-8558781492301Module Handbook 2022-23
-8558781492301Module Handbook 2022-23
Module Code: ULMS790
Module Title: Dissertation
00Module Handbook 2022-23
Module Code: ULMS790
Module Title: Dissertation
-907086-95097600
Contents
TOC o "1-3" h z u Module Leader and Contact Details: PAGEREF _Toc124249534 h 3Module Aims and Learning Outcomes: PAGEREF _Toc124249535 h 3How will this module develop my ULMS Graduate skills? PAGEREF _Toc124249536 h 4Teaching and Learning Strategies: PAGEREF _Toc124249537 h 4Key Dates: PAGEREF _Toc124249538 h 4Assessment Strategy: PAGEREF _Toc124249539 h 4Policies for the below can be found via: PAGEREF _Toc124249540 h 5Feedback to Students PAGEREF _Toc124249541 h 5How can I feedback my views on this module? PAGEREF _Toc124249542 h 5Supervision PAGEREF _Toc124249543 h 6Core Reading PAGEREF _Toc124249544 h 6Recommended Reading PAGEREF _Toc124249545 h 6Tips for achieving good marks in assessments: PAGEREF _Toc124249546 h 7Learning Tips PAGEREF _Toc124249547 h 7
Instant Feedback Facility (IFF)
We want to hear from our students. If you have any comment or suggestion on any aspect of this module (or any module) please make sure that you clearly mark your e-mail IFF - Instant Feedback Facility and send it to:
ulmspgenq@liverpool.ac.ukModule Information:
Title of module: Strategy, Planning and Implementation
Module code: ULMS790
Credit value:60 credits
Semester in which the module is taught: 2
Pre-requisites needed for the module: See module specification: Section 1: Module Facts and Details
Module Leader and Contact Details:Name of module leader: Dr Martyn Bradley
Email address of module leader: m.bradley@liverpool.ac.uk
Office hours of module leader: By appointment
The module will be supported by a number of lecturers and teaching support staff. You will be introduced to the team throughout the course of your study.
Module Aims and Learning Outcomes:Analyze ambiguous information and make reasoned judgements and recommendations within a dynamic and changing environment.
Research and present convincing and reasoned arguments to formulate solutions for strategic action.
Select and apply appropriate models, frameworks or tools to provide critical analysis of a business case.
Demonstrate critical awareness of current research in business and management through independent analysis of a relevant business case.
How will this module develop my ULMS Graduate skills?This module helps students to develop the skills set out in the module specification: Section 3, Module Outcomes. Details of how the stated skills will be tested are shown in the module specification: Appendix 1: Assessments and the Outcomes Tested.
In addition, the Management School has identified a set of key skills which it expects its students to develop throughout their studies. These are skills which are actively sought by employers and which together form the ULMS Graduate (see appendix A at the end of this module guide).
Teaching and Learning Strategies:You will be given tasks/activities for each topic. If applicable, students are expected to participate actively in learning exercises provided on Canvas since these form an integral part of the input on this module.
Students will be expected to undertake background and follow-up reading, and to access materials via the library, web and Universitys Canvas network. Your private study hours should total around 500 hours for this module, spread across the academic year. Most communication and support for learning will be posted on Canvas. You should, therefore, access Canvas on a regular basis.
For the business simulation you will work in teams. Full instructions of how these will work will be provided.
Your attention is drawn to the support the University provides for your learning via the Study Skills web page. Your Student Handbook (and Study Skills Booklet) also provides advice on the skills required for your assessments (e.g. ULMS Academic Masterclasses and/or KnowHow sessions).
Key Dates:Date Task/Assessment
26/05/2023 Deadline for Registration to ULMS790
06/06/2023 Suggested date for 1st supervisory meeting (to be arranged directly between you and your supervisor)
24/06/2023 Deadline Submission of 800-word proposal (12:00pm (midday))
01/09/2023 Suggested date for submission of draft chapter(s) to supervisor
15/09/2023 Deadline for Dissertation Submission (12:00pm (midday))
Assessment Strategy:Assessment One:
Type(s) of assessment: Dissertation
Duration: 15,000 words.
Weighting: 100%
Submission Type: An electronic copy through Canvas. You must submit a Microsoft Word file.
Deadline:15th September 2023 12:00pm (midday)
Summary of Assessment:This is an opportunity to engage in a meaningful piece of work concerned with a specific topic of interest to display to onward academic institutions or employers a degree of mastery and excellence regarding a specific topic.
Your chosen topic, choice of approach, research question, method, structure of thesis etc. will be decided between you and your supervisor in one of four meetings (dates to be agreed with your supervisor).
More information is given in week one of ULMS719 and can be gleaned from attending the three dedicated lectures associated with ULMS790.
Tips for achieving good marks in assessments: To do well in your dissertation project you should read widely, consult all teaching material available, attend all lectures and work closely with your supervisor who will guide and support your progress.
Students are asked to note that the word count is the absolute upper limit. There is no leeway over this, i.e. you will be penalised if you submit work that exceeds the word limit (the suggestion that you may exceed the word count by 10% is a myth!). Something to note is that the word count on Turnitin is not usually an accurate reflection of an assignment's word count, and is likely to be higher than the Microsoft Word word count. This should be considered when determining if penalties for exceeding the word count should be imposed. It is recommended that you ask students to submit assignments as Word documents as this will then allow you to download their original submission (i.e. the Word file) and accurately check the word count in Word. This should be done after you have marked the assignment anonymously as you must deanonymize the assignment in order to download it. As the norm for ULMS regarding assignments is first and final, students will have no way of resubmitting should they breach the word count as calculated by Turnitin.
The following are not included in word counts:
Reference lists/bibliographies and question titles
Appendices/footnotes - provided these have been used only when necessary. If appendices or footnotes are used excessively, or contain material which should clearly be included in the main body of the essay/report, it is at the markers discretion to include these in the word count.
Tables/graphs - provided these have been imported from elsewhere (correctly referenced) and not produced by the student.
Contents pages and front pages of reports
As well as the essay/report itself, the following are included in word counts:
Citations/quotations - this includes the material paraphrased/quoted itself as well as the name, date and page information.
Tables and graphs - if they have been produced by the student.
Executive summaries in reports - unless otherwise stated.
Marking Criteria for Dissertation
90 100% Theoretically or practically significant topic; clearly defined research question, meticulous literature review, careful execution of research design, high quality analysis, discussion and conclusions. Signs of originality in selection of question and/or approach to research. Presentation excellent. Makes a significant contribution to knowledge. Potentially publishable.
80-89% Very carefully designed and executed study. Sound theoretical framework based upon good literature review and carefully formulated approach. Clearly articulated research question, use of appropriate methodology, reflective and thorough discussion, defensible conclusions. Displays mastery of the subject matter and of appropriate theories and concepts. Presentation excellent. Useful contribution to knowledge. Potentially publishable with some refocusing.
70-79% Very carefully designed and executed study. Sound theoretical framework based upon good literature review. Carefully formulated approach and evidence of independent critical ability. Clear conclusions, detailed recommendations for practice. Good critical grasp of relevant theories and concepts. Presentation excellent.
60%-69% Adequately designed and executed study. Adequate literature review and framing of study and good effort to collect data. Ability to reflect upon weaknesses in approach. Clear conclusions, detailed recommendations for practice. Presentation good.
50-59% Generally adequate design and execution. Generally adequate literature review and framing of study and attempt to collect data but may contain weaknesses in approach, for example, poor alignment of research question and methodology. Failure to obtain all of the requisite data, conclusions lame, recommendations for practice weak or omitted. Presentation satisfactory. May contain excessive use of quotations.
40%-49% Inadequate evidence of independent research e.g. inadequate design and execution. Literature review partial, framing of study imprecise; data collection partial, poor alignment of research question and methodology. Conclusions lame, recommendations for practice weak or omitted. Presentation barely satisfactory. May contain excessive use of quotations.
30%-39% Makes some attempt to conduct independent research but unsatisfactory on one or more of the following counts: adequacy of literature review; design and methodology; data collection, analysis, discussion and conclusions and general standard of presentation. May contain excessive use of quotations.
0% - 29% Submission contains serious weaknesses on one or more of the following counts: adequacy of literature review; design and methodology; data collection, analysis, discussion and conclusions and general standard of presentation. May contain excessive use of quotations.
Will feedback on draft assessments be given?
Your supervisor will provide, as a minimum, feedback on one draft chapter of your work. You should communicate directly with your supervisor regarding their availability and the amount of work they are able to review for you.
Policies for the below can be found via:
Re-sits; Penalties, use of Wikipedia, late submission; Referencing work; Marking criteria; ULMS group work policy; Requests for extensions etc. can all be found here.
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/intranet/management-school/assessment/Feedback to StudentsYou are welcome to discuss any comments, concerns or questions with the module leader during office hours.
How can I feedback my views on this module?Your feedback on the module is welcome at any time. You will be given an opportunity to provide early module feedback informally, and then formally at the end of the module via the formal module evaluation process. The sooner you alert us to any issues you might have the quicker we can resolve them. Please dont leave it to the end of the module to tell us if you are struggling!
Please be reminded of the ULMS Guidance on Providing Feedback (see your student handbook). Giving constructive feedback is a skill that you will need to develop in the workplace. We welcome feedback that is constructive and specific (it helps us improve), but please remain polite and be aware of the right of every staff member to Dignity at Work. There is lots of evidence of unconscious bias in module evaluation based on gender, age, race, etc. so please be aware of this and try to be fair to all staff.
Teaching ProgrammeYou are reading for a Masters Level award. You will therefore be required to read and critically evaluate cutting-edge academic research in your learning for the programme, not just this module. You are also required to produce an independent study project, your dissertation.
To be successful in writing your dissertation the following teaching programme (in addition to the teaching programme delivered on ULMS719) has been designed and will be supported by supervisory meetings and feedback during the completion of your independent study projects:
Date of Lecture Lecturer Lecture Topic
13/06/2023 Dr Ali Rostron Introducing the dissertation: key expectations and resources, and the research proposal
14/06/2023 Overview of the dissertation: a detailed walk-through of the key elements
15/06/2023 Succeeding in the dissertation: Data collection and analysis, effective academic writing and academic integrity
SupervisionYou are entitled to four supervisory meeting. Please arrange these with your supervisor. Please be aware that your supervisor may have research commitments during the independent project period, you will need to arrange meetings at mutually convenient times/days.
Core ReadingBryman, A. and Bell E. (latest edition) Business Research Methods, Oxford University Press: New York, 2nd edition.
Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (latest edition) Research methods for business students, Harlow: Prentice Hall, 5th edition. [E-book available]
Recommended ReadingBryman, A. and Burgess, R. G. (eds) (latest edition) Analyzing qualitative data, London: Routledge.
Collis, J. and Hussey, R. (latest edition) Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Brett Davis, M. (2007) Doing a successful Research Project. Using Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. Basingstoke: Palgrave McMillan.
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Lowe, A. (latest edition) Management Research: An Introduction, London: SAGE.
Field, A. (latest edition) Discovering Statistics Using SPSS for Windows, London: Sage.
Fisher, C. (2011) Researching and Writing a Dissertation for Business Students, Harlow: Prentice Hall. 3rd edition.
Frankfort-Nachmias C. and Nachmias D. (1996) Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Hodder Arnold.
Meloy, J. (2001) Writing the Qualitative Dissertation: Understanding by Doing, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Association
Miles, M. B. and Huberman, M. (latest edition) Qualitative data analysis: An expanded Sourcebook, London: SAGE.
O'Leary Z. (2005) Researching Real-World Problems, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Partington, D. (2002) Essential Guide for Management Research, SAGE, London
Punch, K.F.(2005) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. London: Sage.
Ridley, D. (2008) The Literature Review, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Riley, M., Wood, R., Clark, M., Wilkie, E. and Szivas, E. (2000) Researching and Writing Dissertations in Business and Management, London: Thomson.
Salkind, N. J. (latest edition) Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics, Thousand Oaks, CA:SAGE.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (latest edition) Research Methods for Business Students, Harlow: FT/Prentice Hall.
White B. (2010) Dissertation Skills: For Management and Business Students: For Business and Management Students, Thompson Press
Yin, R. K. (latest edition) Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Tips for achieving good marks in assessments:Make sure that you attend the preparatory lectures.
Make sure that you have a viable proposal that has been approved by your supervisor.
Engage fully with the learning and teaching materials.
Always send your supervisor material to look at before you meet
Think about questions to ask you supervisor before the meeting
Make sure you attend all of your supervisory meetings (you are entitled to four supervision meetings, timings to be agreed with your supervisor)
Plan your work carefully and allow time for any unexpected circumstances
Keep a 100 word record of each supervision meeting
Learning TipsThe dissertation is a precise piece of work; make sure that your thesis is coherent with clear research questions that are addressed in the findings section
Academic integrity and good academic practice are of primary importance
The library aims to provide a minimum ratio of one book per ten students for essential texts. But if more copies are needed and funds permit, it can purchase extra copies. The Library needs to find out which books are in greatest demand and you can help by taking these steps:
Place a reservation on the book. Once you have the book details on the library catalogue screen, click Request. This means as soon as a copy is returned, you will be notified and can borrow it. It also means that library staff are notified of the demand on the book.
Fill in a book suggestion form, talk to staff at the library's information support desks or contact your Liaison Librarian to let us know more copies are needed. The library will confirm who the current liaison librarian is for your programme.
Sign-off: M. Bradley 01.01.2023
THE ULMS GRADUATE LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCEThe ULMS Graduate is:
Flexible and adaptable
Our graduates understand that the business world develops and changes quickly, and ULMS will provide them with opportunities to develop the skills needed to be open to the challenges this brings.
A problem solver
Our graduates are provided with opportunities to develop their critical and analytical skills from the day they join the School. By learning to think creatively, to persevere with an issue and to draw on the resources available to them, our graduates approach difficult situations confident that they can reach a successful outcome and make a difference.
Numerate
Maths is an essential element of all of our programmes and our graduates are confident and competent when using numbers to analyse situations, solve problems and make decisions.
Commercially aware
The teaching at ULMS is drawn from the latest business and management research, ensuring that our graduates understand the environment in which they begin their careers.
A team player
Our graduates understand the importance of contributing to a team. By contributing to group work our students understand the dynamics of a team and the importance of individual roles and how each can make a difference to achieving a result.
Organised and able to work under pressure
ULMS graduates learn to manage their time carefully during their studies. Our graduates are motivated to learn outside the classroom and are adept at managing deadlines and dealing with conflicting demands upon their time.
An excellent communicator
The ULMS syllabus requires students to demonstrate their aptitude for communicating throughout their studies. Their skills include writing essays, business reports and case studies, giving presentations, listening to and questioning guest speakers and using negotiating and persuasion skills to argue a point during a class debate. Our graduates understand the difference that effective communication can make to a situation.
IT literate
Our graduates understand the importance of IT in the modern business environment and ensure that their digital literacy skills are up-to-date in order to use it successfully. They understand how to prepare and analyse spreadsheets, can write reports and use IT to enhance presentations. They are confident users of electronic databases and are skilled at finding and evaluating appropriate and relevant information from electronic sources.
Internationally aware
The ULMS teaching and research community is drawn from around the world and our students are exposed to business ideas and cultures from beyond the UK. Many graduates make the most of international opportunities available to them, from participating in overseas exchanges to participating in international inter-university business games.
A lifelong learner
ULMS graduates understand that the end of their degree programme does not mean the end of their learning journey. Our students understand the importance of continually building skills and knowledge in order to maintain commercial awareness, to be able to follow a flexible career path and to continue to make a difference throughout their working lives.
Ethically aware
The ULMS teaching, learning and assessment strategy ensures that all graduates are exposed to ideas of business ethics whilst studying and that they have an understanding of the difference business can make in the wider community and across the world.
A leader
We instil our graduates with the confidence to lead others by providing opportunities within the curriculum to debate ideas, present research, solve problems and make difficult decisions.
