This document summarizes Professor Jan Recker's journey from commencing PhD studies in 2005 to becoming a full professor in 2012. It provides career advice for early career academics, emphasizing the importance of engaged research, fellowship, and building a research program around topics that matter. Recker encourages attendees to make the most of opportunities at conferences like ICIS to build connections with fellow researchers. The document concludes by advising attendees to find supportive collaborators, like Tolkien's Galadriel, to support them in their academic careers.

1. There and BackAgain: The Journey
to Becoming an IS Professor
Prof Jan Recker, PhD
Woolworths Chair of Retail Innovation
Information Systems School, Queensland University of Technology

2. Queensland University of Technology
Brisbane Australia
Secrets of successful people
- have talent
- work hard
- are at the right place
- at the right time

3. 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?!

4. Why didn’t the Eagles fly the
Ring to Mount Doom?
I.e. why becoming a Professor fast is
not really a good thing.

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

6. 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!

7. The prerogative of young people is
that we never listen to good advice.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. Engaged Research = Science
with Impact
Research Practice
IMPACTING
Inspiration
Research Findings (Evidence)
UNDERSTANDING
Inspiration
Empirical Evidence

11. Engaged Research = Science
with Impact
Research Practice
IMPACTING
Inspiration
Research Findings (Evidence)
UNDERSTANDING
Inspiration
Empirical Evidence

12. The Engagement Value Proposition
▪ Innovative and real research problems
▪ Quality empirical evidence
▪ Cross‐selling and funding opportunities
▪ Real world impact

13. 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

14. Research Program Building:
Expand mindfully
Three strategies
1. 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.

15. Expand mindfully
JAIS
2009
MISQ
2011
EJIS
2010
I&M
2010
EJIS
2010

16. 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.

17. Need inspiration?
http://www.undp.org/mdg

18. Need inspiration?
http://www.undp.org/mdg

19. Why Fellowships are so cool

20. Why Fellowships are so cool
▪ Fellowship = Funding
▪ Fellowship = Friendship
▪ Fellowship = Connectedness

21. 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.)

22. Fellowship as Friendship
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
admit impediments. (Shakespeare, Sonnet
116)
▪ Soulmateship
▪ Free from directive,
utility and purpose
▪ Deep trust and understanding

23. 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!)

24. 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 opportunity
to connect is… here!

25. 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

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

27. Prof. Jan Recker, PhD
Woolworths Chair of Retail Innovation
Information Systems School
Science and Engineering Faculty
Queensland University of Technology
email j.recker@qut.edu.au
web www.janrecker.com
twitter janrecker