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Hi,

I want to get a PhD in management.

Is there any problem if I use books as references in my proposal and finally in my thesis more than academic articles?

Would there be a difference if the books I use are of academic nature (like those books that consists of several research papers sharing a similar theme) compared to books that are based on research, but are more like self help books or books that suggests new types of thinking?

Thanks.

Hi.

I kind of feel that I will go through the same situation you are going through now once I start with my PhD writing. Therefore I had this urge to see what to do in such situation. Here is what I a blog affiliated with the owners of this forum says:

Hello all.

I'm probably the worst person to comment here because I'm still looking for a program to get a PhD. However I've been in similar situations and I believe in one great approach proposed by a great wise man 1400 years ago.

It says: << Little but sustained, better than a lot but bored off >>

If you could manage to write every single day just 500 words (that is a little bit more than one page) then you would have after 5 month 75,000 words and 4 month left to revise and correct.Now if you in a given day can write more than 500, that is great. If not, force yourself to write just 500.

Of course it is not how things work, because quality and correctness is needed, but the most important thing is that you keep a principle until you finish: never stop writing, even if you just write a few sentences, even if one word only. The most important thing is that you never stop writing.

In one book I'm reading about writing methodology for PhD and Masters and the author says the same: never stop writing, even if it is only notes or ideas.

This way you keep yourself motivated and keeping a promise you have made to yourself: never stop writing. A lot about research is self motivation. You've done a great job, given your kids and job. You've got it all to finish. So keep writing :)!

Also thanks to you psychresearcher.

As I can say now based on all responses, it has to do more with what my institution has available and provides support for, and of course what kind of research I'm doing.

Since I'm not yet accepted in any institution, I thought it would be wise in the preparation process for my research career to have enough skills in a specific statistical package/ programming language, and wanted to see what would be best to start with.

I feel closer to SPSS, since I've said, I've used it before. However I saw a huge community talking about R. Also STATA and SAS are very popular out there, so I had to consider my options.

I've to choose something at the beginning. At some level all the packages will have the same functionality. Therefore for starters SPSS. After elaborating my skills in SPSS, I will try to get familiar with STATA. I will also look into Nviva since it is strong in qualitative research.

If my institution uses SPSS, then all is fine. If it is STATA / Nviva, then I will have a head start. And if none of these, then I can't do anything. I will have to learn it. It is unlikely for someone to be proficient in all statistical packages.

Many thanks to all. I'm feeling the benefit of these forums.

Since a long time it is my dream to get a PhD and do research, either by myself or as part of a team.
When I look at the skills that I need to do and excel in research, I categorize them into the following shown in the graph:

Good advice. Makes sense to me. Thanks a lot.

Thank you all for you feedback.

I think that SPSS will do it. The data I will collect won't be massive. I've some basic knowledge of SPSS, whereas no knowledge whatsoever about R. And I think if SPSS isn't enough, I will consider Stata.

Thanks again.

Hi.

If I want to pursue research in business on PhD level, that is going to be both qualitative and quantitative, what is better to do:

- Learn to use SPSS?
- Learn to write R code?

Thanks.

Many thanks, I hope we can stay in contact. :).

Wow pikirkool, thank you. I think it helps a lot.

It sound as if you have been gone through a similar thing?

Hi omashia,

Same here. Maybe I'm exaggerating or talking out of experience but doesn't it seem the hardest phase of getting a PhD? Isn't it confusing if you have (or don't have ) something in your mind that is not too big and not to small for a PhD, not old stuff and yet not something that can't be proven? And if the proposal gets rejected, what should you do?

Hi newtophd and HazyJane,

Thank you so much for the feedback.

I developed my management model (that I think is one) based on readings, my experience, as well as the experience of others. I've got an MBA and have worked as well as talked with experienced people about managing organizations a lot. The conversations and my readings and failures in real life emphasized certain factors and their relationship with others that are most relevant in the success and failure of management activity

As far as I have read and searched (using Google Scholar and other academic search engines) it is not there in the way I'm proposing it. However that is the first round of search and I know that I have to look better. I've just the draft of the main concepts of the model.

My concerns however are the following:
- It is regarded old stuff and nothing new, just another name for the same old thing.
- It is so good that it gets stolen.
- It is too big for a PhD
- It is not enough for a PhD

My questions are these:
- Would writing a paper on my own (and not as part of an institution) count as a academic paper? How much would that help?
- Is there a mechanism to copyright my writings or ideas regarding the model so that nobody can steal it is good? Can it be done easily?
- Do normally PhD students propose management models, or are they developed after lots of experience? Wouldn't academics questions something as big as a new management model coming from a person who is still as the beginning of his academic and work carrier?
- How do other academics develop models? Does it come at the beginning of their life or after lots of work, research, and academic experience in order to be able to prove its relevance, or is it proposed at some point and then proven by time?

I know that those are too many and too big questions, but I appreciate the previous and any other comments and feedbacks.

Thanks again.

m.

Hi JohnF,

I'm new here too. And unlike you I haven't even chosen my topic to study PhD. However I would understand the following if my supervisor had told me the same:

By conceptual model of your thesis he is talking about a graphical presentation of the plan you are going to implement to study your subject. It also represents the relationships of the concepts you are going to explore in form of a graph.

I guess the conceptual model plays the role of the outline of what you are doing. It could show the logical sequence of how you will approach your research. Or it might serve as a quick reference to the logic of what you are going to do and gives with one look an idea about what you are doing.

It would be more useful to know in what subject you will write your thesis to give you an example. However this is one example. I'm not sure how much use you can make of it:

Would be great if you kept us up to date about what happened to your thesis.