Sunil Mithas

Curriculum Vitae

Sunil is an associate professor at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in the Decision, Operations and Information Technologies Department. He earned his Ph.D. at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and an engineering degree from IIT, Roorkee. Prior to pursuing the PhD, he worked for about ten years in engineering, marketing and general management positions with the Tata Group.

He teaches core and elective courses in MBA and Executive MBA programs and a course in the PhD program at the Smith school.

He was identified as a 2011 MSI Young Scholar by the Marketing Science Institute. The MSI Young Scholar Program selects about 20 of "the most promising 'younger' (i.e., doctorate received 3-6 years ago) academics" and a "likely leader of the next generation of marketing academics" every two years.

Sunil's research focuses on strategic management and the impact of information technology (IT) resources such as IT spending, IT applications and IT human capital. His work traces the impact of IT resources on firm performance and shareholder value through revenue growth, cost reduction and intangibles such as customer satisfaction and organizational capabilities. His work in the area of IT-enabled outsourcing investigates the types of business processes and occupations that are most suitable for outsourcing and offshoring. This body of work provides implications for crafting IT and outsourcing strategies at the firm, plant and occupation levels and for investments in skills at the level of knowledge workers.

His research has appeared in premier journals that include Management Science, Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly, Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing, and Production and Operations Management. Some of this work has been featured in business publications such as Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Bloomberg, Computerworld, and InformationWeek. His papers have won the best paper award and best paper nominations. He has also won the best reviewer award at an INFORMS conference.

Book
  • Mithas, S. Digital Intelligence: What Every Smart Manager Must Have for Success in an Information Age, Finerplanet, North Potomac, 2012

    Interview on MPTV about the book : Aired in August 2012

    For more information and resources related to the book, go to www.thedigitalintelligence.com

    Articles
    1. Mithas, S., Tafti, A.R., and Mitchell, W. "How a Firm’s Competitive Environment and Digital Strategic Posture Influence Digital Business Strategy," MIS Quarterly (37:2) 2013, pp 511-536
    2. Tafti, A., Mithas, S., and Krishnan, M.S. "The Importance of IT-Enabled Flexibility in Alliances," MIT Sloan Management Review (54:3) 2013, pp 13-14
    3. Han, K., and Mithas, S. "Information technology outsourcing and non-IT operating costs: An empirical investigation," MIS Quarterly (37:1) 2013, pp. 315-331
    4. Tafti, A., Mithas, S., and Krishnan, M.S. "The Effect of Information Technology Enabled Flexibility on Formation and Market Value of Alliances," Management Science (59:1) 2013, pp. 207-225
    5. Mithas, S. "Career Coach: Tips for boosting your digital IQ, available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/career-coach-tips-for-boosting-your-digital-iq/2012/06/29/gJQAkbejGW_story.html," in: Washington Post (Capital Business, 2 July 2012), Washington, DC, 2012
    6. Mithas, S., Tafti, A.R., Bardhan, I.R., and Goh, J.M. "The impact of IT investments on profits," MIT Sloan Management Review (53:3) 2012, p 15
    7. Mithas, S., Tafti, A.R., Bardhan, I.R., and Goh, J.M. "Information Technology and Firm Profitability: Mechanisms and Empirical Evidence," MIS Quarterly (36:1) 2012, pp. 205-224
    8. Morgeson, F.V., Van Amburg, D., and Mithas, S. "Misplaced Trust? Exploring the Structure of the E-Government-Citizen Trust Relationship," Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (21:2) 2011, pp 257-283
    9. Mithas, S., Ramasubbu, N., and Sambamurthy, V. " How Information Management Capability Influences Firm Performance," MIS Quarterly (35:1) 2011, pp 237-256
    10. Morgeson, F.V., Mithas, S., Keiningham, T.L., and Aksoy, L. "An Investigation of the Cross-National Determinants of Customer Satisfaction," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (39:2) 2011, pp 198-215
    11. Whitaker, J., Mithas, S., and Krishnan, M.S. "Organizational learning and capabilities for onshore and offshore business process outsourcing," Journal of Management Information Systems (27:3) 2011, pp 11-42
    12. Mithas, S., and Lucas, H.C. "What is your digital business strategy?," IEEE IT Professional (Nov-Dec) 2010, pp. 4-6
    13. Mithas, S., and Lucas, H.C. "Are Foreign IT Workers Cheaper? U.S. Visa Policies and Compensation of Information Technology Professionals," Management Science (56:5) 2010, pp 745-765. (Appeared as a lead research article)
    14. Fornell, C., Mithas, S., and Morgeson, F.V. "The Economic and Statistical Significance of Stock Returns on Customer Satisfaction," Marketing Science (28:5) 2009, pp 820-825.
    15. Morgeson, F.V., and Mithas, S. "Does E-Government Measure up to E-Business? Comparing End-User Perceptions of U.S. Federal Government and E-Business Websites," Public Administration Review (69:4) 2009, pp 740-752
    16. Mithas, S., and Krishnan, M.S. "From association to causation via a potential outcomes approach," Information Systems Research (20:2) 2009, pp 295-313
    17. Fornell, C., Mithas, S., and Morgeson, F. "The statistical significance of portfolio returns," International Journal of Research in Marketing (26:2) 2009, pp 162-163
    18. Mithas, S., Jones, J.L. and Mitchell, W. "Buyer intention to use Internet-enabled reverse auctions: The role of asset specificity, product specialization, and non-contractibility," MIS Quarterly (32:4) 2008, pp 705-724
    19. Ramasubbu, N., Mithas, S., Krishnan, M.S., and Kemerer, C.F. "Work Dispersion, Process-Based Learning and Offshore Software Development Performance," MIS Quarterly (32:2) 2008, pp. 437-458
    20. Mithas, S., and Krishnan, M.S. "Human Capital and Institutional Effects in the Compensation of Information Technology Professionals in the United States," Management Science, (54:3) 2008, pp. 415-428 (Appeared as a lead research article)
    21. Ramasubbu, N., Mithas, S., and Krishnan, M.S. "High-tech, High-touch: The Effect of Employee Skills and Customer Heterogeneity on Customer Satisfaction with Enterprise System Support Services" Decision Support Systems (44:2) 2008, pp. 509-523
    22. Bardhan, I.R., Mithas, S. and Lin, S. "Performance Impacts of Strategy, Information Technology Applications, and Business Process Outsourcing in US Manufacturing Plants," Production and Operations Management, (16:6) 2007, pp. 747-762
    23. Whitaker, J., Mithas, S., and Krishnan, M.S. "A Field Study of RFID Deployment and Return Expectations, " Production and Operations Management, (16:5) 2007, pp. 599-612
    24. Mithas, S. and Whitaker, J. "Is the World Flat or Spiky? Information Intensity, Skills, and Global Service Disaggregation," Information Systems Research, (18:3) 2007, pp. 237-259 (Appeared as a lead research article)
    25. Mithas, S. and Jones, J.L. "Do Auction Parameters Affect Buyer Surplus in E-Auctions for Procurement? " Production and Operations Management (16:4) 2007, pp. 455-470 (Appeared as a lead research article)
    26. Tafti, A., Mithas, S. and Krishnan, M.S. "Information Technology and Autonomy-Control Duality: Toward a Theory, " Information Technology and Management (8:2) 2007, pp. 147-166
    27. Mithas, S., Ramasubbu, N., Krishnan, M.S. and Fornell, C. "Designing Websites for Customer Loyalty across Business Domains: A Multilevel Analysis," Journal of Management Information Systems (23:3) 2006, pp. 97-127
    28. Bardhan, I.R., Whitaker, J. and Mithas, S. "Information Technology, Production Process Outsourcing and Manufacturing Plant Performance," Journal of Management Information Systems (23:2) 2006, pp 13-40 (Appeared as a lead research article)
    29. Mithas, S., Almirall, D. and Krishnan, M.S. "Do CRM Systems Cause One-to-one Marketing Effectiveness?" Statistical Science (21:2) 2006, pp 223-233
    30. Fornell, C., Mithas, S., Morgeson, F. and Krishnan, M.S. "Customer Satisfaction and Stock Prices: High Returns, Low Risk," Journal of Marketing (70:1) 2006, pp 3-14 (Appeared as a lead research article)
    31. Mithas, S., Krishnan, M.S. and Fornell, C. "Why Do Customer Relationship Management Applications Affect Customer Satisfaction?" Journal of Marketing (69:4) 2005, pp 201-209.
    32. Prahalad, C.K., Krishnan, M.S. and Mithas, S. "Customer Relationships: The Technology Customer Disconnect,"in: Optimize (December), 2002, pp. 63-70.
    Book Chapter(s)
    1. Mithas, S., and Lucas, H.C. "Information Technology and Firm Value: Productivity Paradox, Profitability Paradox and New Frontiers," in: Information Systems and Information Technology (Volume II), H. Topi (ed.), Chapman & Hall/ CRC Press (Taylor and Francis Group), 2014
    2. Mithas, S., Almirall, D., and Krishnan, M.S."A potential outcomes approach to assess causality in information systems research," in: Economics, Information Systems and Electronic Commerce Research II: Advanced Empirical Methodologies, R.J. Kauffman and P.P. Tallon (eds.), ME Sharpe, Armonk, New York, 2009, pp. 63-85
    Research related stories in Business Press and Magazines
    The following articles in business press feature some of my research findings in a friendly and accessible language for non-academic audience. For a list of my academic articles, please see my CV.
    1. Thibodeau, P. "IT investments deliver profits, study finds, available at http://www.cio.com/article/703417/IT_Investments_Deliver_Profits_Study_Finds, accessed 3 Apr 2012," in: CIO, 2012
    2. Overby, S. "H-1B Visa Holders Earn More Than U.S.-Born IT Professionals, Study Claims, available at http://www.cio.com/article/print/594381," CIO (May 20, 2010)) 2010.
    3. Wadhwa, V. "Why Policy Makers Should Review the Facts Before Marching to the Drumbeat of the Xenophobes, available at http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/29/why-policy-makers-should-review-the-facts/," TechCrunch (29 May 2010) 2010.
    4. Winner, R. " "IT and firm profitability (available at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/research/ras/Oct2009/ITProfitability.html)," in: Research@Smith, 2008, pp. 6-7
    5. McGee, M.K. "Foreign IT Pros Working In U.S. Earning More Than Americans, available at http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/h1b/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217200260," in: InformationWeek (April 28, 2009), 2009.
    6. "Value of MBA, available at http://rhsmith.umd.edu/smithbusiness/fall2008/knowledgetransfer/mbavalue.html,"
    7. Winner, R. " "Could Your Job be Offshored (available at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/research/ras/jan2008/onlineonly.mithas.html)," in: Research@Smith, 2008
    8. Wagner, D., "Success factors in outsourcing service jobs: Which jobs are good candidates for global disaggregation? " MIT Sloan Management Review (48:1) 2006, p. 7 (Available at http://sloanreview.mit.edu/smr/issue/2006/fall/03/)
    9. "Stock tips, Smith Business Magazine, Fall 2006 "
    10. Agarwal, S., "Increased customer satisfaction increases stock prices " in:Research@Smith (Available at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/research/ras/spring2006/2.html), Spring 2006, p. 2
    11. Hoffman, Thomas, "An MBA Pays (And So Does a Y Chromosome)", Computerworld, July 4, 2005. (Available at http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=102892)
    12. Sullivan, B.K., "Men Who Have MBAs Are Highest-Paid in Technology, Study Finds," in: Bloomberg (May 26, 2005), 2005
    13. Garvey, Martin J., "Is an MBA worth it?", InformationWeek (Issue number 1012; November 1, 2004), pp. 31-33.
    14. Chabrow, Eric, "Keep 'Em Happy" , InformationWeek (Issue 907, 23 September 2002), pp. 20-22.
    Talks and Interviews
    1. Keynote address to about 300 Indian CIOs at a highly-publicized DQ Live (http://dqlive.in/) conference on 12 Dec 2012 at Mumbai organized by a leading IT research and media company. The event and the address was organized around my research on the effect of IT on profits.

      2. Here is a news article based on the above event : Shanbhag, S. "IT and business value - Over 300 CIOs attend DQ LIVE, http://www.dqindia.com/dataquest/feature/123163/it-business-value-over-300-cios-attend-dq-live," in: Dataquest (12 Dec 2012), 2012

    2. Interview on MPTV about the book : Aired in August 2012
    3. app2us.com "Interview with Dr. Sunil Mithas, Professor and Author of the "Digital Intelligence" Book, available at http://www.app2us.com/interviews/sunil_mithas.htm," 2012
    4. Arford, A. "Sunil Mithas Releases New Book on Digital Intelligence, available at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/news/stories/2012/MithasBook.aspx," 2012
    5. Interview on MPTV about the H-1B Visa paper : Aired in June 2010
    Working Papers
    Here is my SSRN author page that may have some working papers.
    Contact

    Sunil Mithas
    4357 Van Munching Hall
    Robert H Smith School of Business
    University of Maryland
    College Park, MD 20742, USA

    Email:smithas@rhsmith.umd.edu

    Facebook: ITmatters
    Blog: Occasional Blogs
    Twitter: ITisIMP

    This page was updated on 18 Apr 2013
    Official webpage at Robert H. Smith School of Business website is here.