1 BIRMINGHAM CITY BUSINESS SCHOOL UNDERGRAD.docx

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BIRMINGHAM CITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
UNDERGRADUATE/ POSTGRADUATE DEGREES
COURSEWORK FRONT SHEET
MODULE TITLE: Major Project Options 1 & 2 (Dissertation)
MODULE CODE: BUS7048
LECTURER: Dr Peter Samuels
ISSUE DATE: September 2018
HAND IN DATE: Research Topic: Monday 8th April 2019
Research Proposal (25%): 12:00Noon Wednesday 3rd July 2019
Dissertation/Report (75%): 12:00Noon Friday 20th September
2019
(Resit date to be confirmed)
HAND BACK DATE: 20 working days from the date of
submission.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria specific to this
assignment:
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
1. Identify, determine and justify a disciplinary-relevant
project, including its aims,
scopes and objectives.
2. Self-manage research, including managing the supervisory
process and
reflecting critically on the work undertaken to identify
improvements in research
and project practice
3. Understand how to identify and synthesise the relevant
conceptual theory and
methodological techniques from the programme pathway, using
a range of
sources and data, applying them to a particular topic, case or
organisation.
4. Professionally present the analysis of the data and the results
of the project,
including drawing appropriate conclusions and providing
recommendations and
guidance for managerial judgements and decision making in the
chosen
discipline or pathway.

Assessment Criteria:
Assessment criteria are specified in the assessment brief
marking scheme depending on
the option chosen.
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BUS7048
MSc Management programme
Dissertation Assessment Brief for Options 1 & 2
September 2019 submission
Module Coordinator: Dr Peter Samuels
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 0121 331 6962
Room: C242
mailto:[email protected]
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MSc Management Dissertation Guide
1. The Aim of the Dissertation
The aim of the dissertation is to provide you with an
opportunity to further your intellectual and
personal development in your chosen pathway by undertaking a
significant practical unit of
activity, having an educational value, and at a level
commensurate with the award of an MSc
degree.
The dissertation is one element of your degree where you have
the freedom to select what to
study or investigate in your chosen pathway. Because of this, it
can be one of the most valuable
learning experiences you could ever go through. Most students,
for instance, have used the
dissertation not only to develop a detailed study of a topic that
interests them, but also to learn
about themselves and to produce a dissertation which fully
demonstrates their intellectual and
personal capabilities.
A subsidiary benefit of the dissertation is that it provides
tangible evidence of your abilities and
can be shown to prospective employers to lend further support
to your job application.
Option 1 and Option 2
The key difference between Option 1 and 2 is the justification

and use of primary AND/OR
secondary data:
Option 1 consists of a management dissertation which includes
a relevant literature
review, primary research, analysis and conclusions, and
reflective analysis.
Option 2 consists of a management dissertation which includes
a relevant literature
review, secondary research ONLY and analysis and conclusions
which offer an
insightful contribution to the topic area, and reflective analysis.
Module Components
The Module is assessed using two weighted components:
(1) The Research Proposal (25%): Deadline Wednesday 3rd July
2019 at 12:00Noon
(2) Dissertation(Report) (75%): Deadline Friday 20th September
2019 at 12:00Noon
2. The Nature of the Dissertation Module
The dissertation can be defined as a scholarly inquiry into a
problem or issue, involving a
systematic approach to the gathering and analysis of
information/data, leading to the production
of a structured report. The following characteristics are common
to most dissertations, and
indicate how dissertations differ from coursework

Choice of topic
It is usual to give you some discretion in the choice of topic for
the dissertation and in the
approach to be adopted. You will need to ensure that your
dissertation is related to your chosen
pathway.
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Independence
Choice requires you to act with independence and initiative,
making decisions and carrying out
the research work for an extended period of time, albeit, under
the guidance of a dissertation
supervisor.
Unpredictability
Neither you nor the dissertation tutor knows all the relevant
inputs and problems, and the
outcome is not predetermined. There is no ‘approved answer’, it
is your task to produce an
answer of your own that demands approval by its marshalling of
evidence and the logic of its
argument.
These three aspects – choice, independence and unpredictability
can mean that dissertations
are on the one hand more rewarding, but on the other more

demanding, than normal
coursework.
Integration
This is the fourth factor. Dissertations often require you to
integrate a variety of knowledge and
skills when tackling a problem, and to carry through a sequence
of stages. This is true even
when dissertations are very specialised in subject matter.
In general, how you set about the dissertation and what you
learn in the process are as important
as the result you achieve. You can sometimes learn more about
an approach when things go
wrong than when everything goes according to plan, and
provided you can point to the lessons
you have learned, you will still get good marks.
Planning your Dissertation
This will entail the following:
MAN7057 Research Practice
module and in this guide.
g the precise focus of your study by deciding on
the aims and objectives of the
dissertation, or formulating questions to be investigated.
Consider very carefully what is
worth investigating and whether it is feasible.
ion outline in line with the
aims and objectives of the

dissertation.
writing of the dissertation will be
completed on time. The timetable should include provision for
regular contact with your
dissertation supervisor.
3. The Dissertation Topic
Deciding this is often the most difficult part of the dissertation
process, and perhaps, you have
been thinking of a topic for some time.
It is important to distinguish here between ‘dissertation topic’
and ‘dissertation title’. The topic is
the specific area that you wish to investigate. The title may not
be decided upon until after the
dissertation has been written so as to properly reflect its
content.
Some restrictions are placed on the choice of the topic. We
would expect it to be:
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International Business)
-depth approach,

subject to the availability of
adequate sources and to your own knowledge;
In addition, students must choose a topic that is aligned with
their chosen subject
pathway. For example: MSc Management and Marketing
students must chose a marketing
topic; MSc Management and International Business must choose
a relevant topic related to
International Business; and MSc Management and Finance must
choose a Finance-related
topic.
You will be asked to submit a topic overview by the deadline.
The topic overview will trigger the
allocation of an appropriate supervisor. If no topic is submitted,
the supervisory allocation
process will not proceed. The topic should consist of a summary
(no more than 300 words) of
the subject area of the project. The submission of an initial
‘topic overview’ via the Research
Practice or Research Project Management module is not marked
and does not form part of the
assessment process it merely facilitates the allocation of
supervisor. Please note that once
supervisors have been allocated they cannot be changed.
This means that there are three basic problems in deciding the
dissertation:
The first is the imaginative and creative task of generating ideas
for the research investigation
– “What Can I Look At?” Some suggestions for doing this are
given in the following section.

The second is the difficulty of determining the feasibility of the
dissertation. Will the necessary
information be available? Can you get the support and facilities
you need. Has the topic been
exhaustively researched before? What sort of work is needed?
How long will it take?
The third, and perhaps most important, is deciding whether the
topic is sufficiently interesting
and worthwhile for you to want to do it. Good dissertations
result from a high level of personal
motivation and commitment. A dissertation requires a lot of
hard work over a long time. This is
a lot easier to carry out if you are dealing with a topic of
importance and relevance to yourself.
With personal interest a dissertation changes from a burden to
an experience. Clearly this is
something that only you can decide.
Choosing the Dissertation Topic
It is important here not to restrict yourself by assuming that all
dissertations are of a similar type.
You are free to select any aspect of the business world aligned
to your chosen pathway for your
investigation.
You can be specific to one company, one industry or sector, and
you are required to focus on
one or more subjects in the core and pathway programme. The
chosen area should allow you
to develop an in-depth analysis.
The following list of suggestions may help you in your search
for a topic:

Suggestions from the Taught Units
What topics, issues, subjects etc. have particularly captured
your interest from the core and
pathway modules. Use as a base for examining what is going on
in your organization, if you are
employed.
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Current Events
What are the problems, significant issues, etc., that are
currently evident from your study and
knowledge of business, whether in the UK or in your own
country.
Your Career Interests
What sort of job will you be aiming for when you finish the
course? Can the dissertation help
prepare you for this? What developments would it be
worthwhile examining in depth? The
dissertation may give you an advantage over other graduates
applying for these types of jobs.
Your Own Interests
But perhaps, most importantly, you should choose a topic from
within a business area in which
you have a high personal interest. The reason for this is quite

simple: It is often one’s own
interest in a topic which sustains the motivation to see the
dissertation through to a successful
completion.
In order to get started you obviously need some initial ideas as
to what is to be the broad subject
matter of the dissertation. It can also be equally sensible to start
by considering what is feasible
in the light of the data to which you can get access. You should
never be rigid in your proposals.
There are all sorts of ways you can set about refining the initial
idea into a definite dissertation.
You could start by:
dissertation help realize
these?
either in terms of
organisational goals or your own personal objectives;
form of a series of
questions that the research would answer, or a series of
hypotheses for testing;
what has been written on
the subject of your choice, i.e. a review of the literature
h some exploratory research

The only starting point for defining your topic that is definitely
not recommended is choosing the
method of data collection or analysis. This is a secondary
consideration that should be
determined in the light of one’s dissertation objectives once
these have been set. Allowing a
preference for a particular method of research to determine the
nature and content of your
dissertation is, in our experience, a sure recipe for amassing
mountains of data with no clear
purpose or means of using them.
Further Advice on Topic Selection
Market entry plans are very much off limits; they lack critical
thinking and analysable data.
Strategic analysis of companies and analysis of companies
strategies; It has proved hard to get
realistic valid data; some students have failed because they
thought asking a few customers
about strategic success with the company data means they are
set up to fail. This is particularly
true of Multi National Enterprises and Global Enterprises and
the banking sector, where
students thought they could ring up a Headquarters and they
would be told strategies, financial
positions, etc.
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Topics must be clearly within the module specifications of the
pathways, otherwise the
background theories will be absent.
Case studies, i.e. worked illustrative examples, are only
acceptable if they are situated within
a wider context and involve primary data collection and
analysis.
Historical retrospective write-ups, e.g. “How Coke made it big
in India” are not acceptable.
Industry reports such as “The Indian Diamond industry” or
“Thailand’s auto spares industry” are
not acceptable.
Only Finance pathway students can select finance topics.
International Business (IB) Pathway Dissertations
An IB Pathway dissertation could be ‘international’ via:
1) Collecting data in two countries
2) Collecting data in one country and comparing it with
secondary data in another country
(previous studies)
3) Relating to the activities of an international company in a
country which is not its ‘home
country’ (so not Asda in the UK, because Asda is a UK
company, although owned by
Walmart; but if Walmart introduced Walmart stores into the UK
then it would be OK to
study them. HRM practices of Barclays bank in Nigeria would
be OK).

4. The Dissertation Plan and Research Proposal
It is recommended that you should have a dissertation plan to
guide you right from the outset.
Essentially, the dissertation plan is an outline of what you
intend to do, chapter- by- chapter,
and therefore should reflect the aims and objectives of your
dissertation.
There are several reasons for having a dissertation plan:
portunity
at an early stage of your work
to make constructive comments and help guide the direction of
your research
process, and therefore helps
build up your confidence.
s, the plan encourages you to come to terms with
the reading, thinking and
writing in a systematic and integrated way, with plenty of time
left for changes.
Finally, the dissertation plan generally provides a revision point
in the development of your
dissertation report in order to allow appropriate changes in the
scope and even direction of
your work as it progresses.

To help you consider the Dissertation Plan you are initially
required to complete a Research
Proposal. The proposal is designed to focus your thoughts on
what you are trying to achieve
before attempting the main project itself. It helps you and your
supervisor clarify your aims and
objectives and ensures that all work following the proposal is
effective and productive in
facilitating your achievement of the learning outcomes of the
module.
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The Research Proposal
Students are required to produce a 1500 word proposal for their
supervisor. This will be given
a mark which will count as 25% of the overall dissertation
mark.
The proposal should be submitted electronically via Moodle by
Wednesday 3rd July 2019 at
12:00 Noon.
The Proposal is a development of the initial Research Topic and
will take the format of
Background, Aims and Objectives, Rationale, Outline Literature
Review, Outline Methodology,
and Project Plan (GANTT chart or similar). See Appendix 4 for
detailed requirements of
Proposal.

5. Keeping Records
Make a note of everything you read, including those you later
discard:
ecording sources, author’s name and
initials, date of publication, title,
place of publication and publisher are included. (You may
consider starting a card index
or database from the outset).
read
them. Make clear what is a
direct quotation and what is your paraphrase.
The Dissertation Supervision Record
An electronic form will be used to keep records of meetings
(see Appendix 3).
The responsibility for keeping a record of meetings will rest
with you, the student.
You are required to complete this form with a brief summary of
each meeting with the
supervisor and include agreed action points (bulleted) to be
addressed before the next
meeting. This form should be saved as a Word document and
sent as an email attachment to
the supervisor no later than 3 days after the meeting. The
supervisor may add comments.

You are required to include copies of the completed Record of
Tutorial forms in the
Dissertation appendices.
6. Dissertation Structure and Format
All students must follow the following guidelines in submitting
their dissertation.
degree, date of submission,
Faculty and University title, name of your supervisor and
pathway.
references for each chapter
and section.
tables giving titles and
page references.
acknowledgement where your supervisor should
be named (and anyone
else you wish).

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background to the dissertation,
the objectives of the dissertation, the rationale for the
dissertation, the plan,
methodological issues and problems. The limitations of the
dissertation should also be
hinted in this chapter. This chapter can be formed from your
Proposal once approved
by the Supervisor.
e dissertation.
The number of chapters and
their sequence usually will vary depending on, among other
things, the objectives of the
dissertation. One chapter usually but not always will focus on a
critical review of the
previous relevant work relating to your dissertation. The last
chapter should provide a
summary of your major findings, a discussion of their
implications, and conclusions,
possibly with a suggestion of the direction of future research on
the area.
ou should give a list of all
references you have used
according to the BCU Harvard Referencing system.
include your proposal and
copies of the records of tutorial meetings and relevant statistical

data or material which
cannot be fitted into the chapters.
Dissertation Format
The following requirements must be adhered to in the format of
the final dissertation.
1) You are required to self-upload an electronic copy of your
dissertation to the
TurnitinUK database via the module Moodle site by the
deadline. Your work will not be
assessed if you fail to upload to this database. You should
upload a single file
containing the whole of the dissertation including the title page,
appendices and the list
of references. Appendices need to be uploaded if they are a key
part of the
dissertation, for instance, a copy of your questionnaire or
interview schedule, data, etc.
2) The dissertation should be 8,000 words in length. The normal
10% “rule” applies so
you may in fact submit up to 8,800 words without being
penalised. The word limit
excludes the title page, contents list, abstract, references and
appendices. The
maximum number of pages, including index, tables, diagrams
and appendices should
not exceed 250. You must declare the number of words at the
end of the main body of
your report.

3) The dissertation should word processed in Arial 12 point
type.
4) The outside front sheet shall bear the title of the work in at
least Arial 24 point type.
The name and initials of the candidate, the qualification and the
year of submission
shall also be shown on the front
5) One-and-a half spacing must be used in typescript except for
indented quotations or
footnotes where single space may be used. Top, bottom and
right margins should be
set at one inch and the left margins at one and a half inches.
6) Pages shall be numbered consecutively through the main text
including photographs
and/ or diagrams which are included as whole pages.
7) The front (title) page shall give the following information:
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digits),
al
fulfilment of the
requirements of the MSc Management Programme”
Establishment, if
any,
full name of course)
8) The dissertation must include a statement of the candidate’s
objectives and must
acknowledge published or other sources of material consulted
(including an
appropriate bibliography) and any assistance received.
the dissertation
which provides a synopsis of the dissertation stating the nature
and the
scope of the work undertaken and of the contribution made to
the
knowledge of the subject treated.

-explanatory (adequate annotation
and captions)
and should be located in close proximity to where they are first
mentioned
to the text. The dissertation should be divided into appropriate
sections and
sub-sections.
the literature
should be given recognition by the use of abbreviated citations
in the text
which provide the key to a fuller description in the reference
section.
It will be assumed that future students can have access to your
work for reference unless you
state clearly on the title page that your report is confidential.
You may be asked to attend a “viva voce” examination. This is
an oral examination in which you
will be given the opportunity to demonstrate the breadth and
depth of your understanding of
your dissertation research, perhaps in a way that hasn’t been
communicated effectively in the
written work.
The viva examinations are normally held either just before or
just after the Examination Board.
Whilst it is possible to conduct a viva examination by Skype or
similar software it is likely to be
in your best interests to return to the UK for the viva.

Finally, a reminder about plagiarism. It is disciplinary offence
to submit the work of others as
though it were your own. All of the material in your
dissertation, which is not of your own
composition, must be attributed using the BCU Harvard
referencing system. You will not
achieve a pass mark for your dissertation unless there is a
significant amount of commentary
in your own words on the data you have collected from primary
or secondary sources.
7. Critical Literature Review
It will rarely be the case that no previous work exists in areas
similar or related to your
dissertation. A critical literature review involves:
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summary of what other people
have written about your dissertation area, related topics and
methods of analysis.
n a dissertation like yours, you will not be expected to
produce a definitive account of
the state of research in your selected topic.

a certain amount of
relevant literature and that you have some awareness of the
current state of knowledge
on the subject.
A critical literature review is important because:
not occurred to you, e.g.
how to analyse and present data.
and interpretation of data.
worth addressing, but
which had not occurred to you earlier.
8. Supervisor and student roles and expectations
Dissertation Supervisors
All students are allocated a supervisor for support. Note that
supervisors may be on annual
leave for some time for the period late July, August and early
September so students will need
to negotiate well in advance any dissertation meetings during
this period. That is entirely to be

agreed between the Supervisor and the Student.
Normally the last few weeks are for finalising the dissertation
and Supervisors may not be
available for supervision.
Student Expectations:
to face meetings (You may
be asked to attend more meetings at the discretion of your
supervisor)
section basis
with supervisor
review drafts and respond
to emails during term time
ings
not available
Student Responsibilities:

sor
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– if you fail to give written
notice 24 hours prior, you will
lose that time allocated
regard to plagiarism
-
uploading to TurnitinUK
database
the Dissertation appendices.
The Role of the Supervisor
The role of the supervisor includes:

g (but most of the literature
search must be yours)
guidance.
questionnaire)
esearch instrument
NB: The responsibility for successfully completing the
dissertation on time remains
solely with you, the student, not with the supervisor.
Supervisor Responsibilities
Supervisors are expected a total of 10 hours on each
dissertation. This includes
meetings with students, marking and administration.
requirements

with Turnitin procedures and reports
– and alternative
cover available
-sitting
students
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ge first scheduled meeting following announcement of
allocations by module co-
ordinator.
9. Ethical Issues
It’s important to ensure your dissertation is conducted in an
ethical manner. The following points
offer a good checklist.
• Discuss ethical issues in collection and use of data with your
supervisor

• Ensure that no harm can come to participants
• Ensure that respondents understand that participation is
voluntary and confidential
• Keep data confidential. Do not share it with anyone else
• Be honest and open with respondents about the reasons for the
research and report
findings honestly and accurately
• Be honest about your own interest in the data
• Comply with the Data Protection Act and other relevant
legislation.
ALL students will have to complete the Application for Ethical
Approval form. This will be
available on Moodle. In some cases, the research will need to be
approved by the BLSS Faculty
Research Ethics Committee.
Vulnerable people
When compiling your research ideas about the population under
study and sample participants
that may be extracted from it, an important issue you need to
consider is whether the sample
contains vulnerable participants. Vulnerable participants can be
considered as either:

treatment or other forms of social
care; and/or mental illness.
Any study seeking to involve vulnerable people in research
must be discussed and agreed in
advance and approved by the Faculty Academics Ethics
Committee (FAEC) before
progressing further with your research work. See also BCBS
Ethics Guide (link on Moodle).
See also Appendix 4
10. TURNITIN
Students are required to fully comply with submission
requirements including uploading to
TurnitinUK database via the module Moodle site. If you do not
meet these requirements then
your work will not be marked.
Students are warned that if it appears that you have attempted to
subvert Turnitin, you
will be referred to an investigation for Academic Misconduct
which could lead to a
significant delay in obtaining your results even if found “not
guilty”.
11. Arrangements for Resubmitting Students

http://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=529330
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Resubmitting Students
Students who fail to obtain at least the pass-mark of 50% will
need to resubmit.
All the previously listed submission requirements apply to
resubmitting students. You will be
advised by the Faculty Office of the relevant hand in dates.
Students who obtain a mark between 35% and 49% will be
expected to resubmit a revised
and improved version of the same topic. They will be entitled to
ONE meeting with their
supervisor to discuss the improvements required and may
submit ONE draft of the improved
version to their supervisor for comment (or equivalent remote
support). These students are
required to re-work their existing dissertation and are entitled to
attend a face to face tutorial
for feedback on the failed dissertation and a second face to face
tutorial to obtain feedback on
a revised draft prior to final submission (or equivalent remote
support).
Students who obtain a mark of 34% or lower will be required to
select a new topic or to
significantly revise the original submission. They will be
entitled to the same level of support
as other resubmitting students (two meetings or equivalent
remote support).

The weighting of marks for resubmitting students will be the
same as for the initial submission
(i.e. 25% for the research proposal and 75% for the
dissertation/report).
Visas
Except in highly exceptional or extenuating circumstances,
resubmitting students are NOT
eligible for visa extensions.
Fees
There is no additional fee for resubmitting students.
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Appendix 1
MSc Management BUS7048 DISSERTATION
Indicative Assessment Checklist and Indicative Marking
Scheme
1. Background, Objective(s) and Rationale
of the objectives of the project or hypotheses to be
examined.

2. Literature Review
project (including their
limitations).
3. Conceptual Framework and Methodology (Process and
Approach)
the project.
e methodologies employed (e.g. how data
was collected)
objectives)
Appropriateness of sample and sampling

4. Analysis of Data and Material
ata/material to examine project objectives and
hypotheses.
with issues raised by the
academic literature.
tudent compared and contrasted different models in
the analysis (Robustness of
Analysis)
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5. Conclusion and Recommendations

ns and recommendations flow from analysis.
6. Reflective Account
undertaking research projects,
including a self-reflection on professional development issues,
identifying areas of strength
and areas to improve upon related to research and project
management.
In general, the structure and presentation of the Project Report
should demonstrate:
f the report.
and terminologies.
bibliography.
spelling.
17

Overall Marks LO1: Identify, determine and
justify a disciplinary-relevant
project, including its aims, scopes
and objectives.
LO2: Self-manage research,
including managing the
supervisory process and reflecting
critically on the work undertaken
to identify improvements in
research and project practice
LO3: Understand how to identify
and synthesise the relevant
conceptual theory and
methodological techniques from
the programme pathway, using a
range of sources and data,
applying them to a particular topic,
case or organisation.
LO4: Professionally present the
analysis of the data and the
results of the project, including
drawing appropriate conclusions
and providing recommendations
and guidance for managerial
judgements and decision making
in the chosen discipline or
pathway.
80–100% Distinction Outstanding background, issue definition,
objectives and rationale. The supervisor is
totally convinced as to the project’s

relevance.
There is exceptional evidence of insightful
reflective practice linked to the key
decisions made during the development
of the project, incorporating a highly
professional and sophisticated
assessment of professional traits and
skills and identification of a
comprehensive professional development
plan related to research and project
practice skills.
Outstanding evidence of working with
supervisory process (including evidence
of highly detailed supervisory meeting
reports).
The literature review is comprehensive
with excellent critical evaluation and
conclusions & analytical framework.
Outstanding understanding of
methodological issues & limitations,
excellent justification of methods and
research instrument.
Complex and sophisticated analysis &
interpretation of the material, excellent
integration with literature and objectives,
and critical discussion of value and
limitations of data. Excellent
conclusions, sophisticated discussion of
achievement of objectives and research
questions and issues.

Outstanding project structure and report,
use of language and presentation with full
and accurate Harvard referencing.
70-79% Distinction Clear and specific about research
question, objectives clear, feasible and
appropriate, very well justified by very
good & relevant background information.
A very relevant project.
There is excellent evidence of reflective
practice linked to the development of the
project, incorporating a professional and
sophisticated assessment of professional
traits and skills and identification of a
highly competent development plan
related to research and project practice
skills.
Excellent evidence of working with
supervisory process (including evidence
of detailed supervisory meeting reports).
The literature is cogently described and
evaluated with good critique and
conclusions identifying gaps and issues,
good analytical framework. Good
understanding of methodological issues &
limitations, research methods clearly
justified against alternatives and good
research instrument
Results are presented very clearly and
analysed and interpreted in a
sophisticated manner, referring back to
the literature and clearly focused on the

objectives
Conclusions are clear with sophisticated
discussion in terms of achievement of
objectives.
Good Structure, very good presentation
and use of language with full and
accurate Harvard referencing.
BUS7048 Dissertation Indicative Marking Scheme
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60-69% Commendation Clear research issue; good background
objectives are fairly clear, feasible and
appropriate with good rationale. A
competent and convincing attempt with
mostly relevant elements.
There is some very good evidence of
reflective practice linked to the
development of the project, incorporating
a competent assessment of professional
development plan related to research and
project practice skills
Some satisfactory evidence of working
with supervisory process (including
detailed supervisory meeting reports).

The literature is cogently evaluated with
some critique and useful conclusions
related to analytical framework.
Research Methods are clear and justified
with consideration of alternatives,
understanding of limitations and
acceptable research instrument
Results are presented fully and analysed
and interpreted effectively with clear links
back to the objectives and the literature.
Conclusions are reasonably clear and
discussed well in terms of the
achievement of the objectives.
Good structure, presentation and use of
language with full and largely accurate
Harvard referencing
50-59% Pass Clear research issue & appropriate
background. Objectives are mostly clear
but some issues about scope, fit with the
rationale, and feasibility. Overall
somewhat relevant.
There is reasonable evidence of reflective
project, incorporating a sufficient
assessment of necessary professional
somewhat vague development plan
skills.

Adequate evidence of working with
supervisory process (including
supervisory meeting reports).
Fair description of appropriate field(s) of
literature. Some general conclusions,
weak evaluation of concepts & analytical
framework.
Research Methods used are clear with
some limited justification and
understanding of issues and limitations,
acceptable research instrument.
Results are presented fully and clearly
with some limited internal analysis and
interpretation.
Conclusions straightforward and
discussed to some extent in terms of
objectives.
Adequate Structure, acceptable
presentation and language with some
errors of grammar, spelling & punctuation,
adequate Harvard referencing with errors.
35-49% Fail Interesting topic and gives background
but the research question is very broad
and the objectives unclear or too broad.
Relevance not sufficiently demonstrated.
There is a lack of sufficient evidence of
reflective practice linked to the
development of the project, incorporating
a poor assessment of professional traits

and skills necessary and identification of a
very vague development plan related to
research and project practice skills.
Insufficient evidence of working with
supervisory process effectively (including
only evidence of limited supervisory
meeting reports).
Inadequate description of the appropriate
field(s) of literature, and/or no criticism or
evaluation
Research methods are clear but no
justification for methods chosen and little
or no understanding issues & limitations,
weak research instrument
Results are presented fully and clearly but
with no real analysis or interpretation
Conclusions are unclear or perfunctory;
objectives not clearly achieved and no
discussion of issues or critique of
process.
Poor structure, presentation, & use of
language, or acceptable presentation but
poor referencing
19

<35% Fail Background given but objectives and
rationale unclear or not stated. Mostly
irrelevant.
There is little or no evidence of reflective
project, incorporating a very poor
assessment (or missing entirely) of
professional traits and skills necessary or
the identification of a development plan
skills.
Evidence of working with supervisory
process effectively missing or of no
practical use for reflective analysis.
Research Methods unclear, little or no
evidence of methodology understanding,
very weak research instrument
The author appears to have read very
little demonstrating poor understanding of
the subject / field.
Results are presented incompletely with
no real interpretation or analysis
20

Appendix 2
MSc Management: Individual Dissertation – RECORD OF
TUTORIAL
This form (apart from supervisor’s comments) should be
completed by the student for each meeting.
A copy should be sent to the supervisor as an e-mail attachment.
Student name:
Student ID number:
Supervisor name:
Date of Tutorial:
Comments on Progress since last meeting
Matters Discussed
Action/Research to be undertaken before next meeting

Supervisor’s comments
Date and Time of next meeting
21
Appendix 3
Research ethics protocol
All students taking a Dissertation module will have to complete
the research ethics approval
research ethics approval procedure. There are a few forms for
you to fill out as a part of this
process and these forms will have to be signed by you and your
supervisor indicating that you
have recognised and accounted for any ethical issues arising
from your primary research. You
must enclose these completed forms together with your full
proposal.
Use a proportion of your time available with your supervisor
before the hand-in of your full
proposal to discuss your methodology and chosen methods and
the ethical implications of
these decisions before you seek approval. In the majority of
cases, your supervisor will be

able to approve your research ethics submission. In the event
that your supervisor is unable
to approve a submission, it may be referred to the module leader
for undergraduate
dissertations or the Faculty of Business, Law and Social
Sciences (BLSS) Research Ethics
Committee. Please note that any substantial changes made
during the progress of the
dissertation / project with regards to primary research may be
subject to re-approval.
Full details of the ethics approval procedure and the forms
required will be made
available on Moodle.
22
Appendix 4
Research Proposal – Outline Structure and Marking Scheme –
Learning Outcome 1
(Main and Resit Submissions)
You are required to submit a proposal by 12:00 noon
Wednesday 3rd July 2019
The proposal is formally marked and this counts as 25% of the
overall dissertation mark. The
percentages below give an indication of the breakdown of marks
within that 25% and the time
that should be spent on each. The proposal should be submitted
electronically via Moodle

using both the eSubmission link and the Turnitin links provided.
Your supervisor will provide
feedback on the proposal however the mark will stand.
The Proposal is a development of the initial Research Topic and
will take the format of
Background, Aims and Objectives, Rationale, Outline Literature
Review, Outline Methodology,
and Project Plan (GANTT chart or similar).
The proposal should include the following:
understanding of your chosen topic.
The topic must be both worthwhile and relevant to your pathway
as reflected by:
o A working title – this may be changed later.
o One or more clear research questions.
o Explain the background to these questions in context, e.g.
their relevance to
your degree subject.
o Aims – usually one main aim.
o Objectives – usually 3 to 5 more specific that aims, and refine
the aim(s) into
smaller parts
reasons why it is being

carried out.
relevant to your topic.
The review must reflect:
o Provide proof of scholarship
o Reflect your basic understanding of your topic
o Reflect your intellectual ability to construct critical arguments
based on your
reading of the relevant literature.
5%). A well-reasoned methodological
approach in terms of:
o The scope of the research
o The choice of a research strategy
o A basic understanding of methods and techniques to collect
primary data
If a survey is to be used this should include how you intend to
select your
sample and distribute questionnaires.
o What tools and techniques will be used to analyse the data.
feasibility within the time
available to you. A Project Plan using a GANTT chart or similar
graphical device
showing activities to be undertaken at specific times.

The criteria for marking the proposal will also include:
23
presentation.
Maximum word limit: 1500 words
The word limit excludes the title page, contents list, abstract,
references and appendices.
The Proposal counts as 25% of the overall Dissertation mark,
the Report counts as the
remaining 75%.
Resubmitting Proposals
If your Proposal mark is less than 50% (i.e. a Fail) then you
should submit a new Proposal as
an appendix with your final Dissertation Report.
If after submitting the Dissertation Report your overall mark for
the module is less than 50%
(i.e. a Fail) AND your Proposal mark was less than 50% (also a
Fail), then you will need to
resubmit this component of your assessment, i.e. a new
Proposal.
To resubmit, students should review the feedback received from
their supervisor and resubmit
their proposal by the deadlines provided on the module Moodle

site following the same
assessment brief as above.
The weighting of marks for resubmitting students will be the
same as for the initial
submission (i.e. 25% for the research proposal and 75% for the
dissertation/report).
1
BUS7048: Major Project
Lecture 3: Putting
your Project Report
together
Peter Samuels
27th August 2019
BUS7048:
Major Project
Module assessment
presentation (Options 3 and 4)

-based report
as an appendix to your final report. If you pass
the final report your resubmitted proposal will be
remarked but with a cap of 50%.
should discuss resit arrangements with me
2
BUS7048:
Major Project
Ethics update
on 2)
-submissions
returned as soon as possible

unauthorised and unethical
BUS7048:
Major Project
The five stage writing process
(not relevant here)
See Coventry
University handouts
http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/58f5ef96-aa60-316c-
c30b-f945aa89bfc7/1/
3
BUS7048:
Major Project

Putting your project report together
(omitted)
Revising
thesis
BUS7048:
Major Project
The “end game”
Problem: Cutting off the research:
off date – feasible for both the research
and the write-up
Critical
Critique

and
evaluate
theory and
method
Action
Collect
and
organise
data
Analytical
Analyse
data and
generate
findings
Creative
Assemble
dissertation
Write

discussion
and
conclusions
Final editing
Conceptual
Organise your
dissertation topic
mentally
4
BUS7048:
Major Project
How are you progressing?
Week commencing 10/06 17/06 24/06 01/07 08/07 15/07 22/07
29/07 05/08 12/08 19/08 26/08 02/09 09/09 16/09 23/09
Number 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Firm up topic
Prepare research
proposal

Literature review (1st
draft)
Methodology (draft)
Design research
instrument
Methodology (final)
Collect data
Analyse data (draft)
Literature review (final)
Data analysis (final)
Discussion (draft)
Discussion (final)
Full dissertation (draft)
Proofreading and final
preparation
Proposal
deadline
End of
supervisions

deadline
Hand-in
deadline
25/09/19
BUS7048:
Major Project
A good major project will:
question
and discussion
monstrate correct
referencing
Source: (Dawson, 2006)
5
BUS7048:

Major Project
Overview of
the project
report
writing
process
Project report chapter structure
Project report outline
Argument structure
Paragraph topics
Paragraphs
Draft chapter 1 Draft chapter 2 Etc.
First draft
...
Successive drafts
Remember: you must draft
before you can craft!
Start some chapter
drafts early
Drafts

may be
done in a
different
sequence
Revising,
supervisor
feedback, etc.
BUS7048:
Major Project
Advice on document handling
time you start working on a chapter change its
number
ia (e.g. 2 hard
disks and 2 memory sticks or a virtual drive)
time in your first draft (of your whole dissertation)
unless the file is too large due to figures, etc.

reconstruct your thesis if something goes wrong
6
BUS7048:
Major Project
m here onwards)
ve: Discussion

proposal, ethics
application, supervisor meeting records, blank copies of primary
research materials and software output)
Project report structure (Options
1, 2 and 3)
15%
15%
+10% for grammar,
referencing and
presentation
15%
BUS7048:
Major Project
ber your pages from here onwards)

academic
literature review applied) (15%)
review of
appropriate academic literature applied) with concise marketing
plan and
strategy (20%)
s
(20%)
- with legal and technological
feasibility with
rationale and evidence (15%)
Plan (10%)
full
proposal, ethics
application, supervisor meeting records, blank copies of primary
research
materials and software output)
Business plan structure (Option 4)
7
BUS7048:

Major Project
The writing process stage 1:
Planning
The dissertation outline
structure and the argument structure
BUS7048:
Major Project
Example dissertation outline
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Aim
1.3 Objectives
Chapter Two: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Resistance to change and key
reasons for failure of change

2.3 The effect of technology on the
retail industry
2.4 Currently accepted change models
and frameworks
2.5 Discussion
Chapter Three: Methodology
3.1 Primary research
3.2 Questionnaire format
3.3 Secondary research
3.4 Method and approach
3.5 Sampling
Chapter Four: Results and Analysis
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Primary research results and
analysis
4.3 Secondary research results and
analysis
Chapter Five: Discussion
5.1 The surrogate manager model
5.1.1 The role of the surrogate
manager

5.1.2 The theory and literature behind
the surrogate manager model
5.1.3 The benefits of using a
surrogate manager
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Limitations
Note: This is an actual example;
some choices are not recommended
8
BUS7048:
Major Project
Where to put critical writing:
example project report outline
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1
1.2
1.3
Chapter Two: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction

2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
Chapter Three: Methodology
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
Chapter Four: Results and Analysis
4.1 Introduction
4.2
4.3
Chapter Five: Discussion
5.1
5.1.1
5.1.2

5.1.3
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Limitations
Key:
Descriptive writing
Critical writing
BUS7048:
Major Project
Revising
final version (don’t hand in your first draft!)
your paper’s structure. Ask yourself:
thesis connecting individual points / paragraphs to my
research question statement?
Have I given evidence to support each point, with thorough
explanations?

9
BUS7048:
Major Project
Editing
tion

citing figures and tables and their labelling
BUS7048:
Major Project
Psychology of project report reading
normally busy people
entire report in linear order
therefore:
bstract
your reader/marker against your research and
discourage him/her from reading it in detail
10
BUS7048:

Major Project
Title page
TITLE (your dissertation title)
(All Caps and Centred)
By
Your Name
A Major Project Report
Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the
(Insert the appropriate degree)
Department of (your department)
Birmingham City University
(Month and Year)
Make sure your title is clear, succinct and conveys the
overall aim/idea of your research to a non-specialist reader
BUS7048:
Major Project
Abstract
-300 words
findings and your conclusions

important points from your major project
pters
remarks, descriptive details, examples and footnotes)
11
BUS7048:
Major Project
Executive summaries (Option 4)
– often 1-2 pages (however,
yours will need to be very concise due to marks /
word count restrictions)
your entire report:
ital information

You may need
to follow the
project report
structure instead
BUS7048:
Major Project
Example (Woodward-Kron, 1997)
[Aim] This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the
current and prospective
profitability, liquidity and financial stability of Outdoor
Equipment Ltd.
Methods of analysis include trend, horizontal and vertical
analyses as well as ratios such
as Debt, Current and Quick ratios. Other calculations include
rates of return on
Shareholders Equity and Total Assets and earnings per share to
name a few. All
calculations can be found in the appendices.

Results of data analysed show that all ratios are below industry
averages. In particular,
comparative performance is poor in the areas of profit margins,
liquidity, credit control, and
inventory management.
The report finds the prospects of the company in its current
position are not positive. The
major areas of weakness require further investigation and
remedial action by management.
Recommendations discussed include:
receivable
prepayments and perhaps increasing inventory
levels
The report also investigates the fact that the analysis conducted
has limitations. Some of
the limitations include: forecasting figures are not provided;
nature and type of company is
not known nor the current economic conditions; data limitations
as not enough information
is provided or enough detail, i.e. monthly details not known;
results are based on past
performances not present.
12

BUS7048:
Major Project
Example qualitative thematic
analysis: 2011 riots
Source: (Lewis et al., 2011)
Description
Analysis
Evaluation
BUS7048:
Major Project

Example qualitative research
report
Keyworth, C., Peters, S.,
Chisholm, A. and Hart, J.
(2012) Nursing students’
perceptions of obesity and
behaviour change:
Implications for
undergraduate nurse
education. Nurse Education
Today, 33(5), pp. 481–485.
-structured interviews
13
BUS7048:
Major Project
Writing up quantitative
results

instead of lots of long numbers in a table)
– use
cross-tabulations (e.g. gender v. Likert question)
stical software (e.g.
compare “Sig.” values in SPSS with standard
confidence levels and make appropriate decisions)
BUS7048:
Major Project
12274
3622
5987
18765
2223
2000
3700
5400
7100
8800
10500
12200
13900
15600

17300
19000
mile s
Number of
pasenger miles
14
BUS7048:
Major Project
Of the 32 companies in Lagos that responded,
20 were micro businesses (with less than 10
employees) whilst 12 were small businesses
(with between 10 and 50 employees).
BUS7048:
Major Project
“A Pearson correlation was carried out. This returned a
coefficient of 0.704, interpreted by Cohen et al. (2003) as
‘large’, with a significance value < 0.001, providing very
strong evidence of a non-zero correlation. This linear model

accounted for 49.5% of the variance in the data.”
This output
should not be
put in a results
chapter, but it
could be put it
in an appendix
15
BUS7048:
Major Project
Data analysis drop-in
this Thursday
software learning resources will be
available (including NVivo 12)

your data or writing up your analysis
BUS7048:
Major Project
Conclusions (Options 1, 2 and 3)
aim(s) or answered your research question(s)
wider research area in which it lies, as identified by your
literature review)
relate to organisational issues
limitations in your findings and whether and to
what extent your results are generalizable
achieved
16

BUS7048:
Major Project
Reflective account
“A commentary and reflective analysis on the process
of undertaking research projects, including a self-
reflection on professional development issues,
identifying areas of strength and areas to improve upon
related to research and project management.”
- Options 1, 2 and 3 (including supervision
reports)
- Option 4
- 1,200 words
Suggested structure (Driscoll and Teh, 2001):
how you have developed
BUS7048:
Major Project
Plagiarism checking
to check it for plagiarism

https://moodle.bcu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=7
15
en more
seriously than for the proposals
17
BUS7048:
Major Project
Turnitin reports
– it opens your
Turnitin report
match overview appear
Several sections cut
and pasted from an

original source without
quoting or citing: clear
example of plagiarism
BUS7048:
Major Project
How to avoid plagiarism
and paste (but only use this style for about 10%
of your citations)
–
get away from the original language used in the
source you are citing (see Lecture 1)
you alternative language ideas
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
18
BUS7048:

Major Project
Your major project submission
September
September at 12:00noon
f you failed your proposal (scored less than 50%),
please include a revised proposal as an appendix.
Please see me for Options 3 and 4 (presentations).
BUS7048:
Major Project
BCU Harvard referencing system
https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/Library-and-Learning-
Resources/Referencing/Harvard-Referencing

followed by (year) – more personal style
end of the document (all types of source together)
generally have the structure:
Author, Initials (Year) Title. Other required information.
The main document title will be in italics
19
BUS7048:
Major Project
Citing a single author
1. Plagiarism is an important issue in contemporary higher
education (Neville, 2007). (backing up an assertion)
2. Neville (2007) reports that… (summary)
There are many alternative reporting verbs, e.g.:

See Manchester Academic Phrasebank
3. “Referencing is not a new idea” (Neville, 2007: 2) (short
quote – must have a page number, if available; page
numbers are optional for other types of citation)
Use summaries and critiques
to emphasise more important
sources – see Using Sources
and Avoiding Plagiarism guide
BUS7048:
Major Project
Citing multiple authors
Two authors – use and:
White and Brown (2004) in their recent study found...

A recent investigation (White and Brown, 2004)
suggests that...
Three or more authors – use et al.:
Green et al. (1969) identified the following …
Further research (Green et al., 1969) showed that ...
20
BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a paper journal
article
Format:
Author, Initials (Year) Title of article. Full Title of
Journal, Volume number(Issue/Part number), pp.
page numbers.

Example:
Driscoll, J. and Teh, B. (2001) The potential of
reflective practice to develop individual orthopaedic
nurse practitioners and their practice. Journal of
Orthopaedic Nursing, 5(2), pp. 95-103.
BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a book
Format:
Author, Initials (Year) Title of Book. Edition (if not
the first edition). Place of publication (this must
be a town or city, not a country): Publisher.
Example:
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019)
Research Methods for Business Students. 8th
edn. Harlow: Pearson.
21

BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a pdf report
Format:
Author, Initials or Institutional Author (Year) Full Title of
Report. [pdf] Place (optional): Publisher (optional).
Available at: full URL [Accessed date].
Example:
Plymouth University (2010) Critical Thinking. [pdf] Available
at:
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/documen
t/path/1/1710/Critical_Thinking.pdf. [Accessed 9
November 2018].
Note: If a report is also published in paper format then cite that
one instead.
BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a website
Format:

Author, Initials or Institutional Author (Year) Title of
document. Place (optional): Publisher (optional).
Available at: Full URL [Accessed date].
Example:
Coventry University (n. d.) The writing process: steps 1 and
2; step 3; and steps 4 and 5. Available at:
http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/58f5ef96-aa60-
316c-c30b-f945aa89bfc7/1/. [Accessed 9 November
2018].
Note: Try to avoid too many electronic sources as they are
often not peer reviewed so are less academically important
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/
1/1710/Critical_Thinking.pdf
22
BUS7048:
Major Project
Additional references

Dawson, C. (2006) The Mature Student’s Study Guide, 2nd edn.
374.130281/Daw and e-book.
Horn, R. (2012) Researching and Writing Dissertations: A
complete
guide for business and management students. 2nd edn.
808.066658/Hor.
Lewis, P. Newburn, T., Taylor, M., Mcgillivray, C., Greenhill,
A.,
Frayman, H. and Proctor, R. (2011) Reading the Riots:
Investigating England’s summer of disorder. The Guardian /
LSE.
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46297/1/Reading%20the%20riots(publis
hed
).pdf.
Roberts, C. (2010) The Dissertation Journey: A practical and
comprehensive guide to planning, writing and defending your
dissertation. 2nd edn. e-book.
University of Manchester (2018) Academic Phrasebank.
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/.
BUS7048:
Major Project
Additional references (cont’d)
Woodward-Kron, R. (1997) Extracts from a student report to
illustrate
report structure. In Writing in Commerce: A guide to assist
Commerce students with assignment writing. Revised edn.

Newcastle, Australia: The University of Newcastle.
https://www.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@web/@stsv/@l
d/do
cuments/doc/uow195620.pdf.
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bcu/detail.action?docID=1
159095
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46297/1/Reading the riots(published).pdf
http://ezproxy.bcu.ac.uk/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/l
ogin.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=5
27838
https://www.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@web/@stsv/@l
d/documents/doc/uow195620.pdf
1
BUS7048: Major Project
Lecture 1: Overview,
Topics and Proposal
Writing
Dr Peter Samuels
10th June 2019
BUS7048:

Major Project
Summary
jor Project module
hics (all options)
2
BUS7048:
Major Project
A major project is not …
an extended essay

Area Essay Major project
Scope
Generally quite
broad
Narrow, achievable
research project
Structure Simple or implicit Explicit, multilevel
Argumentation
style
Generally moves
from single opinion
to discursive
Depends on chapter
genre (e.g. literature
review v. methodology)
Data
Normally only
secondary data
Most include primary
data
Method Normally implicit An explicit chapter
BUS7048:
Major Project

What is a major project?
words plus references and appendices)
of chapters
topic and demonstrates evidence of:
which normally includes:
(Options 1 and 3)
3
BUS7048:
Major Project
Why do it?
autonomy (being in control of their own

research) than in normal taught modules
enjoyable to carry
out
The more you can motivate yourself through
interest and enjoyment, the better your
performance will be
BUS7048:
Major Project
How do you achieve it?
y being methodical (definition of research)
supervisor
others
well
progress

4
BUS7048:
Major Project
What makes a good major project?
pment
background research which is well referenced
well
he right length, well-written, well-
structured, well presented and free from mistakes
-thought out with
evidence of critical thinking and analysis
summary of the research
Source: (Dawson, 2006)
BUS7048:

Major Project
4 module options
collection and analysis as well as a literature review
data analysis as well as a literature review
-based placement – your project
report must be based on this
– only open to
Entrepreneurship students
Note: All non-entrepreneurship students who took
Module 7058 (Research Project Management)
should do Option 3
5
BUS7048:
Major Project
Assessment

Moodle)
questions and answers – as arranged with your
supervisor) – also submit your presentation file on Moodle
(via Moodle)
a Moodle)
BUS7048:
Major Project
A supervisory relationship
is a bit like a dance
(e.g. academic writing,
analysis software)

academic researcher/writer
(c.f. smile)
Source: (Derounian, 2011)
6
BUS7048:
Major Project
Supervisors
aiming to allocate supervisors to all
students who submitted an acceptable research
topic or who are on the Entrepreneurship pathway
by Wednesday this week (12th June)
topic idea:
Junyi Shangguan
Ishann Mittal
Xuewei Li
Anita Raju
Zakariya Mear
Nuno Maria Vazao De Almeida Barata Da Cunha
BUS7048:

Major Project
Supervisors (continued)
via your supervisory relationship
sibility to contact your supervisor to
arrange meetings
meetings (although the brief suggests six).
However, supervisors are only expected to spend a
total of 10 hours on each major project including
supervisory meetings, marking and administration.
September
7
BUS7048:
Major Project
Supervisors (continued)
feedback on your proposal and each chapter of
your dissertation
–

their feedback is indicative of possible
improvements and developmental rather than
systematic or indicative of a pass or a specific mark
time to do this (up to
one week)
supervisory meeting please send it 3 working days
in advance
BUS7048:
Major Project
What you should do
our supervisor – make them
aware of a potential problem before it becomes big
receive from your supervisor by
trying to incorporate it into your revised work
provided (on Moodle) and email it to your supervisor
within 3 days of the meeting; also include a copy in your
dissertation/project report appendices

8
BUS7048:
Major Project
Tutorial
record
form
BUS7048:
Major Project
What your supervisor can do
you some directed reading (but most of the
responsibility for literature searching is yours)
ideas and guidance
logy (e.g.
mixed methods survey via a questionnaire)

conclusions
9
BUS7048:
Major Project
What your supervisor cannot do
tments
deadline (email support is at their discretion)
BUS7048:
Major Project

Learn to be assertive
Respect for others
10
BUS7048:
Major Project
Assertiveness techniques
“This item is faulty. Under the sale of goods act I
am entitled to my money back.” (without getting
angry or further justifying yourself – until you are
asked to)
trying to understand how the other person feels
(e.g. “I understand you need help but I’m sorry I
can’t this time because …”)
-
respect
A combination of all three techniques is often best
BUS7048:
Major Project
Firming up your topic idea

selection
oaches
Your topic must lie within the scope of your
degree course
11
BUS7048:
Major Project
Attributes of a good topic
research aim or question
lates to individuals, groups or organisations

research / practice
ticipants / data
Adapted from (Horn, 2012)
Often a good way to
refine an initial idea
BUS7048:
Major Project
Topic selection strategies
Horn (2012) gives 8 possible strategies:
1. Burning desire – a long cherished idea
2. Replication – take published research and change its
scope slightly
3. Career goals – something to assist your career path in
the next few years
4. Solving a practical (organisational) problem
5. Convenient access, e.g. work placement, your

workplace, family’s business, BCU data
6. Tutor driven – one of their current research areas
7. Development of your previous work
8. Important problem to society
12
BUS7048:
Major Project
Creativity in topic selection
tivity requires divergent thinking
-emphasis on convergent thinking in
our education system
Source: (Robinson, 2010)
BUS7048:
Major Project
13
BUS7048:
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Possible approaches
kground reading
Topic ideas take time to crystallise
BUS7048:
Major Project
Example topic concept map
Business
Retail
SMEs
Use of ICT
UK Nigeria
Developed Developing
Case studies
Effectiveness

Change theory
Systems analysis
14
BUS7048:
Major Project
The written proposal
to Options 3 and 4, so please listen)
rd July via Moodle

BUS7048:
Major Project
Front matter writing
Each states what
the research is about
in a different way
States how the
research aim is going
to be achieved or
how the research
question(s) is(are)

going to be answered
15
BUS7048:
Major Project
Title writing
Qualities – it should:
– not more than about 20 words
press the aim, research area, data source
and possibly methodology
project
BUS7048:
Major Project
Aim and research question(s)
writing

but written in the form of an action – good idea
to start with “To …”
in your MSc project
synonymous with your aim
-questions which
either explain your aim in more detail, or are
more aligned with your objectives
16
BUS7048:
Major Project
Writing objectives
ween 3 and 7

need to carry out in sequence in order to
achieve your aim (e.g. literature review,
methodology, data collection, data analysis,
etc.)
BUS7048:
Major Project
Writing your background
Purpose: To provide context for your proposed
research topic
One or two paragraphs should be sufficient
Metaphor: A big
cat marking its
territory –
demonstrate that
you are in control
of the broader
academic context
17

BUS7048:
Major Project
Rationale
or important
BUS7048:
Major Project
Paragraphs: definition
which develops one new topic, idea or theme
dividing it into easy-to-follow, comprehensible
parts
i essay with
some sort of introduction, main body and
conclusion
words – use this to help you plan your writing
Always leave a blank line between paragraphs

18
BUS7048:
Major Project
Argumentation styles
your proposal, e.g.:
literature review section
or your
background, rationale and methods sections
Single argument/opinion Discursive
Already made up your mind
different sources
e

(can’t be anticipated)
BUS7048:
Major Project
Literature reviews
-5 paragraphs, each of which summarises or
critiques an individual study relevant to your
proposed study, with an introduction and conclusion
to their relative importance using critical thinking
The purpose of a literature review is to provide
your reader with an essential background
perspective to understand/evaluate your research
19
BUS7048:

Major Project
Step by step guide to
doing a literature review
1. Have a plan
2. Use critical thinking to select your sources
3. Divide your literature into themes
4. Structure and plan your review
5. Carry out some critical analysis – use discursive
style paragraphs
BUS7048:
Major Project
1. Have a plan
20
BUS7048:

Major Project
2. Use critical thinking to
select your sources
Define the purpose of your review
selection criteria consistently, e.g.:
Have you emphasised recent developments?
with only selective use of secondary sources (which add
value to other primary sources)?
BUS7048:
Major Project
Ways of obtaining sources

Summon (https://bcu.summon.serialssolutions.com/)
with the most people citing them are
displayed first
about 10 and 500)
obtaining additional sources or missing details of
references
https://scholar.google.com/
https://bcu.summon.serialssolutions.com/
21
BUS7048:
Major Project
or database (full list of available databases)
such as WARC (Marketing) might also be
particularly relevant to your review
published in one of them in the last 10 years

please check out the specific Lib Guide for your
course at http://libguides.bcu.ac.uk/?b=s or
contact:
here
BUS7048:
Major Project
The 50:40:10 principle
10%
40%
50%
Evidence found
but eventually
not used
Less important
evidence used:
generally
assert or quote

More important evidence
used: generally
summarise or critique
http://be6rg4tf5u.search.serialssolutions.com/
http://libguides.bcu.ac.uk/az.php
https://openathens.warc.com/login/?entityID=https://zed.bcu.ac.
uk/entity
http://libguides.bcu.ac.uk/?b=s
22
BUS7048:
Major Project
How to cite information
ack up factual assertions – every claim
needs to be backed up with evidence
– go into more depth and rewrite in

your own words
– go beyond a summary and provide
an objective evaluation of the findings/claims
made
BUS7048:
Major Project
Theme 2
~4 references
Theme 1
~4 references
Main research
question/’niche’
~2 references
3. Divide your literature into
about 2 initial themes
23
BUS7048:
Major Project

4. Structure your review
Suggested structure:
tual
framework
BUS7048:
Major Project
5. What is critical analysis?
Shallower
questions
Deeper
questions
Source: (Plymouth University, 2010 )
24

BUS7048:
Major Project
Other forms of critical analysis
xt slide):
1. Describe, summarise, present facts
2. Make simple implications / analyse (half critical)
3. (Personal) interpretation, evaluation
questions
BUS7048:
Major Project
[Topic sentence] There is disagreement between researchers
over the
appropriateness of a deep approach to studying within STEM

subjects. [First
view] There is some alignment between the deep learning
construct and
relational understanding construct in Skemp’s (1962) schematic
learning theory,
which he promotes as being particularly effective in
mathematics education,
providing evidence of improved retention of concepts.
[Evidence] In a study of
236 first year undergraduate mathematics students in
Australian, Crawford et al.
(1993) demonstrated a significant (p < 0.001) association
between a cohesive
conception of mathematics (similar to Skemp’s relational
understanding) and a
deep approach to studying, and a fragmented conception of
mathematics
(similar to Skemp’s instrumental understanding) and a surface
approach to
studying. However, [Alternative view] Kirschner et al. (2006)
argue against the
effectiveness of discovery-based learning and constructivism,
providing
evidence that students learn more deeply from strongly guided

learning
experiences. In addition, [Another view] Beattie at al. (1997)
also argue against
the universal appropriateness of a deep approach to studying
where learning
requires the practising of skills and processes, as is common in
STEM subjects.
In summary, [Evaluation] a deep approach to studying does not
appear to be
universally appropriate in STEM contexts.
Notice how the evaluation is more specific than the topic
sentence
The discursive style paragraph
25
BUS7048:
Major Project
The methods section
literature review – outlines and justifies the
method you have chosen and how you are

planning to implement it
– why?)
-
structured, via email, etc.)
BUS7048:
Major Project
Purposes of a conceptual
framework
(e.g. a business intervention)
ign of your study:
quantitative study but you should not assume this

You conceptual framework should relate directly to
the discussion/conclusion of your literature review
26
BUS7048:
Major Project
Example
BUS7048:
Major Project
Focus on these areas
Source: (Saunders et al., 2016)
27
BUS7048:
Major Project
Common mistakes
n about every layer in Saunders et
al.’s “onion” to “educate” your reader
focusing on your choices

your choices, e.g. a questionnaire:
opulation?
-random)?
in your literature review)
BUS7048:
Major Project
Project plan
Week commencing 10/06 17/06 24/06 01/07 08/07 15/07 22/07
29/07 05/08 12/08 19/08 26/08 02/09 09/09 16/09
Number 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
Firm up topic
Prepare research
proposal
Literature review (1st

draft)
Methodology (draft)
Design research
instrument
Methodology (final)
Collect data
Analyse data (draft)
Literature review (final)
Data analysis (final)
Discussion (draft)
Discussion (final)
Full dissertation (draft)
Proofreading and final
preparation
Proposal
deadline
End of
supervisions
deadline

Hand-in
deadline
20/09/19
28
BUS7048:
Major Project
Proposal presentation
(Options 3 and 4)
answers
3rd July
– Option 3:
riate methods, techniques and approaches

milestones, resource requirements and control mechanisms
BUS7048:
Major Project
Structure – option 4
1. An analysis of the customer problem(s), the suggested
solution(s) and features delivering that solution including
the value proposition
2. A brief analysis of the associated industry and market(s)
3. The start-up costs and likely costs (expenditure) and
sales (income) of running the business for the first 3
years
4. The research plan for identifying and proving market
demand exists for the stated value proposition
5. A project plan for completing the business plan project
and presentation
29

BUS7048:
Major Project
Ethics request form
July via Moodle (all options)
itten
your proposal (it might even help you to write your
proposal methodology section)
should upload it
Please do not upload the form unless your supervisor
has signed it!
BUS7048:
Major Project
Avoiding plagiarism
proper citation

BCU and may lead to a reduction in your marks
or disciplinary action
here
30
BUS7048:
Major Project
Turnitin reports
ge when it appears – it opens your
Turnitin report
match overview appear
BUS7048:
Major Project
Understanding your report
r the number the bigger the

potential problem, but there is more to it than
just the percentage
cover sheet, etc.)
plagiarism
31
BUS7048:
Major Project
Which of these is plagiarised?
A
A paragraph is copied but some small changes are made, for
example, a
few verbs are replaced, an adjective is replaced with a synonym.
There is
an citation in the reference list.
B
A paragraph is written by taking a number of short phrases from

a single
source then modifying them. These phrases are put together
using your
own words to create a new paragraph. There is an in-text
citation plus a
reference to the source is placed in the reference list.
C
A paragraph is cut and pasted retaining some of the original
sentences.
Some of the sentences are omitted, and one or two of the
sentences are
placed in a different order. There are no quotation marks. There
is an in-
text citation plus a reference to the source is placed in the
reference list.
D
A paragraph is rewritten making major changes in the language
and
organisation. More details and examples are used from other
sources.
There is an in-text citation plus a reference to the source is
placed in the
reference list.
E A paragraph is copied word for word, from a source without
any citation.
F
A paragraph is quoted. There is an in-text citation plus a
reference to the
source is placed in the reference list.

BUS7048:
Major Project
Solution
– plagiarised: definitely don’t do this – either
rephrase or quote and include a citation
– fine: this is a summary
– plagiarised, despite there being a citation:
don’t do this – rephrase or use quotation marks
– fine: most well referenced provided that the
other sources are cited
– most plagiarised: definitely don’t do this
– ok, but avoid too many quotes

to summarise, cite and reference correctly
32
BUS7048:
Major Project
What is summarising?
from it) but in your own words. The source must always be
acknowledged, as with a quotation.
o get away from the original language as much as
possible: it
is not enough to simply change one or two words. However, at
the
same time, you need to be careful not to change the meaning.

are in
control of your material. A successful summary means that you
have thought carefully about what you have read and are able to
manipulate the information for your own ends.
not your
first language. Many students worry that their writing is not
going
to be as good as the original: well, it probably isn't, but that
doesn't matter. What is important is your ideas, your arguments
and your ability to fulfil the task.
BUS7048:
Major Project

How to summarise
the meaning more clearly
ithout looking at the source, make some notes of the
points useful for you
order to try and ensure that the construction and wording are
different from the original
writing and flows into it
33

BUS7048:
Major Project
BCU Harvard referencing system
ecific to BCU available from here
followed by (year) – more personal style
the end of the document (all types of source together)
generally have the structure:
Author, Initials (Year) Title. Other required information.

The main document title will be in italics
BUS7048:
Major Project
Citing a single author
1. Plagiarism is an important issue in contemporary higher
education (Neville, 2007). (backing up an assertion)
2. Neville (2007) reports that… (summary)
There are many alternative reporting verbs, e.g.:

See Manchester Academic Phrasebank
3. “Referencing is not a new idea” (Neville, 2007: 2) (short
quote – must have a page number, if available; page
numbers are optional for other types of citation)
34
BUS7048:
Major Project
Citing multiple authors
Two authors – use and:
White and Brown (2004) in their recent study found...

A recent investigation (White and Brown, 2004)
suggests that...
Three or more authors – use et al.:
Green et al. (1969) identified the following …
Further research (Green et al., 1969) showed that ...
BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a paper journal
article
Format:
Author, Initials (Year) Title of article. Full Title of

Journal, Volume number(Issue/Part number), pp.
page numbers.
Example:
Driscoll, J. and Teh, B. (2001) The potential of
reflective practice to develop individual orthopaedic
nurse practitioners and their practice. Journal of
Orthopaedic Nursing, 5(2), pp. 95-103.
35
BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a book

Format:
Author, Initials (Year) Title of Book. Edition (if not
the first edition). Place of publication (this must
be a town or city, not a country): Publisher.
Example:
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2016)
Research Methods for Business Students, 7th
edn. Harlow: Pearson.
BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a pdf report
Format:
Author, Initials or Institutional Author (Year) Full Title of

Report. [pdf] Place (optional): Publisher (optional).
Available at: full URL [Accessed date].
Example:
Plymouth University (2010) Critical Thinking. [pdf] Available
at:
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/documen
t/path/1/1710/Critical_Thinking.pdf. [Accessed 9
November 2018].
Note: If a report is also published in paper format then cite that
one instead.
36

BUS7048:
Major Project
Referencing a website
Format:
Author, Initials or Institutional Author (Year) Title of
document. Place (optional): Publisher (optional).
Available at: Full URL [Accessed date].
Example:
Coventry University (n. d.) The writing process: steps 1 and
2; step 3; and steps 4 and 5. Available at:
http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/58f5ef96-aa60-
316c-c30b-f945aa89bfc7/1/. [Accessed 9 November

2018].
Note: Try to avoid too many electronic sources as they are
often not peer reviewed so less academically important
BUS7048:
Major Project
References
Dawson, C. (2006) The Mature Student’s Study Guide, 2nd edn.
374.130281/Daw and e-book.
Derounian, J. (2011) Shall we dance? The importance of staff–
student
relationships to undergraduate dissertation preparation. Active
Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), pp. 91–100.
Horn, R. (2012) Researching and Writing Dissertations: A
complete guide
for business and management students. 2nd edn. London: CIPD.
Plymouth University (2010) Critical Thinking.

1/1
710/Critical_Thinking.pdf.
Robinson, K. (2010) Changing Education Paradigms. [video]
RSA
Animate. Available at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_p
ar
adigms [Accessed 16 August 2018].
Saunders, M. N., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2016) Research
Methods
for Business Students. 7th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education.
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bcu/detail.action?docID=1
159095
https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_p
aradigms

Student Name
Student Number
Dissertation Title
Supervisor Name
Feedback
Provisional uncapped grade
Signature
Date
Chapter Marking Criteria Maximum Mark
Agree with the mark. The dissertation structure did not meet the
academic requirement. Please separate long paragraphs in the
Literature
Review chapter and make sure you critically discuss different
existing literature and applied proper references throughout.

Methodology is
not clear and do not just simply present all the Tables and
Figures in data findings. Need to analyse data and reflect your
literature review
discussions. Need to present a lot more detail in Analysis and
Conclusion.
Overall comments:
Clear research issue & appropriate background. Objectives clear
but some issues about scope, fit with the rationale, feasibility
.Fair
description of appropriate field(s) of literature. Some general
conclusions, weak evaluation of concepts & analytical
framework. Research
Methods unclear, don't relate to the research.Results are
presented incompletely with no real interpretation or analysis.
Conclusions are
unclear or not related to research findings and literature,
objectives not achieved.

2nd marker feedback:
Sajawal Iqbal
18144530
BUS7048 STUDENT FEEDBACK FORM
The Impact of Organisational Cultural on Firm Performance in
the UK
S Lichtenstein
40
03/10/2019
Marks will be capped if this was a late submission or resit
assessment and may be moderated up or down by the
examination board.
Title / Abstract / Introduction

Background to the project or study
Statement of the objectives of the project or hypotheses to be
examined
Originality of the objectives and of problem(s)
Significance of the study
15 8
Literature Review
Awareness and understanding of previous work related to the
project (including their limitations)
Integration of relevant literature into the body of the projects
20 11
Methodology
Development of a clear conceptual framework of study for the
project
Specification of the methodologies employed (e.g. how data was

collected)
Justification for choice of methodology
Coherence and rigor of approach
Appropriateness of methodology to project (given project
objectives)
Description of population and sample
Appropriateness of sample and sampling
Quality of data (relevance and accuracy)
Questionnaire (design, quality and administration)
Recognition of the limitation(s) of the methodology used
15 7
Analysis (Results and
Discussion)

Use of the data/material to examine project objectives and
hypotheses
Critical evaluation of material
The depth and breadth of analysis
Syntheses of analysis (primary and/or secondary research) with
issues raised by the academic literature
Has the student compared and contrasted different models in the
analysis (Robustness of Analysis)
Clarity of interpretation
Logic of argument
15 5
Conclusions and
Recommendations
Statement of overall findings and conclusions

Conclusions and recommendations flow from analysis
Significance of findings and recommendations
10 4
Reflective Account (including
record of supervisions)
A commentary and reflective analysis on the process of
undertaking research projects, including a self-
reflection on professional development issues, identifying areas
of strength and areas to improve upon
related to research and project management
15 0
Structure and presentation
Logical organisation and clear structure of the report
Appropriate use of charts, tables and exhibits
Quality of writing, clarity and use of appropriate language and

terminologies
Clear chapter titles, page numbering, BCU Harvard citing and
reference list
Free from errors of grammar and spelling
10 5
Total 40
46
The Impact of Organisational Cultural on Firm Performance in
the UK
Sajawal Iqbal
Student ID# 18144530
This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements of the MSc Management and International
Business.

Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences (BLSS)
Birmingham City University
October 2019
Supervisor: Scott Lichtenstein
Module Title# Major Project A S2 2018/9
Module Code # BUS7048
Acknowledgement
Throughout the writing of this dissertation I have received a
great deal of support and assistance. I would like to thank my
supervisor, Dr. Scott Lichtenstein, my module leader, Dr. Peter
Samuels, whose expertise was invaluable in the formulating of
the research topic, methodology and some software which were
totally new for me.
I would like to acknowledge my colleagues who help me out in
very tough time. You supported me greatly and were always
willing to help me.
In addition, I would like to thank my parents for their wise
counsel and sympathetic ear. You are always there for me.
Finally, there are my friends, who were of great support in
deliberating over our problems and findings.

Contents
Acknowledgement1
Abstract1
Chapter 14
1.0 Introduction4
1.1 Organizational culture:5
1.2 Performance management:6
1.3 Relation between organization culture and performance
management.6
1.4 Problem statement:7
1.5 Aim and Objectives8
1.5.1 Aim(s):8
1.5.2 Objective(s):8
Chapter 29
2.0 Literature Review9
Chapter 314
3.0 Methodology14
3.1 Sample size:14
3.2 Data Collection:14

3.3 Exploratory research:14
3.4 Secondary data:14
3.5 Quantitative research and numerical data:15
3.6 Variables:15
3.7 Hypothesis:15
Chapter 416
4.0 Analysis16
4.1 Descriptive:17
4.2 Correlations Analysis:18
4.3 Regression:19
Chapter 521
5.0 Discussion21
5.1 Hypothesis Results:22
Chapter 623
6.0 Conclusion23
Recommendation24
Chapter 725
7.0 Reflective Account25
25
7.1 Beginning activities:25
7.2 Refining Topic26
7.3 Choosing and Refining Methodology:26
7.4 Collection of Data26
7.5 Analyzing and Interpreting Data27
7.6 Self-Reflection27

Bibliography28
Appendix 1:32
Meetings:32
Abstract
Organization culture is defined as the norms and beliefs that are
present in the organization that are used by the employees to
solve problems and run the organization on a day to day basis.
Culture is a vital part of any organization it is the identity of
the organization. The study looks at how the culture of any
organization can be an influencing factor on the performance of
the organizations of the organizations. This study also looks at
is there any relationship between organizational culture and the
performance of the organization of the UK. In this study
researcher focused at how organizations aligned the culture and
maintain in the organization, how much its impacts on overall
performance of the firm. The study measures the influence of
organizational culture on performance by looking at the return
on assets and equity and also by looking at the turnover rate of
employees along with other variables such as size of
organization, age of employees and percentage of males in the
organization. The study is based on secondary data taken from

the annual reports of the organizations using the Fame and
Thomson Reuters Eikon 4 data base software and the data is
analyzed using the SPSS software. The results of the analysis
along with the discussion and conclusions are given below.
Chapter 11.0 Introduction
Culture has can be defined as a pattern of shared assumptions,
beliefs ,norms and expectations that can guide the members
actions and interpretations of norms and actions of others that
can be considered acceptable behavior for employees in an
organizations. When the focus is on cultural norms that are
defined as socially created standards that can emerge as a result
of shared values within an organization. Norms help the
members of the group to interpret and evaluate various actions
and the expectations of return of those actions and the
appropriate behavior in return. Culture in organizations is
developed by combining the norms and values of the people and
the policies implemented by the administration. Many
researchers have stated that corporate culture can be made up of
many things such as the extent to which managers in the firm
commonly spoke of their company’s style or way of doing
things, whether the firm had made its values known through a

creed or credo and made consistent attempts to get managers to
follow them, and the extent to which the focal firm had been
managed according to long-standing policies and practices other
than those just of the current chief executive officer
(JENNIFER A. CHATMAN, 2014). The culture of an
organization has long been described as a driver of success
evidence has accumulated that an association does exist and that
certain features of organizational culture are routinely
correlated with a range of organizational performance.
However, research to date has generally fallen short of
establishing a causal culture-to-performance effect.
Alternatively, it is possible that organizational performance
causes organizational culture, culture and performance are
reciprocally related, or both are caused by a third variable.
Given the unique theoretical and practical implications of these
alternative forms of a C-P relationship, there for further
investigation is required to see how culture can improve the
performance levels of any given project within an organization
(ANTHONY S. BOYCE, 2015) . Given the widespread interest
form mangers and academic scholars regarding the impact of
culture on the performance of firms and their projects it should
be noted that the level of clarity regarding this relationship is
very little. One of the early studies that looked at the concerned
topic was done by American authors (J., Siehi, & Martin, 1990)
they looked at ways to measure the impact of culture on the

performance of business and concluded that that a link
between culture and firm performance “has not been—and may
well never be—empirically demonstrated”. Since then many
have looked at how the culture of a firm can lead to
improvements in performance studies such as (Gregory, 2009)
and (Hartnell C. A., 2011) have observed the association
between the two. (Gregory, 2009) Stated that there is empirical
proof that culture can improve performance and (Hartnell C. A.,
2011) found significant correlations between culture and
employee job satisfaction, improved revenue and performance.
Culture is a global phenomenon that derived from the social
economic, legal political and religious norms values and
traditions of the society. Culture can shape the actions and
behaviors of individuals to act accordingly in different
situations when faced in life. Due to the importance of
organization culture there has been researched heavily in the
last two decades the resent emphasis has been on the cultures
being developed at organizations worldwide. An organizational
culture is commonly defined as a set of belief values and
assumptions that are shared by members of an organization
(Schein, 2013). It is believed that organizational culture
provides a competitive advantage and can have a considerable
effect in developing employee mangers relationship. The
influence of organizational culture on organizational
performance has been proven in many previous studies. (Ezirim,

2010) States that the influence of organization culture on the
performance has been proven in his research study. The author
stated that organization culture can increase the overall
effectiveness of the organization and performance. The author
also stated that culture is an essential for organizational
effectiveness. For instance (Catana, 2010) in his study
concluded that organizational culture is a central concept that
has major influence on the performance of businesses.
Organizational culture also lead to improvements in
productivity and effectiveness of the business. Despite the level
of attentions paid to the topic no major solutions have been
mutuality agreed due to the complexity of the topic and the fact
that every organization has a different culture with different
factors effecting them. (Smith, 2004) States in the study that it
is very difficult to find out the correlation between culture and
performance because some firms have different ideologies than
others and changing those cultures may end up harming
performance. There is also the matter that some aspects of
organization culture that cannot be measured quantifiably.1.1
Organizational culture:
Organizational culture was defined by (Owens, 2012) as the
patterns of joint values and beliefs over time that produce
behavioral norms that are adopted in problem solving by the
individuals of the organization. The organizations internal
environment is represented by their culture every organization

has certain norms it follows. A good example is UPS with its
culture of never turning left this culture norm has resulted in
increased levels of profitability. Organization cultures that are
successful need to be manifested in the beliefs and assumptions
of the managers and employees because there are ones that are
most entrusted to consider it as normal behavior when it comes
to problem solving. (Aycan, 2010) Also stats that
Organizational culture manifested in beliefs and assumptions,
values, attitudes and behaviors of its members is a valuable
source of a firm’s competitive advantage. Organizational
culture also shapes the producers of the company and combines
the capabilities of the entire business in to one cohesive and
well understood team. And this can lead to problems being
solved quickly and thereby increase productivity. (Hall, 2013)
Stated that organizational culture if properly maintained can has
lasting effects as it is transferred from older employee to new
employees and can act as a bridge between them and allow them
to work together and increase performance.1.2 Performance
management:
Performance management is defined as a strategic and
intergraded approach that makes sue of culture and the
employee’s norms and aims to deliver sustained performance to
the organization. This is done by improving the capabilities of
the works and making them feel a part of the organizations and
focusing on team build and culture adaptation. (Armstrong,

2010) Also support the notion that staff when managed properly
and made to feel as a part of the organization will create more
of a competitive advantage then any amount of capital. The
author stats that having vast amounts of capital is good but if
the staff do not perform it is wasted and misused. The purpose
of culture at an organization is to transform the raw potential of
the human resource and build an environment that can inspire
performance and success. Culture in an organization can help to
remove barriers that hinder motivation. Culture allows people at
an organization to perform better as a group then they would as
individuals (Reynolds, 2011). The competitive capacity of the
organization can be increased if there is a strong culture present
that bring the best out of people and helps them to solve
problems collectively. This is essences rise the performance of
the employees and is an advanced form of performance
management.1.3 Relation between organization culture and
performance management.
According to (Kandula, 2010) the key to good performance of
an organization is the presence of a strong culture. This is
because people at the organizations become accustomed to the
ways of an organization and how its culture allows for problems
to be dealt with. The author admits that due to the presences of
a strong culture some strategies may not generate the desired
results as for other firms and some strategies may take longer to
succeed but in the long run organizations with a strong culture

can lead to improvements in performance it all depends on how
a certain strategy is adapted by the people working at the
organization. The presence of a strong culture can make an
average individual perform better and achieve levels of
performance he or she has not previously achieved. O the other
hand if there is a lack of a strong culture and the organization is
built on a negative environment it can make employees who
perform great at other organization perform below average.
There for the author concludes that organization culture has a
direct relationship with the performance of each employee and
thus the performance of the whole organization. (Murphy, 2013)
In his research stated that the he believe that culture at an
organization is vital because it builds the understanding of
values of the business and improves performance. (Magee,
2012) Contends that without the consideration of culture the
organization cannot improve the performance of their
employees. If culture is not taken into consideration it can be
counterproductive and end up decreasing productivity.
1.4 Problem statement:
The concept of organizational culture has been a widely
discussed topic of debate it has gained wide acceptance in
understanding the field of management sciences. Culture has
become one of the most important and indispensable parts of the
organization in order to attain high levels of performance. An
increased level of competition, globalization and other

1 BIRMINGHAM CITY BUSINESS SCHOOL UNDERGRAD.docx

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