1.

Introduction

The assessment for the dissertation makes a significant contribution to your final honours degree
mark as it is a double module and is therefore of major significance in determining your degree
classification. You will spend a considerable amount of time on your dissertation and you should
therefore pursue a topic in which you are especially interested. The topic chosen must relate to
Business Studies and whilst it is not restricted to the set of subjects undertaken in your degree studies,
it could involve, for example, the examination of a business problem or situation, it must provide an
opportunity to bring to bear upon it the studies and subject areas covered in the course.
The dissertation is a communication of a piece of academic work which demonstrates, within the
context of existing knowledge, an understanding of a particular problem together with evidence of
original, critical and analytical thinking. The investigative work will probably, but not necessarily,
include the collection of a considerable amount of data, both primary and secondary. The data will be
analysed and used to support a logically structured argument. The work you do must be original; i.e.
it must not repeat previous work done by you or by others. The work must be analytical in nature and
the examiners will be looking for evidence of analytical skills in the written documentation and for
evidence of how your work fits into a wider academic perspective.

2.

The Research Process

2.1

Dissertation Supervision

The dissertations are co-ordinated by the Dissertation Co-ordinator who will suggest possible areas of
study and who will nominate a Dissertation Supervisor who will be assigned to each student for the
period of the dissertation.

2.2

Choice of Topic

By the end of the summer term you should select an area of study which you wish to pursue for your
dissertation and as part of the Research Methods module you will have submitted a detailed research
proposal and been graded on it. You must adhere to this proposal unless you receive the express
consent of your dissertation supervisor to alter or amend it. If as a student you are entering the
third year directly then you will be required to submit an outline of your research ideas. This outline
should include:

Title

a working title should be submitted which clearly indicates the

content of the dissertation.

Aims

an overall statement of the nature of the original research.

Objectives

the specific questions you will expect to answer in your

dissertation. You may wish to indicate how these questions break
down into sub-questions.

Methodology

identification of the ways you will operationalise your objectives.

This outline should be approximately 600 words long.

2.3

Dissertation Timetable

It is essential that you manage your time well in writing a dissertation as it can pass at an alarming
pace. It is particularly important that you follow some form of timetable so that you can set
milestones by which you and your supervisor can assess your progress. Certain of these milestones
are termed key stages and must be met. Failure to meet a key stage will result in the loss of
marks (see marking scheme). You must ensure that you allow enough time to write up the
dissertation and also to get it typed or word-processed and bound by the submission date, the first day
of the summer term.
The following is a suggested timetable, you may deviate from this but you should then substitute one
of your own and agree it with your supervisor. You may not, however, deviate from the key stage
elements within this timetable:

MONTH

DEADLINES

OTHER WORK

June

Title and Outline

General Reading

September/October/
November

Write draft chapter on theory

and literature

Focus reading; letters, requests,

arrangements for visits etc.

December

KEY STAGE
Hand in literature review
by Monday of last week of
autumn term
Complete fieldwork

Make visits, collect data,

Write up fieldwork notes, interview
notes etc.

January/February

Write first clean draft

Maps, diagrams, typing arrangements

March

KEY STAGE
Provide supervisor with
Draft of dissertation two weeks
Prior to Easter vacation.
Hand dissertation to typist/
Or do it yourself
BUT
correct first draft
correct second draft
final check

Throughout the year you should regularly meet with your supervisor so that he/she may monitor your
progress and advise you. Meetings with your supervisor should be arranged to suit your mutual
convenience. You should observe the normal courtesies with regard to attending appointments
promptly or advising the supervisor of any changes you wish to make.
You are required to acknowledge that at least three of these meetings have taken place by signing a
declaration to this effect. This is set out at the end of this booklet.
2.4

Literature Survey

Before you begin your investigation you should check systematically through the literature relating to
your subject area to see what has already been published. This will indicate current trends in your
chosen area and ensure that your work is original and not a duplication of someone else's work.
Consider the scope of the literature you wish to search carefully. Use textbooks, journals and abstracts
to get an overview of your subject. A bibliography of your subject may already have been published.
The site librarian will show you how to undertake this work. The library staff of the Institute have
always been extremely supportive to students undertaking dissertations and you must not abuse their
good nature by making unreasonable demands.
It is particularly important that you use the major abstract journals. Abstracts provide an index to all
major journals in their subject area. Many abstracts contain not only the full details of where the
article can be found but also a summary of it.
You can find a list of all the articles quoting a particular key article in the Citations Indexes. Ask the
librarian for help on this.
Books, particularly recently published books, in your subject area can be particularly valuable. The
librarian can help you trace books on particular subjects. M.Phil. and Ph.D. theses are listed in the
Index of Theses and can usually be borrowed through the Inter-Library Loans service.
Ongoing research in your field can be traced through "Current Research in Britain" available in the
reference section of the library.
You may be able to do part of your literature search using the CD-ROM based database systems in the
library or via on-line searches. You will be using keywords to find references and must prepare a list

of search terms and synonyms in advance. On-line searching is extremely expensive and accesses the
same information as printed abstracts which you should have searched first.
Having done your initial literature survey you are ready to finalise the precise nature of your
investigation and the specific objectives knowing the background of your chosen area of study.
Update your literature study at intervals throughout your research and particularly before you write up
the final dissertation to ensure that you keep track of what is happening in your area.
2.5

Aims and Objectives

This will be contained in your original outline of the dissertation though it may need amendment as
the work proceeds. It is important to bear these aims and objectives in mind throughout the research
period so that you can ascertain whether or not they are being attained. The aims and objectives of the
dissertation need, of course, to be clearly expressed within the dissertation itself.
2.6

Methodology

The objectives need to be operationalised and this process is described in your Methodology section
explaining how you decided to answer the questions set in your objectives. There may be only one
way that you can achieve some objectives, e.g. by observation, by a structured interview or by a
questionnaire and therefore you should describe this method. For other objectives there may be
several ways in which you could achieve them. You should describe the decision making process and
explain why you selected your chosen path. You may use several different research methods to
achieve your objectives.
Having selected your research method(s) you should describe how you implemented the method(s) and
identified the sampling frame, e.g. for a questionnaire structured interview to identify issues, drawing
up of pilot questionnaire and refinement of the final version before completion. Is it a postal
questionnaire, a self-completion questionnaire or whatever?
You need to identify at this stage the statistical techniques you will use for the analysis of the data.
This will help you to identify the amount of data you will need to collect. You can get lots of clues
about how data is analysed from your literature survey.
2.7

Data Collection

Collecting the data is a time consuming process. The quality of the data you collect will determine the
quality of your resultant argument.
2.8

Data Analysis

The data will have to be analysed and this will require you to use a general-purpose statistical package
such as MINITAB or even a spreadsheet package. Check that you understand how you will carry out
the analysis before you embark on data collection. If you are in any doubt consult your dissertation
supervisor.

3.

Writing Up Your Dissertation

3.1

Layout of the Dissertation

The dissertation is a communications exercise and you should pay particular attention to ensuring that
you communicate to the reader in an effective way. As part of the exercise you are required to present
your dissertation in a standard manner and in a particular number of words, in this case
approximately 10,000. If you wish to present your work in a different format to a third party for some
reason, e.g. as a management report/executive summary, then you must do this separately and not
allow yourself to be dissuaded from the following guidance given in this documentation.
The dissertation should be in the following format:
Title Page
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Contents Page
List of Tables and Figures
Introduction
Secondary Information - the literature survey
Primary Information
- the collection of evidence or data (if undertaken)
Analysis
Conclusion
Appendices(if required)
References
Each section (chapter) should begin on a separate page.

3.2

Title Page

This has to be produced according to a standard format - details will be supplied to you at a later date.
The final title must, however, be a concise and accurate description of the content of the dissertation.
e.g.

An Evaluation of Japanese Management Techniques as Applied in Wales.

It should be noted that the title need not necessarily be the phrased in exactly the same language as
the research proposal. Indeed it is unlikely to be so.
3.3

Abstract

An accurate summary, usually under one page in length. It should include the aims and objectives,
the scope of the work, the organisation and content of the dissertation, methods of investigation and
criteria used, the main findings and conclusions reached. The aim is to give the reader an
understanding of the nature of the dissertation. The abstract should be written in the past tense and in
the third person passive,
e.g.

...consequently a questionnaire was conducted. This concluded that...

3.4

Acknowledgements

All people who have helped either in the research or writing up the dissertation must be
acknowledged, e.g. the librarian, supervisor, typist, external assistance, etc.

3.5

Contents

This should be a tabulated list showing each section (chapter) of the dissertation and the page number
at which that section begins. If the sections are sub-divided then a numbered entry for each subsection should also appear in the contents list.
1.

Introduction

2.

Management Theories
2.1
2.2

3.6

General Theories of Management

Japanese Theories and Practice

3.

Japanese Practice in Wales

4.

Analysis

5.

Conclusions/Recommendations

List of Tables and Figures

This should contain the number of each Table/Figure, its title and the page number on which it
appears in the text.
Tables

used to display numbers in a way, which allows the reader to glean the requisite
information as easily as possible. Tables should be numbered consecutively
within the document and the number and title should be displayed clearly at the
top of the table. The table should be accompanied by a verbal summary in the
text which reinforces the points made in the table and is positioned close
enough to the table to allow the reader to check his/her understanding of each
point made.

Figures

these may be pie charts, bar charts, histograms, scatter charts, diagrams, maps
or photographs. As for tables they should be numbered consecutively through
the text and have the number and title clearly displayed at the top of the figure.
Again, they should be accompanied by a verbal summary reinforcing the main
points made. All figures should be of a good reprographic standard.

3.7

Introduction

This should set the scene. It should clearly set out the aims and objectives of the dissertation, your
hypothesis, so that the reader can see clearly whether this has been attained. You may wish to include
in the introduction a sub-section on your methodology or if it is to be rather complex a separate
section could be devoted to it. Wherever it occurs it should be a concise description of the
operationalisation of your objectives i.e. how you decided to answer each objective. Evidence of
reasoned choice of research methodology should be made. Description of how you implemented that
methodology selected your sampling frame collected the data and analysed the data together with
details of statistical testing.

3.8

Secondary Information

There should be a satisfactory survey of any literature, which may cast light upon the dissertation and
its objectives. This should be undertaken before any other work such as data collection. Successful
completion of this is a key stage in the dissertation process.

3.9

Primary Information

There should be some collection of evidence or data or some special consideration about the particular
problem or situation under investigation.

3.10

Analysis

The problem or situation should be analysed in the light of the background reading and literature
survey together with any new evidence or data collected. Any limitations of the data and/or analysis
should be clearly shown and you may identify how your methodology or data could have been
improved e.g. collecting more data, tightening the sample frame.

3.11

Conclusions/Recommendations

There should be some firm recommendations/conclusions supported by an argued rationale, which

demonstrates that the objectives have been achieved. This will take the form of a restatement of the
major findings from the Analysis section. The Introduction and Conclusion should be mirror images
of each other - one is introducing what is to come, the other what has been. The Conclusion should,
of course, have a fuller discussion. It is frequently the case that one of the researcher's
recommendations is that more research needs to be done. This is perfectly normal and you must not
be afraid of identifying more questions that need to be answered than you have been able to address in
the dissertation.

3.12

Appendices

Appendices should be kept to a minimum and should include only relevant raw data, analysis
procedures, copies of questionnaires used copies of relevant commercial literature and relevant
correspondence.
3.13

References

Throughout your dissertation you will have been referring to the work of other people. This must be
properly referenced as a reader may wish to consult the original text. It is essential to cite ALL
sources of references and to acknowledge works, which have been consulted because this provides
evidence of your research and enables the reader to consult the original work.
In the text you should refer to pieces of work in a consistent manner. The preferred method for doing
so is the Harvard system.
Harvard System
References are indicated in the text as follows:
(Name, Date) e.g. - (Jones, 1999)
Where there are two authors:
(Name and Name, Date) e.g. - (Jones and Kemp, 1998)
Where there are more than two authors:
(Name et al, Date) e.g. - (Jones et al, 1991)
Use a,b,c etc. to indicate different publications by the same author(s) in the same year.
e.g. ...In contrast to others (Jones, 1996a; Norman, 1988; Jones, 1996b), (Jones, 1993) suggested
that...
At the end of the dissertation you will include a list of references in alphabetic order - books,
journals, conference papers etc. all together. The name of the book, journal, conference paper should
be underlined or word-processed in bold or italics and the date of publication, publisher and place of
publication given e.g.
Balchin, P. and Bull, G. (1987) Regional and Urban Economics London: Harper
Bateley, R. (1989) London Docklands: An Analysis of Power Relations Between UDCs and Local
Government Public Administration Vol. 67 pp167-187
Cardiff City Council Planning Department (1971) South Butetown: Proposals for the Seventies
Cawson, A. (1985) Corporatism and Local Politics in Grant, W. (Ed.) The Political Economy of
Corporatism London: Macmillan
Duffy, H. (28/02/1989) Financial Times
Financial Times (05/02/1988)
Robson, N. (1990) Interview with author 10/07/1990
Saunders, P. (1981a) Social Theory and the Urban Question London: Hutchinson

Saunders, P. (1981b) Notes on the specificity of the Local State in Boddy, M. and Fudge, C. (Eds)
The Local State: Theory and Practice Working Paper 20 University of Bristol - SAUS
3.14

Quotations

Short quotes, less than three lines of typescript should be run into the text like this: "Most writers,
even professionals, have trouble getting started." (Becker, 1986) Where you have a longer quote,
indent it, single-spaced with no quote marks:
They start over and over again, destroying reams of paper, working over the
first sentence or paragraph again and again as they find each successive try
unsatisfactory in some new way. (Becker, 1986))
One point: try not to use too many quotes, make sure the ones you use are pertinent, otherwise it ends
up messy and disjointed. Quotes should rarely exceed 8 lines - they will seldom all be relevant.

3.15

First Draft

This is another key stage and must be handed in to your supervisor during two weeks before the end
of the Spring Term. Your supervisor will read the first draft and return the amended version to you
within two weeks of the date you handed it in. You should then arrange an appointment with your
supervisor to discuss the dissertation and be advised of any changes, which are required.
3.16

Final Submission

Your final submission must be approximately 10,000 words in length (a 10% tolerance in either
direction is allowed), this includes tables but excludes appendices. You are required to submit TWO
bound copies of the dissertation to the Course Director for final assessment by 12.00 midday on the
first day of the summer term. There will be penalties for late submission
The dissertation should be typed clearly in black, on one side only of good quality A4 paper. Margins
should be 1.5 inches wide on the left to allow for binding and 1 inch wide on each of the other three
sides. The typing must be double spaced. The pages within the main body of the text should be
numbered consecutively at the bottom of the page Introductory sheets e.g. contents and
acknowledgements, maybe numbered using lower case Roman numerals.
You must check with your Bookbinder about the exact length of time required for this process and
ensure that you do not leave things too late.
It is not necessary for the dissertations to be hardbound, ringbinding is sufficient. The dissertations
are not returned to you and if you wish to retain a copy then you must arrange for more copies to be
bound.
Penalties will be incurred for late submission as well as for over length dissertations. This could
result in your final degree classification being of a lower type than it could have been.

4.

Assessment

The submitted dissertation will be double-marked. In the case of any difference in the marks the
Dissertation Co-ordinator will mark the work and seek to resolve the differences. If no agreement can
be reached the dissertation and the three marks will be submitted to the external examiner.
The marking scheme set out below is indicative only and is supplemented by the level descriptors
published by the University of Wales and which are set out ater the indicative marking scheme.

Dissertation Marking Scheme

Objectives

Max

15

Secondary Information

Max

20

Primary Information

Max

20

Analysis

Max

20

Conclusions/Recommendations

Max

10

Originality (e.g. approach)

Max

Presentation of the dissertation

(e.g. clarity of exposition)

Max

Total

100

10

Failure to adhere to either or both of the key stages may result in a penalty not exceeding 10% of
the total marks awarded to the dissertation.

10

DISSERTATION MARKING
In addition to the above marking scheme examiners will pay attention to the general level descriptors
which relate to degree programmes of the University of Wales. These descriptors were not written
with dissertations specifically in mind but rather they are an attempt to denote the characteristics of
various levels of performance at degree level study. Some of the following will therefore not be
relevant to marking dissertations but are included for general information purposes:
First Class
First class work is relatively rare and is expected to stand out from the work of other students.
While it may be the case that within given areas of study a modest number of students might
achieve first class marks, it would not be expected that when aggregating the marks awarded for
the various elements of assessment that many students will achieve a first class result overall.

directly addresses the question or problems raised

provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information
critically evaluates concepts and theories
relates theory to practice
reflects the students own argument and is not just a repetition of standard lecture and reference
material
is very accurate
has an element of novelty if not originality
provides evidence of reading beyond the required reading
displays an awareness of other approaches to the problem area
has an appreciation of methodological concerns and displays an awareness of the limitations of
current knowledge

Upper Second Class

This is a highly competent level of performance and students earning this degree classification
may be deemed capable of registering for higher research degree work.

directly addresses the question or problems raised

provides a coherent argument drawing on relevant information
shows some ability to evaluate concepts and theory and to relate theory to practice
reflects the students own argument and is not just a repetition of standard lecture and reference
material
does not suffer from major errors or omissions
provides evidence of reading beyond the required reading
displays an awareness of other approaches to the problem area

11

Lower Second Class

This is an acceptable level of performance and all competent students should expect to achieve at
least this level.
addresses the question but provides only a basic outline of relevant arguments and evidence along
the lines offered in lectures and referenced readings
answers are clear but limited
some minor omissions and inaccuracies but no major errors
Third Class
This level of performance demonstrates some knowledge and an element of understanding but is
weak. Students attaining this level of performance should be in a small minority of those on the
course and could not be expected to progress to higher degree work.

points made in the answer are not always well supported by argument and evidence
relevant points have been omitted from the answer
there are some errors in the answer
parts of the question remain unanswered
answers may be unduly brief and possibly in note form

Pass
The best that can be said about students in this classification is that they have done just enough
to persuade the examiners that they should not be failed.
answers lack a coherent grasp of the problems ands issues raised in the question
important information has been omitted from the answers and irrelevant points have been included
answers are far too brief
Fail
Failed students have been unable to convince the examiners that they have benefited from
academic study.
fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question
reveals fundamental misunderstanding of the subject matter
most of the material in the answer is irrelevant

12