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THE HITCHHIKER GUIDE TO A PHD THESIS Prof. B. Gailly European Summer University Benevento, September 12, 2009. MENU. The wrong person at the wrong place PhD as a project PhD as a communication PhD as a personal journey. MENU. The wrong person at the wrong place PhD as a project

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  1. THE HITCHHIKER GUIDE TO A PHD THESISProf. B. GaillyEuropean Summer UniversityBenevento, September 12, 2009 B. Gailly

  2. MENU • The wrong person at the wrong place • PhD as a project • PhD as a communication • PhD as a personal journey B. Gailly

  3. MENU • The wrong person at the wrong place • PhD as a project • PhD as a communication • PhD as a personal journey B. Gailly

  4. EFFECTIVE PROJECT TEAMS • Dedicated teams • Effective project leader and sponsors (“godfathers”) • Clearly predefined lifespan and deliverables (tasks and objectives) • Core and associated members with clear roles associated with individual behavioural style • Dedicated resources and coordination; effective conflict resolution mechanisms • External partners • Speed to market • Complexity of tasks • Multi-functional aspects Source : Fernez-Walch S. et Romon F. (2006) “Les formes d’organisation pour Innover” in Management de l’innovation: de la stratégie aux projets. Vuibert Gestion, pp. 136-153 Tidd J., Bessant D. and Pavitt K. (2001) “Effective team working” in Managing Innovation (2d ed.), Wiley, p 334. B. Gailly

  5. Intermediary Research project IMRJ publication + WP1 ESU presentation Database WP2 ESU presentation 2 ASQ publication ILLUSTRATIVE AGREEING ON DELIVERABLES Approved by PhD committee : • Final (thesis) • Introduction (scope, motivation) • Literature review and theoretical framework • Hypotheses and Methodology • Data analysis • Results • Discussion • Conclusions (contribution, limitations and next steps) There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action. Goethe B. Gailly

  6. ILLUSTRATIVE DEVELOPING A WORKPLANScripta Manent Deliverable Research project IMRJ publication + WP1 ESU presentation 1 Database WP2 ESU presentation 2 ASQ publication Final text Y1 v0 X v0 Y2 v1 X v1 Outline Y3 vf v2 X X Draft Y4 vf X Final Approved by PhD committee : B. Gailly

  7. WHY WE GET THINGS WRONG Confirmation bias (you hear only what comforts you) Sunk cost fallacy (factoring unrecoverable costs) Escalation of commitment (boiling frog) Anchoring (inability to question initial estimate) Source : Horn J.T. et al. (2006) “Learning to let go: making better exit decisions” McK Quarterly 2006, n°2 B. Gailly

  8. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS “If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably never get there” B. Gailly

  9. MENU • The wrong person at the wrong place • PhD as a project • PhD as a communication • PhD as a personal journey B. Gailly

  10. B. Gailly

  11. The elevator pitch DEFINING YOUR KEY MESSAGES I have only made this letter rather long because I have not had time to make it shorter. B. Pascal, 1656 • The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but a transference of bones from one graveyard to another. • J. Frank Dobie B. Gailly

  12. …. yet scientific conferences, workshops and seminars remain full of presentations which do not follow those recommendations Most recommendations about how to make a professional presentation are common sense and straightforward…. B. Gailly

  13. Do you want to engage? Convince? Inform? Entertain? DEFINING YOUR OBJECTIVES Business Plan example Management committee    Business Angel   • Venture capitalist •   Banker    • Excite • Convince • Validate B. Gailly

  14. MENU • The wrong person at the wrong place • PhD as a project • PhD as a communication • PhD as a personal journey B. Gailly

  15. Hugh Tilitarian Norma Teeve • Has a degree in comparative organisational literature – knows what “hermeneutic of continuity” means • Believes the world would be better if people would communicate more and have more time • Wants her PhD thesis to save the planet • Initial subject : corporate entrepreneurship through responsible sustainable fair politically correct strategies. • Time horizon : unknown • Supervisor : maybe Prof. Zapp, who is on sabbatical • Does not know what she will do after (but does not want to travel too far from her boyfriend and her English is not too good) • Has a degree in applied managerial econometrics – thinks hermeneutic is a washing machine brand • Believes the world would be better if only Universities were a bit more professional • Wants his PhD to help him get a good job • Initial subject : the impact of patenting rates to IPO over-evaluation through stochastic structural modelling. • Time horizon : three years • Supervisor: the one with the best record at supervising quick PhD theses • Has already identified the three best places to do a post-doc, checked the admission criteria and met the key faculty B. Gailly

  16. MENU • The wrong person at the wrong place • PhD as a project • PhD as a communication • PhD as a personal journey B. Gailly

  17. QUESTIONS ? B. Gailly

  18. THE HITCHHIKER GUIDE TO A PHD THESISProf. B. GaillyLouvain School of Management (UCL)European Summer UniversityBenevento, September 12, 2009 B. Gailly

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