Dissertation Dilemma...

I am not good at the distilling ideas thing, I have discovered. I am very good at coming up with broad, vague ideas. But bringing them into focus is an area that heretofore always involved brainstorming with colleagues. I've long been known as the "ideas girl" but never as the "details and practicalities guru." Despite the fact that I am a dedicated list-maker and diary-keeper!

I am determined to change this with the dissertation project. I look on it as my chance to boil down my vague ideas (reputation-crisis management at either Disney or Royal Carribean) into a workable topic suitable for surveys, interviews, etc. I am more interested in Disney and their steps to protect themselves from the various screw-ups of their teen talents. But then again, it might be tempting to go with Royal Caribbean, as I actually worked on a ship during a reputation-crisis and saw the management plan in action firsthand.

Now, hmmm...see what I mean? How indecisive am I? Well, I suppose I am temporarily going with the Disney plan to coincide with the essay due on our dissertation topics next week. But I can keep the other one in reserve in case my original plan gets knocked down as unsuitable.

I love the reputation-crisis management topic, however. It involves all the gory dirty details from disciplines I find so interesting: philosophy/ethics, psychology, anthropology, communications (obviously) / persuasion. Then there are the crossovers into practical business considerations, such as management, marketing, finance, human resources. Can't wait to get started...best get the show on the road and choose a topic!