MANAV RACHNA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF MGMT. STUDIES

The MBA Program

(The Class of 2011)

Guidelines for Final Sem. IV project

worth 200 marks

1
Final project
The MBA Program (The Class of 2010)
Final project – I
Table 1: Calendar
Date Activity
Commencement of Project: List of faculty guides
Feb. 24, 2011 (Thursday)
communicated
Mar.1-10, 2011 Title Finalisation and Research Outline
March 10- 20, 2011 Literature Review & Research Design
March 21- 26, 2011 Interim Evaluation
Mar. 28- April 9, 2011 Data Analysis & Findings of Study
April 11- 16, 2011 Preparation of Final report
April 18, 2011 Submission of final report
April 25- 30, 2011 Final evaluation
No time overruns are permitted.

Table 2: Evaluation Schedule

Weight
Date Activity Marks
age
March 21- 26, 2011 Interim Evaluation 30% 60
April 25- 30, 2011 Final Evaluation 70% 140
Total 100% 200

2
 Final project Guidelines
1.0 Introduction
The final project is an important and integral part of the curriculum. While undertaking a research
project, the students gain first-hand experience in a particular industry and get an opportunity to
innovate, add to, and challenge ideas and techniques imbibed in the first year.
2.0 Objectives
The objectives of the Final project are:

• To provide an opportunity to apply knowledge imbibed in different functional areas viz., Human
Resources Management, Marketing, Finance, etc.

• To expose students to apply the management concepts and models to the corporate world and find
solutions to problems/issues.

• To provide an opportunity for an organization to experience the performance of a prospective

employee, evaluate his/her performance and plan to hire the student upon completion of the
project.
3.0 General Guidelines

a) Final project is a compulsory course during semester IV.

b) It is an in-depth report of a company assigned project that incorporates a critical and analytical
approach to the subject with a rigorous research focus. Alternatively, it is researching an issue or
problem academically to find a solution.
c) It is a faculty- supervised course component carrying 6 credits.
d) Each student will be attached to a Faculty Supervisor during Final project course who will liaise
with a company/organization to secure a project of interest to the company with/ without
sponsorship in alignment with student’s interest.
e) Students shall be oriented towards execution of the Final project at the beginning of semester IV.
The orientation sessions (to be scheduled every week) should educate the students on the need for
Final project, relevance to the placements, importance of selecting research topics of student’s
interest, possibility of company’s interest/sponsorship, importance of quality in implementing
Final project, various stages of Final project, deliverables expected from Final project, timelines,
etc. The prospective employers emphasize on the objectives, research methodology, findings and
recommendations during the recruitment process. The sessions should stress on the importance of
selecting research topics in the area of specialization of the students. It should also elucidate the
role of Faculty Supervisor in the implementation of Final project and the evaluation methodology.

f) The evaluation of Final project is done in two stages viz., interim evaluation and final evaluation.
3
Final project
g) The Academic Coordinator is responsible for implementing and ensuring strict adherence to the
guidelines of Final project.

h) Final project course should be completed strictly as per the calendar provided.

i) The Academic Wing of MRIU may review the Final project of the student at any stage of
implementation and can make recommendations for revision/modification and if the quality of the
Thesis prepared by a student does not meet the institution’s required standards, the institution may
seek repetition of the Thesis course.

j) Final project should be written in English only.

4.0 Implementation of Final project course
a) Role of Faculty Supervisor: A Faculty Supervisor carries multiple responsibilities while guiding
the student for a Final project course and plays an important role in its effective implementation.

 He/she shall supervise, guide, coach and mentor the students towards successful execution
of Final project.

 He/she should work towards alignment of Final project as per the interest of the student
and preferably the company with which research work is taken up.

 He/she should conduct weekly sessions where students shall present their progress and
receive suggestions from peers and supervisor.

5.0 Title and Synopsis

a) Title: The topic for Final project selected should investigate the strategic or operational issues of
managerial interest to one or more organizations. A good title is short, specific, and one that
conveys the objective and scope of the study clearly. This can be very advantageous in generating
a prospective employer’s interest in the research project thereby enhancing an intern’s
employability. The topic should be of student’s interest and should contribute towards achieving
his/her career aspirations.

b) Title and Synopsis Approval Process

i. The title and synopsis of Final project submitted by students shall be approved by the
Faculty Supervisor. However, the student is responsible for choosing the right title and
preparing appropriate synopsis for his/her research work.

ii. The student should submit the title and synopsis for Final project for approval in prescribed
form.

iii. A student can begin work on the Final project only after formal approval of the submitted
title and synopsis.
4
6.0 Interim Evaluation
a) Thesis: The progress on the research work leading to Final project shall be evaluated at this stage.
The objective of this evaluation is to assess the progress at the end of this period, and to ensure
that the student is able to proceed with the final thesis preparation. The interim thesis should
follow the structure given below:
i. Title Page: It should have a title page as given in the Interim thesis sample format.
ii. Introduction: This section should specify the objective and nature of the research
proposed to be carried out; a brief overview of the research planned and expected
outcomes/results.

iii. Progress Report: It should comprehensively include the research work done so far,
accomplishments and evaluation of the research objectives, deviations/gaps and mid-
course corrections, if any.
iv. References: All references/bibliography should be furnished as per standard international
practices. The books and web sites referred to should be enlisted in an alphabetical order.
The interim report carries a weightage of 30%.

7.0 Final project

a) Thesis: This is the culmination of the work done by a student. By this time the student
would have understood the research process and applied himself/herself for studying a
problem/issue researched. The Faculty Supervisor should ensure that the Final project
submitted by a student is as per the approved title and synopsis. While the extent of Final
project submitted depends on the study made by a student, typically it should be between
50-60 pages of 350 words each.
b) Findings and suggestions shall be thoroughly scrutinized and examined for their
practicality and usefulness. The alignment of thesis with the approved synopsis has to be
verified as part of evaluation.
Two printed/typed and bound copies of the Final project (each bearing the original
signature of the student and Faculty Supervisor) should be submitted for the final
evaluation. The Thesis must contain a certificate from the student declaring that the thesis
embodies original work done by him/her. The format for certificate is provided in the end.

c) Presentation: Final Thesis presentation should be planned for about 30 minutes including 10
minutes for questions and answers.

It carries a weightage of 70%

5
Final project

Title and Synopsis Approval Form

The MBA Program (The Class of 2011)

(Please fill in Capital Letters)

Enrollment No.

Name of the Student

Semester III Semester IV

1. 5.
Electives 2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.

Name of the Faculty

Supervisor

Functional Area

Rationale for Proposed Research Project (min. 500 words) – (Enclose Separate sheets): The student
should write about the relevance of the topic in current business environment, placement opportunities based
on the topic under study, its relation to the electives chosen by the student, etc.

Date: Signature of the Student

6
 (Certificate by Student)

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Final project titled ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________submitted for partial

fulfillment of the MBA program (Faculty of Management Studies, Manav Rachna International University),

during Semester IV, embodies original work done by me.

Signature of the Student

Name (in Capitals) : _____________________________________________________________

Enroll Number : ____________________________________________________________

Signature of the Faculty Supervisor :

Name (in Capitals) :

Designation :

Signature of the Director :

7
Final project

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A FINAL PROJECT

A Final project Report is a reflection of capability to independently create a transcript which demonstrates a
thorough understanding of a particular management issue. It is very important to plan the schedule of work for
the dissertation to ensure that time is managed efficiently and effectively, and that adequate time is allowed for
the different activities needed to complete and submit the thesis.
Writing a Final project Report: The Final project involves an extended, independent investigation of a topic
and preparation of a 20,000-24,000 words (50-60 pages) dissertation. The chosen research area must be of a
nature that incorporates an in depth exploration of concepts, theories and issues so as to produce a rigorous
dissertation.
Preparation of a dissertation requires:
• Identification of a suitable topic for study;
• Designing and undertaking an appropriate investigation strategy;
• Identifying and accessing relevant sources of information;
• Planning and managing an appropriate schedule of work;
• Write a well structured thesis report.
Structure of the Final project
A key feature of any dissertation is the way in which it is structured as it considerably enhances the finished
quality of a dissertation. Structure is important because it dictates the topics discussed and the order in which
they are organized. An ideal Final project report should comprise the following sequence:
1. Cover Page
2. Title Page
3. Table of Contents
4. Acknowledgements
5. List of Tables & Illustrations
6. Abbreviations
7. Abstract
8. Introduction
9. Review of literature
10. Research Design/ Methodology
11. Results and Analysis
12. Discussion of implications
13. Conclusions and/or Recommendations for further study
14. References
15. Appendices
16. Glossary
8
1. Cover Page: This is the first page of the report. It should contain the title of the report, name(s), of the
author(s), name of the organization and the date on which it is submitted. The format of this page is given
below and should be adhered to.

A Thesis on
(Title of the Project in CAPITAL
LETTERS)

By
(The name of the Student)
Enroll no.:

Submitted in partial fulfillment of MBA

program at
Faculty of Management Studies,
MRIU, Faridabad
2. Title Page: This page may contain the following information:

a) Title of the report (an indication of the subject matter)

b) Name of the author, module & course

c) Contract, project or job number (if any)

A THESIS ON
(Title of the Project in CAPITAL LETTERS)

By
(The name of the Student)
(Course)

A report submitted in partial fulfillment of

the requirements of
THE MBA PROGRAM
at Faculty of Management Studies,
MRIU, Faridabad.

9
Final project

3. Table of Contents: The main function of this section is to give the reader an overall view of the report.
The main divisions as well as the subdivisions should be listed in sequence with the page numbers they
are on. It helps the reader locate a particular topic or sub-topic easily.

The charts, diagrams and tables included in the report should be listed separately under the title ‘List of
Tables & Illustrations’ with the page numbers. While preparing the table of contents, you have to bear in
mind the following points:

 Leave a one inch margin to the left, to the right, on the top and at the bottom.

 Write the phrase ‘Table of Contents’ on the top center in CAPITALS.

 Write the number of the item to indicate the sequence of items. After the number, leave three or
four spaces and then type the first heading.

 Indent second-order headings by three or four spaces.

 Leave two spaces between the main headings and one space between the sub-headings.

An example of a Table of Contents is given below. Please note that till ‘Summary’ the pages are
numbered in lower case Roman numerals. From ‘Introduction’ onwards Arabic numerals should be used.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments............................................................ii
List of Tables………………………...............................iii
List of Illustrations……………………..........................iv
Summary...........................................................................v
1. Introduction .....................................................................1
1.1 Objectives and Limitations.........................................1
1.2 Methodology...............................................................2

10
 1.3 Findings and conclusions............................................3
2. Industry Profile.................................................................5
2.1 ......................................................................................
2.2 ......................................................................................
3. ........................................................................................10
3.1 ......................................................................................
3.2 ......................................................................................

4. Acknowledgements: Proper acknowledgement of any help received must be placed on record. There
may be a number of persons who might have helped you during the course of the project/research.
Customarily, thanks are due to the following persons in the given order:
a. Head of the Organization b. Faculty Supervisor c. Others
5. List of Tables & Illustrations: A detailed list of the charts or diagrams or illustrations that would be
incorporated in the report should be given along with the page numbers.

6. Abbreviations: The abbreviations should be listed in an alphabetical order with the respective expanded
forms. e.g.:
PAQ - Position Analysis Questionnaire
7. Abstract: The length of an abstract should be generally around 250-300 words. The purpose of an abstract
is to provide a brief and comprehensive summary and overview of the content of the completed study. It
should include a brief description of the problem being investigated, the rationale behind the study,
general approach to the problem, pertinent results and their implications, and important conclusions. It is
advisable to write it at the end i.e. after the thesis has been written.
8. Introduction: A good introduction sets the tone and direction of the report. It should give
information about the proposed research to be carried out, present the overall research objective, specific
research questions and why these have been selected and pursued. In particular, it should include what
specific business related problem or issue is being addressed and what is the approach to address this
particular problem or issue. The introduction may also present and summarize the contents of the
remaining sections. The background information can also be a part of introduction that puts the research
project into a particular social, commercial, theoretical or historical context and helps to explain the
research. For example, if your project is centered on a particular company, you would describe the
nature of the company and its organization and then outline the background to the issue, situation or
phenomena.
9. Review of literature: A main aim of the literature review is to provide a complete survey of previous
work published around the chosen theme of the thesis and how it has guided or informed the present
proposed research. Ensure that the relevance, reliability and validity of the citations are evaluated and
related to the present work being carried out. The literature review comprises a background or basis on
which you can demonstrate how the present work or line of enquiry amounts to a new contribution in this
11
Final project
field of knowledge and research. A detailed note on writing a literature review is given at the end of the
Guidelines for Final project.
10. Research Design/Methodology: The methodology section includes information on the overall research
design adopted and a justification of research tools (or methods) that were selected to analyze and obtain
the result. It should also describe the data collection methods and participants involved (how
many/how they were selected/their characteristics etc). It can also present an objective reflection on the
limitations of the methodology and methods used. This is important, as all research has its limitations.

11. Results and Analysis: The results section should present a summary of the data or other information that
was gathered in a clear and accessible way. It should analyze these findings so as to ascertain the validity
of whatever claim/theory was being tested and device ways to resolve the research problem.

12. Discussion of Implications: This section presents analysis and discussions of the result, including
implications, consequences and issues raised. It also compares and contrasts results with previous
research findings, identified and discussed earlier in the literature review. Finally the implications of the
findings can be explained for managers and decision makers.

13. Conclusions and/or Recommendations: It gives an opportunity to tie things up including the main aim
of research, methodology, the findings and what it means for the business community or organization
studied. Some of the points to be covered include:
• A brief summary of key points made in the dissertation.
• A discussion on the implications of the dissertation for:
(a) A given organizational context,
(b) Organizations in general, and
(c) Concept/theory/technique development.
• Limitations of the scope, quality, and validity of the analysis undertaken in the dissertation.
• Suggestions for further work.
14. References: The list of references is placed last in the report, but before any appendix. This list should
contain all material in form of books, journals, articles and reports that are mentioned in the text. Verbal
communications can also listed here.
The list of references should be organized in the APA format.

12
 CHECK LIST

1. Cover:
Has the name of the organization been included
2. Title page
Does it include the:
Approved title of the study
Author’s name
Module/course details
3. Acknowledgements:
Have all the sources been properly acknowledged
4. Table of contents:
Is the table of contents correctly sequenced and numbered
5. List of Tables and Illustrations:
Have the charts/ diagrams/ illustrations been included with the correct page numbers
6. Abbreviations:
Have all the abbreviations used been listed with their expansions
7. Abstract or summary:
Does it include -
Description of the problem being investigated
Rationale behind the study
General approach to the problem
Pertinent results and analysis
Implications and important conclusions
The recommendations suggested
Area of further study
8. Introduction
Does it include -
A focused identification and description of the problem
Overview of existing methods and their
General description of approach or methodology
Results
Proposals for improvements.
9. Review of Literature:
List of previous studies relevant to the study cited
13
Final project
Research Design
10. Methodology:
Has it been enumerated
Is the model/method appropriate with respect to purpose of the study
Data collection methods included
Data analysis and inference methods included
11. Empirical Analysis:
Results tabulated
Hypothesis testing accomplished
12. Findings and Suggestions
Do the results and conclusions correspond to the objective of the thesis?
13. Conclusions and/ or recommendations
Are the conclusions appropriately drawn from the results?
Are the recommendations clear and concise
14. Appendices
Has all the supporting information been listed
15. References:
Have the references been listed alphabetically in the proper convention
16. Glossary
Does it contain accurate explanation of the technical words
Other facts to consider before the final print-out:
Is the English in the report okay?
Is the spell-check grammar check done?
Are all figures, tables and appendices referred to in the text?
Is the title appropriate?
Are all figures and tables numbered and provided with a heading?
Are all sources referred to in the text included in the list of references?
Are all sources in the list of references referred to in the text?
Is the table of contents correct?

14
 EVALUATION OF THE FINAL PROJECT
INTERIM EVALUATION

Enrollment No. : ______________________________

Name of the Student :

___________________________________________________________________

Thesis Title :
___________________________________________________________________

Faculty Supervisor :
___________________________________________________________________

Weightage: 30%
Sl Max. Marks
Description
No Marks Awarded
Title: Specify the objectives and nature of the project/research carried out;
1 a brief overview of the research undertaken and planned and expected 10
outcomes/results.
Literature Review: The literature review should provide a complete
survey of previous work published around the chosen theme and how it
2 has guided or informed the present research. How the present work or line 20
of enquiry amounts to a new contribution in this field of knowledge and
research.

Research Design: Report on implementation of the research methodology

proposed, variances in research design proposed and implemented.
3 Limitations observed in the research design and the overall research work. 10
Alternatives considered for overcoming limitations identified. Correlation
between the topic, objectives and the research methodology

Progress Report: It should comprehensively include the work done so

far, It should provide details on variances against plans and the actions
4 10
taken to ensure the research is as per the schedule proposed. In case of
variances, provide the rationale and the impact on the research proposed.
References: Literature studied to be clearly mentioned; Web pages with
5 complete URL and the title of the page. Standard referencing formats to be 10
used
Total 60

Remarks, if any

Date :
15
Final project
Signature :
Name of the Evaluator :
Designation :

16
 EVALUATION OF THE FINAL PROJECT
FINAL EVALUATION

Enrolment No. : _______________________________

Name of the Student :

___________________________________________________________________

Thesis Title :
___________________________________________________________________

Faculty Supervisor : _________________________ _________________________________________

Weightage: 70%

Sl Max. Marks
Description
No Marks Awarded

Cover page, Title page and Table of Contents: Should be as per the prescribed
1. formats given in the Guidelines for Final project. 20

Abstract: An abstract of around 250-300 words should include a brief description

of the problem being investigated, the rationale behind the study, general
2. approach to the problem, pertinent results and their implications, important 30
conclusions and future research possibilities.
Results and Analysis: Summary of the data or other information gathered in a
3 clear and accessible way. Analyze the findings to ascertain the validity of 30
claim/theory being tested and resolve the research problem.

Discussion of Implications: Analysis and discussions of the result, including

implications, consequences and issues raised. Compare and contrast results with
4 previous research findings. Implications of the findings can be explained for 20
managers and decision makers.

Conclusions and/or Recommendations: A brief summary of key points in the

context of the implications in a given organizational context, limitations of the
5 scope, quality, and validity of the analysis undertaken and suggestions for further 30
research.

References, Appendices, Glossary & Abbreviations: These should be written in

6 the standard, accepted convention. 10

Total 140

Remarks, if any:

Date :

17
Final project
Signature :
Name of the Evaluator :
Designation :

18