A Multi-Framing Approach to Analysing the Effectiveness of the PhD Application Process at the Victoria Business School

In the eight years from 2007 to 2015, Victoria Business School has seen over a 500% increase in the number of annual submissions of PhD applications. The increase in the number of applications is straining the scarce resources allocated to the process and raising concerns about time pressures among some of the PhD Directors.  This research looks to uncover whether the PhD application process in its current form serves the university in achieving its strategic goals and how the process might be improved. Interviewing multiple stakeholders within the Victoria Business School in an semi-structured interview, generated information on different aspects of the process as the stakeholders see it.  The interview data was examined using a multi-framing methodology, analysing the data using the three frames of Business Process Modelling & Notation, Theory of Constraints, and Qualitative Systems Thinking, to draw out different insights and aspects of the problems impacting the PhD application process. In conclusion, it was found the current PhD application process was not effectively supporting the achievement of the university’s strategic goals.  The issues brought out by the application of multi-framing show the PhD application process is not effectively helping the university to achieve its strategic goals. Furthermore, the identification of different issues from each different frame analysis demonstrates the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  Recommendations were made as to how the problems can be addressed, negated or mitigated for the benefit of all stakeholders, while at the same time demonstrating the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  In the end recommendations were made to address all the issues brought out by the different frames. The issues fell into two categories, process issues or university issues, and affected different stakeholders.