Writing and Presenting your Professional Dissertation - MBA

„ The Objectives of the Professional Dissertation„ The Role of the Tutor „ The Different Phases of the Dissertation Implementation „ The Problem Statement and the Research methodology „

„ The Objectives of the Professional Dissertation

„ The Role of the Tutor

„ The Different Phases of the Dissertation Implementation

„ The Problem Statement and the Research methodology

„ The Copies to submit

„ The Structure and the Content of the Dissertation

„ The Format of the Dissertation

„ The Dissertation Defense

THE PROFESSIONAL DISSERTATION

„ Is the key element in the MBA student’s schooling;

„ Shows the quality of the research carried out by the student, depending on:

been made.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE

DISSERTATION

The Dissertation meets two main objectives:

you acquired at the CFVG and to deepen it as you are implementing the research.

management for a long-term work, research and production of information with a critical acumen, documentation and collection of data focused on

a specific problem.

THE DISSERTATION CONCEPT

„ A good dissertation will make a meaningful contribution

to the field, but with fairly specific or narrow topic area

„ A dissertation is not a corporate report or an internship report

„ A dissertation should:

its topics area.

accomplished in several ways, such as conceptualizing an issue or problem in a useful manner, collecting new data through quantitative or qualitative research, demonstrating the applicability of a research method.

THE ROLE OF THE TUTOR

The tutor, who was chosen for his expertise related to the topic of the Dissertation,

„ Guides the student in his research and helps him getting useful contacts.

„ Contributes both to the content and to the form

„ Gives grades to the three written copies the student has to submit His written evaluation on the Final Copy of the Dissertation is necessary to allow the student to defend his/her Dissertation with the presence of a Board of Examiners.

„ Takes part in the Board of Examiners who attributes the grade of the defense

THE ROLE OF THE TUTOR (2)

„ The student has to contact his/her Tutor frequently in order to have the feedback on the quality of the Dissertation A calendar of meetings is necessary to help the student respect the main deadlines of the

Dissertation and avoid to modify his/her paper in the last minute

„ The Tutor may also suggest the student to narrow down the scope of the research to make the Dissertation more workable

„ The most successful supervisor-student relationships are those in which the interaction of research and learning is two-way, in which the student discovers and explores materials and insights which are stimulating to the supervisor as well

THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF THE DISSERTATION IMPLEMENTATION

- Defense before a jury (Session 2)

- First handling of the information

- Research and analysis of the information

- Submit the “Intermediate Copy”

Monday, 9 April 2011

- Definition of the major points of the problem statement

- Submit the paper of the “Proposal of the research topic”

THE FINAL GRADE

20 TOTAL

10 4 4

2-13 July 2012 Or 1-31 October 2012

2 (Accepted or not) 16-27 April 2012

First Oral Presentation 3

Accepted or not

9 April 2012 Intermediate Copy

2

Accepted or not

13 February 2012 Proposal of the

Research Topic 1

Weight Deadline

Events Pha

ses

WRITING MBA DISSERTATION

The first thing to do is to identify a topic

„ Where do topics come from?

„ Can you brainstorm about research topics?

„ What is your topic about?

„ Why does it matter?

HOW TO GET STARTED?

„ Start with the existing literature (identify a gap;

potential for extension or replication)

„ Start with a theory

„ Start with a new industry phenomenon or a recentissue (current issues, news, etc.)

„ Start with local issues

„ Ask yourself three questions:

„ Does it make sense?

„ Does it matter?

„ Can you (already) find the question in the literature or can you answer it through research?

STATE YOUR PURPOSE

of knowledge

knowledge

new way of applying the body of knowledge

with new empirical evidence

THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

„ The problem statement of a research dissertation indicates the problem that the researcher aims at his work From this problem statement, the student will come up with the main question of his research: What will be studied in my work?

„ A problem statement must have a wide view, but on a field of very precise application.

„ A problem statement must not be limited to a description or a report

of situation It is compulsory to analyze the information you have with a critical acumen.

„ In a research work, you have to show the clear problem from the beginning and to justify it.

THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

„ The methodology includes the methods used to

statement

„ Making the methodology clear allows to assess the analysis and results with clear references.

COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED:

THE PROPOSAL OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC

As for the form, the proposal will include:

A The title (the most specific possible).

B The objectives of the research:

- Introduction of the topic,

- Problem statement,

- Rationale of the research

- The working hypothesis of the research, (if already elaborated)

C The scope and limitation of research study (what it includes and what it does not include)

D The position of the research compared to the available knowledge and former works.

E The relevance of the research.

F The possible identification of specific problems and extra hypotheses that will be needed.

G The research methodology: selected methods to solve the problem must be indicated with precise tasks and a possible schedule

H The sources of information: the bibliography and other sources of information.

The proposal has to be no more than five pages long.

COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED:

THE INTERMEDIATE COPY

It must include:

A The definitive title of the Dissertation.

B An introduction of the topic, with precise instructions about the problem statement and the methods used to solve it Concerning primary information, the means for collecting data, the kinds of information providers, the making of guide-books of interviews and questionnaires must

be specified For secondary information, the sources of information must be mentioned.

C All these chapters, parts, sub-parts of the work should be academically included For each chapter and part, if you are not able to provide the final essay, you will briefly quote the main ideas which will be developed.

D The provisional conclusions, according to the results of analysis obtained at this stage.

E The bibliography.

F The appendices

Copy to his/her Tutor.

progress in his/her research as planned and that he/she will be able to meet the deadline.

at this step, the student will have to provide a sufficient effort to quickly get information and to analyze it.

THE FIRST ORAL PRESENTATION

COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED:

THE FINAL COPY

The final copy will present all of your research results It must include the following parts:

A The standard cover page (same presentation as in the Consultancy Project Report), the notification page.

B The table of contents with numbered pages.

C The list of charts, graphs presented in the copy, page numbering A list of acronyms, abbreviations in the copy must also be added.

D Information on the company or on the environment the topic is about.

E The introduction of the Dissertation, with the problem statement and methodological instructions.

F The different parts of the Dissertation.

G The conclusion is composed of a brief summary of the obtained results, a short thinking about these results, and the possible extensions of the undertaken research.

review

„ Scope of the Research

„ Previous research works

„ Limitations

„ Assumptions

„ Methodology of the Research

„ Structure of the Dissertation

THE INTRODUCTION

OF THE DISSERTATION (2)

Purpose : The Introduction section aims at answering the following

questions:

1 What is the context of this problem? In what situation or

environment can this problem be observed? (Background)

2 Why is this research important? Why do we need to know this?

Why does this situation, method, model or piece of equipment

need to be improved? (Rationale of the research)

3 What is it we do not know? What is the gap in our knowledge this

research will fill? What needs to be improved? (Problem

Statement)

4 What steps will the research take to try and fill this gap or

improve the situation? (Objectives of the Research)

5 Is there any aspect of the problem the research will not discuss?

Is the study limited to a specific geographical area or to only

certain aspects of the situation? (Scope of the Research)

6 The position of the research compared to the available

knowledge and former works (Previous research works)

7 Is there any factor, condition or circumstance that prevents the

researcher from achieving all his/her objectives? (Limitations)

8 In considering his/her method, model, formulation or approach, does the researcher take certain conditions, states, requirements for granted? Are there certain fundamental conditions or states

the researcher takes to be true? (Assumptions)

THE INTRODUCTION

OF THE DISSERTATION (3)

Common problems:

„ Too much details, and too long

„ Repetition of words, phrases or ideas

„ Unclear problem definition

„ Poor organization

THE INTRODUCTION

OF THE DISSERTATION (4)

LITERATURE REVIEW (1)

The purpose: it should answer to the following questions:

1 What do we already know in the immediate area concerned?

2 What are the characteristics of the key concepts or the main factors

or variables?

3 What are the relationships between these key concepts, factors or variables?

4 What are the existing theories?

5 What are the inconsistencies or other shortcomings in our knowledge and understanding?

6 What views need to be (further) tested?

7 What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory or too limited?

8 Why study (further) the research problem?

9 What contribution can the present study be expected to make?

10 What research design or methods seem unsatisfactory?

To write a good Literature Review:

or information important to your research;

looking for the major concepts, conclusions, theories, arguments, etc that underlie the work, and similarities and differences with closely

related work.

the relationships between the work already done

LITERATURE REVIEW (2)

LITERATURE REVIEW (3)

Common problems:

„ Trying to read everything

„ Reading but not writing

„ Not keeping biobliographic information

„ Not relevant to the topic

„ Using only one textbook

„ Try to copy and past theories from textbooks and Internet

METHODOLOGY (1)

Purpose:

reader how you obtained your results.

1. What is your research design? Introduce the plan outlining the investigation to be carried out once the research problem/question have been defined

2. How was the data collected or generated?

3. How was it analyzed?

METHODOLOGY (2)

Why do we need to explain the method?

investigate a research problem.

generated in a way that is consistent with accepted practice

in the field of the study.

of the study.

anticipated and explain the steps taken to prevent them from occuring.

„ Problem of blindness: ignore significant problems or pretend they did not occur But instead, recordinghow you overcame obstacles that you encounterwhen collecting or generating data can form an interesting part of the method It means you canalso give a rationale for certain decisions, plus a realistic view of using the methods you chose

RESULTS (1)

Purpose: to present the results and make them

meaningful to the reader It includes:

„ Statement of results: the results are presented in a format that is accessible to the reader (e.g in a graph, table, diagram or written text) Raw data is usually put

in an appendix

„ Explanatory text: all graphs, tables, diagrams and figures should be accompanied by text that guides the reader’s attention to significant results The text makesthe results meaningful by pointing out the most

important results, highlighting significant trends or relationships, and commenting on whether certain results were expected or unexpected

RESULTS (2)

Organization

quantity and type of results you obtain from your research.

„ Presenting all the results, then giving a discussion (in a different section)

„ Presenting part of the results then giving a discussion, presenting another part then give a discussion, etc

ANALYSIS (1)

Purpose: The discussion section is for comment on and

explanation of the results It includes:

not the results were expected, and presents explanations for the results, particularly for those that are unexpected or

unsatisfactory.

those reported in the literature, or use of the literature to support a claim, hypothesis or deduction.

generally (a conclusion based on reasoning from the results).

from the results (which will be proved or disapproved in later research).

ANALYSIS (2)

Common problem: The discussion does

not discuss – simply supplies more details about the results obtained

Solution: Remember that the discussion

should explain the results.

ANALYSIS (3)

„ If you are putting your discussion into a discussion section separated from the results, you may want to provide a summary of the results

to remind your reader of your main findings.

„ Put your results in context (e.g by comparing them with previous research or with existing theory) in order to explain them.

„ Give reasons to account for difference between your research and previous one or existing theory, or to explain unexpected results

„ Although there may be some repetition information in the results and discussion sections, it should be kept to a minimum.

„ Remember too that the focus should be different: while you are simply presenting the results and making them meaningful to your reader in the results section, in the discussion section, you are explaining them.

CONCLUSION (1)

Purpose : to give a summary of

future research)

(evaluation)

of the research (evaluation), and

„ Failure to reveal the complexities of a conclusion or situation: not ignore negative aspect of your research.

„ Lack of concise summary of what was learned: summary should be only a few sentences.

„ Failure to match the objectives of the research : do not forget to go back and rewrite your original objectives if they have been changed while carrying out the research.

FORMAT OF THE PROFESSIONAL

DISSERTATION

copies to be submitted to the CFVG must be strictly observed These copies include

„ The Proposal

„ The Intermediate Copy

„ The Final copy

Appendix II of the Guide of Dissertation Implementation, on pages 15-17.

PUNCTUATION

„ Consult any standard grammar reference for rules of punctuation.

„ Take care with spacing before and after punctuation.

„ There are no leading spaces before the comma, period, colon, colon or question mark.

semi-„ There is always a space following these marks.

„ Examples (Incorrect):

„ When valuing a corporate bond ,we generally make two modifications to the bond valuation approach developed for default-free bond

„ When using parentheses, there is a space before the opening parenthesis and a space after the closing parenthesis but no space between the beginning of the first word or the end of the last word inside the parentheses.

„ Examples (Incorrect):

„ Titman and Wessels ( 1988 ) made a summary of four possible types of backwards resulting from the use of measurable proxies to represent unobservable theoretical attributes.

„ The terms ‘as follows’ or ‘the following’ require a colon (:) if followed directly by a list of items.