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Scentsational research on display  

JMSB’s first Graduate Research Exposition

By Anna Sarkissian

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Thirty-eight students from the MSc and PhD in Administration presented their research in poster form to the public, shared knowledge with their peers and interacted with judges from the business community during the first Graduate Research Exposition of the John Molson School of Business.

“It was a great chance to showcase who we are and what we do, plus our new home in the MB Building,” said Ulrike de Brentani, professor and director of both programs. The Nov. 12 event also introduced prospective students to the school’s two research-based academic degrees.

MSc candidate David Thomas presented the findings of his research into scents and consumer response – essentially, can peppermint make you shop 'til you drop?

Thomas explained that certain coffee chains which no longer grind beans on the premises now pump in a faux coffee scent. Sony Style stores use a mandarin orange-vanilla scent to soften the brand's image.

"It's about creating an experience," he said. "You want the customer to have the feeling that they were treated well and it was a positive encounter."

With his background as a triathlete, Thomas knew that peppermint odor can increase athletic endurance and strength. He asked 87 participants to strap on a pedometre and hit the mall. Some chewed peppermint or cinnamon gum to simulate the olfactory response, while others chewed none.

The peppermint blast proved effective and those shoppers went the longest and had the lowest perceived shopping time.

With the results and conclusion ready, Thomas is nearing the defense stage of his thesis. He said the poster competition helped put his name out there. "Professors and companies will start to know that this is my area of interest," he said.

During the judging period, the lobby was full from one end to the other with displays. Other research topics included brand social responsibility, investment costs associated with following Islamic laws, and the interplay of birth order, personality and innovation in family business.

Sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President Research and Graduate Studies, the Bell Research Centre and the InterNeg Research Centre, the exposition included a reception and prize ceremony in which nearly $2 000 was given out for the best posters.

"All the students have good GPAs, but this experience can give them the advantage they need to succeed," said de Brentani, who initiated the event with help from management professor Linda Dyer, the exposition coordinator, and program assistant Jennifer Muir.

De Brentani went on to say that the exercise forced students to make complex topics easy to understand. "We sometimes get lost in our analytical model and forget that other people are not on our wavelength. It's a great feeling to find out that others are really interested in your work," she said.