of Business offers degrees at the bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, doctoral and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting, are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business鈥� AACSB International. The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business now and in the future. Learn more at .

The Don Quijote Awards Gala honors outstanding entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the Hispanic community. The Hispanic Community Champion Award is given to a non-Hispanic individual who has supported the progress of the Hispanic community in Central Florida.

Piccolo, who also is the Galloway Professor of Management at 麻豆原创, is being recognized for his strategic planning efforts with the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund of Metro Orlando (HHSFMO), and with Prospera, an economic development, nonprofit organization that specializes in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs who want to establish or expand their business. Piccolo facilitated the development of a long-range strategic and operational plan for HHSFMO, and studied and authored the 25-Year Economic Impact Analysis that estimated Prospera鈥檚 economic and philanthropic impact in Florida.

Piccolo returned to 麻豆原创 for his second stint last fall before being named chair of the management department in February. He had served as an assistant professor of management at 麻豆原创 from 2005-09. Before rejoining 麻豆原创, he was the Cornell聽Professor of Management and Academic Director of the聽Center for Leadership Development & Executive Education聽in the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. He has a Ph.D. in management from the University of Florida, an M.B.A. from Rollins, and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Stetson University.

On Dec. 9, Piccolo will be recognized at a gala at Epcot鈥檚 World Showplace Pavilion.

Johnson, also the Professional Science Master鈥檚 (PSM) Coordinator at 麻豆原创, brings a wealth of experience to the Board including four years assisting in the coordination of a statewide PSM initiative between 12 state universities.

The appointment of a 麻豆原创 employee to the NPSMA represents a national interest in 麻豆原创鈥檚 role in expanding the PSM program鈥檚 collaborative graduate education. And, perhaps more importantly, the move enhances 麻豆原创鈥檚 position as America鈥檚 Leading Partnership University.

The PSM is a unique, innovative program that prepares graduates for science careers in business, government, or nonprofit sectors. 麻豆原创 has five PSM programs including Health Care Informatics, Modeling and Simulation, Biotechnology, Conservation Biology, and Professional Engineering Management.

The hybrid degree program combines rigorous technical study in science or mathematics with practical training in leadership, management, ethics, and communication. Designed to increase industry partnerships, the PSM connects students directly to potential employers through required internships and employer/industry advisory boards. Each PSM program is guided by employer advisory boards. The goal is to provide industry, government, and nonprofits with employees who have a deep scientific knowledge as well as skills to apply that knowledge in innovative ways.

The PSM was started in 2000, and there are now more than聽302 programs at聽over 139聽universities.

The National Professional Science Master鈥檚 Association (NPSMA) joins together PSM degree program directors, faculty, administrators, industry representatives, alumni, and students that support PSM degree initiatives.聽The mission of NPSMA is to promote and support the growth and development of professional science master鈥檚 degree programs.

Johnson and four other individuals begin their three year terms with NPSMA on January 1, 2014. The new board members also include professionals and educators from SUNY Buffalo State College, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Blackstone and 麻豆原创 leaders gathered Monday to celebrate the donation and its impact on the university and the region. By expanding the resources 麻豆原创 offers to students with entrepreneurial ideas, the Blackstone LaunchPad has the potential to generate more than 300 new business ventures in Central Florida over the next five years.

鈥淭he increased interaction between business professionals and our passionate students through the Blackstone LaunchPad will expand the strong relationships that our university enjoys with our regional business community,鈥� 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt said during the celebration at the Morgridge International Reading Center.

鈥淢ost of our graduates choose to live and work in Central Florida, and we are optimistic that many of the students who benefit from the Blackstone LaunchPad at 麻豆原创 will start innovative companies that will enhance the well-being of our local economy.鈥�

The Blackstone LaunchPad, which 麻豆原创 expects to open this summer in the Student Union, will host a wide array of speakers and events focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. Four staff members and several graduate fellows will serve as advisers to the students, challenging them to turn ideas into more robust proposals. And students who develop strong proposals then will be matched with mentors from the local business community.

鈥淲hen we have students serious about entrepreneurship as a career path, we want to do everything we possibly can to help them be successful,鈥� said Cameron Ford, an associate professor of management who will lead the Blackstone LaunchPad initiative.

Students from all majors are invited to participate, and even students who don鈥檛 intend to start their own businesses can attend the programs. Many companies look specifically for employees who are innovators and who have strong entrepreneurial skills, Ford said.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Blackstone, visited 麻豆原创 Monday along with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, University of Miami President Donna Shalala and Jim Atchison, president and chief executive officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and a 麻豆原创 Board of Trustees member.

Blackstone LaunchPad is modeled after a successful program developed at the University of Miami in 2008, which has generated more than 100 start-up ventures, 215 new jobs and drawn nearly 2,000 participants.

Since 2010, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation has opened Blackstone LaunchPads on eight campuses in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Each regional initiative will be linked together, drawing ideas and best practices from more established programs, and giving student entrepreneurs at 麻豆原创 access to a stronger network of expert advisers for their ventures.

鈥淓ntrepreneurship is the single most effective way to spur economic growth and job creation,鈥� Schwarzman said. 聽“We must all play a role in nurturing talent and through Blackstone LaunchPad, we can foster new generations of entrepreneurs who will transform local economies by creating new and innovative companies.鈥�

Rubio praised Blackstone LaunchPad鈥檚 goal of helping students develop important skills entrepreneurs must have to succeed, such as how to navigate complex rules and regulations and how to market a business to potential customers.

Atchison described Central Florida as a 鈥渉ub of entrepreneurial spirit鈥� and said that if the program had been around when he was a 麻豆原创 student, 鈥淚 would have been the first one to sign up.鈥�

Students who develop strong business proposals through the Blackstone LaunchPad program may benefit from additional assistance offered by 麻豆原创. The university will establish a 鈥渧enture accelerator鈥� designed to prepare them to seek seed funding and angel investments and to become potential clients for the university鈥檚 Business Incubation Program. The goal of this stage will be to turn 鈥済ood prospects into outstanding prospects,鈥� Ford said.

Blackstone鈥檚 commitment in Central Florida, in addition to the $1.4 million grant announced today, includes investments in several companies in its portfolio, which it manages on behalf of investors. 聽The companies in Blackstone鈥檚 portfolio with operations in Central Florida, which includes Merlin, Hilton Worldwide, Performance Food Group, Michaels, and Sea World, have collectively invested close to $600 million in Central Florida in recent years.

Funding for this program is made possible through The Blackstone Charitable Foundation鈥檚 $50 million, five-year Entrepreneurship Initiative, which seeks to target support services regionally for aspiring entrepreneurs, and in turn, the high-growth businesses and industries that are most known to spark economic growth.聽 Due to the early success of the program, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation was recognized by President Obama鈥檚 鈥淪tartup America Initiative鈥� and pledged to expand LaunchPad to five new regions over the next five years.

The students’ role is to highlight the skills that the younger generation (millennials) add to the workplace. They will showcase their natural generational strengths by providing the conference attendees with technical support for the custom Learning 2011 App (a multi-platform app for the event), which will run on iPhones, iPads, Androids, BlackBerrys or a web browser. The app will include social networking, content updating and note taking functions.

The six students are:

Jones, an associate professor of Management, joined 麻豆原创 in 1989 and has served in several administrative capacities, including Management Department chair, associate dean for Graduate and External Programs and his current position of associate dean of Administration and Human Resources.

He has won several awards for his teaching, including the Teaching Incentive Program Award, the Carl H. Galloway Faculty Performance Incentive Award and the Faculty Leadership Award. Jones received his Ph.D. in Human Resource Management from the University of Georgia.

His vast experience working with staff and faculty members and students has prepared him for his new role.

鈥淚 am pleased to continue my work within the college and am excited to expand my role externally as I meet with our graduates and supporters,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚 look forward to this exciting opportunity.鈥�

Jones replaces Thomas Keon, who has served as the college鈥檚 dean for the past 14 years. Keon has accepted a position as chancellor of Purdue University Calumet.

麻豆原创 will conduct a national search to fill the position permanently.

Maureen Ambrose, professor of management in the College of Business Administration, has been named the Gordon J. Barnett Professor of Business Ethics.

Her new position allows her to spend more time on research. Her research interests include organizational fairness, ethics, and workplace deviance. She is widely published in these areas and has held editorial positions at several peer-reviewed journals.

鈥淚 am honored to step into this position. But beyond the personal satisfaction is the excitement I feel for the opportunities this creates for 麻豆原创. We are already an internationally-recognized center for research on issues related to business ethics. This position provides us the opportunity to not only continue those efforts, but to extend them to our doctoral program and beyond,鈥� said Ambrose.

鈥淎s a result, we will not only continue our reputation as 鈥榯he place to be鈥� for serious business ethics research. We will also become known as the source for business ethics scholars of tomorrow. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a part of that!鈥�

Ambrose has been a faculty member since 1999. Prior to joining 麻豆原创, she served on the faculty at the University of Iowa and was director of research for the University of Colorado at Boulder College of Business. She has also been a visiting scholar at the Instituto d鈥橢mpressa in Madrid and the Universit茅 de Toulouse in France.

Ambrose is a fellow of the Academy of Management and the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She is a member of the Society for Organizational Behavior and has served on the executive committee for the Society since 2007. Additionally, she is a member of the Academy of Management ethics education committee.

She received her Ph.D. in 1986 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Stephen Goodman has been named chair of the Management Department at the 麻豆原创 College of Business Administration. He replaces Foard Jones, who was recently appointed Associate Dean for Administration and Human Resources. Goodman joined the College of Business Administration faculty in 1984. He received both an MBA and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from The Pennsylvania State University. In addition, he holds undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering and aeronautical engineering. Prior to joining 麻豆原创, Goodman spent 12 years on the faculties of Ohio State University and Florida State University. His teaching and research interests include quality management, production/operations management, project management, and management science. He is widely published and has contributed to his profession through numerous seminars and training courses for practitioners in the field of production/operations management. In addition to his academic credentials, he was named a Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM) by the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS).