00:00:01: Hello and welcome dear listeners to the fifth episode of Rejection Resubmit.

00:00:05: As always, joining you today

00:00:07: are...

00:00:10: And myself Alexander live from what sounds like a church in Barcelona because I just learned today that this room echoes like shit!

00:00:19: To get us started

00:00:21: we'll

00:00:22: start with another quick check-in.

00:00:24: going around The Horn.

00:00:26: I have discovered this pretty funny podcast that tears apart airport books, the name of which i won't be mentioning because we don't do free advertising.

00:00:37: And that made me curious what are the worst books you've ever read and why?

00:00:47: The biggest problem is When a book is shitty, I don't see why should continue.

00:00:54: That's fair!

00:00:56: But then i went to my bookshelf and looked at the ones that are actually finished but in the end didn't like it And i chose David Eagleman LiveWired It about neuroplasticity.

00:01:12: So pop science books about cognition and neuroscience come into flavors.

00:01:19: Flavor A is the brain, imagine it's beautiful and perfect.

00:01:25: And we have such a nice thing in our head so amazing!

00:01:31: The second flavor is that we are really dumb... ...and fall into any potential pitfall of thinking you can imagine?

00:01:39: This book comes with the first flavor which tells us how awesome and amazing this is.

00:01:46: our brain is.

00:01:47: And in the end, I was a little bit tired by that but i flipped through it again.

00:01:50: many of the notions are actually quite interesting.

00:01:53: so its the shittiest book I finished which is rare.

00:02:00: What about having beautiful brains?

00:02:02: pisses you off?

00:02:05: Yeah, that's a very good question.

00:02:08: I think i just feel like this is more fluff than anything else you know?

00:02:13: I can make the assessment of whether something is amazing and impressive... ...and beautiful by myself!

00:02:19: I do not need to have that

00:02:20: told too.

00:02:21: You know your beautiful.

00:02:22: basically..you don't need a book telling it.

00:02:24: That

00:02:25: is correct for next week.

00:02:27: The best book ever read about me

00:02:32: the book you wrote, your thesis.

00:02:34: My diary.

00:02:35: Yeah.

00:02:37: Magra how about you?

00:02:39: First of all like honestly I think not only when it comes to sports.

00:02:45: i'm quite someone who likes to finish things.

00:02:48: so even if its a shitty book give the author benefit and wait until he very last page says whether that's a shitty.

00:03:01: And sparked by your comment, Philip.

00:03:04: I think i came up with a lot of other books that pretty much fall in the same category as yes you're nice taxonomy however moving towards more also more like pops...I wouldn't even say pop science book.

00:03:16: it's..like a populist book called Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.

00:03:25: and Yeah, I mean there.

00:03:27: basically he underlines the notion that education does not get any doesn't get you any further but you need some business idea.

00:03:35: Business ideology and we need to be a business man in way of business mindset yeah?

00:03:41: And i think they're so many shortcomings in this book an his argumentation then it's just irritating me too also being fully honest with you as I fall in the second category.

00:03:54: So according to his which they put it, i would be the latter.

00:03:58: so this is something he said appreciate

00:04:02: what do you need a neighbor?

00:04:04: To show You how The rich person actually thinks and This can get out of your misery

00:04:10: yeah,

00:04:14: but so far

00:04:18: All I know about this book is from that podcast.

00:04:21: That I referenced as inspiration and it's a ride.

00:04:25: If books could

00:04:26: kill

00:04:27: Oh God, it's the other one now.

00:04:29: It's very good podcasts.

00:04:30: I need to bleep it.

00:04:32: They pay us or they don't get any publicity.

00:04:34: all our tens of listeners will only get informed about This.

00:04:39: but yeah i heard its pretty epic like it's all based on child labor as far is, I remember.

00:04:48: Yeah and i mean yeah don't get me started otherwise we are finishing within an hour without discussing all the other topics we lately lined up for today.

00:05:00: but um

00:05:01: We did deep research on...we don't want to skip over that.

00:05:05: The major point that also bugs me Like on hindsight, people say the main thing that got him rich was basically writing this book and nothing is in there.

00:05:15: So That's kind of something that really annoys me.

00:05:19: but I mean to go off from that.

00:05:21: i feel like... And sorry!

00:05:24: I'm just gonna be broadly generalizable But.. The audience for these kinds of books are Americans and only Americans.

00:05:37: I also saw an Austrian people reading it.

00:05:41: Yeah, but... I feel like nobody is...

00:05:43: At airports, funnily enough!

00:05:45: Oh you asked them if they're on... Because

00:05:46: they are rich already?

00:05:47: No he was at the Austrian airport and assumed that there were Austrians out

00:05:50: there.

00:05:50: And not saying everybody only Americans read them.

00:05:55: But i feel like its uniquely American to actually think then I'm going model my life after this book by a complete fraud just because it's been published in a glossy paperback that I found at the airport.

00:06:08: There are so many examples of these books and kind-of things that happen in the US based off of these ideas like fucking pyramid schemes, multilevel marketing things where you need this perfect combination of intense greed and stupidity combined uniquely.

00:06:34: That is like part of a lot of the

00:06:36: U.S.'s

00:06:36: DNA for these

00:06:38: things to actually work?

00:06:39: I think you're underestimating... ...the level of entertainment and enjoyment people get out of reading the book, I think Marco was also not taking notes to finally become rich dad but that drew some entertainment from it right?

00:06:53: Yeah no!

00:06:54: Not saying we can't be entertained by them i'm just saying.. ..people who take it seriously Because there's the whole industry and people that go to seminars, this guy apparently has been doing seminars as well.

00:07:06: Those kinds of like pay fifty euros or dollars for my two-day seminar.

00:07:10: during a seminar you thought I'd tell in two days how do we get rich?

00:07:14: No no!

00:07:15: You need to pay me five thousand dollars per month.

00:07:17: four day seminar.

00:07:18: That

00:07:20: kind of shit.

00:07:21: People actually believe it anyway

00:07:24: Just also.

00:07:28: Yeah, calm down our American listeners.

00:07:32: There are similar schemes and some of the books also for The German Context, The Austrian Context ,The Dutch Context And so on & So forth.

00:07:38: Name one!

00:07:40: I could not but there is one starting with an age Heller or Heiler Or something like that and friends Of mine got got it as a present I think for the thirtieth birthday or so by this weird uncle.

00:07:57: It started off with How many of you did one million push-ups this year?

00:08:01: Nobody raised their hand and he was like, I did it.

00:08:03: And he was more on the heavier side of things that just start your day with ten push ups.

00:08:09: if you increase that then kind of transfer this analogy to money.

00:08:15: It's a big chunk of Austrian fellows clapping and i still have video very vividly in my head

00:08:23: The famous compounding push up

00:08:30: Bitcoin and alike, I think there are a lot of similar schemes out there.

00:08:34: Yeah but i don't know...I still think that whatever it is the US manages to like push it over the top Like they just practice at different level.

00:08:47: And it feels like we're not saying, but more intelligent.

00:08:50: But I feel at least a German-speaking sphere... I mean i'm not saying that!

00:08:54: That's how you learn to think about it?

00:08:57: Oh

00:08:57: wow!

00:08:57: I am distancing myself yet again!

00:09:01: No because of making a point is like.. We are way more gullible when it comes to what they call this kind Homeopathy and energy healing.

00:09:14: And we've got this weird cluster in Austria, Germany of people that feel like if they lick a crystal every day.

00:09:21: They will you know?

00:09:22: They can feel the loading up their aura.

00:09:25: That's something You know.

00:09:27: anyway my

00:09:28: aura is depleting.

00:09:29: tell me what's the shittiest book you finished

00:09:32: Right, and to drag this one even longer.

00:09:35: I couldn't decide.

00:09:37: So

00:09:38: i'm going to present ten.

00:09:40: To give you a top-ten list

00:09:41: of the shittiest books.

00:09:41: If books could kill but worse!

00:09:45: So...I've got..one book that im just putting in there to piss people off.

00:09:49: Um, I've got one book in there.

00:09:51: It's just really the book i hate them most.

00:09:52: but it's so like everybody hates that book.

00:09:54: and then another One which is this?

00:09:56: Like In The In This um in this brand of what marcos said kind Of Books i'm gonna start with That.

00:10:02: it's called a checklist Manifesto Is like an Airport Book And it's Basically Just Two Hundred and Fifty Pages

00:10:07: Dead.

00:10:09: What.

00:10:11: How do you think that's a good thing to read?

00:10:15: Checklist manifesto.

00:10:18: I had period in my life where i was listening to Tim Ferriss and very much into self-improvement, And checklist manifestos is one of those books promising revolutionize your life by doing to-do lists.

00:10:34: Would

00:10:39: you check every page here, right?

00:10:42: That's something like.

00:10:43: they bring the analogy of why pilots are so effective and it is all because of their checklist.

00:10:49: Honestly

00:10:50: I was about to make a similar comparison.

00:10:53: You should write a book And i'll read it.

00:10:59: It sucks so much ass.

00:11:03: It's really bad, it just literally would need like.

00:11:06: hey do to-do lists and the more you do list... The better you do!

00:11:12: And that is basically a message.

00:11:14: over two hundred fifty pages.

00:11:15: then I've got kind of yeah everybody hates his books catch her in the rye Have to read it in school hated.

00:11:22: It was just you know, I mean if it's funny because my main Complaint about this is that the main character?

00:11:29: Is just a whiny little bitch and that's a pretty good self-description of myself.

00:11:33: so That kind of feeds into some Some kind of thing I need to talk to my therapist about.

00:11:39: And The final one to piss people off is June.

00:11:42: i think june sucks they get shit book.

00:11:45: okay It's really overhyped and today is just a book that doesn't

00:11:50: hold up.

00:11:51: What made you not like it?

00:11:53: Again, the main character of Winey Little Bitch... ...and trying to build this huge complicated system out there.

00:12:00: You want to escape reality through books but not live again

00:12:04: right?!

00:12:06: Exactly!

00:12:07: No I think for me maybe because when i read it at the time was amazing five thousandth coming of age in a fantasy or sci-fi setting and I'm just satiated at that point.

00:12:22: Um, I think too many...I read to many books where if you know prepubescent teenage boy discovers he's actually the hero and falls in love.

00:12:31: then there is laser guns big worms

00:12:37: I wanted to say Dostoevsky, White Nights for the exact same reason that the main character is a whiny bitch.

00:12:44: So i think maybe thats not what we like.

00:12:55: I'm going to just brutally take control and directly navigate into my topic today because it's in line with what we've talked about.

00:13:08: And whether you guys actually still read nonfiction books or any kind of media, be it magazines Do you keep up with anything at all?

00:13:25: And should we kind of like, Should We be consuming stuff outside of what we do for work?

00:13:31: because honestly why I'm asking this is.

00:13:35: Like i said teased that used to be on the self improvement trip and it'd be reading all kinds of nonfiction stuff trying get big brain.

00:13:44: but now there's a last thing.

00:13:46: when I shut down my laptop The last thing I want to do is read, something on memory or the history of England in the eighteenth century.

00:13:57: Or the economist.

00:13:59: so yeah that's kind.

00:14:00: my question you still do that why not and should we?

00:14:06: I could do one start.

00:14:08: Yeah, happy to start because i had kind of like a back and forth process in the way.

00:14:12: so i started off my academic journey then listen on podcast about consciousness.

00:14:22: uh, psycho one oh one management.

00:14:25: One oh one.

00:14:26: then what is the name of this ox studies podcast?

00:14:29: talking about organizations?

00:14:31: So my day was basically packed with a research academia publication related stuff from nine to nine.

00:14:40: two yeah one or so.

00:14:43: and then it very much backfires because I felt like i don't do anything but think I mean, people within organizations and their well-being or performance related outcomes.

00:14:56: And I completely stopped and listened to super mundane stuff starting off with news outlets like what is it?

00:15:06: The intelligence by the economist?

00:15:09: a lot of cycling podcasts as our listeners might know... already kind of, I think i'm now at this more moderate stage back at it.

00:15:22: Now listening also to audio books that are in our research realm anyway.

00:15:26: so like...I don't know there's this book called Dark Patterns.

00:15:30: Oh my god!

00:15:30: The guy who wrote them is at my university?

00:15:34: Yeah and I know

00:15:34: him.

00:15:35: At Lausanne.

00:15:36: Is he good?

00:15:36: He's

00:15:36: a good?

00:15:38: Also put on my list.. I

00:15:41: liked it to be honest but yeah listening.

00:15:46: and I think this is an important bit because after looking at my screen for most of the day, i barely can read anymore.

00:15:53: So i'm listening to these kinds of books um still listening to The Economist podcast so the intelligence in a morning To kind of be up-to date And also really think that helps me In teaching.

00:16:04: Because dare I can draw on some recent examples?

00:16:07: Um...and..I have to admit usually My students are not up too Up to me up to Paris when it comes to Yeah, what had was happening around us?

00:16:17: because I feel like they get their news either from TikTok or Instagram.

00:16:21: Or whatever.

00:16:22: so if it's something in the business when not all of them are Get My Jokes but also could get one more used to students Not getting my jokes and Yeah.

00:16:36: When it comes to actually reading, I read more like bigger topics in a sense that right now i'm leading the news book by Stefan Kühe which looks into management practices during the Nazi period versus doing democracies and compares whether Um, one informed the other or not.

00:17:00: And it's a very sociological book where half of the page is filled with notes.

00:17:05: so um yeah I don't know It's not an easy read but its something that sparks joy in me.

00:17:11: and otherwise when reading paper back books uh paper printed books i tend to focus on fiction.

00:17:19: Wow okay So you're- You are the aspirational scholar.

00:17:24: How about you?

00:17:25: Yeah still Philip

00:17:26: Fine

00:17:28: Yeah, so I struggle a bit with following daily news.

00:17:31: I don't find that intriguing and also feel like it clouds the perspective.

00:17:36: if you just follow every nitty gritty detail... ...I do read at least the first page of The Wall Street Journal, the web page too!

00:17:50: I mean i do follow primarily US companies And I find it quite interesting actually, that I like.

00:18:01: With reading books...

00:18:04: So

00:18:06: yeah..I moved a bit into reading philosophy books at the moment and so i started with Nietzsche which was painful at some point then shifted to Roman Stoics with Epictetus, Macquarie, Seneca Which is primarily not related to work obviously.

00:18:28: I think it helps a bit on how they craft arguments, but its not really too personal with the challenges of life what i lost and want to regain in fiction books that's quite few years back.

00:18:50: But the time that I want to spend with reading, I feel drawn to stuff.

00:18:55: That value and struggle finding values is something not real.

00:19:00: It's a bit of joke but also only half of it as a joke.

00:19:05: How are you claiming what on Wall Street Journal?

00:19:09: That's quite a stretch.

00:19:11: Yeah at

00:19:13: least relates to phenomena.

00:19:15: I know that obviously it's very interesting to follow a specific narration and.

00:19:22: To live through life of someone else even if is real or not, i get it.

00:19:27: but its just that... I think selecting the paper book fiction book then challenge withdrawing me in this?

00:19:36: It hasn't worked for me yet!

00:19:40: You both are bumming me out real hard.

00:19:42: Yeah, I know

00:19:45: you're both...I mean honestly like i was just going to give my point but i'm gonna say that in the past there's value in cramming my brain full of further boring non-fiction philosophy bullshit.

00:20:04: But this is why Mainly a lot of papers in our field are just the pain to read through because people don't actually understand how, To write engagingly.

00:20:17: Because People think they have to read nonfiction books about management and of Nazis versus management today or how Seneca thought about I dunno pushing rocks around five thousand years ago.

00:20:33: we should be reading I'm doing as all a favor is actually fiction books.

00:20:39: Like, i'm reading Lord of the Rings again now and that's not

00:20:45: well written right?

00:20:47: What the fuck are you talking

00:20:48: about?!

00:20:49: It it's...I mean..it's beautiful world he created but its' not well-written in typical sense.

00:20:56: Okay!

00:20:56: I am not even gonna respond to that And I really think so, i was going to point this as something frivolous but uh... As you've probably been making all our listens feel bad.

00:21:09: Im actually gonna say that's the thing you should be doing if your working in research.

00:21:13: You're cramming your brain full of badly written and well argued papers and shit whole day long.

00:21:22: do us a favor if I can read something entertaining and actually read something that people have written, that people want to read.

00:21:32: And not that they use as a nightstand for when their date comes over.

00:21:36: They feel like you know...they're sleeping with someone intelligent.

00:21:44: Take that book and throw it away.

00:21:47: You'd put a D&D novel on there or something.

00:21:52: Really, like.

00:21:54: I really think it's not just entertaining.

00:21:57: It should switch off... ...I think is actually quite good to read a well-written thriller or read a fantasy novel... ...read a Stephen King book or something.

00:22:09: And then not the one about how to write doesn't count!

00:22:12: The actual stuff when he was a hopeless alcoholic.

00:22:16: The good stuff.

00:22:18: Like Pierre Schiesskuller basically

00:22:22: Wow!

00:22:23: God, I need to... I feel

00:22:25: bad.

00:22:26: No just briefly kind of underline what you said.

00:22:30: like two of the most prolific authors in my field at least or some colleagues i got to know and get to admire quite a lot are A. A former journalist.

00:22:41: B someone who studied English literature And they're now editors one of the more prestigious outlet in the realm HR.

00:22:48: so Totally, totally get your point and I think this is very much testament to it.

00:22:53: Thank you but

00:22:55: too

00:22:56: quickly tied the notion of writing well or learning to write?

00:22:59: Well i don't think that literature as a good source for that right?

00:23:03: I mean academic writings are specific

00:23:05: in

00:23:06: being useful not be entertaining.

00:23:10: It depends on the field but just want understand what someone did not be entertained.

00:23:17: The art, the craft is to combine two right?

00:23:21: I mean you can write something profoundly.

00:23:23: It's also... I mean use isn't just in the matter of it- In this subject matters also uses derived from how many people actually read it.

00:23:34: So if you're writing something profoundly boring that nobody wants to read and as well.

00:23:38: That why i'm saying its.. I am not saying that academic articles are absolute trash.

00:23:44: They aren't written well And but they're extremely well argued and executed, what I feel like.

00:23:50: This wasn't even a point that was going to make it just making.

00:23:53: now because you are reading this profoundly.

00:23:57: I'm just making this point off the cuff of my fucking whatever your wording is.

00:24:04: Because yeah... Don't write fantasy novels in your papers, but I don't know.

00:24:15: A lot of really established and crazy good scholars would benefit from looking into how to have a reader actually want read you paper rather than just slap it on an LLM and get the synopsis.

00:24:34: Okay, that was my part.

00:24:37: That's

00:24:38: awful!

00:24:39: Should

00:24:39: I take over now?

00:24:41: This would nicely fit into what i thought about in the last couple of days or weeks and months when it comes to unexpected skills which i did not know i'd be signing up for as an assistant professor.

00:25:00: Writing beautifully is certainly one of them, but another one was being able to do some basic financial accounting.

00:25:11: Some others were like I don't know web design logo designer times and so on support.

00:25:18: So i was wondering a about were there any skills that you kind of stumbled across?

00:25:24: or and this does not necessarily mean Dutch skills or Spanish skills.

00:25:28: And B how do we go about it?

00:25:31: So, How Do You Learn While Teaching?

00:25:33: and Yeah learn in your academic field?

00:25:36: In a way

00:25:38: Philip I am...you have more experience being an assistant professor than me.

00:25:43: i'm not officially even one yet so let use that.

00:25:47: So he on the top of my head, so I'm currently designing a course for professionals.

00:25:54: I don't want to say executive executives or it's more people who are working for few years and then want to go back to university as refresher And this needs to be written in very different forms or ties maybe little bit back to what we just discussed how it is written.

00:26:10: us need to be engaging and needs to invite people actually pay course and convey what they will learn in an academic setting, but also be interesting.

00:26:22: So it's almost like crafting marketing material to sell a course And that was quite different But also lot of fun.

00:26:30: I think That is something i had to learn little bit.

00:26:33: Also get feedback from friends who ascended too and gave me feedback.

00:26:37: It not understandable if you are not an academic.

00:26:41: Yeah, writing course material or marketing materials for a course.

00:26:47: I would say it's a new skill but master did is very different question.

00:26:53: You got the answer.

00:26:54: next week

00:26:57: Let see how many listeners sign up

00:27:03: Then It won't happen.

00:27:04: unfortunately

00:27:06: This not something that has come across me But something i'm dreading actually kind of, you know.

00:27:15: And something I've been complaining about as being on the receiving end is kinda management skills right?

00:27:20: Like at some point we will have to manage PHE students maybe for lucky managed RAs and that's just not... taught that and there is basically no incentive to learn it really, kind of which is sad.

00:27:49: Right?

00:27:49: I mean the way its set up.

00:27:52: you don't get any benefits from being a good manager.

00:27:58: so yeah... That's something i think is an area where people just can do.

00:28:05: it then comes naturally or people struggle with PhD and

00:28:12: R.A.'s

00:28:12: existence?

00:28:14: Yeah, I mean Astoic would say that being a virtuous leader is benefit enough right at its end of good enough.

00:28:23: just bein'a good person but it doesn't convince you i know!

00:28:27: But to add to that...I recently spent money through the university which was very, very challenging and I completely underestimated how tough it is going through our legal team.

00:28:40: Our ethics team working together with the general staff to actually spend their money?

00:28:47: That's eye-opening for me!

00:28:49: How much of an administrator or how good you need get at working with administrative stuff so that things can be done.

00:29:00: in an academic and administrative setting, that was quite generally.

00:29:06: Tolkien would sing a song which I interpret as you should be inspiring and lead with action... And just

00:29:19: be true to yourself?

00:29:22: Well, it's pretty much everybody in this book is singing songs Apart from the bad guys which you know.

00:29:28: whatever lesson

00:29:28: that tells who

00:29:30: exactly?

00:29:31: so You know whenever Whenever you're in a challenging situation just break out and dance and song.

00:29:36: And I'm sure I'm Sure that will help if It's good.

00:29:44: Yeah, I mean II also.

00:29:48: That's luckily things that I've not had to deal with yet, but probably we'll be coming down the line.

00:29:55: Is it like self-management?

00:29:58: Self-organization and shit!

00:30:04: But how did your accounting adventure then go Marco?

00:30:09: could you figure out?

00:30:11: Yeah We ended up with a minus of thirty thousand euros so

00:30:14: worked

00:30:15: quite well.

00:30:18: But again, then someone else came in and they had a good knowledge about how to juggle different financial pots.

00:30:25: And so eventually water under the bridge.

00:30:29: but yeah these were one of the few encounters where I felt like...

00:30:37: Where?

00:30:39: Who did degree in management study?

00:30:45: All I'm gathering from this segment is that we'll have to find a replacement for Marco because he will be in jail for tax fraud by the next time you want it recorded.

00:30:54: Yeah, please send me letters.

00:31:01: Okay?

00:31:05: What do we have Philip?

00:31:06: What are going close out with?

00:31:08: A lot of heart!

00:31:10: Lighthearted topics today, a lot of reading and writing.

00:31:14: What I want to talk about with you is the observation that we all have... ...is that topics in research are changing right?

00:31:24: We're now long enough in the academic world for a few years at PhD.

00:31:30: And now on this position to see a few topics change, right?

00:31:34: So one example that I observed is ESG sustainability.

00:31:38: That was very much a growth topic when i started my PhD and currently I feel there's a topic let say it is evolving Right in unclear how It will be the next years with us changing their perspective on it.

00:31:53: The overtones associated With the Topics are Changing.

00:31:56: So how do you think about this as a scholar?

00:31:59: How can build?

00:32:00: on the one hand tie yourself to topics that are evolving quickly, interesting and gain traction.

00:32:06: On the other hand not put yourselves in position where you become dependent upon hot issues.

00:32:14: That might also lose its speed, right?

00:32:17: One example that we I think all at least have one or two projects with is AI.

00:32:23: Right?

00:32:23: I am honest saying that i face some AI fatigue and don't know how you feel about it.

00:32:30: We're only getting started!

00:32:35: Yeah so what's your intuition on navigating this tension between Having a hot topic that develops quickly, but also has the risk of becoming less important or evolving in direction you don't feel comfortable with anymore.

00:32:53: Let me introduce it to this idea about an ambidextrous researcher...

00:32:57: Okay!

00:32:58: ...or dynamic capabilities?

00:33:00: Wow okay

00:33:03: I think we had this topic before although slightly different extent About not about shifting tides, but rather how important it can be if there is a topical value to it.

00:33:16: However I want to connect with something that you just said in the beginning That news sometimes blur your vision and i feel like as researchers It's not always our mission To look out for every new topic And jump on it right away.

00:33:31: business schools in the German speaking realm.

00:33:34: I do not want to disclose any names, but they are very good at this sort of things and however i wouldn't see myself it in these shoes um... And I feel like a times you can be cautiously looking at the topic like AI, like Genitive Eye Like ESG and C. how is evolving?

00:33:50: But I would make it as.. I won't A- Not Advice PhD students To Make It Core Topic Of The Dissertation ,but also not make it core my research identity.

00:34:01: Because yeah, it can be very fragile.

00:34:03: So I think you must come up with something that might be related to it and with EUF.

00:34:09: three options right?

00:34:14: Maybe look into governance Think about how to blend ESG in.

00:34:20: Think of the environment, and think about how it's blended.

00:34:23: but I wouldn't make ESG the core topic.

00:34:26: so does AI.

00:34:28: You can look into technology and how technology is affecting several things in realm of organizations But you would not always call or necessarily stick to

00:34:42: AI topic.

00:34:47: But if we're being honest, it's kind of more like phenomenon right?

00:34:51: And this ties into something that was very frustrating as a PhD but which I was told a lot was look just generally don't hook your research identity to the phenomenon and get through

00:35:06: theory.".

00:35:06: I still don't think that is universal thing.

00:35:10: you should...I'm not comfortable saying now i understand Now I understand what the problem is with phenomenon and i should have focused on a theory because that's not.

00:35:23: After a while and then after what we went through I kind of do see these the danger from saying like, you know.

00:35:30: You want to do my PhD because i'm super interested in blockchain?

00:35:33: Because i am really into music or streaming platforms but so maybe not go all.

00:35:52: I'm not comfortable saying you should be motivated by theory, but something like what does theory do?

00:35:59: It explains and predicts.

00:36:01: that is abstract enough so it's generalizable.

00:36:04: So kind of...I feel if you're able to come up with some bucket of general problems or challenges which are generally interesting um to whatever you're in for us as a business so should be interesting to policy or two two organizations and that is.

00:36:27: Not dependent on, for example the specific technology but it's mark of examples at is something where?

00:36:33: You know you may might be doing your AI paper now if u can frame not i'm an AI researcher computer human interaction kind of person or I'm a technology adoption, or technology diffusion.

00:36:54: Or you know change organizational change whatever that is some Some kind of broader problem topic Of interest.

00:37:04: i think That's very helpful because otherwise You really are at sea and just get.

00:37:13: You'll constantly be worrying that your topic might over soon or you're too late.

00:37:19: And at the same time, you are trying to have your eyes out for like okay I need catch it next wave and grasp on the next thing coming hopefully quicker than the rest if that made sense.

00:37:33: but thats how i think about it.

00:37:35: yeah so a little bit before hand as well i think you mentioned this solution.

00:37:41: take the stance and argue that you need theory first and foremost, then apply it to different contexts.

00:37:50: I think for a PhD doesn't really make much of difference where we put emphasis on theory or phenomenon but mid-term and long term any scholar should be very familiar with theoretical perspective and then second with a phenomenon.

00:38:08: And I think this lets you be little bit more flexible, it also informs over time right?

00:38:14: You saw multiple things come-and go from the perspective that comes from dynamic capabilities... we already had them before.

00:38:23: for me it's magic recognition.

00:38:24: It allows to look at very different thing Right!

00:38:27: Now i think is nice makes way less dependent on how world changes underneath.

00:38:35: Um, yeah.

00:38:39: Yeah I don't know.

00:38:41: I think...I mean i'm still kind of allergic to this idea that you need choose a theory and go deep into a theory understand the theory?

00:38:50: That's why it is most important because its just..it moves a little bit slower in a sense but there are also fast No, but yeah it's.

00:39:03: so i'm not saying is wrong.

00:39:05: I am just comfortable being like okay this a solution choose your theory get really deep into the three because a yes and was a bit slower that.

00:39:13: on the other hand it requires a lot of investment in to be truly understanding that theory.

00:39:20: its not zero cost.

00:39:21: you have to go down somewhere and it something you're profoundly unfamiliar at first.

00:39:26: and also even with theories Like it takes time to understand like what are the fashionable theories and which series are kind of like overcrowded.

00:39:36: And that's so.

00:39:37: so can happen even if its lower, they can happen as well.

00:39:41: but you know your not doing you're not applying theoretical lens that is relevant or where will have a future?

00:39:53: So I'm all i'm saying.

00:39:54: i'm not saying this wrong.

00:39:55: i am not completely comfortable with just being.

00:39:58: How it's often sold is like look, don't think about the phenomena.

00:40:03: Just you know get really deep into a theory and then your set because you'll be you now that you're fine.

00:40:08: define what people say when i mean a lot.

00:40:11: but some people say like all you need to do is I don't know the institutional theory guy?

00:40:14: And that's it You will get here.

00:40:17: how do you ever make a contribution in context of management science if you have this stance?

00:40:24: Because I would argue that easily do as a theoretical contribution through the thing that you look at.

00:40:32: But, You can also not understand it very well because you don't use theory right?

00:40:39: So I think yeah i would challenge your position in this sense and i think it undermines your options of being good scholar if never make step to be really familiar with the theory.

00:40:54: Yeah, I think is in a matter of degrees.

00:40:56: You know i'm not disagreeing with you.

00:40:58: i'm just saying like there's A stance where it's Like choose a theory and be the expert In The Theory right?

00:41:02: That's that's Where i feel like It.

00:41:05: really it's this nearly This idea Of putting blinders on like i'm gonna use this theory.

00:41:10: i'm Not going to like.

00:41:11: i am Gonna Be this theory guy not a theory Guy but this particular theory guy And this Is how i'm Going To leave my career because there are several successful people that make theoretical contributions, but aren't the.

00:41:26: Theory guy they're not.

00:41:27: you know institutional theory their resource based view be i don't know what theories on your field by that better than her and whatever ambidextrous enough to use that word too kind of dip into other theories an unbeable to understand at a level where they can still make contribution without You know, having chosen one theory and then applying that lens to every single problem is all I'm saying.

00:41:55: Yeah!

00:41:55: To quote the great Renate Meier a theory is first and foremost a tool And tools differ in their sophistication.

00:42:03: So you have a hammer which isn't very sophisticated but can also have a new

00:42:07: solution

00:42:09: fairly complex and they differ also in how much time, energy you need to put into them.

00:42:14: To actually get a hold on an idea of the overall thing?

00:42:18: And I would completely agree with you Alex that you don't need perfect... You do not have to know every tool or detail.

00:42:35: You actually want to make this big contribution and you don't feel very secure.

00:42:39: Do need to know where to go right?

00:42:41: And that's pretty much it.

00:42:43: so yeah, especially in some of the projects I worked on think we changed a theoretical lens six or seven times also because he started off with theoretical lenses but were indeed not very fashionable and didn't know what to ask him at ago.

00:42:58: um... So we went circles and read this red dad and it took us very, very long.

00:43:04: However I feel like eventually it helped to make the paper fairly good and be...I think sometimes we treat theories as if they were completely different tools but eventually there are not because say you have a lot of commonalities that use different labels can be helpful.

00:43:27: Like if you know theory A, it's easier to get into theory B and this may even help you understand theories C and so on and so forth To make it more tangible.

00:43:36: I don't know.

00:43:36: we talk about institutional logics for instance but then there is convention theory.

00:43:41: It's kind of a novel wave or French sociologist But If You Understand Institutional Logics ,you Get the overall idea About Convention Theory as well.

00:43:53: Yeah,

00:43:53: with that I'm gonna leave our listeners puzzling and i am quite curious to hear what Philips said.

00:44:00: Because you see my face like yeah...I think there is a danger associated with it And this is that you neglect or underestimate some theories have unexplicated assumptions that differ In

00:44:18: commensurability.

00:44:19: Yeah,

00:44:21: yeah no that's exactly right.

00:44:23: and you shift the lens.

00:44:25: And your move from perspective there was primarily positivistic to a lens that is way more constructivist.

00:44:34: it might even fit approach better but definitely changed very key underlying assumptions about reality.

00:44:44: if don't engage with carefully or at least familiar with that.

00:44:49: I think this creates frictions and also friction for the reader, they think where does it come from?

00:44:56: or what do you actually mean by?

00:44:58: Because let's take the term institution in a classical context is very different to an institutional perspective And it's the same term right.

00:45:11: so let us assume that you shift the lens.

00:45:13: they haven't changed a term.

00:45:14: did.

00:45:15: we talk about very different concept with very different underlying assumption?

00:45:18: and I think.

00:45:19: We need to at least be very careful without

00:45:22: yeah, but that's what i meant that you need to have good command of language.

00:45:25: right and uh... Next time I will also include some underlying assumptions.

00:45:32: But

00:45:33: if you like... No, that's why we're discussing it!

00:45:35: ...check

00:45:35: all the boxes and pretty sure don't need to read everything out there.

00:45:40: Exactly Every

00:45:42: single word you just said sounded Chinese to me.

00:45:46: You should stop with a lot of the rings and start with a little bit of institutionalism?

00:45:51: Absolutely

00:45:52: not, that

00:45:52: sounds like

00:45:53: a terrible

00:45:54: idea.

00:45:56: What my professor used say if your only tool is mobile phone every problem is a nail right.

00:46:06: You have to be careful with how deep you get.

00:46:13: I think there's just no simple bloody solution, look this is extreme value for people that are super duper deep eye shaped in a theory because some things your doing and need someone.

00:46:33: That's the only thing that person knows and he is so deep.

00:46:36: And then, like... He writes a paper or helps you write it in other situations.

00:46:42: Your careers are made on pure methodological zero theory!

00:46:47: Or really being good at identifying phenomena and just recognizing which also skill I see some people don't have.

00:46:55: Really identifying key interesting question that is to be answered, given a certain phenomena.

00:47:03: And it just works.

00:47:04: these people dislike the Chris and poickett as a guy that I worked with?

00:47:10: He's like he's got an incredible intuition for without having deep understanding of any theory or how to write a paper so that gets published.

00:47:21: well because its interesting interest into audience It can and sometimes that involves for him, for example if necessary getting in somebody.

00:47:33: That's super good.

00:47:34: informal theory is super good in simulation Supergoodinverbaltheory whatever.

00:47:39: so it's a kinda.

00:47:40: I think you just need to be aware what kind of person.

00:47:42: your are right like how do enjoy getting really deep into the theory?

00:47:45: That gives benefits but might also give shortcomings because You know time spent developing knowledge.

00:47:52: limit your time you can spend on empirical research methods or really a deep understanding of phenomenon and vice versa.

00:48:01: I think that's kind of it, i just don't like.

00:48:04: when people say look all we need to do is be the theory guy then you've got career.

00:48:09: thats something...

00:48:11: i would definitely agree with that.

00:48:13: but i want to say you have good command offer of theory in general.

00:48:18: In order to assess whether someone is a good co-author or whether someone makes the case for theoretical contribution that you think it's valuable if, You know what I mean?

00:48:35: Anyway, someone's going to pick up my vacuum cleaner.

00:48:38: So I need you put an end to this discussion.

00:48:49: I'm gonna take control again and I didn't really have time to come up with the most important segment this week.

00:48:57: but all i want to say is that This Week Is Brought To You by Media Max Spain Which is just, you know the seventh layer of hell.

00:49:06: It's it's just the worst kind of customer experience I've ever experienced.

00:49:10: and Yes.

00:49:12: I hope you never have to go through ordering a dishwasher in Spain from medium-act because its like uh...it's a whole three parter Epic.

00:49:23: And with that being said Um yes Thank You very much Thank you.

00:49:33: Yeah, okay thank... You're welcome and can follow us on socials unless we actually our Marco and Philip are both applying or have applied for grants so will be getting a crack team of producers and social media managers together soon!

00:49:53: So keep your eyes open.

00:49:54: What

00:49:56: is the crack team?

00:49:57: I think

00:49:57: it's rather a cracker than a crackteam.

00:50:01: We'll be getting a lot of money is what I'm saying.

00:50:04: And we're all benefiting from this, I am sure as the podcast team and if you do like our podcasts subscribe everywhere on every single device that has an internet connection in Google Play Store which pretty much everything you touch at this point.

00:50:22: and intro outer music.

00:50:25: maybe it's by Blue Dot Sessions Maybe it's by our very own Philip.

00:50:29: We don't know yet, we'll see!

00:50:30: You'll

00:50:31: hear.

00:50:32: and this episode

00:50:33: was... How would the audience know?

00:50:35: who did that then?

00:50:36: Well quality...

00:50:44: Just you now compare And the episode probably produced by me Alexander with that until next time.

00:50:55: bye-bye Do you?

00:50:58: Stop that.

00:51:02: Fantasy language!

00:51:02: Okay, the

00:51:07: song I wanted to play is nominated for Publizer award.

00:51:12: Great.

00:51:12: That's perfect.

00:51:12: For a Publisher.

00:51:14: Publ...Pulitzer?

00:51:16: What do they call it?

00:51:17: Pulitzer?

00:51:18: No,

00:51:18: seriously?!

00:51:19: Yeah.

00:51:19: Something like this comes in the

00:51:22: episode.

00:51:22: It's like the green Valdina.

00:51:25: Pulitzer, actually.

00:51:28: Well yes.

00:51:28: Ah!