Madhu T. Rao, PhD

Associate Professor

PhD, Information Systems and International Business, Indiana University
MSc, Chemistry with Honors
ME, Systems and Information, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India
MMS, Management Studies

Phone: 206.296.6006

Office: Pigott 419

Email: rao@seattleu.edu

Department: Management

Web Address: http://fac-staff.seattleu.edu/rao

Teaching Areas: E-Commerce and Information Systems

In the News:

Madhu Rao was named the 2008 Albers Professor of the Year by the Business Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma.

Madhu Rao was featured on KIRO TV (May 2, 2008) commenting on Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo.

Madhu Rao’s article, co-authored by Terrence Earls, and Gloria Sanchez titled "International Collaboration in Transorganizational Systems Development: The Challenges of Global Insourcing", was published in the Journal of Global Information Technology Management (Spring 2007).

Madhu Rao presented his and Dr. John Dienhart's joint research on, Trust in Global Virtual Teams: An Integrative Social Contracts Theory Approach, at the Asia-Pacific Academy of Management and Business Conference (APAMB) held in Singapore from March 3-8, 2007

Madhu Rao's article titled Host Country Resource Availability and Information System Control Mechanisms in Multinational Corporations: An Empirical Test of Resource Dependence Theory was accepted for publication in the Journal of Management Information Systems (Spring, 2007)

Madhu Rao's article, co-authored with Bill Poole (Computer Science), Peter Raven and Diane Lockwood, titled Trends, Implications, and Responses to Global IT Sourcing: A Field Study was accepted for publication in the Journal of Global Information Technology Management (April, 2006 Issue).

Madhu Rao's paper titled Formal and Informal IS Control Mechanisms in MNCs: A Test of Resource Dependence Theory, presented at the 39th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences, on Kauai, Hawaii (January 4-7, 2006) was nominated for Best Paper from among over 600 other research works.

Madhu Rao and Diane Lockwood's article, From Group Assignment to Class E-Business Project: A Medical Rotation Approach has been accepted for publication in the Academy of Educational Leadership Journal.

Madhu Rao was featured in the Seattle Times, "Large companies in state shift to outsourcing, survey says," published on October 21, 2004.

Madhu Rao was a part of a three-person panel appeared on the Globalization and Security, aired on KCTS public television on October 21, 2004.

Madhu Rao was featured in The Bremerton Sun, "Tech summit to focus on future growth," published on October 11, 2004.

Madhu Rao was featured in the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, "WSTPA: Not just for local tech pros focused on the future, but you, too," published on October 5, 2004.

Madhu Rao was a panelist on the KCTS PBS program on September 23, 2004 regarding the topic "Outsourcing: How Will It Affect Your Vote."

Madhu Rao was a panelist on the KCTS Connects program in September, 2004. The topic was, Offshoring - How Will It Affect Your Vote?.

Madhu Rao's article, Key Issues in Global IT Sourcing: Country and Individual Factors," has been accepted for publication in Information Systems Management.

Madhu Rao and a team of Albers faculty, have been awarded a $16,000 grant for their project The Effects of Globalization and Outsourcing on Washington State. Rao has been the principal investigator of the project. The grant will fund research examining the trend of global IT sourcing in the state and its implications for education and workforce training. The research team will be interviewing top IT executives in large Washington-based organizations for their impression of the outsourcing phenomenon. 

Dr. Madhu Rao was born in India where he completed his undergraduate studies. His PhD was earned at Indiana University in Bloomington where his dissertation addressed the "Management of Global Technology". He researched 20 different countries and how management systems operate across cultures and what factors impact the decisions that are made. His area of expertise includes the coordination and control of cross-cultural issues in Global Technology Management.

Dr. Rao considers himself "tough, but fair" in the classroom. He gets to know his students personally and takes photos of each one. If you take a class with him , you will email him a bit on your background. He enjoys the teaching experience and likes to have a participative class that is very current. He sets standards for students as high as possible, knowing that when students are pushed, they'll do the job. And, just so you know, in retrospect, students tell him they're glad once they are out in the working world!

Madhu comes from a line of teachers in his family. His father is a professor at the University of New Delhi, his mother teaches at the local high school, and his wife is a researchist at the UW! He loves college sports and is a "die-hard Hoosier fan". Racquetball is a favorite sport and he cycles to work. Madhu also takes time to hike, scuba dive, and is an avid photographer. His door is always open to all, so feel free to stop by and ask him about internships or how to plot your career path.

From interview with Lauren Carriere, Editor of Albers GradNews, November 2001