2014/15. BUCKINGHAMSHIRE NEW UNIVERSITY MBA Top-Up in Management. Address : 149, Commercial Road, London E1 1PX

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1 2014/15 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE NEW UNIVERSITY MBA Top-Up in Management Address : 149, Commercial Road, London E1 1PX Tel : : info@eastendcbc.co.uk Web. :

2 CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER Introduction... 2 What is a Dissertation? Aim and Objectives.. 2 Intellectual Requirements and Guidelines.. 3 Learning Outcomes... 3 Core format of the dissertation Teaching and Learning Strategy Assessment criteria Choosing a Topic. 10 Qualification Grade 11 Assignment Schedule and Deadline Policy 9 Academic Honesty Plagiarism Good Practice Guidance Appeals Procedure Annex-A Guidance for Harvard Referencing Bibliography Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

3 MODULE CODE : BM799 TITLE : MBA Top Up in Management AWARD : Buckinghamshire New University LEVEL : Level 7 CREDITS : 60 BUCKS MBA Top-Up Management provides a suitable qualification for those wishing to enhance their career or move into senior position within an organisation. Access to suitable management work situations is fundamental for the successful completion of this qualification, either through permanent full-time or parttime employment or through collaborative placement within the existing UK government rules for work or training. They are particularly suitable for more mature learners who wish to follow a short programme of study that is directly related to their work experience or to an aspect of employment that they wish to move into in due course. What is a dissertation? A dissertation is a long piece of written work that offers a detailed, sustained and critical treatment of a chosen topic. It is an analytic undertaking. It is not a descriptive account of the topic under investigation, nor is it a review of books and articles read. A dissertation differs from an essay in requiring a more sustained treatment of a topic, greater depth of analysis and wider consultation of sources and materials. It is important that you begin work on the dissertation as early as possible and that you ensure at the outset that you have a clear idea of what the dissertation will require. Aim and objectives The aim of the dissertation is to enable you to advance your knowledge of the field covered by your degree programme by pursuing an independent research project on a chosen topic within the field. Student completing the dissertation will have Examined a subject in substantial depth shown evidence of an ability to undertake sustained critical analysis developed and improved their research skills produced a long piece of written work that demonstrates understanding of their area of study shown the relevance of the findings of their research to the practice in their area of study. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

4 Intellectual requirements and guidlines The main educational aims of the this programme are to equip students to : develop an understanding of the application of research methodologies, and an ability to frame a research proposal. develop the ability to report research results in written format to an academic and/or professional audience, and to further develop the student s capacity for critical analysis and independent thought. A dissertation should make an original contribution to the field. This can take the form of exploring previously neglected primary sources, undertaking an original theoretical analysis or interpretation of existing literature, or using primary material to develop your own critique of existing scholarly arguments. It is not enough simply to review the books and articles which you have collected on the topic. The dissertation should demonstrate not only that you can collect evidence and consider a particular problem or topic in detail, but also that you understand how the topic relates to the work others have done in the same field. The review of the literature should show how the works of different authors on the topic relate to one another and where your own work is intended to fit in, and the analysis should show an awareness of what others who have addressed related questions have already said (or are saying) and of the implication of their various views and positions of your own work. This handbook sets out the general background to the dissertation, explains its organisational/administrative requirements. It explains what is required for your research proposal and how your dissertation will be marked. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

5 Learning outcomes Upon the successful completion of this module, the student should be able to demonstrate the ability to : Present a written dissertation, containing critical analysis and constructive arguments to support conclusions and recommendations, with sources fully referenced and supported by appendices. This will include the following : 1. Define and contextualise business and management research problems, questions or issues. 2. Identify and access a range of sources and evaluate their credibility and authority. 3. Critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship 4. Design research methodology to address a defined research problem, justifying all choices made and identifying any ethical issues. 5. Collect primary data using quantitative/and or qualitative methods. 6. Analyse and present findings using appropriate techniques. 7. Evaluate findings, in relation to theories, to draw conclusions and make recommendations. Core format of the dissertation You should adopt the following general structure and format as a guideline: Front cover title page Terms of Reference Abstract (Executive Summary) Acknowledgements Introduction Review of current thinking (Theoretical Basis) Methodology Findings*(your primary research data) Analysis* and Conclusions (Discussion) and Reflections Recommendations Bibliography Appendices these must include clear evidence of originality eg interview transcripts, relevant spreadsheets for survey work, sample questionnaires. *sometimes it is more convenient to present your findings and analysis (Research Data and Discussion), with a Summary of Conclusions. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

6 Teaching and learning Strategy The indicative content and requirements of the dissertation will be introduced at the end of Part 1 by an intensive research methodology workshop, which is designed to bridge and enhance research knowledge and competencies. At the beginning of the workshop a dissertation brief is provided to each student. At the end of stage 1, students will be expected to produce and present an initial words research proposal prior to the commencement of the dissertation research at stage 2. In stage 2, students will be expected to manage their own learning and implement their own research programme of study over the dissertation period. Students will be allocated a supervisor/tutor who will meet with each student on a regular tutorial basis in order to monitor research progress (this will be for a minimum 15 hours tutorial time). Guidelines and progress deadlines will be given to students at appropriate times of the year in order to facilitate continued progress. Assessment Assessment Component 1 Students are required to produce a viable research proposal that provides a persuasive and convincing argument for the research to be undertaken, clear aims and objectives and an understanding of research design and project management. Total word counts 2,000 2,500 words. Assessment Component 2 Students are required to provide a thesis which is based upon a clear expression and articulation by the student of the research focus, use of appropriate methodology, analysis and evidence, and findings. Total word counts 12,000 15,000 words Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

7 Assessment criteria : Requirement 1. Introduction Is the title of the research clear? A topic that is business, management or marketing focused Whether the topic is specific, scope is appropriate, purpose is stated and properly written using appropriate words A topic that is manageable in the time available Comment Is the abstract adequate? This should provide a summary of the whole research including: The main research problem or need The purpose of the research The methods used for the research The findings Has a background been provided for the research? Is there a clear purpose and rational for the study? Has the student set clear objectives and research questions? The objectives are the base of the research. The following aspects should be considered. Development of 3-4 objectives Objectives should follow a logical sequence Final objective could be to make recommendations Avoid cause and effect type problems Better to start objectives with To Use proper words such as analyse, evaluate, investigate etc. Objectives can be detailed out with research questions. Development of hypothesis if relevant 2. Use of Literature/Sources : Has the student made a link between existing literature and their own research? Review of literature relevant to the research objectives and questions. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

8 Has the student used a range of sources for the literature review? Use of good range of authors (20-30) including various sources such as books, articles, related past research findings and e-resources Avoid repeating the same author Accurate referencing within the text Avoid weak sources such as Wikipedia Has a critical review of the literature been adopted? Avoid describing theories and existing literature. Instead, different views and findings should be evaluated/ reviewed with own views and inputs. Debates within literature can also be captured when evaluating. 3. Research Design and Methodology : 15% - words Have the research philosophy, design and approach been discussed? This should cover different research philosophy and designs available, the chosen philosophy and design for the own research and justifications. Has the student discussed appropriate research methods? This section should include: Qualitative or quantitative research Primary and secondary research (preferably candidates should conduct a primary research) Appropriate data collection methods and instruments for the research and the justifications. This should include pros and cons of the data collection methods. Data analysis method and tools Has the student discussed about the sampling? The sampling section should cover: Size of the total population Sample size with justification (why is the sample appropriate? Is it representative?) Sampling technique and procedure used with justifications Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

9 Has the student included research ethics and limitations of the research? 4. Data Collection Has the data been accurately presented? Different techniques such as tables, diagrams and charts should be used. If interviews have been used candidates should provide transcripts of the actual interviews in the appendices and refer to them when presenting data. If it is qualitative candidates need to state the important direct quotes. If a questionnaire has been used, it should be included in the appendices. 5. Discussion and Analysis Has the student analysed and interpreted their findings? Factors to be considered: Should avoid including mere descriptions. Instead the results should be analysed in a meaningful way in line with research objectives. The interpretation of the results should be backed up with own insights/ input, relevant literature and it should also be aligned with the research objectives Making reasoned judgments on the findings 6. Conclusion and Recommendations Are conclusions reasoned? Provide a summary of the findings of data analysis. New facts should not be included in the conclusion. Should reflect the extent to which the objectives are achieved. The main lessons learnt from the research needs to be summarised. Candidates can also mention whether the findings add or complement the existing research. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

10 Choosing a Topic: The students should choose a topic at the early stage of their programme. A topic that interests you the most as enthusiasm is an important motivating factor in writing a good dissertation. Remember, though, that the project must be intellectually feasible, practicable in terms of gaining access to the necessary sources and manageable in the time available. The subject may be related to your work, but note that the dissertation has specific academic aims and requirements which differ from the aims and requirements of reports and studies you may be asked to prepare in the course of your work. Qualification Grade In order to qualify for this programme, the student must have satisfied both : The general credit requirements for the award; and All the specific requirements defined in the intended learning outcomes for the programme, for each of the stages leading to the award. Assignments Schedule and Deadline Policy The students will be given the dissertation brief at the beginning of the term. All the students need to submit their dissertation within the given deadline online to the blackboard of the university through their user account. Submission Instructions : You are required to submit to your Supervisor, Two Hard Copies of your dissertation and one Soft Copy on a CD/DVD or USB Stick, attached inside back cover of one copy. Ensure all items clearly show your ID number. Although you have to use Turnitin to check your work, it is the submission of the hard and soft copies as above that are deemed to be your formal submission. Please do not attempt to submit your dissertation via . Dissertation presentation : Font size 11 or 12 with a line-spacing of 1.5 Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

11 You are reminded of the University s Regulations on cheating and plagiarism. In submitting your assignment you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations. Late submission within ten working days of the deadling will result in the mark for the dissertation being capped at 40%. Beyond ten working days (working days are Monday to Friday) the work will not be marked. Format and File details Your dissertation must be submitted as one single file. Don t split your dissertation, bibliography or appendix items into separate documents. Your tutor will clearly set out the format requirements Assignments may be in MS word, WordPerfect, PostScript, PDF, HTML, RTF or plain text format. If you have hand written work such as calculations or sketches, these can be scanned and incorporated in a PDF for submission. It is your responsibility to check the work you ve submitted is the correct piece of work and it s not corrupted. Academic honesty: East End Computing & Business College is committed to ensuring that its academic integrity and standards of academic awards are properly maintained. It encourages students to maintain academic honesty by producing their own work. The college enforces strict rules with regard to the presentation of work for formal assessment. A thesis, dissertation, hypothesis, assignment, essay, research project or any other submission that is not completed in an examination room under supervision, but which is submitted by a student for formal assessment, must be written by the students in their own words. Source material may not be lifted verbatim without due acknowledgement being given. All information taken from other sources (text book, the Internet, lectures, books, magazines or newspapers) if quoted, must be given the source and identified with. marks. Not to acknowledge source material is dishonest and unacceptable academically and works thus submitted will not be marked. Any infringement of the rules will incur severe penalties. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

12 Plagiarism: Copying three consecutive words from any available source is called plagiarism. Any piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work is termed as plagiarism. Copying source materials for assessment defeats the whole purpose of the exercise as it is not student progress being evaluated, but that of somebody else. Copying the work of another will not help the student improve and fulfil their own potential. Honestly producing work that is your own best effort and having it subject to the scrutiny of others is the most important aspect of academic integrity, a duty which the college demands of all its staff and students alike. Copying breaches academic integrity in a fundamental way and constitute a grave breach of regulations resulting in the college taking necessary disciplinary action. Copying is cheating. Plagiarism is the most serious act of deception anyone in academic life can be accused of even if there is no deliberate intention to deceive and is unacceptable. Students are advised not to copy from any available resource as it is against the college policy. Plagiarising, the work of others, will adversely affect students academic results. At worst the penalty would be expulsion from East End Computing and Business College. Good practice guidance: Saying that you never copy from others does not mean, of course, that everything you produce must be original or that you can ever refer to work of others. All academic work builds on what has gone before. So, the students are advised to refer to all the work of others that they use in their work. In preparing your work for formal assessment you may quote directly from others but you must always be careful how much you may quote. You may find that someone else has already been able to capture an idea on paper better than you could that s fine as long as you fully and fairly cite the source and indicate by using quotation marks. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

13 You must acknowledge the contribution made by others. Such referencing is integral to the skills East End Computing and Business College is helping students develop. Proper referencing gives added weight and authority to what has been written and adds credibility to the submission. Specific regulations vary from course to course and students will be introduced to each in the early stages of the course these are to be followed. An increasing invaluable and accessible source of information also for research purposes is the World Wide Web. It is important that all such electronic sources are cited as part of the referencing process. East End Computing and Business College is committed to ensuring that its academic integrity and standards of academic awards are secure and encourages the appropriate use of electronic detection software packages by academic staff to combat plagiarism and copying. Appeals Procedure: A student may wish to appeal against a result notified to him/her by a member of the lecturing staff, or against a decision of a board that has been set up to consider the progress of students and the progression of students between levels (for the purposes of this procedure). The details of appeal policy and procedure are described in the students handbook. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

14 Annex-A Harvard Referencing Guidance: In order to adhere to academic honesty and avoid plagiarism, students need to follow a standard referencing convention like Harvard referencing while writing the assignments. All the students are advised to follow the following guidelines for referencing. For citation in the text: All statements, opinions, conclusions etc. taken from another writer's work should be acknowledged, whether the work is directly quoted, paraphrased or summarised. In the Harvard System cited publications are referred to in one of the forms shown below: Single author:- In a study by Seedhouse (1997) coping with illness was investigated... In a study (Seedhouse, 1997) coping with illness was investigated... When an author has published more than one cited document in the same year these are distinguished by adding lower case letters after the year within the brackets. Burnard (1992a) wrote about communication for health professionals that... Two authors:- In the book by Basford and Slevin (1995)... More than two authors:- Benner et al (1996) conclude that... If more than one citation is referred to within a sentence, list them all in the following form, by date and then alphabetically:- There are indications that passive smoking is potentially threatening to the health... (Francome and Marks, 1996; Bunton, 1995; Lupton, 1995). Quoting in the text : When quoting directly in the text use quotation marks as well as acknowledging the author's name, year of publication and page number of the quote in brackets. Short quotations e.g. up to 2 lines can be included in the body of the text:- Weir (1995) states that "defining roles and their remits is not simple"(p.10). Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

15 Longer quotations should be indented in a separate paragraph:- Thomas and Ingham (1995) in discussing staff development state that: "Development is infectious, and staff who previously have recoiled from undertaking a degree or conversion course have been encouraged by the success of others"(p.33). If part of the quotation is omitted then this can be indicated using three dots:- Weir and Kendrick (1995) state that "networking is no longer solely within the male domain.." (p. 88). Secondary referencing : Secondary referencing is when one author is referring to the work of another and the primary source is not available. You should cite the primary source and the source you have read e.g. (Fiedler and Chemers, 1974, cited in Douglass, 1996). Secondary referencing should be avoided if at all possible. Listing references at the end of the text : References should be listed in alphabetical order by author's name and then by date (earliest first), and then if more than one item has been published during a specific year by letter (1995a, 1995b etc). Whenever possible details should be taken from the title page of a publication and not from the front cover, which may be different. Each reference should include the elements and punctuation given in the examples below. Authors' forenames can be included if given on the title page but they are not required to be. The title of the publication should either be in italics or underlined. The examples given are in italics: A book by a single author: Seedhouse, D. (1997) Health promotion: philosophy, prejudice and practice. Chichester, John Wiley. A book by two authors: Burns, Nancy and Grove, Susan K. (1997) The practice of nursing research: conduct, critique & utilization. 3rd edition. London, Saunders. A book by more than two authors: Mares, Penny et al. (1995) Health care in multiracial Britain. Cambridge, Health Education Council. A book by a corporate author (e.g. a government department or other organisation): Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

16 Health Visitors' Association (1992) Principles into practice : an HVA position statement on health visiting and school nursing. London, Health Visitors' Association. An edited book: Basford, Lynn and Slevin, Oliver (eds) (1995) Theory and practice of nursing: an integrated approach to patient care. Edinburgh, Campion. A chapter in a book: Weir, Pauline (1995) Clinical practice development role: a personal reflection. In: K. Kendrick et al. (eds) Innovations in nursing practice. London, Edward Arnold. p An article in a journal: Allen, A. (1993) Changing theory in nursing practice. Senior Nurse, 13(1), An article in a newspaper: White, M. (1998) 68m to cut NHS waiting lists. Guardian, Monday May , p.8. If no author name is given then anon should be used instead. Anon (1998) Schemes to boost dental care. Guardian, Monday May , p.8. Government publications In broad terms White Papers contain statements of Government policy while Green Papers put forward proposals for consideration and public discussion. They are cited in the same way. A White paper: Department of Health (1996) Choice and opportunity: primary care: the future. Cm London, Stationery Office. A Green paper: Department of Health (1998) Our Healthier Nation: a contract for health. Cm London, Stationery Office. An Act of Parliament: Great Britain (1990) National Health Service and Community Care Act Chapter 19. London, HMSO. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

17 Conference proceedings: Published conference proceedings with author or editor(s): Banks, S. et al (1998) Networked Lifelong Learning: innovative approaches to education and training through the Internet: Proceedings of the 1998 International Conference held at the University of Sheffield. Sheffield, University of Sheffield. Paper from published conference proceedings with author or editor(s): Proctor, P. (1998) The tutorial: combining asynchronous and synchronous learning. In: Banks, S. et al. Networked Lifelong Learning: innovative approaches to education and training through the Internet: Proceedings of the 1998 International Conference held at the University of Sheffield. Sheffield, University of Sheffield. p If no author or editor is given on the title page the name of the conference is cited first either in italics or underlined. A thesis or dissertation: Stones, Marian (1995) Women, nurses, education: an oral history taking technique. Unpublished M.Ed. dissertation, University of Sheffield. A secondary reference: Fiedler, F. and Chemers, M. (1974) Leadership and effective management. Glenview, Illinois, Scott Foresman & Co. Cited in: Douglass, Laura Mae (1996) The effective nurse: leader and manager. 5 th edition. St. Louis, Missouri, Mosby. Acknowledgements: The following documents have been used in the compilation of this guide and further information can be obtained from them. Bournemouth University. Academic Services Group. Library and Information Services. (1996) Harvard System. [online] Bournemouth, Bournemouth University. [Accessed 9th June 1996]. British Standards Institution (1989) BS Recommendations for references to published materials. BS.1629:1989. London, BSI. University of Sheffield. Library. (1997) Writing a bibliography. ML-RS11. [online] Sheffield, University of Sheffield. Available from: [Accessed 9th June 1998]. Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

18 Annex-B Bibliography Guidance: Essential The reading will be guided by the topic selected for research. Suggested Research Methods texts are listed below. Recommended : Sauders, M. Lewis, P and Thornhill, A. (2010), Research Methods for Business Students, 5 th Ed. : Practice Hall Cameron, S and Price, D. (2009) Business Research Methods : A Practical Approach London : Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Anderson, T and Kanuda, H. (2006) E-research methods, Strategies and Issues, London : Allyn and Bacon Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design : Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, London : Sage Publications. Davies, M.B. (2007) Doing A Successful Research Project : Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan Bell, J. (2005) Doing your research projects. 4 th Ed. Maidenhead : Open University Press Clegg, F. (1990) Simple Statistics, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press Collis, J & Hussey, R (2009) Business Research, A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Post Graduate Students, London : Palgrave Dul, J and Hak, T (2008) Case Study Methodology in Business Research, London : Butterworth- Heinemann/Elsevier Fisher, C.M & Buglear, J (2010) Researching and Writing a Dissertation : An Essential Guide for Business Students 3 rd Ed. Harlow : Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Cresswell, J. (2002) Research Design : Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, London : Sage Publications Davies, M (2007) Doing a successful Research Project. New York : Palgrave MacMillan Hart C (2004) Doing your Masters Dissertation (Essential Study Skills series), London : Sage Publications McNiff, J and Whitehead, J. (2006) Action Research, London : Sage Sapsford, R and Jupp, V. (2006) Research Methods for Business Students, Harlow : Prentice Hall Rowntree, D. Statistics (1991) Without Tears : An Indroduction for Non Mathematicians, London : Penguin Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e

19 Backgound Reading : Alvesson, M & Skolberg, K. (2009) Reflexive Methodology : new vistas for qualitative research 2 nd ed. Los Angeles; London : Sage Publications Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P (2008) Business Research Methods, 10 th Ed. London : McGraw-Hill Oakshott, L. (2006) Essential Quantitative Methods for Business Management and Finance, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Ruderstam K and Newton R (2007) Surviving Your Dissertation : A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process, London : Sage Publications White B, (2004) Writing Your MBA Dissertation, London : Thomson Learning Yin, R.K (2007) Case Study Research : Design and Methods, 4 th Ed. London : Sage Website Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation (online) Available from : Social Research Update (online) Available from: Academic Journals (online) Available from : ReStore (online) Available from : Audit Commission (online) Available from : CIM (online) Available from : CIMA, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (online) Available form: Copac Library (online) Available from : UK Data Archive (online) Available from : The Economist (online) Available from : The electronic Journal of Business Research Methods (online) Available from : Business Research Checklists and Guidelines (online) Available from : Web Centre for Social Research Methods (online) Available from : Bucks MBA Top-Up Management Version P a g e