Like every year, the OMT Division will again be holding its annual Dissertation Proposal Workshop as part of the Academy's Annual Meeting-albeit in a virtual form this year. 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 these ideas into a high-quality dissertation. The current workshop addresses this gap by helping participants improve the focus and framing of research questions, identify and address methodological issues, and constructively critique conceptual foundations. The conversations 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.
Nomination Instructions
Doctoral students interested in participating in the workshop should have a faculty member send a short nominating email to Peer Fiss at omt@marshall.usc.edu. Nominees should provide the following in their email:
- Their full name and email address
- The name of their affiliated school and university,
- A confirmation that the student is (or will become) a member of the OMT division, and
- A maximum 5-page abstract outlining their 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.
To accommodate the highly unusual situation with COVID-19, we have further extended the deadline for nominations to June 30, 2020, by 5 pm, EST. Attendance is limited and accepted participants will be provided with the virtual meeting information.
Peer Fiss
OMT Division Chair
OMT Dissertation Proposal Workshop FAQ
Q: Wait, I'm confused. There are so many different offerings at the Academy conference. Is this one for me at my stage in my doctoral program?
A: The Dissertation Proposal Workshop is aimed at doctoral 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.
Q: What goes on during the Workshop?
A: 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. It aims to help you improve 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 is built around you getting individual developmental feedback from mentors and peers with similar research interests.
Q: So who are the faculty mentors for this year?
A: Christine Beckman, University of Southern California; Diane Burton, Cornell University; Peer Fiss, University of Southern California; Matthew Kraatz, University of Illinois; Michael Lounsbury, University of Alberta; Bill McEvily, University of Toronto; Nelson Phillips, Imperial College; Marc-David Seidel, University of British Columbia; Wendy Smith, University of Delaware
Q: This sounds good, how much does it cost?
A: There is no fee for attending the workshop although you will need to be registered for the Academy of Management Meetings to attend.
Q: So when will the workshop take place?
A: During the AoM Virtual Annual Meeting; precise date and time to be confirmed.
Q: OK, so what do I need to do to get in on this?
A: You submit your application by June 15 following the nomination instructions listed above.
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Peer Fiss
University of Southern California
Los Angeles
(213) 821-1471
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