DBA Chronicles

With over 15 years at Disney, Dr. Katie Gottsch shares howher practitioner background shaped her DBA journey at Rollins College and how she transformed real-world organizational challenges into meaningful research.Her dissertation explored how customer feedback influences employees’ ability to deliver on the brand promise, using social media data as a longitudinal research source long before it became mainstream. Listeners will hear how Katie: Turned frontline operational challenges into a rigorous, practice-driven dissertationUsed customer feedback as a development and motivation tool, not a punitive oneIdentified critical gaps between marketing promises and employee experienceDesigned employee engagement strategies that measurably improved guest interactionsApplied DBA learning directly to leadership, systems thinking, and decision-makingWhy This Episode Matters This episode offers a powerful example of how DBA researchcan emerge directly from lived professional experience and how scholarly rigor can strengthen, rather than separate from, operational practice. For DBA students, practitioner-scholars, and leaders alike, Katie’s story illustrates what it looks like to use research as a tool for meaningful organizational change. Connect with UsLinkedIn: DBA ChroniclesWebsite: www.dbachronicles.org Subscribe & ReviewIf this episode resonated with you, please leave a review. Your support helps us continue sharing stories, insights, and inspiration from across the DBA community.