91ÊÓƵ

Faculty Spotlight: Noushi Rahman, PhD

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We sat down with Professor Noushi Rahman of the Department of Management and Management Science at 91ÊÓƵ's Lubin School of Business to discuss his 22-year career at the University. With research interests spanning corporate strategy, corporate social responsibility, corporate misconduct, and artificial intelligence in business, he combines academic rigor with real-world application in his teaching. His commitment to critical thinking and experiential learning prepares students to succeed in complex business environments.

Why Management?

Management sits at the intersection of economics, psychology, and sociology—three disciplines I find fascinating. As a management scholar, I have the opportunity to explore ideas from these disciplines and conceptualize their combined applications in the business world.

Why Lubin/91ÊÓƵ?

During my six years as a doctoral student in the Business Program at the City University of New York, I steadily became a New Yorker. My administrative home was the Graduate Center in Midtown Manhattan, and my academic home was Baruch College in Lower Manhattan. When I entered the job market, I sought positions within a commutable distance of New York City. I had known about 91ÊÓƵ and the Lubin School of Business for years, so I was thrilled to accept 91ÊÓƵ's job offer.

What are your research interests/areas?

My research spans four key areas: (i) cooperative and competitive strategy, (ii) corporate social and environmental responsibility, (iii) corporate misconduct and reputation, and (iv) artificial intelligence in business. I remain actively engaged in all these areas.

Why is it important to advance research in these areas?

As a scholar, I am trained to do research. Therefore, I naturally gravitate toward new research projects. While research can be frustrating, it is also rewarding and fun.

I find company strategy to be a fascinating topic because of its complexity. My interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental responsibility stemmed from an early curiosity about social entrepreneurship—I have conducted modest work in that area as well. It all started when my sister wrote a term paper on the topic. Around the same time, the Wilson Center received funding to establish a Social Entrepreneurship Center at 91ÊÓƵ, and I connected those dots. I am grateful for these seemingly random events, as my research in the CSR space has had a significant impact, as evidenced by scholarly citation data.

My focus on corporate misconduct and reputation began when one of my doctoral students chose it as the subject of his dissertation. I found the topic compelling and eventually became a subject matter expert in the field. More recently, while supervising another doctoral student, I was introduced to academic literature on artificial intelligence's role in business. This area captivated me as well, and over the past few years, I have actively pursued several projects in this domain.

I emphasize critical thinking and empirical applications in my teaching. While case discussions center on facts, I encourage students to delve deeper and uncover what those facts reveal at a conceptual level.

What do students learn in your classroom?

I emphasize critical thinking and empirical applications in my teaching. While case discussions center on facts, I encourage students to delve deeper and uncover what those facts reveal at a conceptual level. This approach sharpens their business insights, enabling them to read and interpret business stories more effectively than they could before taking my course.

In my strategy elective courses, I also assign a data-driven project. Students learn to computationally visualize data and interpret their visuals like consultants, gaining practical, transferable skills that prepare them for real-world business challenges.

Discuss your professional path and its impact on how you teach and what you teach.

I am a career academic, with professional experience that includes brief engagements as a consultant and subject matter expert for both for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations. These diverse experiences have informed my teaching with a large collection of practical insights and real-world applications that complement my scholarly research.

What are some challenges you had to overcome to get to where you are today?

As an international student pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies in the U.S., I faced many challenges common to international students, including funding limitations, restricted employment opportunities, and the absence of a supportive network. Additionally, during my time as a student, free calling platforms were unavailable, making communication with my parents—who lived on the other side of the world—both limited and expensive.

These challenges, however, made me more resilient and determined. I believe that every challenge presents opportunities, just as every opportunity comes with its own set of challenges.

Of which triumph are you most proud?

I coauthored an article with Professor William Starbuck, who was my doctoral advisor's advisor. I am particularly proud of earning Professor Starbuck's respect and collaborating with him on this project.

What is the single most important lesson you'd like to impart to your students?

There is no alternative to hard work. While technology will make work easier, it will avail us all more time to do more work. Hard work needs to remain constant to do well in life. There is no shortcut.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

To me, #LubinLife blends academic rigor and real-world application, and fosters a culture where critical thinking meets applied-setting execution. As a strategy professor at Lubin, I put this in practice by guiding students through case discussion-based classes and data-driven projects that prepare them to navigate and excel in business environments.

Courses Professor Rahman Teaches:

• Strategic Decisions (MBA 820) [capstone course of the MBA program]
• Competitive Business Strategy (MGT 637)
• Corporate Diversification Strategy (MGT 638)
• Business Strategy (MGT 490) [capstone course of the BBA program]