Thesis topic! (Drum roll, please) & request

This morning, I did a presentation to my class on my thesis topic and the work I will be doing over the next 5 months. So, I finally feel like I have my ideas in a clear format that is shareable. I am extremely excited about my research because I feel like this is the type of work I want to do after I complete my degree. Over the next few months, this idea will be tweaked but this is the bones of what I will be looking into...

Thesis title: Still the ‘Ugly American’? : An Analysis of the Longitudinal Effectiveness of Intercultural Training within US-based Multinational Corporations

Research Questions
What types of intercultural training programs do multinational corporations (MNCs) in the United States offer and how effective are the outcomes over time?

Aims and Objectives
The objective of this research is to analyze what type of intercultural training programs are offered within US-based MNCs and compare the success of their learning objectives. Although a number of outcome-affecting factors will be considered, this study will focus on the impact of time on the success of the program learning objectives. The aim of this research is to identify what factors re-enforce or hinder learning over time so these training models can be strengthened to achieve higher success for both the individual employees and the MNCs.

Request!!
The biggest challenge for me in this research is identifying a company or companies that would welcome the opportunity to participate in this research. Through this research, I will evaluate the type of training being offered within a company, conduct a survey of the managers and employees who participated in the training, and conduct one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders and participants.
In return, I am offering to provide an analysis of the company’s training program and recommendations for the future based on my analysis. (Of course, I guarantee anonymity to all participants and the findings of the research will be used solely for academic purposes.)

Do you have contacts in a company that might be interested in this research? If yes, please let me know! Ideally, I will have access to 2 companies so I can do a comparative study but I need to have those companies on board by the end of May.

Juggling and not looking behind me to see what I've dropped

Hook Head Lighthouse

March was a month of essays and, believe it or not, yes, travel. Actually, let me clarify, it was a month of 2 essays, writing with co-writers assigned to us earlier in the term. It turned out to be as challenging as that exercise can be. One of my co-writers' attitude was, "really, these are just pass/fail classes." The other one did not sent me her half of the document until the night before the essay was due. The first one turned out better than I expected (I think) but still not great and the second one turned out to be one of the worst essays I have ever turned it (not having the time to rewrite the whole thing was a distinct problem). I am getting the results back on the first one tomorrow and I am expecting a grade quite a bit lower than I have been receiving on my independent essays. Oh well.

The last week in March, right before Easter, a friend of mine flew over from Boston to travel in Ireland for a week with me. We did a LOT in 7 days: all the way from County Wicklow, through Wexford, Waterford, and Cork to the Ring of Kerry in County Kerry before returning to Dublin via the Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny. We went to the most southwesternly point of Ireland (Mizen Head) and to the Waterford Crystal factory where seeing the crystal shaped by hand was amazing to watch. Hook Head lighthouse in C. Wexford was a beautiful spot as was so much of western Cork and Kerry. And, Durrus and Kenmare were fun pubs, I mean, towns.

We started in on the Trinity Term last Monday and I have 2 presentations in the next 2 weeks plus I really, really need to get immersed in my dissertation research. There is a conference in the Netherlands in early June that I am considering attending as part of my research but I have not made a decision on that.

In regards to Rotary stuff: Last Friday night, I attended the Dublin Viking Rotary Club's President's night and this Thursday, I will be doing my 9th talk at a Rotary Club. I'll be back at my host club, Dublin Fingal, at the end of the month for an end-of-the-year talk and I will be in Comber, Northern Ireland in May to visit and speak there.

The time just keeps flying by.