Rare achievement for UQ business academics

The University of Queensland has achieved a rare distinction with three of its business academics elected to the prestigious Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) in the same year.

UQ’s Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law Professor Ian Zimmer was chosen, along with the Director of the University’s Technology and Innovation Management Centre Professor Mark Dodgson and Professor of Management at the UQ Business School Victor Callan.

Professor Zimmer said it was a great honour to be elected and an appreciated recognition of a track record of research achievement.

ASSA is one of the four learned academies in Australia. These academies are the peak academic bodies in the country and are very highly regarded by academics.

Professor Dodgson said to have one business academic elected to ASSA from a university would be a rare achievement and two would be extraordinary but he said three was completely unheard of.

“The UQ Business School has been recognised a great deal for the quality of its teaching, including recent successes with the top two international accreditation bodies,” Professor Dodgson said.

“The School is becoming highly research intensive and these Fellowships reflect a growing appreciation of the quality of research output of leading business schools such as ours.”

Membership of ASSA comprises those who have achieved a very high level of scholarly distinction and have been recognised internationally.

The Academy is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation, devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences.

- Professor Zimmer’s research focuses on applying financial economics and behavioural decision theory to financial reporting problems. His recent consultancies include chairing a ministerial review of the Australian Defence Force Academy and expert witness work on proper accounting practice.

- The focus of Professor Dodgson’s studies over the past 25 years has been on corporate strategies and government policies for technology and innovation. His next book, Think, Play Do: Technology and Organisation in the Emerging Innovation Process, to be published in 2005, examines the impact of a range of new enabling technologies on the process of innovation.

- Professor Callan has published nine books and over 180 international research articles in some of the world’s leading management and psychology publications. He has an international reputation in the development of theories about corporate change and communication and has completed consulting assignments for some of Australia’s largest public and private sector organisations.

Professor Callan said his election to the Academy was a great honour and would allow him the opportunity to contribute to ASSA’s important work in promoting the advancement of the social sciences.

“The research community thrives because of the willingness of its researchers to share very generously their ideas with each other,” Professor Callan said.

“Being nominated through a peer-review process to receive this honour demonstrates that your peers in other Australian universities feel you have played a significant role in working with others to build the vibrant research culture we see today in our universities and scientific organisations.”

Media: For more information or photos, contact Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email: c.saxby@uq.edu.au) or BEL Communications Officer Sam Ferguson (telephone 07 3365 6662).