A note on some useful agile dissertation practice: for MBA students

A note on some useful agile dissertation practice: for MBA students (information from perpleixity.ai)

My question 1: "For a part-time MBA student doing a 4-month dissertation project, especially involving qualitative research task and quite some literature review effort, the issue of time-constraint is significant. Could you suggest some methods and techniques to make the dissertation project process more agile?

The reply: "For a part-time MBA student facing significant time constraints on a 4-month dissertation project involving qualitative research and literature review, applying agile methods and efficient time management techniques can make the process more agile and manageable.

Agile Methods for Dissertation

• Use iterative and incremental approaches adapted from agile project management like Scrum or Kanban. Breaking down the dissertation into smaller, manageable tasks or sprints can help maintain consistent progress and adapt to challenges quickly.

• Prioritize tasks based on impact and deadlines. Focus first on critical elements like research design, data collection, and essential literature.

• Conduct frequent reviews and adjustments of your work plan to stay flexible and address emerging issues promptly.

Time Management Techniques

• Planning, goal-setting, prioritization, and task organization are top time management strategies that strongly enhance productivity.

• Allocate dedicated, time-boxed slots for different dissertation activities (e.g., data analysis, coding qualitative data, searching literature).

• Avoid multitasking by focusing on one task at a time to improve quality and speed.

• Use tools like task boards or digital planners to visually track progress and milestones.

Accelerating Literature Review

• Develop a search strategy using relevant keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria to quickly find pertinent literature.

• Scan and select sources for relevance before deep reading to save time.

• Use thematic circles or mind maps to organize major themes and identify research gaps in the literature.

• Employ AI-supported tools or systematic workflows to summarize and synthesize papers faster.

By combining agile project management principles with disciplined time management and efficient literature review strategies, the student can handle the dissertation demands in a flexible, productive way despite the time constraint.

If needed, specific agile frameworks like Scrum tailored for dissertation work or software tools recommendations can be provided."

My question 2: "Suggest 4 academic theories that can inform a more agile dissertation project practice with regard to the discussion here. Try to also provide 4 references of them in Harvard reference format."

The reply: "Here are four academic theories that can inform a more agile dissertation project practice, especially relating to agile project management and leadership, coordination, and iterative development principles:

1. Transformational Leadership Theory

   • Explains how leaders inspire and motivate teams to engage in innovative and adaptive behavior. Relevant to how a student can lead themselves or a research team effectively in an agile manner.

   • Reference: Seeton, K.A. (2022) 'The impact of agile project management on productivity in IT projects', Doctoral Study, Liberty University.

2. Theory of Coordination in Agile Software Development

   • Focuses on how agile teams manage coordination of tasks, knowledge, and resources effectively in fast-changing project environments. Useful for managing qualitative research tasks and iteration in dissertation work.

   • Reference: Strode, D.E. (2012) 'A theory of coordination in agile software development projects', Master's Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington.

3. Agile Project Management Theory

   • Describes iterative, incremental project management with principles like customer collaboration, responsiveness to change, and delivering work in small chunks. This theory underpins agile dissertation project management approaches.

   • Reference: Mohan, A. (2018) 'Master thesis - Agile project management challenges', Industrial Innovation Management, Mälardalen University.

4. Theory of Constraints

   • Focuses on identifying and managing the most critical limiting factor (constraint) that prevents the achievement of a goal, relevant in optimizing dissertation workflow under time constraints.

   • Reference: Seeton, K.A. (2022) as above, discussing this within the context of agile and project leadership.

Harvard Reference Format

• Seeton, K.A., 2022. The impact of agile project management on productivity in IT projects. Doctoral Study, Liberty University.

• Strode, D.E., 2012. A theory of coordination in agile software development projects. Master's Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington.

• Mohan, A., 2018. Master thesis - Agile project management challenges. Industrial Innovation Management, Mälardalen University.

• Seeton, K.A., 2022. The impact of agile project management on productivity in IT projects. Doctoral Study, Liberty University.

These theories collectively underscore leadership, coordination, iterative delivery, and constraint management as foundations for agile dissertation project practice."

My question 3: "Please offer 2 more concrete ideas about the Transformational Leadership Theory just mentioned that can be transferred to be employed to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice for our discussion."

The reply: "Two concrete ideas from Transformational Leadership Theory that can be transferred to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice are:

1. Vision Creation and Inspirational Motivation
   Transformational leaders create and communicate a compelling vision that establishes clear direction and purpose. For a dissertation, this means setting a clear, motivating research goal and regularly reminding oneself of the larger purpose and potential impact of the work. This keeps motivation high and aligns daily tasks with long-term objectives, fostering sustained effort and enthusiasm through the time constraints of the project.

2. Encouraging Team Reflexivity and Resilience
   Transformational leadership fosters reflexivity—team members' (or oneself as a solo researcher) critical reflection on work processes—and resilience, the capacity to adapt and recover from setbacks. Applying this in dissertation work means building in regular reflection checkpoints to assess progress and challenges, and cultivating flexibility in adapting methods or timelines as needed without losing momentum, thus enhancing agility in the project.

These ideas help create a positive and adaptive mindset, improving motivation and flexibility in managing an intensive, time-constrained dissertation project."

My question 4: "Please offer 2 more concrete ideas about the Theory of Coordination in Agile Software Development just mentioned that can be transferred to be employed to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice for our discussion."

The reply: "Two concrete ideas from the Theory of Coordination in Agile Software Development that can be transferred to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice are:

1. Frequent and Lightweight Communication
   Agile coordination emphasizes regular, short communication sessions—akin to daily stand-ups or quick check-ins in software teams—to share progress, surface issues, and align activities. For a dissertation, this can translate into brief daily or weekly self-checks or meetings with advisors/peers to maintain clear focus, quickly resolve problems, and adjust plans, ensuring continuous progress and minimizing delays.

2. Role Clarity and Task Dependency Mapping
   Agile coordination highlights clear role definitions and understanding how tasks interconnect to manage dependencies effectively. In a dissertation context, this means clearly outlining each phase’s responsibilities (e.g., literature review, data collection, analysis) and mapping how outputs from one task feed into the next. This helps prevent bottlenecks and allows better sequencing of tasks to optimize time usage.

Implementing frequent communication and clear task dependency mapping enhances transparency and adaptability in managing complex dissertation activities under time constraints, improving overall agility."

My question 5: "Please offer 2 more concrete ideas about the Agile Project Management Theory just mentioned that can be transferred to be employed to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice for our discussion."

The reply: "Two concrete ideas from Agile Project Management Theory that can be transferred to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice are:

1. Iterative Development and Incremental Delivery
   Agile project management encourages breaking down the project into small, manageable iterations or sprints. For a dissertation, this means dividing the work into smaller sections—e.g., literature review, methodology, data collection, analysis—and completing each in cycles. This helps maintain focus, get early feedback, and progressively build the final dissertation, reducing overwhelm and the risk of last-minute rushes.

2. Embracing Change and Flexibility
   Agile emphasizes responding to change rather than rigidly following a fixed plan. In dissertation practice, this translates to continually reassessing research questions, methods, or timelines based on emerging insights or challenges. This adaptive mindset allows the student to pivot when necessary, improve quality, and keep progress steady despite uncertainties.

These agile principles help enhance structure, adaptability, and productivity within a time-constrained dissertation project."

My question 6: "Please offer 2 more concrete ideas about the Theory of Constraints just mentioned that can be transferred to be employed to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice for our discussion."

The reply: "Two concrete ideas from the Theory of Constraints (TOC) that can be transferred to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice are:

1. Identify and Focus on the Biggest Bottleneck
   TOC encourages identifying the single most critical constraint that limits the progress or completion of a project. For a dissertation, this means pinpointing the major bottleneck—be it data collection, coding qualitative data, or writing—that is slowing down progress, and prioritizing efforts to address or alleviate this constraint. This focused approach optimizes limited time and resources for maximum impact.

2. Use an Iterative Process to Continuously Improve
   TOC involves a cyclical five-step process: identify the constraint, decide how to exploit it, subordinate other tasks to that decision, elevate the constraint, and then identify any new constraint that emerges. Applying this to a dissertation means regularly reviewing the workflow to manage and resolve constraints iteratively. This fosters continuous improvement and adaptation to overcome time constraints efficiently.

These strategies help streamline workflow, improve efficiency, and maintain momentum in the dissertation process, aligning well with agile principles under time pressures."

My question 7: "Could you further consolidate the 8 concrete ideas from the 4 academic theories mentioned into a set of more organized concrete ideas (probably into 5 consolidated ideas)?"

The reply: "Here is a consolidated and organized set of 5 concrete ideas derived from the 8 ideas informed by the four academic theories, tailored to facilitate a more agile dissertation project practice:

1. Create a Clear, Inspiring Vision and Goals

Inspired by Transformational Leadership Theory, establish a compelling overarching research vision and concrete goals that align daily tasks. This motivates sustained engagement and provides clarity of purpose throughout the 4-month project.

2. Break Work Into Iterative, Manageable Cycles

From Agile Project Management Theory, divide the dissertation into small, manageable phases or sprints (e.g., literature review, data coding, analysis). Deliver incremental outputs regularly to maintain momentum, enable early feedback, and reduce overwhelm.

3. Maintain Frequent, Transparent Communication and Reflection

Drawing from the Theory of Coordination, implement brief, regular self-checks or peer/advisor meetings to share progress, surface bottlenecks, and recalibrate plans. Combined with Transformational leadership’s reflexivity, encourage periodic reflection on progress and adapt as needed.

4. Identify, Prioritize, and Alleviate Critical Constraints

Grounded in the Theory of Constraints, recognize the biggest bottleneck limiting dissertation progress—such as data collection or writing—and focus resources to resolve it first. Continuously revisit constraints to optimize workflow and time use.

5. Embrace Flexibility and Continuous Improvement

Combining ideas from Agile Project Management and Theory of Constraints, be prepared to respond positively to change and setbacks. Use iterative cycles to evaluate results, adjust methods or timelines, and continuously improve your dissertation process to meet time pressures effectively.

This consolidation integrates leadership, coordination, iterative delivery, bottleneck management, and adaptability, providing a strong foundation for agile dissertation management under significant time constraints."

My question 8: "Please advise how the 5 consolidated ideas just proposed could inform the research tasks and, more importantly, the report writings for the following MBA dissertation report chapters: chapter 1: introduction; chapter 2: literature review; chapter 3: research methodology; chapter 4: presentation of research findings; chapter 5: discussion of findings, and chapter 6: conclusions and recommendations."

The reply: "Here’s how the 5 consolidated agile ideas can inform both research tasks and report writing across the six MBA dissertation chapters:

Chapter 1: Introduction

• Vision & Goals: Clearly articulate the research purpose and motivating vision to set a focused direction upfront (Idea 1).

• Outline the dissertation’s iterative process and flexibility in approach (Ideas 2 & 5).

Chapter 2: Literature Review

• Iterative Work: Conduct and write the review in manageable chunks aligned with themes or subtopics, allowing early synthesis and adjustment (Idea 2).

• Use regular reflection to adjust review scope based on emerging insights (Idea 3).

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

• Task Dependency & Bottlenecks: Map and explain how research tasks coordinate and depend on each other, highlighting plans to manage constraints like data collection (Ideas 3 & 4).

• Emphasize flexible design to accommodate change and unexpected constraints (Idea 5).

Chapter 4: Presentation of Research Findings

• Deliver findings incrementally and clearly, showing responsiveness to emergent data patterns (Idea 2).

• Maintain transparent communication of limitations and adaptations made due to constraints (Ideas 3 & 4).

Chapter 5: Discussion of Findings

• Reflect on how the research process adapted to challenges or constraints, illustrating continuous improvement (Ideas 4 & 5).

• Relate findings to the initial vision and goals, reinforcing alignment (Idea 1).

Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations

• Summarize how iterative, flexible, and focused approaches led to project success under time constraints (Ideas 1, 2, 4, 5).

• Provide recommendations emphasizing agile principles for future research or practice.

By embedding these agile ideas into both the research process and the dissertation narrative, the student documents not only findings but also a dynamic, reflective, and efficient project management approach appropriate for the dissertation’s constraints and goals."

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.