Assignment Task
INTRODUCTION
In this dissertation you are required to submit an individual piece of work undertaken over an extended period of time. It is expected that you will investigate an important business related issue and demonstrate an understanding of practical, ethical and strategic issues within your research area. The research should be work-based and it is expected that the subject and design will be such that you will be working with primary, as well as secondary data. The total process seeks to develop your conceptual and analytical ability, to enhance both work-related abilities and to prepare you for further research studies.
RATIONALE
This module provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate the ability to diagnose and investigate a live, complex business issue from a management perspective, to locate the work within the body of contemporary knowledge, to collect and analyse data, to derive supportable conclusions and to make practical and actionable recommendations for change, improvement or enhancement of current practice.
AIMS OF THE DISSERTATION MODULE
The primary aims of the module are:
To further develop, through the research process, a critical understanding of key research techniques, their strengths and weaknesses, and the appropriateness of different techniques to varying modes of inquiry;
To encourage students to self-direct their dissertations, in consultation with individual supervisors; and
To promote consideration and implementation of the appropriate means of further disseminating research findings, including the possibility of higher research degree study.
Present the costs/benefits of recommendations for their organisation;
Prepare an implementation plan (if appropriate to the topic or practices under investigation); and
Complete a self-analysis of their personal learning and development through reflective practice.
Writing a Dissertation
The dissertation should ideally provide opportunities for identifying and defining a problem for data collection and interpretation and for suggesting and costing solutions. The research element is an essential component, and at the same time recommendations must be located in the appropriate organisational context.
One of the hallmarks of a dissertation is that it must go beyond mere description. Those working in the marketplace may often be called upon to compose and deliver descriptive reports to their managers. These are obviously a critically important element of workplace duties. However; the dissertation has got to do more than this. It requires students to “move up a gear” from producing a mere story or descriptive narrative to a critical evaluation of some topic. Typically this “extra” dimension will require a number of distinctive elements and it will be couched in terms of some question:
The question will have some theoretical backdrop
It will necessitate the student carrying out both theoretical and empirical investigations.
What is research?
There is a question to ask or a problem to solve (rationale and discussion of problem is couched in the literature review)
Uses principles and theories that underpin management research
Sets about answering the question through sifting through a variety of data and sources, using specific research methods
Choses methodology to be able to answer research question
Considers how the project adds to knowledge on the topic either by generating new knowledge or clarifying or furthering existing work
The “question” element will be dealt with in greater detail in the discussion of the dissertation topic later on. The “theoretical backdrop” signals the fact that the dissertation is markedly different to a consultancy report. Yes, consultancy reports do have questions and they often involve the collection of primary data as well. However, they lack the theoretical backdrop required of a dissertation. Consultancy reports are typically commissioned to address a specific problem for a specific company or industry and how it can best be solved. They do not require a theoretical home however. “Theory” can be an off-putting term, but in essence it really refers to “the way we think about” some marketplace phenomenon in general and is usually found in the academic literature for that particular area. Your dissertation topic has to have such a theoretical home (or homes). For this reason, dissertations that set out to solve the problems of or furnish an absence management plan for a specific company, for example, often lack this theoretical dimension. Having a theoretical pedigree on which to hang the chosen topic, problem or issue for investigation is therefore critical.
Given that you are students on a Management course, the dissertation also requires that you employ and develop your management research knowledge and skills in an applied fashion; the dissertation must involve the identification, generation, or collation of relevant primary or secondary data and the ability to analyse them in a meaningful and critical manner. To this extent, it is also an empirical investigation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
A successful student will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
K1Understand the nature of social science research and evaluate methods and methodology.
K2Develop expertise in a specialised subject area through research for completion of the dissertation (12-15,000 words).
K3Demonstrate the value of their learning during the research process via reflective practice.
K4 Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the impact of the implementation of their recommendations on their organisation.
Intellectual Qualities
I1Critically evaluate arguments and evidence.
I2Locate, extract and analyse data from multiple sources and critically evaluate their evidence and validity.
I3Consistently apply knowledge and intellectual skills.
I4Identify, analyse and draw reasoned conclusions from data and complex problems.
Professional/Practical Skills
P1Demonstrate awareness of differing learning styles, requirements and processes.
P2Interview in a variety of situations to explore and extract information.
P3Giving and receiving feedback on on-going research.
Transferable Skills
T1Develop a research design appropriate to an identified research topic, plan and implement project, time manage.
T2Show self-awareness, learning autonomy and appreciation.
T3Be effective in oral and written communication.
T4Effectively listen, negotiate and persuade others in the context of implanting a research plan.
T5Develop skills of critical reflection.
T6Use technology where appropriate, such as word processing, databases and spread sheets to undertake and complete the research and dissertation.
T7Apply numerical skills to manipulate data and appreciate statistical concepts.
THE SUPERVISION PROCESS
The module is taught through the means of one-to-one meetings between students and their supervisor. Students completing the dissertation are also required to complete module BMG843 during which they will receive guidance on the research process. Individual consultations can also be arranged with the Module Coordinator. Group consultation and feedback workshops will be arranged as required.
Supervision Allocation
The Dissertation Coordinators for the Department of Management and Leadership are responsible for allocating supervisors in consultation with the Module Coordinator, Course Director and Head of Department (or designate) as appropriate. The Module Coordinator will provide you with contact details for your supervisor. The supervision process commences upon allocation of an academic supervisor in Weeks 4-5 after submission of an outline of your chosen topic in whichever academic year you register for the module (BMG843).
Role of the Supervisor
The supervisor’s role is to provide guidance and feedback at various stages of the research process. Supervisors and students should work towards achieving a balance between the challenge of undertaking a dissertation and being supported in learning.
The supervisor’s role is not necessarily one of ‘subject matter expert’, but to guide students on issues such as critical analysis of the literature, methodology, structure and scheduling. However, in so far as possible, students will be ‘matched’ with a supervisor with a background in their area of interest. The supervisor is required to monitor any material (such as a questionnaire) that a student might be sending from the University to an external agency, as these need to fit within the remit of the Ulster Business School’s Ethical Approval Guidelines (see Appendix 3). Remember that the supervisor will be one of the two staff members delegated to mark the final piece of work.
The Nature of the Supervision Process
There are a number of pointers that can help ensure that the relationship between you and your supervisor is a business-like and productive one for both parties. First, be sure to meet early on in the process, as soon as you have been assigned. It is your responsibility to initiate and maintain regular contact with your supervisor.
Supervisors typically warm to written material submitted by students by email prior to meeting and tire of endless meetings “to discuss things”. Remember that, above all else, the dissertation is a written document. So, from an early stage, make an attempt to always have some written material to bring along – written lists of articles located, an idea map for your literature review, a possible table of contents for the dissertation, a timetable for your work output – whatever is appropriate for the stage you are at. In this way you will avoid the “passenger syndrome”, of over-reliance on the supervisor or squandering valuable supervision time. Supervisors can make a more informed and useful call on your work only if what you submit is your best effort at that point in time.
The majority of the learning time for the dissertation will be independent study for research and report development by the student. The provision of feedback on individual draft chapters will be at the discretion of the supervisor, however, supervisors will typically read and comment on several draft chapters throughout the research process. Please note also that they will typically only read a piece of work once. Feedback on additional drafts is at the discretion of the individual supervisor. This is intended to emphasise the point that the supervisor is a resource not an insurance policy and that the dissertation is not a joint research project. The supervisor is not a co-author! It may help your writing to take a look at the marking scheme that readers of your dissertation will use when it’s being examined. This is included at the back of this document for your benefit. In addition, your supervisor will not review a complete final draft of the dissertation. Students have to take responsibility for deciding when the dissertation is ready for submission. It is not the supervisor’s duty to tell a student that the work is ready for submission, thereby implying that the dissertation is of a pass standard. The process is largely self-driven, requiring significant self-discipline and time management skills. It is important that you are aware from the start that the process is self-led.
Supervision Meetings
Ideally the frequency of meetings will be decided jointly with your supervisor, however, it should be born in mind that supervisors will not chase after students who choose not to establish or maintain contact. Meetings can take various forms, e.g. face-to-face, telephone or via Skype. Although not prescribed, it is recommended that six meetings take place over the course of the dissertation process.
At the first meeting it is expected that the student discuss his/her initial proposal with the supervisor and how he/she would envisage the overall time frame for completing the dissertation, and also his/her availability for the duration of the dissertation. Mutual expectations and roles should also be discussed and agreed. There should be a promotion of dialogue as to how the student wishes to use supervision, and to the supervisor’s expectation of same. Such a dialogue would include the expected turnaround time for reading and commenting on drafts, also the number of drafts the supervisor will expect to read, and the means of communication.
Both student and supervisor are required to keep records of meetings and the agreed actions. It is recommended that a formal record of meetings be kept (see Appendix 5) and should be signed by both parties. The PACE system can also be utilised for this purpose.
Student Responsibilities
As part of your duties and responsibilities as a dissertation student you will need to:
Contact your supervisor at the earliest date to discuss your research proposal.
Meet to discuss the dissertation at times to be agreed with your supervisor. It is your responsibility to maintain regular contact with your supervisor.
Regularly report the progress of the dissertation to your supervisor, from the outline proposal to the final submission, in accordance with the timetable agreed between the two of you.
Keep accurate records of supervision meetings.
Contact the Module Coordinator in the event of extenuating circumstances arising over the course of your dissertation.
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Some Overall Remarks
Before detailing the specific stages of the dissertation composition process, it is useful to remember that, while the dissertation title itself is based on a question, it carries a number of supplementary questions in its wake. These should be addressed early on. They force the writer in advance to ask crucial questions about possible respondents, their willingness to co-operate, access to them, suitable and realistic research instruments and modes of analysis. They can be summarised as follows:
1.Why are you asking this question?
2.Who has the information needed to answer it?
3.Will they give it to you?
4.How will you get it from them?
5.Do their replies answer the question you posed in 1 above?
The dissertation composition process has a number of broad stages. These are outlined in Figure 1 below. It is often a useful idea to put a timescale against these stages early on in the process and to outline realistic deadlines/deliverables in consultation with your supervisor. It can be constructive to work backwards from when the dissertation has to be submitted, allowing time for proof reading and binding. Developing your own Gantt chart can be a useful means of setting realistic deadlines and ensuring you are aware of the various stages of the research process and when they must be completed.
1819275298450Identify topic/ general area of interest
Develop and clarify the research question/problem
The research proposal
The literature reviewResearch methodology
Presentation and discussion of findings
Conclusion and Recommendations
Self-Analysis
Submission of dissertation
00Identify topic/ general area of interest
Develop and clarify the research question/problem
The research proposal
The literature reviewResearch methodology
Presentation and discussion of findings
Conclusion and Recommendations
Self-Analysis
Submission of dissertation
Figure 1. The Research Process
TEACHING PLAN
There is no prescribed teaching plan for this module. Students will attend a number of face-to-face workshops as part of BMG843. These sessions will provide students with detailed guidance on the research process and are supplemented by online resources on Blackboard Learn.
Individual meetings should take place between the student and their supervisor. As noted above, students are advised to prepare material for discussion during supervision sessions to maximise the benefit from the supervision process.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEEDBACK
Supervisors will receive and mark a copy of the student’s research proposal, which is the main assignment undertaken in BMG843. Feedback will normally be provided to students within ten working days of submission of the proposal.
Students should make individual arrangements with their supervisor regarding the receipt of feedback on chapter drafts submitted throughout the dissertation process.
Appointments can be made with the Module Coordinator as required.
SECTION B:DISSERTATION LAYOUT AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
———————————————————————————————————————
DISSERTATION LAYOUT
The content of the whole dissertation includes essential preliminary information and relevant support material in addition to the main body of the text. In most cases, your dissertation will broadly take the following layout structure:
•First page… (see Note A)
•Declaration/Disclaimer (see Note B)
•Research Ethics Declaration (see Note C)
•Acknowledgements
•Abstract (see Note D)
•Table of contents (see Note E)
•List of Tables
•List of Figures
•List of Appendices
•Main body of Dissertation (i.e. Chapters) (See Note F)
•Reflection on Personal Learning
•References/Bibliography
•Appendices
NOTE A:First Page
The title page should contain the following:
The full title of the dissertation (in capital letters) and the subtitle, if any.
The full name of the author – this must be same as the name you are registered with the University.
The qualification for which the dissertation is submitted (i.e. MBA).
Name of the supervisor of the research
The name of the institution to which the dissertation is submitted i.e. University of Ulster, Ulster Business School, Department of Management and Leadership.
The month and the year of submission.
(7)Submission Statement:
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Business Administration at the University of Ulster.
NOTE B:Declaration/Disclaimer
A student declaration (see also Appendix 2):
I hereby declare that the work for this Dissertation has been conducted at the Ulster Business School, University of Ulster at Jordanstown. No portion of the work has been submitted in support of another degree or qualification at this or any other institute of learning.
This should be followed by your signature, student number and date.
NOTE C:Acknowledgments
Acknowledgements should be made to those individuals, groups or organisations that may have contributed to your dissertation directly or indirectly. Examples include your supervisor, various organisations including libraries, colleagues, parents, friends etc.
NOTE D: Research Ethics Disclaimer
Declaration by Researcher:
The information contained here is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, accurate. I have read the University’s current research ethics guidelines, and accept responsibility for the conduct of the procedures set out in the attached application in accordance with these guidelines, the University’s policy on conflict of interest and any other condition laid down by the University’s Research Ethics Committee or its Sub-Committees. I have attempted to identify all the risks related to this research that may arise in conducting this research, and acknowledge my obligations and the rights of the participants.
This should be followed by your student name (printed), signature, and date.
NOTE E:The Abstract
The abstract should provide a brief synopsis of the study by identifying the nature, scope and purpose of the work, the major outcomes, conclusions and the particular contribution it makes to knowledge in the field. It should be self-contained and summarise the complete content of the study. The abstract should be concise and factual and should not exceed 300 words; it may be broken down into 2 to 5 paragraphs. Reducing a dissertation to a mere 300 words is often difficult. A well written abstract demonstrates the capacity of the student to present the main aspects of the study in a coherent and economical form. The abstract should also indicate the author and title of the dissertation in the form of a heading. It should be typed single- spaced.
NOTE F:Table of Contents
All pages of the dissertation from the title page onwards should be numbered. Pages before the body of the text (i.e. the first chapter) should be numbered separately using Roman numerals. The table of contents page should specify the page numbers for each section.
A typical table of contents will contain the following:
Abstract
Acknowledgements
List of tables (including each table number and table title)
List of figures (including each figure number and figure title)
List of diagrams (including each diagram number and diagram title)
Each consecutive chapter number and chapter title (including chapter subheadings)
References/ Bibliography
Appendices
NOTE G: Broad suggestions for Chapter Headings*
Chapter One Introduction to topic. Rationale for the study. Reason for choice of topic, product, service or industry sector. Specific aims and objectives or research questions. Overview of chapters/ structure of the dissertation.
Chapter TwoIndustry Review**. Not obligatory. Should only feature where industry characteristics are germane to main research question.
Chapter ThreeLiterature Review. This may be subdivided into two chapters.
Chapter FourMethodology
Chapter FiveFindings
Chapter SixDiscussion
Chapter SevenConclusions and Recommendations
Review of Personal Learning
*These are purely indicative chapter headings.
STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION
Typical details and suggested word lengths for the main sections of the dissertation are outlined below.
Introduction, giving the background and scope of the study and indicating the purpose, specific aims and objectives or research questions. It should prepare the reader for what follows, explaining the line of argument or form of presentation.
Suggested word length: 1000
A review of relevant literature, drawing on high quality academic and practitioner journals and other sources. Referencing must be thorough and accurate. Please refer to the UBS Guide for Citation in the Harvard Style, which can be accessed on Blackboard Learn or through the Library website: http://guides.library.ulster.ac.uk/MBA. Guidelines are also provided in the appendices of this document.
Suggested word length: 4000
A description of the methods of approach adopted in the study, with explanation for the choice of methods. The chosen methods must be justified and any problems encountered should be explained. This section must make reference to the literature on research methodology.
Suggested word length: 2500
Data review/findings and discussion, giving the information on which conclusions are based and the arguments leading to the conclusions. The limitations and qualifications of major importance should be mentioned. Particular care is necessary in selecting and presenting tables and figures in this section. Sometimes it is convenient to present the results in a separate section from the discussion, for example, if the same results are used for several purposes. It is also critical that the discussion is linked to the literature review.
Suggested word length: 4500
**The industry review may be included in the introduction, literature review, methodology and/or findings section of your dissertation. This will vary according to individual research approaches and should be discussed with your supervisor. Please note that the suggested word count should be adjusted accordingly.
Conclusions. These should be concise, pulling together the main findings and referring back to key points from the literature.
Suggested word length: 2000
Recommendations. The recommendations should be derived from the conclusions. They should be detailed, with an indication of the timetable for implementation, and costings as appropriate. The inclusion of costings is a fundamental CIPD requirement.
Suggested word length: 1000
In addition
Reflection on learning. This is the opportunity for you to reflect on your experience of the completing the dissertation and consider how a similar project might be done differently in future. This section is a fundamental CIPD requirement. You may refer to what you have learned personally from completing the research, any particular problems you encountered and how you coped with them, how you will use the skills you have acquired and how you would like to develop as a result of the process.
Suggested word length: 1500 (not included in the word count for the dissertation)
Appendices. Appendices give additional information needed by readers with a special interest in certain points. They are not essential to the reading of the dissertation and the main body of the dissertation must be self-contained. They should all be referred to at the appropriate points of the main body of the dissertation and must be carefully planned and well written. The author should be clear about the purpose of each appendix and include nothing which is not needed by the intended readers.
Appendices may include:
Description of equipment, processes, organisations or locations.
Final tabulations (i.e. not raw data). Not to be confused with tables of results.
Reservations explained more fully than in the main body of the dissertation.
Analytical techniques and their derivation or application.
Recommendations in detail for the staff who are to implement them.
References/ Bibliography. Your reference list/ bibliography should normally be compiled as a separate section. Each reference should contain enough information for someone else to trace the item in a library. Under University guidelines, you must use the Harvard system to compile the bibliography for your dissertation. Guidelines are included in the appendices of this document.
Ethics Review Form. Detailed guidelines on research ethics guidelines are contained in Section D. A copy of the Ethics Review Form is also included in this document.
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