Biographical Sketch

Thomas Adelaar is an Assistant Professor in Information Management at the Amsterdam Business School of the University of Amsterdam. Thomas has a Ph.D. in Media and Information Studies from Michigan State University, a Bachelor's degree in Social Geography and a Master's degree in International Economics & Economic Geography, both from Utrecht University.

His dissertation study focused on the antecedents and effects of the use of Internet-supported negotiations and auctions concerning the trade of recyclable materials, such as scrap metal, used paper and plastics. The dissertation committee consisted of the Professors Charles Steinfield (chair), Steven Wildman, Brian Pentland, Robert LaRose, and Hairong Li. During his master study he specialized in the social and economic aspects of information and communication technologies (ICT) supported by attending courses at the Maastricht University and the University of Amsterdam. He visited the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) at Newcastle University where he completed his master thesis study under the guidance of James Cornford, Richard Naylor and Prof. Jan Lambooy (Utrecht University).

Previously, he worked at Maastricht University where he was also a fellow at the Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organizations. At Michigan State University he worked as a researcher at the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media as well as in the Center for Community and Economic Development. He also worked as a researcher at the Telematica Institute (Dutch for Institute for Computer Science and Telecommunications) in the Netherlands, which is a partnership involving the business community, research organizations and government. During this time, he was also a visiting scholar at Michigan State University.

Teaching

Students are invited to apply for Master Thesis Proposals that are available on topics related to the discussed research interests and current projects below. I would be happy to supervise a thesis in these areas. Email t.adelaar at uva.nl to inquire about the specifics.

Courses

• Research Methods, Consultancy and Reflection, a Master level course
• ICT en Dienstverlening, a Master-level course
• Courses at Maastricht University & Michigan State University: Inter-Organizational Systems, Marketing and Information Systems, and Introduction to Telecommunication Technologies

Research Interests

The social and economic implications of e-business, e-commerce and ICT for market structure, firm strategy and the way firms do business. Specific topics include the following:

• Online trade supported by auctions, email and supply chain integration tools in arts, antiques, recyclable materials, and used products
• Spatial-economic perspective of e-business, such as multichannel strategies and mapping mashups
• Effects of media on strategy and decision-making processes, such as corporate environmental management

Current Projects

• Study on multichannel e-commerce strategies by performing qualitative and quantitative studies of retail firms to understand the ways in which firms leverage their physical market presence

Awards and Honors

• AMCIS Doctoral Consortium, New York, 2004
• Winner of the Graduate Office Scholarship and the Title “Best Ph.D Research Paper” in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, 2004
• Dissertation Completion Fellowship, College of Communication Arts & Sciences, MSU, 2003
• Graduate Research Enhancement Award, The Graduate School, MSU, 2003
• First Annual Salute to Scholarly Excellence, Dept. of Telecommunication, MSU, 2003
• Travel Scholarship, NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research), 2001
• Nomination Boekman-Trouw Master Thesis Price (in Dutch), Boekmanstichting, Amsterdam (www.boekman.nl), 1999
• Nomination Prof. Dr. Marc de Smidt - Master Thesis Price (in Dutch), Utrecht University, Utrecht (www.stogo.nl), 1999

Review Activities

• The Information Society, Electronic Markets, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, European Conference on Information Systems, International Conference on Information Systems, and Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences