How to write a management dissertation
Writing a management dissertation is a significant academic and writing achievement. Learning how to write a management dissertation successfully requires careful planning, meticulous research, original and critical thinking and analysis, and a high standard of writing. This is because in writing a management dissertation a student must always aim to present something new and original to the field of management studies.
Understanding what goes into writing a management dissertation is the first step towards achieving the demanding academic objectives of original research that will make a substantial impact in the field of management studies. Learning how to write a management dissertation then, is probably the most important part of your postgraduate studies.
Before you start writing a management dissertation.
Choosing your topic is the first step towards your goal. How to do this? Here is some advice:
- Note ideas that interest you and research goals that are achievable. Learning how to write a management dissertation begins with learning how to choose a feasible topic.
- Be critical about your ideas, consider whether they would be of interest to others in the field of management.
- Debate your ideas with your supervisor. Being an expert in the field of management studies, your supervisor will be able to advise you if your ideas are worth exploring or not. Your supervisor will also guide your reading, offer direction, inform you of what has already been done in the area of your interest, and offer invaluable advise on how to write your dissertation.
- Narrow down your management dissertation topic so that you end up focusing on a specific rather than a general question.
- Choose a problem that is unique to your field of studies. The very purpose of writing a management dissertation is to innovate rather than replicate what others have done or are doing.
There are numerous issues to consider in how to write your management dissertation, such as the appropriate subject areas for your further research, which might be management theory, business ethics, case studies, problem solving, management business plans and motivation techniques in management, to name a few. When choosing to explore one of these topics you will firstly need to understand the topic in general and, having read the literature, be able to narrow down the topic to something specific. For example, your initial topic of choice might be 'Management Theory,' but that is too general, so you would have to find something specific to explore. For example, within this general topic, a valid dissertation topic might be: 'How Personality Traits Determine Preferences in Middle Management Theory and Practice.'
Planning and writing a management dissertation.
There are two major components to learning how to write a management dissertation. These are:
- The planning and research phase
- The drafting and writing phase
In planning to write a management dissertation, begin as soon as possible, by completing the following tasks:
- Develop a draft title for your dissertation
- Write up an initial reading list for your literature review
- Decide on the type of research that will help you reach your objective
- Decide on your methodology
- Write an outline of the management dissertation
- Set a date for completion of initial reading list
- Set a date for completion of data collection
- Set a date for a first draft
- Set dates for subsequent research deadlines
- Set dates for subsequent drafts
The question of how to write a management dissertation also depends on what research type is suitable for your selected topic. Consider the following types of research:
- Exploratory research: Explores a subject of interest that is new or where little previous research has been conducted and few conclusions have been made.
- Descriptive research: Describes data collected about a given subject of interest in order to reveal their characteristics. This type of research is normally quantitative because it relies on numerical data, facts and figures.
- Analytical research: Analyses research to locate the underlying reasons and assumptions. This type of research is normally qualitative because it makes assumptions that go beyond the facts and figures and might often be an analysis of an existing piece of descriptive research.
- Predictive research: Predicts future trends and possibilities based on analysis of quantitative or qualitative data.
The question of how to write a management dissertation also includes when to begin writing. It is important to begin writing and structuring your management dissertation as soon as possible, even if all the information has not been collected. Outlining, drafting and writing helps focus your ideas, clarify problems, reveal gaps in logic and improve your style.
The importance of structure in how to write a management dissertation.
When it comes to writing a management dissertation, individual universities and supervisors have their own expectations of how a dissertation should be structured, so in all cases it is best to refer to your supervisor and to your departmental handbook for how to write a management dissertation. In general, however, an management dissertation is structured like this:
- Title page: Include the title of your dissertation, your name and your supervisor's name, your department and any other relevant information.
- Abstract: Summarise the central argument, research method and conclusion of your dissertation in a single paragraph.
- Introduction: Introduce your thesis, introduce your research, outline the structure of your dissertation and present your conclusion.
- Background: Place your work in a theoretical context that explains the purpose and relevance of your research.
- Literature review: Present all previous and relevant research that has been conducted in the subject of your interest.
- Methodology: Describe the method of your research and the tools used, explaining why this method produces the desired results and illuminates your thesis.
- Results: Present the results of your data.
- Analysis and discussion: Analyse the results of your research in light of the literature you reviewed. Discuss any implications or questions raised by your research.
- Recommendations: Depending on the purpose of your management dissertation this section might be useful in order to offer practical and theoretical direction.
- Conclusion: Conclude by responding to the original thesis of your management dissertation.
- Bibliography: How to write an appropriate bibliography depends on listing your sources according to the style preferred by your university. Consult the style guides before doing this.
- Appendices: Add information that is not necessary to your central argument but may be of interest to your reader.
The importance of style in how to write a management dissertation.
When learning how to write a management dissertation it is important to remember that it must be written with a style and quality that reflects a flair for rhetorical writing. Present your ideas with a clear and concise style and use only the vocabulary that is suitable to your field and purpose. Organise your writing so that each idea and assumption logically follows what has been written before it. Use the tools and grammar and syntax to execute refined arguments that proceed toward a strong conclusion that will deliver the opening promise of your central thesis.