Friday, April 25, 2008

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.

4 comments:

J. Michael Povey said...

Hi Johanna


Try Cambridge Associates. I have a friend who works in their London Office, and they are expanding their work into many countries.

Michael

J. Michael Povey said...

And please check my blog


http://jmichaelpovey-retiredpoveinsarasota.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Hi Johanna,
Contact Signe Spencer. She works for a company that measure competencies and uses that info for improving morale and performance. She has been involved in a big project of setting up offices in India. If she can't help, she might point you on to someone else. I don't think this is the same co. Michael Povey speaks of, I think I would recognize the name, and that one I don't.

Best wishes to you - Judy just sent me your blog address.
Jocelyn Anthony

Johanna said...

Hi Michael and Jocelyn,
Thanks for the suggestions! I hope you are doing really well.
Kind regards,
Johanna