Life after a Doctorate…what to do next!
As we are reaching graduation season, I wanted my first blog for Medium to be about the Doctorate experience. When I first began my doctorate journey, I must admit it was a little daunting. I was unaware of the twists and turns that would be required for me to complete the program, but I was ready for the challenge. I wanted to write this blog for anyone who is attempting to find their way after going through the doctoral experience or for someone who is considering a doctorate. It surely isn’t an easy endeavor, but it is undoubtedly worth it. This blog will also clarify the doctorate, which is slightly different from a Ph.D. and provide three steps on how to transition afterward. Let’s start with the doctorate explanation first.
Difference between a Ph.D. and a Doctorate
I want to make sure that I acknowledge my bias. I recently completed my doctorate in management. This degree is my third degree in management, and it was a different experience. The degree is a scholar-practitioner degree. Therefore, it is a degree that concentrates on implementing the academic theory. A Ph.D., on the other hand, is a more academic-focused degree and for many educational professionals, it is a requirement [2]. Depending on your industry, I strongly recommend enrolling in a doctoral program, and I have three reasons why.
Utilize unlimited information
When I reflect on the endless amounts of information that I had access to from a leadership perspective, that can be implemented immediately with pure measurable, its remarkable. I’ll start with my current project. I am taking theories that I researched to prepare for my dissertation to mitigate a significant challenge currently in the ski industry. The ski industry is struggling to create more diversity and inclusion. A method to generate more integration entails four fundamental components for implementation: intrapreneurship, emotional intelligence and diversity, action research, and systematic thinking.
Any leader can use these methods immediately. Large organizations often struggle with change. Medium and smaller organizations often can make changes more quickly because of their flexibility[5] . One way to initiate large-scale change is to create entrepreneurship within a large-scale organization; also known as intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurship requires a more intuitive way of thinking that combines both linear and nonlinear thinking . Leadership, management, and even sociology are full of instances of nonlinear thinking [6]. Emotions, in many cases, are nonlinear.
Emotional intelligence and diversity is a model that addresses the ability to feel, understand and grasp emotional responses to address diversity and translating it into a practical application [7]. A critical segment of emotional intelligence is self-awareness and reflection that plays an instrumental role in action research that generates comradery and teamwork [8]. Action research takes an iterative approach that uses open communication to reduce anxiety, uncertainty, and insecurity [9]. Finally, systematic thinking is being able to see the whole of the issue and understanding the reason for its development [10]. By using all these options available, these are methods to navigate uncertainty and change.
Methods to navigate uncertainty and change
When change happens or even change does not occur in an organizational setting, it entails many layers. One description of these layers is BEAR. BEAR is the beliefs, experiences, action, and results that all align to shape culture [11]. The layers stem from the organizational culture, which is talked about quite often when it comes to orchestrating change. Organizational culture is the beliefs a business uses to navigate the various issues that organizations face [12]. The only way to alter these beliefs is to replace old beliefs with new beliefs. This is the only way; it requires systematic thinking and making sense of the things that do not make sense. We then can use sensemaking, which is a process of constructing and reconstructing meaning to interact with the world [13]. Individuals within companies need the tools to do so; the doctorate can bridge that gap.
Bridge academia and practical application
Currently, the US and several countries are facing a talent crisis. The issue is that graduates don’t have the necessary skills desired by companies [15]. The doctorate bridges this gap by providing relevant tools to apply that minimize the talent crisis [16]. An alarming 40% of companies cannot hire the workforce they desire in the US, and it is even more prominent in other countries [17]. The only way to bridge this gap is not only for companies to find a way to use the available skill sets, but for scholar-practitioners to emphasize how knowledge is accessible to these organizations and is valuable. Leaders and organizations need access to scholarly information. I intend to display that example, by not only conveying the required tools but using them and discussing their successes in blogs for others to learn. This is the benefit of being a scholar-practitioner, to use a process based on research and application [18].
This article is one of the many things that doctoral students can begin to do. There is a significant amount of information to get out to the masses that at times, stays in academia. The information doesn’t get out to the public, and the practitioners are representatives of the benefit of this degree level.
References
[1] 30Fastestonlinedegreeprograms. Retrieved from https://www.degreequery.com/fastest-online-degree-programs/
[2] Differencebetween.net. (2018). Difference Between Doctorate and Ph.D. Retrieved from http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/career-education/difference-between-doctorate-and-ph-d/
[3] What is information under RITI Act. Retrieved from https://www.righttoinformation.wiki/explanations/information
[4] Forstner, A. (2018). Living vs Leading Change. Retrieved from https://www.positivemindfulleader.com/living-vs-leading-change/
[5] Delić, A., Đonlagić Alibegović, S., & Mešanović, M. (2016). The Role of the Process Organizational Structure in the Development of Intrapreneurship in Large Companies. Our Economy (Nase Gospodarstvo), 62(4), 42–51. doi:10.1515/ngoe-2016–0023
[6] Bolisani, E., & Bratianu, C. (2017). Knowledge strategy planning: an integrated approach to manage uncertainty, turbulence, and dynamics. Journal of Knowledge Management, 21(2), 233–253.
[7] What is emotional intelligence and diversity? (2016). Retrieved from https://www.eidi-results.org/what-is-eid/
[8] Smith, J. W., & Stitts, D. K. (2013). Using Action Learning And Critical Thinking Tools To Make Changes In Higher Education. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (Online), 6(1), 73-n/a.
[9] Nandi, S., & Nandi, M. L. (2017). Revisiting activity theory: A useful framework for improving post-acquisition integration effectiveness. Vilakshan: The XIMB Journal of Management, 14(1), 1–18.
[10] Smith, M. E., & Kinard, J. (2019). systematic thinking or a quick fix: a managerial dilemma. Supervision, 80(1), 12.
[11] Heckelman, W. L., Unger, S., & Garofano, C. (2013). Driving Culture Transformation During Large-Scale Change. OD Practitioner, 45(3), 25–30.
[12] Schmidt, X., & Muehlfeld, K. (2017). What’s so special about intergenerational knowledge transfer? Identifying challenges of intergenerational knowledge transfer. Management Revue, 28(4), 375–411. doi:10.5771/0935–9915–2017–4–375
[13] Sylvain, C., & Lamothe, L. (2012). Sensemaking: a driving force behind the integration of professional practices. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 26(6), 737–757. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14777261211276998
[14] Center for leaderships studies and educational research. (2019). Retrieved from https://research.phoenix.edu/research-centers/center-leadership-studies-and-organizational-research
[15] Gordon, E. E. (2014). what can be done about the U.S. Talent Crisis? TD: Talent Development, 68(12), 42.
[16] Fawcett, A. M., & Fawcett, S. E. (2016). Making the shift. Supply Chain Management Review, 20(4), 14–21.
[17] Manpowergroup (Producer). (2018). Solving the Talent Shortage. Retrieved from https://go.manpowergroup.com/hubfs/TalentShortage%202018%20(Global)%20Assets/PDFs/MG_TalentShortage2018_lo%206_25_18_FINAL.pdf
[18] Coleman, T. M., Sorensen, P., Yaeger, T. F., & Hinrichs, G. (2017). A Strategic Planning Intervention Employing Large Group Change: A Scholar/Practitioner Application. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 18(1), 50–58.
