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Brad McKenna

Lecturer in Information Systems, University of East Anglia
I joined Norwich Business School in March 2016. My research interests can be categorised by the relationships between information technology and people. I have always been interested in how and why people use technology, and how technological configurations impact the people that use them. I have been able to explore this with multiple research interest areas such as virtual worlds, social media, systems analysis, mobile services, and user requirements. This, and my other research interests, often lead me to interdisciplinary research areas, so I am keen to collaborate with other researchers across multiple disciplines.

I did my PhD at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. My PhD thesis was about virtual worlds and computer games. During my doctoral research, I investigated how social movements (users of virtual worlds) continue to use virtual worlds which are constantly evolving as designers implement changes to the system. As more social and business activities are taking place in virtual environments, this study has implications for both societal and organisational usage of virtual worlds. It also has implications for understanding how users of information systems are impacted when designers of a system impose new technological configurations.

I have published in Pacific Asia Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Business Research, Information and Management, Information and Organization, Asian Business and Management, Information Technology and Tourism, the Journal of Information Systems Education, and the International Journal of E-Services and Mobile Applications. I have worked with research collaborators in New Zealand, USA, Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK.

I am currently the Vice-Chair of IFIP Working Group 9.5 'Virtuality and Society'

Leave your phone at home this holiday and you'll feel better (after you feel worse)

Aug 15, 2019 17:48 pm UTC| Insights & Views

What did we do before smartphones? Our devices have become an essential tool for modern life, even when were on holiday. In fact, technology is revolutionising tourism. We navigate with Google Maps, we use TripAdvisor to...

Economy

Canada Grants C$7 Million to Greenland Molybdenum Mine to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply

Canada has awarded C$7 million (approximately $4.93 million) in non-repayable funding to support the development of a major molybdenum mining project in Greenland, reinforcing Western efforts to secure critical mineral...

Asian Currencies Stay Range-Bound as Investors Eye China Data, RBNZ Outlook and U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Asian currencies traded in tight ranges on Monday as investors balanced easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East with a busy week of key economic releases across Asia. While the tentative ceasefire between the...

China Sets 1.25% Overnight Reverse Repo Rate Below Market Expectations

Chinas central bank has introduced its new overnight reverse repo operation, setting the interest rate at 1.25%, according to a Reuters report citing people familiar with the matter. The move marks another step in the...

Japan Targets 1%+ Real Economic Growth With ¥370 Trillion Investment Plan

Japans government is preparing an ambitious long-term economic strategy aimed at achieving sustained annual real economic growth of more than 1%, according to a draft of its latest economic and fiscal policy framework. The...

China Expands Export Controls, Adds 20 Japanese Companies to Restricted List

China has expanded its export control measures by adding 20 Japanese organizations and companies to its restricted export list, marking another escalation in the ongoing diplomatic and trade tensions between Beijing and...

Politics

Russia Intensifies Assault on Kostiantynivka as Ukraine’s Donetsk Defense Faces Mounting Pressure

Russia has intensified its offensive against Kostiantynivka, a strategically important city in Ukraines Donetsk region, as the Kremlin continues its long-running campaign to seize full control of eastern Ukraine. While...

Taiwan Coast Guard Officer Finds Strength in Faith as China Increases Pressure in Taiwan Strait

As tensions in the Taiwan Strait continue to rise, one Taiwan Coast Guard officer has found reassurance in an unusual combination of professional duty and spiritual faith. Yeh Chih-sheng, the first mate aboard Taiwan Coast...

Australia, Vanuatu Sign Security Pact Amid Pacific Influence Competition

Australia and Vanuatu have officially signed a long-awaited development and security agreement, reinforcing their strategic partnership while highlighting the growing geopolitical competition for influence in the Pacific...

Serbia Protests Continue as Thousands Rally Despite Vucic’s Resignation Plan

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the central Serbian city of Kraljevo on Sunday, maintaining pressure on President Aleksandar Vucic just one day after he announced plans to resign within weeks and trigger early...

Iran Skips U.S. Technical Talks Over Unmet MoU Conditions and Frozen Funds Dispute

Iran did not participate in the technical talks scheduled for Sunday, citing recent military attacks on the country and unresolved conditions outlined in its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States. The...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Baige Online Shares Soar 333% in Hong Kong IPO Debut as AI Insurance Demand Lifts Chinese Listings

Chinese insurtech firm Baige Online Digital Technology Co. (HK:2672) delivered an impressive debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday, with its shares surging as much as 333% in early trading. The strong performance...

SoftBank Shares Slide as OpenAI IPO Delay Concerns Weigh on AI Investment Outlook

SoftBank Group Corp. shares dropped more than 5% on Monday, extending the sharp losses recorded last week as investors reacted to reports that OpenAI may postpone its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO). The...

Baidu Shares Rally as Kunlunxin Eyes $50 Billion Hong Kong IPO

Baidu Inc. (HK:9888) shares climbed sharply on Monday after reports indicated that its artificial intelligence chip subsidiary, Kunlunxin, is aiming for a valuation of approximately $50 billion through a planned initial...

Lenovo Shares Slide as AI-Driven Memory Demand Signals Higher DRAM and NAND Prices

Lenovo Group (HK:0992) shares tumbled nearly 10% in Hong Kong on Monday after the company said it expects DRAM and NAND memory prices to remain structurally higher for years, citing booming artificial intelligence (AI)...

Morgan Stanley Raises Tesla Q2 Delivery Forecast on Strong Europe and China Demand

Morgan Stanley has increased its second-quarter delivery forecast for Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), citing stronger-than-expected electric vehicle (EV) sales in Europe and China. The revised outlook reflects improving demand...