第一代写网代写MBA论文专区MBA硕士论文写作指导，MBA Dissertation Student Handbook
Contents Page
Key Dates 2
Introduction 3
MBADissertation Aims and Learning Outcomes 3
Steps Involved 5
Dissertation Structure 7
Submitting your Dissertation 10
Dissertation Marking 11
Roles and Responsibilities 11
Appendix 1: Staff Research interests 14
Appendix 2: Citing, referencing and plagiarism 17
Appendix 3: Agreement of Authorship 18
Appendix 4: MBA Dissertation marking form & QMU Master level attributes of performance 19
Key Dates
There are a number of important dates that you must observe in proposing the topic for your dissertation, working on it and completing it.
These may vary according to:
• the mode of study you are engaged in (full-time or part-time).
• whether you have submitted an acceptable research proposal. This may be part of your Research Methods Module coursework.
• whether you wish to submit a proposal that is completely different to that of your Research Methods coursework.
• the timing of your completion of the taught modules.
• the timing of relevant examination boards.
• when you wish to graduate.
You will be advised per cohort, and if necessary on an individual basis, via email or through the Dissertation WebCT site what the relevant dates are. It is, however, your responsibility to check these dates and to meet any deadlines that are set.
It is however, worth noting that the maximum dissertation period (for Part-Time) is 2 years from proposal but within the ceiling period for Masters registration
Proposals, where these are separate from the Research Methods module coursework, should be submitted by email to the Dissertation Co-ordinator ([email protected]) with a copy to the School of Business, Enterprise and Management Office ([email protected]).
Submission
Edinburgh campus-based students submission of the dissertation should be to the School of Business, Enterprise and Management Office in the format indicated below (i.e. two paper copies and 1 electronic submission via WebCT), unless explicitly advised otherwise.
Students at a Distance are also required to provide two bound papers copies. Please see page 12 for details..
All students must retain an e-copy of their dissertation, as this may be required to be produced by QMU.
Introduction
The Masters’ Dissertation is the pinnacle of achievement in a Masters programme. For the QMU MBA it is equivalent to four taught modules in terms of credits (60) and is expected to involve approximately 600 hours of student effort. The Dissertation must reflect sufficient evidence of independent thought to justify the award at Masters level. It enables you to further develop subject area specialisms, drawn from the taught modules of your programme, and to utilise research techniques outlined in the Research Methods module.
Ideally the subject of the Dissertation is based on work with which you are already involved or which represents development within a cognate academic discipline. It should also be related, directly to any focus and named Maters award you are engaged with (e.g. Hospitality specialism). The topic you choose should be one which both interests you and is intellectually demanding.
The Dissertation should be an exposition of your own work and ideas, and the result of research you have personally undertaken, in a topic which is appropriate to your award (if it is a named award your topic should reflect this) It should be submitted in the required format outlined later in this handbook.
The assessment of the Dissertation will look for evidence that you can choose new or fresh ways to look at a topic or issue, which could potentially result in professional innovation.
You will need to demonstrate:
• that you can develop and instigate a sound research proposal;
• that you can develop a protocol or procedures to manage the research process;
• that you can complete analyses, synthesis, and interpretation of research in relation to appropriate knowledge bases within a prescribed period of time and resources.
You will be assigned a Dissertation Supervisor once you have successfully identified an appropriate topic (see Appendix 1 for Staff Research Interests).
This handbook will guide you through the steps that you are required to undertake in meeting the requirements of the project. This handbook should be read in conjunction with the full Taught Postgraduate Regulations which are available on the QMU Quality website under the sidebar ‘academic regulations’ at http://www.qmu.ac.uk/quality.
Dissertation Aims and Learning Outcomes
In assessing the standards of projects, examiners will seek to ensure that you have satisfied the aims which follow.
The general aims of the Dissertation are to enable you to:
(a) develop and apply the skills of research and enquiry to produce original work which contributes to a subject, field or profession;
(b) engage in study which demands a professional approach, academic rigour, independence and self-direction.
The specific aims of the Dissertation are to enable you to:
(a) explore and apply relevant intellectual approaches and practical skills, including those acquired in the taught components, to the chosen topic;
(b) develop critically, strategically, and in depth, a topic or area of interest arising from the work done within the programme of study, and in your area of academic or professional interest;
(c) develop further the research skills acquired both in the research module and some of the core modules, to demonstrate an ability to set the Dissertation in its wider context, to sustain argument and to present conclusions;
(d) present and be able to defend your rationale, approach or methodology, outcome(s) and conclusions.
Overall, the successful student will be able to:
1. initiate, plan and conduct a research project;
2. critically evaluate his / her own research;
3. discuss the conclusions of the Dissertation and identify future developments;
4. contribute to the knowledge of colleagues and professionals in the industry;
5. communicate, in written form, each stage of the investigation.
What makes a good dissertation?
Good dissertations:
• are usually based on a tightly focused research question, with clear aims and objectives;
• use a wide range of sources;
• extensive use of academic journal and quality research sources. (e.g. University LRC databases and resources)
• review the literature critically, that is, with comments made about the strength and value of the contributions, their validity, reliability, relevance and application to the theoretical frameworks for the research problem or issue;
• describe and justify the methodologies selected;
• demonstrate thoughtful and insightful planning, coherence between aims and methods, and consideration of issues such as sampling, access, validity, subjectivity and ethics;
• explain and justify the data collection and analysis process to demonstrate an audit trail that links data collection and analysis to the research problem and to the findings;
• present findings in a focused and structured way;
• present the discussion of findings with independent analytical and evaluative thinking, demonstrating a clear match between objectives and achievements;
• create links between the findings and the theoretical frameworks of the literature;
• identify possible implications of the results for industry and areas for further research;
• reflect on the limitations of the study, including the research process;
• are written as concise, logically structured, critically analytical and evaluative argument;
• resemble a well argued academic research paper and not a management report;
• include accurate citation, acknowledgements of citations and an accurate reference list;
• are presented in a well structured format that is clear to follow and fluently written;
• pay attention to spelling, grammar and punctuation.
A tightly focused, in depth investigation, carried out carefully and to a high standard, is much more desirable than one that is too broad, which can only be treated superficially.
Steps Involved
Submitting your Proposal
You should check on WEBCT within MBA and Dissertation Information site for the latest information.
You will have submitted a brief proposal, this may be within Research Methods for Business or on an individual basis. This will allow you to be allocated a provisional and susequently final supervisor.
You may be required to submit a clean version of this proposal to the Programme Director, your Dissertation Supervisor and/or the School of Business, Enterprise and Management Office on request.
The Practicalities
If you are a full-time student, the norm for researching and producing a dissertation following acceptance of the proposal is approximately 6 months. This will involve producing a proposal prior to the end of your first semester. You will then be allocated a provisional supervisor who will work with you to build up the rigor and depth of the work. Once you have successfully completed and passed all taught modules your supervisor will become confirmed. It is a requirement of the scheme that you complete and pass all taught modules prior to being allowed to submit your dissertation for marking. As such you will need to use your time carefully. You should develop a suitable time-table subject to agreement with your Dissertation Supervisor.
Please note that formal submission dates will be fixed. Should Exceptional Circumstances occur and you are within the eligible period of registration, it may be possible to consider a later submission but you will be required to complete an EC (Exceptional Circumstances form). This should be discussed with your supervisor and submitted to school office (beadmin.ac.uk) they will pass it to the programme team for consideration. If a later submission is permitted, it will fall into the next official submission date.
Note As a number of different cohorts and modes of study exist these timings will vary for part-time and distance learning students and even for full-time students may not be definitive: in all matters of timing seek guidance from your Dissertation Supervisor and/or the MBA Dissertation Co-ordinator.
Part-time students have a maximum of 2 calendar years, from the date on which the full proposal/provisional supervisor is approved, to complete the dissertation. Most students choose to complete in a shorter period of time than this, usually 1 year. It is recommended that part-time students aim to complete their dissertation 3 months before the final cut-off date.
Ethical issues
Approval to begin the any primary data collection will not be given until all ethical issues have been considered and where necessary evidence of approval has been provided.
Simply put you must not interview anyone in connection with your Dissertation until you have formal ethical clearance.
You need to carefully consider ethical issues.
All research Dissertation proposals must be accompanied by the University’s 'Application for Ethical Approval for a Research Project' form. Details of the University’s policies and some of the issues that need to be considered (e.g. vulnerability of primary research respondents, privacy issues) together with the form, and information on how to complete it, can be found on the QMU website (http://www.qmu.ac.uk/research_knowledge/ethics.htm).
An Ethics Form (/) consent form and information sheet will need to be completed and the date for this will be advised to you. The QMU ethics form and examples of information sheet and consent forms are contained at the bottom of the page linked above. Further information on ethical issues is given below.
You should, in the first instance, work with your supervisor who will be responsible for the initial signing of your ethical clearance or referral to Ethics Sub-Committee.
Where applications are referred to the Ethics Sub-Committee, this committee will be meeting on agreed dates, you may be asked to attend a meeting to address or clarify issues or amplify your proposal in some way.
Some of you may also need permission from organisations to undertake the research, so remember to allow time for approval where this is appropriate. You must ensure you have permission to contact organisations from your Dissertation Supervisor.
In addition to this you are required to submit a copy of the University’s ‘Agreement of Authorship’ form (Appendix 4) with the final dissertation.
Unsatisfactory proposal
Students who fail to submit a satisfactory proposal may be required by the Dissertation Co-ordinator to revise it or to produce a new proposal. You may be given a provisional supervisor to assist in this revision.
Supervisors
Dissertation Supervisors are normally members of the academic staff of the University, although external experts may provide additional specialist advice or joint supervision. Any change of supervisor will be carried out only after consultation between you, the student, your current supervisor, and the Programme Director
The Supervised Dissertation Period
1. The time at which you may submit your Dissertation will normally be subject to the Postgraduate Board of Examiners’ decision that you have completed the Postgraduate Diploma (all taught modules at QMU) and, as a result, are eligible to submit the dissertation element of the MBA.
2. For full-time students, the formal supervised period will normally be a further 12 - 15 weeks full-time study, following on from the provisional supervisor period. Currently, part-time students may take a maximum of 2 years from the date when the full proposal is accepted. As a guide, 10 hours of supervision will be given per student.
3. The date for the submission of your completed dissertation will normally be approximately one month before the date set for the Examinations Board. Dates will be available on the WEBCT site, but you should ensure that you are guided by your supervisor of the Dissertation co-ordinator,
4. Part-time students must ensure they stay registered as students otherwise staff cannot supervise them. This must be done annually, usually in September.
5. You must only communicate with your QMU e-mail.
Dissertation Structure
Overall, the dissertation should resemble an academic research paper and not a management report. It will mainly consist of a series of chapters, each chapter consisting of a series of flowing paragraphs of debate. The chapters should normally exclude notes, bulleted points and numbered sections and paragraphs. Headings and sub-headings, where used, should be used sparingly to indicate key themes within chapters. It is useful to provide a short summarising paragraph at the end of each key chapter.
The word count for the Dissertation is 15,000. This is subject to the school rules on going above or below this figure.
The dissertation will normally contain the following sections or chapters and it is recommended if you wish to deviate from them that you seek advice from your Dissertation Supervisor:
1. Title page
A template for the title page, or cover, is a available to download from webct, and contains the University’s logo and name, your name, the name of the specific award on which you are matriculated, the title of the dissertation and the date of submission.
This page should also be included in the electronic submission via WebCT.
2. Acknowledgements
These are optional, but would normally consist of a short statement containing details of persons who have contributed and what they contributed, during the project.
3. Table of Contents
A contents page indicating table of contents with page numbers. Where required, a separate list for illustrations, figures, tables and appendices should be included.
4. Abstract
A summary of the content of the dissertation and the main conclusions reached. The abstract should summarise the nature of the problem or issue, the aims of the project, what you did and the outcomes.
5. Chapter 1: Introduction
This should clearly define the area you have examined, setting out the aims and objectives for the issue, topic or problem that was addressed in the investigation, the reason for your interest in the area and why it needs to be investigated. It should also indicate the implications of the problem or issue for methodological choices, and describe the steps taken. The rationale for the methodology should demonstrate the links between the nature of the research problem, the aims and the methods. Relevant literature and key references should be included at this stage both to set the dissertation in context with other work in the area and to support your arguments and decisions. The introduction should also provide guidance to the reader about the content which follows, i.e. what is contained in chapters 2, 3, 4 etc. You may wish to identify the broad aims and objectives here.
6. Chapter 2: Literature Review
This is a critical chapter. It should take the form of a critique or critical review of the literature or other material used e.g. research papers, journals, reviews, reports, or audio-visual material. These should clearly reflect the aims and objectives of the research or study. The critical approach allows you to adopt a questioning approach to the literature, and gaps in the current literature should be highlighted. Issues which may be considered are the validity and reliability of the research evidence, agreement or disagreement between authors and their merits. Does the literature offer particularly relevant insights? The aims and objectives of the study should be underpinned by the extensive use of literature.
The literature review is essential as it provides the theoretical framework that is used to establish what is currently known and the gaps in knowledge that exist about the topic. It also allows you to further refine the problem or issue, and inform the research approach and processes to be followed in data collection, management and analysis.
7. Chapter 3: Methodology
It is here that you make your case for the methods you choose, and defend their validity and reliability. The chapter can be sub-divided into (a) what you plan to do and (b) what you did and what went well and badly.
This chapter should initially remind the reader of the aims of the research. It should include the theoretical framework guiding methods of inquiry or data collection. For example, population, sample, numbers, sampling and allocation methods, informed consent, tools of investigation, reliability, validity, calibration and cross-talk effects should be described with sufficient detail to give the reader a clear understanding. Subject testing procedure, control of variables, and attempts to standardise must be explained. Data analyses, statistical methods (where appropriate), the rationale behind your choice of methods and a discussion about the limitations or strengths of these, and a full description of the research methods used, should be addressed. It is also important to explain how the literature relates to your methods and how this identified key themes andissues for investigation
N.B. Do not simply describe basic text-book definitions of different methodologies, but identify the complexities of the actual issues raised by your research and describe how you approached them and why.
8. Chapter 4: Results or Findings
This is usually the fourth chapter. It should contain a clear presentation of findings and analyses using appropriate presentation methods (e.g. use of figures and/or tables). The data and analyses should follow a clear logical sequence which eventually leads to a demonstration of relationship(s), test(s) of significance or correlation or description as appropriate. Data should be presented in a reduced form. Where figures and tables are used, these must be clearly labelled and explained in the text. Avoid including the same information in text and tables or figures. The result(s) or outcome(s) of the research should be stated in terms of whether or not the aims have been achieved, or the hypothesis supported or rejected. Quotations from transcripts must be identified anonymously.
Please ensure that raw data is collated in a separate file from the dissertation itself. For Edinburgh campus based students, covers for these are also available from the School Office, but please ensure you request these at the same time as your Dissertation covers, i.e. 2 weeks prior to the hand-in date.
Findings in projects, which have used quantitative research methods, will include tables, graphs and statistical analyses which are carefully cross-referenced.
Findings in projects, which have used qualitative research, should be organised into higher level key overarching concepts that address the key characteristics of the individual items of the data.
Non-conforming data must also be identified with an explanation, where possible of why they do not conform.
In all cases you should submit a raw data file with your dissertation as well as keep a copy of all your data as per the ethical clearance rules and regulations. These times may be altered so you should check the current University guidelines for this.
9. Chapter 5: Discussion
This section presents a detailed consideration of the findings and analyses in the context of the methodology and relevant literature, with an assessment of the findings in relation to informing the existing knowledge base or professional practice. The extent to which the results can be accepted should be stated. Reservations should be clearly stated, and features of the research process which could have influenced the results, for example, sample size, practicality of tests, identified.
This is usually the most demanding section or chapter. The discussion of the findings should be linked to the aims of the research, and draw on the literature review and the selected methodology.
In some types of research, for example, qualitative research, this section may be included with the results in a single chapter.
You may wish to combine chapter 4 and 5 as one chapter.
10. Chapter 6: Conclusions
This chapter should provide a brief resume of the key features of the research, the findings in relation to stated aim(s) and objectives, the research process through which it was investigated, and the conclusions reached. Possible future developments of the study can be explored here if there are no recommendations.
11. Chapter 7: Recommendations may focus on, for example, the value of applying your findings to industry practice, changes in practice and policy, or to further research, or about the appropriateness of your chosen methodology for further research.
You may wish to combine chapter 6 and 7 as one chapter.
12. Chapter 8:References
A list of authors and their works, which are acknowledged in the text, should be provided using the Harvard referencing system (http://www.qmu.ac.uk/goodscholarship/).
Appendix 2 contains information on citing and referencing.
13. Appendices
Where included, these should be numbered in sequence, and will normally contain material relevant to the work which is not essential for inclusion in the main body. Here, for example, interview schedules or blank questionnaires, maps, diagrams or tables may be included.
Students should check marking guidelines carefully in terms of allocated marks per section of the dissertation.
As indicated earlier, raw data, such as transcriptions or raw SPSS data, must be submitted separately.
Submitting Your Dissertation
Two printed (bound hard copies) and one electronic copy (to WEBCT drop box) of the dissertation should be submitted by the submission date appropriate to your mode of study. Submission dates are available on WebCT (within the MBA Information and Dissertation site) or via the MBA Dissertation co-ordinator. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit within the maximum period of registration for your mode of study. (E.G Maximum registration for any student is two years following submission of proposal/acceptance by Dissertation co-ordinator, if following a part-time mode of study).
Depending on your type of research it may also be important/required for you to submit one additional printed file in which raw data and provisional analysis are contained. (See point 13 above)
Printed and bound copies are for all students on any mode of study. If you are unable to deliver your hard copies, in person, to the school office in time for the submission date, you must ensure that the electronic copy is submitted on time and that the hard copies are postmarked/courier marked as collected/posted on or before the submission date. Please obtain proof of posting which we will require should your Dissertation not arrive or arrive very late .
The dissertation has a word limit of 15,000 words excluding references, figures, tables, acknowledgements and appendices. Deviation from this will incur the University’s penalties and marks and grades may be affected.
The specification is as follows:
(a) Copies of the dissertation should be word processed or typed on one side of A4 white paper.
(b) Margins should allow for binding, with the top, bottom and left-hand margins set at 3.125 cms/1.25 inches. The right-hand margin should be set at 1.875 cms/0.75 inches.
(c) Double spacing should be used throughout except for references and quotations. Where quotations are more than 3 lines or 30 words in length, they should be indented by 2.5 cms./1.00 inches, and single spaced.
(d) Illustrations should be dry mounted or computer scanned. Figures, tables and diagrams may be inserted into the text, with adjacent legends or titles. Relevant audio-visual material to be consulted in conjunction with text must be fully cross-referenced and labelled.
Printed copies of the dissertation should be comb bound in laminated card, and the cover should contain the following information:
a) Queen Margaret University and the logo.
b) your name.
c) the name of the award.
d) the title of the dissertation.
e) the date of submission.
You may propose alternative specifications for approval.
Standardised cover sheets are available to download from the School of Business, Enterprise and Management webct Admin area.
You are responsible for ensuring the covers are laminated, and that the copies of your dissertation are bound.
For those students on locally taught programmes, lamination can be provided at a small cost through the Educational Resources Centre, on Level 0 (‘zero’) of the main Academic Building, but please contact staff in advance about this to confirm it is possible.
The Print Room (Level 0) can also bind your dissertation but allow a minimum of 2 days for lamination and binding services.
If you require an additional copy for yourself, you will need to ensure you prepare 3 copies of the dissertation.
Dissertation Marking
Two assessors will be appointed for marking/grading your project, one of whom will be your Supervisor. The marking schedule included in this document (Appendix 5) provides a copy of the current marking framework which is aligned with the University’s attributes of performance for postgraduate programmes.
The dissertation may also be assessed by the external examiner for the award.
You must ensure that you are familiar with, and that you observe the University’s regulations on plagiarism and collusion.
Students whose progress in their dissertations is deemed unsatisfactory by the examiners, and who fail to achieve the minimum acceptable level, may be permitted to be re-examined, within a time limit set by the Postgraduate Board of Examiners.
In some situations where issues arise about the grade or mark to be awarded, an oral examination may be held. This will normally involve the dissertation supervisor and the two assessors. The external examiner may also be involved.
Roles and Responsibilities
This section outlines the duties and responsibilities associated with the roles of the student, the Dissertation Module Co-ordinator, the Dissertation Supervisor, and the MBA Programme Director.
a) Student
As a student you are required to:
• decide on an area of study in consultation with academic staff and, where appropriate, your employer.
• prepare an outline proposal for approval, ensuring you conform with the University’s ethical approval regulations. You should where possible consider ethical aspects at this stage.
• following initial approval, prepare a revised proposal, in consultation with your nominated supervisor, following the detailed guidelines.
• discuss with your nominated supervisor the type(s) of guidelines and the form of contact which would be most helpful, and agree on a schedule of meetings or dates by which sections or chapters would be submitted. You are advised to keep a record of these meetings both for yourself and your supervisor.
• take the initiative in raising issues, questions, difficulties or problems with your supervisor.
• produce work in accordance with the schedule agreed with the supervisor ensuring that material is presented in sufficient time to allow for comment, discussion and any necessary alterations before proceeding to the next stage. You may ask your supervisor to comment on a draft of one or more sections or chapters. This will enable the supervisor to advise you on content, style, structure and presentation.
• take account of:
a) referencing guidelines.
b) rules about plagiarism and collusion.
c) the academic appeals procedure.
d) ethics relating to research.
e) regulations governing the presentation of the dissertation.
• meet the submission deadline.
b) Dissertation Supervisors
Supervisors are responsible for:
• providing guidance on your chosen field of study.
• advising you on data, literature sources, and copyright.
• advising you on the plan for your Dissertation proposal.
• suggesting specialists whom you may consult for additional advice.
• providing you with supervisory sessions and feedback, agreed between you, to give you support.
• monitoring and recording progress according to the University’s policy.
• facilitating planning and writing and giving advice on the necessary completion dates of successive stages of the work in order to meet the submission deadline.
• ensuring that dissertation supervision time is allocated appropriately – the guide being 10 hours supervision over the duration of the study.
• ensuring academic rigour.
• liaising with external staff as necessary and where appropriate.
• reporting on your progress to the Postgraduate Programme Committee where appropriate.
It is important to note that Dissertation supervisors are not their to give you a mark, prior to submission. Their role is to assist, where possible in improving your work.
c) MBA Dissertation Co-ordinator
The MBA Dissertation Co-ordinator is responsible for:
• advising you of staff members’ research interests (see Appendix 1).
• allocating provisional and final supervisors.
• approving, moderating, modifying and advising on Dissertation proposals.
• approving the commencement of the supervised period of Dissertation work subsequent to approval of the full proposal.
• receiving progress reports.
• approving internal examiners/assessors.
Appendix 1: Staff Research Interests
These are a guide only and should be used to assist you in developing a topic.
In choosing a research topic and identifying a research supervisor, please remember that your dissertation topic must be appropriate to the award which you are studying
Context to staff research interests;
Staff in the School of Business, Enterprise and Management have research interests which , within the university are brought together under a single research niche called Sustainable Business . This takes a holistic view of business sustainability. Although the environmental dimension is inevitably an integral factor, the central thrust of the work we do addresses business model fundamentals. Sustainable businesses are recognized by having; business leaders committed to applying sustainability principles throughout the organisation, resources used by the business are assessed for their need, are the most sustainable option available and are being used efficiently. They invest in people and staff behaviours reinforcing sustainability are supported, where possible external sustainability / social / environmental accreditation has been achieved to verify business practices and operations. Sustainability is incorporated into the design of products or services, their manufacture or delivery, and the business takes responsibility for the whole of the life cycle. Sustainable businesses are profitable and efficient with a long-term horizon and invest strategically in its sustainable future and innovation. Communities the business is located within or has influence upon are invested in financially and through time and skills, opportunities are taken to publicly communicate sustainability successes and ongoing challenges, increasing transparency and accountability. Our research explores issues of local, national and international relevance and engages with public, private and third sector challenges. While the work adopts the highest international standards of enquiry, there is a consistent underpinning of practical application and economic relevance. Researchers in this niche work in alignment with three thematic areas: Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Consumer Insight and Management and Organisations.
The topic areas offered below are indicative of staff research interests, however, it should be borne in mind that supervision of MBA work is also undertaken by adjunct faculty who may bring additional expertise into a number of these topic areas so supervision in a topic area will usually but not necessarily be by the staff member indicated on the list as there is always a need to balance staff workloads while seeking to match supervisor and student interests .
Mr Jock Anderson Entrepreneurship; business start-up, support and development
Mr Richard Bent Small, local retailing; barriers to growth; learning strategies; networking; staff motivation
Ms Carol Brennan Consumer education and advice; consumer needs assessment; service quality; complaints; local government; consumer policy; customer care
Mr Rune By Organisational change management; organisational learning; strategic management
Mr Gordon Campbell Strategy; organisational learning; organisational theory; operations and supply chain management
Mr Craig Cathcart Law and regulation. Consumer law. Business Regulation. Consumer protection
Ms Senija Causevic Political conflict and tourism; minority integration, diaspora, critical management studies; cultural heritage management
Ms Elaine Crichton Adventure tourism; national/area tourist boards in Scotland; long distance trails
Mr Bryan Cruden Education policy; international comparative studies; skills and employability; supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable learners
Dr Ian Elliott Public and not-for-profit sector management; sport policy and practice; workplace health promotion; local government charging
Dr Peter Falconer Public policy and public services management; public service charges; public-private partnership; consumerism and public service; public management and museums and galleries
Ms Rebecca Finkel Events-led urban regeneration; human rights and global events; cultural community festivals, immigrant events management and sustainability
Professor Andy Frew eTourism, online business and eMarketing, especially in tourism and hospitality, sustainability through ICT.
Ms Alison Galloway Research methods; local government; consumer needs assessment
Mr Stuart Graham
Family enterprises and their business practices; marketing and strategic management in SMEs; developing and promoting Scottish heritage
Professor Joe Goldblatt Planned event studies; event funding; greener events; risk management
Mr Arthur Ingram HRM in the service sector; SMEs; succession planning; labour productivity
Mr Trevor Laffin Service quality; design of hospitality venues; culture and gender issues in organisations; discrimination
Dr Cathy Matheson Events management; festivity and music; events and regeneration
Mr Alan McDonald Issues surrounding public versus private sector ownership resources; consumer and producer implications of oligopoly market structures. General business focus.
Mr David McGuire Leadership; diversity management; HRD
Mr Chris Preston Events marketing; on-line event marketing; social networks and event marketing. Marketing
Mr Mike Pretious
Retailing; business/retailer ethics; corporate social responsibility; business/retail crime; retail buying; social enterprise
Mr Bernie Quinn Emotional and aesthetic labour within hospitality industry; international resort management. Hospitality industry.
Ms Claire Seaman Family businesses, SMEs and businesses in minority ethnic communities; the role of networks and multi-rational perspectives, knowledge transfer and continuous learning in family business environments
Ms Sofia Reino Hospitality management; benchmarking and assessment; ITC
Dr Monika Schröder Cultural issues in teaching values at home and in school (food and other domains); consumer policy; types of consumer value in food; labelling communications; cross-cultural factors in consumption; quality management
Ms Majella Sweeney Commercial hospitality; small hospitality enterprises; commercial homes; hosts; visual methods; qualitative methodology
Ms Jane Williams Consumer protection
Appendix 2: Citing, Referencing and Plagiarism
Students are referred in this regard to the QMU Good Scholarship Website at:
http://www.qmu.ac.uk/goodscholarship/
Within this website is valuable and important information with regard to plagiarism and a link through the side-bar to detailed guidelines on referencing and citation. It is a School of Business, Enterprise and Management and a QMU requirement is that the Harvard referencing convention is used and this is presented in detail in ‘Write and Cite’: The QM Guide to the Harvard System of Referencing. As well as being available online this guide can be downloaded as a .pdf file.
The issue of plagiarism and good academic writing are core to a successful Masters level outcome.
Appendix 3: Agreement of Authorship
School of Business, Enterprise and Management
This form should be signed by the student and supervisor, and submitted with the dissertation proposal. The student is advised to photocopy and retain a copy of this agreement.
The postgraduate student may have the opportunity to submit a manuscript for publication, which will contribute to the business and consumer studies body of knowledge. Agreements between students and supervisors regarding authorship or any publication or oral presentation resulting from the Dissertation carried out in partial fulfilment of any postgraduate programme within the School of Business, Enterprise and Management will normally be based on the following definition.
Authorship
All persons designated as authors should qualify for authorship. The order of authorship should be a joint decision for the co-authors. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take responsibility for the content.
Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to (a) conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of data; and to (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and on (c) final approval of the version to be published. Conditions (a), (b), and (c) must all be met. Participate solely on the acquisition of funding or the collection of data does not justify authorship. General supervision of the research group is also not sufficient for authorship. Any part of an article critical in its main conclusions must be the responsibility of at least one author.
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors 1991, 1991, New England Journal of Medicine, 324:424 – 428
Note: to qualify for authorship, all authors must approve the final version of the publication. There is a need, therefore, for all authors to remain in contact until the final version has been accepted for publication
Acknowledgement
There is also an ethical obligation to recognise and identify the work of others where it has contributed to the work being reported in a publication. At an appropriate place in the publication, one or more statements should specify: (a) contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship; (b) acknowledgement of technical help; (c) acknowledgement of financial or material support, specifying the nature of the support; and (d) financial (or other) relationships that may pose a conflict of interest.
We, the undersigned, agree to the terms, as detailed above, related to authorship and acknowledgement.
Student: ___________________________________________________
Supervisor: ________________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________________
This agreement does not supersede Queen Margaret University policies and procedures.
Appendix 4: MBA PROGRAMMES DISSERTATION MARKING SCHEME AND GENERIC MASTERS LEVEL ATRIBUTES OF PERFORMANCE
Name of student:
Title of dissertation:
Name of first marker Date
Name of second marker: Date
Possible
Marks Actual Marks Comments
Abstract and introduction: clarity of definition of topic, aims, objectives, and rationale.
Literature review: currency, scope (breadth and depth); critique of material; theoretical frameworks used.
Methodology: choice and reasons for methodology selected; data collection and analysis methods; strengths and limitations of methodology; ethics and rigour.
Results and discussion: detailed analysis (accuracy, validity and perception); discussion of findings; assessment of inferences and insights; clarity of presentation.
Conclusions / recommendations; linkage of conclusions to aims and objectives; evaluation of the research; reflections on the experience; recommendations for future research.
Account will also be taken of presentation, grammar, spelling, and structure throughout this project / dissertation
10
25
20
30
15
100
M LEVEL ATTRIBUTES OF PERFORMANCE
POSTGRADUATE ATTRIBUTES OF PERFORMANCE
The student will provide evidence of the following attributes to achieve recognition of the grade banding:
Grade A 80%+ Excellent performance, exceptionally able
• Mastery of the specialist area that demonstrates exceptional insight and breadth of knowledge.
• Excellent comprehension of scholarly techniques and / or the research-base.
• Presents extensive evidence of critical and deep knowledge of the specialist and related areas.
• Ability to challenge and develop existing theory and/or professional practice within the specialist area.
• Demonstrates outstanding originality in the application of knowledge and the development and inter-relationship between concepts, theories, policies and practice.
• Displays outstanding potential to undertake research or be a leading practitioner within a specialist area.
• Demonstrates exceptional ability in synthesising knowledge from different disciplines.
• Meets the learning outcomes of the module or assessment.
Grade B 70- 79.9% Very good performance [distinction mark is 70%]
• Mastery with very good and critical comprehension of the specialist area with extensive evidence of deep knowledge of relevant and related theories, principles and concepts of the major aspects of the area.
• Very good comprehension of scholarly techniques and / or the research-base.
• Presents evidence of critical and deep knowledge of the specialist and related areas.
• Some ability to challenge and develop existing theory and/or professional practice within the specialist area.
• Demonstrates ability to identify, conceptualise and define or redefine concepts, theories, policies and practice.
• Displays potential to undertake research or be a leading practitioner within a specialist area.
• Demonstrates significant ability in synthesising knowledge from different disciplines.
• Meets the learning outcomes of the module or assessment.
Grade C 60- 69.9% Good performance
• Mastery with good comprehension of the specialist area with some evidence of deep knowledge of relevant and related theories, principles and concepts, but lacking depth or critique in some areas.
• Good comprehension of scholarly techniques and / or the research-base.
• Presents evidence of understanding of some advanced or complex issues at the forefront of the subject or professional area.
• A good comprehension of how concepts and knowledge may be applied to inform judgements and develop advanced ideas, policies or practices.
• Demonstrates ability in synthesising knowledge from different disciplines.
• Meets the learning outcomes of the module or assessment.
Grade D 50- 59.9% Satisfactory performance
• Mastery with satisfactory comprehension of the specialist area with some insight into relevant and related theories, principles and concepts, but lacking depth or critique in some areas.
• Limited comprehension of scholarly techniques and / or the research-base.
• Some evidence of knowledge relating to advanced, current and complex issues within the subject or professional area, but only in parts of the work.
• Some ability to identify and comprehend how concepts and knowledge may be applied to inform judgements and develop ideas, policies or practices.
• Demonstrates some ability in synthesising knowledge from different disciplines.
• Meets the learning outcomes of the module or assessment.
Grade E 40-49.9% Unsatisfactory performance - Fail
• Unsatisfactory comprehension of the specialist area and little evidence of deep understanding of theories, principles and concepts.
• Insufficient evidence of knowledge relating to advanced, current and complex issues at the forefront of the subject or professional area.
• Insufficient evidence of comprehensive and critical knowledge related to the theoretical concepts, scholarly techniques or the research-base supporting a specific area with some accurate factual information.
• Unsatisfactory evidence of how knowledge may be applied to inform judgements and develop advanced ideas, policies or practices with little originality of thought.
• Demonstrates little ability in synthesising knowledge from different disciplines.
• Meets only some of the learning outcomes of the module
Grade F 30-39.9% Poor Fail
• Unsatisfactory; does not meet learning outcomes of the module.
• Limited attempt to demonstrate knowledge of the specialist area with inadequate evidence available.
• Minimal evidence of knowledge and insight into theories, principles and concepts.
• Inadequate evidence of critical and deep knowledge related to a specialist area. Restricted evidence of advanced current and complex issues at the forefront of the subject or professional area.
• Insufficient evidence of comprehensive and critical knowledge related to the theoretical concepts, scholarly techniques or the research-base supporting a specific area.
• Demonstrates no ability to synthesise knowledge from different disciplines.
• Incomplete evidence of how knowledge may be applied to inform judgements and develop advanced ideas, policies or practices with little originality of thought.
• Does not meet the learning outcomes of the module.
Grade G 20-29.9% Bad fail
• Clear failure, does not meet learning outcomes of the module.
• Minimal knowledge of the specialist area and lack of evidence of deep understanding of theories, principles and concepts.
• Inadequate and incomplete evidence of critical and deep knowledge related to a specialist area and of advanced, current and complex issues at the forefront of the subject or professional area.
• Deficient in evidence of comprehensive and critical knowledge related to the theoretical concepts, scholarly techniques or the research-base supporting a specific area.
• No ability to synthesise knowledge from different disciplines.
• No understanding of how knowledge may be applied, to inform judgements and develop advanced ideas, policies or practices with little originality of thought.
• Does not meet the learning outcomes of the module.
Grade H <20% Very bad fail and non-submission
• Demonstrates a serious and unacceptable lack of knowledge and understanding of the specialist area.
• No evidence of deep understanding of theories, principles and concepts.
• Deficient in critical and deep knowledge related to a specialist area.
• No evidence of comprehensive and critical knowledge related to the theoretical concepts, scholarly techniques or the research-base supporting a specific area.
• Inadequate understanding of how knowledge may be applied, with originality, to inform judgements and develop advanced ideas, policies or practices.
• No understanding of advanced, current and complex issues at the forefront of the subject and professional area.
• No ability to synthesise knowledge from different disciplines
• Does not meet the learning outcomes of the module.