From Muso to Academic and Back: A Time and Person-Based Acknowledgement of Michael Kleinaltenkamp

Abstract

The year 2020 sees an important milestone for Professor Michael Kleinaltenkamp (Michael hereafter), as he concludes his official academic working life. This paper acknowledges the significant contribution Michael has made over the years. In particular, using Leximancer to undertake textmining of Michael’s English language publications, we not only uncover the underlying structure of these contributions but also explore if and how focal themes of his research have changed, particularly considering his close engagement with the Australasian academic marketing community. Findings indicate foundational facets and the overall gestalt of his research over time, yet also point to important differences across the time periods analysed. Finally, we reflect on our findings from a musical perspective, drawing on Michael’s passion for music, as we thank him for the many jams and the rehearsing, aswell as for his support for the bands and scenes he belongs to. For future research, it should be noted that future acknowledgements would benefit from cooking as a metaphor to complete the picture.