Research Spotlight: Ewelina Lacka

Can you give a brief summary of your career to date, and the journey that brought you here to us at the University of Edinburgh Business School?

I received my PhD from the University of East Anglia. During my doctorate research, I explored issues related to, at that time, novel e-commerce and online shopping. Back then digital marketing was gaining prominence in academia and practice, and I was excited to explore it. After completing my PhD, I moved to Scotland where I worked at the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow before moving to Edinburgh.

If you had to give your ‘elevator pitch’ and explain in layman terms what your research and/or teaching focuses on, how would you answer?

My focus is on technology, and I examine why and how technologies are adopted and used by individuals and firms. I am also interested in these data that technologies generate, and I like searching for data-driven insights that can inform decision-making. My research is often underpinned by theories from information systems, management science and more recently financial economics.

With regard to your work, is there anything exciting in the pipelines that you are working on?

There are a few exciting things that I am currently working on. First, I am working on a research paper which focuses on AI and its use in the context of social media marketing. My work with industry is also exciting - I enjoy working with industry practitioners and seeing that my research has an impact.

What do you enjoy most about your teaching and/or research? What challenges and excites you across both?

I like that each day is different. One day I will be working on my research- I can be reading all day, or trying to figure out how to position my idea. The next day, I can be in a class meeting students from all over the world. This makes my job very dynamic, and I love it.

What do you enjoy most about working at UEBS?

I enjoy having conversations with my colleagues and learning about their research. I engage in interdisciplinary research and those conversations often inspire me to pursue new research ideas.

What advice would you give to your younger self, about to leave home and embark upon further education?

‘Don’t rush- give yourself a gift of time’. On reflection, I think I was focusing on the end goal – for example, I wanted to complete my PhD. The advice I would give to my younger self would be to enjoy the process and don’t rush it.

What one beloved item would you take with you to a Desert Island?

I would take a photo album and put as many photos of my family and friends in it as possible.

If you could invite anyone over for dinner who would it be and why?

Michelle Obama- she is a role model and an inspiration; I am sure she has many interesting stories to tell at a dinner party.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I was fortunate to travel a lot, I visited many beautiful places but I am still to explore Latin America. I would love to travel to Peru and visit Machu Picchu.

Ewelina Lacka

Reader in Digital Marketing & Analytics and Head of Marketing Group