Dissertation Handbook

Dear Students,

 

現在是你開始認真工作的時候了，這是你的碩士課程的一個重要因素。

你將被分配給一個主管根據你的興趣區域，你的方法論或你的理論基礎，似乎是適當的。在可能的情況下，你的興趣區域與你的主管匹配。然而，這不能保證。也不可能要求一個特定的主管，所有的分配都將在公平的基礎上，學生和工作人員的基礎上。

你會在正式的基礎上滿足你的上司三次。It is now time for you to start seriously to work on the dissertation, which forms a significant element of your Masters’ programme. This guide will give you some hints as to what is required. It discusses such things as dissertation requirements, supervision, the writing of the initial and final research proposal, submission instructions, University assessment and areas of research interest of some members of staff.

You will be allocated to a supervisor according to your area of interest, your methodological approach or your theoretical foundation as seems appropriate. Where possible, your area of interest will be matched up with that of your supervisor. However, this cannot be guaranteed. Nor is it possible to request a specific supervisor; all allocations will be made on a basis of fairness to both students and members of staff.

 

You will meet your supervisor on THREE occasions on a formal basis.

Meeting 1 will take place when the completed outlines have been received and you have been allocated a supervisor. At this meeting you will discuss your project and negotiate a way forward.#p#分頁標題#e#

Meeting 2 will take place after the Research Proposal has been submitted. This will be commented upon by supervisors and will form the basis of a discussion to ensure you are on the right path.

Meeting 3 will take place during the completion phase of the dissertation

 

Supplementary meetings may be granted at the discretion of the supervisor. 

 

If you aren’t yet sure about your research topic, take a look at the example research project titles in Appendix 1 of Saunders et al., (2007) or read Collis and Hussey (2009).  It’s a very interesting and exciting time to be in China and to encourage research at an international business level, given China’s current state of economic growth and development. Some hot topic areas include the textile industry, the mining industry, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the tourism industry, the 2010 International Expo’ in Shanghai, WTO impacts on China, industry restructuring, and international trade relationships (especially USA, EU, Japan) for starters! See Saunders et al., (2007) pages 21−30 for generating and refining research ideas.

 

On Pages 17-25 of this handbook you will find a list of areas of interest of various members of academic staff and you are welcome to choose from this list if you wish. The list is not exhaustive, and we are happy to discuss your ideas in any area.

 

Saunders et al., (2007) and Collis and Hussey (2009) provide a solid grounding in the research process specifically with a business orientation. The following Appendices in the former are also useful:

 

Appendix 1 – Examples of research topics 

 

Appendix 2 - Useful summary for systems of referencing

 

Appendices 3-4 - Sampling sizes

 

Appendix 5 - A reminder about the use of non-discriminatory language

 

These are followed by a glossary of key terms. Do make use of the textbook to help you with the key stages of your research project. 

 

It is strongly recommended that you obtain a notebook to commence a research diary.  In particular, for the qualitative research methods component, record your comments about what you are reading – both content and process. These notes will be valuable when you are ready to do your own research.

 

Get to work. I hope that we can make this a banner year for you. Wish you good luck!

 

With best regards,

 

Professor Carl Fey

Professor of International Business

Dean of Nottingham University Business School China

 

 

        

MA/MSc PROGRAMMES DISSERTATION GUIDELINES

 

DISSERTATION REQUIREMENT AND ASSESSMENT

 

All MA/MSc. candidates must undertake a dissertation to complete their degree. This dissertation is normally written in the summer leading up to the end of the course. You must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in your dissertation and an average of at least 50% across all course modules to be awarded the degree of MA/MSc.

 

 

OBJECTIVE OF DISSERTATION

 

The purpose of the MA/MSc dissertation is to provide you with the opportunity to undertake independent research in a topic appropriate to the title of the degree for which you are registered. In undertaking the dissertation, you should look to draw on and extend material covered in the course. Normally dissertations may have a significant empirical component (whether quantitative or qualitative) aimed at providing further understanding of key theoretical concepts.  The typical dissertation is likely to be structured around a review of the relevant literature, an outline of methodology and a presentation and analysis of empirical results. The one exception would be those students enrolled in the MSc Entrepreneurship programme who have the option of writing a dissertation in the form of a business plan rather than in the traditional research format required of all other MSc candidates.

 

 

CHOICE OF TOPIC

 

You are encouraged to begin thinking about a suitable topic for your dissertation as soon as possible.  You will find a list of areas of research interest of possible supervisors in this guide.

 

In general, the dissertation would be expected to include both conceptual and practical analysis.  While it is possible to prepare a dissertation based exclusively on conceptual analysis or one which relies purely on desk research, you should understand that dissertations of this nature depend upon thorough analysis and criticism and are by no means an easy option.

 

To complete a dissertation successfully you must check that the topic is realistic in terms of the time available for completion, the scope of the problem and the availability of information and other resources.  It is important at an early stage to define the specific issues to be addressed, the research methods that you expect to adopt and the specific resources required to complete the work. Please note that is not the policy of the Business School to fund these dissertation costs.

Where a particular topic requires primary research (interviews, questionnaires, group discussions) from external sources, you must be explicit about your purposes and any relevant affiliations. For example, if your dissertation is being sponsored by an external organisation, you must make this clear when collecting external information that is not in the public domain. The use of the University affiliation should not be used to facilitate the collection of commercially sensitive information. Any doubts about the ethical aspects of information gathering should be discussed with your supervisor. You may find it useful to refer to the 'Code of Research Conduct' published by the University of Nottingham Research Committee (available on the shared drive). #p#分頁標題#e#

 

 

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

 

You must read it before you start your research:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessment/academic-misconduct.aspx 

 

 

 

SUPERVISION ARRANGEMENTS

 

When you have decided on the subject area of your dissertation you should submit an Initial Dissertation Proposal Form (see Page 25) to the Faculty Office, AB348. Please ensure that you sign this form before submitting it. You should submit this form to the Faculty Office no later than Friday 15th March 2014. Please note that the form MUST be submitted by this date if your dissertation is to be allocated to a supervisor by the dates given below. If you do not submit the form by this date there will inevitably be a delay in the allocation of your dissertation to a supervisor. 

 

Your dissertation project will be assigned to a supervisor and you will be notified of the name of your supervisor by the Faculty Office no later than Saturday 19th April 2014. It is then your responsibility to make the initial contact with your supervisor within one week of this date and develop a lengthier proposal to the satisfaction of the supervisor before proceeding with your work. The agreed proposal should then be attached to the Agreed Dissertation Proposal Form (see Page 27 of these notes) which should be signed by the student, countersigned by the supervisor and submitted to your supervisor no later than Friday 16th May 2014.  

 

While the dissertation is an individual piece of work, the supervisor will undertake the following:

 

? to offer guidance in the specification of the dissertation topic and the formulation of the problem as well as providing some suggestions for preliminary reading;

 

? to offer assistance in outlining an appropriate structure for the dissertation and to review the outline structure of the dissertation; 

 

? to help in relation to any specific problems encountered in the course of the research and discuss ideas of possible approaches with you; and

 

? to communicate with you on at least three occasions via face-to-face contact or other form of communication with regard to your progress.  

 

It is not the job of the supervisor to read each and every draft of your work, nor to correct English grammar or spelling. Normally, a supervisor will only read the complete dissertation report after the work has been submitted by you for marking. The supervisor will also mark your dissertation. Please understand that most supervisors have research, teaching, conference and management commitments over the summer period. It is not normally anticipated that there will be regular contact during this period, so it is important to organise your work to ensure that the dissertation structure and method have been agreed early on. In the event of an emergency, you should contact your supervisor through the Faculty Office.  #p#分頁標題#e#

 

It is your responsibility to maintain contact with your supervisor, and to notify the Faculty Office should you experience any difficulty maintaining contact with them.

 

 

INITIAL DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

 

You should provide an outline of your dissertation proposal for the first meeting with your assigned supervisor. Here are some of the issues that you might wish to consider:

 

Title. Why have you selected this topic? What particular knowledge or skills do you have to complete this project? Why is this topic interesting to you? What particular question(s) are you trying to answer by carrying out this work?

 

What has already been written about the topic? What theoretical framework can you follow for this work? Where do you expect to find information about previous research into this topic? What sources of information might there be practical / empirical aspects of this topic?

 

Information requirements. What is the nature of the information and data that you will need to complete this work? How do you expect to obtain such information and data?

 

Research methodology and assumptions. What approach do you expect to take to provide you with evidence on which to support your eventual conclusions? What assumptions underlie your approach?

 

Description of proposed chapters. Can you put together a description of the expected chapters of your dissertation and justify the logic of the proposed structure?

 

An outline could be written up in the form of an introductory chapter to the dissertation. Whatever your approach, the outline of your full dissertation proposal is a critical stage at the end of which both you and your supervisor should be convinced as to the feasibility and suitability of the dissertation. 

 

However, many dissertations change shape as the research proceeds. Although the agreed outline of your full dissertation proposal forms the basis of an agreement between the supervisor and student as to the viability of the proposed dissertation, the details remain flexible providing you consult with your supervisor as to the nature of proposed changes. 

 

If you wish before writing up the proposal and possibly after you have thought through a few topics, it might not be a bad idea to talk to some supervisors from the school who work in these areas. It may be possible that they are working in a related area and they may suggest a topic that you can work on. While this might not always be the case, it might at least help you fine tune your selected topic for the proposal and potentially flag potential supervisors.      

 

 

THE ACADEMIC SUPPORT UNIT#p#分頁標題#e#

 

The Academic Support Unit (ASU) offers English language and academic skills support to postgraduate students.  It has a range of courses and workshops to help you develop the skills you need to participate effectively in your degree programme.  It also offers career-related skill development in association with the Career Development Office. Further information will be given during the ASU Information Session in February/March, 2014 (time and place to be announced through Email). You can drop in to SSB 118 without an appointment and see an advisor.  Alternatively, you can make an appointment by email: [email protected] .

 

The ASU also runs workshops to develop specific academic skills. These workshops are arranged in series but students can choose the particular skill they wish to develop. For full details of courses please see the U:\CELE ASC\Information About Workshops.

 

 

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME MANAGER

 

 

The overall PG dissertation process will be directed by Dr Eric Scheffel but will be managed according to the degree programme. The Managers/Coordinators are: 

 

MSc in Finance and Investment – Dr Xiuping Hua

MSc in International Management – Dr Jie (Fifi) Wang

MSc in International Business – Dr Eric Scheffel   

MSc in Entrepreneurship – Dr Fei Zhu 

 

If you have matters concerning your dissertation that cannot be settled with your supervisor, you should contact the relevant programme manager.

STAGES IN PREPARING YOUR FULL RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The essence of any paper can be stated in question form. Ask yourself these questions: 

• What?

• What puzzles and intrigues me?

• What do I want to know more about or better understand?

• What are my key research questions?

• Why?

• Why will this be of sufficient interest?

• Is it a guide to practitioners or policy makers?

• Is it a contribution to knowledge?

• How – conceptually?

• What concepts, models and theories can I draw upon?#p#分頁標題#e#

• How can I develop my own research questions and create a conceptual framework to guide my investigation?

• How – practically?

• What research methods and techniques shall I use to apply my conceptual framework (to both gather and analyse data)?

• How shall I gain access to information sources?

 

WRITING THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

You are recommended to read Saunders et al (2007) and Collis and Hussey (2009).  

The following structure covers most of the issues:

• Introduction

• The objectives and purpose of the project (what?): 

• Provide a brief overall description of the context of the project

• Why you want to study it (i.e. what puzzles and intrigues me? What do I want to know more about or better understand?)

• What is the strategic question that guides the project

• What are the objectives of the project

• The justification for the project (why?)

• Why will this be of enough interest? Is it a guide to practitioners or policy makers? Is it a contribution to knowledge?

• The research questions (what? – again, but in more detail):

• Identify and discuss the research questions that you will answer in the project

• If you are taking a positivist approach you might frame your research question as a hypothesis

• An overview of the appropriate literature:

• Mapping the main writers in the field and their arguments

• The definition of key concepts and outline of conceptual framework, i.e. what models, concepts and theories can I draw upon? (If you are adopting a grounded approach this section is not applicable)

•#p#分頁標題#e# Research design:

• What methodological approach are you going to adopt?

• You need to specify both methods of data collection and of analysis. For example, will you follow a quantitative approach that requires a particular form of statistical analysis or computer modelling, based on already collected sets of data. How accessible is the data set you require? Or do you need to go out and observe, test and measure particular phenomena?

• If you are veering toward qualitative methods, how would you go about selecting your sample? Do you need to set up a survey questionnaire, or a set of questions to guide a semi-structured interview or focus group? If you need to interview or survey a sample, how will you go about accessing these subjects? 

• If your work is a critical literature review, how are you going to approach this?

• Research Strategy - does it fit with your research approach?  Does it fit with your research objectives?

• Practical and ethical issues:

• Review BSA (British Sociologists’ Association) Statement of ethical practice www.britsoc.co.uk.

• ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council), Research Ethics Framework

• University of Nottingham Research Code of Conduct.  Ask yourself:

• Does the research raise any ethical concerns that need to be resolved?

• Are there any potential problems of research access?

• Are there any resource issues (such as access to specialist databases or particular research software)?

• Are there issues of commercial confidentiality or intellectual property rights?

• A plan or timetable:

• Consider drafting a Gantt chart that plots a timeline when the major elements of the project will be done.

• List of References

 

 #p#分頁標題#e#

LENGTH AND PRESENTATION OF YOUR DISSERTATION

 

Length

The length of your dissertation should not be more than 20,000 words. Discuss this with your supervisor as some dissertations, particularly those with a high quantitative element, may be of a shorter length. It should be word-processed using double or one and a half spacing on A4 paper with margins of approximately 2.5 centimetres (1 inch). It should be typed using Arial or Times New Roman in 11 or 12 font.  Pages should be numbered straight through, not on a chapter by chapter basis.

 

Cover Information

All copies of the Dissertations, whether hard or electronic copies should contain the following information:

 

University of Nottingham Ningbo China

 

Title of Dissertation

 

Author’s Name

 

Name of MA/MSc degree

 

 

Title Page and Following Pages

The first page of the dissertation should be a title page, formatted as shown below:

 

 

Full Title of the Dissertation

 

by

 

Author's Name

 

Year of Publication

 

A Dissertation presented in part consideration for the degree of "Title of MA/MSc Degree".

 

 

The title page should be followed by a one page summary, the table of contents and the acknowledgements (if any).

 

 

CHAPTER STRUCTURE AND APPENDICES

 

A clear chapter structure is important to reinforce the line of argument; appendices can be used for the presentation of certain types of factual material, mathematical/statistical proofs, survey results etc., since where to include these in the text would distract from the general argument. It is customary also to include in the Appendix copies of questionnaires, interview schedules or other forms of structured data collection methods.

 

 

REFERENCES

 

All work done by other people - either published or unpublished - must be acknowledged and clearly referenced, as should the source of any published data, diagrams or photographs. Failure to do so may constitute the academic offence of plagiarism.

 

References to the work of others should be made in the text, citing author and date, for example:  'Tellis (1986) argues that ...'. A comprehensive bibliography, with references sorted alphabetically should be included at the end of the dissertation. It is important that these references should be accurate and include all the information required to enable a reader to find the references cited. There is currently no global consensus on a preferred reference citation method.  Three of the most prevalent style guidelines include APA, MLA, and Harvard method. In APA style, a widely accepted format for writing research papers, the references are listed at the end of the article in alphabetical order by author (and by year for identical authors).  APA Style guideline examples (based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition, 2001) are provided below.  For further reading and reference, see also the APA's official site at www.apastyle.org. Where possible the use of footnotes should be avoided when referencing.#p#分頁標題#e#

 

BOOK 

Geissler, E. M.  (1998). Pocket guide to cultural assessment (2nd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. 

You can also go to WorldCat.org, search the world's largest database of library books, and click on "Cite this item" for almost any book.  Its APA citations are not 100% correct, though; beware of capitalization, state of publication, and punctuation errors (see NOTES).

 

BOOK CHAPTER, ESSAY, or ARTICLE when author is credited 

de Paula, T. C. M., Lagana, K., & Gonzalez-Ramirez, L. (1996). Mexican Americans. In J. G. Lipson, S. L Dibble, & P. A. Minarik (Eds.), Culture and nursing care: A pocket guide (pp. 203-221). San Francisco: USCF Nursing Press. 

 

BOOK CHAPTER, ESSAY, or ARTICLE when no author is credited (paper version) 

Russians. (1998). In T. L. Gall (Ed.), Worldmark encyclopedia of cultures and daily life (Vol. 4, pp. 332-339). Detroit, MI: Gale Research. 

BOOK CHAPTER, ESSAY, or ARTICLE when no author is credited (online version) 

Russians. (1998). Worldmark encyclopedia of cultures and daily life. Retrieved January 9, 2003 from Discovering Collection database. 

 

ARTICLE in a STANDARD ENCYCLOPEDIA (paper copy) 

Islam. (1992). In The new encyclopaedia Britannica (Vol. 22, pp. 1-43). Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica. 

 

ARTICLE in a STANDARD ENCYCLOPEDIA (web site version) 

Islam. (1992). In Britannica.com. Retrieved February 9, 2002 from Britannica.com database. 

 

JOURNAL ARTICLE (paper copy) 

Oguisso, T. (1999). Professional nursing in Brazil. International Nursing Review, 43, 81-94. 

 

JOURNAL ARTICLE (from an online database)   (for more details, see the APA's official site) 

Kavanagh, K., Absalom, K., Beil, W., & Schliessmann, L. (1999). Connecting and becoming culturally competent: A Lakota example. Advances in Nursing Science, 21, 9-31. Retrieved March 26, 2001 from ProQuest/Nursing Journals database. 

 

JOURNAL ARTICLE (online, on a web site)   (for more details, see the APA's official site) 

Outbreak news. (2001, February 23). Weekly Epidemiological Record, 76, 57-64. Retrieved February 28, 2001 from http://www.who.int/wer/pdf/2001/wer7608.pdf 

 

MAGAZINE ARTICLE (paper copy) 

Ulrich, T. (1997, September 22). Linking an Amish hereditary disease with cerebral palsy, a pediatrician challenges a dark inheritance. Time, 150, 30-33. 

 

MAGAZINE ARTICLE (from an online database) 

Ulrich, T. (1997, September 22). Linking an Amish hereditary disease with cerebral palsy, a pediatrician challenges a dark inheritance. Time, 150, 30-33. Retrieved March 1, 2001 from InfoTrac/Expanded Academic ASAP database. #p#分頁標題#e#

 

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE (paper copy) 

Padilla, H. (2000, June 6). Hugo prohibits custom animal slaughter; the vote will officially close a Hmong slaughterhouse, where animals were sacrificed for religious reasons. Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), p. 1B. 

 

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE (from an online database) 

Padilla, H. (2000, June 6). Hugo prohibits custom animal slaughter; the vote will officially close a Hmong slaughterhouse, where animals were sacrificed for religious reasons. Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), p. 1B. Retrieved February 28, 2001 from Lexis-Nexis Universe/General News database. 

 

PAMPHLET / BROCHURE  (Cite like a book but add [Brochure] as shown) 

Research and Training Center on Independent Living. (1993). Guidelines for reporting and writing about people with disabilities (4th ed.) [Brochure]. Lawrence, KS: Author.  

 

ERIC DOCUMENT 

Fredrickson, M. (2000). Parent/child communication in migrant communities. Miami, FL: Annual Meeting of the Speech Communication Association. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 377 236) 

DISSERTATION 

If you obtain an actual dissertation (not just its abstract), in print or on microform, check the Publication Manual of the APA for complete directions on citing it properly. 

 

DISSERTATION (abstract only, obtained on CINAHL) 

Crow, G. K. (1988). Toward a theory of therapeutic syncretism: The Southeast Asian experience: A study of the Cambodians' use of traditional and cosmopolitan health systems. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Utah, 1988). Abstract retrieved March 19, 2001 from CINAHL database. 

 

DISSERTATION (abstract only, obtained from DAI on FirstSearch) 

Crow, G. K. (1988). Toward a theory of therapeutic syncretism: The Southeast Asian experience: A study of the Cambodians' use of traditional and cosmopolitan health systems (Doctoral dissertation, University of Utah, 1988). Dissertation Abstracts International, 49(08B), 3101. Abstract retrieved March 19, 2001 from First Search/Dissertation Abstracts International database. 

 

WEBSITE   (NOT from an online database) (for more details, see the APA's official site) 

The Amish, the Mennonites, and the Plain People. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2000 from Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center Web site: http://www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml 

 

INTERVIEWS, E-MAILS, PHONE CONVERSATIONS, etc. 

"Because they do not provide recoverable data, personal communications are not included in the reference list. Cite personal communications in text only.  Give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible." (APA Manual, section 3.102)  Example: I. M. Certain (personal communication, April 1, 2000).#p#分頁標題#e#

 

PRESENTATIONS, SPEECHES, POSTER SESSIONS, etc. 

Like the example above, if they do not provide "recoverable data," these would not be included in the reference list and would be cited in the text only.  If, however, something tangible exists (e.g. handouts of PowerPoint slides, an abstract in a conference program, etc.), it might be citable.  See the APA Manual, section 4.16 D and F. Here is an example of a poster session: 

Worral, P. S. & Levin, R. (2004, June). Developing a statewide research agenda. Poster session presented at the biannual meeting of the American Nurses Association, Minneapolis, MN. 

Since they ask, I have suggested to students who wish to cite a presentation unofficially, for an undergraduate paper, that they could cite it like this: 

Twohy, K. (2004, January 15). Testimony given at Health, Human Services and Corrections Budget Division, St. Cloud, Minnesota.

 

 

FOOTNOTES

 

While the use of footnotes is not generally encouraged, they may be used to highlight important points that would otherwise break the flow of the text.  They should be identified numerically and presented at the foot of the page to which they refer. Endnotes should not be used.

 

DIAGRAMS AND TABLES

 

Diagrams and tables should normally be included in the text as close as possible to the point at which they are discussed. All diagrams (figures) and tables should be consecutively numbered. In the case of dissertations that contain an unusually large number of diagrams, it may be preferable to group these diagrams at the end of the relevant chapters or in an appendix.

 

 

Dissertations containing information that is commercially sensitive 

 

There is provision for dissertations considered commercially sensitive to be classified as confidential. If you are using sensitive information, obtained from a company that you have been in contact with, they may ask you not to divulge the company name and confidential information, nor to place your finished dissertation in the public domain without their authorisation.

 

A letter declaring that any sensitive information will remain absolutely confidential can be prepared by the student, confirmed by the supervisor, and given to the company in question.

 

SUBMITTING YOUR COMPLETED DISSERTATION

 

Three copies of the dissertation (two hard copies and one in electronic format) should be handed in to the Faculty Office (AB348) by 4 p.m. on 12th September 2014. One copy may be hard bound if you wish; this will be for your supervisor. The second copy should be in a format able to be photocopied for sending to Nottingham UK. The electronic copy will be for the Business School's eDissertations Archive. #p#分頁標題#e#

 

For information on how to submit the electronic copy, see the Information Services guide: Please use Moodle, and the software program Turnitin.

 

Students will be regarded as having fulfilled the submission requirements only when both hard copy and electronic copies have been received. Non-submission by the due date will result in a mark of zero being recorded.  

 

Time extensions of this date are not normally given unless medical evidence is supplied and all applications for an extension must go through the Faculty Office. If a time extension is allowed it may, nevertheless, delay the marking of your work and delay your graduation. 

 

GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSMENT OF MA/MSc DISSERTATIONS

 

Assessment Criteria

 

The assessment of the dissertation will be based on the academic quality of the work.  Particular attention will be paid to the ability to integrate conceptual and empirical material, the depth of understanding of the literature, the appropriateness of the methodology and the suitability of methods of analysis.

 

In addition, the following factors will be taken into consideration:

 

• the amount of effort, initiative and enthusiasm shown;

• the difficulties experienced and extent to which they were overcome;

• the extent of self organisation and ability demonstrated by the student;

• the effectiveness, quality of work produced and the extent to which the objectives of the project were met;

• the organisation and structure of the project;

• the quality of referencing, appendices, figures and programs where relevant;

• the quality of the project as a source of clear, concise, interesting information.

 

The supervisor gives marks out of 100 based on the quality of the dissertation. 

 

Level of pass guidelines 

 

The Postgraduate taught programme marking scheme used within the Business School may be significantly different from that which you have experienced elsewhere. As a consequence, you should not be alarmed if you are awarded marks in the 50s or 60s, as these are perfectly respectable grades. 

 

The complete range of marking standards and associated classifications is as follows:#p#分頁標題#e#

 

Classification Mark/Comments

 

Distinction 80+ Outstanding piece of work

All major and minor objectives achieved

Excellent comprehension and informed criticism and analysis

Evidence of outstanding work beyond question and some originality

Free from errors and showing advanced analytical skills

 

Distinction 70-79 Excellent piece of work

All major and some minor objectives achieved

Very good comprehension and analysis of the issues involved

Excellent familiarity with the source material

No major errors and only occasional minor errors

 

Good Pass 60-69 Careful and clear piece of work

Most major objectives achieved

Good understanding of the topic

Good grasp and analysis of major issues

No major errors though some minor errors

 

Pass 50-59 Middle of the range piece of work

Basic question answered with relevant analysis

Discusses and understands most relevant issues

Material a bit thin and/or poorly focused

Possible major and some minor errors

 

Fail 30-49 A failed piece of work

Poor understanding of the chosen subject area.

                                Not a full analysis of the problem/topic

Shows some understanding of the general field

Inadequate reading/research/preparation

Major errors

 

Fail 0-29 A badly failed piece of work

Very poor arguments and analysis

Completely inadequate reading/research/preparation

Generally unsound

 

Areas of Research Interests of Members of Staff

 

STAFF MEMBERS#p#分頁標題#e# PRINCIPAL RESEARCH INTERESTS METHODS

ACCOUNTING & FINANCE

Dr Wai Kin Leung • Investment

• Derivative

• Real Estate

• Chinese Finance Quantitative & Qualitative

Professor Yongmin Zhang • Mortgage Backed Securities and Mortgage Pipeline

• Real Estate Finance

• American Options and Real Options

• Private Equity Valuation

• Portfolio Management and Risk Management Quantitative & Qualitative

Professor Weimin Liu • Empirical asset pricing

• Efficient Market Hypothesis

• Corporate Events Quantitative

Mr Andrew Edwards

• Accounting Education

• International Financial Reporting

• Language and Accounting Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Xiaogang Bi • Mergers and Acquisitions

• Institutional Investors

• Behavioural Finance

• Empirical Corporate Finance Quantitative

Ms Cass Lai

• #p#分頁標題#e#Capital Structure

• Financing Strategies and Decision

• Corporate Social Performance Quantitative 

Dr Ying Jiang • Market Efficiency

• Forecast volatility

• Price momentum and trading strategies Quantitative

Ms Judy Tang • Mergers and Acquisitions

• accounting standards Quantitative & Qualitative

Ms Keying Zhu • Financial accounting standards

• Auditing and corporate governance Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Kevin Dow • Value of Accounting Information Technology

• Forensic Examination

• Management Accoungting Systems

• Accounting Information Systems Design Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Robert Nieschwietz • Perceptions & Behaviour in the Auditing Process

• Technology Acceptance, Adoption & Impact on Accouting Systems Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Aihua Zhang • Mathematical Finance 

• Business valuation 

• Asset pricing 

• #p#分頁標題#e#Risk management 

• Portfolio management 

• Climate change

• Carbon finance

• Insurance mathematics Qualitative & Quantitativ

Dr Cherry Yi Zhang • Empirical asset pricing 

• Market anomalies and trading strategies 

• Investment

• Behavioural finance Quantitative

Dr Yun Shen • Earnings management

• Financial reporting quality

• Accounting-based firm valuation model Quantitative

Ms Xiaolan Zheng • Corporate governance

• Capital Structure

• International Finance

• International Finance Quantitative

Dr Michele Geraci • Optimum Monetary Policy in China and SE Asia 

• Chinese Economic Development Model

• Rebalancing of Chinese Economy: savings, consumption and investment

• Rural Reforms, Rural Finance & microcredit

• Development of China security market: shares and bonds 

• Eurozone Debt Crisis, Chinese investment in  Europe, Mergers and Acquisitions #p#分頁標題#e#Quantitative & Qualitativ

Dr Xiuping Hua • Option returns and Volatility

• Chinese Financial Markets and Economic Policy

• International Finance Quantitative

ECONOMICS

Dr Qing-Ping Ma • Pension economics/finance

• Investment strategy/optimal portfolio management

• Consumption and saving behavior

• Risk control and management, 

• R&D strategy/organization in industries. Theoretical & Quantitative

 

Dr David Andersson • Hedonic price analysis

• Regional development

• Institutional competition

• Location choices of artists and other creative workers

• Location and interaction of scientists Quantitative

Mr David Chiang • Globalisation; in the developing and newly-developed economies

• Macroeconomic policy;

• Microeconomic reform; and

• Corporate governance and market failure. Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Eric Scheffel • (Monetary) Macroeconomic Theory

• Time Series Analysis (Empirical Macro)

• #p#分頁標題#e#Agent-based modelling

• Economics of the Internet (OSS)       Quantitative

Dr Khurshid Kiani 

• Business cycle research 

• Applied financial economics and forecasting 

• Macro financial econometrics Quantitative

Dr Lingji Kong

• sampling techniques

• distribution theory and application Quantitative

Dr Nana Kwabena • Fiscal stability (business cycles and foreign aid incentive issues)

• Price distortions (associated with exchange rate and trade policy) and Export performance 

• Applied time series econometrics Quantitative

Dr Paolo Bianchi

• Political economics

• Local government fiscal policy

• Culture and institutions

• Globalization, democracy and economic growth

• State owned enterprises 

• Bayesian econometrics

• Empirical business cycle. Quantitative

Dr Qingfeng Wang • Pricing of American option

• Pricing of Asian option

• Pricing option with stable process Qualitative

Dr Sailesh Gunessee

• #p#分頁標題#e#Foreign Direct Investment (e.g. Location Choice of FDI using city- and firm-level data; Chinese Outward FDI; Effects of MNEs)

• Behavioural Economics (e.g. applied managerial decision making; Chinese Economic Psychology) 

• Experimental Economics (e.g. experiments on individual decision making and games)

• Taxation (e.g. Individual Tax Evasion; Corporate Taxation) Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Tiantian Zhang • Frontier efficiency analysis (DEA, SFA) 

• Total factor productivity analysis

• Banking competition and risk management. Quantitative

MARKETING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Dr Alain Yee Loong Chong • E-Commerce / Mobile commerce

• IT and Logistics/Supply chain management 

• Social computing

• Green information systems, Green supply chain management

• RFID and Energy & Environmental Informatics Research Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr David Edwards • Information systems adoption, design & management

• Social computing/social informatics 

• Digital news media Qualitative

Dr Marc Mazodier • Sponsorship effectiveness

• Ambush marketing

• Learning of brand associations

• Co-branding#p#分頁標題#e#

• Quantitative methodology Quantative

Dr Fei Zhu • Entrepreneurial Persistence

• Entrepreneurial decision Making

• Role of affect in the entrepreneurship context Qualitative and Quantitative

Mr Dirk C. Moosmayer • B2B marketing

• Pricing

• Consumer response to social responsibilities

• Values in marketing and management Quantitative Methods & Conceptual Work

Dr Jie Yu

 

• E-commerce and online shopping

• Knowledge management

• Virtual community

• Social Networking Sites/Services (including social games and social marketing) Quantitative

Dr Lars Bergkvist • Advertising and Marketing Communications

• Consumer Behaviour

• Brand Management

• Research Methodology Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Maris Farquharson • Opportunity identification

• Entrepreneurship education

• The individual entrepreneur

• The entrepreneurship process

• #p#分頁標題#e#Academic entrepreneurship

• Science parks and the transfer of knowledge from HEIs Qualitative

Dr Martin Liu

• Consumer Behaviour

• Marketing Communication

• Brand Strategy Quantitative

Nachiappan Subramanian|

 

• Supply chain strategies on low-cost country sourcing

• Factors causing complexity in supply chain.

• Factors for implementing sustainable logistics 

• Framework and methodologies to improve supply chain resilience

• Logistics performance measurement

• Combined model for location, allocation and routing in reverse logistics network

• Critical factors for Third party logistics service providers’ success Quantitative and Qualitative

 

Ms Premylla Jeremiah • Knowledge Management

• Information Systems Analysis and Design

• Computer Ethics, Privacy and Security

• Mobile Computing and Technology Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Thomas Wing Yan Man • Different Forms of Entrepreneurship

• Small Business Management

• Entrepreneurship Education and Learning

• Business and Management Education

• Training and Development#p#分頁標題#e#

• Strategic Management Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Tori Huang • The psychology of entrepreneurship: emotion and decision making; thinking and action in adversity (e.g. persistence and learning from failure); creativity and improvisation.

• New forms and platforms of entrepreneurship (e.g. e-entrepreneurship)

• Entrepreneurial strategies and corporate entrepreneurship

• China-related constructs (e.g. Guangxi, Mianzi, Yuan) Conceptual, Quantitative & Qualitative

Mr Trevor Bayley

• Examining the effectiveness of focus groups in improving alignment in Chinese SME information systems

• Understanding the factors influencing the externalization of knowledge in focus group interactions in China

• Improving student interaction in small group, task based seminars at UNNC

• Examining the role of alcohol in business negotiations in Ningbo.

• Factors influencing the promotion of non-core sports in China. Qualitative

Dr Yi Wang • Consumer behaviour in tourism industry

Marketing and protection for cultural heritages

Tourism planning, marketing and policy-making for destinations Qualitative

Dr. Guillaume Johnson • Cross-cultural marketing

• Consumer behaviour

• Advertising effectiveness

• Services marketing Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr. Felix Arndt •#p#分頁標題#e# Competitive Dynamics & Firm adaptation

• Corporate Entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurship Nexus

• Bricolage

• Open Innovation

• Microfoundations of Strategy

• Business Model Innovation

• Organization Structure

• Spin-offs Conceptual, quantitative, & qualitative

Dr. Bat Batjargal • Institutional polycentrism theory

• Social network theory

• Entrepreneurship and venture capital in such countries as China, Russia, France, and United States Quantitative & Qualitative

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Dr Achim Krausert

• Industrial relations, trade unions, professional associations, tripartism, collective bargaining

• The relationship between culture / institutions and HRM in China

• Human resource management for managers

• Human resource management for professionals

• Performance management / performance appraisal

• Employee monitoring

• Strategic human resource management 

• Work-life balance / working hours / flexible working in China

• Other subjects in HRM, including personnel selection, rewards, equal opportunities, etc. Conceptual, Qualitative & Quantitative

Dr Brian J. Hilton #p#分頁標題#e#• International business, particularly globalization strategies, and the significance of cultural differences between East and West.

• Systemic approaches to analysis, evaluation and synthesis of complexity. Qualitative

Dr Brian Ross • Strategic Partnerships, Mergers and Collaborations between Asian and European companies

• Virtual organizational relationship

• Developing best practice in collaborative arrangements

• Partnerships transforming over time Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Chieh Huang • Regional trade agreements

• Bilateral/regional investment agreements

• WTO

• China-Taiwan Economic Corporation Framework Agreement 

• Consumer protection for digital commerce Qualitative

Dr Gary Schwarz

• Outsourcing

• Boundaries of the Firm

• Shared Service Centers

• Organization of Support Functions (F&A, IT, HR)

• Transaction Cost Theory

• Public Sector Organizations Theoretical, Qualitative & Quantitative

 

Ms Honor McAdam • Law and Corporate Groups (professions, trade unions, commercial enterprise)

• Theory (legal, social, political)

• #p#分頁標題#e#Labour and Employment

• Business and Human Rights

• Law and Governance Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Joon Hyung Park • Leadership, Abusive supervision 

• Proactive behavior, stress, workplace bullying

• HR (turnover, expatriates)

• Multilevel analysis, meta-analysis Quantitative

Ms Josephine Van-Ess • Corporate Social Responsibility in China

• Mergers & Acquisitions between Asian and foreign companies

• Sustainability practices in Asian organizations. Qualitative & Quantitative

Dr Lei Li • The relationship between multinationality and firm performance

• Internationalization processes and regional/global strategies

• Case studies and theory building focusing on Chinese multinational enterprises

• Internationalization and performance implications of MNEs in specific industrial sectors

• Case studies on and empirical investigation of international entrepreneurship Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Michal Lemanski • Subsidiary mandates

• Intra-coporate entrepreneurship

• Diffusion of organizational practices in multinational corporations

• Corporate social responsibility and international business #p#分頁標題#e#Qualitative

Michael Mooney • Labour Law and Employment Law

• Language and Law

• Law and Copyright in China

Dr Peter S. Hofman

• R&D and Innovation in Chinese Firms

• Energy innovation in China

• Corporate Governance and Firm Strategy/Performance 

• CSR reporting in China

• Corporate Social Responsibility in China

• Sustainability strategies in Chinese firms

• Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Peter Lamb

• Management Learning and Education

• Travel and translation of ideas and models Qualitative

Rajan Gaikwad

 

• Employee retention & Engagement 

• HR practices (JV & M& A)

• Training in private-sectors Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Shameen Prashantham • MNE-SME/new venture relationships

• Social capital/networks and International new ventures

• Social capital/networks and SME internationalization Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr Peter Morgan • Individual behaviour

• #p#分頁標題#e#Learning and education

• Personality

• Organisational structure and culture

Dr Ulf Henning Richter • Corporate strategy and innovation

• Corporate social responsibility & sustainability

• Corporate governance and restructuring

• Sustainable investment in emerging economies

• Private Equity in China

• Foreign direct investment by Chinese companies into Africa and Europe Quantitative & Qualitative

Dr ‘Alim Beveridge • Corporate social responsibility & sustainability:

particularly, the adoption, diffusion and translation of CSR/sustainability concepts and practices

• Meaningfulness of work 

• Altruism, benevolence, prosocial motivation

• Resilience & burnout

• Social entrepreneurship & social innovations

• Business ethics, especially ethical decision making 

• Organizational identity

• Multi-level research Conceptual, Qualitative & Quantitative

 

Dr Edward Buckingham • Ethnography (meaning  Inductive and deductive approaches that recognize emic and etic knowledge) 

• Organisational boundaries

• Strategies in emerging markets (especially China and Indonesia)

• #p#分頁標題#e#Rural entrepreneurship (China’s town and village enterprises)

• Edith Penrose 

• The strategic importance of identity

• Institutional theory

• Leadership and Social capital 

• Learning and organisational performance

Dr Jie Wang • The impact of personality on employee outcomes

• Voice behaviour

• Chinese indigenous management concepts

• Psychological climate

• Creativity and innovative behaviour Quantitative

 

TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT STAGES

 

Task Date

 

Identify and refine topic/research area September 2013 – February 2014

 

Students Contact Potential Supervisors 17 February – 31 March 2014 

 

Initial Dissertation Proposal 15 March 2014

 

Supervisor Assigned 19 April 2014

 

First Meeting with supervisor by 26 April 2014

 

Full Dissertation Proposal 16 May 2013

 

Second meeting with Supervisor by arrangement

 

Third meeting with supervisor by arrangement

 

Submission of completed work 12 September 2014

 

MA/MSC PROGRAMMES 2013/2014

 

INITIAL DISSERTATION PROPOSAL FORM

 

Name: ..………………………….

 

Contact Details (Email and Telephone number):.……………………………………………………………….…

 

MA/MSc Degree Registered For:

 

Main discipline of Dissertation *(please tick one only as the most appropriate):

 

Accounting

Corporate Social Responsibility

Economics

Entrepreneurship/Innovation

Finance

Human Resource Management

Information Systems

Marketing

Operations Management

Organizational Behavior

Strategy

Tourism

Other (please specify)

 

* Please note that if you are undertaking the MSc International Business programme, your chosen Dissertation topic must have an international business focus.

 

Proposed Title of Dissertation (indicate below): 

 

Brief outline of research problem and proposed methodology (indicate below): 

 

Significant resources required (please note it is your responsibility to investigate this and to ensure that the necessary resources are available to you to complete the project): 

 

Have you discussed your research topic with an academic staff from the school? Yes/No

If so, please indicate to whom?

 

Your Signature: ………………………………………......   Date:…………………… 

 

This form must be returned to the Faculty Office (AB348) no later than Friday 15th March 2014.

 

 

MA/MSC PROGRAMMES 2013/2014

 

AGREED DISSERTATION PROPOSAL FORM

 

Name: .………………………………

 

Assigned Supervisor of Dissertation:

 

Proposed Title of Dissertation:

 

PLEASE ATTACH YOUR AGREED OUTLINE OF YOUR FULL DISSERTATION PROPOSAL#p#分頁標題#e#

 

Supervisor: …………………………………………………….(Signature) (Date)

 

Course member Signature: ……………….……………….   Date: ……………………………..

 

This form must be returned to your supervisor no later than Friday 17th May 2013.

 

REFERENCES

 

Collis, J. and Hussey, R. (2009). Business research: a practical guide for undergraduate & postgraduate students. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2007). Research methods for business students. Harlow : Financial Times Prentice Hall. 

Dr. Shih-wei Hsu 

The University of Nottingham Ningbo China 2013