Grants Support World-Class Research at DeGroote

DeGroote is proud to announce that seven researchers have been awarded grants through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).

SSHRC Insight Grants

Insight Grants support both emerging and established scholars as they conduct research that addresses complex issues about individuals and societies, informing the search for solutions to societal challenges.

Researchers: Mohamed Shehata and Kevin Veenstra, Accounting and Financial Management Services

Project title: Test-Bedding the Impact of Trading with Artificial Intelligence on Stock Market Performance

Amount awarded: $99,928

This project acknowledges the growth of algorithmic trading utilizing AI tools in financial markets and is relevant for a wide number of stakeholders, including stock market regulators, retail and institutional investors, and academia. The team will assess the ability of an AI machine learning tool to compete against human traders in the same environment.

Researcher: Catherine Connelly, Human Resources and Management

Project title: Wage theft: Antecedents and consequences for managers who illegally underpay their employees

Amount awarded: $210,248

This project studies two interrelated themes: 1) What are the psychosocial reasons why managers engage in wage theft? How do they justify these actions to themselves and others? 2) What are the personal, interpersonal, and organizational consequences for managers who engage in wage theft? The findings will also enrich the public discourse on employment standards in Canada, while offering practical solutions for organizations that are seeking to prevent this practice.

Researcher: Yufei Yuan, Information Systems

Project title: Employees’ attitude towards a digital teammate: A threat or an enhancement of their job identity?

Amount awarded: $71,300

Artificial Intelligence enabled chatbots (ICA) are expected to transform the frontline workforce in many online businesses. The main objective of this project is to study the impact on the job identity of existing employees and will address employees’ perceptions of current ICA capabilities as a new digital worker, predictions on future ICA’s advanced intelligent capabilities, and impacts on job identity through their perceived loss of control, loss of employability, and status.

CFI JELF Grants

JELF grants support world-class research and technology development in universities across Canada through investments in research infrastructure, including facilities and equipment, that enable researchers to conduct leading-edge studies in their field.

Researcher: Elkafi Hassini, Operations Management

Project title: Infrastructure for Sustainable E-commerce Last-mile Deliveries

Amount awarded: $117,000

The exponential growth of e-commerce has greatly increased the number of parcels delivered to consumers and has placed significant pressure on supply chains. This project focuses on the critical last-mile deliveries in e-commerce. The traditional solution of adding more capacity by acquiring or renting more delivery trucks is not optimal given the shortage of truck drivers, increasing cost of illegal delivery trucks’ parking and increase in urban traffic congestion not to mention the impacts on the environment and communities provides conflicting opinions on whether online shopping reduces carbon emissions. There is a need for innovative delivery technology to address the unprecedented increase in ecommerce delivery volumes; smart mobile lockers used in tandem with city buses will be tested.

Researchers: Yair Berson and Rick Hackett, Human Resources and Management

Co-applicant: Laurel Trainor, Faculty of Science

Project title: Lab for Innovative Neurophysiological Study of Leadership
Amount awarded: $302,379

The project will develop a world-class neurophysiological leadership research lab, which will be housed in The McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery (MCCD). It will permit the use of neurophysiological technologies to enable the direct assessment of the effects of leaders on individuals and teams, focusing on the synchronizing role of leaders. Laboratory findings will help elucidate the behavioural and neural mechanisms underlying social interactions through access to this unique neurophysiology lab in a facility designed to mimic natural business environments. In addition to advancing cutting-edge research, this technology will be used to provide detailed feedback to leaders concerning the level of follower engagement.