Workshop for supervisors of Phd students in management and business economics

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Workshop for supervisors of Phd students in management and business economics

Workshop	Prof.dr. Ed Vosselman (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)
facilitators:	Dr.ir. Pieter Terlouw (University of Twente)

Workshop	Prof.dr. Kees Aarts (University of Twente)
contributors:	Prof dr.ir. Joan van Aken (Eindhoven University of Technology)
	Dr. Herman Lelieveld (Roosevelt Academy)
	Prof. dr. Wouter van Rossum (University of Twente)

Supervisors of research projects face a lot of challenges. These challenges are connected to at least two main task elements. First, the guidance and support of the research project, second, the assessment of the research activities and, thus, of the researcher’s work.

As for the guidance of the research projects a first challenge is to be and to stay highly knowledgeable in the scientific discipline(s) to which the projects aim to contribute. Scholarly networks are important sources for achieving this. Moreover, all supervisors also are expected to be knowledgeable in the area of research methodology. During the projects decisions will have to be made on a lot of methodological issues. In general, if necessary, supervisors have the possibilities to consult methodological experts and they have to trust them, because at least some methodological expertise is at least somewhat lacking. Then the question arises, how to fully explore the possibilities of co-operation with methodologists. Moreover, there is a need for regular workshops and seminars on methodological issues.

As for the assessment of the research activities the supervisor faces problems concerning the assessment of the performance of the junior researchers. (S)he has to decide in the first year of the project whether the student can go on or not. At the end of the project (s)he has to decide whether the research done and the concept dissertation produced have enough quality to be defendable. . Here, in general, no expert consultancy can or will take place. Here, the decision making seems at least somewhat implicit: I recognize good research when I see it.

Overall the supervisor also fulfils several (confusing) roles: On the one hand (s)he is working with the PhD student as a teammate and on the other hand (s)he makes decisions on the continuation and the finalization of the project.

On the issues mentioned above an interactive workshop is organized. The number of participants in the workshop will be 6 – 12 (new) supervisors of Ph.D. students in management and business economics.

The aim of the workshop is threefold: (i) reflecting on the roles and tasks of a supervisor, (ii) getting more insight in (recent) methodological issues, and (iii) providing a small intercollegiate network.

Dates:

30 and 31 October 2007

Location:

Woodbrookershuis in Barchem, The Netherlands (www.woodbrookershuis.nl)

Literature:

To be thoroughly read in advance: Two dissertations and two (methodological articles). Literature will be sent to the participants three weeks before the start of the workshop.

Language:

If all participants of the workshop speak Dutch the workshop will be conducted in Dutch, otherwise the language of the workshop is English.

The preliminary program of the workshop is as follows:

Day 1

09.30 – 10.00	arrival and coffee
10.00 – 11.00	getting to know each other and each others questions and needs as a supervisor (Ed Vosselman and Pieter Terlouw)
11.00 – 11.15	coffee break
11.15 – 12.45	do’s and don’ts of a supervisor (Wouter van Rossum)
12.45 – 13.45	lunch
13.45 – 15.15	discussion on two dissertations: getting criteria for judgments (Ed Vosselman and Pieter Terlouw)
15.15 – 15.45	tea break
15.45 – 17.15	recent methodological issues I (Joan van Aken)
17.15 – 18.00	drinks
18.00 – 20.00	dinner
20.00 – 21.30	Addressing questions and needs of participants I (Ed Vosselman and Pieter Terlouw)
21.30 -23.00	drinks

Day 2

08.00 – 09.00	breakfast
09.00 – 10.30	Roles of a supervisor (Herman Lelieveld))
10.30 – 11.00	coffee break
11.00 – 12.30	recent methodological issues II (Cees Aarts)
12.30 -13.30	lunch
13.30 -15.00	Addressing questions and needs of participants II (Ed Vosselman and Pieter Terlouw)
15.00 – 15.15	tea break
15.15 – 16.00	individual and group evaluation
16.00 – 16.30	closing drink

Target group:

Assistant, associate and full professors, who have at least started their supervision career with one PhD student in business economics and/or management.

Requirements:

All participants must have started their supervisory career with at least 1 PhD student in management and/or business economics.

Workshop fee:

Participants from NOBEM members €500 (all inclusive, except travel expenses; early registration before September 1) or €600 (all inclusive, except travel expenses, late registration after September 1)

Participants from non-NOBEM members €750 (all inclusive, except travel expenses; early regisration before September 1) or €900 (all inclusive, except travel expenses, late registration after September 1)

Payment must be done before the start of the workshop. For rules see the website.

Registration:

·	Registration can be done only by filling out the registration form and returning it to the NOBEM office

·	In case 20 persons register for the workshop, NOBEM will try to organize a second one. The first 12 can participate in the October workshop.

·	In case the number of registrants is below 6, three weeks before the start date, the workshop will be cancelled.