Mr. Keiji Murakami, Project Management Area, Doctoral Degree Program, completed March 2019

I entered the Graduate School of Management (GSM) to enhance my logical thinking and practical skills and also to become a management specialist in an academic context and a business management resource in the real-world business context. Consequently, I feel that I fully obtained my desired results through my research and the writing of my thesis.
The lecturers at GSM were highly skilled and I gained significant knowledge from them; the level of excellence and inspiration of the students already in the workforce alongside whom I learned was higher than expected. I am also grateful that my advisor was a leading expert in the academic world and was also supportive in the instruction he provided to me. I was able to participate in academic conferences and study groups owing to his guidance, and the exchanges of opinions with high-level experts that I enjoyed through research presentations and discussions were extremely significant.
Regarding research activities, the first semester of the first year focuses on fundamental subjects, but from the second semester of the first year onward, we shifted to specialized subjects, deepened our knowledge of theory in our specialized areas, and proceeded with preparations for writing our doctoral theses. To pass the interim review, we had to submit one or more papers, but I submitted two peer-reviewed papers to the Global Business Journal, given the composition of my doctoral thesis. Receiving the advice of the reviewers was very helpful and allowed me to effectively polish my thesis at this stage.
The biggest challenge I confronted in my doctoral thesis was determining approaches through which I could enhance its creativity. Focusing on issues raised by previous studies, finding novelty in the core propositions, and increasing the value of the evidence required the most time. In this regard, I received guidance from advisors, assistant advisors, and other relevant parties, and was able to bring the thesis closer to perfection.
As a working professional, I struggled with time management because I conducted my research activities while also maintaining a busy life. Nevertheless, I believe that the main factor driving my successful completion of the doctoral degree program was my conviction that its completion was of great academic value and also my desire to finish the program with a paper that could be put into practice. Earning a doctoral degree and being able to attend the commencement ceremony as salutatorian was the moment at which my efforts from the preceding three years were rewarded and I experienced true joy.
I intend to contribute to the development of GSM as a graduate student and strive to play an active role in business as a management human resource.
Finally, I encourage those who are considering enrolling in this doctoral degree program to take on the challenge with eagerness. Although obtaining a doctoral degree is by no means an easy path, I believe that such efforts will lead to confidence and produce significant results, in addition to improving one’s standing among one’s peers and society at-large.