ok - enough already

Somehow, no one believes me when I say I'm not about to leave Exeter so I'm going to actually write about it...

yes, I've got the AIM fellowship. yes, i do not have to be in exeter for 3 years. Yes, i am now in Cambridge and yes, I am increasing my role in Cambridge, taking on the lead for S4T and probably a bit more in terms of developing service agenda for Cambridge (and Exeter and for myself too!).

So what's the story?

The story is simple. I am not about to resign from exeter university to go to cambridge university. why? the simplest reason is - cambridge currently can't afford me. i don't mean to be arrogant here - it's not the money. it's the freedom. I have 3 years to do all the research I want and the absolute freedom to do it wherever I want. Which institution can pay me a full salary and still give me that freedom? And for me to give up that freedom e.g. join cambridge and go back to some teaching etc. again, ... now there is just no price for that...so, NO, I am NOT quitting exeter and joining cambridge....

now some of you more enamoured with the brand cambridge may say... 'you are crazy... this is CAMBRIDGE... an opportunity to be an academic there...'? ok, the novelty of being in cambridge has worn off and whilst it's nice to be an academic in cambridge, it's nicer to be a professor of marketing science in exeter where I have relative autonomy, a great team, nice colleagues and most importantly, people who are doing the research I love... there is absolutely no one in cambridge at our level in service research and I do need my intellectual challenges...in cambridge, i spend more time educating various colleagues about various aspects of services, so it's less mentally stimulating for me although I am learning a lot about engineering and technology which is great for advancing my own service research but it gets lonely...

besides - if cambridge is getting me there for free, why should they offer? and if I am getting all cambridge facilities, infrastructure, brand and title for free, why should i need to work for them? this sounds like a good win-win partnership to me! they get me for free and I get cambridge for free!

and lastly, cambridge has not offered anything....but would I go if they asked? NO... but in 2 and a half years when the research leave is over, I might be in the market... but not before....