Question and Response with Member Vanessa Hills
What is the achievement you would like to share?
I recently defended my dissertation and completed the Organizational Change Leadership PhD program at Western Michigan University. My dissertation explored the unconscious processes of leaders that can impact participatory organizational change. As the many other PhD graduates in the MC division can attest, this achievement is the result of several years of learning, research, and writing!
What impact did this achievement have?
It’s impossible for me to accurately count all the ways that completing my PhD impacts my life and my work. Perhaps most notably, it has given me a stronger foundation from which to support organizations going through transformations. Whether I am aiming to contribute to the field’s knowledge or applying existing theories and frameworks with my clients, the strength of the PhD is a powerful ally.
What’s next for you following this achievement?
After completing my dissertation, I joined the Landers Consulting Group as a Senior Consultant. This is a big way for me to further connect the scholar-practitioner interests. I am able to use my research to inform my consulting work, and my practical consulting experience also improves my research and my teaching. I like to think that as a result, both aspects of my career are stronger. I look forward to a big upcoming project helping to shape the culture of a healthcare organization in the U.S.A.
Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for their support in this achievement?
There are several people who supported my efforts – many of whom are part of the AOM MC Division! My committee chair, Dr. David Szabla, is the MCD Scholar in Residence, and many members of my cohort belong to the division and have presented at AOM conferences. At the 2024 AOM Annual Meeting in Chicago, I presented critical early parts of my dissertation research. I am grateful to the MC division members who listened to me share my research, offered feedback, and provided positive direction – many of those suggestions made their way into the final version of my dissertation!