Unit information: Dissertation in Global Operations and Supply Chain Management in 2019/20

Unit name	Dissertation in Global Operations and Supply Chain Management
Unit code	EFIMM0070
Credit points	60
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Dr. Wang
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	The taught element of the programme.
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Management - Business School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

The aim of this research project and associated dissertation is for students to undertake an individual inquiry relevant to global operations and supply chain management at Masters level. It will give students the chance to work autonomously on a project of their choice and to both demonstrate, and develop communication, problem solving, research and project management understanding, knowledge and skills.

Every student will be allocated a dissertation supervisor, whose guidance they will use to do the research and complete the dissertation write-up (10,000-15,000 word limit). A dissertation demands self-motivation and good organisational skills. Students are expected to show initiative in choosing their topic of study and in executing the research. The unit will further develop skills in developing a research agenda, formulating appropriate research questions, conducting a literature review, planning a research programme, analysing data, and communicating the findings by a fixed deadline.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Frame a clear, central research question;
2. Identify and critically review literature relevant to the topic and central research question;
3. Understand and apply an appropriate research methodology to investigate the chosen topic;
4. Analyse data and/or evidence, where appropriate, and draw apposite conclusions that answer the central research question;
5. Integrate conclusions into wider academic debates;
6. Produce a dissertation in a clear, well-written and grammatically-correct style, that conforms to the conventions of academic presentation.

Teaching Information

There will be five hours of supervision with a dissertation supervisor. Supervisor responsibilities include guidance on aspects of the dissertation preparation (including a specific discussion on research ethics approval, where appropriate), checking and helping with formal arguments and theoretical models, data collection, analysis and conclusions as applicable. For some dissertation topics, additional seminars are provided, and for highly technical dissertation topics, a technical ‘help desk’ is provided during the main study period.

5 hours of supervision

20 hours of preparation for supervision

575 hours of independent study

Assessment Information

Formative assessment: (ILO1-4)

Supervisors will read and provide feedback on one full draft of the dissertation (either complete or by chapter). Provided the draft is submitted within guidelines, the supervisor will respond with feedback within 14 days. Feedback should provide detail on the requirements for improvement.

Summative assessment (ILO 1-6)

A dissertation of 10,000 to 15,000 words is to be produced. The dissertation will assess students’ ability to frame a research question in the context of relevant literature, apply a suitable research strategy for either of qualitative, quantitative or library-based research study; analyse resulting data and draw relevant conclusions and integrate these into wider academic debates. The dissertation will also assess students’ ability to produce a substantial piece of work independently and by a deadline, which also conforms to the conventions of academic presentation.

Reading and References

Core Text

White, B. and Rayner, S. (2015). Dissertation Skills: For Business and Management Students, 2^nd edition. ISBN-10: 1408081776; ISBN-13: 978-1408081778.

Thematic reading will vary according to your chosen research topic (please seek advice from your dissertation supervisor about key reading for the dissertation)

Suggested Reading

1. Bryman, A., and Bell, E. (2015). Business Research Methods, 4th edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN-10: 0199668647; ISBN-13: 978-0199668649.

1. Brown, B.R. (2006). Doing Your Dissertation in Business and Management: The Reality of Researching and Writing. SAGE. ISBN: 9781412903516; Online ISBN: 9781849209069. **SAGE Study Skills