There and Back Again: The Journey to Becoming an IS Professor Prof Jan Recker, PhD Woolworths Chair of Retail Innovation Information Systems School, Queensland University of Technology
Aug 03, 2015
There and Back Again: The Journey to Becoming an IS Professor
Prof Jan Recker, PhDWoolworths Chair of Retail Innovation
Information Systems School, Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of TechnologyBrisbane Australia
Secrets of successful people
- have talent- work hard
- are at the right place- at the right time
Three Lessons I learned from J.R.R Tolkien
1. Why the Journey means more than the Destination
2. Why Fellowships are so cool.
3. How do I find my Galadriel?!
Why didn’t the Eagles fly the Ring to Mount Doom?
I.e. why becoming a Professor fast is not really a good thing.
Spoiler Alert:My journey in a nutshell
late 2005: Commenced PhD studies (but did research before)
2006: ICIS DC participant (in freezing Wisconsin)
2007: Started thesis examination procedure (very lengthy process in Australia…)
2008: Graduated!Runner‐up ICIS Dissertation Award (Gal Oestreicher‐Singer won – and she’s doing amazing work!)
2008: Started as Senior Lecturer (= Asst. Prof).
2010: Tenure & Promotion to Associate Professor
2012: Promotion to Full Professor & became “Woolworths Chair”
2014: Wish I was SL/Asst. Prof again!
The prerogative of young people is that we never listen to good advice.
“You will never again have as much time to learn new things, methods and
techniques than you have now. “
Set yourselves learning objectives:
Publish top research with different methods
Publish in all six top journals
Pre‐tenure: Become known for something. Float and lift.
▪ Continue with your dissertation topic.
▪ Write your own papers. Don’t expect others to do this for you, even in collaborative work.
▪ Learn to increase your productivity and effectiveness.
▪ Do engaged research with impact.
▪ Learn to build and maintain a program of work.
Engaged Research = Science with Impact
Research Practice
IMPACTINGInspiration
Research Findings (Evidence)
UNDERSTANDINGInspiration
Empirical Evidence
Engaged Research = Science with Impact
Research Practice
IMPACTINGInspiration
Research Findings (Evidence)
UNDERSTANDINGInspiration
Empirical Evidence
The Engagement Value Proposition
▪ Innovative and real research problems
▪ Quality empirical evidence
▪ Cross‐selling and funding opportunities
▪ Real world impact
For Industry?The “Research as a Service” Model
▪ Inserting scientific principles into emerging evidence‐based organizations
▪ Research as a service– Novel conceptual perspectives– Rigorous scientific principles– Quality empirical evidence– Increased research bandwidth– Unbiased observation
Research Program Building: Expand mindfully
Three strategies1. Maintain interest in a theory, and
explore a variety of domains and methods.
2. Maintain skills in a method, and apply to various theories and domains.
3. Maintain a domain of interest, and vary method and theory.
Worked for me.
Post‐tenure: find a topic close to heart, which matters!
▪ Expand or move into other areas.
▪ Build a research program that matters.
▪ Our generation is much better placed to do this than “the old folks”– IS is more than TAM, UTAUT, TTF and IS Success– Rapidly emergent IT– Unforeseen phenomena– Unparalleled data access opportunities
▪ But: stay afloat.
▪ But: do it better than we have done in the past.
Why Fellowships are so cool
▪ Fellowship = Funding
▪ Fellowship = Friendship
▪ Fellowship = Connectedness
Fellowship as Funding
▪ Attractive schemes that fund You – not a project (let alone someone else)
▪ You become very attractive to universities if you pay for yourself
▪ Can boost your research capacity immensely (“buys you out of teaching”)
▪ Usually come with side benefits (networks, resources, etc.)
Fellowship as Friendship
Let me not to the marriage of true mindsadmit impediments. (Shakespeare, Sonnet 116)
▪ Soulmateship
▪ Free from directive,utility and purpose
▪ Deep trust and understanding
Friendship and Research
Friendship
Research Over time, you realize who you ‘click’ with and whose working style fits yours (complement rather than match).
I find that I work most – and most effectively – with friends. (but I also found with which friends I cannot work!)
Fellowship as Connectedness
▪ The problems we examine are increasingly complex and large
▪ Research becomes increasingly inter‐disciplinary
▪ Can’t do it all by ourselves.
▪ Your best opportunityto connect is… here!
The DC Opportunity
▪ Your DC right now is probably the best starting point for connectedness.
▪ This is one missed opportunity I truly regret.
▪ New Opportunity: Build a Live Platform for Connectedness– Regular exchanges– Regular meeting– Regular seminars– …– Example: German Post‐Doc Community
Prof. Jan Recker, PhD
Woolworths Chair of Retail InnovationInformation Systems SchoolScience and Engineering FacultyQueensland University of Technology
email [email protected] www.janrecker.comtwitter janrecker