Week 5 Assignment 2

Week 5 Assignment 2

[Name of the Writer]

[Name of the Institution]

Week 5 Assignment 2

In completion of this assignment, two successful candidates of business and management doctoral program were interviewed; interviewee one was interviewed via telephone while interviewee two was interviewed face to face. Around fifteen different questions were asked from each interviewee about their experience and challenges that they had to come across during doctoral program. The interview began with questions about their research topics and why they were of interest to them. Both the interviewees major was in Human resources management. Interviewee one has opted for Human resources management topic related to employee motivation; he had the passion for understanding how people are motivated and how can one assist employees in being more productive and committed to the organization. Interviewee two opted for Human resources management topic related to employability as the candidate wanted to explore how a future workforce can improve their chances of employability in the current scenario. More question were asked pertaining to what sources helped them in being successful, how much time and resources were spent in the process, what sources most assisted you in completion of your program, what challenges did you experience in the process and what would you recommend to overcome these challenges etc. before taking their general recommendations for successfully completing the program.

Overall, both the interviewees revealed somewhat similar experiences while completing their doctoral program successfully. Some of their shared experiences displayed that there are many learning experiences an individual faces while pursuing doctoral research along with many obstacles and challenges. Both the interviewees mentioned that at the beginning of the program they felt like they will face serious performance issues because of the first time of doing extensive research and feeling of anxiety and lack of confidence. In the beginning, they experienced fatigue, disconnection, and cynicism especially interviewed two. Both the interviews revealed that they had to struggle most in the start because they were not able to grasp the flow of the research in the beginning. Candidate one mentioned that his supervisor was quite helpful and offered enough time that aided him a lot, while the second candidate stated that the supervisor did not seem very concerned which increased the anxiety.

Nonetheless, both interviewees were anxious for many reasons, but later, in their opinion, everything fell into place. According to interviewee two, the elementary and general data concerning doctoral program is mostly about struggles related to personal problems, the deficiency of supervisor support and even lack of funds. For instance, interviewee two experienced numerous responsibilities, financial issues, difficulty in connecting with the faculty which resulted in lack of courage.

Interviewee one realized that completing his research took a lot of time and struggled as the research was performed mostly through interviews, and meetings which cost him money, time and a lot of energy. For interviewee one, contacting different lecturers and students concerning research helped the most and interviewee was offered many helpful suggestions. Interviewee two stated that the research work was completed within time as it was treated as a full-time job and also because of the internet research, specifically research article and journals. Internet was the most helpful source according to interviewee two. The role of the committee chair and the committee members were quite helpful when needed, but as mentioned earlier, for both the interviewees it was mostly self-help and supervisor support.

Interviewee one stated that a doctoral program could be termed as a shift period, and thus, it is a significant period for thinking on personal development, change, and constructing one's self-identity. Those who are into these studies need to learn from their past experiences and come in with a developed self, motivated and willing to take on the studies independently and optimistically; optimism and confidence are the keys to success. Doctoral research is autonomous and therefore the individual needs to be willing to work independently and not lose motivation. While pursuing doctoral studies, the students need to be self-dependent and perform a lot of explorative as well as practical work from the start till the finish. It is important to bear loneliness and learn to be independent in research work in contrast to previous education where there was not much independent work. Doctoral programs require initiative and taking charge compared with Master’s and bachelor's study. Lacking time management skills, acting carelessly and depending on the supervisors more often can lead to failure.

Interviewee one assumed that doctoral studies are a full-time job. Also, the relationship with the mentor holds supreme importance. Many issues can arise regarding a mentor such as his or her absence due to several commitments; for this, the student needs to keep in touch and demand time consistently. Moreover, beginning one's thesis can be challenging. It is, therefore, advisable to initiate work on something that you find comfortable and do not let the initial phase of thesis discourage you. Usually, I had to work single-handedly or with less cooperation from the staff and colleagues. This did not de-motivated me nor did I feel isolated; instead it was taken as a challenge and learning experience which made me successful in my opinion. Doctoral students should always accept any provision that is accessible and should try to be in contact with other students, joining appropriate societies and developing one's network.

Recommendations

Interviewee one recommended that students should seek help from other students and colleagues to stay motivated and get suggestions, and this will also allow you to come across people with the same interests as yours. It is essential for the students and researchers to take help from other students, keep in contact with the mentor, change the approach of studies from dependent to independent and take charge of the process. In addition, assisting your mentor in their work will substantially increase your chance to get more support along with improvement in your learning.

Interviewee two recommended that prior study experiences that are unlike doctoral studies may confuse and de-motivate an individual and may result in failure or giving up. It is imperative to take your time and in deciding who your supervisor will be. You should go for the one who is engaged in a study or program that will be near to your interests. It is the responsibility of the student to make the relationship with the supervisor work. Regular schedules and keeping the supervisor up-to-date with your progress is also the responsibility of the student as most of the supervisors are busy with many other students at the same time.

Reflection/Analysis

Based on the information from the two interviews it is clear that doctoral research or program is something that is going to be different from previous educational experiences. Because of its autonomous, explorative and extensive nature, many students will lack confidence in the beginning and anxiety can take over. Besides, it must be treated as a full-time job. There can be numerous issues one can come across such as unavailability of a supervisor, funds, data, and motivation, etc. All these issues are not for specific students, but these are general challenges that anyone can face. However, all these problems can be wrestled with, and they should not be taken seriously but smartly. Doctoral research should be taken as an independent studies, and every student should be confident enough in his or her abilities to perform well and must not give up. Based on the information above, supervisor selection is crucial for smooth completion of research and therefore students must carefully examine their research topics and supervisors interest and select the one whose research or field matches with student’s topic. Assisting one's supervisor can help immensely as the student will have more time to interact with supervisor, and he or she will be given more support because of that. In addition, students should not just look for support from their supervisors but instead seek help through other means as well such as discussions with other doctoral students, lecturers and in online groups. Lastly, every student must understand the nature of the program and take his or her time in the beginning, not get demotivated and bear the dependency of research work.