MBA dissertation report chapter 1 for the consulting-cum-academic dissertation project type

MBA dissertation report chapter 1 for the consulting-cum-academic dissertation project type (re: the agile literature review approach)

Chapter 1

1.1 Chapter introduction

Briefly introduce the dual nature of the dissertation as both an academically rigorous study and a consulting-style project aimed at addressing a concrete client/sector problem within a specific context (e.g. Hong Kong banking).

1.2 Introduction to the research theme

Explain the overarching research theme, making explicit how it is simultaneously:

• An academic management topic (e.g. leadership, trust, resilience, knowledge transfer), and

• A practical/consulting topic linked to identifiable management concerns, performance gaps, or strategic decisions.

1.3 Project backgrounds briefing

1.3.1 Societal, industry and client/practice context

• Present the broader societal and professional context, including public media-reported issues and sector trends.

• Introduce the focal organisation(s) or client-type, outlining key business challenges, regulatory pressures, or market changes that motivate the consulting dimension.

1.3.2 Academic and research issue context

• Summarise the relevant academic literature domain and key research issues, highlighting research gaps and unresolved debates.

• Indicate where theory appears misaligned with practice or where empirical evidence is weak, setting up the need to bridge academic and consulting orientations.

1.3.3 Researcher’s positionality and role

• Describe the researcher’s intellectual interests, life and work experience, and any insider/outsider status relative to the focal sector or client.
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• Clarify how the dual role is conceived (student–researcher and quasi‑consultant), and briefly note potential biases and value commitments that may shape both academic and consulting aspects.
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1.4 Research aims, objectives and questions

• State the overarching aim in a way that incorporates both academic enrichment (theory/knowledge contribution) and practical improvement (client/sector benefit).

• Present research objectives and research questions so that some are clearly academic/research‑issue‑focused and some are clearly management‑concerns‑focused, while all remain anchored in a single coherent research theme.
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1.5 Novelty, academic contribution and practical/consulting value

• Explain the novelty of the study in terms of:

  • How it extends or refines academic knowledge (e.g. conceptual/theoretical novelty, methodological novelty).

  • How it offers distinctive consulting value (e.g. context‑specific insight, integrated diagnostic, implementable recommendations, frameworks or tools for managers).
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• Explicitly articulate both academic and practitioner value propositions (e.g. what examiners gain, what managers/clients gain).

1.6 Overview of research design and dual orientation

• Briefly outline the chosen research philosophy and methodology, and indicate how they support a project that is equally consulting and academic oriented (e.g. mixed methods justified by pragmatism or critical realism).
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• Provide a concise preview of how the study will move from academic framing to empirical investigation to consulting‑style diagnosis and recommendations.

1.7 Overview of the dissertation structure

• Summarise the structure of subsequent chapters, explicitly signalling where academic elements dominate (e.g. literature review, theoretical framing) and where consulting elements are more prominent (e.g. diagnostic findings, options evaluation, recommendations, implementation considerations).
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• Highlight where integration occurs (e.g. a discussion chapter that explicitly bridges theoretical insights and client/sector implications).

1.8 Chapter concluding remarks

• Reiterate how Chapter 1 has positioned the dissertation as a bridge between academic research and consulting practice.

• Emphasise the central research theme and the dual orientation as the guiding thread for the rest of the report.