Business Management

Internal Assessment

Examination Session:

May 2023

Research Question:

Key Concept:

Word count:

(max 1800 words)

Table of Contents:

Introduction: 11

Research question: 11

Main results and findings: 13

Analysis and discussion: 14

Conclusion: 18

References and bibliography: 19

Supporting Documents: 20

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Introduction
This is where you are going to “set the scene”.

● State the company name and clearly explain what the company does.
● Explain why this topic (your research question) is important for the company to understand.
● Relevance of the research question to the chosen key concept.
● Description of the methodology used to investigate the chosen issue. Mention the parts of the
course (chapters and tools) that you're going to use to explore the issue and why they are
useful (reflective thinking)
● Explain how valid and reliable your data collection was. Potential benefits/limitations. For
example, how there may have been room for bias or a limited scope to your research.
(reflective thinking)

Research Question

Main Results and Findings

● Outline what you have found in your primary/secondary research.

● There is no analysis yet, and no use of business tools, theories and techniques.
● You briefly summarize what you found in your research. Eg: Supporting Document 1
found…Supporting document 2 found….(no need to take up too much of your word count)

Analysis and Discussion

● This is where you use the tools, theories and techniques and where you create arguments,
and ideas.
● You interpret the data you have collected. This is “the core” of your IA, over several pages.
● You must refer to the supporting documents. The selection and use of data from the
supporting documents is effective, leading to a thorough analysis and evaluation of the
research question. As you write, comment on the reliability of your sources.
● There is a sustained integration of ideas with consideration of the assumptions underpinning
the arguments and implications.
● Use 3 or 4 tools for analyzing. The business management tools and theories are effectively
selected and applied with clear relevance to the research question.

2
 ● After each tool, it is advisable to include mini-conclusions that link back to your RQ. Make it
really clear how the insights of your tool have been helpful (or not) in answering your research
question.
● The student effectively integrates the analysis of the connection between the key concept and
the organization under study throughout the internal assessment.

Conclusions
Conclusions are consistent with the evidence presented and explicitly answer the research question.

● The conclusion should not introduce facts or arguments that have not been discussed
previously, in your analysis.
● Make sure the conclusions are well supported by your analysis.
● Don’t hold your best insights for the conclusion. Instead try to include them in an earlier
analysis part (and mini-conclusions) and then (in your big conclusion) synthesize them with
other parts of your analysis to make more nuanced/interesting points.
● Make sure you’ve included a clear answer to your research question.
● Try to include some “evaluative insights”. For example, consider the pros and cons,
short-term vs long-term effects, or possible stakeholder conflicts of the insights you’ve come
up with.
● Mention some limitations to your research. There needs to be at least one, probably two.
Show you have really reflected on your work. You could discuss what other information would
have been valuable to have, but which you couldn't access. You could discuss possible
inaccuracies in your work and the reasons for those.

3
References and Bibliography

Include:

● All of the 3-5 sources, using MLA. (Do this, even though you’ve attached the sources in your
appendix).
● Any additional sources you used for minor additional information (i.e. definitions or additional
facts).

Books

Websites

4
Supporting Documents
There are three to five supporting documents that are relevant, sufficiently in-depth and provide a
range of ideas and views and address the research question in appropriate depth and breadth.

● Label them clearly, with labels like “Supporting document 1”, “Supporting document 2” and so
on. This will help with referring to them in the commentary (even though you will use proper
MLA referencing throughout the commentary).
● Highlight the parts of your supporting documents that you used in your analysis.(This is an IB
requirement).

Supporting Document 1

In favor of your RQ

Supporting Document 2
In favor of your RQ

Supporting Document 3
Not in favor of your RQ

Supporting Document 4
Not in favor of your RQ

Supporting Document 5
Financial information