I have several areas of research interest, which are summarized below. Based on feedback from executives, professionals, peers, students, or readers, my research interests will further evolve. The type of research I am interested in will likely continue to be a mix of conceptual and empirical.

1. I.T. Project Management

   Despite the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), there are continuing high levels of I.T. project failures, low esteem of project management disciplines held by senior executives, and continuing frustrations expressed by I.T. project management professionals. Also, companies are struggling with how to tie I.T. project management focused on value to systems development methods that enable shorter cycles and interactive design. Hence, there is a clear need to transform I.T. project management.

   With a group of dedicated project management professionals, we have started to focus on "Value-Driven Change Leadership" (VDCL) as a new paradigm to improve the practice of I.T. project management.

2. Business Strategy and Information Technology

   IT Strategy is essentially a variant on the question: What can an organization do to be strategically more successful? The reference domain to help answer this question is Competitive Strategy. Resource-based or knowledge-based theories have been advanced. Recently, a specific methodology that has been advanced is Sustainability Analysis (developed by Prof. Jeff Williams). A key question: What are implications of Sustainability Analysis for IT Strategy?

   "First-mover advantage" is a well-known strategy concept in traditional industries. It has been mentioned a lot as well for IT-based industries. But, we found first-mover advantages do not really exist for IT-based industries. Instead, fast-followers seem to lead IT-based industries. Consequently, our current research focuses on "Why do (fast) followers win?"

   "Information Industries Initiative": How do firms that only sell information compete? What are their strategies? What is the basis of competition? With the "information economy" becoming a more important topic every day, such questions become more important and urgent to address.

3. Use of System Development Methods

   System Development Methods can be seen as valuable knowledge assets. However, very little is known empirically about how System Development Methodologies are used. Some questions are: Why are methods (not) used? What are cultural differences in the use of methods? Ongoing research will focus on longitudinal studies of methodology use.

4. Other interests

   Knowledge Management (or a related term Learning Organization) are currently of great interest. However, there is very little emphasis on the inherent organizational infrastructure issues, or how the value of knowledge management can be determined. How is a learning organization different? What are the new organizational entities to enable knowledge management? How are they supported and reinforced with Information Technology? What are some techniques by which the value of knowledge management can be determined.

   Inspired by my dissertation research, there are many (empirical) questions regarding Decision Support (Systems): What decisions do executives make? How is executives's decision making best supported? By advising what to do? By advising what not to do? By supporting conclusions based on other cases? By presenting the underlying reasoning? Should that reasoning be probabilistic or not? Some of the above, all of the above, none of the above?