News and photos Nur Afiqah Abu Bakar
KUALA LUMPUR, 31 March 2026: Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) students from Universiti Utara Malaysia’s Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business (OYAGSB) and UNITAR International University gained valuable insights during an engaging academic talk by Datuk Professor Ts. Dr. Norazah Mohd Suki, Deputy Dean (Academic & International) of OYAGSB, on the importance of transforming professional experience into rigorous and impactful doctoral research.
In her presentation titled ‘Designing Robust DBA Research: Bridging Theory and Practice’, Datuk Prof. Norazah highlighted the distinctive dual identity of DBA candidates as both seasoned practitioners and emerging scholars. This unique position, she noted, places them in a strong and strategic position to investigate real organisational challenges through disciplined, evidence-based inquiry.
“This dual role gives them valuable access to real organisational challenges, business data, and industry insight, but it also requires them to step back from personal assumptions and approach familiar problems with discipline, critical thinking, and sound methodology” she said.
She emphasised that robust DBA research must address three fundamental questions with clarity and precision: What is the problem? Why does it matter? How will it be studied? According to her, a research proposal is far more than a formal academic requirement; it is the intellectual blueprint that shapes the direction, coherence, and scholarly contribution of the entire doctoral journey.
To further strengthen candidates’ understanding of research design, Datuk Prof. Norazah introduced the MIDA framework as a structured and practical approach to developing a sound research proposal. The framework helps candidates systematically align theory, inquiry, data strategy, and answer strategy, ensuring that their research is both methodologically defensible and academically meaningful.
She also highlighted that the most significant DBA studies are those that strike a careful balance between academic rigour and practical relevance. In doing so, such research contributes not only to the advancement of scholarly knowledge but also to improved decision-making, leadership practices, and organizational effectiveness.
Throughout the session, Datuk Prof. Norazah consistently reinforced the idea that doctoral research should go beyond merely fulfilling degree requirements. Instead, it should be purposefully designed to address pressing business challenges, strengthen professional and leadership practices, and generate insights that are valuable to both academia and industry.
The talk delivered a powerful and timely message to DBA students from both UUM and UNITAR International University. While professional experience may open the door to important research opportunities, only rigorous and well-designed inquiry can transform that experience into knowledge that creates lasting impact.
In this sense, the DBA is far more than an academic qualification; it is a vital bridge between professional insight and meaningful contribution, connecting real world experience with research that informs practice, advances knowledge, and drives sustainable change.
