The Ralph Alexander Best Dissertation Award is given to the author of the best doctoral dissertation in the field of human resource management. In order to be eligible for this award, a dissertation must address a phenomenon that is of importance to the human resources field and have been completed with 24 months prior to the submission deadline. The award winner will be announced at the Academy meeting during the HR Division Awards Ceremony and receive a plaque and a $1,000 honorarium.
In support of the HR Division's goal of increasing member involvement and its international reach, we strongly encourage nominations that reflect the rich diversity, backgrounds, and perspectives of our membership.
A dissertation may be submitted only once.
Award selection will be completed by a committee formed and chaired by someone selected by the Awards Committee (e.g., prior award winner).
Criteria:
- The significance and importance of the problem to human resources.
- The extent to which the design, findings, or orientation advances research or theory.
- Given the length allotment, special attention will be paid to the conceptual development of the paper.
Nominations should adhere to the following procedures:
- Only members of the HR Division of the Academy of Management may be nominated for the award. Please double check that your nominee is a member of the HR Division.
- Required materials:
- A letter from the nominee's dissertation chair specifying (a) that the paper submitted adequately represents the completed dissertation, and (b) the date the dissertation was accepted by the university.
- An electronic copy of the paper. Papers are limited to a maximum of 50 double-spaced pages (including title page, abstract, text, figures, tables, references, footnotes, appendices, etc.).
- The name of the submitter, his/her institutional affiliation, current mailing address, and phone number should appear only on the title page.
- Please combine all required materials (paper, nomination letter, etc.) into a single PDF document (less than 100 MB) and CLICK HERE to complete an official nomination for this award. The deadline for nominations is March 1, 2025.