Melcher retires after nearly 20 years of service
By Erin Smith
After nearly 20 years with the SIU College of Business, Management Professor Arlyn Melcher decided to retire. “Most of my colleagues have told me that they have a hard time visualizing me being retired,” said Melcher, who enjoys having a full schedule. Melcher’s interests vary from participating in the arts and music to being an avid runner and photographer. Thus, he will have plenty to occupy his time.
Melcher came to SIU in 1989 and served as chair of the Department of Management until 1995. He has taught in the College of Business executive MBA programs in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Puerto Rico, and has also participated in doctoral seminars in Malaysia, Portugal and The Netherlands.
Dr. Gregory White, Chairman of the Department of Management, commented that Melcher has been an invaluable colleague. “He is truly committed to his students and has been a positive influence for them.” When Melcher came to SIU his goal was to build the doctoral program, and during his career he has served on close to 100 committees, chairing 40 of them. White also added, “The majority of those PhD graduates are now the top in their fields.”
During his retirement party on Thursday, December 4, at the Stone Center, Melcher said that he knew it was time to go when he saw that his former students were beginning to retire. According to Carla Chatam, administrative aide for the department, approximately 50 people attended the party, including Melcher’s colleagues, a few of his former and current students, and members of his family.
Melcher said teaching never got old because “each group of students is a new challenge. The profession enables one to be independent, to express yourself on a wide range of subjects, to continuously build capability over an entire career, and potentially to influence several generations of students at undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels.” He has enjoyed being both a teacher and part of the College administration but has plans for the next chapter in his life. “I like a periodic shift in what I do and as I tell my students, life is about continuing the process of change.”
*From the website*
Melcher’s research focus is to build capability and contribute to the knowledge base in multiple aspects of management—leadership, change, micro and macro organizational theory, strategic management, and theory building methodology.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
* Building capability and contribute to the knowledge base in multiple aspects of management including:
* Leadership
* Change
* Micro and macro organizational theory
* Strategic management
* Theory building methodology
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
The Importance of Social Structure in Implementing ERP Systems: A case study using Adaptive Structuration Theory” Journal of Information Technology Case & Application Research (JITCAR) (Accepted, 2006) w/ Kimberly Furumo)
“Applying Adaptive Structuration Theory to Health Information Systems Adoption: A Case Study,” in International Journal of Healthcare Information Systems and Informatics. (2006) With Dana Schwieger, C Ranganathan & H. J. Wen
“Appropriating Electronic Billing Systems: Adaptive Structuration Theory Analysis,” in Human Systems Management with (2005) Dana Schwieger, C Ranganathan & H. J. Wen
“IT Productivity Impacts in Manufacturing Contexts” Encyclopedia of Information Science & Technology (Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, editor), pp. 1721-1727; 2004; co authors, Kristina Setzekorn & Arun Rai
Appropriating Electronic Billing Systems: Adaptive Structuration Theory analysis” Human Systems Management (2004);coauthors, Dana Schwieger, Ranganathan Chandrasekaran, & Joseph Wen
“Mapping the Relationship among Product Complexity, Information Technology and Transaction Governance Structure: A Case Study,” Journal of Management Systems (2004), Vol 16, No 4); coauthors Aimao Zhang and Ling Li.
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