Professor Q & A - Prof. Dr. Martin Mocker

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This is the first post in our ESB Professor Q&A series. The aim of the series is to allow present and prospective students to better get to know our amazing professors. First up is Prof. Dr. Martin Mocker, professor of Business Administration and Information Systems.



1. In what roles have you contributed to ESB Business School?
Besides professor, also as admission officer and as examination officer.

2. What makes a good professor?
The ability to generate meaningful insights in research; in teaching, to create an enjoyable learning experience that helps students to gain relevant insights. Oh, and somewhere I read that always wearing a pocket square will eventually make you a good professor...

3. Is there anything you would you like to change about your job?
Finally, someone asks for my wishlist! Here's my top 2: 1. Can we move to valuing output and impact more than input, please? 2. Let's reduce bureaucracy - make it easier to get stuff done. 3. If I could somehow stop students from knocking on my office door only to then ask where Prof. Beldarrain is.

4. What kind of student were you in university? 
 Proud Geek.

5. Based on all of your experience, what is the most valuable lesson you have learned?
Don't assume your professor knows the answer to question #5.

6. What's the most important word you would teach someone, if they couldn’t learn more than one?
The right answer is Peace, isn't it? Or Love? Somewhere between Love and Peace. Or Krumbiere.

7. What one thing would you change in the world if you had absolute power?
Hey, this is a question that is actually a P.C.-trap. I'll skip this one...

8. What are your hobbies?
Trail- and mountain-running, hiking (hey, do you actually know how gorgeous the Swabian Alb is?)

9. What’s your favorite quote?
AAPL (NASDAQ) 102,26 +1,09 (1,08%) 19:59 GMT-5

10. What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
It wasn't a classic advice, but a question: What do you want to be remembered for?

11. What’s the most important advice you would give to the ESB students?
Think about question #10!

12. What are your three favorite books?
Really? Isn't asking for favorite books so 1990s? Why not ask about favorite podcasts (Serial is great, Sanft und Sorgfaeltig often quite fun), or music (my streaming provider tells me that Oceans by Coasts (actually the whole album with the same name), Campfire by Satellite Stories, and Midnight City by M83, are my current favorites), or video streaming series (House of Cards, Mad Men, Better Call Saul). You still want books? Ok, The Reluctant Fundamentlist by Mohsin Hamid and Netherland, by Joseph O'Neill are nice stories, maybe The Circle by Dave Eggers. Most books by Martin Suter offer a good distraction, too.

13. What do you like most about being a professor?
It's really one of the coolest jobs: You're learning all the time! And: You get to answer questions about yourself for a blog.

14. If you hadn’t chosen a career in teaching, what would you be doing now?
Well, most of us had careers before becoming a professor, so most likely I would still be a management consultant... or a firefighter!

15. Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
You mean apart from all the stuff I already answered above, something that's really fun, but also not too embarrasing just in case students or colleagues find their way to this blog? Something I want everyone to know that nobody knew already? Hmmm, can I get back to you on this one?