Overview
Coming into academia with over twenty-years in management and consulting in the financial services industry, Kaarst-Brown brings a pragmatic, problem solving orientation to her research and teaching. Her prior work experience in organizational development, marketing, project management, quality business, research, and strategic management provide her with a holistic view of organizations and their strategic problems.
Dr. Kaarst-Brown has worked and conducted research in Canada, the US, the Caribbean, and Europe.
Research Interests
Kaarst-Brown's research is driven by a desire to better understand the strategic integration of information technology at multiple levels: institutional, individual, and societal. Working with industry, she emphasizes practical research that advances theory but that can also inform management practice. This translates into publications in top academic journals and also in practitioner journals where interesting findings can be put to use.
Research projects include the following:
~ IT Governance and Strategic management of IT, including impact of culture on innovation, championship behavior, conflict, and competitive advantage.
~ Assessment of strategic risks and opportunities of information and communication technologies in developed and developing economies; Strategic issue labeling in large or small firms.
~ Improving innovation capabilities of organizations/groups, including implications of increasing IT knowledge in the business units.
~ Social implications of information technology, including general cultural, gender and generational issues.
Teaching Interests
- Enterprise Risk Management in large and small companies, not-for-profit agencies, global businesses, and government agencies
- Strategic Management of Information and Technology Resources
- Management Issues for Information Professionals
- IT related cultural and cross-cultural issues; Social impacts of information technology
- Doctoral Level Courses:
-Social Issues and ICT's
-Organizational Theories and ICT Research
-Research Seminar: Conducting Field Research
-Research Seminar: Conducting Literature Reviews
Professional Interests
Editorial Board for MIS Quarterly Executive;
Editoral Board for Journal of Enterprise Architecture;
Co-Faciliators at Annual MISQE Author's Workshop (2005-present);
Co-Chair with Dr. Indira Guzman of IT Culture and Values Track at AMCIS (2008, 2009);
Former Associate Editor for MIS Quaterly;
Advisor to on-campus Consulting Groups;
Advisor or leader on preparation of "historical/cultural technology overviews" for large and small businesses.
Personal Interests
Quilting, travel, yoga, skiing, -- as time permits. Quilting is a passion that involves design, project management, mathematics, and computers. Please stop by to see the commemorative iQuilt on the ground level of Hinds Hall.
Before moving to Syracuse, Dr. Kaarst-Brown volunteered at a Siamese Rescue Organization (www.siameserescue.org) in Virginia.