BMG847 MSc International Business Dissertation L7 Module Handbook Semester 1/2/3 2024- 25

BMG847 Rationale

Students who have successfully completed the 8 taught modules of Semesters 1 & 2 (120 credits) can elect to complete the remaining 60 credits of the MSc International Business programme via either the Dissertation or the Applied Research Project options.

The Dissertation provides an option to students seeking to focus on the more traditional academic pathway through a Master's study programme or as a gateway to a PhD programme, for example. It brings together all relevant aspects of the course in research on an International Business issue or problem. International Business is an applied field and thus raises substantive questions of importance beyond the world of academia. Thus, this individual Dissertation will show evidence of both conceptual and empirical rigour.

Aim

The aim of the module is to allow those students who are pursuing the Masters degree to have a further opportunity to develop their chosen specialism by preparing and presenting a research based Dissertation. The final submission will be not more than 12,000 words. The Dissertation will build on previous studies and will fuse them into a major piece of research related to an international business issue/s.

Learning Outcomes of BMG847

Successful students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of different research strategies and approaches.
2. Demonstrate knowledge and development of a critical literature review on an international business and topic.
3. Apply research skills to carry out empirical research on an international business subject, including collecting, analysing and interpreting data.
4.  Develop writing skills and be able to present an independently reasoned and logical argument in written communication.

BMG847 Content

On completion of the Dissertation module, students will have identified topics within the international business domain that are of particular interest to them. The development of their research proposal document is a key component of this process, as are ongoing discussions with academic staff, the modules studied prior to their Dissertation and the research expertise available within the Department.

By the end of semester two/year two, students will therefore have prepared and have had approved a Research Proposal Document and will each be allocated a suitable academic supervisor who will provide them with specialist guidance, advice, and editorial comment.

Key tasks of the supervision will be to ensure that the proposed research is theoretically and methodologically sound and that the student can complete it within the timescale available. Typically, the thesis will contain a rationale for the chosen subject of study, a review of the relevant literature, research methodology, findings and analysis and conclusions and recommendations.

Learning And Teaching Methods

Learning will be through a mixture of workshops and individual supervision:

At the very beginning of the dissertation the students will be assigned a supervisor and will be put into small groups of 10. The members of each group will all have a common supervisor who will be responsible for the group.

Workshops: Each group will be scheduled to attend online group workshops with each workshop lasting 1 hour (apart from the workshop on week 1 which is double and should last for two hours). These workshops intend to deliver a planned programme on the requirements and structure of the dissertation and consolidate student learning and its articulation in draft chapters. During these group workshop, the students will also be given the opportunity to discuss queries and aspects of their dissertation and receive feedback from the supervisor. These online workshops are compulsory and attendance will be recorded.

Supervision: The main method will be directed independent study and research, via the academic supervisors appointed to each student. It is anticipated that students will receive around 4 sessions of directed supervision via a range of methods including online and face-to-face meetings. This may involve Teams / WebEx for DL students, telephone and email correspondence. During supervision sessions, the students will be able to ask questions and discuss their topic, direction, intention, drafts and outcomes of their research with their supervisor independently from all other members of the group. Students are expected to submit their draft dissertation chapters for review and formative feedback during the online 1-2-1 supervisory sessions. Supervision sessions are compulsory and attendance will be recorded.

BBL Support Area: A dedicated dissertation support area has been created via the module's BBL area. Students are expected to participate in all online activities, using this forum to exchange ideas and build knowledge in order to support the development of their dissertation and produce rigorous empirical or applied international and applied business research.

The dissertation will be scheduled as follows:

The RESIT will include supervision only and will be scheduled as follows:

BMG847 Assessment And Feedback

Dissertation [100%]

Final assessment of the completed Dissertation submission will be made by two internal assessors using predetermined evaluation criteria. A standardised and well-established marking criteria utilising a marking proforma will be used for all Dissertations. All Dissertations will be presented to the External Examiner for review.

Word count should be no more than 12,000 words.

The Dissertation must be submitted through the UK Turnitin link in Blackboard (instructions will be given in Blackboard).
Written feedback will be provided within three weeks of the submission date of the Dissertation after it has been first and second marked.
Formative assessment feedback is an integral part of the dissertation process. Supervisors and students meet regularly on a one-to-one basis at various stages of the research process, to monitor and discuss progress and where guidance and feedback is provided.

Coursework:    100%
Examination:    None

The pass mark for the dissertation is 50%.

Summary Description

The Master's Dissertation enables students to carry out research on a chosen topic within the domain of international business. Academic supervisors are allocated who provide advice and guidance to students throughout this process. On successful completion of their 12,000 word Dissertation students will be awarded their MSc in International Business.

Further Information

Administration of the Dissertation

The dissertation will be submitted via Turnitin by 12.00 noon on the day shown at the front of this booklet. 
LATE SUBMISSIONS OF DISSERTATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. SUBMISSIONS BEYOND THE DEADLINE SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE FAILED.

Candidates experiencing difficulties in meeting the submission deadline should communicate their circumstances in writing to the Course Director at the earliest opportunity and should be accompanied by appropriate authenticating evidence such as medical certificates, letters from employers etc. 

The initial assessment of the dissertation is the responsibility of the individual’s supervisor. The dissertation shall also be independently marked by another member of academic staff. All dissertations will be subject to review by the external examiner to ensure compatibility and consistency of standards.

Dissertation Supervision

You will be assigned a dissertation supervisor whose role is to provide guidance and feedback at various stages of the research process. Please note it is your responsibility to make contact and agree meeting dates and times with your appointed supervisor.

Role of the Supervisor

The supervisor's role is not necessarily one of 'subject matter expert', but where possible students will be “matched” with a member of staff who has an interest in the dissertation topic and who will guide and advise students on issues such as the following;

• help to refine the definition of the topic;
• thereafter have pre agreed meetings to discuss the method and progress of the work;
• advise on problems of content, organisation and presentation; 
• agree a timetable for completion of the work.

The majority of the learning time for the dissertation will be independent study for research and dissertation development by the student. Supervisors and students should work towards achieving a balance between the challenge of undertaking a dissertation and being supported in learning.

The Supervision Process

Once you have been allocated a supervisor it is your responsibility to initiate and maintain regular contact with your supervisor. You should email your supervisor prior to meetings and ensure you forward all agreed work several days prior to the meeting to ensure the supervisor has ample time to consider and review your work in time for the meeting.

Supervisors will usually review and give feedback on key draft chapters they will not, however, reread chapters or review a complete final draft of the dissertation. You have to take responsibility for deciding when the dissertation is ready for submission. It is not the supervisor’s duty to tell you that the work is ready for submission, thereby implying that the dissertation is of a pass standard. The dissertation belongs to you not the supervisor. The process is largely self-driven, requiring significant self-discipline and time management skills.
All dissertations should be written in good English. It is not the job of the supervisor to correct grammatical and spelling mistakes. It is reasonable for a supervisor to return a script if it is not up to the expected standard. A dissertation may be acceptable regarding content but may not pass because of poor spelling or grammar. It is good practice to ask a friend, spouse or colleague to proof-read a dissertation.

Student Responsibilities

As part of your duties and responsibilities as a dissertation student you will need to:

• Contact your supervisor at the earliest date to discuss your RIC proposal.
• Meet at the agreed times and discuss the progress of your dissertation with your supervisor. Remember it is your responsibility to maintain regular contact with your supervisor.
• Keep accurate records of supervision meetings and act on the advice given.
• In the event of extenuating circumstances arising over the course of your dissertation contact your Course Director to discuss. 
• Submit your final written dissertation in accordance with the instructions contained within this handbook.

Ethical Approval Form

Everyone doing research must complete an Ethical Approval Form (see page 16) to establish the type of research that will be taking place and whether it involves human participants. Prior to undertaking any research, especially primary, the students must discuss this form with their supervisor and then complete it providing as much detail as possible. The form must then be submitted to the supervisor for initial approval. Once the Ethics Form is signed it must be submitted to Blackboard for official review by the Research Ethics Committee Representative at QA.

• The approved and signed Ethical Approval Form must be uploaded on BlackBoard (Turnitin) as per the deadline given.
• A copy of the approved and signed Ethical Approval Form must also be included in the Appendix section of your final thesis (Dissertation report).

Information Sheet and Consent Form (For Primary Research)

If the research requires that interviews and/or questionnaires are undertaken, an Information Sheet (introducing the reasons behind the research) must be prepared (and agreed by the supervisor) and provided to the interviewees and/or respondents to the questionnaire and their consent must be sought. No participant should be engaged or approached to take part in the research without obtaining their informed consent first.

• If you are setting up an online questionnaire, the Information Sheet may be provided as part of the introduction to the questionnaire and the Consent Form may be the first question that you may ask the respondents.
• The Information Sheet and any Consent Forms obtained by interviewees must be included in the Appendix section of your final thesis.
• Evidence of responses received must be provided in the Appendix of your final thesis.
  Copyright/Plagiarism

Quoting authors:

The dissertation must be your work and your work alone. However, you must be aware of relevant literature and must present accurate summaries of the work of others to set your work in context or support your arguments. In using the work of others you must not copy large amounts of their words, diagrams etc. If you do use other’s materials, you must include their works in quotation marks and say where the material comes from.

An appropriate style is:

Birley (2006, p21) argues that “….” 
Or  
It has been suggested that “….” (Birley et al, 2011, p 45)

Citing authors:

If you do not want to quote the author, but want to present his or her thinking, you must summarise, critique or paraphrase their work and attribute the work to them. Sometimes students appear to believe that it is sufficient to reproduce large sections of someone’s words and merely change a comma, word or phrase here or there. Even if you attribute the work to the appropriate author, this is an INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. Get used to writing in your own words. Your dissertation will read much better and you will develop your own style of writing.

Plagiarism:

Passages from another writer’s work, which are paraphrased, MUST BE ATTRIBUTED to the appropriate author. Failure to do so amounts to PLAGIARISM and may be sufficient cause to have your dissertation failed. The penalties for plagiarism can be severe. DO NOT DO IT.

Referencing and Bibliography

Students must use the alphabetical or name-date method known as the HARVARD system.  In this the author's surname and year of publication are cited in the text, e.g. (Cromie, 2014), and a reference list (of these citations) is included at the end of the dissertation, in alphabetical order by author. The reference list also includes additional details such as the title and publisher. A bibliography lists relevant items that you have used in the preparation of the dissertation but not cited in your text. A bibliography should also be in the Harvard style and the inclusion of such a list shows that you have read widely beyond the items you have cited, see below for examples:
Journal articles:     Campbell, J. (2014) “The Problems Experienced by Small Firms”, International Small Business Journal, vol.8, pp 45-60.

Books:    Strange, D. (2014) Understanding the Small Business Sector, London, Sage.
Edited Books:    Johns, S. (2007) Small firms and the UK Labour Market, in Curran, J. and Blackburn, R.A. (Eds), Paths of Enterprise, London, Routledge. 

Conference Papers:    Campbell, S. (2015) “Managerial Relationships”. Paper presented to the American Marketing Association Conference, San Francisco, August.

For full details please see the Ulster University Business School Guide titled “Referencing in the Harvard Style” which is available on Blackboard.
Technical Issues and Penalties

Only Word-processed dissertations should be submitted.
Font Type:    Calibri, Arial, Verdana or, Times New Roman
Font Size:    11 or 12 points
Word Count:    12,000 words

Exceeding the specified word count will result in penalties (deduction of marks): 

• Up to 10%:    no penalty
• 11-20%:    10% deduction
• More than 20%:    FAIL
• The % reduction will be based on the student's initial mark, prior to the penalty.
• Do NOT submit a pdf version of your thesis as it will not be marked.
• Do NOT submit a hard copy of your thesis.
• Do NOT attach any other documents to your thesis but include them as part of the Appendix.

Student Diary

Students must keep a Diary to record progress, what is discussed, reviewed, agreed and planned during their meetings with their supervisor, any ideas they may have that relate to their dissertation, as well as to keep track of the process of working on their dissertation. You must bring this diary with you to every meeting with your supervisor and have it ready for review if asked. 

Email Communication

It is extremely important that you use your Ulster University email address when communicating with your supervisor, or anyone else within the university.

Private email addresses will not be responded to so do not use them and they may also be blocked by the university IDS for information security purposes.

Dissertation Structure

It is difficult to give a structure that should be followed universally. However, most dissertations should have a structure similar to the following:

1.Title Page (See page 14 for template)
2.Declaration (See page 15 for template)
3.Acknowledgments/Dedication
4.Abstract
5.Table of Contents (should include all headings and sub-headings of each chapter with page number)
6.List of Figures (if applicable)
7.List of Tables (if applicable)
8.Abbreviations (if applicable)
9.Chapter 1: Introduction
10.Chapter 2: Industry/Company & Literature Review
11.Chapter 3: Methodology
12.Chapter 4: Results/Findings, Analysis, Evaluation and Discussion
13.Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations
14.Appendices (incl. evidence of primary research undertaken such as responses, data collected, etc)
15.List of references
16.Bibliography (if applicable)
17.Ethical Approval Form (See page 16 for template)

Dissertation Section Word Count and Marks