Organization and Management Theory OMT

11:30 – 2:30 pm, Saturday, August 8th, 2015

Faculty Mentors:

• Linda Argote, Carnegie Mellon University
• Christine Beckman, University of Maryland
• Ron Burt, University of Chicago
• Tiziana Casciaro, University of Toronto
• Joep Corneliusen, VU University Amsterdam
• Royston Greenwood, University of Alberta
• Vilmos Misyangi, Pennsylvania State University
• Mike Pratt, Boston College
• Davide Ravasi, Cass School of Business, London

What It Is:

The Dissertation Proposal Workshop is a chance for students at the pre-proposal stage to draw on the wisdom and expertise of a group of established OMT scholars to develop a defensible dissertation proposal. Classes and preliminary exams usually have clear structures and guidelines, but we often get little sense of how to turn our vague good ideas into dissertation proposals that will intrigue potential committee members, pass a defense, and grow into a high-quality dissertation. This workshop aims to address this gap by improving the focus and framing of research questions, identifying and addressing methodological issues, and/or constructively critiquing conceptual foundations. As well as these important content issues, discussions may also address process issues like managing your dissertation committee, and completing the dissertation. The workshop consists of small roundtable discussions between faculty panelists and doctoral students working on dissertation proposals in the panelist's area of expertise.

Who Should Attend:

The Dissertation Proposal Workshop is aimed at students who have completed preliminaries and have selected a dissertation topic but have not yet defended their dissertation proposal. If you have a 50-page proposal with data, well-defined hypotheses, and a committee, you are probably too advanced. On the other hand, if you have not narrowed your ideas beyond a broad theoretical or phenomenological space, you are probably too early.

How to Apply:

Doctoral students interested in participating in the workshop should have a faculty member send a short nominating email to Candace Jones (candace.jones@bc.edu). Nominees should also provide a 5-page abstract outlining a research area, methodological approach, and potential contributions. These abstracts will form the basis of discussions during the workshop and will be shared with the group at the participant's table.

Deadline for Nominations:

May 31, 2015. Attendance is limited to 20 students so early application is advised.

Organizer/Questions:

Candace Jones, Boston College  candace.jones@bc.edu