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 |
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
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
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
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.
Core Text
White, B. and Rayner, S. (2015). Dissertation Skills: For Business and Management Students, 2nd 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