I remember the exact moment I realised I was in trouble. It was the second week of my final year, and my dissertation supervisor had just asked me for a preliminary topic idea. I opened my mouth, fully expecting something clever to come out, and instead heard myself mumble, “I’m still exploring a few options.” The truth was far less dignified: I had nothing. Not a single idea. I was studying Accounting, Business, and Management, a field so broad that I could write about almost anything, and yet my mind was completely blank. I started avoiding my supervisor’s emails, then the library, then conversations with classmates who all seemed to have a clear direction. The panic was a low, constant hum, and it was beginning to affect my sleep. I felt like I was failing before I had even started.
The turning point came on a Sunday afternoon when my older brother—who had never stepped foot in a university—asked me a simple question: “What do you actually like reading about?” I shrugged and said, “I don’t know, business stuff, I guess.” He laughed and said, “Then go look at what other people have written about. You can’t build a house without seeing a few houses first.” That night, I opened a page full of ABM dissertation topics (you can find them here: https://premierdissertations.com/abm-dissertation-topics/) and began to browse. I didn’t try to pick anything; I just read. I saw topics about everything from the impact of remote work on employee motivation to the role of sustainability in supply chain management. Some were specific, others broad, and a few were surprisingly creative. For the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of genuine interest. One topic—about how small businesses use social media to build customer trust—made me pause. I knew a little about that. I cared about it. And that tiny spark was enough to break the paralysis.
From there, the process finally started to move. I took that spark to my supervisor, who helped me shape it into a proper research question. I stopped trying to impress anyone and started trying to be curious. The topic I eventually chose wasn’t the flashiest, but it was mine, and it grew from a real interest rather than a desperate need to sound clever. Over the months that followed, the topic evolved and sharpened, but I never once regretted it. I learned that the best ABM dissertation topic isn’t the one that sounds most impressive—it’s the one that makes you want to keep reading at 2 a.m. when you should be asleep.
If you’re stuck in that same panic, let me give you the same advice my brother gave me: stop trying to invent a topic in your head. Go look at real ABM dissertation topics, notice what makes you pause, and then trust that quiet curiosity. The right topic won’t announce itself with fireworks; it will whisper quietly while you’re browsing. All you have to do is l