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  • June 8, 2004 at 4:21 pm #35787

    arjun
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi!
    I am looking for some good topics related to six sigma for my dissertation. Can ne please advise me a few topics?
    thank you
    arjun

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    June 8, 2004 at 5:02 pm #101379

    Ken Feldman
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    This is not how you do dissertation research!!!  You should already have an abstract of your dissertation which laid out the topics to be covered.  Don’t ask us to do your work for you.  If you would like some opinions on specific issues surrounding your dissertation we would be glad to help.

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    June 8, 2004 at 6:44 pm #101382

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Arjun
    Please don’t be turned off by some people on this forum who sound like their angry or something.  Your going to find that alot of these writers think they know everything there is to know about six sigma  and they’ve been writing in this forum for so long that they think that they belong to some kind of in-crowd so that they think they are the “us” and anyone who ask questions are the “them”.
     I’ve been in the trade many years and I’m still humbled about what’s out there.  Just give it time and someone will give you some topic hints.
    By the way there are a million ways to do a dessertation for the millions of topics that you can do them on.  And I know that you were not looking for someone to do your work.
    Thanks for asking

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    June 8, 2004 at 8:02 pm #101385

    Ken Feldman
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    I apologize for the use of the “we”.  You are correct that I hardly represent the Forum population.  But you must admit, that the way the original post was worded, it is pretty scary that this guy is doing what I assume to be a graduate level dissertation and is asking for help to define the topics for some undefined dissertation.  I wonder what his Committee Chairperson would think about that approach.  That was the reason for my harsh reply.  I know I learn something everyday from the posts on this Forum and have great respect for the majority of posters.  Thanks for pointing out my error.

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    June 8, 2004 at 8:58 pm #101391

    PB
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Darth,
    What error? I am with you on this one. Arjun should have some idea of the topic for dissertation. If he doesnot and the forum provides him with one, he may land up with a topic (he may realize at a later date) he did not want, to begin with. If Arjun had asked – ‘I want to do a dissertation on Six Sigma on CpK with Non-normal data, can anyone suggest books I can read or give me guidance?’ It would be proper (my opinion).
    PB

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    June 8, 2004 at 9:47 pm #101393

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi PB
    I wish I’ve known exactly what my dessertation was going to be about from the start.  I had to change my topic completely.  I couldn’t blame anyone on that one and if someone gave me a suggestion I wouldn’t blame the suggester either. 
    PB, if a Forum member throws out a suggested topic on Six Sigma and Ajun runs with it, then realizes it isn’t what he wanted then that’s OK.  That’s call the learning process.  And I doubt if the topic is narrowed down where a book can be suggested that would do the trick.  Ajun might still change his mind.
    So are you saying that before anyone ask for any suggestions from this Forum, they better know exactly how to ask for it.  Else we’ll tell them that they should know what Six Sigma is all about so they can be more specific.

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    June 8, 2004 at 10:57 pm #101395

    Ken Feldman
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    I’m not sure what academic program you were in, but usually the dissertation is towards the end of the process.  As a result, its selection is usually closely linked with the field of study and the coursework taken to that point.  As a result, the candidate should have some inkling of what they want to study more in depth.  Once you start doing your research, it might be possible to discover that you didn’t want to go there and, as such, change direction, much as you did.   I guess I just have a problem philosophically with a candidate who needs to throw out a general call for generic topics at this point.  As PB said, it might be more appropriate to approach the Forum for specificity than for picking a topic.  If he/she is clueless at this point, I wonder what he/she, his/her Committe and Chairperson have been talking about.  No revelations to this thread, just some philosophical discussions.

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    June 9, 2004 at 1:31 am #101396

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Darth
    Gee, what do you mean by starting off “I don’t know what academic program you were in”.  What is making you say that.  Here’s what I’m reading in your response.
    “Hey buddy I don’t know what planet your from but a dissertation is done this way and no other way cause that’s my philosophy”.  All the other words in between is just a variation on that theme.
    Darth, this fellow just threw a question out there because the forum community seems like a conversation among people who practice this stuff.  He did it innocently.  And now some people come down hard because it doesn’t jive with their “Philosophy” or something.  I suspect that you never asked anyone in academia for a topic.  You already knew what your dissertation was going to be about since your freshman year.
    You should be lucking you didn’t have someone like me on your committee because I like to crackdown on people who think they’re so “cock sure” about the way the world works.  I would have you revising your topic until the last edition would not contain the same topic.

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    June 9, 2004 at 2:16 am #101397

    JJ
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    speak to your mentor/advisory committee…..

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    June 9, 2004 at 2:23 am #101398

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Orlando,
    Darth gave an opinion to a person that asked for it. Why do you think you are qualified to judge his input in such a negative way?
    Get a life and give advice, share your knowledge, live, love, leave a legacy,…
     
     

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    June 9, 2004 at 3:30 am #101401

    SSNewby
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    arjun
    I think that what’s being said is that you need to let your passion drive you for your dissertation research.  It’s a long lonely road and you need to march to your own drum.  It’s fine to ask for input and thoughts, but you need to have a good idea of your topic and how you want to get there pretty early in the game.  You are not led in the research, like I said, follow your passion.  You have to make it exciting and meaningful to you.   Many folks wind up ABD because they did not get obsessive and personal about it and dig deep.  In fact, the only good thing about the years expended is that you discover something for yourself and about yourself.   Good luck and best wishes. 
    SSNewby

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    June 9, 2004 at 1:17 pm #101414

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Stan
    Your basically giving me advice that your not following.  Now your opinion is that somehow I’m not qualified to judge Darth comments but your qualified to judge my comments. 
    The only reason I spoke to Darth’s comment was that I thought this Forum was to foster the spirit of Six Sigma not to stop it at the door.  I thought he had done just that.
    I don’t like to do this but I’m going to name drop next.
    Let me give an example, I worked in Motorola GEG during Mikel Harry tenure there back in the early 80’s.  A job posting came up indicating a position in the Radar Div for a “statistical person” .  Back then nothing was defined as Black Belt etc.  I informed Mikel about the position and he immediately started helping me for the interview.  He didn’t say “go read a book” or “you gotta know what you really want”.  He was trying to spread the word on Six Sigma. 
    If we want to grow Six Sigma and get a larger community involved we have to be gentlemans/ladies.  90% of Six Sigma resource spent is using persuation and convincing.  The “soft” stuff.  So when I read a little abrupt language coming from some who I think is smart enough to know better, I say something.

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    June 9, 2004 at 1:28 pm #101415

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Arjun
    SSNewby gave you excellent advice but let me give you an alternative advice. 
    Pick a topic that one member on your committee know a little about but not too much about.  Then do everything that they say.  Never mind about that passion stuff you can feed the world later once you get your degree.
    If your interested in a Six Sigma type project just remember that Six Sigma has become a big monster so you would need to narrow your focus to get a handle on it.  Start readng about the quality subject matter, especially how it evolved. then you’ll get an idea why six Sigma.
    Take car and good luck

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    June 9, 2004 at 1:49 pm #101419

    SSBB
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Orlando,
    Please take a look at the thread titled, “to Choose Between Mean and Median” posted by padam3. Where he says, “We have several forum bullies who will offer insights while exacting more than a pound of flesh in doing so.” Some folks here think that this forum belongs to them and they can criticize any poster as they wish.

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    June 9, 2004 at 4:02 pm #101435

    PB
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Orlando,
    Your last response should be the response in you first post in response to Arjun’s posting. Your exact words – ‘ If your interested in a Six Sigma type project just remember that Six Sigma has become a big monster so you would need to narrow your focus to get a handle on it.  Start readng about the quality subject matter, especially how it evolved. then you’ll get an idea why six Sigma.’
    We can suggest him some ideas on topics, but without necessary background on Six Sigma, what will Arjun’s understanding be on the topics? He would have to research each and every idea to reach a comfort level.
    Hopefully, together we have made some clarification for Arjun.
    PB

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    June 14, 2004 at 3:48 pm #101681

    arjun
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    hi! everyone
    Well Orlando was right in whatever he said. Darth don’t mind but you don’t know how to help people. Your somewhat harsh reply was plain stupid to me. Neways as Orlando rightly said that I was not looking for someone to do my work for me. I was just looking for people to give me ideas. I have done my research on “comparing six sigma with TQM ” but I cannot take that topic as my friend has already chosen it. He might work on Lean six Sigma as well. So I have run outta topics thas all. I just needed direction which I am afraid you cudnt provide darth. I just needed plain simple information not ” pls do my work”.
    Arjun
     

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    June 14, 2004 at 4:12 pm #101686

    Mike Carnell
    ★ 20 Years ★
    Participant

    Arjun,
    I think your friend did you a favor when he took the “Comparing SS and TQM.” It is like the improvement initiatives version of “those were the good old days” or “they sure don’t make them like they used to.” It may be good reading but it won’t make a difference in anyones organization. When you are done it really wouldn’t have done much for your future either.
    Work on something that you can use to add value to an organization when you are done. There are a couple topics that are serious issues right now in how well a deployment executes (start with Bossidy’s book). The most visibility is in quantifying benefits from projects. Everybody wants to know if they got their money back (this one will be primarily from white papers). A second topic would be managing change from projects – effective implementation, buy-in versus enrollment, how much change can the organization take, etc. (good reference material from Tom Devane – his new book and a couple books “Managing at the Speed of Change” and “The Deviants Advantage”).
    If you have to do the work you might as well spend the time on something that will give you leverage in the future.
    Just my opinion. Good luck.

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    June 14, 2004 at 5:24 pm #101691

    Cravens
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Arjun,
    Which doctoral program are you in?   Fred.

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    June 14, 2004 at 10:03 pm #101713

    mman
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Agree……..

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    June 14, 2004 at 10:11 pm #101714

    mman
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    “Comparing SS with TQM” is just an “old”topic.I have ten books describing & analyzing all types of diffrences.Why you don’t try to choose an “innovative ” topic insted of repeating “what others authors have already discovered”??Just my humble opinion,regards 

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    June 14, 2004 at 10:39 pm #101717

    gastronic
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

     
    The Impact on the Six Sigma Practitioner’s Extrinsic Motivation in Selecting Six Sigma Programming Due to Viewing Motorola’s Early Six Sigma Successes as a Motivational Heuristic if the Perception of Program Success is Subsequently Altered by Deteriorating Economic Conditions Affording a Lessening External Locus of Control: A Longitudinal Study
    Arjun, this is the title for your dissertation. Research well and with the assurance that you own your topic (a must for doctoral level information synthesis).  No thanks are necessary.  I am pleased to help a fellow Six Sigma researcher.

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    June 15, 2004 at 2:01 am #101729

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Gastronic wrote to Ajun suggesting title for his thesis to be:
    “The Impact on the Six Sigma Practitioner’s Extrinsic Motivation in Selecting Six Sigma Programming Due to Viewing Motorola’s Early Six Sigma Successes as a Motivational Heuristic if the Perception of Program Success is Subsequently Altered by Deteriorating Economic Conditions Affording a Lessening External Locus of Control: A Longitudinal Study “
    How do I draw a smily face with a tongue in cheek?
    Gastronic, your kidding right? Please say you are. 
    Orlando

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    June 15, 2004 at 2:44 am #101732

    gastronic
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Orlando,
     
    I am pained that you question my recommendation.  You people are so critical of everything.  In good faith, I attempted to meet Arjun’s criteria of:
     

    good topics related to six sigma
    wanting people to give him ideas
    topics other than “comparing six sigma with TQM ” as his friend has already chosen it
    topics other than “lean six sigma” because his friend might work on it as well
    something to research because, as he said, he’s run outta topics
    just needing direction
    needing plain simple information
     
    I would rather, thank you, wait for his review of my recommendation.  I am betting that it lights a spark, possibly a raging fire, of academic excellence.   As you are aware, dissertation research is no joking matter, and sometimes you only need that one good idea to launch an academic career.
     Gas

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    June 15, 2004 at 12:22 pm #101751

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Darth,
    I have just reviewed your work and popularity ratings for the past week. You have done an excellent job of filling the void while I behaved myself for a few days.
    I am a little distraught that you have allowed this Dog guy to be so vocal without any good challanges. Of course Mike Carnell has been trying to be civil to him and I assume you are letting Mike have all of the fun with the lunatic fringe.
    Anyway, good job, you can go back to being helpful and well loved – I will assume my old role now after a refreshing week off.

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    June 15, 2004 at 12:41 pm #101754

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Gastronic
    I apologize for what I said.  I really thought you were kidding.  I read what you suggested and  I thought it was so convoluted that it wasn’t a serious proposal.  Again I apologize.
    It goes to my mindset about keeping things simple. 
    Orlando

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    June 15, 2004 at 12:56 pm #101758

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Orlando,
    Thats a cute story about Mikel, I am so happy for your tremendous experience in industry – it just has nothing to do with reality.
    I also worked at Motorola in this period, and if you couldn’t man up to criticism, you did not survive. I would suggest to you the same is true at GE, Honeywell,….
    I agree with Darth’s original assessment of this thread. If a person is a PhD candidate, they should have a passion and be able to figure out what they will work on. Too often, dissertations take on titles like the one offered by Gastronomic that you didn’t care for. And they turn out to be a confusing bunch of nonsense that is designed as much to put people off and keep tham from probing what the PhD candiddate has actually contributed.
    You ought to go read Mikel’s dissertation to see what he contributed.

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    June 15, 2004 at 1:02 pm #101759

    howe
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Stan,
    At least Darth has a Ph.D. You don’t! Based on one sample size (Mikel’s Ph.D.), are you going to judge about others which you are not qualified to begin with it? You offer an opinion even about the things you have NO clue about. I wonder if you read Deming’s dissertation. How about Juran’s?

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    June 15, 2004 at 1:10 pm #101761

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Mikey,
    As a matter of fact, I have read Mikel’s, Deming’s, and Juran’s and well as Shewhart’s and several others. Have you? I have not read Darth’s.
    Mikey, tell us about your qualifications.
    You remind me of an idiot I was in business with a few years ago. Nothing really to contribute, but could sling mud and file lawsuites with the best of them (never won any that I am aware of).
    You appear to have nothing to contribute – prove me wrong.

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    June 15, 2004 at 1:12 pm #101762

    gastronic
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Orlando, after your very nice posting just now I feel compelled to admit that I was kidding.  Not kidding Arjun (he must have a great deal of angst going through something this complex while being ill-prepared to meet the challenge), but taking a run at dissertation title obligatory constructs, e.g., the use of almost mutually exclusive academic sounding catch phrases, convoluted logic that folds back on itself, and conjoining with a colon two (or more) disparate phrases implying that advanced research and analytics uncovered linking truths that were hitherto not self-evident – much like this explanation in it’s pretentious and pompous vagueness.   Of course, if Arjun likes the suggestion he is free to use it.    I believe that there are some committees that would have given it a knowing thumbs-up.    Gas

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    June 15, 2004 at 1:30 pm #101763

    PB
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    I have a topic for Arjun :
    Predicting a Successful Six Sigma Launch within any given company – ‘A Study of Extrinsic and Intrinsic factors (built-in or adapted) necessary to ensure SS success’.
    PB

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    June 15, 2004 at 1:59 pm #101764

    Ken Feldman
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Stan, welcome back.  Looks like you brought back your friend Mike as well.  Hope you two guys had a nice vacation.

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    June 15, 2004 at 2:04 pm #101765

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Thanks Darth.
    Amazing some of the responses you have been getting. Goes back to what I told you about the quality of the training and my fears for the survival of the SS fad.
    Mikey didn’t take a vacation. He has been on here vigalent as ever, 24/7, just waiting for a post from me. I guess he just loves me and misses me.

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    June 15, 2004 at 2:19 pm #101768

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Gastronic
    Your OK, glad to know you.  You word play is fantastic.  I agree about some of thesis titles.
     
    Orlando

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    June 15, 2004 at 2:26 pm #101769

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Stan
    I don’t understand your first paragraph about Mikel.  Do we know each other.  Where in Motorola?
    Your second paragraph about not “man up to criticism I wouldn’t be able to survive in Motorola?  I don’t understand.
    So in your third paragraph, you agreed with me about the dissertation offered.  That it read too confusing?
    Let me know where you knew Mikel Harry and your place in the scheme of Six Sigma  People might be interested
    Orlando

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    June 15, 2004 at 2:37 pm #101770

    Mike Carnell
    ★ 20 Years ★
    Participant

    Stan,
    Welcome back.
    It was a slow weekend so Dog Sxxx was an entertaining distraction. Somehow Matt, SJ and Tate-R-Tot managed to get the guy to demonstrate exactly how unbalanced (as well as unqualified) he is.
    He isn’t the first to show up where it is better to just let them talk. They seem to either implode or become inert.
    Regards,
    Mike

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    June 15, 2004 at 4:09 pm #101779

    howe
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Orlando,
    Stan is the guy who for some reason believes that isixsigma forum belongs to him. So he can criticize any posters or any posts if he wants to. He is very bitter about Mikel Harry (don’t quite know why) and thinks of himself very highly. I can’t help thinking of an old Chinese proverb, “empty pot makes a lot of noise”.

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    June 15, 2004 at 4:24 pm #101782

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Orlando,
    Mikey forgot to tell you he cares about me very deeply. He also forgot to say he has never contributed anything to this forum with the exception of very biting criticism of me. He is a very deep guy.

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    June 15, 2004 at 8:38 pm #101797

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Stan
    I guess you serve a purpose on this Forum.  It’s kind of a sport in a voyeur sort of way.  You are like an obssessive observer of sensational subject matter who lies in wait ready to spring into action with your keyboard.  I guess that’s OK.  so long as some of your advise to posters helps.
    I believe whenever someone post a response to a question, the reponder also benefit.  Sometimes I verify some answers to get a sense of the value this Forum provides  Some answers are correct and some answers are not.  I suspect some responders do not verify their answers.  It helps me understand who not to take seriously.  Are you one I should take seriously?
    Orlando

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    June 15, 2004 at 8:54 pm #101798

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    Orlando,
    I suppose that you too, serve a purpose on this forum. I just don’t know what it is.
    Should you take me seriously? Only if you ask good questions and in return want good answers. If you come on here with a sense of right and wrong, as defined by Orlando (or Mikey), save your time and don’t take me seriously. And if you come on here with questions that you have not invested significant time in before asking, don’t take my answer serious.
    Cum by ya and all of that other soft feel good stuff.

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    June 16, 2004 at 1:50 am #101830

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Stan
    Someone just informed me that they fired you from Motorola.  Now I understand where the anger comes from.  Join one of those encounter groups where they sing those songs, you know the tune, how did you sing it Cum Ba Ya
    Please don’t take me serious because I don’t take you serious. 

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    June 16, 2004 at 11:05 am #101837

    Mikel
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Member

    They have the wrong guy – never been fired, but have caused many responsible for me to loose theirs.
    Don’t worry – I have never thought of taking you serious.

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    June 16, 2004 at 12:07 pm #101841

    lin
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Stan,
    I’ve been out-of-office for a few days and have been missing this discussion until now. I hate to miss the juicy ones as I can check my email remotely and offer more non-value added crap, just like Mikey and Orlando. My input will be relatively worthless but if you could indulge me and send an email to [email protected] when idiots are onboard I would be most appreciative.
    Thanks,
    Bill

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    June 16, 2004 at 12:28 pm #101843

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hi Bill
    Oh my God you guys do bring out the non-valued crap in me.  I couldn’t stop myself.  I didn’t know there is an active peanut gallery going on.  Well After yeuws guys destroy this Forum I guess you’ll move on to the next.
    Good hunting

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    June 16, 2004 at 2:50 pm #101857

    Orlando
    ★ 10 Years ★
    Participant

    Hey Bill
    You must not be a bright fellow.  Don’t you know that if Stan doesn’t treat people with dignity and respect on this Forum that he doesn’t respect you either.  You gave him your email so he can notify you if some juicy stuff is online.  “Hey Stan let me know when your giving it to others”.  Are you really saying ” Hey Stan I’m in your click don’t do to me like you do to them, please”
    This is really a Chat Rm not a Six Sigma Forum
    Come on Bill keep your eyes on the ball.  You have to spread the word on Six Sigma not trash it.  A BB is someone who respects and listens to people when they have an issue (no matter what the question are), not trash them or belittle them.  We have to clean up our act.  The verdict on Six Sigma is not in yet.
    Orlando

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