Research impact and methodological excellence in focus during Professor Stewart Miller’s visit at the University of Vaasa
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Professor Stewart Miller from Durham University (UK) visited the University of Vaasa, bringing extensive expertise in international management, global strategy and research methods. During his visit, he led a Global Strategy Journal (GSJ, AJG4) Paper Development Workshop and delivered the seminar Teaching Research Methods: Tricks and Tips, focused on teaching research methods across bachelor’s, master’s and PhD levels.
A key theme throughout his visit was research impact and how it should be understood, evaluated and strengthened. For him, impact focuses on the research relevance, quality and rigor of the research.
- When I'm reviewing and assessing articles, I try to emphasise the practical relevance of the study as well. For example, is this something that executives would find valuable and informative? Can they learn something from the findings of this study?
Developing papers through constructive feedback
Professor Miller, as co-editor of the Global Strategy Journal, started his visit at the University of Vaasa by leading the GSJ paper development workshop. Global Strategy Journal is the leading journal for global strategic management research and a top tier scholarly journal in management that belongs to the Strategic Management Society’s journal family.
This workshop provided a forum for scholars to obtain constructive feedback on their work before submitting to journals and frame their papers for a particular audience. The workshop included full paper presentations and a roundtable-style discussion on paper ideas where he guided the conversation, while participants shared comments as they heard each presentation.
- I was very pleased with the ideas shared by the scholars. Having research critiqued by senior scholars before journal submission is vital to address limitations and clarify potential issues. That's what an idea-generating paper development workshop is all about, he said.
Why understanding methods matters
In his seminar on teaching research methods, Prof. Miller, as an internationally renowned scholar in research methods, shared his tips on making research methods interesting and accessible to students across the study levels and disciplines. He reflected on his experience teaching applied econometrics to diverse groups of students, from finance and accounting to management and information systems. He emphasized that using research method techniques without an in-depth understanding can be dangerous since results are obtained, but research conclusions can be wrong because of incorrectly applied methods.
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- I want students to have a good understanding of every technique that I teach them, when it should be used, when it shouldn't be used, and how to identify potential problems with data so that they can select the appropriate technique. Also, I explain and emphasize that students must know their data extremely well, and that requires a practical understanding about what is measured and how it should be measured.
During these events, he also presented activities and a rich resource pool developed by the Academy of International Business Research Methods Shared Interest Group that are available to the scholars and research methods enthusiasts.
Empowering the next generation of researchers
Reflecting on the University of Vaasa, Prof. Miller noted that University’s academic impact is growing and praised its strong focus on research impact and relevance. He described the University’s collaborative ecosystem as a promising model with researchers developing new ideas grounded in real-world problems and companies working alongside them to create concrete solutions. He sees that this is an approach that is a great model for other universities to follow.
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He also thanked Aušrinė Šilenskytė and Martin Meyer for the invitation as well as Adam Smale for the support. Also, he expressed enjoyment in supporting faculty and doctoral students in developing their work and confidence as emerging scholars.
- At this stage of my career, I really do enjoy helping scholars develop their work. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see the next generation of scholars starting to emerge, to gain confidence in what they're doing or having their research be impactful for the rest of the academic community. It's a great feeling when you can help someone else make their research better. Here at Vaasa, it was a great honour and privilege to meet some great people who are working on really interesting research projects.