Management Dissertation Proposal

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Management Dissertation Proposal

PROFORMA NOTESMarketing Research and Data Analysis

This document is intended to provide some guidance on the development of the Proposal. Carefully read the following as you begin to plan your work.

Your Proposal is a kind of ‘screening document’ for FMs to review and approve before the end of Week 8, in order to make sure that you are setting off in the right direction for your main research. It is therefore very useful for all concerned.

Note that a blank version of the Proposal Proforma Form can be found in the Week 1 Resources. When using this, be sure to save your completed version to your computer.

NB: All references are to the recommended text: Easterby-Smith, R., Thorpe, R. & Jackson, P. (2002) Writing your MBA dissertation. London: Continuum.

Length

The text of this proposal should be between 2,500-3,500 words in length, excluding the front page and the Reference List.

Please make every effort to ensure that you do NOT exceed the maximum length. Please read this note, alongside the other RM module materials BEFORE you start drafting your proposal, as this should provide you with a better understanding of what you are ultimately going to be writing about in each of your dissertation chapters. The Proposal Assignments in Weeks 1-4 of your RM module are designed to help you get started with the individual sections below. This should then assist you in producing your own completed Proposal for your DA to review in Weeks 5-7.

The Quality Dissertation Proposals document posted in the RM module materials should also be especially helpful for you.

Tips on individual sections:

1. Aim, objectives and feasibility of the dissertation

In this section, explain your topic area. Include appropriate background information and an explanation of why this topic is of interest to you (and why it should be of interest to others). What is motivating your research? What is the potential benefit to your firm or industry? What actions may result from the valuable insights gained? What is the academic angle of your research? How does it tie in with your management studies from your modules? What underlying academic theories and constructs are of particular relevance to your research?

Next, clearly state the aim of your research. This should be a general but concise statement indicating the purpose of the study. Then, consider what you intend to achieve through your dissertation (i.e. present your research questions). Follow this with the research objectives. What specific objectives (analyse, investigate, explain, etc.) do you intend to meet during the course of the research to achieve the aim of the study?

Finally, include a brief discussion of the feasibility of your study. Do you have the necessary resources (such as access to requisite data, consent of your organisation, some indication of the willingness of subjects to be questioned or interviewed, etc.)? You will need to be able to demonstrate that this is feasible for a 7-month project.

You should start to draft this Proposal section for your RM module during Week 1 & Week 2 Proposal Assignments, then refine it further over the next 2 weeks and then with your DA in Weeks 5-7.

2. Literature review

In this section, you will discuss how your work fits with the existing published work. Find at least 10 sources of academic information (references) connected to the work you propose to do and analyse them to show how your research may fill or extend an existing gap. Compare and contrast the sources with each other and with your approach. At least half of the sources must be from refereed academic journals, which will be found in the online library. Citations from the main textbooks used for your modules are NOT sufficient here. However, you may find it useful to use the bibliographies in these texts to point you in the direction of some initial, more detailed, academic papers.

List your references in a bibliography at the end of your Proposal, using the Harvard referencing system. These references will comprise part of your full bibliography once your dissertation gets started. They can also be included in your literature review chapter of your final submission.

You should start to draft this literature review section for your RM module during the Week 3 Proposal Assignment and then refine it further, both in Week 4 and with your DA in Weeks 5-7.

(Week 3 of RM Module requires 3 academic articles. You will then extend this to 10 when working your DA classes during Weeks 5 to 7.)

3. Research methodology and methods

Your dissertation gives you the opportunity to explore in detail some aspect of theory, knowledge or skills that you have encountered during the taught modules of your degree. The research process that you will undertake will require you to engage in some way with theory and its relationship to managerial practice. However, there are different ways that you might approach this task. In this section, you will discuss your research methodology. Consider the epistemological approach that you intend to take—is it positivist, relativist or constructionist? Your epistemological approach will inform the research design you choose (action research, survey, case study, etc.). Next, consider the research methods that you will use to collect both the secondary and primary data. Will you undertake a pilot study? What about your questionnaire design and sample? You must be able to justify your choice in terms of your learning objectives, your research question and your research approach.

You should start to draft this research methodology section for your RM module during the Week 4 Proposal Assignment and then refine it further with your DA in Weeks 5-7.

4. The reference list

The reference list should:

a) Include only sources you have cited above; and

b) Comply fully with our Harvard referencing requirements.

Timing mileposts

Try to be as realistic as you can when completing the milestones table. Consider such things as holidays and particularly busy periods at work.

NB: You must reach Stage 8 at least 4 weeks before your deadline. A 30-day contingency provision is also advisable to allow for potential slippages. This will enable your DA to give you sufficient feedback on your final draft.

You should produce a final Proposal for submission to the FM for approval (as agreed upon with your DA) between 1 and 2 months from your module start date. However, please aim for 7 weeks from your start date (class date) at the latest, to ensure time for any necessary revisions and approval by the Week 8 cut-off.

Remember that your initial draft proposal may well need revising a few times before your DA is happy to submit it (this is common); you should consider this while developing your time frame. After 8 weeks, your progress may be put before the Academic Progress Committee if the proposal has still not been approved, and you may not be awarded the RM module grades.

Milestone

Description

Due date

Remarks

1

Stage 1: Area of interest identified

2

Stage 2: Specific topic selected

3

Stage 3: Topic refined to develop dissertation proposal

4

Stage 4: Proposal written and submitted

5

Stage 5: Collection of data and information

6

Stage 6: Analysis and interpretation of collected data/information

7

Stage 7: Writing up

8

Stage 8: Final draft prepared— submission of dissertation

9

Final Deadline—9 months from classroom date

NB: If you encounter legitimate and substantial problems that may delay your intended time frame, either work-related or personal, then you must let your DA and your SSM know as soon as possible. A failure to communicate these types of issues could adversely affect your final grade. Extensions to this time frame are only granted (by the Examination Board or an official academic progress committee) in exceptional mitigating circumstances. They will not be provided simply because you have fallen behind.

Once your Proposal has been approved

Once your proposal has been approved, you will continue working in the DA class until the end of Month 9. At this time you will submit the completed dissertation. Some of what you produce in the Proposal can be integrated into the draft chapters for your actual dissertation.

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