Dissertation Handbook
2017-2018
Contents
Part A: Planning the Dissertation
1
Part B Dissertation Proposal and Supervision
6
Part C: Structure, Style and Format of the Dissertation
8
Part D: Assessment Criteria
12
Part E: Most Frequently Asked Questions
14
Appendix A (Sample Layout of Title Page of Dissertation)
17
Appendix B (Dissertation Proposal Form)
18
Appendix C
(Gaining Research Ethics Approval)
21
Appendix D
(Qualtrics)
24
Part A: Planning the Dissertation
Introduction
The final stage of your Master’s degree is concerned exclusively with a written dissertation of 8,000
words. The dissertation will enable you to undertake a sustained investigation into a management or
organizational topic of your choice. The dissertation provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate the
knowledge, skills and competencies acquired during the taught elements of the course. For most of you,
this will involve diagnosing a management, finance, marketing, strategic or organizational behaviour
problem, devising a research project that will provide an evidence-base for the evaluation of solutions
and development of realistic, acceptable recommendations for action. This does not, however, preclude
the possibility of undertaking a more theoretically focused piece of work that analyses in detail an
issue in management thought.
Learning Objectives
The dissertation provides an opportunity for students to:
1.
Develop an ability to formulate and undertake a piece of original research which has
relevance to contemporary management issues and problems.
2.
Integrate and inter-relate concepts, techniques and skills acquired in the course of
the programme.
3.
Acquire an appreciation of existing research and relevant theoretical perspectives that
have a direct bearing on the dissertation topic.
4.
Develop and apply analytical and communication skills as required by the
dissertation process.
Choosing your Dissertation Topic
There are two types of dissertation available and you must pick one or the
other. The two types of dissertation are:
Desk-Based Dissertation.
Empirical Dissertation.
An empirical dissertation is defined here as one which involves collecting data from human participants.
This may take the form of, amongst other things, surveys, interviews, or observations. Online data
collection involving human participants is also classed as empirical research. In contrast, a desk-based
dissertation is one that draws only on secondary sources and already published data (such as written
texts, reports, visual images, etc.) and does not involve human participants. If you plan to collect data
from human participants, you must complete the online ethical approval form. Failure to do so
will result in you receiving a mark of zero. If you are undertaking a desk-based dissertation you are not
required to complete an ethical approval form.
Desk-Based Dissertation
For ‘desk-based’ dissertations, you are required to identify a possible management or organization
situation, problem or issue that you wish to explore in depth through the use of publicly available data
(i.e. secondary data). You can pick any topic you wish within the broader parameters of the modules
covered on the programme. Rather than gathering new primary data, this kind of dissertation draws on
existing data that has been collected by others. This is used to build a case study or provide evidence for
answering your research question. Desk-based dissertations must still contain research questions, a
review of literature relevant to your topic area and a discussion of the methods used to collect your data.
There are many different ways in which you could approach a desk-based dissertation. The following are
just a few examples you might like to consider:
1.
A case study or report exploring a particular organizational issue drawn from
secondary data sources (such as HR practices, culture, diversity and inequalities,
leadership, power relations, processes and/or consequences or change, structure,
international growth, etc.).
2.
A market or industry analysis.
3.
An analysis of an organization’s strategy.
4.
An analysis of a particular leader, marketing campaign, strategic decision, innovation,
or similar.
5.
An analysis of a company’s response to changes in its external environment (e.g.
new regulations/ public expectations, a corporate scandal, or failure).
6.
An analysis of a controversy surrounding a particular company and an assessment of
its response.
7.
A comparative analysis of two or more organization’s strategies in a given market.
8.
Analysis of arts-based methods, such as representation of workers in photographs,
films or television programmes.
9.
Discourse analysis of a company brochure, annual report, or advertising campaign.
It is important to note that, although the data you are using is secondary, your research must still be original,
adding something new to our current understanding of management and organization.
Empirical Dissertation
This type of dissertation involves carrying out a small-scale piece of original research using primary data
you have collected yourself, involving human participants. Typically, this involves conducting interviews,
observations or questionnaire surveys, either face-to-face or online. The process of research entails
identifying a research topic then developing a question that your research hopes to answer. You are
required to conduct a literature review, design a research methodology and then collect and analyze your
data before presenting the results in an organized and systematic way.
Again, there are many different ways in which you could approach an empirical dissertation. The following
are just a few examples you might like to consider:
1.
A piece of consumer research into a particular purchase behaviour (this could be
collected through an online or face-to-face survey).
2.
A netnography of an online community.
3.
A workplace survey addressing a particular organizational issue.
4.
Interviews with organizational members or leaders around a particular issue or topic.
5.
Interviews or focus groups with consumers around a particular product, service or experience.An
important component of empirical research is the need to collect primary data yourself. This takes time
and organization. The time period for the dissertation is relatively short so you will need to plan and manage
your time carefully to ensure that you are able to collect and analyze your data and write-up your dissertation.
All empirical dissertations must have ethical approval. This is completed through the online
ethics approval process (outlined in Appendix C). If you are unsure whether your dissertation is ‘empirical’
please speak to your supervisor. There will also be opportunities in the Research Methods module
to explore different types of dissertation.
MSc International Management
If you are registered for the MSc International Management programme, please note that it is a condition
of your degree that you complete your dissertation in a topic related to international management or
business. This does prevent you from undertaking any of the project types listed above but you must
ensure that your dissertation topic has an international aspect to successfully complete your degree.
Managing the Dissertation Process
The dissertation is the culmination of the MSc programme. As such it presents a considerable challenge.
In our experience there are a number of common difficulties encountered by students. This section seeks
to outline various issues which need careful consideration.
Time
The preparation of the dissertation takes place within strict time constraints. This calls for careful
and methodical planning. A dissertation has a number of stages which are both resource and labour
intensive. It requires careful management to allow for ample time to conduct a comprehensive literature
review, identify an appropriate methodology, collect sufficient data for analysis and finally to write up the
final version of the dissertation. It is very easy to overrun and not to allow sufficient time to write and edit
the dissertation.
Dissertation Review
Partly as a consequence of poor 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. It is vital, as a part of good research practice, to allow time to self-review a
dissertation prior to submission. For students writing in a second language, this stage is particularly
important and extra attention should be paid to it. It is also always a good idea to ask a friend or get a
professional copy editor to read through your work to see if the structure is logical and the content clear
and concise – but please remember that they should act as a proof reader only as opposed to actually
helping you to write your work. The latter would be an instance of academic dishonesty.
Feasibility
The limitations of time that are placed on an MSc dissertation require that a student identifies a
realistic dissertation objective. This necessitates careful consultation with the dissertation supervisor
during your first meeting. In particular, you need to consider in some detail how you will collect data. This
raises the issue of access. Securing access to gather data will require consent from staff in the
organisation/s you are interested in or from the participants you intend to collect data with (if undertaking
empirical research). Indeed you may require the consent of senior management, whether the research
focuses on their activities or not. And even if data are to be gathered through a postal or online
questionnaire, so that you do not actually visit the organisation/s in question, this will need considerable
thought as to the design, the timing, the cost and the mechanism for managing responses. Think carefully
about how you are going to gain access to the type and number of participants you wish to research.
Questionnaires for example typically require large numbers of responses to be statistically valid,
whereas interviewing will require you to build up relationships with a smaller, but more specialised
group of respondents. In short, many dissertations encounter serious difficulties through unrealistic
objectives being coupled with an inability to operationalise the idea into a practical research plan.
Contingency Planning
Many students, through no fault of their own, experience problems over access to a data set midway
through a research dissertation – for example, an organisation may get taken over or go out of business,
or access may simply not materialise. Certain types of participants might be very difficult to access over
the summer. Ask yourself whether your respondents are likely to be away on vacation, or likely to move
away before you can complete your research. Any thorough research plan will consider this risk and will
make provision for a contingency plan.
Recommended Reading
Reflecting the many different ways of approaching the dissertation, there is no one single recommended
text; however individual tutors and supervisors may recommend texts on research, problem solving, data
collection and analysis methods from their disciplines. As a start, you may find some of the following
useful:
Anderson, J., 2002. Assignment and thesis writing. John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Berg, B. L., Lune, H., c2014. Qualitative Research methods for the social
sciences. Pearson.
Biggam, J., 2015. Succeeding with your master’s dissertation: a step-by-step handbook.
McGraw-Hill Education.
Bryman, A., Bell, E., 2015. Business research methods. Oxford University Press.
Collis, J., Hussey, R., 2013. Business research: a practical guide for undergraduate
and postgraduate students. Palgrave MacMillan.
Cottrell, S., 2014. Dissertations and project reports. Palgrave MacMillan.
Creswell, J. W., 2014. Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches. Sage.
Davies, M., Hughes, N., 2014. Doing a successful research project: using qualitative
or quantitative methods. Palgrave Macmillan.
Eisenhardt, K. M., Graebner, M. E., 2007. Theory building from cases: opportunities
and challenges. Academy of Management Journal, 50(1), 25– 32.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A., 2012. Research methods for business students.
Pearson Education Ltd. 12
Wallace, M., Wray, A., 2011. Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. Sage.
Part C: Structure, Style
and Format of the Dissertation
Yin, R. K., Case Study Research. Sage
Structure
The precise structure of a dissertation in terms of chapter headings can vary from one dissertation to
another. Most dissertations, however, will be likely to include the following:
Title Page
Contents List
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Introduction
Main Body of the Dissertation:
Literature Review
Methodology
Findings and Analysis
Conclusions and Recommendations
Reflections
References
Appendices
Title Page
The dissertation title is important as it needs to indicate quite clearly what the dissertation is about. It is
useful when considering a title to also bear in mind how the work may be indexed and coded for information
storage and retrieval purposes (so think about the key words the title should incorporate). Abbreviations
and specialist jargon should be avoided. It is also important that you complete the declaration on the
title page before submitting your dissertation. See Appendix A for a sample layout of the title page.
Contents List
A table of the various chapters and sections of a dissertation must be included together with clear
page numbers for each of these. Well documented contents will quickly show any reader the scope and
direction of the work.
Acknowledgements
A brief statement acknowledging the help and contributions of, for example, collaborating firms,
managers, supervisor and peers, if relevant.
Abstract
The Abstract should be on one side of A4 paper and should contain:
An introduction telling the reader what the dissertation is about (its research
aims, objectives and questions), why these issues are important and the
project’s terms of reference.
A description of the literature reviewed.
An overview of the methodological approach and data analysis technique.
A summary of main findings, conclusions, recommendations.
Introduction
The introduction is essential in order to tell the reader what the dissertation is intended to provide – it is
more than just the first section of the dissertation. It should include a statement of the research aims,
objectives and questions on which the inquiry is based, its terms of reference, the sources of information
used and how this information was collected. It should include at least an outline of the research
methodology. The introduction sets the scene and puts the whole inquiry into its proper context. It
should explain why the research was carried out and outline the significance of related work on the topic.
A sensible way to approach the introduction is therefore to begin with a clear definition and justification of
the topic or problem to be investigated, including a statement of the management issues involved, and
perhaps also some discussion of how the topic and issues changed as the work evolved. This can then
lead into an overview of the dissertation as a whole, chapter by chapter.
Main body of the dissertation
It is likely that the main body of a dissertation will contain several chapters, sections and sub-sections.
All such divisions should be identified using a decimal notation system whereby major sections are given
single numbers 1, 2, 3 and so on in sequence. The first level of sub-section will follow a decimal point (for
example, 1.1) and the first subsection under this sub-section will repeat the process (that is 1.1.1), and
so on. See example below.
1.
Title of chapter (e.g. Literature Review)
1.1
Title of first major subheading
1.1.1
1.1.2
1.1.3
1.2
Title of second major subheading
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.3
1.3
Title of first subsidiary heading
Title of next subsidiary heading
etc. ...
Title of first subsidiary subheading
Title of second subsidiary subheading
etc. …
Title of third major subheading etc. …
However, do be careful to avoid too many subsections as this will simply lead to confusion and
reading difficulties.
Chapters here might include:
A review of the existing work in this field.
A detailed account of the methodology used and why it was chosen.
An analysis of the empirical data collected during the dissertation.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The conclusions must be drawn from the body of evidence presented in the main sections of the
dissertation. Each separate conclusion should be acknowledged – possibly by numerical subsections.
The conclusions should be seen to flow clearly from the preceding analysis and should also indicate
any problems or opportunities which will be the subject of recommended solutions. Finally, there should
be an account of the extent to which the research process has answered the initial research questions and
met the stated research objectives or aims.
Reflections
This section will contain an analysis and evaluation of the overall research process, particularly an
assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation, any problems or constraints
encountered during its compilation and how these difficulties were resolved where appropriate. In addition,
an evaluation of the effectiveness of the chosen methodology can be expected together with an
assessment of how your own individual research and management competencies have been developed.
The following questions may be useful in providing a framework for this section:
Were the dissertation objectives well defined? were they fulfilled?
How did the outcomes of the research compare with initial expectations?
Was the research well planned and executed?
What went well and what should have been done differently?
How sensitive was the researcher to the abilities and contributions of others?
What was learnt in terms of management experience?
How would you improve the dissertation in the light of your experiences?
References
Any material derived from publications (books, journals, the Internet etc.) must be referenced in the body
of the dissertation and full details provided in the references section.
When compiling lists of references the entries are listed in alphabetical order of the names of the authors.
Where reference is made to more than one work by the same author the entries are listed in chronological
order of the dates of publication. When reference is made to more than one work by an author which
were all published in the same year, the works are differentiated by appending the letters a, b, c and so
on to the year of publication – e.g. (Smith, 1974a); (Smith, 1974b); (Smith, 1974c). References to the
specific texts within the dissertation itself must necessarily maintain such designations.
Further details on referencing can be found in your MSc programme handbook. Please note again
that material sourced from the Internet needs to be referenced, and if you are in any doubt about
referencing please discuss this with your supervisor.
Appendices
Appendices are essential where there is a lot of detailed information which, if presented in the main body,
would interrupt or spoil the flow of the dissertation. Examples could be a clean version of your
questionnaire or interview schedule, a copy of your letter requesting access, detailed tables of statistics
or a series of graphs relating to your data analysis, etc., but remember that important items should be
included in the text (Please see Section 9.6., regarding what MUST be included in the Appendix if you
did primary empirical research). Requiring frequent reference to the appendices can irritate readers. The
appendices should also be mentioned at appropriate points in the text – and please do not overdo them.
The rule of thumb is, if the main text can survive without it, leave it out.
Format
The following standard is required for the submitted dissertation.
The dissertation (excluding References and Appendix) should be no more than
8,000 words long (+10 %).
If the dissertation contains confidential information, this should be indicated by the
student on the title page. The University will treat all such information in the strictest
of confidence and will undertake not to pass confidential information to a third party.
Please also note that by submitting a dissertation you agree to the
department’s right to use all means at its disposal to verify that the work is
your own in the unlikely event that poor academic scholarship is suspected. As
advised previously, do avoid poor academic scholarship.
The front cover should be a title page laid out as in Appendix A of this booklet.
A left hand margin of 25/40 mm should be used with all other margins being 20 mm.
Double line spacing should be used for typescript, except for indented quotations
where single spacing may be used.
Pages must be numbered consecutively throughout the text. Page numbers
should be located centrally at the bottom of each page.
Any abbreviations used should be those in normal use and writing in full the first
time they are used. Where necessary a key to abbreviations should be provided.
These requirements must be adhered to. Beyond this, however, the exact format of
the dissertation is likely to vary according to the particular purpose and subject
matter of the dissertation.
Part D: Assessment Criteria
Each dissertation will be assessed by the dissertation supervisor and another tutor for moderation, before
being passed to the external examiners. This process ensures that a consistent and appropriate standard
of marking is being applied. Assessment consideration will include the following:
Clarity of the Dissertation’s Purpose and Objectives
It should be clear to the reader what the organisation involved does or, if the study is not organisationbased, what the context of the inquiry is. There should be a definite statement of the purpose of the study.
The topic or problem should be clearly explained and there should be an outline of what it is intended
to achieve in practical terms. Theories or conceptual frameworks guiding the work should be outlined and
their application explained.
Use and Critical Understanding of Theory
Relevant previous work should be reviewed and appraised. The dissertation should demonstrate the
ability to critically evaluate and make use of relevant sources.
Relevance and Justification of Methodology
The methodology used should be adequately explained and must be appropriate to the research topic
and the data needed to explore it. Reasons for using particular techniques should be explained. Data
must be carefully collected, and unnecessary bias avoided. Data must be relevant to the purposes of the
dissertation.
Critical Understanding and Analysis
The dissertation should demonstrate rigour in analysis, taking an appropriately critical attitude to data
and findings. There should be a high standard of interpretative skills in analysing and understanding the
results of the investigation.
Demonstration of Study’s Implications and Limitations
The dissertation should discuss what the student learned about the application both of concepts
and techniques in carrying out the dissertation. This should include an appraisal of research and
management competencies enhanced, reflections on successes or failures, more general lessons of
interest and any areas identified as needing further investigation. This should demonstrate a high standard
of understanding of the reality of the research process, a developed awareness and understanding of the
relevant business setting and a genuinely thoughtful and well considered critique.
Conclusions and Recommendations
These should be based on the evidence and be clearly derived from the preceding analysis. Practical
effectiveness and sensitivity should be shown in conclusions and recommendations with realistic
awareness of constraints where appropriate.
Quality of Presentation
The dissertation should be written in good English and be well presented with appropriate use and quality
of graphics and illustrations. It should be clearly structured with self-explanatory chapter and section
headings. The sections of each part of the dissertation should proceed logically. Dissertations should
be correct in terms of basic mechanics i.e. typing, spelling, punctuation, grammar, tables, references.
Part E: Most Frequently Asked Questions
Depending on your educational background and experiences, some of you may have already
prepared dissertations for other courses of study. For those that have written dissertations previously
you will find that many of your experiences will prove valuable as you approach your Master’s
dissertation. However, it is likely that some aspects of the dissertation process here at the University of
Leicester will differ from elsewhere.
If you have not written a dissertation before there is no need to worry. You will receive guidance and
advice throughout the programme in the form of an assessed Research Methods module as well as
guidance from a supervisor who will be assigned to advise you on all aspects of the process.
All of the advice contained in this section is equally relevant to students writing a dissertation for the first
time as it is to those who have done dissertation type work before. Remember, the dissertation is
your piece of work. How you approach your project is largely your responsibility. Others, including
supervisors, fellow students and lecturers will be able to advise and discuss your work with you but
you must manage and plan your project yourself. Here is a list of questions that students often ask us
each year:
About the Dissertation
What makes a good dissertation?
criteria, work
Although there is no one set of definitive
that is original, relevant, well written, critically
informed and interesting tends to make a
good dissertation.
How long should my dissertation be?
No greater than 8,000 words (+10%).
What should I do if I am having problems keeping to the word limit?
Discuss this with your supervisor at the earliest opportunity.
Does my dissertation need to be an original piece of work?
Must
my
dissertation
include
new
empirical research?
Yes. It must be your own work and must not have been submitted elsewhere. You will be required
to complete a declaration form to confirm this. See your programme handbook for further details on
academic honesty.
This is only required if undertaking an empirical dissertation.
What subjects are allowed?
Broadly any area related to one
more of the subjects covered on the
course.
or
Are there any restrictions on my choice of topic?
supervisor
You must also be aware that you need a
willing to approve your dissertation topic and
provide you with support. Your proposed
research must also meet the ethical standards
required of all research at Leicester University.
Whose role is it to identify a project?
help by
You
must
do this yourself. Staff will try
to
giving some ideas of research areas and you
should use the guidance provided by this
handbook and given in the Research Methods
module to help you.
Will the School of Business offer any Company- based dissertations?
No. If you would like to undertake a company project then it is your responsibility to secure access.
Will the School of Business pay any expenses incurred in doing my dissertation?
No. You should bear this in mind when selecting your dissertation topic and methodology.
Appendix C
(Gaining Research
Ethics Approval)
IF YOU ARE UNDERTAKING AN EMPIRICAL DISSERTATION THEN YOU NEED TO COMPLETE
AN ETHICAL APPROVAL FORM. IF YOU ARE CONDUCTING A DESK-BASED DISSERTATION
THEN ETHICAL APPROVAL HAS ALREADY BEEN AWARDED VIA A MODULE LEVEL EXEMPTION.
YOU SHOULD ONLY COMPLETE THIS ETHICS APPLICATION FORM ONCE YOU HAVE
DISCUSSED YOUR DISSERTATION PROPOSAL WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR.THIS APPLICATION
SHOULD BE SENT BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR DATA COLLECTION.
The University of Leicester requires research projects concerning human participants to receive
ethical approval. The ethics approval process begins by the researcher completing and submitting
an Ethics Application Form. The Ethics Application Form can only be completed online, at:
https://wads2.le.ac.uk/ethics/Ethics.aspx
Applicants will need to log in using their CFS username and password.
In addition to completing the Ethics Application Form applicants also required to include any additional
information (e.g. participant information sheets, consent forms, questionnaires, debriefing material,
correspondence, interview questions, advertisements). This additional information is provided through
the same online page.
The application process begins by the applicant selecting their status (staff or student) and the name of
the authorizer. The name of the authorizer varies for different applicants but will normally be your
supervisor. Applicants can also download an Ethics Application Guide (in MS Word format) which
provides a detailed description on how to complete each section of the Ethics Application Form.
Once the applicant selects ‘Start Application’ they will be redirected to the next page where details of
the project should be inserted. The form is structured as follows:
o
Please outline whether or not your research raises any particular
ethical issues and how you plan to address these issues:
o Are you using a Participant Information and Informed Consent Form?
Yes/No - If YES please save attachment using the attachment panel below
o Have you considered the risk to yourself, to the associated
researchers and, to the research participants?" Yes/No
Section 5.Research Ethics Checklist
o Does the study involve participants who are particularly vulnerable
or unable to give informed consent? (e.g. children, people with
learning disabilities, your own students) Yes/No
o Will the study require the co-operation of a gatekeeper for initial access to
the groups or individuals to be recruited? (e.g. students at school,
members of self-help group, residents of nursing home) Yes/No
o Will it be necessary for participants to take part in the study without
their
knowledge and consent at the time? (e.g. covert observation of
people in non-public places) Yes/No
o
Will the study involve discussion of sensitive topics (e.g. sexual
activity,
drug use)? Yes/No
o Are drugs, placebos or other substances (e.g. food substances,
vitamins) to be administered to the study participants or will the study
involve invasive, intrusive or potentially harmful procedures of any
kind? Yes/No
o Will blood or tissue samples be obtained from participants? Yes/No
o Is pain or more than mild discomfort likely to result from the study?
Yes/No
o Could the study induce psychological stress or anxiety or cause harm
or negative consequences beyond the risks encountered in normal
life?
Yes/No
o Will the study involve prolonged or repetitive testing? Yes/No
o Will financial inducements (other than reasonable expenses
and compensation for time) be offered to participants?
Yes/No
o Will the study involve recruitment of patients or staff through the
NHS?
Yes/No
o Does this research entail beyond minimal risk of disturbance to the
environment? If yes, please explain how you will minimise this risk
under panel 4 above. Yes/No
o Have you gained the appropriate permissions to carry out this research (to
obtain data, access to sites etc?) Yes/No
o Measures have been taken to ensure confidentiality, privacy and
data protection where appropriate. Yes/No
Section 6. Declaration
o In drop down panel '5. Research Ethics Checklist.' If you have
answered 'yes' to any of the questions 1-12 or 'no' to questions 13-14,
please return to panel '4. All Research Applicants' and ensure that you
have described in detail how you plan to deal with the ethical issues
raised by your research. This does not mean that you cannot do the
research only that your proposal raises significant ethical issues which
will need careful consideration and formal approval by the
Department's Research Ethics Officer prior to you commencing your
research. If you answered 'yes' toquestion 11, you will also have to
submit an application to the appropriate external health authority ethics
committee. Any significant change in the question, design or conduct
over the course of the research should be notified to the Module Tutor
and may require a new application for ethics approval.
o Declaration
o I have read the University of Leicester Code of Research Ethics
o The information in the form is accurate to the best of my knowledge
and belief and I take full responsibility for it.
o I understand that all conditions apply to co-applicants and researchers
involved in the study, and it is my responsibility to ensure they abide
by them.
Section 7. Attachments
Once all of these sections have been completed applicants can choose to ‘Save’, ‘Validate’, or ‘Send
for Authorisation’.
Once ‘Send for Authorisation’ is selected this will validate the application. If the application is valid it
will automatically send the application to the nominated authoriser specified in the application. To track
progress on the application, select 'My applications' and ' + ' against the sent application.
The authorizer will receive an email that will direct them to the Ethics Approval Form site. They will then
be able to review the application and take a decision on whether or not to approve the research.
Once the authorizer selects ‘approve application’, the applicant receives an email confirming that Ethics
Approval has been authorized. The applicant can then proceed with the research.
Appendix D
(Qualtrics)
Survey/Questionnaire Research with Qualtrics
The School of Management has a licence for a major commercial survey development software
(Qualtrics).
Qualtrics is an online survey creation, delivery and management tool which allows users to produce
online or paper based surveys. The data gathered from the survey can be fed into SPSS or Excel etc.
Further information is available here: www.qualtrics.com/why-survey-software There is an excellent
package of help and support for all users from Qualtrics ‘University’ - you can access this here:
www.qualtrics.com/university/researchsuite/
Dissertation Title (5-15
words)
The Impact of International Hotels Entering the Chinese Market on the
Chinese Hotel Industry
Provide a brief outline of
your topic (no more than
100 words)
With the rapid development of China's economy and the booming
development of China's tourism industry, a huge market has attracted many
internationally renowned hotel brands to enter China. This has caused the
Chinese hotel industry to have a decentralized client base and has been
affected by scale and increased competition in the industry. The main aim
of this dissertation is to analyze these impacts and propose future
development strategies for the Chinese hotel brand.
Select which type of dissertation you will undertake (select one only):
Empirical Dissertation1 (you will be required to complete an online ethics form)
Desk-Based Dissertation
Which area(s) of management will your dissertation cover (select up to 3 options):
Organizational Behavior
Accounting and Finance
Business Economics
Marketing
Strategy and Leadership
International Business
Operations and Innovation Management
Human Resource Management
Governance and Ethics
Proposed Research Methods (select one only)
Qualitative
Quantitative
Mixed Methods
Purchase answer to see full
attachment