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Orientation of

Thesis Writing for MBS

Master of Business Administration (MBS)

Balkumari College,chitwan

What is Research?

• Scientific research is systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical investigation of natural phenomena guided by theory and hypotheses about the presumed relations among such phenomena.

• Research is a fact finding activity.

Selecting a Thesis topic

• Selecting a good topic is not easy.

• It must be narrow and focused enough to be interesting, yet broad enough to find adequate information for your research.

• Before you select your topic, make sure you know what your final research project should look like.

Selecting a Thesis topic from journals

1. Consult the journals and articles

2.Start with the most recent first.

3. Also consult literature provided in References.

4 Decide methodology of which can be applied in Nepalese context.

5. Make sure that Nepalese data are available.

6. Study how the research problems were formulated, objectives were developed, data were collected, processed, tabulated and analyzed.

Features of good topics

• Data availability

• Access to the data

• Time available (define limitations)

• Availability of resources

• Capabilities and skills

• Potential outcomes: good topics have the capability of resulting in positive and negative results.

A poor topic choice

• Choose a topic in a hurry

• Select the method before the topic

• Delay for months over different topic ideas

• Generalize about your topic

• Ignore the basic criteria

• Do not talk to your supervisors

• Selecting the topic without studying the basic information or literature

Writing a Thesis Proposal

• A research proposal is a plan that you have chosen to follow an order to achieve your intended outcomes—the completion of your thesis.

• A proposal is like a map that will help you route your journey along the research process.

Table of Contents: Proposal1.1 General background1.2 Statement of the problem 1.3 Objectives of the study1.4 Research Questions1.5 Hypothesis of study(if any)1.6 Significance of study1.7 Research Methodology

1.7.1 Research design

1.7.2 Sample selection/ Selection of enterprises1.7.3 Nature & sources of data1.7.4 Method of analysis

1.8 Limitations of study1.9 Organization of the study

Criteria of Problems or Problems Statements

1.The problem should express a relation between two or more variables. It asks, in effect, questions like: Is A related to B? How are A and B related to C? How is A related to B under conditions C and D?

2.The problem should be stated clearly and unambiguously in question form. Instead of saying, for instance, “ The problem is …,” or “the purpose of this study is…,” ask a question.”

Criteria of Problems or Problems statements

3.The third criterion is often difficult to satisfy. It demands that the problems and the problems statement should be such as to imply possibilities of empirical testing. A problem that does not contain implications for testing its stated relation or relations is not a scientific problem.

Features of suitable research problem

• It should be great interest of you

• The problem should be significant

• It should be delineated: consider the time you have to complete the work, and the depth to which the problems will be addressed.

• You should be able to obtain the information required

• You should be able to draw conclusions related to the problems

• Your should be able to state the problem clearly and concisely.

Examples of statement of problems:

• What are the effects on students’ performance of different types of incentives?

• A problem, then, is an interrogative sentence or statement that asks: what relation exists between two or more variables.

Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is a conjectural statement, a tentative proposition about the relation between two or more phenomena or variables. Our scientist will say, “if such-and-such occurs, then so-and-so results.”

Merits or Values of Problems and hypothesis

• Problems and hypotheses direct investigation. The relations expressed in the hypotheses tell the researcher, in effect, what to do.

• Problems, and hypotheses, because they are ordinarily generalized relational statements, enable the researcher to deduce specific empirical expressions implied by the problems and hypotheses.

• There are important differences between problems and hypotheses. Hypotheses, if properly stated, can be tested. While a given hypothesis may be too broad to be tested directly, if it is a “ good” hypothesis, then other testable hypotheses can be deduced from it. Facts or variables are not tested as such. The relations stated by the hypotheses are tested.

• A problem cannot be scientifically solved unless it is reduced to hypothesis form. Because a problems is a question, usually of a broad nature, and is not directly testable. One does not test the questions: does efficiency enhance organizational effectiveness and profitability?

• Problems and hypotheses advance scientific knowledge by helping the investigator confirm or disconfirm theory.

• Hypothesis directs inquiry. It incorporates aspects of the theory under test in testable or near-testable form .

Review of Literature

• The search and review of the literature is a critical evaluation, analysis and synthesis of existing knowledge relevant to your own research problem.

Literature Review

• A literature review may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject. In either case, its purpose is to:

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review

• Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration

• Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research

• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies

• Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort

• Point the way forward for further research

• Place one's original work (in the case of theses or dissertations) in the context of existing literature.

Research Design

• Research design the plan and structure of investigation so conceived as to obtain answers to research questions.

• The plan is the overall scheme or program of the research. It includes an outline of what researcher will do from writing the hypotheses and their operational implications to the final analysis of data..

• A structure is the framework, organization, or configuration of elements of the structure related in specified ways.

• In short, a structure is a paradigm or model of the relations among the variables of a study.

• Research design and the methods you use to collect your data are not the same thing. Data collection and its analysis are parts of research design.

Frequently Used Research Design

• Descriptive: Is a fact-finding operation searching for adequate information. Conducted to assess to opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a given population and to describe the situation and events occurring at present.

Survey research

• Survey research: Gathering information about the characteristics, actions, or opinions of a large group of people, referred to as a population.

• Uses a structured technique for data collection, & a procedure to administer responses to questions.

• Case study: An empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within a real-life context using multiple sources of evidence.

• It refers to an intensive investigation of a social unit, that is a person, a family, a social groups, an institution, a community, or even an entire culture.

• Exploratory research: a study undertaken in areas where very little prior knowledge or information is available on the subject under investigation.

• Exploratory study is usually to develop hypotheses or questions for further research

Sampling

• The basis idea of sampling it that by selecting some of the elements in population, we may draw conclusions about the entire population.

• A population is the total collection of elements about which we wish to make some inferences.

• Random sampling: Every element in the sampling frame has an equal chance of selection.

• Stratified sampling: The process by which the sample is constrained to include elements from each of the segments is called stratified random sampling. University students can be divided by their class level, school or major, gender and so forth.

• Cluster sampling: In the cluster sampling population can also be divided into groups of elements with some groups randomly selected for study.

• Judgmental sampling occurs when a researcher selects sample members to conform to some criterion. In case of students’ problems you only wants to ask questions to student union representative.

Thesis ReportTable of Contents

• The front pages should be arranged as followsCover PageRecommendationViva-Voce SheetDeclarationAcknowledgementTable of contentAbbreviationList of tableList of figuresList of appendices

•Chapter I: Introduction1.1 Background1.2 Statement of problems1.3 Objectives of study1.4 Research Questions1.5 Hypotheses of study1.6 Significance of study1.7 Limitation of Study1.8 Organization of study

Chapter 2: Review of Literature

2.1 Theoretical or conceptual framework

2.2 Review of literature or review of

empirical works (by periods)

2.3 Review of Nepalese studies(articles, theses and other research works)

2.4 Concluding Remarks/ Research Gaps (Mixed previous empirical results- positive/negative; significant/insignificant)

Chapter III Research Methodology

3.1 Research design

3.2 Population and sample/Selection of enterprises

3.3 Data collection procedures

3.3 Nature & sources of data

3.4 Respondents profile

3.5 Variables and measures

3.6 Method of analysis

Chapter IV: Presentation & Analysis of Data

4.1 General background (Describe briefly issues of investigation)

4.2 Analysis of secondary data (Headings should be according to topic)

4.3 Analysis of primary data4.4 Major findings of study

Chapter5: Summary, Conclusions & Recommendations• 5.1 Summary• 5.2 Conclusion• 5.3 Recommendations

• Bibliography• Appendices (Financial statements/information,

Questionnaires, etc.)

Thank you