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.

Why didn’t the Eagles fly the Ring to Mount Doom?

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.

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.

Expand mindfully

JAIS2009

MISQ2011

EJIS2010

I&M 2010

EJIS2010

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.

Need inspiration?

http://www.undp.org/mdg

Need inspiration?

http://www.undp.org/mdg

Why Fellowships are so cool

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

My final piece of advice: Find Galadriel and don’t let her go!

Prof. Jan Recker, PhD

Woolworths Chair of Retail InnovationInformation Systems SchoolScience and Engineering FacultyQueensland University of Technology

email j.recker@qut.edu.auweb www.janrecker.comtwitter janrecker