University at Buffalo School of Management

20 Buffalo Business Autumn 2018 Insights News about faculty and their research Excessive online support can be harmful for HIV patients For individuals living with HIV, online communi- ties provide the support sys- tem they need to engage in critical self-care. However, as new School of Management re- search finds, beyond a certain threshold, online support can become overwhelming, leading to negative health behaviors. "Despite advancements in research and treatment, HIV is still highly stigmatized," says Rajiv Kishore, associate professor of management science and systems. "Many pa- tients feel isolated and uncomfortable reveal- ing their diagnosis — even to close friends and family — and turn to online forums for emotional reassurance and health-related information." Published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, the study analyzed more than 30,000 discussion threads from a forum for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS from 2006-17, representing about 15,500 users and 330,000 posts. Working with HIV health specialists to ensure their meth- ods were valid, the researchers measured the emotional support or information the posts provided, and the level of self-care patients ex- pressed in response. "Initially, we found that as individu- als receive more words of encouragement and health information, they develop comforting relationships and better understand the virus, which encourages them to en- gage in positive self-care be- haviors," Kishore says. But above a certain level, too much social support can have a negative impact, the study found. "Many people perceive excessive emotional support as forced optimism and may become stressed or lose hope. Similarly, patients who re- ceive too much information may become overwhelmed," Kishore says. "In both cases, we find patients cope by disengag- ing from productive self-care." Kishore's co-authors were School of Management doctoral students Xunyi Wang and Srikanth Parameswaran, along with Darshan Mahendra Bagul, a computer science master's student at UB. x Rogers receives teaching award established by former dean Mary Ann Rogers, clinical assistant professor, was honored this spring with the Arjang A. Assad Excellence in Teaching Award. Established with a personal endowment from Assad, former School of Management dean, the award is presented biennially to a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching and leadership and a passion for the pro- fession. Recipients are cho- sen by the school's teaching effectiveness committee. According to the com- mittee, Rogers was recog- nized for her excellent, sustained contributions in the classroom (undergrad- uate, MBA, Professional MBA and Executive MBA) and her service as faculty liaison and sponsor to the Graduate Management Association. In particular, they noted her leadership and staffing of the school's new Communication Literacy initiative, a 3-credit course that helps un- dergraduates build a strong foundation in a range of communication skills, and improve how they write, speak and operate in the workplace. "In Professor Rogers's core MBA class, 'Management Communications,' I learned the wisdom of presentation zen — that mak- ing your presentations simple and beautiful is as fundamental to communicating your ideas as the text itself," says Nate Gulley, an MBA student. "I will forever ask myself if my presentations pass muster according to Professor Rogers." Rogers serves in the school's Accounting and Law D epartment and Organization and Human Resources Department. x Mary Ann Rogers teaches "Communication for Accountants." Photo: Nancy J. Parisi Kishore

• Cover