Formulating a suitable MBA dissertation project topic and research design: some advices

Formulating a suitable MBA dissertation project topic and research design: some advices:

1. The main type of dissertation projects is case study research, notably on a single organizational unit (an established company, a department of a company or a business startup).

2. Your relationship with the client organization could be: 

(a) an existing employee of the organization, 

(b) an ex-employee of the organization, 

(c) a friend of someone who work [or own] in the client organization, 

(d) a founder of the startup, or 

(e) the owner of the organization.

Other considerations:

1. If your case study is on a business sector, not a single organization, you most likely need to do multiple-case study research.

2. If you study a company solely because you know the CEO of the company [but the CEO does not know you] or you possess some articles and reports of the company [i.e. some secondary data and archival records of it], you should not conduct your dissertation project on this company.

3. It is useful to have some knowledge about case study research: see the reference of R. Yin. At the same time, it is useful to have some knowledge on mixed methods research.

4. There are specific research ethics consideration for case study research. The topic is to be covered in research methods workshop; students could also take a quick look at the blog note on research ethics at this stage.

5. The agile literature review approach (ALRA) is highly compatible with cases study research and mixed methods research.

6. A related topic is on cultivating business sense for doing MBA dissertation project.

7. Your MBA dissertation topic should be related to your MBA programme study scope.

Cultivating business sense to prepare for MBA dissertation project work: some advices

Cultivating "business sense" to prepare for MBA dissertation project work: some advices

Some MBA students, with prior education background in non-business fields, have concerns on the inadequacy of "business sense" to do their MBA dissertation projects. My advices are as follows:

1. Keep pursuing your business management knowledge gained from your MBA study, notably on marketing, human resource management, finance, innovation and operation management and strategic management (including strategic change). You should have studied these subjects in your MBA programme, preferably before you study research methods (as preparation to do dissertation projects).

2. Develop the habit to read 1-2 business-related newspapers such as the ....., etc; preferably also read Harvard Business Review. It is very useful to supplement your reading with additional e-learning by watching related YouTube videos on business news and business related briefings.

3. For more specific preparation to do your MBA dissertation projects, identify a few management themes that you are interested in and do some browsing on some academic journal articles and books about those management themes.

4. Finally, learn the agile literature review approach in my research methods workshops and start early to think about your research topic. Your lecturer and supervisor are quite prepared to give some advice and feedback on your preliminary dissertation project ideas.

All in all, if your prior education is not related to business studies, then you do need to engage in more intellectual learning in a number of MBA-related management fields early on: 

1. Make the intellectual learning as part of your life routine and start your intellectual learning routine on business management right away.

2. Reflect on your life experience, including working experience, with your management knowledge gained via your life-long intellectual learning.

MBA research projects: knowledge and skills expected

MBA research projects: knowledge and skills expected re module guide [latest]:

Knowledge

K1.       An understanding of specific substantive problems or issues within an organisation or business sector placing them into a strategic context within the research investigation.

K2.       A critical understanding of valid research questions via a review of the academic literature; a critical review of the activities and operations of the organisation/sector and the environment in which it operates.

K3.       A clear understanding of different research methodologies and their limitations and be able to critically explain when one might be more appropriate than another in the context of the chosen research topic.

K4.       That the project findings have been logically derived and that the conclusions/solutions and recommendations are fully supported by the evidence presented.

K5.       That the recommendations for strategic change in the organisation/business sector investigated are capable of implementation

K6.       How the personal and organisational learning that has taken place has affected the development of your skills and competences during the completion of your programme of study.

Skills

S1.       The necessary skills to design and undertake appropriate qualitative and / or quantitative research as necessary to analyse your chosen organisation/business problem or task.   

S2.       How to interpret record and analyse data relating to the research topic.

The chosen project will include:

A clear abstract.

A clear account of the organisation/business sector being investigated.

A review of relevant academic literature and derivation of valid research questions both from the literature and the organisation/business sector issues.

A review of the methodological issues concerning the research question including critical evaluation of alternative research methodologies and their limitations.

A review of the research method adopted and data collection techniques including interviews, observations, and participant observation and their implications and limitations.

Interpretation and analysis of qualitative, and if appropriate quantitative data, using appropriate statistical and computational techniques.

A clear presentation of empirical findings and implications for the activities and operation of the organisation/business sector. 

Does your MBA dissertation project involve sufficient project efforts? A checklist

Does your MBA dissertation project involve sufficient project efforts? A checklist:

I: solving complex managerial problems with practical and academic values

1a. Does your MBA dissertation project involves managerial problems./ issues [e.g. strategic issues] with an adequate level of systemic complexity, notably soft complexity and theme focus?

[note: related to the management-concerns diagram of the ALRA]

1b. Does your MBA dissertation project involves responding to research objectives that have an adequate level of practical and academic values in line with the MBA program orientation?

[note: related to the management-concerns diagram of the ALRA]

II: dealing with complex managerial problems with sufficiently complex intellectual response

2. Does your MBA dissertation project involves an adequate level of intellectual scaffolding complexity in responding to the chosen set of managerial problems/ issues [point 1 above]

[note: related to the theoretical framework level 0 of the ALRA]

III: fleshing out complex intellectual response structure with adequate academic theories

3. Does your MBA dissertation project involve an adequate level of depth, scope and review quality in literature review within the complex intellectual scaffolding [point 2 above]?

[note: related to the theoretical framework level 1a of the ALRA]

IV. conducting management-concerns and theories-driven research methods with adequate research methods knowledge and research methods scope coverage

4a. Does your MBA dissertation project involve an adequate level of research methods skills with regard to the different layers of Saunders' onion model and research quality (including ethical) considerations?

[note: related to the theoretical framework level 1c of the ALRA]

4b. Does your MBA dissertation project involves an adequate level of research methods coverage on your intellectual scaffolding?

[note: related to the theoretical framework level 1c of the ALRA]

V. providing research methods findings and analysis with adequate quality and clarity

5. Does your MBA dissertation project involve an adequate level of skills and efforts on data gathering, finding analysis/ evaluation and organized reasoning?

[note: related to the MBA dissertation report template]

VI. presenting dissertation report content with reasonable academic writing skills, e.g., on report structure organization

6. Does your MBA dissertation project involve an adequate level of dissertation writing skills?

[note: related to the MBA dissertation report template]

MBA dissertation report template - chapter 4 and chapter 5

 Chapter 4: Presentation of research findings

4.1. Chapter introduction: the objectives and approach of the analysis
4.2. Findings from individual research methods: highlights
4.2.1. Main findings from research method 1
4.2.2. Main findings from research method 2
4.2.3. Main findings from research method 3

4.3 Some observations of research findings in terms of the research methods flowchart 

4.4. Findings in terms of the theoretical framework of the dissertation project

4.5. A synthesis of the main research findings: some overall comments

Chapter 5: Discussion of findings

5.1. Chapter introduction: the objectives and approach of the findings discussion

5.2. Discussion on the findings of individual research methods
5.2.1. Discussion on the findings of research method 1
5.2.2. Discussion on the findings of research method 2
5.2.3. Discussion on the findings of research method 3

5.3. Discussion on the research findings in terms of the theoretical framework of the dissertation project

5.4. A summary of the overall discussion results on the main research findings

The 4 levels of Mixed Methods Research in the agile literature review approach

The 4 levels of Mixed Methods Research in the agile literature review approach (ALRA): [from level 0 to level 3]

Level 0: at the "theoretical framework level 1c" overall level: using both qualitative and quantitative research methods at the overall research methodology level, encompassing all the high-level research tasks of the theoretical framework.

Level 1: at the "theoretical framework level 1c" zone level: using both qualitative and quantitative research methods at the individual zone of the theoretical framework, encompassing all the high-level research tasks of an individual theoretical framework zone.

Level 2: at the "theoretical framework level 1c" item level: using both qualitative and quantitative research methods on an individual item of the theoretical framework. [An individual item in the theoretical framework is a high-level research task (also a research objective)].

Lever 3: at the "theoretical framework level 1c" research method level: e.g. a questionnaire survey research could include questions that make use of rating scale (quantitative) as well as questions that are open-ended (qualitative).

Regarding the diagram, usage of mixed methods research at level 2 [item level] takes place at items 4 and 9, assuming that one of the overlapping research method is quantitative and the other one is qualitative.

For information about the mixed methods research, take a look at the blog note on the onion model. Also study the video on mixed methods philosophy.

Informed consent renegotiation in MBA dissertation projects: a note

Informed consent renegotiation in MBA dissertation projects: a note

 In the conduct of dissertation project, students are required to obtain the informed consent from the research participants, notably interview research interviewees and the case study gate keeper. There should be written evidence on informed consent from the research participants, e.g. signed letter of informed consent from them. The main problem, getting more common these days, is that the students, having obtained informed consent from the participants initially, are laid off by their companies, together with their colleagues (who consent to participant in the research projects). 

In qualitative research, e.g. in case study research, the dissertation project context is messy and fluid. Thus, the MBA student, doing a dissertation project, should be prepared to renegotiate for informed consent from the research participants anyway. 

Regarding the case that the student and some of his/her colleagues are laid off from the company (that constitutes the case study of the research), the student needs to renegotiate for the informed consent with the existing research participants and, as a good ethical research practice, to negotiate for an informed consent from a new gate keeper and new research participants who still remain in the company being studied.

Minor changes in research methods to use do not need to be supported by new informed consent forms (signed) and the informed consent renegotiations tend be much less informal. Major changes in case study context (e.g., large scale layoff of staff) most likely need additional informed consent forms to be signed by some new research participants (e.g. new gate keeper). In those situations when an additional major research method is to be employed, the new research exercise should be supported by an additional informed consent form (signed).

Rule 1: An evolving dissertation project situation requires renegotiation for informed consent from time to time.

Rule 2: A minor adjustments of research method does not need another formal informed consent form (signed). Renegotiation of informed consent is informal in this case.

Rule 3: A major change of research method or an employment of an additional major research method most likely requires a formal evidence of informed consent [or a renegotiated informed consent] in the form of an additional informed consent form (signed) [by a relevant responsible person].

*** signifying consent can be done online by pressing a button (to consent), e.g. in the case of an online questionnaire survey. The consent is informed as the online questionnaire has an opening section that serves as a covering letter for the survey exercise.

Notice: about Facebook ac: Joseph KK Ho

The study materials needed to begin the MBA dissertation project journey: a note

 The study materials needed to begin the MBA dissertation project journey: a note

The e-resources needed to start the dissertation project:

1. Synopsis sample

2. Proposal sample

3. Dissertation sample (hero in google drive)

4. Table of content template

5. Initial readings on the agile literature review approach: (i) on the management concerns diagram and (ii) on the theoretical framework set.

After submitting your dissertation proposal, you need info on research ethics and ethics form info.: 

*** A revision of an ethics form lecture note. Also note the following info:

**  the online ethic form. [submission date: probably from 

6 weeks after proposal submission to the date of 

sending the first dissertation draft to supervisor for review].

Additional notes on ethics form can be found in course google drive. 

The research ethics discussion regarding case study research often examines the role of the gatekeeper (see an article related to this topic).