Building networks, research teams,
managing virtually
Prof. Neal Ashkanasy
And Prof. Victor Callan
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Outline
1. Using conferences to your full advantage to build
networks
2. Working effectively in research teams
3. Managing virtuality
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Using conferences to their
full advantage
Do your homework
Example - The Academy Web Site
• Http://www.aomonline.org
• Membership forms
• Annual Meeting Programs
• Searchable membership list
• Information about Divisions and Interest Groups
• Submission of conference papers
• Journals
– Information for authors
– Electronic submission
– On-line journals
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25 Divisions of the Academy
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Business Policy & Strategy
Careers
Conflict Management
Critical Management Theory
Entrepreneurship
Gender and Diversity in
Organizations
Healthcare Management
Human Resources
International Management
Management Consulting
Management Education &
Development
Management History
Management, Spirituality and
Religion*
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Managerial & Organizational
Cognition
Operations Management
Organization Development & Change
Organization & Management Theory
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Communication &
Information Systems
Organizations & the Natural
Environment
Public & Non-Profit
Research Methods
Social Issues in Management
Strategizing Activities and Practices*
Technology & Innovation
Management
*Interest group
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Avoid getting lost at conferences
• Example of the US Academy
• Around 10000 delegates!
• How to avoid getting lost:
– Social programs for those “in the know”
– Stick with your ‘home’ division
– Let your ‘fellow country’ people introduce you to their
overseas colleagues
– Be brave and say ‘hi’ to complete strangers
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Look for the international
dimensions
• Example of the US Academy
• 45% of Academy papers are international
(not based in the USA)
• Activities of the International Themes Committee
(ITC)
• International programs run by Divisions,
especially IM
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Seek out professional development
workshops at conferences
• Workshops
– e.g. “Cognition in the Rough”
• Research and methods training
• Consortia
– Doctoral (New and senior)
– New faculty
– “Not so new” faculty
• Teaching
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Seek to get up a symposium
• US Academy example
• Four types of Symposium
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Single Division Symposia
Multiple (up to 3) Division Symposia
“All Academy” Symposia*
“Showcase” Symposia*
*Special category
• Approx. 67% acceptance
• “Panel” format or 3-5 papers
• Not blind-reviewed
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Be on the regular program
• Give a paper
• Set up special interest discussions or
round table discussion groups
• Or attend and ask good questions at these
• Ask good questions from the audience
• As for business cards and follow up
• Talk to people between sessions, coffee, at social
events (miss sessions to have private meetings)
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Paper tips for getting noticed
and accepted
US Academy as an example
• Papers may be theory/review or empirical
• Must be well written and fully copy-edited
• Significance of contribution must be clear
• All papers must be logically sound
• Empirical papers must be methodologically strong
• Make papers available on conference, personal or other
web sites
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Volunteer to serve on a program
committee
• On-line sign-up
• 3-5 papers and/or symposia to review, (Depends on size of
division, size of program committee, and number of submissions)
• Available to serve as session chair or discussant
• Advantages
– Exposure to submissions
– Networking
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Volunteer to be a reviewer
• Meet the turn-around deadline
• Provide detailed and insightful reviews
• Remind the chair of a session/interest group of
your efforts in doing a review, and future interest
• Use doing reviews as a learning experience but do
not be too generous – it is OK to say no
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Activity
1. Think about a situation where you were a
member of a high performing research team
2. What happened to achieve this outcome?
3. How did you feel and the other(s) feel about
this experience?
4. What advice would you give others towards
building a high performing research team?
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Positives of being on a research team
1. Allows you to learn more about a research area
quickly
2. Teams bring different expertise together
3. Brings together the power or each other’s networks
to the advantage of the team and its individuals
4. You become more productive
5. To get tenure/promoted it is expected that you can
show you can work in a team
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Negatives of being on a research team
1. Diversity brings conflict
2. Researchers are not good at managing conflict or
showing their disappointment in others
3. Teams can take a long time to be productive
4. There is always social loafing
5. Differences of opinions about the best locations to
send the work for review (their favoured journals or
yours)
6. At their worst dysfunctional teams can lead to cases
of research misconduct
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Lack of support for research team leaders
1. Expectations for research success are escalating, but
with little support to increase the required outcomes
2. Research leaders are not formally inducted into their
roles
3. Research team leaders are vulnerable to shifts in their
context and funding for their research
4. PhD graduates are not well-prepared in the areas of
team skills, grant seeking and project management, let
alone leadership capabilities
5. There is little understanding or infrastructure to
support the development of research leadership
capabilities
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Research teams:
Helpful hintsof the relationship
• Develop a reputation as someone that people like to work
with
• Developing an effective working relationship requires that
you know the needs, strengths and weaknesses, and
personal styles of your colleagues – spend time together on
the project and socially
• Try to set a team charter
• Allocate roles, accountabilities and deadlines
• It is OK to express annoyance at team members
• Do not forget that they are human
• It is OK to form new teams without members of the old 17
teams
Conclusion …
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Thank You!
n.ashkanasy@uq.edu.au
v.callan@uq.edu.au
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