Newtown Researcher Honored At Forum

FAIRFIELD — Dr Patricia Poli of Newtown, an assistant professor of accounting on the faculty of Fairfield University’s School of Business, and her colleague, Dr Carl A. Scheraga, received the prestigious Aviation Research Paper Award at the 41st annual conference of the Transportation Research Forum.

The two business professors received the award for their paper, “Domestic Airline Strategic Behavior in the Post-Recession Environment of the 1990s: A Comparison of the Value Chain, Contribution, and DuPont Methodologies.”

Their study showed that traditional finance and cost accounting analyses tell only part of the story regarding business strategy, and can be inappropriately applied. “The use of value chain analysis links the company’s need to produce profits and keep costs low with the consumer’s desire for increased value,” said Dr Scheraga, who is an associate professor of business strategy and technology management.

“The contribution analysis is able to identify the cost of leadership and product differentiation strategies used by the airlines. The value chain analysis is then able to determine whether these strategies were successfully applied and led to continued increase in profit,” he said.

This is the second consecutive year that Dr Poli and Dr Scheraga have been recognized by the conference for their research. These awards are based on a peer-reviewed process.

The Transportation Research Forum is an independent organization of transportation professionals. Its purpose is to provide an impartial meeting ground for carriers, shippers, government officials, consultants, university researchers, suppliers, and others who seek an exchange of information and ideas related to  transportation.