Guidelines for MBA Project to Demonstrate Knowledge and Skills for Business Problem-Solving

Demonstrate a systematic understanding and critical appreciation of the interrelationship of diverse theories in the MBA toolkit to challenge existing preconceptions and develop positive and enquiring approaches to management and enterprise. Demonstrate an aptitude and ability to solve a defined business problem through enquiry having drawn upon your MBA studies and appreciating the interrelated nature of organisations.

Demonstrate intelligent practice by imaginative and critical integration of theory and practice to create a tangible deliverable through critical insightful evaluation stipulating areas of excellence and reflecting on areas for development to improve performance in contemporary organisations.  In addition, for specialist pathways:

• MBA (Finance) A focus on strategic finance and risk management
• MBA (Hospital and Health Services Management)

A focus on hospital and health service management and including economic, political, social and environmental change and the impact of regulatory and governance trends.

• MBA (Human Resource Management)

A focus on human resource management and development in complex situations and within and across borders.

• MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management)

A focus on sustainability of the relationship and expectation between markets, customers, supply chain partners and other stakeholders.

• MBA (Marketing)

A focus on complex market situations taking account of the development and progression of the customer relationship and customer satisfaction.

• MBA (Oil and Gas Management)

A focus on the external context in which modern oil and gas organisations operate including economic, political, social and environmental change and the regulatory and governance trends impacting n different organisations.

• MBA (Digital Technology Management)

A focus on the management of communication and information technologies and contemporary information systems to inform and support decision making in a global knowledge-based economy.

The unit aims to enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of management and business as well as the skills essential to effective operation in a corporate, business, public sector or not for profit environment. It is a unit specifically designed to help your transition into the professional work environment through the integration of theory and practice supported by contemporary research evidence.

This unit provides the opportunity for you to investigate an area of interest drawing on the MBA toolkit developed through taught units and will support the development of lifelong learning through an Evidence-based management approach where analysis, evaluation and decision making are supported by research evidence from quality academic and practitioner sources.

The emphasis is on your independent learning through the application of management education to management practice to inform and enhance problem solving and decision making and to improve organisational effectiveness and performance

You will develop an appreciation of the range of data sources and their collection and analysis in order to help you more critically assess a contemporary problem and solve a business issue.

This would normally require the collection of secondary data from quality academic and practitioner sources.   Where relevant, it might be possible for students to collect primary data.   However, please remember time is tight and, unless you have experience of data collection and analysis, this is discouraged. You will be expected to comply with the University ethics process including seeking approval where required.

The TIP Project enables you to consider a business problem, how this is framed and what solution you can present based on your appreciation of critical enquiry.  The assessment requires you to consider in depth one aspect of the implementation of decisions.

For Assignment 1 you will have already developed the plan for your project comprising the scope, aim, objectives, theoretical underpinning, method of analysis and evidence.  Assignment 2 is where you present the in-depth report on the project including an in-depth review of influential contemporary contributors, analysis of the evidence, interpretation and discussion, leading to clear conclusions and feasible recommendations for practice.

Assignment 2, the Project Report should be a deep consideration of a specific topic, drawing on a wide range of academic sources, including peer-reviewed material, and using practical examples and cases to illustrate your points.  The emphasis of the work is to consider the practical issues involved in making decisions, solving organisational problems or exploring opportunities, achieving change and managing the implementation of strategy. Your work must be submitted as a professional Business Report of 9000 words +/-10% (including an improved Chapter 1).  Staged submissions are required through the online journal on the BREO course site.

A random sample of students will be called to attend a viva voce to check the authenticity of their work

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

• Demonstrate assessment of theories underpinning the aim and objectives of the project and integrate this understanding into a coherent framework for analysing case studies or other data/evidence.
• Develop a research design to identify and assemble sources of data and evidence and carry our data analysis as appropriate to the aim and objectives.
• Demonstrate adequate critical analysis and evaluation of case studies/evidence, debate the implications of the analysis and develop a tangible deliverable.

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

We will be filling this section in together in class on (TBA) make sure you have downloaded/printed out the Assignment Brief and bring it to the session with you.

• You need to widely extend your reading through independent research using quality academic and practitioner sources
• You will apply theory in practice for critical, in-depth analysis in the context of the chosen research topic
• Is your method of analysis aligned to your aim?
• Are you clear on how to collect evidence (data), how to report this and how to analyse the data leading to your findings?
• How might you interpret your findings in relation to current knowledge reviewed in Chapter 2? Discussion chapter
• What are the insightful outcomes of your research – what is your contribution to knowledge/practice?
• Consider what are the main conclusions derived from your discussion?
• Make feasible recommendations that are directly actionable
• You must use in-text citations throughout to acknowledge others’ ideas in support of your critical analysis
• You must use the Harvard style of referencing.