MBA Workshop 1 Lecture 2

July 2011 Introduction to the Dissertation

Learning objectives
By the end of this workshop you will be able to: Appreciate the respective roles of the researcher and the supervisor. Understand the requirements for an Introduction to the dissertation. Apply relevant guidance to the writing of the Introduction. Appreciate the implications of the Introduction content towards future chapters.

Doing a dissertation
The objective of the dissertation is to give the student the opportunity...to plan, research and write up a project that improves understanding of a significant managerial, business or organisational matter Fisher, 2010 page 4

What does a dissertation involve?

Principal requirements and features Implications of working at Masters level Structure (see programme handbook) Assessment criteria (see programme handbook) Plagiarism (see programme handbook)

Principal features and key requirements (1)

Being focused on a complex and important issue Undertaking effective and competent primary research Integrating theory and practice Critically reviewing relevant literature Basing the dissertation on sound analysis and arguments

Principal features and key requirements (2)

An argument or a proposition supported by evidence and literature:
An argument involves A proposition is
Evidence taken from primary and secondary research Literature refers to reputable sources (in particular academic journal/articles, academic books, credible websites)

Working at Masters level

Understanding research methods: What? Why? How? When? Looking for opportunities to develop or adapt theories taken from the literature; developing a conceptual framework Being critical not descriptive; developing skills in analysis and argumentation Dealing with complex and ambiguous issues Engaging in reflective learning

Role of the researcher

Appreciating the role of the supervisor Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses Acting on the feedback from your supervisor Taking responsibility for the dissertation and demonstrating commitment to the research process Keeping a research diary (Portfolio of Evidence) Developing an effective writing style

Role of Supervisor
Guiding student learning Monitoring student learning and progression Providing formative feedback on submitted work Responding to student queries

Activity 1.1: Challenges

As an individual what do you think will be the 3 principal challenges facing you as a researcher? As a group discuss each other s 3 points and arrive at a group consensus on the 3 principal challenges What strategies can you identify as a group for overcoming these 3 challenges?

Chapter One Introduction

750-1000 words

Getting started: the Introduction chapter

This chapter requires you to consider eight issues We shall start by looking at the first 5 issues We shall then look at the final 3 issues which need to be briefly summarised in this chapter

Topic

Objectives

Title

Questions

Aim

Rational thinking
Examining your own strengths and weaknesses Looking at a range of topics Discussion Searching the literature Scanning the media

Creative thinking
Keeping a research diary Brainstorming
Adapted from: Saunders et al, 2009

Choosing your topic

Interest and relevance: how motivated are you by the topic? Will the topic be of interest to others (e.g. The organisation(s) being studied)? Breadth: is there enough substance to your topic? Scope: what are the implications of looking at one or more parts of an organisation, or one or more organisations? Access: can you get access to participants? Ensuring confidentiality

Refining your research ideas

Being clear about what you want to do and why Deciding upon a title (this tends to emerge from your refinement of topic, aim, research questions, and research objectives) Defining your research questions Formulating your research objectives Explaining the organisational context Summarising key theory Research methods

Aim
This is your opportunity to make explicit the purpose of your dissertation It can be expressed as a sentence starting:
The aim of this research is to..... OR The purpose of this research is to....

You need to clarify your aim before you start to refine your research questions and research objectives

Aim (continued)
Explain = give details about why and how something is so Evaluate = make an appraisal of the worth, validity or effectiveness of something (but not so that it is your personal opinion) and give evidence from course materials Analyse = resolve into its component parts, examine critically or minutely

Research questions
How to write research questions: which is better and why - (a) or (b)?
a) What is the proportion of graduates entering the civil service who attended the old, established UK universities? OR b) Why are graduates from old, established UK universities more likely to enter the civil service than graduates from other universities?

Refining your research questions: CLARITY Understanding the relationship between research questions and research objectives
Questions sourced from Saunders et al, 2009

The Introduction to the dissertation should contain.

1 Introduction 1500-2000 words
Background to your selection/interest in topic. History of topic subject Importance to current economy/society/organisation. Brief overview of topic. The research question/ dissertation Aim/4-6 objectives of the study. Introduction to the chapters that follow.