BE988 Postgraduate Dissertation/ BE972 Practice Problem-Oriented Business Report 2026/26

BE988/BE972 PGT Management Programmes

Introduction

Writing a Master’s dissertation (BE988) or a Practice/Problem-Oriented Business Report (BE972) (this will be later referred to as ‘business report’) is an important and necessary part of your studies on the PG programme. It is an intellectual journey in which you can apply the knowledge you have gained, use it in a creative way and learn more about a topic that you are interested in. These guidelines are intended to support the design, conduct and writing of your dissertation/business report. They are intended to compliment the guidance you will receive from your supervisor that is suited to the specific characteristics of your research project.

The dissertation/business report is in many ways the culmination of the Master’s Degree programme. It provides students with opportunities to apply knowledge gained throughout their programme of study and to further engage with this knowledge in greater detail to produce a piece of work independently.

As an important part of the Master’s Degree programme, the dissertation/business report contributes 60 out of the 180 credits of the programme of study. It is a core unit that students MUST pass this module in order to receive a Masters Degree (please refer to the Rules of Assessment on the Website). The dissertation/business report is a unique piece of work designed to help students develop the kind of skills they will need for work, as well as to develop their specific ability to analyse real problems using an academic lens. It does, however, take time, discipline and patience. The dissertation/business report requires planning and organisation and you must balance between the ideal and what is practical given the time and resources available.

The following represent some core principles for all dissertations:

• In your dissertation you will undertake a thorough review of literature and of current knowledge;
• A dissertation for a taught Master’s degree demonstrates your ability to synthesise theories and to relate theory and practice in a critical manner.

The following represent some core principles for all business reports:

• A Business report at taught Master’s degree level must demonstrate your ability to undertake an original and independent piece of research, evidenced through a case study. You will plan and design a business report based on a real organizational/management issue identified either through practice/primary or desk research.
• In your Business report you will apply the theoretical concepts and subject knowledge gained on the course to critically examine and practically solve the management issue in an ethical manner.

The best dissertation/business reports for taught Master’s degrees show originality in their approach and insights gained, criticality in the way ideas and arguments are presented and analytical sophistication in the way ideas are scrutinised.

Word Count limits:

BE988- the research-oriented dissertation should not exceed 10,000 words BE972- the business report should not exceed 10,000 words

BE988: Module Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate the ability to identify, plan and undertake a substantial and original piece of independent research through critical evaluation of evidence.
• Demonstrate the capacity to apply and justify a range of research skills and methods from a range of choices, in order to design a relevant management research project.
• Presentation of clear and convincing arguments supported by adequate literature and data sources to evidence independent research.
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the knowledge and core concepts in specific areas in management, which the student has chosen to specialise, taking into account the global context in which organisations operate.
• Demonstrate critical, analytical and synthetic thinking skills in relation to management theories and their application within a global context.

BE972: Module Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate the ability to undertake an original and independent piece of research, evidenced through a case study.
• Plan and design a business report based on a real organizational/management issue identified either through practice or desk research.
• Apply the theoretical concepts and subject knowledge gained on the course to critically examine and practically solve the management issue in an ethical manner.
• Present clear arguments and evidence after collating/analysing the relevant data using appropriate design and methods.
• Practically apply their problem-solving, decision-making and research skills to solve complex managerial problems and make recommendations for policy and practice.

BE988 Dissertation/BE972 Business Report Schedule Overview 2025-26 October Intake

Starting your Dissertation/Business report

INITIAL SUPERVISORY MEETING

Once your dissertation/business report supervisor has been allocated, please contact your supervisor to arrange an initial meeting to discuss your plan and to make arrangements for further progress meetings. Supervisory meetings might either be in a group or individual form, but you can book one to one appointments with your supervisor in advance.

It is good practice to keep a record of all of your meetings with your supervisor (there is a template at the end of this document for you to record your meetings). Meetings will also be recorded by your supervisor electronically on the LEAP system.

You must have regular contact with your supervisor over the summer term, via face to face meetings, Zoom and email. Any leave of absence must be formally agreed with your supervisor (see p. 11). Meetings should be regular (4 meetings required over the period of the supervision in

Spring and Summer terms ) and late summer meetings would not be granted unless arranged in advance.
In preparation for your supervisory meeting:

• Be clear about your topic. Try to identify some specific research questions for BE988 or a particular organisational problem for BE972.
• Is the topic realistic and one which can be explored using desk research (secondary data) or does it require primary empirical investigation? Will the work be undertaken in the UK or elsewhere? Will it require ethical approval?
• Draw up a timetable of your work and discuss any milestones with your supervisor. Agree on key deadlines, the approximate number of meetings, and schedule future meetings.

CHOOSING A TOPIC

Submission of Online Dissertation/Business Report Choice Form by 18 February 2026. BE972 Business Report Topic Form:
https://forms.office.com/e/bZfFTxyWL6 BE988 Dissertation Topic Form: https://forms.office.com/e/Zj5d4J8Xrq
It is your responsibility to select a suitable dissertation/business report topic within the parameters of the broad topic areas covered by your programme of study. Initially, you may informally approach any member of staff for suggestions and ideas, but would need to agree the topic with your supervisor. However, you are ultimately responsible for selecting a topic. Conversely, you cannot be required by a member of staff/ supervisor to investigate a topic that you do not find acceptable.

You can explore ideas for topics from many sources: any work placement experience; past work experience; current part-time work; other empirical material to which you can gain access; coursework; lecture content; seminar material; academic readings, especially current and recent issues of academic journals; regular reading of business & management trade press; and library copies of recent projects.

You may assume that the topic, as you initially conceived, may evolve as the project progresses. By “evolve” we mean that the particular aspect of the topic which becomes central to the project may change, in one direction or another as the project progresses. As a result, you may adjust your dissertation/business report title, final research questions/ organisation problem or data collection method as you develop your work. This evolution or ‘fine tuning’ of a project is quite usual. The goal is to find a topic which is general enough to be significant, but specific enough to become focused. Please note that the topic you specify on the online dissertation topic/business report choice form may slightly change after discussions with the supervisor, but you may not change the academic displine- that is switching from a supply chain management topic to a marketing topic.

ETHICAL PROCEDURES

The application form for ethical approval MUST be completed for any research involving human participants as part of your projects.

‘Human participants’ are defined as including living human beings, human beings who have recently died (cadavers, human remains and body parts), embryos and foetuses, human tissue and bodily fluids, and human data and records (such as, but not restricted to medical, genetic, financial, personnel, criminal or administrative records and test results including scholastic achievements).

Research must not commence until written approval has been received (from Departmental Research Director, Faculty Ethics Committee (FEC) or the University’s Ethics Committee). This should be borne in mind when setting a start date for the project

Important guidance about applying for ethical approval, as well as the application form can be found on the Ethical Approval Resources Moodle page.

You will also need to give every participant a participant information sheet and have them sign a consent form, both of which can be found on Ethical Approval Resources Moodle page.

Please discuss whether ethical approval is required for your project with the supervisor, and submit the application before the deadline.
You will also be required to include the ethical approval confirmation letter in the appendix section of your dissertation/business report.

CONTENT & STRUCTURE

There are no firm, specific rules for content and presentation of a dissertation/business report. Different parts of your work may have a different weight depending upon, for example, the nature of your project and the availability of a background literature. Also, the organisation of content may slightly vary as advised by the supervisor.

However, dissertation/business reports could be structured as:

Submitting your Dissertation/Business report

FINAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

When you have completed your dissertation/business report, please ensure that you answer all the following questions in the affirmative:
1.    Have you clearly presented the definition of the problem / research question(s) in the introduction and/or literature review chapter?
 
2.    Is the text structured in a logical way into chapters, section and sub-sections?

3.    Are there cross-references between different chapters, sections, sub-sections, tables, figures etc. to achieve flow?

4.    Are your sentences clearly formulated and comprehensible?

5.    Is the terminology appropriate?

6.    Are there references to both the seminal literature and recent advances in research?

7.    Does the text have a convincing introduction and conclusion?

8.    Is the layout of your dissertation/business report clear and professional?

9.    Have you checked the text for spelling mistakes, grammatical or linguistic errors?

If you require any guidance in completing your dissertation/business report, please seek support from your dissertation/business report supervisor.

BE988-FY Marking Criteria (Dissertation)