How to write a DBA dissertation: Research topics and examples

You already solve business problems for a living. A Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) asks you to solve one with doctoral-level evidence, and the dissertation is where that happens. If you are wondering how to write a DBA dissertation while working full time, start with one fact. A manageable dissertation starts with a well-chosen topic, and your topic starts with your concentration.

This guide covers how DBA concentrations shape research, sample topics by field, and how the five chapters come together. It uses Crestmont University’s Doctor of Business Administration as a concrete example throughout.

What makes a DBA dissertation different

A DBA dissertation is original research aimed at a problem in practice. A PhD dissertation usually starts from a gap in theory. A DBA dissertation usually starts from a difficulty a manager faces inside a real organization.

The Council of Graduate Schools describes the distinction this way, as quoted in American Public University System’s doctoral handbook: a professional doctorate prepares you “for the potential transformation of that field of professional practice.” A PhD prepares you to transform “the basic knowledge in a discipline.”

Management scholars call this approach engaged scholarship. Engaged Management ReView, a journal published by Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, puts the idea plainly. It treats a “problem of practice” as the origin of the research problem. That framing matters for you. Your professional experience is not background to the research. It is where the research question comes from.

How DBA concentrations shape your research topic

Your concentration does two jobs. It deepens your expertise through five focused courses. It also narrows the field your research will draw from. Crestmont University’s DBA offers four concentrations:

• Entrepreneurship and Business Management: For founders, intrapreneurs, and executives driving innovation
• Global Business and Leadership: For executives leading international markets or multinational teams
• Healthcare Management and Leadership: For administrators, clinical leaders, and health system executives
• Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Management: For technology leaders guiding digital initiatives

Choose the concentration that matches the problems you already work on. A topic you live with every week is easier to scope, and access to data is easier to arrange.

DBA dissertation examples

The examples below show what a researchable DBA question looks like. They are illustrations, not a list of approved topics. Your chair will help you shape your own.

Entrepreneurship and Business Management

• How do mid-sized firms decide which internal ventures to fund, and which criteria predict continued investment?
• What factors affect succession planning in family-owned businesses during a leadership transition?
• How do small-business owners evaluate new pricing models after a market shift?

Global Business and Leadership

• How do leaders of distributed teams across three or more countries build trust without regular in-person contact?
• Which practices help regional managers adapt headquarters strategy to local regulatory conditions?
• How does cultural distance affect the speed of decision-making in cross-border partnerships?

Healthcare Management and Leadership

• What staffing practices are associated with lower nurse turnover in community hospitals?
• How do clinic administrators evaluate the adoption of telehealth services for rural patients?
• Which communication practices help health system leaders manage change during a merger?

Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Management

• What organizational factors predict user adoption after an enterprise resource planning (ERP) rollout?
• How do security managers weigh risk and budget when prioritizing cybersecurity investments?
• How does knowledge management practice affect project handoffs in IT departments?

A DBA in Project Management? Research options to consider

Crestmont University doesn’t offer a standalone project management concentration. Project management is still a strong research area within the DBA. It cuts across every concentration, because every organization runs projects.

The Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Management concentration includes IST 635 – Managing IT Projects. That course connects directly to questions such as:

• Why do some ERP implementation projects stay on schedule while others extend for months?
• How do project leaders manage scope changes requested by executive sponsors?

Project management topics also fit other concentrations. A healthcare leader might study project governance for a new patient-records system. A global business leader might study how distributed project teams coordinate across time zones.

How to write a DBA dissertation, step by step

Writing a dissertation is a sequence of decisions, each one narrowing the last. These seven steps describe the general process.

1. Name the problem before the topic

Start with a difficulty you can describe in one or two sentences. “Employee retention” is a subject. “First-year turnover among new nurses at a 200-bed community hospital” is a problem. The narrower version tells you who to study, where, and why it matters.

2. Write a researchable question

Turn the problem into a question your study can answer with evidence. Good questions name a population, a setting, and the relationship you want to understand. Avoid questions that ask for an opinion or a forecast.

3. Review the literature

Find out what researchers already know about the problem. A literature review is not a summary of every article. It is an argument that shows where current knowledge stops and your study begins. Your library databases and your chair will guide you to peer-reviewed sources.

4. Choose a methodology

Your question decides your method. Quantitative studies measure relationships across many cases, often through surveys or existing data. Qualitative studies explore experiences in depth, often through interviews or case studies. Mixed methods combine the two. At Crestmont University, GRC 605 – Business Research Methodology and Quantitative Statistics prepares you for this decision during the core courses.

5. Secure ethics approval

Research with people requires review before you collect data. In the United States, federal rules for protecting human subjects appear in 45 CFR 46, known as the Common Rule. Universities use an institutional review board (IRB) or equivalent process to review studies. If you study your own organization, also confirm written permission to use its data.

6. Collect and analyze data

Follow the plan you proposed. Keep a record of every decision, from how you recruited participants to how you coded interviews. That record becomes the backbone of your methodology chapter and protects the credibility of your findings.

7. Write, revise, and defend

Draft each chapter, take your chair’s feedback, and revise. The defense is a structured conversation about your choices and what your findings mean for practice. Preparation comes down to one skill: explaining clearly why you made each decision.

Where dissertations usually stall

Most delays come from three sources. The topic is too broad, so the literature review never ends. Data access falls through after the proposal is approved. Or feedback sits unanswered for weeks. Each one has a simple guard. Narrow the problem until it fits one organization or one population. Confirm data permissions in writing before you finalize your methodology. And set a regular check-in rhythm with your chair, even when you have little new to show.

The five chapters of a DBA dissertation

Most business dissertations follow a five-chapter model. Crestmont University’s dissertation path (GRC 641–645) maps one course to each stage, ending with a dissertation presentation and oral defense.

1. Introduction. States the problem, purpose, research questions, and significance for practice.
2. Literature Review. Builds the argument for why your study is needed.
3. Methodology. Explains your design, participants, data collection, analysis, and ethical safeguards.
4. Findings. Reports what the data shows, without interpretation yet.
5. Conclusions and Recommendations. Interprets the findings and translates them into actions an organization could take.

Splitting the work this way keeps each course focused on one chapter and one set of deadlines.

Dissertation or doctoral research project?

Crestmont University gives you a choice for the final 15 credits. Both paths require doctoral-level research, and both lead to the same degree.

The dissertation (GRC 641–645) follows the five-chapter model described above. It suits professionals who plan to teach or pursue research-focused roles.

The Doctoral Research Project (DRP 801–805) is an applied study built around a real business problem. You define the problem, review the literature, design a methodology, report findings, and deliver recommendations. Many students conduct it with the organization where they already work.

Either way, a faculty chair guides your research from proposal to defense. Student advisors follow up separately on pacing, from your first course onward. You also complete a Comprehensive Competency Assessment before graduation.

Is a Doctorate in Business Administration worth it for you?

The useful version of this question is about fit, not promises. Three questions help you decide.

• Do you have a problem worth studying? The DBA rewards people who bring a real organizational question with them. If one comes to mind quickly, that is a strong signal.
• Can you protect steady weekly time? One course at a time still asks for consistent focus, especially in the research phase.
• What should your research do? If you want to contribute to academic research or teach, the dissertation path fits. If you want doctoral rigor applied to a problem you already own at work, the Doctoral Research Project fits.

Career stage shapes the answer too. A Millennial manager may want research depth before a first executive role. A Generation X leader may want to formalize strategy work already underway. A Baby Boomer executive may want to turn decades of decisions into research others can learn from.

Online DBA no dissertation: What are your options?

If you are searching for an online DBA with no dissertation, start with one distinction. Some doctoral programs offer alternatives to the traditional dissertation, such as an applied doctoral research project. These options can connect your research directly to a problem you face at work.

The right choice depends on what you want to study, how you plan to use your degree, and what your university requires for graduation.

How to earn an online DBA without a traditional dissertation

At Crestmont University, the online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program offers two options for completing the final 15 credits: a traditional doctoral dissertation or a Doctoral Research Project (DRP). Both pathways require doctoral-level research and lead to the same degree. Therefore, the most accurate approach is to explain how students can earn an online DBA without completing a traditional dissertation by choosing the applied research project alternative, while clarifying that doctoral-level research is still required.

Your next step

You already know where the hard problems in your organization sit. A DBA dissertation gives you a structured way to study one and recommend what to do next. Review the four concentrations, both research paths, and admission requirements on Crestmont University’s Doctor of Business Administration program page. Then talk with an Executive Enrollment Advisor about the topic you have in mind.

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Frequently asked questions

Explore answers to common questions about earning a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) online, dissertation requirements, and alternative doctoral research projects.

Can you get an online DBA without a dissertation?

Yes, some universities offer alternatives to a traditional dissertation, including applied doctoral research projects. Requirements vary by institution. At Crestmont University, students can choose between a traditional dissertation and a Doctoral Research Project. Both require doctoral-level research.

Is a DBA without a dissertation still a doctoral degree?

It can be, provided the program is an authorized doctoral degree and the student meets the institution’s graduation requirements. A dissertation is not the only possible format for doctoral-level research. Always verify the university’s official degree requirements.

Is a doctoral research project the same as a dissertation?

No. Both can require research, evidence, analysis, and academic oversight, but their structure and emphasis may differ. A traditional dissertation generally follows a formal chapter-based format, while an applied doctoral research project emphasizes a practical problem and actionable recommendations.

Does Crestmont University offer a DBA without a traditional dissertation?

Crestmont University’s DBA offers a choice between a traditional dissertation and a Doctoral Research Project for the final 15 credits. Both options require doctoral-level research and lead to the same degree. The Doctoral Research Project is the alternative for students who prefer an applied research path rather than the traditional dissertation format.