A number of previous contributors to this thread have already articulated the important thing here - choose something that interests you, as you will be living with the subject for at least three years (longer if you are doing a part-time PhD).

For this reason alone, you MUST develop your own ideas, and find a gap in the body of knowledge that can sustain you, and which can develop into a dissertation that produces new or novel findings that add to that body of knowledge.

This sounds daunting, but adding something new or novel to the BoK in your chosen area is like adding a new brick on top of a wall, not necessarily building a whole new wall...

Finding a gap to fill requires a comprehensive knowledge of the field, and lots of reading of relevant and recent papers in that field.  This is not wasted effort, as you will need to do a comprehensive literature review as part of your dissertation, and at the conclusion of that LR, you can identify the gap(s) that you intent to investigate, and at least partially fill...

Others here have suggested ways that you can get 'ideas', including looking at the literature, journals, and other dissertations that have recently been published.  Many universities now essentially 'publish' dissertations online, and this can help to identify areas that are currently topical or 'hot'.

Good luck, and enjoy the process of carrying out new research in an area that is meaningful to you.

Hello,

I would like to suggest something with "cybernetic model". Please take a look in my profile and find the appropriate to this model papers.

Kind regards

NP

I suggest writing something about benchmarking in Total Quality management as it relates to a specific business area of your choice. I have a few published articles related to the subject. You are welcome to look at my profile.

What interests you? You will have to live with it for at least 3 years!

How about something in change management?

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=%22change+management%22

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=%22change+management%22

Research topic (proposal idea) for a PhD in management and organization ?

If you can access to journals / publishers like ProQuest, EBSCO, Emerald, Springer etc. that your university's Library has subscribed (or the university's theses database), then you can do a search based on these 2 keywords i.e. management & organization.  There will be many articles / theses appear & you can read their abstracts, research limitations & future research recommendations that can be your research interest.  The completion of their research is the beginning of your new research.  In case you can't access to those journals / publishers / theses database, you can do a "google scholar" search on the same 2 keywords.  Wishing you all the best.

Dear Sinaiyehu,

These papers may offer some insights on some of the more topical areas requiring investigation

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299747565_Towards_a_talent-driven_outward-oriented_globally-competitive_SME_framework_Discussion_Paper

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260638458_Strategies_for_enhancing_Jamaican_competitiveness_in_the_global_knowledge_economy

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301341427_Reforming_Jamaica%27s_National_Systems_of_Innovation

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267155811_Locational_Determinants_of_Foreign_Direct_Investments_in_an_Emerging_Market_Economy_Evidence_from_Jamaica

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305687139_Priority_policy_recommendations_for_transforming_individual_productivity_and_SME_competitiveness_in_Jamaica

Technical Report Towards a talent-driven outward-oriented globally-competitiv...

Conference Paper Strategies for enhancing Jamaican competitiveness in the glo...

Technical Report Reforming Jamaica's National Systems of Innovation

Article Locational Determinants of Foreign Direct Investments in an ...

Technical Report Priority policy recommendations for transforming individual ...

That is a very difficult question to answer without knowing what interests you.  So, along with some of the other suggestions above, I would encourage you to think about the following questions:

1. Broadly speaking, are you interested in strategic management or organizational behavior?  

2. Once you answer that, I would encourage you to identify the top journals in that field and start reviewing the last few years of topics in those journals.  Do any of those topics intrigue you?  

3. Once you find a topic or two that interest you, then you can pull articles written on that topic to see what has been done and what questions remain unanswered.  I would recommend reviewing the Journal of Management's review issues.  They are high quality articles about relevant fields that do a great job of reviewing past research but more importantly for you, mapping out the future.  

This is not something that can be done in a day or even a week.  To adequately review a literature and come up with a research proposal will take considerable time.  But, in the end, if you do a good job you will have a running start on your research once you get into a program.  Good luck!  

Dear Tiruneh, You need to select a topic of interest to you and read articles published in that area. Either you pursue what is required to be probed further or find research gaps and pursue them as your research topic. You are required to add additional knowledge through your research. Hope it is clear

I think corporate social responsibility can be one of the hot issues nowadays.

Wish u all the best.

These are some of the ways to get access to information of the future and current reasebt in organizational management.  You may use the followings:

i. get access the pro quest whare umi dissertation is available.  Go through the previous researcheds in Amarican universities to give you an insight idea of current and future topics or areas of research.

ii. Get hold of CRIB or current research in Britain.  This is aslo a helpful tool to jump start your research interest as it gives you some ongoing research interest.

iii. Get access to high impact journal in particular American journals such as JOM, JOHR, JOOB and ect.

Hopefully, this could help you guide for a research topic of your interest. 

A number of previous contributors to this thread have already articulated the important thing here - choose something that interests you, as you will be living with the subject for at least three years (longer if you are doing a part-time PhD).

For this reason alone, you MUST develop your own ideas, and find a gap in the body of knowledge that can sustain you, and which can develop into a dissertation that produces new or novel findings that add to that body of knowledge.

This sounds daunting, but adding something new or novel to the BoK in your chosen area is like adding a new brick on top of a wall, not necessarily building a whole new wall...

Finding a gap to fill requires a comprehensive knowledge of the field, and lots of reading of relevant and recent papers in that field.  This is not wasted effort, as you will need to do a comprehensive literature review as part of your dissertation, and at the conclusion of that LR, you can identify the gap(s) that you intent to investigate, and at least partially fill...

Others here have suggested ways that you can get 'ideas', including looking at the literature, journals, and other dissertations that have recently been published.  Many universities now essentially 'publish' dissertations online, and this can help to identify areas that are currently topical or 'hot'.

Good luck, and enjoy the process of carrying out new research in an area that is meaningful to you.

1) Mean organizational components that explains de return on assets in  small and medium enterprises.

We have some investigations in spanish, but you can read about that topic in:  

López I. I. A., Ocampo G. David & Pérez –Uribe R. (2013). Model of Modernization for organizational Management (MMOM).  EAN Editions. ISBN: 978-958-756-203-3. Research book. 73 p. + CD interactive. Phisic Publicatión.  Web Publication in: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rafael_Perez_Uribe/publications?sorting=recentlyAdded con DOI: 10.13140/2.1.3437.4727 or in: http://edicionesean.ean.edu.co/index.php/es/productos-de-investigacion1/libros/libros-impresos/27-libros-impresos/289-model-of-modernization-for-organizational-management-mmom-the-concept-and-matrices-for-situation-analysis-and-determination-of-the-road-towards-improvement-and-innovation

I would suggest Micro management leadership style from an employee and employer perspective which was not much explored.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304650662_Micro_Management_an_employee's_Adversary

Article Micro Management an employee's Adversary

At the Doctoral level research, very key angle to note is that, the student is moving from modulative theorizing to generative theorizing. leaving the world of known to explore the unknown. I am not comfortable when Ph.D students ask questions such as "telling them what are the contemporary areas or topics  they should focus on or,  conduct research". It is probably an indication that the student is not already saturated with  a particular problem  or, a phenomena in mind for a PhD work. The result will be when trying to get a topic from plethora of  literature the student will be caught in the web of plagiarizing. From practical point of view, before you apply for a PhD admission,  get your self  dazed and saturated with propping questions on particular problem or phenomena in the society or environment you are well familiar with which you intend to contribute by providing solution to such problems. Discus such issues with senior scholars who will help in modifying 

your thinking. Frankly speaking, what looks as contemporary issue in America, may not  be contemporary problem for research in Japan, Britain, Nigeria, Ghana etc. and vice versa.  A contemporary research topic must address current challenges in a given environment. No matter how bad your idea looks like, senior Professors and your supervisors are there to reshape your thinking.  PhD topic is looking at, what is the thesis?, what is the antithesis?  what is the current debate and gaps needed to be filled? it is after this point you search for literature on the propping questions then you will be surprise you will hit a novel topic at this point when the idea in you must have intoxicated you enough  for doctoral proposal.  I suggest you start questioning issues naturally in your environment now, then when youstart writing, you will see your very self emerging in the piece and not another person. Thank you. i wish you the best

I suggest strategic management to create competitiveness.

Beyene

Have you thought about an intangible asset of an organization that can affect the performance of the organization? I am talking about coordination and how it can affect any given organization.  coordination is not visible.  But it may contribute to poor/good performance of an organization.  You can choose which direction of performance you would wish to pursue of course it will depend on where you are and the environment where you wish to conduct the study.  In fact according to me, its a high time accountants started including costs of coordination in their reporting of financial statements .

Good luck

Follow your area of interest or possible problems around you

Critically analyse areas of your interest/specialisation and choose a topic that is familiar to you, add value and  innovations to it to make the topic relevant to  you, organisations and society in General. You own idea here is very important to further demonstrate that you are mature enough to undertake programs leading  to the award of PhD in Management . At this level, I don't support your idea calling for suggestions of contemporary topics from all members. Put in more efforts and your supervisors and senior professors will guide you. I wish you good luck. Thank you     

I am working on Remote work arrangements and all changes in traditional organizational and managerial practices (e.g. knowledge management, coordination) due to the distance of the employees from the organizations. Feel free to write me if you are interested in this topic. Otherwise I would suggest you to look at some top journals (e.g. Academy of management, Organization science etc. or some specialized journals on HR or ICT etc)  to have an idea of the last  "hot topics".  At the same time be courageous; you could have an intuition and propose to explore an under developed  theme that could become a hot topic in the next future!

I suggest management of innovation to generate the new idea for the booming sector.

One topic you may consider is to study the impact of globalization on business strategies of organizations .

Dear Tiruneh, the crux remains that in research writing you have to do a study in the area of your interest,otherwise you will be confused along the line.We have different individual idiosyncrasies and different cultural backgrounds.Therefore,I suggest that you scan your environment and discover the area you want to do your research.

i would like to answer of this all suggestions are good and upto the mark. If you really wants to do it. You have to check you Interest then you can easily able to decide or find out you subject. I can give you an idea. You just get help from google and type your question. :)

Intrapreneurship, religious diversity in work place

Traditional business practices have lived their time we need innovation in business in terms of practice for sustainable organizations

Any research study must provide solutions to current/future problems of the organizations.So identify the industry needs and pickup one area where there is immediate solutions required and work on that. so that it will be mutually beneficial

@

I do agree, it all starts with having an area/field of interest which makes it easy to make an observation which often turns into a reach idea/topic/question.

We must look for smarter, leaner, productive and innovative organizational structure which is mutually benificial to the organization as well as the employees.

Dear Tiruneh, Passion and interest will be the driving force to sustain you throughout your research. Management and organization are areas that have had numerous research and if you are to carryout your research, you may include IT and innovation as these may address industry solutions.

What about prioritisation in relation to the vision of the organisation for sustainability