Dissertation Handbook 2015-16

8/17/2019 Dissertation Handbook 2015-16

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/dissertation-handbook-2015-16 1/29

BA in Management Studies

Dissertation Handbook

School of Management



© 2015, VERSION 1.2, SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER.

UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER

School of Management

BA Management Studies DissertationHandbook

2015/16 Edition

For

BA in Management Studies

BA in Management Studies (Finance)

BA in Management Studies (Marketing)

BA in Management Studies (Organisation Studies)

Disclaimer

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this handbook,

in cases of doubt authoritative guidance on matters of procedure will be found in the University Senate

Regulations.



STUDENT HANDBOOK – BA MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

2 © SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER




© SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER 3

Contents

PART A

Planning The Dissertation .......................................................................................................... 5

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 5

PART B

Conducting The Research .......................................................................................................... 6

The Nature of Research ....................................................................................................................... 6

Research Ethics .................................................................................................................................... 7

The Research Process ........................................................................................................................... 9

How to Write a Dissertation Successfully ........................................................................................... 11

PART C

Dissertation Structure, Style and Format ................................................................................ 13

Structure ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Style .................................................................................................................................................. 15

Format .............................................................................................................................................. 16

PART D

Assessment Criteria .................................................................................................................. 18

Part E

Further Reading ....................................................................................................................... 22

Part F

Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 23

APPENDIX A ...................................................................................................................................... 24

APPENDIX B ....................................................................................................................................... 25

APPENDIX C ....................................................................................................................................... 26

APPENDIX D ...................................................................................................................................... 27









PART A

Planning The Dissertation

Introduction

The final year of the BA Management Studies (BAMS) degree programme provides you with theopportunity to write a dissertation of 10,000 words. This dissertation is worth 40 credits towards your

final degree classification. The aim of this handbook is to help you to complete your dissertation to the

highest standards and to facilitate your learning process. The document accompanies the MN2122

Managing Research and MN3101/3 Dissertation lectures. You should also discuss any aspects you are

unsure about with your supervisor, in the first instance, and with the module leader where doubt

remains.

A dissertation is a report of an individual research project. It is similar in form, structure and content to a

peer-reviewed journal article. It provides an answer to a specific question and, building on that answer,

makes a contribution to our understanding of a particular topic. A BAMS dissertation, specifically, should

address a topic that falls within the broad scope of management studies. The precise topic you will write

about will be chosen in the light of advice from your supervisor.

Learning objectives

The aim of the Dissertation modules MN3101/3 is the completion of a well-researched, well-written and

properly referenced dissertation. It contributes to the development of the following: working relations;

analysis and application of models relating to professional and personal development; data presentation;

communication skills; problem-solving; and managing and reflecting upon one's own learning and

research skills. At the end of this module you should be able to:

• Identify a valid research topic.

• Access, retrieve and organise research material relevant to your field of study.

•

Develop an independent critical perspective.

• Conduct and sustain an argument in a coherent and lucid fashion.

• Present a properly referenced, well-structured dissertation.





PART B

Conducting The Research

The Nature of Research

Research is a term covering a very wide range of activities, from finding out the time of the next train

from Leicester to London to identifying a suitable postgraduate course. Academic research, though, goes

beyond gathering data. It involves analysing and presenting data so that you can make a contribution to

a discussion between a community of researchers. A contribution may involve new empirical data,

historical contextualisation or theoretical critique.

While your dissertation may provide solutions to specific management or organisational problems, the

aim of the dissertation is to demonstrate that you have made a contribution to scholarship. To do this

you need to show that you have acquired a sophisticated understanding of a topic and developed the

ability to build on existing academic research. To complete your dissertation you must, therefore, not

only identify a topic of interest to you but also show that you have considered the most up-to-date

research findings and research methods in your area of interest.

Dissertation supervision

All BAMS students are allocated a member of academic staff to supervise their dissertation project.

Experience suggests that students who successfully manage their relationship with their supervisors tend

to perform well in their dissertation projects. As a result, we strongly recommend that you work hard to

make best use of your supervisor:

Do

• Ask them to comment on drafts, and give them enough time to do so.

• Use them as a sounding board to brainstorm your analysis.

•

Bring your own suggestions to meetings rather than rely on their input.

Do not

• Ask your supervisor questions the answers to which you could easily find yourself.

• Ignore their feedback, fail to make changes or fail to prepare for meeting.

• Expect them to do your work for you.

If you experience a problem with your supervisor, we ask that you try and resolve this with them. If you

cannot work it out, talk to the MN3101/3 module leader. Please do not approach other members of

academic staff (or the staff in the Full Time Office) for a second opinion or with a request to change your

supervisor.

The time allocation for dissertation supervisions is two and a half hours. Supervisors will also answer

reasonable queries via email or in office hours, but will not allow these mediums to become de facto

supervisions. It is up to you to reach agreement with your supervisor regarding timing and session

format. It is also your responsibility to keep in touch with your supervisor throughout the dissertation

process – including arranging the initial meeting – not vice versa. Supervisors will not chase you if you

fail to make contact, attend appointments, submit your ethics form, or meet deadlines.

So that we can allocate a supervisor with sufficient knowledge of your area of research and the methods

you might use in your research we require that you complete a ‘BAMS request for supervision’ form (see

Appendix A.) and return this to [email protected] Friday, 16th October 2015.

Guidance on selecting a topic is available in Section 7. Once you have been allocated a supervisor youshould expect them to:





• Assess the feasibility of your research project by reviewing you dissertation pro forma. You

are asked to complete this form in preparation for the first meeting with your supervisor. The pro

forma asks you to identify your topic area, some of the literature you will use and your proposed

methods. An electronic copy is available on Blackboard and is marked Appendix B.

• Assist you in completing the Research Ethics Approval process. See page 9

• Give feedback on the process of research and the quality of your academic work. Your

supervisor will oversee your research and give general commentary on the standards you areattaining and where you need to improve. Please note: it is not the role of the supervisor to tell

you exactly what to do at the different stages of the research process and it impossible to judge

the mark a piece will achieve until it is complete and submitted. Supervisors will offer broad

guidance but you are expected to use knowledge gained from your BAMS modules, the

MN3101/3 lectures, the information in this handbook and independent study to structure and

manage your own research.

• Provide written feedback on one draft of up to two chapters or 40% of your dissertation .

Students should allow at least two weeks for supervisors to provide feedback on drafted work.

You may need to submit a hardcopy of any draft work to ensure its safe and timely arrival but

many supervisors accept e-mail draft work with prior agreement.

Supervisors will not: provide a topic for your dissertation, arrange access to external organisations forempirical research or proofread your dissertation. All of these are your responsibility.

Research Ethics

It is essential that a dissertation can be defended on ethical grounds, so you need to consider research

ethics throughout your research. You must discuss the ethical dimensions of your project with your

supervisor as soon as possible and must not proceed with any empirical data-gathering until ethical

approval has been formally granted by the School. You have to apply for ethic approval even if you do

not conduct research with human participants.

We strongly recommend that you submit your ethics approval form by the end of the Autumn Term.

Consequences of note gaining ethical approval: In keeping with university regulations,

dissertations undertaken without ethical approval will receive a mark of zero.

Ethics in academic research can be defined as ‘the appropriateness of your behaviour in relation to the

rights of those who become the subject of your [research] work, or are affected by it’ (Saunders et al.,

2009: 183-184). The British Sociological Association offers a detailed statement regarding such research

ethics which you might find it useful to consult. Similar statements can be found in other professional

associations’ codes of practice including the British Psychological Society, the American Psychological

Association and the American Sociological Association. As a general rule of thumb, the School of

Management requires researchers to design methods that ‘attempt to minimise disturbance to those

participating in [or affected by] research’ (British Sociological Association, Statement of Ethical Practice,

1d). Ethics were discussed in one of the MN2122 Managing Research lectures, and will be discussed inthe compulsory ethics lecture as part of the series of four MN3101/3 dissertation lectures.

Once you have decided what kind of data you need to answer your research questions and you have

designed an appropriate method, you are required to complete the University of Leicester’s Research

Ethics Approval process. To do this you must use your UoL username and password to access:

ethicsapp.le.ac.uk . Videos to guide you through the process are available at: www.le.ac.uk/ethics. Please

submit your ethics form to your supervisor not to the module leader. You must submit the form in timely

manner – you cannot ask other academics to sign-off your form.





Before completing this process please ensure that you have considered the following features of ethical

best-practice in your research design:

• Securing informed consent: Informed consent means that those who take part in the research

do so of their own free will without any coercion or deception by the researcher and have

enough information to be able to make that decision sensibly. It requires that you clearly

articulate the aims and nature of the research, who is doing it and what the results will be used

for to potential respondents and that you allow them to choose whether they participate in yourstudy. Informed consent has to be demonstrated through a written contract signed by both the

researcher and respondent. If an informed consent contract is written down, it should be signed

and dated by the respondent to confirm their agreement and they should be given a copy. A

sample informed consent form can be found in Appendix C. It is essential that:

o Respondents know who you are and how you can be contacted.

o Respondents understand what the research topic is and why it is being carried out as

well as why they personally have been asked to take part. They should also understand

what is being asked of them and how the resulting data will be used.

o Respondents are assured of both confidentiality and anonymity, if appropriate.

o

Respondents are told that it is their choice whether or not they take part.o Respondents are told that they are free to withdraw from the process at any time and

that they do not have to answer all your questions.

o Respondents are asked if they consent to the reproduction of any direct quotations from

what they have told you.

• Not placing respondents under any duress. One example of respondents being placed under

duress is Stanley Milgram’s (1974) experiments on the connection between authority and

conformity. These consisted of pairs of respondents who were in separate rooms. One of each

pair (the ‘teacher’) asked the other (the ‘learner’) questions. Every time a question was answered

incorrectly the teacher had to inflict an electric shock on the learner. These shocks ranged up to

240 volts, which was designated as a ‘dangerous’ level. The teachers were told by Milgram that

the experiment was about the relationship between pain and learning. But in reality Milgram

wanted to see whether people would follow orders just because they were told to. So the actual

subjects of the experiment were not the learners but the teachers. The authority-conformity

relationship was assessed via someone posing as a ‘scientist’ and circling the experimental site to

tell any teacher who began to show disquiet at having to inflict increasing levels of shocks that

‘The experiment requires you to continue’. Things were exacerbated by learners audibly

screaming in pain, calling for mercy and, even more dramatically, falling silent altogether.

Nonetheless, a majority of the teachers did inflict the maximum voltage. You will be relieved to

know that no electric shocks were in fact involved – these were faked, as were the reactions of

the learners. This is not only an example of failing to secure informed consent but also of

subjecting participants to duress by making them undergo a potentially psychologically and

physiologically harmful experience. Unlike Milgram, you need to think carefully about whether

your research could have any such effects.

• Maintaining confidentiality and anonymity where you have guaranteed this to

respondents. Unless there is explicit consent, preferably supported by written documentation,

confidentiality means that the researcher is the only one with access to raw data such as

recordings of interviews, completed questionnaires or observational field notes and that you will

not share the information generated by your data gathering with anyone other than your

assessors. This may mean that no one else has access to the final dissertation. Anonymity means

that you disguise the identities of participants in your research, whether they are organisations

or individuals.





The Research Process

A successful academic research project involves a series of set tasks. Typically, these tasks are presented

sequentially, with one leading naturally on to the next (as in this section). In reality, though, things are

messier. Many tasks will run concurrently, some may be on-going and some may need to be repeated.

Selecting a dissertation topic

In selecting an appropriate topic we recommend that you select one that interests you, builds on and

adds to the development of your academics skills and supports your future plans. In general terms, we

recommend that you avoid topics that involve sensitive information or are potentially offensive. We also

recommend that your topic is focused and feasible given the resources available to you (see Section 8 for

further details).

The only other limitation on your choice of topic is that you must choose a topic that is relevant to the

study of management (broadly defined so as to include economics, political economy, and economic

history, amongst others). As discussed earlier, this will be achieved if your project builds on a

contemporary topic of research in peer-review published sources. An initial reading of the current

academic literature in an area that interests you is essential in this regard. This reading should highlight:

• The main themes, theories and arguments in the subject area.

• The main authorities in the field.

• The major on-going debates in literature.

• The research methods that are commonly used in these debates.

• Significant unanswered questions.

Identifying research questions through a literature review

Once you have established your area of interest and have conducted a preliminary exploration of the field

you should be able to highlight key questions that your research might help to answer. You should then

focus your reading into a systematic overview of the subject area. This will help you to specify a particular

question you want to answer in your project (known as the research question) and allow you to articulate

how answering that question can contribute to the key discussions in the existing academic literature. A

systematic literature review will also highlight what kinds of data are considered appropriate basis for

making contributions to your area of research and, as a result, will inform your methodological choices.





It is essential that you read as widely as possible to take account of both the well-established and the

most up-to-date research in the topic. Consequently, we strongly encourage you to use the various

electronic search facilities in the library as a part of your systematic literature review. Reliance on

textbooks is very unlikely to secure you a good mark as these books rarely include the most cutting-edge

research.

Writing up the literature review will probably form one or more chapters of your dissertation depending

on the nature of your research. So remember to keep a record of your bibliographic material and toreference all the ideas that you take from the literature in the final report, whether you are quoting

directly or indirectly (see Part C). In these chapters you should demonstrate not only an ability to describe

existing research but also to critically evaluate it. By a critical evaluation of the literature we mean:

1. You should know what key authors have written and how they intended it to be interpreted and

applied.

2. You have considered the strengths and weaknesses in these materials and can reflect on possible

wider implications of findings, highlight hidden significance and identify developments that the

material may lead to.

3. You have considered each publication in the context of the whole of that author’s work and

contrasted it with that of other authors.

Research methods

You must select appropriate methods that meet the highest ethical standards. Whether you gather

empirical data yourself, use secondary data, historical archives or even offer a theoretical dissertation you

need to consider in what ways your methods will allow you to effectively answer your research questions.

Indeed, in the dissertation itself you must justify your research methods in terms of both general

methods guidance and also the accepted methods in the existing research on your topic.

In this regard, do not assume that you have to gather all the data you might want to use in your

dissertation yourself. Often the data we need already exists. The library has access to a range of

databases, reports and documents that can provide information on markets, organisations and current

events. It is recommended that you explore such resources where appropriate as they can save you a lot

of time and can give you access to data that you could not feasibility gather yourself. That said, be aware

that accessing this data and formatting it so that you can analyse it can present challenges. For example,

it is worth considering who owns the material and whether it is confidential. If so, then your

dissemination of the material will need to be agreed between those involved. You may need to sign some

form of confidentiality agreement. If this is the case, discuss this with your supervisor first as certain

agreements mean we cannot mark your dissertation.

Sometimes, the data we need does not exist and we need to go and gather it through interviews,

ethnographies, surveys and so forth. Designing and executing these methods require a great deal of skill

and time as does analysing the data they produce. You must ensure that you have sufficient skills to

conduct your research correctly. You must also consider how you will access data sources. In order to

ensure that your research is possible and ethically-sound it is recommended that you fully pilot your datagathering and analysis. This will ensure that you can generate the results you need.

No matter whether the data you want use in your dissertation already exists or whether you will collect it

yourself you should expect that accessing data will be a time consuming process. Conducting interviews,

sourcing archive materials and ordering theoretical monographs and journal articles through inter library

loans can all take a considerable amount of time. It is advisable to begin these processes as soon as

possible. Similarly, regardless of the source of your data, transparency throughout the research process is

essential. You should ensure that you are able to provide evidence of your data collection and analysis. It

is good practice to store diaries of your research, correspondence with the organisations or individuals

from whom you gathered data, completed questionnaires, audio tapes of interviews, photographs and so

forth. This material does not need to be included in the dissertation but markers may ask you to provide

evidence of the research you have done, so you should retain it until you receive notification that you

have gained a pass mark for the dissertation.





Writing up

The dissertation is written as a report on your research. For this reason, it is usually structured in the

logical sequence of the research process. However, depending on your chosen topic and the methods you

have used there may be variations.

In general terms, you must ensure that you leave enough time for writing and formatting your final

document. Until you reach this stage you always think that it will take less time than it does. Make iteasier on yourself: draft as many chapters as you can as early as you can. There is always more reading to

do and more data to gather and analyse; if you wait until you have done everything before writing up

you will run out of time. Perhaps more importantly than these time management issues, writing should

be an integral part of the entire research process. Writing helps you to structure your thoughts, readings

and analysis. It should not be the last thing you do. It should be one of the first things you do.

Returning to the issue of time management, we recommend that you allow sufficient time after handing

in draft sections of the dissertation to your supervisor not only to let them return comments but also for

you to make the necessary recommended changes. To this end, we recommend that you agree with your

supervisor when you are going to hand in the draft and when they will return it to you. You should allow

supervisors at least two weeks to read a draft and return comments to you

How to Write a Dissertation Successfully

The dissertation presents a considerable challenge. In our experience there are two main difficulties that

are encountered by all students. It is often the ability to skilfully overcome these challenges that lies at

the heart of a successful dissertation.

Time

The preparation of the dissertation takes place within strict time constraints. This calls for methodical

planning. You should allow enough time for each step in the research process and build in some

contingency time to allow for any problems you might experience. In particular, make time towards the

end of the process for proofreading, editing and formatting your document. Partly as a consequence ofpoor time management but also as a result of the challenges of producing an extended piece of scholarly

work many students encounter problems with the fluency and structure of their dissertations. Finally, we

strongly recommend that you save all work to your UoL account to ensure that your work is regularly

backed-up. Relying on USB sticks, laptops and external hard drives without backing up your work can

lead to problems meeting the deadline. Computers may fail, be stolen or get lost. Make sure to have your

data in at least two physically different places and get into the habit of backing up regularly, for example

by always copying your work to a folder on the university’s x-drive at the end of a day. When working on

your university computer, email a copy to your home email address; if you work on your home computer,

email it to your university account. If you do backup your work to a USB stick, make sure to do so

regularly and keep your USB stick on a different place than your computer.

Feasibility

The time limits placed on the dissertation require you to consider what you can realistically achieve in

your dissertation. In particular, you should consider how you will obtain the subject-specific literature,

research skills and data you need to complete your project. You might, for instance, need to obtain

literature or access a dataset that is not be readily available through the University library. You might

need to learn how to use a computer programme to assist you in your analysis. Or you might need to

negotiate access with an external organisation or locate hard to find respondents. You must factor these

sorts of contingencies into your planning. If it is unrealistic to assume you can overcome these challenges

in the time allotted for your dissertation you may need to rethink your research objectives.

A common question, in this regard, for students conducting empirical research is how big their sample

needs to be. This exact answer depends on the specifics of your research question. If you hope to gain

data that is representative of a large population you might need a large sample. However, while you needto let the specifics of your research questions drive your methodological choices, there are some general





rules of thumb we recommend you follow to ensure that your research is feasible. It is imperative that

you discuss the required sample size with your supervisor and gain their approval before you proceed.

So, to summarise, your dissertation can encounter serious challenges. It is a major element of your

degree that you can only overcome with hard-work and effective time management. In this regard, we

recommend that you accept that what is desirable in research terms may not be feasible and you should

seek guidance from your supervisor.





PART C

Dissertation Structure, Style and Format

Structure

The precise structure of a dissertation will vary from one dissertation to another. However, there aresome features that must be included in all BAMS dissertations. In this section you will find details about

such essentials.

Title Page

The front cover of the dissertation should be a Title Page laid out as in Appendix C. of this handbook. The

Title Page must include the following information: the full title of the dissertation, your student ID

number, the month and year of submission, the qualification for which the dissertation is submitted and

a clear indication that the dissertation is confidential where you and your supervisor deem this to be

necessary. The dissertation title is important as it needs to indicate clearly what the dissertation is about.

Abbreviations and specialist jargon should be avoided as far as possible.

Contents

A list of the various chapters and sections of a dissertation must be included with clear page references.

Well-documented contents will quickly show a reader the scope and direction of the work. You should

include a separate contents page for tables/graphs/formulas where appropriate.

Abstract

The Abstract should be no longer than 250 words. It should be formatted in the same style as the rest of

the dissertation. It is a self-contained summary of the whole of the dissertation. It should contain

information about the terms of reference of the dissertation such as the key concepts used or the

parameters of the project, information about the subject-specific literature you have used, information

about your research questions, methods and a summary of your conclusions. Abstracts should not

normally include quotes, citations or references.

Acknowledgements

Should you wish to, you may include a list of acknowledgments.

Introduction

The Introduction should establish the context of your topic, highlighting why it is important and why the

reader should continue to read the dissertation. It should identify the area of academic research that the

dissertation makes a contribution to and offer an overview of what contribution it makes. The

Introduction should also provide an overview of the structure and contents of the dissertation and the

argument to be advanced.

Main body of the dissertation

The main body of a dissertation will contain several chapters, sections and perhaps also sub-sections. All

such divisions should ideally be identified using a decimal notation system as shown below:

1. Title of chapter

1.1 Title of first major subheading

1.2 Title of second major subheading

1.3 Title of third major subheading

1.3.1 Title of first subsidiary heading

1.3.2 Title of next subsidiary heading





We recommend that all headings use a capital letter for the first word only unless it is grammatically

necessary such as in the use of proper nouns. Also, try to avoid including too many sub-sections as this

will lead to confusion and may mean that each section is too short. As a general rule, do not go beyond

two decimal points.

Typical sections of the main body of a dissertation further include:

•

Literature review

• Methodology, including (where applicable) subsections such as sample size, epistemological

approach, materials, study design, ethics approval etc.

• Data analysis, including (where applicable) information on how data was inspected for outliers,

whether and why data was removed, consolidated or recoded, results of any assumption testing.

Where listing test results, make sure to include significance values.

Discussion/Conclusion

Your conclusions should be summarised in a dedicated chapter of your dissertation. These conclusions

must be drawn from the body of evidence presented in the main sections of the dissertation. No new

evidence or literature should be offered in the Conclusion. This chapter may also be used to identifyproblems and opportunities that you have come across as a result of your analysis. You need to be

realistic about the extent to which your research allows you to make robust recommendations and

conclusions. You should, therefore, acknowledge any limitations to your findings. You should also reflect

on your methods and discuss any unexpected ethical issues that arose during your research.

References

You must provide full details of all texts that you have referenced in your dissertation in a chapter. Please

note that you are not required to provide a bibliography (a list of all the texts you have used during your

research) but a references list (including only the texts you have actually made reference to in the written

dissertation itself through quotations and citations). These references should be listed in alphabetical

order by author’s surname. If, for an author, you have references with the same years of publication,

differentiate entries by adding small letters (a, b, c and so on) after the years. These letters must

correspond to all quotes and citations in the main text. Repeat the author’s name for each entry in the

references list. Guidance on referencing different sources, such as books, journals and websites, can be

found at www2.le.ac.uk/library/help/citing/harvard-author-date-system.

Appendices

Appendices include any information that is necessary to the dissertation but would spoil the flow or

structure if it were included in the main text. Examples include a clean version of your questionnaire or

interview schedule, the letter you wrote requesting research access, detailed tables of statistics or graphs

relating to your data analysis and so on. In general, though, we recommend that you minimise the

amount of information in the Appendices as far as possible and do not excessively reference the

Appendices in the main body of your dissertation report.

Data files

You must submit all empirical data used within your dissertation that is not available elsewhere when

requested by your supervisor. Please include this data on a CD/DVD with the hardcopy your dissertation.

For quantitative studies this usually will take the form of an SPSS or Excel file containing unprocessed

data and one copy of your questionnaire. For qualitative studies this will typically take the form of

interview transcripts. Audio or video recordings of your interviews should also be included where

appropriate. It is your responsibility to ensure that any discs are securely fastened to the hardcopy of your

dissertation. We recommend that you attach a plastic disc wallet to the front or back cover of the

hardcopy of your dissertation. Loose discs can easily fall out.





Style

In addition to ensuring that your dissertation is clearly structured and includes all essential sections, your

dissertation should be formatted appropriately. We recommend that you follow the style requirements

below.

Technical terms and abbreviations

A technical term is a word or phrase that is not in a general-use dictionary with the meaning you and

other published scholars ascribe to it. Your dissertation is written for an informed and specialist audience

so it is likely that it will include such technical terms. As these terms differ in meaning from general use

dictionaries, you should avoid basing your dissertation on general use dictionary definitions. Instead, to

demonstrate your expertise and understanding, you should define key technical terms in your own words

at some point in your dissertation (typically in the Introduction). Where these terms are contested in the

literature you should acknowledge differences and both clarify and justify your own position.

Abbreviations should be kept to a minimum and only when they are in normal use in your area of

research. Where necessary a key to abbreviations should be provided.

Reporting maths

It is preferable to use symbols and numbers to report results and give formulas. Italicise variables ( p, r, b,

F, Z and so forth) throughout your text to distinguish them as variables. Use the same name for a variable

throughout your text, tables, figures and appendixes. We recommend that displayed equations are

presented using Microsoft Equation Editor. You should define each new term in all equations and

number all equations sequentially as shown below.

Equations in the main text: We used Craig’s (1992: 20) distance formula (d=xyz ).

Displayed equations: Pr(Y t = y t x t ) = [e-A(xt) λ(X t )

yt ]

-----------------------

Y t ! (1)

where Y t is. . . .

Tables and figures

Each table should report one type of analysis and each vertical column and horizontal row should contain

only one type of data. Generally, it is sufficient to report two decimal places for all statistics. Each table or

figure needs at least an introductory sentence in your text. In addition the key findings should be

highlighted, discussed and analysed in the text. In short, do not just dump tables and graphs in your

dissertation and expect your reader to do the analysis for you.

All tables and figures should have an appropriate title, labels and keys and should be numbered

sequentially as ‘Table 1.’, ‘Table 2.’ and so on. Titles, labels and keys should use ordinary words rather

than abbreviations. For example, use ‘Profitability’ and not ‘PRFT’. If a table or figure reports a variable,

you should use the same variable name that is used throughout the text and equations. Finally, pleasemake sure your tables and figures will print out clearly. Animated graphics might look good on screen

but can be difficult to read when printed. Marks are not awarded for fancy graphics but careful analysis.

Sexist or biased language

You should avoid language that might be interpreted as derogatory in any way unless reporting evidence

such as quotes from interviews. In this regard, we ask that you do not use ‘he’ or ‘she’ exclusively unless

you are referring to specific people. Instead, you can use the plural (changing ‘the manager . . . he’ to

‘managers . . . they’) or use ‘he or she’ (‘him or her’).

Active voice

We recommend that you write in the active voice (‘They did it’) instead of the passive voice (‘It was done’)

to make it easy for readers to see who did what. An example of the passive voice is ‘Two items were





found to lack factor validity by Earley (1989)’. This can be written in the active voice as ‘Earley (1989)

found that two items lacked factor validity’. You may use either the first or third person; the latter is

usually regarded as presenting a more neutral tone. However, you should discuss this with your

supervisor if you are unsure as to which is most appropriate.

Footnotes and endnotes

Reference information should be included through the Harvard style, supported by the Referenceschapter, and additional information should be included in the Appendices. Use of footnotes should be

sparing or where scholarly convention requires them, such as where citing archival material.

Format

The dissertation should be 10,000 words long not including anything that precedes the Introduction such

as the Title Page, Contents and Abstract or anything that follows the Conclusion such as the References

and Appendixes. You are allowed a tolerance of +/- 10% on this word limit. Ensure that at no point do

you provide any information which identifies you as the author. The only identifying detail you should

use is your student ID number.

The dissertation must be written in academic English prose and should be free from typing errors and

grammatical mistakes. As grammar is full of potential pitfalls and inconsistencies, particularly between

American and English grammar, we recommend that you are, as far as possible, consistent in your

language use. For instance, if you use ‘z’ in ‘organization’ rather than an ‘s’ you should also use ‘z’ in

‘realized’. You should set your spell-checker to UK English.

Please be warned that the dissertation MUST be an entirely new piece of work. While we expect that you

will draw on the readings, analysis and content of many of the modules you have taken as part of your

BAMS studies, you cannot cut-and-paste text from previous assignments into your dissertation. This is

classed as ‘self-plagiarism’ and will be treated and penalised as plagiarism. In addition, as you are

expected to develop your knowledge of a particular topic through extended individual research in the

dissertation, we recommend that you do not rely solely on previous work or modules.

The dissertation should be word-processed in a permanent and legible form. The document must be

published in 12 point font Times New Roman or Ariel and double-spaced throughout. (Any appendices

do not have to be double-spaced). A left hand margin of at least 2.5cm should be used (to allow for

binding) with all other margins being 2.0cm. Please justify all text (i.e. align margins both left and right).

All pages must be numbered consecutively throughout with page numbers at the bottom of each page

aligned to the right margin. Pages preceding the introduction should be numbered in lower case roman

numerals, and the title page should not be numbered.

Quotations and citations

All quotations and citations should be formatted using the Harvard style (for details see

www2.le.ac.uk/library/help/citing/harvard-author-date-system) and indicate the author, the pagenumber/s and date of publication. Short quotations of less than 40 words should be included in the main

body of text, enclosed by quotation marks and provide the necessary information on the source of the

quote. For example:

Kanter (1977:10) claims that ‘people are capable of more than their organisational positions ever

give them […] the opportunity to demonstrate.’

Long quotations of 40 or more words should be indented from the left hand margin with a line's space

above and below the quote, enclosed in quotation marks and provide the necessary information on the

source of the quote. For example:





‘The preference for association with the powerful and the degree to which this preference

motivates member of organisations is a function of the degree of dependency built into the

organisation itself’. (Kanter, 1977: 170)

For citations in the text, the author's surname and the year of publication should be given in one of the

following forms. If the author's name occurs naturally in the sentence the year is given in brackets: ‘In a

recent study Dunham (1997) argued that…’. If, however, the name does not occur naturally in the

sentence, both name and year are given in brackets: ‘A recent study (Dunham 1998) shows that…’. Ifthere are two authors for a single text, the surnames of both should be given such as ‘Matthews and

Jones (1998) have proposed that...’. If there are three authors, indicate all three names the first time you

cite them in the body of the text then abbreviate this by using the first author’s name followed by ‘et al’

so that the reference reads ‘Wilson et al (1993)’. Give all three names in the reference list at the end. If

the item being cited does not have an author, cite the title and date of publication or broadcast. For

example: ‘In the film Citizen Kane (1941) the main character...’.

Submission and binding

You must submit two copies of the dissertation - one electronic version and bound hardcopy. The

deadline for submission are as follows. The electronic copy must be submitted to Blackboard by noon

Friday, 6 May 2016. The bound hardcopy must be submitted to the full Time Office by 15:00 Friday, 6th

May 2016. Please note: you can submit your dissertation prior to the deadline day. For details on

submitting your dissertation to Blackboard please follow the instructions on the MN3101/3 module

section on Blackboard. The electronic version must be identical to the hardcopy and saved as a Microsoft

Word .doc file. For the hardcopy, perfect binding, spiral binding or wiro binding are acceptable. Please

see AVS Print for full details on preparing your dissertation for binding. If you are including data on a

CD/DVD with the hardcopy of your dissertation, you must attach this securely to the dissertation. We

recommend that you attach a plastic disc wallet to the cover of your dissertation. The author of a

dissertation must be anonymous on both copies.





PART D

Assessment Criteria

Each dissertation will be assessed by the dissertation supervisor and a second marker to ensure that

consistent and appropriate standards of marking are being applied. A sample of dissertations will also be

viewed by the external examiners for the BAMS programme to further check the marking standards. Alldissertations are judged along five broad criteria:

1. The ability to construct a project with clear, coherent and well defended research questions.

2. The ability to discuss and critique relevant literature.

3. The ability to discuss and justify the methods used.

4. The ability to discuss the relation between your research and previous research.

5. The ability to evaluate the implications and limitations of your study.

To meet these criteria, a good dissertation will:

• Focus on a contemporary topic that is of interest to management studies scholars.

• Consider and address any ethical issues arising from the research.

• Clearly explain and defend its research questions.

• Critically review appropriate literature to make its academic contribution clear.

• Contain a well-defended and appropriate methodology.

• Make clear conclusions based on robust data and analysis.

• Offer critical reflections on its own implications and limitations.

• Contain accurate referencing throughout.

•

Be well-written, logically structured and carefully presented.

Frequently asked questions

Much of this information is contained in other sections of this handbook but it is reproduced here for

easy reference.

The dissertation

Question Answer

What makes a good dissertation? The exact criteria depend on your area of research. The

general criteria for a good dissertation are available in Part D.

Further guidance will be offered in the MN3101/3 lecturers

and by your dissertation supervisor.

How long should my dissertation be? 10,000 words.

Does it matter if I write too much or

too little?

Yes. While succinctness is encouraged, if your dissertation is

significantly shorter than 10,000 words this may be because

you have not developed your analysis sufficiently. Conversely,

if you exceed the word limit normal penalties apply as for any

BAMS assessment. The word count starts with the first word

of the introduction and ends with the last word of the

conclusion, incl. all tables, figures, etc. The word count

excludes contents, abstract, list of references and appendices.

There is a tolerance of +/- 10% on the word count.





Question Answer

What should I do if I have written too

much or too little?

Discuss this with your supervisor at the earliest opportunity.

Does my dissertation need to be an

original and independent piece of

work?

Yes. It must be your own work and must not have been

submitted previously to any educational institution including

this one in part or as a whole. This means that you cannot

recycle text from previous assignments submitted as part ofyour BAMS degree (for example work completed for your

research methods module). When you submit your

dissertation you will be asked to confirm that you have read

and understood the regulations concerning plagiarism and

that you have not previously submitted the assignment for

another course.

Do I need to reference published

literature in my dissertation?

Yes. A dissertation should contribute to an on-going

academic debate. To do this you must accurately demonstrate

the current state of knowledge in your area of research. So,

not only must you make reference to published literature, you

must reference this work accurately and consistently. Failure

to do so may result in an accusation of plagiarism. For moredetails on the penalties associated with plagiarism check your

programme handbook.

Does my dissertation have to include

primary empirical data drawn from

human participants?

No. Dissertations based on primary empirical data, conceptual

and theoretical discussions, extended literature reviews,

historical accounts and analyses of secondary data are all

valid. Whatever form of data you use in your dissertation you

must demonstrate that it is appropriate for your project.

Can I look at a past BAMS dissertation

to get an idea of what is expected?

Yes. Sample dissertations are available on the MN3101/3

section on Blackboard and via the library’s dissertation

archive. Please note that all the authors concerned have given

us permission to publish their work. This material is theircopyright and the dissertations are intended to be indicative

only. They all achieved grades of at least 40%.

Whose role is it to identify a

dissertation topic and research

questions?

You must do this yourself.

Which topics are allowed? Any topic that falls within the broad scope of management

studies is allowed. However, students working towards a

specialism in Finance, Marketing or Organisation must

research a topic in their specialism. If you require advice on

whether or not a topic fits your specialism please ask your

supervisor or the module leader (copying in your supervisor).

Are there any restrictions on my

choice of topic?

Your supervisor must confirm that the topic you have chosen

and the approach you are taking are appropriate for BAMS

credit and, if appropriate, your specialism. They must also

grant ethical approval for your project.

Will the School of Management pay

any expenses incurred in doing my

dissertation?

No. You should bear this in mind when finalising your topic,

research questions and methodology.





Supervision

Question Answer

How are students matched to

supervisors?

A ‘BAMS request for supervision’ form (see Appendix A)

allows the School of Management to match the student’s

indicative topic area with a supervisor’s expertise. For this

reason, it is preferable that you put some thought intocompleting the form. This form must be submitted to

[email protected] by Friday, 16th October 2015.

Can I change my mind about my topic

at any stage?

Minor changes are a normal part of the research process.

They include changing your methodology or moving focus

within a topic. For example, you might shift within a

marketing topic from the consumption of live music to the

brand awareness of record labels. Major changes are not

encouraged. These cover substantial changes to your topic

such as moving from a marketing topic to an econometric

analysis of financial markets. You must agree any substantial

changes with your supervisor.

What can I expect from my

supervisor?

Your supervisor offers guidance on your topic and methods.

They are responsible for granting ethical approval for your

project and, where appropriate, confirming that your

dissertation qualifies for a specialism. They will offer you

formative feedback on your research pro forma (see Appendix

B). They also offer up to two and a half hours of face-to-face

contact time over the course of your dissertation and will

provide written feedback on one draft of 40% (or two

chapters) of your dissertation. Please note: you must allow at

least two weeks for your supervisor to complete a review of

any drafted work.

How do I get access to my supervisor? Unless the supervisor stipulates otherwise, please use e-mail

to make appointments. Staff contact details can be found in

the BAMS programme handbook and on the ULSM website. It

is your job to find this information – a simple google search

will bring it up for you.

What if I miss an appointment with

them?

You should advise your supervisor as soon as possible if you

are unable to keep an appointment. Do not miss an

appointment without notice. You have a limited amount of

contact time available and therefore cannot afford to lose any

of it.

What if I do not get on with my

supervisor?

Try to resolve any difficulties on a face-to-face basis at an

early stage. Contact the MN3101/3 module leader if you still

have problems.

How much supervision time can I

expect?

You will receive a maximum face-to face contact time of two

and a half hours, and you may also send reasonable email

queries too.

Will my supervisor be available

throughout the academic year until

the dissertation submission date?

Your supervisor will inform you when they are going to be

away from the University for an extended period. These dates

need to be worked into your research plan.

Can I get a second opinion from

another member of academic staff?

No. If you are experiencing genuine difficulties with your

supervisor, which you have made an effort to resolve, please

contact the MN3101 module leader.





Submission

Question Answer

Are there any requirements regarding

the format of my submitted

dissertation?

Yes. Details of the format are provided in Part C.

How many copies do I have tosubmit?

Two. One bound hardcopy and electronic version. Pleaseensure that the electronic version is identical to the hardcopy

and is saved as a Microsoft Word .doc file.

Does the hardcopy of my dissertation

have to be bound?

Yes. But this should be done as cheaply as possible. Perfect

binding and spiral binding are fine. Marks are not awarded

for the quality of the binding.

What is the deadline for submission of

the dissertation?

You are required to submit two copies of your dissertation.

First, you must submit an electronic copy through Blackboard.

Second, you must submit a bound hardcopy to the Full Time

Office. The deadline for this submission is 15:00 Friday, 6th

May 2016.

Can I submit my dissertation by e-mailor fax?

No. The submission must be in the form of a bound hardcopysubmitted to the Full Time Office plus an electronic version

loaded to Blackboard.

What are the consequences of

handing the dissertation in late?

The rules in your BAMS programme handbook governing the

late submission of assignments also apply to the late

submission of the dissertation.

Who will mark my dissertation? Your supervisor and a second marker. A sample of

dissertations will also be scrutinised by the external

examiners.

How will it be graded? See Part D.

Will I get my dissertation back? No. If you want your own copy make sure you keep one.

When will I get the grade? The board of external examiners typically meets in June. Your

dissertation grade will be available shortly after this meeting.

What happens if I fail the dissertation? It will affect your degree grade in the same way as failing 40

credits across any other modules would. See your BAMS

programme handbook for further information.





PART E

Further Reading

The following texts and websites offer generic advice on conducting research and writing academic texts.

They offer useful preparatory reading for a dissertation and will be important sources of information and

guidance throughout the research process. You should also consult the reading lists from your ResearchMethods and Managing Research modules.

Angrist, J. D. and Piscke, J. (2008) Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion, New York:

Princeton University Press

Becker, H. S. (1986) Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article ,

London: University of Chicago Press

Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. C. and Williams, J. M (1995/2008) The Craft of Research (Third Edition),

London: University of Chicago Press

Chicago Press (2010) The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors and

Publishers, London: Chicago University Press

Graff, G. and Birkenstein, C. (2007) They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Persuasive Writing, New

York: W. W. Norton & Company

Peters, P. (2004) The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Strunk, W. (2007) The Elements of Style, London: Filiquarian Publishing

secondlanguage.blogspot.com/





PART F

Appendices

Appendices A and B to D can be found as a separate documents on Blackboard.





APPENDIX A

BAMS Request for Supervision

Student name:

Student number:

University email:

Please select which research area your dissertation focuses on:

If you are unsure, you might like to look at recent issues of journals in these research areas to see if the

topic or similar topics are discussed.

• Organisation and Management Studies

• Economics, Finance and Accountancy

•

Marketing, Communication and Consumer Research

• Economics, Finance and Accountancy (including political economy and economic/business

history)

• Marketing, Communication and Consumer Research

For information about these research areas, please see:

www2.le.ac.uk/departments/management/research/areas

Please give us a short description of the topic you would like to research in your dissertation:

Please continue on a new page if necessary

The more detail you can provide us with here, the more accurately we can appoint you a supervisor. You

should aim to include details on the current academic research in the topic such as the on-going

discussions that are taking place among researchers, the types of data used in these discussions and

sources of further literature.

Once complete please return this form and return to: [email protected] . Deadline: 3pm Friday 16

October 2015.





APPENDIX B

BAMS Dissertation Pro Forma

Please complete this pro forma in preparation for your first meeting with your supervisor. Try to include

as much detail as you can. The more specific you can be, the more your supervisor can help you. Feel free

to extend sections and add extra pages.

Student name:

Student number:

University email:

What is the topic of your dissertation?

Why are you interested in this topic?

Who are the key researchers that inform this topic?

Where is this topic discussed in academic research (it is helpful if you can name articles, journals, books,

conferences, blogs)?

What are the key questions that are discussed in this literature?

What kinds of data are used in these discussions? What methods are used to gather this data?

What theories support these discussions?

How do you think your dissertation can contribute to these discussions?





APPENDIX C

Sample Consent Form

Date:

Name:

Address:

Data protection/informed consent letter

Dear …,

Thank you very much for agreeing to take part in this research on ( name of study ). I greatly appreciate

you giving up your time in order to help me. I am undertaking this project as a part of an MSc degree

which I am studying with the University of Leicester. The project I am working on is (describe briefly what

the project is about ). You were selected to take part in this research because (explain how/why they were

selected ).

You can withdraw from the study at any time if you feel that is necessary. If you are happy to take part in

the research, however, I will ask you to sign a consent form giving your agreement. You can still

withdraw from the research after signing the form.

The interview will last for (insert approximate time, e.g. approximately one hour ). I will ask you a series of

questions and will give you the opportunity to ask me any questions you may have. I would like to

reassure you that the information which you provide in the course of the interview will be treated in the

strictest of confidence. All data collected will be treated in accordance with ethical codes set out in the

British Sociological Guidelines (or other appropriate ethical guidelines such as the Data Protection Act or

other legislation relevant to your location). In addition, your answers will be unattributed to either

yourself or to any organisation which you work for or have worked for.

The data gathered during the interview will only be used for my MSc dissertation. Your own data will be

completely anonymous and you will not be identifiable ( you might like to add, where relevant, that data

will be aggregated, so that no individual data are presented ). Once again, thank you very much for your

participation. If you have any questions at any stage of the project please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

(Your name / signature)

Informed consent form (insert project title here)

I agree to take part in an interview as part of the above named project. The research has been clearly

explained to me and I have read and understood the participant informed consent letter. I understand

that by signing the consent form I am agreeing to participate in this research and that I can withdraw

from the research at any time. I understand that any information I provide during the interview isconfidential and will not be used for any purpose other than the research project outlined above. The

data will not be shared with any other organisations.

If applicable: I agree that the interview can be audio taped by voice/tape recorder: YES/NO

Name: (please print) ……………………………………………..

Signature:…………………………………………………………. Date: ………………





APPENDIX D

Sample Layout of Title Page of Dissertation

Your title should appear here

Student number: 12345678

Month, Year

Dissertation submitted to the University of Leicester in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

degree of BA Management Studies



© University of Leicester

For more information

School of ManagementUniversity of Leicester, University Road,

Leicester, LE1 7RH, UKt: +44 (0) 116 252 5520f: +44 (0) 116 2523949

@uniofleicester · /uniofleicester

Dissertation Handbook 2015-16

Documents