NORMAL LIFE: Dissertation Phase Begins!

I just got the results of my 5,000-word 'Word of Mouth' assignment and was awarded a whopping 75% for my efforts! Yes! I couldn't have done without the constructive criticism from my fellow student and blogger, Red. Who is this 'Red'? She's the girl (see picture of Red Fraggle!) I met during the Master's residential weekends.

And so begins the final hurdle of my Masters in Marketing, the 20,000-word dissertation on the subject of my choice, subject to tutor approval. I have spent the last month deliberating on whether to research issues relating to 'homogeneity', 'outsourcing' or 'ethnocentricity'. I have decided to challenge myself by opting for ethnocentricity. You haven't got a clue what I am talking about, have you?

To be ethnocentric is, according to Oxford Dictionary Online, to 'evaluate other cultures according to the preconceptions of one's own'. Therefore, my research will focus on how Finnish consumers view foreign products and what buyer behaviour they demonstrate when confronted with goods of non-Finnish origin? I have searched and searched, and nothing has been researched on Finnish consumer's perception of foreign brands so hopefully the tutors will accept my proposal.

The next week should be quite a challenge: the deadline for the 1,000-word dissertation proposal is next Tuesday, the same day as my last day of work in Malmi. On Wednesday, however, I will enjoy a well-earned break with a one week holiday to Gran Canaria! Warm weather! Ooh!