AOM

Posted on April 21, 2018 by alexk

This is a long overdue post! I attended an AOM Discoveries workshop at Rotman two weeks ago which was excellent!  I received very useful information about the aims of the journal, “the why”, as well as insight into the type of research that they are looking for, “the what”.   After the main session we divided into smaller groups and listened to editor feedback on some abstracts that had recently be submitted -wow it brought back memories of my colloquia experiences!  The workshop was also very good for networking as I saw some folks that I have not seen in several years and made some new connections.

Progress on my research has been very slow (ahem, non-existent!) because I am currently looking for a new corporate role which is my top priority. This is not a small undertaking and then I will need to focus so that I have a very successful on-boarding! That said, I am going to carve out a few hours bi-weekly to maintain momentum which is pivotal especially given how busy life has become. Finally, I am going to have to create a practical long-term strategy for my research as an incremental approach is unlikely to yield optimal results. Stay tuned!

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Woefully Behind!

Posted on January 21, 2018 by alexk

I have been doing some thinking about my qualitative paper, but have yet to make any tangible progress. Sigh!! The reality is that I am wearing many hats right now and am still trying to find the optimal ways to integrate, prioritize etc. Being the best parent that I can be is my first priority and I am really enjoying all aspects of it. Effectively managing my corporate career currently requires additional focus, and I also started a small not-for-profit last fall to support Moms and kids. Full plate!

I connected with some researchers last fall to discuss some methodology questions and this has been the source of my reflection. I have taken a few days of vacation in early February and plan to dedicate some time to updating my research plan and conducting some analysis. All good, just slower than planned!

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Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Posted on September 9, 2017 by alexk

I just completed some analysis for my qualitative paper -yeah!! I am still transitioning to my “new normal life” as a working mother which means I can no longer take a full Saturday or Sunday to head to UofT to do research. Instead, I am getting used to seeing what can be done in short windows, literally 30 minutes to a maximum of 90 minutes if I am really lucky!! The challenge with this approach is remembering how to use NVivo. Fortunately, I remembered the approach for the analysis that I was doing today, so I was able to complete everything on my plan. I hope to complete the remaining analysis for this paper in Nvivo by mid-October and then my focus will be on manual coding.

I had a good call with my research partner in the UK a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, she has to take a break from this paper due to a new large project at her university. I was disappointed, of course, but completely understood because my work demands are through the roof right now as well! I am going to continue to plod along as time permits and consider exploring finding a new research partner at Rotman or Ryerson.

Family life is terrific.  Additionally, I managed to get in some tennis lessons in August and have reconnected with some tennis buddies. Feels great to be back on the tennis court!

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Progress Update

Posted on July 15, 2017 by alexk

I am pleased to say that I have completed all of my initial NVivo analysis. I was able to find some very good tutorials on YouTube that helped me understand how to complete the necessary queries. As is often the case, things become quite easy once you know how!!

I have just completed a couple of hours coding some of the data and can quite quickly see how interesting and time consuming this stage is going to be. Also, now recognize the additional benefit for joint research as I will be looking forward to comparing and contrasting coding with my research partner. My final observation is the importance of creating a detailed plan for analysis and writing up your approach along the way. Right now I have piles of paper with coding data and disparate documents with observations and insights. I need to dedicate some time to create a master document of analysis to date and another document capturing observations and findings.

There is a lot to do. I feel that I am making some progress which is good.

 

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Stymied By NVivo

Posted on July 7, 2017 by alexk

I have been able to dedicate 1.5 days to research this week. Progress yes, but at a much slower pace than I had hoped for. Similar to my SPSS experience I am not a natural with NVivo. Unlike SPSS, I cannot seem to find an NVivo for Dummies book which would be really helpful as I find that the QSR on-line tutorials/manuals difficult to follow for my research needs. Instead, I have been enlisting some direct help from their support line but it takes 24 hours to get a response. I have to keep remembering that things are going to be a bit slower now given everything that I am juggling and the time lags that occur in between conducting analysis.

Hopefully I will get a response from the QSR support line tomorrow which will enable some additional analysis. If not, I am going to summarize my findings to date and read some literature. Remember, progress not perfection CK!

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Far Too Long!

Posted on June 4, 2017 by alexk

This is a super quick post. It has been far too long!! I am back at full-time work and learning to balance home and work life. Not easy, but really happy to be wearing both hats!

I am making slow, but steady, progress with my research paper. I took an accelerated NVivo workshop in April and have begun to analyze the data. I had a very productive call with my co-author in the UK a few weeks ago. We both have a lot on the go but are committed to “nudging the research along”. I now realize that I am going to have to take some vacation days to devote to research. I simply don’t have any significant chunks of time at my disposal right now. That said, I am doing small pieces when I can get an hour or so. The issue is that the set-up time (e.g. finding my files, remembering how to use NVivo efficiently) typically takes some of the precious time! Oh well, progress not perfection. Case in point, I don’t have time to Preview this post as I typically do, so straight to Publish!!

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Joint Qualitative Paper

Posted on January 25, 2017 by alexk

This is an very quick post. I have been slowly getting my head back into research. I am very happy about this!! Over the past few months I have been reacquainting myself with my data and findings by reading some of my publications. Also, I ordered subscription to Leadership Quarterly and have started to read some new research which has been interesting.

Over the past few weeks I have been thinking about writing a qualitative paper based on data that I have collected but not yet analyzed. I am hoping to do the analysis and writing with another researcher. Tomorrow we have a preliminary call set up to discuss.

I cannot overstate how excited I feel about returning to research!!

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3 Months Since Last Post -Yikes!!

Posted on October 23, 2016 by alexk

This is going to be a very short post. I cannot believe how quickly times has passed and that my last post was in July!! Motherhood is both amazing and exhausting. Add a major house renovation to the mix and the outcome is very little time for research.

Despite the focus on domestic life there has been some very small progress. I have been looking at conferences and hope to attend at least one before next spring. I continue to review recent literature via weekly alerts and have archived papers to read. Also, I have decided to order a paper subscription to Leadership Quarterly for 2016. Even though it is late in the year, I am committed to reading the research over the winter.

Finally, I still hope to write a paper before I return to work in April. This is plausible if I start to get some regular sleep… More to come, ideally in a late November post once we move back into the house.

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Amazing Addition!

Posted on July 29, 2016 by alexk

I cannot believe that it has been more than six months since my last post!! Well, I have a good explanation, I delivered our first child in April. It has been a whirlwind and an amazing addition to our lives. Also, we are also in the midst of major house renovations and have relocated for six months.  Suffice it say, I have not had a lot of time for research lately and am currently on maternity leave from my role at Meridian. That said, I am aiming to write a paper before I return to my role in April 2017.  In the next few months the baby should begin to sleep through the night and I think that I will be in a good position to carve out some time to write as I will not be quite so sleep deprived! More to come as I begin this process.

Whereas I have not produced any papers, I have been “lightly” staying on top of the literature through email alerts and compiling papers to read beginning in the fall when things are less hectic. I am particularly keen to read the recent women and leadership special edition from Leadership Quarterly. I have also begun to have some networking conversations about obtaining a part-time, and eventually permanent role at a university. This is very exciting and I am glad that I am in a position to begin to map out how to integrate academia with my industry role.

My final goal for the next year is to attend an academic conference. Of course, I also have a stretch target which is to also present at the conference.

My posts will be less frequent for the near term but I will aim to post at least monthly. Crazy good times!!

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Dual-Citizenship Planning

Posted on January 24, 2016 by alexk

This will be a quick post because it is 12:31 am and time to go to bed! Life has been very busy on the domestic front. All good and more on that in the upcoming months.  I have been keeping an eye on the latest research in my field and have been compiling papers to read. I hope to head to the library in early February to do some reading and create the outline for my next article which will likely be joint publication with my thesis supervisors. Also, I am currently reading an interesting book about the “disconnect” between leadership theory and the realities of corporate life.

This week I made some good progress on understanding how I will design my life as a dual-citizen, residing in both academia and industry. A key success factor for me is to complete some additional publications and try and teach either an evening continuing education course or a one day 12 week course to undergraduate students. I had a good chat with the department head at a university and there is a good chance of getting an opportunity to pursue both of these teaching paths in 2017. Very exciting stuff!

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