for acadmic experts

Department of

Business, Strategy & Entrepreneurship

Module Handbook 2013 - 2014

Module Code: BU7757

Module Title: MBA Management Project

Tutor: Steve Page

Abstract

This guide addresses two problems: the mechanics of postgraduate research, and how should you present your MBA Management Project? The structure developed provides a starting point for understanding what an MBA Management Project should set out to achieve, and also provides a basis for communication between you and your supervisor.

The culmination of BU7757 requires the submission of a report of approximately 12,000 words, not including abstract, contents, bibliography or appendices. The benefits of the research project to you, are to develop further your analytical, critical evaluation, research, and dissemination skills.

In this document, criteria for judging an MBA Management Report are reviewed and justification for the report structure is provided. Writing style is considered, and each of the chapters and their (major) sections are described in more detail.

Lastly, remember that this is a guide and should be used as such. Some elements of this document may not be relevant to your research; similarly, I may not have discussed something that is particularly important to your own work. Use this guide in consultation with the Research Methods materials, your supervisor, peer group, etc. to give yourself the best chance of getting the mark your research deserves.

Good luck,

Steve Page

Table of Contents

Page No.

2Abstract

Table of Contents 3

Information About The Module 4

Declaration 5

Module Details 6

Aims 6

Learning Outcomes /Assessment Objectives 6

Course Content/Outline 6

Methods of Learning & Teaching 7

Methods of Assessment 7

Methods of Reassessment 7

Contact Hours 7

Tutor in Charge 7

Other Staff Involved 7

Purpose of an MBA Management Report 8

Timetable for Research 9

What Should I Research? 10

Supervisory Process 11

Supervisory Meetings 12

Responsibilities 12

Management Report Deadlines 13

The MBA Management Report 15

Basics of Structure and Style of Your Management Report 17

How Will I Know If What I’ve Written Is Any Good? 19

Management Report Regulations 20

Assessment Regulations 22

The Management Report 22

Management Report Marking Criteria 22

Suggested Reading 24

Appendix 1: UNIVERSITY MASTERS THESIS CONSENT FORM 25

Appendix 2: Assessment Criteria for an MBA Management Report 26

Appendix 3a: MBA Dissertation (BUM7757) Feedback Sheet 29

Researching in one or more organisations 29

Appendix 3b: MBA Dissertation (BU7757) Feedback Sheet 30

Desk-based research 30

Information About The Module

Module Leader Steve Page

Room Westminster CWE009

E-mail [email protected]

Extension number 1893

Programme Leader Gautam Rajkhowa / Paul Webb (Chester campus)

Programme

Administrator Sue Benson

Room Westminster

E-mail [email protected]

Extension number 1829

University address University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 4BJ

University phone 01244 511000

Declaration

As the 'owner ' of the research and the Management Report you must assert its originality - in other words you must declare the work as original and that you have not submitted it for any other academic purpose. Similarly you must declare that the work is yours and that all references to previous work - either by yourself or other authors - are fully referenced.

The following statement, signed and dated, MUST appear at the appropriate place in your Management Report:

This work is original and has not been submitted previously for any academic purpose. All secondary sources are acknowledged.

Signed: _________________________

Date: _________________________

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Aims

· Provide students with the skills to develop the work from the existing Research Proposal into a piece of rigorous management research

· To provide students with the skills to write-up an extended piece of research, demonstrating academic rigour, including consideration of methodological and ethical issues associated with the programme of academic research

· To enhance students project planning, presentation, critical refelction & study skills

Learning Outcomes /Assessment Objectives

Students will be able to:

· Critically evaluate and select appropriate research methods to undertake an extended piece of research with minimal intervention, using pre-existing secondary data, that produces a rigorous write-up of the work undertaken - including self-reflection

· Critically reflect on the research findings with respect to their implications for praxis

Course Content/Outline

This unit conforms to the conventional requirements for a Master’s Management Report. In general terms, participants will be expected to select a topic, frame a research question, prepare & defend a research proposal, & undertake and write-up a programme of study and research in accordance with established research principles.

During the early stages of this module, students will be required to submit & defend a proposal explaining the rationale for the question they intend to investigate, the methodology they intend to use, and the likely outcomes of their endeavours.

A wide range of research topics or questions may provide acceptable bases for participants’ proposals. Although proposals may relate to real-world situations or problems, the work undertaken for this module must primarily be of an academic nature.

Methods of Learning & Teaching

Students will be assigned an academic supervisor for the module. Meetings will consist of both one-to-one and Learning Support Group sessions – as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and student. Students will be expected to make regular progress reports and to accept guidance about the content and conduct of their work. Students will normally be required to:

· Submit a Management Report

In order to be considered for successful completion of the module.

Methods of Assessment

· Submission of a Management Report of recommended length: 12,000 words (learning outcomes 1 & 2 – 100%)

Methods of Reassessment

The student will be reassessed only on the component or components, which they have failed within a module. This will be designed to meet the required learning outcomes.

Contact Hours

· Guided Learning Support Group & one-to-one meetings with supervisor – 10 hours

· Self study – 390 hours

· Total learning – 400 hours

Tutor in Charge

Steve Page

Other Staff Involved

Members of MBA teaching team.

Purpose of an MBA Management Report

An MBA Management Report is an independent piece of work involving the systematic study of a problem employing a suitable theoretical framework. The work requires analysis, design, interpretation and presentation of data, observations, and independent thinking and critique. The quality of the Management Report is influenced by the quality of the selection and formulation of the research question. To assist you in this we ask you to prepare a Research Proposal – this will be discussed in more detail later.

It is important that the research undertaken can be successfully completed in the time available – your supervisor will be able to help you with determining the appropriateness of your chosen topic.

The Management Report should aim to identify new facts or ideas, but will also include much use of secondary data. The Management Report represents an exercise in project management, and requires you to discipline yourself so that the work can be successfully completed in the available time.

Most students find the Management Report to be the most challenging part of their MBA. However, it can also be the most rewarding and satisfying part of your course. Like doing a PhD, in many ways it is what you learn along the MBA Management Report research journey that is more important than the actual result. Of course, getting the MBA is important, but the skills you will learn and develop during this last part of your course will be invaluable in your career over the coming years.

Enjoy!

Timetable for Research

I cannot over-emphasise the importance of constructing a timetable for your study and Management Report construction. A professor friend of mine once told me:

If you fail to plan then you are planning to fail. (Rogerson, no date)

How right he is! To assist you in time management, you are required to have tutorials with your supervisor (dates, frequency, etc. to be mutually agreed). At the end of each tutorial you should write up a summary of the meeting and your intended action(s) prior to the next tutorial. In this way, you can keep control over your research, and always have one or more ‘goals’ in the pipeline.

You MUST have 5 documented tutorials with your supervisor by the end of the Management Report.

The nominal learning time for your MBA Management Report is approximately 400 hours. This equates to an average of about 20+ hours a week for the 4 months that you have to complete the work – not counting holidays, sick, etc. You need to be able to manage the time effectively and efficiently to get the most out of the Management Report process.

The ‘Management Report team’ has several years experience of supervising postgraduates and their suggestions for where you should be, in terms of your research, at a particular time are based on this experience. Nevertheless, remember that much of what is written in this booklet is simply a guide - you, not your supervisor, are responsible for ensuring that your research and subsequent Management Report progresses satisfactorily.

What Should I Research?

Ideally, MBA research project should:

· Cover a field, which fascinates the student sufficiently for him or her to endure hard and solitary work;

· Build on the student's previous academic studies, and/or work experiences;

· Be in an area of 'warm' research activity rather than in a 'cold', overworked area or in a 'hot', too-competitive, soon-to-be extinguished area;

· Be manageable, producing interesting results and a cohesive report in the available time;

· Have accessible sources of data.

Supervisory Process

You are expected to spend the vast majority of your time (390 hours out of a total of 400) performing independent study. This includes:

Time spent searching the literature & reading

Writing drafts

Planning & designing

Preparing research materials

Preparing research instruments

Negotiating access

Learning procedures

Piloting, refining & applying a research instrument

Processing, analysing & interpreting data

Developing conclusions

Writing the Management Report

The supervisory role is principally to:

1. Provide direction on aspects including your research timetable, sources of literature, suitability of methods, data analyses, and the layout of your written Management Report

2. Monitor and make recommendations on your progress

Your supervisor will discuss your research with you and give advice. Whilst a supervisor might also read certain sections in draft form (s)he should not be expected to give detailed feedback or re-write your original work. Moreover, supervisors should:

1. Not take responsibility for project selection and development of the research question

2. Not take responsibility for collecting data

3. Not take responsibility for negotiating access

4. Not give quantitative feedback during the process of your performance

5. Be informed if you intend to seek advice from another member of staff

Supervisory Meetings

An allocation of hours is available for formal contact with staff – including time with your supervisor.

In the early stages the supervisory meetings will be held in learning sets. The benefit of this is that you get to hear other students’ issues and concerns, and the guidance given to the whole group. We have used learning sets for MBAs – at Chester, Warrington and at other institutions – with successful results. Students generally find the experience more beneficial than ‘one-to-one’ tutorials. As your research progresses and diversifies from the rest of the learning set then one‑to‑one tutorials may be more beneficial. Often the pattern is that the learning sets work best during the early and latter stages of an MBA Management Report and one-to-one tutorials work best during the field work and analysis stages. We’ll see how it goes (

Responsibilities

It is your responsibility as the researcher to attend learning set meetings and appointments with your supervisor. We will not seek you out if you fail to take up the support offered!

It is the supervisor's responsibility to make themselves available (at a mutually agreed time and place) for learning set meetings and/or student tutorials.

You MUST have 5 documented tutorials with your supervisor by the end of the Management Report.

As the researcher in charge of your project, you should arrive WELL PREPARED and ready to join in, or even lead, the discussion. Do not expect your supervisor to do all the thinking for you. Keep a record of meetings and on each occasion agree an action plan. The frequency and length of meetings will probably vary – this is to be expected.

Remember, it is your responsibility to decide how much of your total time allocation you wish to dedicate to a one-to-one meeting. When organising personal tutorials, let your supervisor know the anticipated length of the meeting well in advance. If you need to postpone or cancel a personal tutorial you should speak to your supervisor at least 24 hours in advance, or leave a message at Business School Reception if your supervisor is unavailable. This is just common courtesy, and we expect you to follow this simple ‘rule’.

Management Report Deadlines

Much of this is a guide – but there are specific dates as well! The schedule below will assist you.

Month 1	· Research Methods Training
Month 1	· Allocation to Supervisor
By end of Month 1 By end of Month 2	Initial documented meeting of ‘Learning Set’ with Supervisor · Development of Research Proposal well underway · Background reading underway · Draft chapter one well underway Draft chapter one complete Literature review underway · Second documented meeting of ‘Learning Set’ with Supervisor
As per BU7756 Regulations	Submission of Research Proposal (Business School Reception) Chester Campus
By Month 3	Draft of literature review chapter complete Draft methodology chapter underway · Third documented meeting of ‘Learning Set’ with Supervisor
Month 4	Literature chapter kept up‑to‑date Methodology chapter refined Empirical work undertaken Preliminary analysis of findings Draft of findings chapter
Month 5	Findings chapter refined Draft conclusions chapter written & refined Prepare bibliography, abstract, etc. Synthesis of chapters into final Management Report
Month 6	Spell-check & proof-read report - make final changes as required Submit for binding
As per BU7757 Regulations	· Presentation of ‘work undertaken’ to Supervisory Team
Final Date to be Agreed	Submission of MBA Management Report (Business School Reception Chester campus)

The MBA Management Report

Sequence of an MBA Management Report:

Front Cover

Title page

Acknowledgements

Abstract

Declaration

Table of contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Background to the research

1.2 Research question

1.3 Justification for the research

1.4 Methodology

1.5 Outline of the chapters

1.6 Definitions

1.7 Summary

2 Literature review

2.1 Introduction

2.2 First subject area heading & applicability to research questions

2.2.1 First Sub-Heading

2.2.2 Second Sub-Heading

2.2.3 Etc.

2.3 Second subject area heading & applicability to research questions

2.3.1 First Sub-Heading

2.3.2 Second Sub-Heading

2.3.3 Etc.

2.4 Third subject … etc.

2.5 Summary

3 Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Research Philosophy

3.3 Research Strategy

3.3.1 Justification for the selected paradigm and methodology

3.3.2 Rejected methods

3.4 Research design

3.4.1 Design of Instrument(s)

3.5 Research procedures

3.6 Ethical considerations

3.7 Summary

4 Findings

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Secondary data (if applicable)

4.3 Analysis of respondents/non-respondents

4.3 Findings for each research question

4.4 Summary

5 Analysis & Conclusions

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Critical evaluation of adopted methodology

5.3 Analysis/conclusions about each research objective (aim)

5.4 Analysis/conclusions about the research question

5.5 Overall conclusions

5.6 Reflection & implications for praxis

5.6 Limitations of the study

5.7 Opportunities for further research

6. Bibliography (APA)

Appendices

Basics of Structure and Style of Your Management Report

A five-chapter structure can be used to effectively present an MBA Management Report (or sometimes six chapters if there are recommendations).

· Chapter 1 introduces the core research problem and then 'sets the scene' and outlines the path, which the examiner will travel towards the report's conclusion. The research itself is described in chapters 2 to 5:

· The research problem arising from the body of knowledge developed during previous research (chapter 2),

· Adopted approach (methodology), including methods used in this research to collect data about the research question (chapter 3),

· Results of applying those methods in this research (chapter 4), and

· Analysis of findings & conclusions about the research problem based on the results of chapter 4, including their place in the body of knowledge outlined previously in chapter 2 (chapter 5). Critical reflection on the implications of the research for praxis & any recommendations.

Each chapter should stand almost alone. Each chapter (except the first) should have an introductory section linking the chapter to the main idea of the previous chapter and outlining the aim and the organisation of the chapter. Each chapter should also have a concluding summary section, which outlines major themes established in the chapter – without introducing new material.

As well as the structure discussed above, examiners also assess matters of style. Within each of the chapters of the MBA Management Report, the spelling, grammar, styles, etc. should be consistent styles from the first draft and throughout the report for processes such as using bold type, italics, indenting quotations, single and double inverted commas, making references, spaces before and after side headings and lists, and gender conventions, etc.

Value judgements and words should not be used in the MBA Management Report. For example, 'it is unfortunate', 'it is interesting', 'it is believed', and 'it is welcome' are inappropriate. Although first person words such as 'I' and 'my' are now acceptable in an MBA Management Report, their use should be kept to a minimum. My recommendation is avoid their use unless it is absurd not to use them. Discuss this with your supervisor.

Authorities should be used to back up any claim of the researcher, wherever possible. If the examiner wanted to read opinions, he or she could read letters to the editor of a newspaper. Moreover, few if any authorities in the field should be called 'wrong', at the worst they might be called 'misleading'.

The student must always be trying to communicate with the examiners in an easily followed way. This easily followed communication can be achieved by using several principles. Firstly, have sections and sub-sections starting as often as every second page, each with a descriptive heading in bold. Secondly, start each section or sub‑section with a phrase or sentence linking it with what has gone before. Thirdly, briefly describe the argument or point to be made in the section at its beginning. For example, 'Seven deficiencies in models in the literature are identified'. Fourthly, make each step in the argument easy to identify with a key term in italics or the judicious use of 'firstly', 'secondly', or 'moreover', 'in addition', 'in contrast' and so on. Finally, end each section with a summary, to establish what it has achieved; this summary sentence or paragraph could be flagged by usually beginning it with 'In conclusion, ...' or 'In brief, ...'

Paragraphs should be short; as a rule of thumb, approximately four paragraphs should start on each page if my preferred line spacing of 1.5 and Times Roman 12 point font is used to provide adequate structure and complexity of thought on each page. (A line spacing of 2 and more paragraphs per page makes a MBA Management Report appear disjointed and 'flaky', and a sans serif font is not easy to read.)

The MBA Management Report will have to go through several drafts. The first draft should be started early, and a tentative table of contents of each chapter & sections produced as soon as possible. Once again, discuss this with your supervisor.

How Will I Know If What I’ve Written Is Any Good?

Your Management Report should:

· Make a contribution to a body of knowledge through an investigation or testing of ideas (possibly worthy in part of publication at a conference);

· Demonstrate competence in research processes, including an understanding of, and competence in, appropriate research techniques and an ability to report research;

· Make effective use of a body of knowledge, including an ability to make critical use of published work and source materials.

Management Report Regulations

Copies	Two spiral or heat-bound copies (one of these will be returned , the other will be kept in the Business School). Plus one electronic copy on CD ROM
Binding	Spiral or Heat
Front cover	Include the project title, your name, the award, the place, and the year of submission in gold lettering – 18 point Times New Roman (see next page)
Paper	White, A4, single sided
Font	12 point Times New Roman or Arial
Spacing	One and a half line spacing
Margins	3cm left & right, 2cm top and bottom
Footnotes	At bottom of page
Headers	Not required
Footers	Page numbers - centred
Abbreviations	Defined before use
Writing style	Normally present tense, 3rd person singular
Spelling	English - not American
Grammar & punctuation	Usual rules of English Grammar & punctuation as described in the Oxford English Dictionary
References	Standard APA

Example MBA Binding Front Cover

INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPACT:

A QUALITATIVE STUDY AT CHESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL

STEVE PAGE

CHESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL

November 2014

Assessment Regulations

You are reminded that along with all other modules, the MBA Management Report is subject to University regulations regarding late submissions, etc. If unsure about these regulations check on IBIS.

You are normally required to present the following in order to be considered for the award of Master of Business Administration:

· A Management Report

The Management Report

All MBA Management Reports are first marked by your supervisor and second marked by a knowledgeable second marker. First and second markers' comments and grades are compared by the Module Leader and dealt with as follows:

1. Where the marks differ by <=5% the supervisor's grade is recommended

2. Where marks differ by >5% the first and second marker meet with the Module Leader to see if they can agree a jointly acceptable grade

If an agreed mark is not possible the Module Leader will send the MBA Management Report to the External Examiner for third marking (along with the first and second markers' comments/grades). The mark of the External Examiner will normally be recommended to the Examination Board.

3. It is Chester Business School policy that ALL Management Reports are moderated by at least one External Examiner. Furthermore, the mark recommended by the External Examiner (if different from the supervisor and second marker) will normally be the mark presented to the Examination Board.

Management Report Marking Criteria

The following percentages are normally applied to each chapter of your research report; any deviation from these criteria MUST be formally agreed with your supervisor , recorded in writing, and signed by you and your supervisor before submission of the final Management Report:

Researching into one or more organisations

· Introduction 5%

· Literature review 20%

· Methodology 20%

· Findings 20%

· Analysis, Conclusions 25%

· Critical Reflection & Recommendations 10%

Desk-based study

· Introduction 5%

· Methodology 20%

· Literature review 35%

· Analysis & Conclusions 30%

· Critical Reflection & Recommendations 10%

See the appendices for a more in-depth coverage of what examiners will be looking for in each of the chapters. There is also a copy of the marking feedback sheet used when assessing MBA Management Reports.

Suggested Reading

Bell, J. (2010), Doing your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education, Health and Social Science, 5th Edition, Milton Keynes: Open University Press

Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., Jackson, P. & Lowe, A. (2008) Management Research, 3rd Edition. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Fink, A. (2009), Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper, 3rd Edition, London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Fisher, C. (2010) Researching & Writing a Dissertation: A Guidebook for Business Students, 3rd Edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.

Gill, J. & Johnson, P. (2010) Research Methods for Managers, 4th Edition, London: Sage Publications, Ltd.

Hart, C. (1998) Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination, London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Hart, C. (2001) Doing a Literature Search: A Comprehensive Guide for the Social Sciences, London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Jankowicz, A. D. (2004), Business Research Projects for Students, 4th Edition, Andover: Thomson Learning.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009) Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.

Sharp, J. Peters, J. & Howard, K. (2002), The Management of a Student Research Project, 3rd Edition, Farnham: Gower Publishing.

Smith, E. (2008), Using Secondary Data in Education & Social Research, Maidenhead: Open University Press

Appendix 1: UNIVERSITY MASTERS THESIS CONSENT FORM

NAME:

TITLE OF THESIS:

DEPARTMENT:

Please complete and sign either section A or B. You must have the signed permission of your Management Report Supervisor before signing section B.

Section A

I give consent for a copy of my thesis to be held in the University library and to be made available within the library for consultation and photocopying (within copyright limits as defined in the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988).

Signed …………………………………………………………………………………

Date…………………………………………………………………………………….

Section B

I have obtained the permission of my Management Report Supervisor for the imposition of an embargo on access to and use of my thesis for year(s) [maximum of 5 years]. My thesis will not be made available for consultation or photocopying and will not be recorded in the University library catalogue until the embargo has expired. When the embargo has expired, my thesis will be made available within the library for consultation and photocopying (within copyright limitations).

Signed …………………………………………………………………………………

Date…………………………………………………………………………………….

Management Report Supervisor………… …………………………………………………..

Signature………………………………………………………………………………

Date ……………………………………………………………………………………

Appendix 2: Assessment Criteria for an MBA Management Report

Key areas to be assessed	Fail (0-49%)	Pass (50-69%)	Distinction (70%+)
Introduction	Little or no attempt made to contextualise the study. Partial, vague and superficial discussion	A satisfactory attempt to demonstrate clearly the context, purpose, variables and research questions to be examined. Better work will demonstrate a very clear, logical and well-written introduction that identifies the purpose, limitations, controversies and variables to be considered. Research question formulated succinctly and concisely	A very clear, logical and well thought out introduction that expresses the purpose, variables, controversies and research questions to be considered. It may identify new/novel approaches to be considered and be interesting and stimulating to read. It should show extensive knowledge & real depth of thought.
Literature Review	Superficial review of the literature. Poor organisation of material and limited breadth/depth. Superficial understanding of relevance of material to study demonstrated. Weak structure, mainly descriptive account that includes little, if any, criticism, integration and synthesis.	Sound understanding of the relevance of the material reviewed to the study demonstrated. Some, though limited criticism and comparison. Some attempt to integrate and structure review to illuminate the empirical stance undertaken. Some underlying philosophy apparent. Better work will demonstrate integration of material, criticism and synthesis to demonstrate understanding and relevance of the material reviewed to the empirical work. Demonstrates good understanding and relevance of underlying philosophies.	Mastery of criticism, depth and breadth of analysis of material and its relevance to empirical work self evident, in terms of the material reviewed and the underlying philosophies. Clear and well written conforming to standards accepted in published articles. High degree of conceptualisation.
Methodology	Little heed paid to conventions expected. Little/no justification. Poor selection of all or some of: method, sample, and instrument. Naive methodology that demonstrates little competence in handling empirical work.	Conforms to most conventions required. Clearly and concisely written to give the reader insight into how the method was designed and research undertaken. Most aspects appropriate to the research question.	Conforms to all conventions required. Clearly and concisely written giving the reader clear insight into how the method was designed and research undertaken. All aspects appropriate to the research question. Insight into importance of correct approaches all evident, together with originality, exceptional thoroughness and/or analytical competence.

Key areas to be assessed	Fail (0-49%)	Pass (50-69%)	Distinction (70%+)
Findings	Results poorly presented. Inappropriate writing style. Results presented in a confusing manner.	Results presented in an appropriate format, clearly labelled and easy to understand. Better work will demonstrate highly appropriate structure and writing style	Excellent presentation of results r.e. mode chosen and clarity for the reader. Discussion, writing style and structure of publishable standard.
Conclusions & Recommendations	Lacking a reasoned and logical conclusion or a conclusion that bears little/no relation to the study undertaken. Discussion fails to relate the findings to the research question. Makes claims that are incorrect in relation to the data. Little/no attempt to relate findings back to the literature reviewed in chapter 2. Little/no critique of adopted methodology and/or discussions of limitations of the study. Little/no discussion of opportunities for future research. Weak recommendations and/or inappropriate implementation plan.	Generally sound resume of the findings with some evidence of independent ideas. Awareness of the strengths/flaws of the study demonstrated competently. Sound attempt to relate findings back to literature reviewed in chapter 2. May also include appropriate explanation of findings in relation to underlying philosophy. Appropriate critique of adopted methodology and appropriate discussion of limitations of the study. Appropriate discussion of opportunities for future research. Appropriate discussion of recommendations based clearly on conclusions. Appropriate implementation plan. Better work will demonstrate well-summarised synthesis of main points that gives a feel for future direction; important aspects considered. Sound, in-depth analysis of findings in relation to literature reviewed in chapter 2 and underlying philosophy that clearly identifies similarities and differences that are then comprehensively argued and discussed. Appropriate: critique of adopted methodology, discussion of limitations.	Concise and highly synthesised account that summarises the major findings and areas of controversy. In-depth analytical ability that informs the reader and explains thoroughly and correctly the findings in relation to other work reviewed in chapter 2, and underlying philosophy. Will include original and creative thought where appropriate, showing coherence. Debate that clearly demonstrates the author’s views based on logical and appropriate analysis. Well developed, appropriate critique of adopted methodology and clear, well-written acknowledgement of the limitations of the study. Highly appropriate discussion of opportunities for future research. Highly appropriate discussion of recommendations based clearly on conclusions. Highly appropriate implementation plan with clear discussion of possible implications & other relevant organisational issues.

Appendix 3a: MBA Dissertation (BUM7757) Feedback Sheet

Researching in one or more organisations

Student Name:

Staff Name: First/Second Marker (delete as necessary)

Section	Comments	Mark
Introduction	Extent to which the student has clearly articulated the research problem	(5%)
Literature Review	Extent to which the student has demonstrated critical analysis of relevant extant research	(20%)
Methodology	Extent to which the student has developed & justified a defensible approach to undertaking the research	(20%)
Findings	Extent to which the student has clearly presented the research findings	(20%)
Analysis & Conclusions	Extent to which the student has analysed the research findings & re-contextualised these in extant research introduced in chapter 2.	(25%)
Reflection & implications	Extent to which the student has reflected on the research and discussed the implications & significance for practice	(10%)
	Total Mark

General Comments (if applicable):

Appendix 3b: MBA Dissertation (BU7757) Feedback Sheet

Desk-based research

Student Name:

Staff Name: First/Second Marker (delete as necessary)

Section	Comments	Mark
Introduction	Extent to which the student has clearly articulated the research problem	(5%)
Methodology	Extent to which the student has developed & justified a defensible approach to undertaking the research	(20%)
Literature Review	Extent to which the student has demonstrated critical analysis of relevant extant research	(35%)
Analysis & Conclusions	Extent to which the student has analysed the research findings & re-formulated these theories and concepts to produce meaningful conclusions	(30%)
Reflection & implications	Extent to which the student has reflected on the research and discussed the implications & significance for practice	(10%)
	Total Mark

General Comments (if applicable):

� If your Management Report contains sensitive data and is therefore ‘confidential’ please ensure that you mark the title page of the Management Report ‘Confidential’ & comptele Section B of the Management Report Consent Form. The Management Report will then not be placed in the library, or the material therein be made public for up to 5 years.

� If you and your supervisor can’t agree on whether changes to the marking criteria may be applied in your case, then the Module Leader’s view should be sought – whose decision will be final.