The Marketing Institute in the Florida State University College of Business has been renamed the Institute for Applied Business Research.
The institute was created in 1992 through a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to research consumer behavior among public transportation users. Today, the work of the Institute for Applied Business Research continues to be fully funded through contracts and grants from non-university entities.
Over its 22-year history, however, the institute’s mission has evolved, and a name change was needed to reflect the growth and diversification of its project portfolio. Although marketing research and professional development are still a cornerstone of its operations, the institute also works with clients to explore and implement other business-oriented strategies to address such issues as operational efficiency, labor force logistics and risk.
Sponsored funding for the institute in fiscal year 2013-2014 was approximately $700,000. These funds support a staff of eight employees and facilitate faculty and doctoral student research and teaching in service to clients who represent private business, government and nonprofit organizations.
The institute also provides an opportunity for undergraduate business students to gain valuable work experience. In addition to offering various student internships, the institute is home to the Consulting Group, a student-run organization comprising some the college’s best and brightest students — all of whom have aspirations of working in the consulting industry and applying their current education in service to others.
“Our clients and sponsors look for business-oriented solutions to address a variety of issues,” said Jeff Horton, the institute’s director. “The goal of the institute has always been — and will continue to be — to match client needs with the skills and expertise of business faculty, students and staff. We want to create tools and resources that can solve real-world problems.”