Asking AI to produce an MBA research theme and a dissertation proposal: on Ocean empire Food Shop

Asking AI to produce an MBA research theme and a dissertation proposal: on Ocean empire Food Shop (海皇粥) (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "Please suggest a concrete MBA research theme, via the pragmatism lens, based on the following key words: reasons and predictions of business failure in the , the food and beverage case study of Ocean Empire Food Shop of Hong Kong, multilevel theory building on business failure."

The reply: "A Pragmatic MBA Research Theme on F&B Business Failure

Pragmatism guides this MBA research theme by prioritizing practical, actionable insights into business failure through mixed methods, focusing on the Ocean Empire Food Shop case in Hong Kong's F&B sector. The theme employs multilevel theory building to analyze failure across individual, organizational, and environmental levels, blending reasons from past events with predictive models for future risks. This approach ensures real-world applicability for F&B entrepreneurs and policymakers.

Proposed Research Title

"Pragmatic Multilevel Analysis of Business Failure in Hong Kong's F&B Sector: Reasons, Predictions, and Prevention Strategies from the Ocean Empire Food Shop Case Study."

Key Research Objectives

• Identify multilevel causes of failure, such as financial distress, high rents, post-COVID competition, and management decisions at Ocean Empire.

• Develop predictive models using quantitative data (e.g., financial ratios, market trends) combined with qualitative insights from stakeholder interviews.

• Generate pragmatic recommendations for F&B sustainability, tested for practical impact via pilot interventions.

Pragmatism Application

Pragmatism justifies mixed methods: quantitative analysis of Ocean Empire's financials (e.g., wage deficits over HK$8 million, outlet closures from 30+ to 7) for prediction, paired with qualitative case study data on operational challenges like delivery apps and brand aging. This flexible paradigm avoids rigid positivism or interpretivism, focusing on what works for theory-building and action. Multilevel integration spans micro (founder decisions), meso (firm operations), and macro (HK economy) levels.

Multilevel Theory Building

Level	Failure Reasons (Ocean Empire)	Predictive Indicators	Data Sources
Individual	Founder borrowing, delayed action	Leadership stress metrics	Interviews
Organizational	Cost pressures, branch closures	Debt ratios, sales decline	Financial reports
Environmental	High rents, competition, pandemic	F&B closure rates, economic forecasts	Industry data

 

This framework builds theory iteratively, validating across levels for robust predictions.

Methodology Outline

Employ sequential mixed methods: start with secondary quantitative data on HK F&B failures (e.g., PWIF claims), followed by in-depth Ocean Empire case analysis via archives and interviews, then integrate for multilevel modeling. Pragmatic validation tests recommendations' feasibility with F&B stakeholders in Hong Kong."

My question 2: "Based on the research theme of ""Pragmatic Multilevel Analysis of Business Failure in Hong Kong's F&B Sector: Reasons, Predictions, and Prevention Strategies from the Ocean Empire Food Shop Case Study", and via the pragmatism lens, please offer a part-time MBA dissertation proposal with the following information:

1. Dissertation report title

2. 3 research issues (including research gaps) and 3 Hong Kong public media reported issues

3. 4 research objectives and 3 research questions

4. 2 primary research methods and 1 secondary research method (notably also studying other cases business failures in the Hong Kong food and beverage sector [secondary data])

5. 1 contingency-based organization management-related academic theory and 2 business failure-related theories (with a reference list in Harvard reference format) 

6. A brief justification of the dissertation proposal in terms of academic, practical and originality value."."

The reply: "Ocean Empire Food Shop's closure provides a timely case for pragmatic MBA research into F&B business failures in Hong Kong, emphasizing multilevel analysis through mixed methods for actionable insights. This dissertation proposal adopts pragmatism by focusing on what works practically to bridge theory and real-world prevention strategies. It addresses gaps in multilevel predictions while drawing from public reports on wage disputes and economic pressures.

Dissertation Title

Pragmatic Multilevel Framework for Predicting and Preventing F&B Business Failures: Insights from Ocean Empire Food Shop and Hong Kong Sector Trends

Research Issues

Research Gaps:

• Limited multilevel integration linking individual decisions, firm operations, and macro-economic factors in F&B failure predictions, often siloed in single-level studies

• Insufficient predictive modeling using mixed methods for Hong Kong's post-pandemic F&B sector, overlooking pragmatic validation of forecasts

• Underdeveloped contingency approaches to failure prevention, ignoring adaptive strategies tailored to volatile environments like high rents and tourism shifts

Hong Kong Public Media Issues:

• Abrupt closure of all Ocean Empire outlets after 33 years, leaving 100+ workers unpaid via PWIF claims exceeding HK$8 million

• Founders' personal investments over HK$30 million failed amid sluggish economy, high costs, and cross-border shopping competition

• Ongoing legal fallout including founder bankruptcy and fines for wage violations, highlighting F&B insolvency trends

Research Objectives and Questions

Objectives:

• To identify multilevel causes of Ocean Empire's failure using secondary data from comparable HK F&B cases

• To develop pragmatic predictive models integrating quantitative metrics and qualitative insights for F&B viability

• To propose contingency-based prevention strategies validated through stakeholder input
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• To evaluate the framework's practical impact on Hong Kong F&B sustainability

Questions:

• What multilevel factors contributed to Ocean Empire's collapse compared to other HK F&B failures?

• How can mixed methods predict future F&B risks in Hong Kong's economic context?

• What contingency strategies best mitigate identified failure risks?
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Research Methods

Primary Methods:

• In-depth case study of Ocean Empire via semi-structured interviews with ex-employees, founders, and suppliers for qualitative multilevel insights
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• Quantitative surveys of 50+ HK F&B managers on failure predictors, analyzed via regression for pragmatic patterns

Secondary Method:

• Archival analysis of public data on Ocean Empire and other HK F&B failures (e.g., PWIF claims, closure stats from 2023-2026), enabling comparative multilevel theory building

Theoretical Foundations

Contingency-Based Theory: Contingency Theory of Organizational Management posits that firm success depends on aligning structures with environmental contingencies like market volatility

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Business Failure Theories:

• Ecological Model of Business Failure views failures as selection outcomes from environmental pressures
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• Multilevel Theory Building frames failure as interactive processes across individual, organizational, and institutional levels
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Harvard Reference List:

Donaldson, L. (2001) The Contingency Theory of Organizations. Sage Publications

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Ketchen, D.J. (2005) ‘Building a Theory for Business Failure’, Academia.edu

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Molina-Azorín, J.F. et al. (2019) ‘Multilevel Theory Building: Benefits, Barriers, and New Developments’, Academy of Management Review

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Proposal Justification

Academically, it advances pragmatism in MBA research by pioneering multilevel mixed methods for F&B failure theory, filling gaps in Hong Kong contexts Practically, predictive tools and strategies aid F&B owners and policymakers amid rising insolvencies Originality stems from Ocean Empire's real-time case integration with contingency lenses, offering novel prevention frameworks absent in prior studies."

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