Hello,

I'm a new member here -- found this site completely by accident! I read through several posts and decided I would throw out a question.

I'm nearing completion of a doctorate in organizational psychology. I have several ideas for a dissertation topic, but I'm struggling to find one that really 'clicks' with me. I am interested in work that examines organizational culture, dynamics that contribute to job satisfaction, and professional competency.

I wonder if there is a "hot area" that I could explore? I am open to suggestions!

Thank you,

James

Not sure what you mean by "hot" area (one that will turn into a best-selling book? a lucrative consulting career? a job offer at a tenure track position?).

Here are a couple of suggestions off the top of my head that have some relevance to the areas you mentioned:
--generational issues at work (especially new generations, cultures that work best for them, how they define job satisfaction).
--virtual and matrixed job structures and how they affect culture and job satisfaction
--comparison of organizational cultures across several firms in the same industry and the same size (ie: market leaders or mid-size firms or smaller firms) to measure the relative diversity or if it might be possible to make some generalizations about culture, job sat and competency by industry.

Hello Joe,

Thanks for your response. Like most people, I do my best work when I know what I am doing has significance and will be used for something important. I don't want to do a dissertation just to check the box saying it's done -- I want it to be about something important and meaningful. I am looking for input for ideas of what is current -- or "hot" to use my original term.

I like your ideas -- and again I appreciate you sharing them.

Question: I am interested in anything related to job culture -- my master's thesis was about job satisfaction in rural settings -- I am wondering: are there normed and standardized cultural assessment tools used to assess organizational culture?

Thanks again,

Jim

Dear Jim,

It would appear you are ABD? If so the idea that you are "nearing completion of a doctorate" in OP is folly. You have no idea what awaits you. If your ideas don't click
talk to your committee if you have one.
For drill you can conduct an intensive lit search on the topics identified by J. Wilmore.
or ask an expert what needs to be studied. Broadcasting won't get you a topic.

Nero Wolfe

Hello nero wolfe,

Thanks for your input - despite what seems to be a hostile tone in your comments, I will persist with my quest to obtain unique points of view from others.

I do have a committee - and they are of little help at this time due to many factors.

I learned long ago that obtaining information from a variety of sources often produces the best outcomes. In that spirit, I posted here -- with my goal being to hear from others who are working in this area -- it is my belief that those working in the field are the current experts in what is 'really' happening in the field of organizational psychology. While I have many excellent texts in the field, I do not know of, nor have I heard of, the author you mentioned. I will explore this text further. Thank you.

If my efforts to obtain this information in this public setting were offensive to you, then I sincerely apologize.

Jim