MANT480 Dissertation or Case Study

Overview

A dissertation or case study of approximately 15,000 words.

The Honours programme in Management offers self-motivated students of above-average capability the opportunity to:

• further develop skills of analysis, criticism and expression
• think constructively, and develop and defend their own points of view
• gain a full appreciation of their chosen discipline
• develop and use research skills

Every candidate for Honours has to prepare a dissertation (approximately 15,000 words).

About this paper

Restriction

MANT 481

Limited to

BCom(Hons)

Contact

management@otago.ac.nz

More information link

View more information on the Department of Management's website

Teaching staff

Various lecturers, to be confirmed when paper next offered.

Paper Structure

MANT 480 (BCom(Hons)) is a research dissertation and may take the following formats:

• "Literature-based" research paper
  You may undertake a "literature-based" study which critiques the literature on a topic, and makes a contribution to theory. We would expect you to thoroughly investigate the literature on a topic after negotiating the research methodology and reporting format with your supervisor.
  Example: You undertake a study like significant determinants of employee loyalty. The focus of the dissertation is the development of theory. This is a high risk option.
• Empirical research not conducted in any specific organisation
  The focus of the dissertation is the primary research, supported by the literature review. While the dissertation may prove useful to a wide variety of users in the industry of your choice, no particular provider would have commissioned it. We would expect you to negotiate the methodology and reporting format with your supervisor.
  Example: You undertake a study like an empirical investigation of employee loyalty in the New Zealand health sector. We would expect you to perhaps survey a wide variety of people involved in health provision and to draw conclusions from that data.
• Empirical research conducted in an organisation
  You would need to develop an appropriate methodology for gathering the data and writing a dissertation acceptable at senior management level for the sponsoring organisation. We would expect you to negotiate the methodology and reporting format with your supervisor. The focus of the dissertation is primary research, supported by the literature review.
  Example: You undertake a study like an empirical investigation of employee loyalty at Dunedin Hospital.

Teaching Arrangements

Student completes assignments with assistance from supervisor.

Textbooks

Textbooks are not required for this paper.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of this paper results in the writing of a dissertation which:

• Provides an opportunity to investigate, in some depth, areas of business activity in which the student is interested
• Enables students to work closely with a member of staff on a topic of interest
• Allows experience of carrying out research of a more advanced level
• Provides a substantial achievement in terms of work which can be shown to prospective employers
• May be used as preparation for a MCom or PhD proposal

Timetable