Professor Tony Bryant

Professor of Informatics, Tony has been an active researcher since the 1980s. With a social science background Tony's current interests include complexity & chaos theory, grounded theory method, informatics, and self organising communities.

Research Area
Social Innovation

Current Position

Professor of Informatics
School of Information Management
Faculty of Information and Engineering Systems
Leeds Metropolitan University
ASEM Chair & European Co-ordinator
International Masters Programme in Information Management
Asia-Europe Institute
University of Malaya
Visiting Professor
Executive Masters Programme in Information & Management
University of Amsterdam

Profile
I have been an active researcher in software engineering and information systems since the 1980s: Prior to that I worked in the software industry for several years as a programmer, systems analyst, and latterly as senior project leader. Whilst teaching and researching I have established various collaborations, including several major projects with BT involving technology transfer across the organization for specification methods for development and design of BT's information systems.

For many years I was a member of BSI's software engineering panel; also working with UK government [CCTA] as consultant on several quality-related and standards projects, including work on SSADM; I convened the BIS panel on SSADM and edited the British Standard for SSADM.

I have been involved with process improvement projects, including consultancies with The Halifax, Price-Waterhouse-Coopers, and several large insurance companies. These involved use of various versions of the Capability Maturity Model and the draft standard for Process Assessment.

I have also been closely involved in development of several Master's courses, including some offered on a part-time block basis aimed at those in full-time employment wishing to update their skills and develop their careers and value to their organization. I led a version of one Masters programme in South Africa.

My earlier background was in the Social Sciences. I studied with Tony Giddens in Cambridge; Leslie Sklair at LSE; and Zygmunt Bauman at Leeds. I recently shared a platform with Professor Bauman, discussing his concept of Liquid Modernity in the context of recent work on turbulence and complexity. I have recently completed a book that discusses information and communications technology in the context of Bauman's work. I am also preparing a book on Grounded Theory, together with Kathy Charmaz, that will include contributions from many of the major internationally renowned researchers using Grounded Theory across a wide range of disciplines.

Research Interests

Business Process Modelling and Integration
Complexity & Chaos Theory
Formal Specification
Grounded Theory Method
Information Systems Development
Informatics & Information Management
Knowledge Management
Methods Integration
Object Orientation
Process Improvement & Capability Maturity
Qualitative Research Approaches - particularly Grounded Theory
Research Philosophy & Methods
Software Engineering
Standards and Standardization

Recent Publications

September 2007 - A Bryant & K Charmaz, eds., The Handbook of The Grounded Theory Method, SAGE (Senior Editor)
'Liquid Arts - Liquid Modernity' - Griselda Pollock,Zygmunt Bauman, Antony Bryant, Gustav Metzger, THEORY, CULTURE & SOCIETY, JAN 2007, Vol 24(1)
'Learning from Open Source: Wiki and the Agora', paper presented at ICIS 2006; Winner 'Best Paper in Track'
Thinking Informatically - A New Understanding of Information, Communication, and Technology; Edwin Mellen Press - with contributions from Zygmunt Bauman and Frank Land.
'Information Systems: A Discipline in search of a Community; or vice-versa? - a response to Benbasat & Zmud', PrimaVera Series

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