Theses Supervision: Potential Topics and Their Brief Descriptions

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N. Nahar has developed these potential topics for M.Sc. and Ph.D. level theses preparation under her supervision. Interested students can contact N. Nahar for their theses supervision on these topics and explain their research interests through answering a few initial questions. To get the questions send an email to her.

Each topic is briefly introduced and some potential questions are included. Some other topics that are linked or close to the below mentioned topics as well as to the topics in her publication list - can be considered as potential topics for theses preparation.

All below-mentioned research topics and questions are software business oriented; the questions are also to be investigated in the context of various high-tech industries. New topics can be proposed through the analysis of the needs of each individual student.

Potential topics for theses supervision (but are not limited to) - Updated

Research Area 1: New Software Enterprises Development and their Growth Management

Software companies are becoming increasingly important as they create high income jobs, create innovations, drive economic growth, contribute significantly to national economies, help to sustain high standard of living, and offer a model to young people of both industrial creativity and entrepreneurial possibility. India, Ireland, Israel, and the USA are benefiting immensely through their software industries. Software is one of the fastest growing industries in these countries. The size of the global software industry is enormous.

However, software business is characterized with unpredictable, rapidly evolving technology and business environment, intense competition, etc. Profitability and growth depend on adopting appropriate strategies in a variety of areas. 

Topic 1: Product-led strategy 

Those software companies who are having niche oriented product-led strategy, they can grow well avoiding intense competition and make profit. Commodity product like word processing cannot survive against the established giant. Service providers cannot grow worldwide rapidly. Selling of nice products also opens doors for selling value-added services, such as modifications, training, implementation, and support. Research question:

Topic 2: Quality assurance and time-to-market 

Customers' expectations for quality are rising, while market is demanding ever faster product development cycles. Maintenance of quality is quite challenging in this situation. Research questions:

Topic 3: Distribution 

If companies only stick to its customers within its own geographical area it will have difficulties in surviving in the long run. Because aggressive and larger competitors will get access from all directions to take away its customers. Companies should try to use multiple channels. For example, in some markets it can serve the customers directly, in some markets it can serve through distributors. It can try to use the Internet for distribution and after sales services. Research question:

Topic 4: Financing 

Software companies need fund to finance their product development, marketing, and other functions. Research question:

Topic 5: Growth strategies and management

Growth can be measured by: a) sales growth and b) profit growth, because these are important for small ventures. Growth can also be measured by employment growth. However, growth can be achieved by outsourcing without a large increasement of employees. Furthermore, companies need to keep their number of employees lower in the intense competitive environment, due to uncertainty in the marketplace, uncertainty in the global economy, etc. There are other items that are commonly included in growth such as market share growth, asset growth, cash flow on assets, return on asset, gross profit margin, etc. One can include these elements according to ones need. Research questions:

Other topics related to above research area

Some of the below topics can be investigated from both SME and large enterprise perspectives.

Topic 6: R&D

Topic 7: Product and service development and product lines

Topic 8: Software marketing

Topic 9: Human resources

Topic 10: Role of various organizations in developing new software enterprises 

Research Area 2: Software Technology Transfer and Diffusion

Topic 1: Software technology transfer in the domestic context

Software producing firms are under pressure for more efficient, on-time and within budget production. Software firms are also acquiring new software technologies/engineering innovations to enter into new software product and related service segments.

Rapid changes in software technologies are making obsolete the existing software technologies of the software producing firms, very fast. Software companies, who cannot successfully acquire new technologies, cannot fulfill the customers' requirements and cannot survive in the long run.

Currently several software production companies are acquiring software development tools and methods due to a variety of factors. Software technology transfer (STT) is a very complex endeavor due to several activities and tasks involved in it, the various risks, uncertainties and costs that the software technology acquiring firms face in undertaking STT endeavor. As a result, software technology recipients are not gaining the expected benefits from STT. Research questions:

All above-mentioned questions can be investigated in the following context:

Topic 2: International software technology transfer

Increasingly, companies are becoming involved in foreign countries through outsourcing, licensing, joint venture, and own subsidiary. They need to transfer technology to make their international undertakings effective. Above mentioned questions also need to be investigated in the following situations:

Topic 3: Knowledge transfer between governmental R&D center and industry

Topic 4: Knowledge transfer between academia and industry

Topic 5: Diffusion of high-tech innovations in both domestic and global contexts

Topic 6: IT transfer from both domestic and international perspectives

Topic 7: IT-supported international high technology transfer and management

Topic 8: IT-aided international training in software and other high-tech industries

Research Area 3: IT-supported Global Software and Systems Development

Topic 1: Multi-site and multi-cultural, globally distributed software development

Availability of skilled software professionals in different parts of the world, advances in communication infrastructures, advancements of collaboration technologies, and liberalization of business regulations have facilitated cooperation in software developments among software firms, allowing them to form virtual corporations and virtual teams, and allowing them to develop software in a globally distributed environment. Software professionals from different countries and cultures such as India, China, and US are collaborating in the same software development project across their national borders. Research questions:

Topic 2: Challenges in multi-site and multi-cultural globally distributed software development

Software companies encounter various difficulties in global software developments. Some of the major problems include: distance, strategic issues, cultural issues, inadequate communications, project and process management issues, and technical issues to name a few. Research is necessary on:

Topic 3: Software production through offshore outsourcing

Increasingly, software companies are participating in outsourcing arrangement. Currently leading companies are outsourcing in order to get access to innovative solutions, foster innovation, increase speed to market, reduce costs, to focus the core of the business, improve quality, etc. Several IT companies are outsourcing to India, China, Pakistan, Hungary, and Russia to name a few. Companies encounter various problems in establishing and maintaining the outsourcing relations. Some major problems include screening and evaluating of suitable outsourcing partners from around the world, and high expenses for managing the relationship. It is also very difficult to control outsourcing. In-depth research is needed on:

Topic 4: International outsourcing of IT

Other topics 5: Global software development

Topic 6: Software industry in global context

Research Area 4: IT-enabled Services

Possible research questions include:

Research Area 5: Global Information Systems(GISs) Implementation

The information systems used by the MNCs (i.e. the firms that invest and operate in countries around the world) are called global information systems (GISs). A GIS can also be defined as a system that consists of networks that cross national boundaries. GIS may include ERP systems and other information systems. Major characteristics of GISs include the following:

Topic 1: Global information systems project implementation

Global software firms and other high-tech firms need powerful GISs to provide effective support to their global operations. Possible research questions include: 

1. What are the characteristics of GISs?

Why do these characteristics differ?

2. Which strategies are adopted to implement GISs and why?

  1. in the context of headquarters
  2. in the context of subsidiaries

3. What is the GIS implementation process?

  1. in the context of headquarters
  2. in the context of subsidiaries

How are these implementations managed respectively?

4. What are the similarities and dissimilarities in the GIS implementation process?

  1. in the context of headquarters
  2. in the context of subsidiaries

And why? 

5. Which categories of factors should be taken into consideration for the implementation of GIS?

  1. in the context of headquarters
  2. in the context of subsidiaries

A comparative analysis could be done between a & b. How these factors should be managed?

6. Which categories of factors create barriers in implementing GIS?

  1. in the context of headquarters
  2. in the context of subsidiaries

A comparative analysis could be done between a & b.

7. Which measures should be taken into account to avoid barriers in the GIS implementation in headquarters? A risk assessment framework could be developed.

There can be a variety of other topics, such as

Topic 2: Main issues in international (or global) information systems or information technology

Topic 3: Strategic management of GIS in global software firms or high-tech enterprises

Topic 4: Information technology in multinational corporations

Topic 5: Global competitive advantage through the utilization of GISs, etc.

Topic 6: Global database system (GDS)

Topic 7: Information technology in a global business environment

Topic 8: Global telecommunications in international (or global) business

Possible research questions include:

  1. How the GDS should be linked to global ERP systems?
  2. What is the process of GDS implementation and which decisions and tasks are involved in each phase of the GDS process?

Research Area 6: IT-supported Globalization

Possible research topics include:

Research Area 7: Global E-business, E-commerce and Mobile Business

Possible research topics include:

Mobile technology and business

Research Area 8: International Strategic Alliance of Software and High-tech Enterprises

Currently, leading software companies are establishing strategic alliances (SAs). Some functional alliances that are commonly used by software companies both domestically and internationally include R&D alliance, production alliance, marketing alliance, and financial alliance. By establishing SAs, companies can become financially stronger through the accumulation of money from all partners, develop complex technology or product by joint efforts, obtain access to new markets with the help of knowledgeable partners, etc. However, companies encounter several problems in establishing and maintaining strategic alliance relationships. Research question includes:

ITs can help in searching partners, establishing strategic alliance relationships, managing these relationships, and resolving some of the difficulties associated with these business arrangements. Research questions include:

Research Area 9: Globalization Processes of Software and High-tech Firms

Liberalization of trade regulations, improvement of communication technologies, and other factors are turning national markets into a global market and creating more competition. It is also making easier for companies to tap opportunities in various foreign markets. Companies should try to increase commitments to important foreign markets such as US, Germany, UK, France, Japan. Possible research questions include:

Research Area 10: Managing Global Software and High-tech Firms

Possible research topics include:

Research Area 11: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Strategy Development and Implementation in Any Sector

Research Area 12: Virtual Organizations Development and Management in Any Sector

Research Area 13: Development and Management of Multilateral Business Networks in Any Sector

 

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    © Copyright Dr. Nazmun Nahar. All rights reserved. E-mail: nazmun.n.nahar@jyu.fi