SLU Co-Hosts the 17th Global Business Conference with ATIFTAP

by Dr. Laarni Natividad, University Research and Innovation Center

Saint Louis University (SLU) took pride in co-hosting the 17th Global Business Conference alongside the esteemed Association of Training Institutions for Foreign Trade in Asia and the Pacific (ATIFTAP). 

The University Research and Innovation team co-organized the event, bringing together some of the brightest minds in global business. With the theme, “The Signs of Light: Global Business and Beyond,” the conference highlights enlightening discussions on the latest trends and innovations in international trade and business.

17^th Global Business Conference: Part I

Part 1 of the conference commenced in the afternoon of 18 March 2023, in a virtual setting. SLU faculty and students actively participated in the event, including the academic community from various partner universities: National University (NU), Asia Pacific College (APC), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), and San Pedro Laguna Campus. The collaborative effort showcased the dedication of these institutions to fostering knowledge-sharing and scholarly exchanges in the region.

The paper presentations from Saint Louis University were spearheaded by the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing, and Information Studies (SAMCIS) faculty. Four esteemed professors, Dr. Beverly Ferrer, Dr. Josephine Dela Cruz, Dr. Marc Oliver Castañeda, and Dr. Gerry Gatawa, presented their research works, shedding light on diverse aspects of global business. The facilitation team from SLU, comprising Dr. Laarni Natividad and Mr. Karlo Dacanay, ensured the smooth flow of the virtual presentations, providing technical support and maintaining engagement throughout the event. Dr. Leilani De Guzman also played a significant role as one of the reactors during the paper presentations, offering insightful feedback and encouraging academic discussions.

The following are the research papers presented during this conference:

1. AGISS: A Web-based Inventory and Sales Monitoring System for AG Florendo Beverage Distributor
2. Simflow: An Inventory, Sales, and Ordering System for a Local Foods Producer
3. Sparoo:  A Web-based Records and Booking Management System for L&V Spa
4. Tanikalusugan-BlockVax: A Digitized Immunization Records System Using Blockchain Technology
5. Sew-Cut: A Mobile Tailoring Management System with a Body Measurement Tool for Balala’s Dressmaking and Tailoring Shop
6. A Convolutional Neural Network Leaf Disease Recognition and Classification
7. The Role of Tax Awareness, Knowledge, and Penalties in Relation to Self-employed Individual Taxpayer’s Compliance in the Province of La Union
8. Evaluating the Performance of MobileNetV2, DenseNet169, and the Concatenated Model in Waste Classification
9. “Do country indicators matter to economic growth? A multi-country panel data analysis” 
10. “Does Maintenance of Solvency Matter? Evidence from a Panel Data Among Publicly Traded Firms in the Philippines” 
11. “Does Maintenance of Short-Term Liquidity Matter to Firm Performance and Value? Evidence from a Panel Data among Publicly Traded Firms in the Philippines 
12. “Communication and dialogue management system: A contemporary reflection of Levinasian face-to-face dialogue” 
13. “The Implementation of Working Capital Management among Cooperatives: A Case of Cooperatives in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines” 
14. “The Trends of Cooperatives’ Finances: Do they Reflect the Values and Principles of Cooperativism?” 

17^th Global Business Conference: Part II

Part II of the conference unfolded on 1 July 2023, utilizing a hybrid modality. The university community eagerly awaited this second part, as it promised a mix of engaging virtual sessions and meaningful face-to-face interactions.

Dr. Lee Majors Fajilan, a distinguished faculty member from SAMCIS at Saint Louis University, graced the event as one of the keynote speakers. His talk, “AR in the 4th IR,” delved into the impact of Augmented Reality (AR) in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, providing attendees with valuable insights and visions for the future of global business.

During this conference segment, Dr. Gerry Gatawa, from SLU, led the paper presentations. Alongside his team of diligent students, he presented their research outputs, showcasing the commitment of SLU to nurturing the next generation of scholars and researchers.

The following are the research papers presented during the Part II of the conference.

1. The Effect of Cash Management of Firm Performance and Value: A Panel Data Analysis among Publicly Listed Firms in the Philippines Authors:  Mehdi Afsarikashi* and Gerry O. Gatawa** | Affiliations:  SAS student* and **Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS

2. The Effect of Asset Management of Firm Performance and Value: A Panel Data Analysis among Publicly Listed Firms in the Philippines Authors:  Maria Elena A. Gajisan* and Gerry O. Gatawa** | Affiliations:  SAS student* and **Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS

3. The Effect of Debt Management on Shareholder’s Wealth: A Panel Data Analysis among Publicly Listed Firms in the Philippines
   Authors:  Angeline L. Labbutan* and Gerry O. Gatawa** | Affiliations:  SAS student* and **Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS

4. The Effect of Dividend Decision on the Firm’s Growth and Value: A Panel Data Analysis among Publicly Listed Firms in the Philippines
   Authors:  Jonalyn G. Walay* and Gerry O. Gatawa** | Affiliations:  SAS student* and **Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS

5. The Role of Firm’s Profitability on Value Creation: A Panel Data Analysis among Publicly Listed Firms in the Philippines
   Authors:  Katherine R. Vilaga* and Gerry O. Gatawa** | Affiliations:  SAS student* and **Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS

6. Patterns of Paid-up Capital and Cooperative Membership: Do they Signal Problems of Collectivist Behaviour?
   Authors:  Dr. Gladys M. Navarro* and Gerry O. Gatawa** | Affiliations:  Professor-University of Pangasinan* and **Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS

7. Financial Stewardship of Cooperatives
   Authors:  Gerry O. Gatawa* and Febra Canuto** | Affiliations:  *Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS and **Admin Officer-Department of Education

8. Reflecting Collectivism in the Vision, Mission and Goals (VMGs) of Cooperatives
   Authors:  Gerry O. Gatawa* and Febra Canuto** | Affiliations:  *Faculty for SAS and SAMCIS and **Admin Officer-Department of Education

Output of the Conference

The conference also served as a platform for scholars to share their work with a broader audience through the Journal of Global Business, a peer-reviewed journal indexed in Andrew Gonzalez’s Philippine Citation Index. The journal has a bi-annual publication dedicated to the research presented at the Global Business Conference held twice a year in Manila, ensuring that the intellectual contributions of the participants would have a lasting impact beyond the confines of the conference. 

Click the link to read the publication of our selected students and faculty members during the first part of the conference:  

https://atiftap.org/ejournals-v12i1