Dr. Neil Hair

I just completed a trip to Leipzig, Germany, where I presented a paper with my colleagues at Henley Business School on a qualitative use of Repertory Grid in marketing research. The event was very successful and I came away with a greater appreciation for the quantitative use of grids in organizational and marketing research. Richard Bell was key noting the session and did a great job of presenting the historical significance of Kelly's grids and offering a unique critique on the most popular forms of grid analysis (principle components analysis and cluster analysis). A second key note from Thomas Landschof was also unique, more on this once the digital recording of this event is made available. I also enjoyed my German colleagues company greatly - they have a very common sense of humor to the Brits (perhaps because we share a common neighbour ). Leipzig is a beautiful city - I recommend it to you. And now I am in England preparing for another conference on customer management. Should be a fun few weeks and its always nice to be in the motherland sampling its home grown produce.

On Thursday I simulcasted Saunders first conference presentation to delegates in the UK from within SecondLife and live over an adobe connect meeting. It went extremely well thanks to the planning of my colleagues at Henley. The topic of my presentation to the 3rd annual conference on customer management was exploring current business models in SecondLife. I presented an overview of the virtual world (including a live tour of RIT's own island), presented my findings on business models in B2C, B2B and not for profit sectors, and outlined what I believe to be, the future of virtual worlds as they relate to commercialization. I particularly enjoyed the live Q&A session where I could see and interact with delegates and organizers alike. It proved to me once and for all the viability of electronic media in being able to deliver presentations and continue to engage the audience even if they're 3600 miles away and 5 hours ahead of EST! SecondLife is a wonderful tool for extending digital reach. Delegates in the UK saw a live presentation on the big screen and a virtual tour of SecondLife on another. I had expected more technical difficulties than actually arose, one of which was my avatar auto logging out of the virtual world for inactivity during the first five minutes of my presentation! I'm looking forward to updating my class materials to reflect my research in this space and those registered for my internet marketing classes at graduate and undergraduate levels in the Winter of 08 will benefit first.

Nothing to do classes - Im referring to a recent visit to a barbers / spa off Monroe Ave in Brighton called The Mens Room. It was really by chance that my usual barbers was fit to bust with large numbers of screaming kids (from the same family it seemed) and the ten minute wait was just going to be too long for my shattered nerves (this week has been busy what with international conferences and training events for the RPCN). So my wife convinced me to try it. What I noted as immediately different was the stylish shop set up and nature of clientele. There were people like me in there. Two comfy leather sofas to wait in, large lcd high def television (still with sports on unfortunately - but you cant win them all) - and immediately the offer of a beer or a glass of wine whilst I waited. What really impressed me however was finding my old hairdresser who had moved on about a year ago from the place of screaming kids mentioned earlier. She'd even remembered my name and seemed genuinely pleased to see me again. Andrea is exceptional at what she does and I would strongly advocate you ask for her when trying out this experience for yourself. Now, it isnt cheap, $36 including tip - but what you get for the $36 is quite unique on the experience front. First off - no screaming kids (this features quite highly in my list of preferred characteristics as you can see). They have a beer vending machine and very friendly staff offering to serve you one (I was going home to work so I declined an offer of a Honey Brown). The hair cut itself was also different, they offer a wet shave, scalp massage (which was GREAT), neck and shoulder massage, hot facial towel, rinse and dry - all for $36. I was then given tour of the facility which includes massage, pedicure and manicure sections. Overall - very pleased with this 'find' - they take their time with you and most importantly they do a good job. My biggest critic (my wife) was very impressed. So, check it out yourself - ask for Andrea and mention me to her. Perhaps that will be sufficient cause for them to sort their website out which looks as though its in a holding pattern right now.

Just finished reading a couple of reports on the issue of politics in the classroom and how professors claim or are being claimed to influence student thinking. This got me thinking about my own personal position and for what it's worth - here it is. I advocate the position of neutrality in my classes for a number of reasons - the most important being - students come to my classes to learn about the subject matter not my personal political views. Of course if youre teaching political science or history you cant help BUT talk about politics and the political landscape. Theres clearly a time and place for it and internet marketing isnt it (unless there are policy issues relating to it - in which case we talk about the implications not the parties). I go one step further though, when asked about my political beliefs I refuse to answer. My politics are my own. No one elses. I always felt these discussions were divisive and so I leave them for home. As a result, my more liberally minded friends think I am liberal, and my more conservative friends think I am conservative. I like to keep it that way. Bringing this back to relevance for student readers - whilst your mileage may vary (I love that saying) - I advise students to avoid political commentary in their professional lives (unless of course they are in politics) - consider your readership - avoid the potentially incendiary email signatures screaming for one party or the other, avoid the twitter messages that take you off target, watch the blogs. Of course much of my thinking comes from a classical British point of view when it comes to politics - no one cares who you vote for - just that you vote. It is definitely different here what with it being acceptable for Madonna and Barbara to hold lectures on politics during live performances or Oscar winning Romans using their stardom to tote the benefits of gun ownership. My own personal favourite though has to be Screaming Lord Such of the Monster Raving Loony Party in the UK. He promised back in the 90's that if he were to become Prime Minister he would immediately initiate a plan to have all dog poop painted fluorescent Orange so that people would no longer fall foul of it. Now that's surely a vote winner! Looking forward to Wednesday…

OK, from someone who CLEARLY didnt get the memo about Halloween in the USA - here are Neil's top ten things you should know before being in the States on the 31st October.

1. Kids love candy (American for sweets).

2. There are over 30 million kids in America.

3. Half of these decided that Neil and Rose's home would be a good place to go trick or treating.

4. Four bags of 'fun mix' will last you approximately 30 minutes from about 6pm onwards.

5. Handing out fist fulls of 'candy' makes you popular.

6. Tops is open at 6.20pm. It also sells candy.

7. I expect to get a call from my credit card company asking me if I authorized the purchase of $37.67 for 'Spooky party mix' bags x 8. Call your credit card company ahead of time.

8. Kids continue to come until about 9pm.

9. Older kids coming later in the evening tend not to wear costumes.

10. Older kids tend not to like being refused candy on account of their poor performance in the 'un-dead' look-a-like competition, they also thing youre a fool if you attempt to engage them with rational conversation such as 'do you have dental insurance?'

11. Eggs are messy.

12. So is flour.

13. Older kids tend to carry more eggs.

14. They also tend to carry more flour because they are stronger.

15. Eggs thrown at higher velocity tend to explode to a wider circumference than those thrown by smaller people.

16. Eggs and flour make for great cake mixture.

17. It is also rather cumbersome getting this stuff off of walls.

18. There is no shame in closing ones curtains and turning off lights at 9pm (aka my entire street).

19. Kids will continue to come to your house until you follow point 18.

20. Be prepared for the unexpected. Always be prepared for the unexpected and always be at home on the 31st October.

So be it. Neil's rules for surviving Halloween in this country. In the importal words of the WHO - next year - we wont be fooled again…