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The MBA Thesis Explained

Before you are awarded the degree of Master of Business Administration , you must exhibit your capacity to tackle an investigation of a particular management issue and mull over and write about it in a profound manner. This is the very purpose of the MBA thesis.

What is a Thesis?

A thesis is a long piece of article that you write about a specific subject or research and is particularly done for a university degree or higher college accolade.

When you write your MBA thesis, your writing skills are put to the test. This is also your chance to present the interests, ideas, and skills that you have learned in your MBA program in a satisfying but challenging piece of writing.

As you develop your thesis, you need to investigate and analyze a specific management issue from two perspectives, the practical side and the theoretical side, using business research methods. Through your case study, you get to conduct your own research in a field you like (pending approval of a thesis adviser) that will further sharpen your skills and knowledge of that field.

The Objectives of an MBA Thesis

An MBA thesis has the following objectives:

• To authorize students to apply the knowledge they gained in their MBA studies to a particular management issue.
• To give students the chance to study and write about a specific topic that is of relevance and interest to them in a thorough, detailed, and well-researched manner.
• To expose students to the principle of the entire thesis and the process of business research and academic inquiry.
• To allow students to establish their capacity to think conceptually, communicate, and develop rational and structured thinking.

MBA Thesis: The Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding, cognitive and intellectual skills, behavioral skills.

• Initiate a critical and comprehensive understanding of your thesis topic. Ideally, you should have a level of practical experience and expertise within your topic field.
• Obtain an understanding of the application of business research. When you write your research paper, you should have a clear understanding of the limitations and uses of data analysis techniques that may be used in evaluating outcomes in the business management field.
• Before you start to work and write your own ideas for your research paper, make sure you are able to critically analyze evidence and information from both practitioner and academic sources. You should communicate and develop a cohesive argument to support theoretical models and positions.
• Students must know how to argue and evaluate alternative approaches to models and theories
• Your MBA course is also a good way for you to appreciate your skills and competencies in relation to the organization and planning of your research project. Business schools are also perfect venues for students to master their time management skills.
• As you work on your research requirements, you will understand the importance of working autonomously and how to exercise personal responsibility and initiative in achieving your stated objectives.

Thesis vs Dissertation: Is there a difference?

Are you interested in continuing your education after you complete your bachelor’s degree? If so, have you ever wondered if there is a difference between an MBA thesis and a dissertation; the papers that are usually required in master’s schools? Both generally have similarities. However, there are some differences that set both apart.

Similarities

Before looking for the differences between a thesis and a dissertation, know that both are actually very similar. Some schools, in fact, often used these terms interchangeably.

A thesis and a dissertation are simply papers given to master’s students. Because the structure of these papers is generally extensive, students are given larger windows of time to focus, develop, and write the paper they are assigned. The idea is to complete the papers during the last year of master’s study.

Before you get your graduate degree, you have to obtain a passing grade on your papers. The great news is that although you will not be working with other students, you can still get help from your thesis adviser and peers. With this many people helping you with your final paper, passing your dissertations or theses is very achievable.

But in case you fail the first time, most business schools allow you to resubmit your papers after doing more work to finally meet the requirements.

Type of Graduate Program

One difference between a thesis and a dissertation is that a thesis is required for a master’s program, while dissertations are required for a doctorate program. However, this is not always the case. There are some master’s degree programs that no longer require theses or dissertations. Instead, they are offered in two separate paths: the thesis options and the non-thesis options.

Students who later on plan to obtain a doctorate degree are encouraged to go for the thesis option to prepare them for the dissertations that they will have to write as doctorate students.

The biggest difference between theses and dissertations are the intended purpose. Usually required to get a master’s degree, the thesis is designed to test your skills and understanding of your chosen field of study. 

Most business universities require students to create and write a proposition based on the previous work created by others. The idea is to analyze and present these previous works on your paper and make a case for a particular point of view.

Dissertations are done by students in a doctorate program and focus mainly on original research. Students assigned with dissertations are required to think of a subject in the field they’re interested in but haven’t been researched yet. They have to come up with a concept and hypothesis and make original research papers to prove (or disprove) a hypothesis.

MBA Thesis: The Thesis Topic

When you begin working on your thesis topic, you can choose one in any area/industry as long as it is related to a management or business issue. You can create a new topic or develop ideas you have previously worked on in the program, an elective you studied before in various disciplines, or a module assignment. You need to establish a topic that is relevant to contemporary business and academic thinking.

There are also MBA business degree students who are provided with thesis topics by their sponsoring organization. But if this doesn’t work for you, then the development of an original one is required. You need to think about your areas of interest that you can work on. 

Since choosing a topic is already challenging and hard work itself, it’s best to go for something that will sustain your enthusiasm and motivation throughout the long process of making a thesis.

To have an idea as to what topic you can work on, here are guide questions to get you started:

• Is there a managerial/business issue/problem relating to your organization or job that you’re interested to study?
• Do you have a subject area you’re interested in that, if one day you’ll become an expert, would further improve your career?
• Have you come across a business problem that you believe you can help through your research paper?

MBA Thesis: The Research Proposal

The research proposal is the heart of the thesis. This is the outline of the research work you plan on doing for your research. It is a roadmap on which your professional and academic career depends.

The proposal stage of MBA programs will normally require you to answer these questions:

• What are the boundaries and focus of the MBA thesis topic you choose? What will it include? What won’t?
• What are the objectives and aims of your business plan/research?
• Is your proposed thesis topic feasible? Can you handle the terms of scale and scope?
• What topics will you utilize in doing your research?
• Do you have the resources, competencies, and skills to do the research and study the findings?
• What resources do you need to complete your paper?

Research Aim and Objectives

This is your general statement of your paper’s intent or direction. What are you trying to achieve?

These are the clear and specific writing of your paper’s outcomes and intentions. This must be followed by your justification (the rationale behind doing your research).

Literature Review of an MBA Thesis

In this section, you will summarize the key subject and literature that you have read so far. You will indicate the findings, business principles, and ideas you’ve read have relevance to your subject topic. You should also provide the raw data of at least 25 major academic literature references. All in all, your MBA thesis should cite at least 50 credible and relevant references.

The purpose of your literature review is to critically analyze and review documented theories and evidence relative to your topic and recognize what is and is not known in the field.

MBA Thesis: Conducting the Research

In an MBA program, the nature of your thesis will affect what type of final paper you will be writing. Although there are alternative research designs, they are usually categorized into three types:

Exploratory Research

You use this on your MBA thesis when you have a few existing ideas about the topic you are writing about. This involves observation of a previously under-researched or new topic. The research design of exploratory study uses qualitative methods and is generally not designed to test defined study hypotheses.

Descriptive Research

This is where you define a situation or phenomenon and has a very good structure. Your starting point for this paper starts with your ideas on existing hypotheses that you can then use in identifying variables to be measured. You can use quantitative methods and descriptive statistics in this type of writing.

Explanatory Research

Also called causal study, your presentation here is more on identifying and explaining the relationship between variables that affect a situation. You come up with hypotheses and collect data that supports or negates these hypotheses.

Tips To Help You Prepare and Write a Good MBA Thesis

Whether you have a thesis adviser or you get professional assistance on your analysis for your MBA thesis, making your paper is very challenging. You need the right structure and all the freshest ideas to help you complete your final paper.

To help you complete your MBA degree and its corresponding thesis and capstone projects, you need practical steps to make your business school education truly rewarding in the end. For both local and international students all over the world, here are some helpful tips to make a good MBA thesis.

Choose a topic you’re interested in.

It takes a great deal of work, time, and dedication to finish an MBA thesis successfully. So why would you want to write something you’re least interested in? One of the great benefits of an MBA thesis is that you can choose and work on your own ideas about a specific subject. From there, build a solid structure and work on your writing skills to prove to everybody how bright your ideas are.

Select a topic that has a lot of information available.

Just like the significance of choosing a topic you love, you should also go for a topic that has lots of information available. Of course, your MBA thesis is not just a mere presentation of facts and figures. You need to have readily available facts to draw conclusions.

Be creative and methodical.

An MBA thesis requires a lot of analysis so you can gather enough data to support your argument. As you gather information, be open-minded. Avoid limiting yourself to the usual methods of compiling data. We are now in a digital world where anybody can compile data in so many ways. Simply put, diversify the way you present data in your MBA thesis.

Recheck facts and details, and recheck twice!

When you’re done with your MBA thesis, make sure you recheck your facts, twice! In a business school, your thesis is the most critical part of your entire graduate school journey. Check, then re-check every detail, fact, or figure in your work.

If you can, ask a university mentor to go over your thesis: from the introduction down to the conclusion. Maybe he/she can contribute more to the effectiveness of your writing.

MBA Thesis: When Should You Pursue?

How do you stand out and make real companies feel that you can be a great addition to them? Is having a business administration education enough? What are the implications if you want to pursue a master’s? And if you do, when is a thesis-based MBA right for you?

• If you are planning to get a doctorate in business and you also want to make the most of your master’s program experience, go for a thesis-based MBA.
• If you love to write, you want to further your education, or you plan to teach, a thesis-based MBA should be considered.

How Long is the Thesis for an MBA Program?

An MBA thesis usually ranges from 100 to 300 pages– from the introduction down to the last page, excluding the bibliography. However, the length generally depends on different factors, like the method of study or the subject matter.

There is no ‘correct’ word count or page length to aim for. Your MBA thesis, instead, has to be long enough for you to correctly convey the information you need to convey in a clear manner.

Overall, the MBA thesis is designed to support the professional and academic qualifications of graduate students.

Research Topics & Ideas: Business

50+ Management Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a business/management-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. Here, we’ll explore a variety of  research ideas and topic thought-starters for management-related research degrees (MBAs/DBAs, etc.). These research topics span management strategy, HR, finance, operations, international business and leadership.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the management domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic. 

Overview: Business Research Topics

• Business /management strategy
• Human resources (HR) and industrial psychology
• Finance and accounting
• Operations management
• International business
• Actual business dissertations & theses

Strategy-Related Research Topics

• An analysis of the impact of digital transformation on business strategy in consulting firms
• The role of innovation in transportation practices for creating a competitive advantage within the agricultural sector
• Exploring the effect of globalisation on strategic decision-making practices for multinational Fashion brands.
• An evaluation of corporate social responsibility in shaping business strategy, a case study of power utilities in Nigeria
• Analysing the relationship between corporate culture and business strategy in the new digital era, exploring the role of remote working.
• Assessing the impact of sustainability practices on business strategy and performance in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry
• An analysis of the effect of social media on strategic partnerships and alliances development in the insurance industry
• Exploring the role of data-driven decision-making in business strategy developments following supply-chain disruptions in the agricultural sector
• Developing a conceptual framework for assessing the influence of market orientation on business strategy and performance in the video game publishing industry
• A review of strategic cost management best practices in the healthcare sector of Indonesia
• Identification of key strategic considerations required for the effective implementation of Industry 4.0 to develop a circular economy
• Reviewing how Globalisation has affected business model innovation strategies in the education sector
• A comparison of merger and acquisition strategies’ effects on novel product development in the Pharmaceutical industry
• An analysis of market strategy performance during recessions, a retrospective review of the luxury goods market in the US
• Comparing the performance of digital stakeholder engagement strategies and their contribution towards meeting SDGs in the mining sector

Topics & Ideas: Human Resources (HR)

• Exploring the impact of digital employee engagement practices on organizational performance in SMEs
• The role of diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• An evaluation of remote employee training and development programs efficacy in the e-commerce sector
• Comparing the effect of flexible work arrangements on employee satisfaction and productivity across generational divides
• Assessing the relationship between gender-focused employee empowerment programs and job satisfaction in the UAE
• A review of the impact of technology and digitisation on human resource management practices in the construction industry
• An analysis of the role of human resource management in talent acquisition and retention in response to globalisation and crisis, a case study of the South African power utility
• The influence of leadership style on remote working employee motivation and performance in the education sector.
• A comparison of performance appraisal systems for managing employee performance in the luxury retail fashion industry
• An examination of the relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction in blue-collar workplaces, A systematic review
• Exploring HR personnel’s experiences managing digital workplace bullying in multinational corporations
• Assessing the success of HR team integration following merger and acquisition on employee engagement and performance
• Exploring HR green practices and their effects on retention of millennial talent in the fintech industry
• Assessing the impact of human resources analytics in successfully navigating digital transformation within the healthcare sector
• Exploring the role of HR staff in the development and maintenance of ethical business practices in fintech SMEs
• An analysis of employee perceptions of current HRM practices in a fully remote IT workspace

Topics & Ideas: Finance & Accounting

• An analysis of the effect of employee financial literacy on decision-making in manufacturing start-ups in Ghana
• Assessing the impact of corporate green innovation on financial performance in listed companies in Estonia
• Assessing the effect of corporate governance on financial performance in the mining industry in Papua New Guinea
• An evaluation of financial risk management practices in the construction industry of Saudi Arabia
• Exploring the role of leadership financial literacy in the transition from start-up to scale-up in the retail e-commerce industry.
• A review of influential macroeconomic factors on the adoption of cryptocurrencies as legal tender
• An examination of the use of financial derivatives in risk management
• Exploring the impact of the cryptocurrency disruption on stock trading practices in the EU
• An analysis of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance in academic publishing houses
• A comparison of financial ratios performance in evaluating E-commerce startups in South Korea.
• An evaluation of the role of government policies in facilitating manufacturing companies’ successful transitioning from start-up to scale-ups in Denmark
• Assessing the financial value associated with industry 4.0 transitions in the Indian pharmaceutical industry
• Exploring the role of effective e-leadership on financial performance in the Nigerian fintech industry
• A review of digital disruptions in CRM practices and their associated financial impact on listed companies during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Exploring the importance of Sharia-based business practices on SME financial performance in multicultural countries

Ideas: Operations Management

• An assessment of the impact of blockchain technology on operations management practices in the transport industry of Estonia
• An evaluation of supply chain disruption management strategies and their impact on business performance in Lithuania
• Exploring the role of lean manufacturing in the automotive industry of Malaysia and its effects on improving operational efficiency
• A critical review of optimal operations management strategies in luxury goods manufacturing for ensuring supply chain resilience
• Exploring the role of globalization on Supply chain diversification, a pre/post analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic
• An analysis of the relationship between quality management and customer satisfaction in subscription-based business models
• Assessing the cost of sustainable sourcing practices on operations management and supply chain resilience in the Cocao industry.
• An examination of the adoption of behavioural predictive analytics in operations management practices, a case study of the
• Italian automotive industry
• Exploring the effect of operational complexity on business performance following digital transformation
• An evaluation of barriers to the implementation of agile methods in project management within governmental institutions
• Assessing how the relationship between operational processes and business strategy change as companies transition from start-ups to scale-ups
• Exploring the relationship between operational management and innovative business models, lessons from the fintech industry
• A review of best practices for operations management facilitating the transition towards a circular economy in the fast food industry
• Exploring the viability of lean manufacturing practices in Vietnam’s plastics industry
• Assessing engagement in cybersecurity considerations associated with operations management practices in industry 4.0 manufacturing

Topics & Ideas: International Business

• The impact of cultural differences in communication on international business relationships
• An evaluation of the role of government import and export policies in shaping international business practices
• The effect of global shipping conditions on international business strategies
• An analysis of the challenges of managing multinational corporations: branch management
• The influence of social media marketing on international business operations
• The role of international trade agreements on business activities in developing countries
• An examination of the impact of currency fluctuations on international business and cost competitiveness
• The relationship between international business and sustainable development: perspectives and benefits
• An evaluation of the challenges and opportunities of doing business in emerging markets such as the renewable energy industry
• An analysis of the role of internationalisation via strategic alliances in international business
• The impact of cross-cultural management on international business performance
• The effect of political instability on international business operations: A case study of Russia
• An analysis of the role of intellectual property rights in an international technology company’s business strategies
• The relationship between corporate social responsibility and international business strategy: a comparative study of different industries
• The impact of technology on international business in the fashion industry

Topics & Ideas: Leadership

• A comparative study of the impact of different leadership styles on organizational performance
• An evaluation of transformational leadership in today’s non-profit organizations
• The role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership and productivity
• An analysis of the relationship between leadership style and employee motivation
• The influence of diversity and inclusion on leadership practices in South Africa
• The impact of Artificial Intelligence technology on leadership in the digital age
• An examination of the challenges of leadership in a rapidly changing business environment: examples from the finance industry
• The relationship between leadership and corporate culture and job satisfaction
• An evaluation of the role of transformational leadership in strategic decision-making
• The use of leadership development programs in enhancing leadership effectiveness in multinational organisations
• The impact of ethical leadership on organizational trust and reputation: an empirical study
• An analysis of the relationship between various leadership styles and employee well-being in healthcare organizations
• The role of leadership in promoting good work-life balance and job satisfaction in the age of remote work
• The influence of leadership on knowledge sharing and innovation in the technology industry
• An investigation of the impact of cultural intelligence on cross-cultural leadership effectiveness in global organizations

Business/Management Dissertation & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a business-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various management-related degree programs (e.g., MBAs, DBAs, etc.) to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Sustaining Microbreweries Beyond 5 Years (Yanez, 2022)
• Perceived Stakeholder and Stockholder Views: A Comparison Among Accounting Students, Non-Accounting Business Students And Non-Business Students (Shajan, 2020)
• Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility and the New Ecological Paradigm among Business Students in Southern California (Barullas, 2020)
• Entrepreneurial opportunity alertness in small business: a narrative research study exploring established small business founders’ experience with opportunity alertness in an evolving economic landscape in the Southeastern United States (Hughes, 2019)
• Work-Integrated Learning in Closing Skills Gap in Public Procurement: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study (Culver, 2021)
• Analyzing the Drivers and Barriers to Green Business Practices for Small and Medium Enterprises in Ohio (Purwandani, 2020)
• The Role of Executive Business Travel in a Virtual World (Gale, 2022)
• Outsourcing Security and International Corporate Responsibility: A Critical Analysis of Private Military Companies (PMCs) and Human Rights Violations (Hawkins, 2022)
• Lean-excellence business management for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Kurdistan region of Iraq (Mohammad, 2021)
• Science Data Sharing: Applying a Disruptive Technology Platform Business Model (Edwards, 2022)
• Impact of Hurricanes on Small Construction Business and Their Recovery (Sahu, 2022)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Topic Ideation

If you’d like hands-on help to speed up your topic ideation process and ensure that you develop a rock-solid research topic, check our our Topic Kickstarter service below.

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Great help. thanks

Hi, Your work is very educative, it has widened my knowledge. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for helping me understand how to craft a research topic. I’m pursuing a PGDE. Thank you

Effect of Leadership, computerized accounting systems, risk management and monitoring on the quality of financial Reports among listed banks

May you assist on a possible PhD topic on analyzing economic behaviours within environmental, climate and energy domains, from a gender perspective. I seek to further investigate if/to which extent policies in these domains can be deemed economically unfair from a gender perspective, and whether the effectiveness of the policies can be increased while striving for inequalities not being perpetuated.

healthy work environment and employee diversity, technological innovations and their role in management practices, cultural difference affecting advertising, honesty as a company policy, an analysis of the relationships between quality management and customer satisfaction in subscription based business model,business corruption cases. That I was selected from the above topics.

Research topic accounting

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• The University of Warwick

MBA dissertation help: How to choose a topic, plan, and write your dissertation

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MBA dissertations and consultancy projects are the final modules on most MBA programmes . Our participants can opt for either a traditional dissertation (with a theoretical focus) or a hands-on project, which will see you consulting for a real organisation alongside a team of peers.  

Whether you choose a dissertation or consultancy project, you will still be required to submit a written exploration of a research question that is relevant to the world of business as part of the module. This guide offers MBA dissertation help that remains applicable whichever route you take on your Full-time MBA.

Read on to learn about the early stages of the process, choosing a topic, planning out your workload, and how to write an MBA dissertation or individual consulting report. Written by the MBA team here at Warwick Business School (WBS), this article also features some helpful first-hand advice from one of our MBA graduates, Kristen Rossi who studied our Full-time MBA.

An introduction to MBA dissertations and consultancy projects

Completing either an MBA dissertation or consultancy project is a requirement on Full-time MBA courses ; alternatively, participants at WBS can opt for an internship to satisfy the Capstone module .

Although this work will be completed towards the end of your programme, it’s worth getting ahead of the game. Given that your dissertation or project will contribute significantly towards your final result, we recommend learning about the requirements and how the process works even before you apply for an MBA.

As Full-time Warwick MBA graduate, Kristen Rossi, puts it: 

From the second the MBA started, there was talk of “The Project & Dissertation” – the part of the MBA that is worth the most credit, which will probably involve an outside company, and (gasp) that you will do alone!

Unless you take part in an internship in place of the module, your first port of call is to choose between an MBA dissertation or a consultancy project. Seem like a daunting decision to make? We’ve outlined the key points of difference to help you get off on the right track.

What is an MBA dissertation?

An MBA dissertation is an independent, yet supervised, research project. It is designed to demonstrate that you have assimilated your learning throughout the MBA course and that you can explore a business issue thoroughly, considering multiple perspectives on the subject.

The output from an MBA dissertation is a piece of written work that explores a research question relevant to the world of business. You could explore any one of a wide range of different topics as part of the dissertation, but your writing should have an academic focus with a strong grounding in theory and your own independent research.

At WBS, you may also choose to focus on Entrepreneurship as part of your MBA dissertation, which is a requirement if you choose the Entrepreneurship Specialism. This allows you to take a deep dive into a new business idea, tackle an existing issue, or use the opportunity to help launch your own venture.

What is a strategic consultancy project?

A strategic consultancy project provides you with hands-on experience of consulting on behalf of a real organisation and investigating a specific business challenge that it faces. Taking place for 10 to 12 weeks over the summer period, you’ll work alongside a group of your peers at the same organisation.

WBS participants can choose their own groups and, as Kristen comments, are given support in sourcing a project: 

The consultancy project and dissertation is usually supported by a client who has a topic or question that they would like to know more about. WBS provides specific, mandatory careers sessions dedicated to the consultancy project and dissertation.

The Business School has partnered with many global industry leaders as part of the consultancy projects, from Barclays to Sony and Microsoft. 

Once you’ve chosen a group and organisation, each participant selects their own distinct research question. The deliverable is then an individual consulting report addressing this question.

You can find out more about consultancy projects from Antonia in the film below:

The differences between an MBA dissertation and consultancy project

A consultancy project still requires you to produce an extended piece of written work in the form of your individual consulting report, but it differs from an MBA dissertation in a number of ways:

• A strategic consultancy project is hands-on, requiring you to engage with a business issue faced by a real organisation, whereas an MBA dissertation is more theoretical.
• The scope of the issue you explore as part of a project will typically be much narrower and more focused than a dissertation, which can investigate a much broader topic area.
• An MBA dissertation should aim to further the academic community’s understanding of a particular area of business; a consultancy project is geared towards solving a real-world business problem for a specific organisation or group of organisations.

How will a dissertation or project benefit you?

This final phase of your MBA course gives you the opportunity to explore a particular topic in great depth, enhancing your academic or practical understanding of an area of business. 

For many participants the dissertation or project is a formative experience that has a tangible impact on their future career paths, supporting their professional ambitions.

But don’t just take it from us. What does Kristen have to say?

“I can only speak for myself, but with the project and dissertation, I gained three things. Firstly, slightly superficial, I now have a fabulous new brand on my CV, Aston Martin Lagonda. 

“Secondly, through the interviews I conducted for my primary research I had the privilege to learn a lot about the luxury automotive sector, which I would otherwise have not had the opportunity to learn as much about. Writing to and setting up a conversation with the CMO of a major firm is made easier when you have WBS and the justification of a dissertation, and the information they share is priceless. 

“Thirdly, although tedious, I had the opportunity to deep-dive into a particular topic – marketing ROI best practices. This really helped me to understand the challenges and remedies of this topic in depth and will certainly help me as I make my career jump in the coming months.”

Choosing an MBA dissertation topic

Like many participants, you may feel nervous about the thought of choosing a suitable MBA dissertation topic. In reality, however, this is nothing to worry about.

As you progress through the early stages of your MBA programme, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself drawn to a particular area of study or type of business problem. The direction you take is also likely to be influenced by your pre-existing career goals and professional experience. 

On this point, Kristen recommends that you make the project work for you:

When choosing your client project and dissertation, try to focus on an industry and topic that you hope to transition into. If you are looking to move into finance, work on a project that will provide you with the knowledge to help you land the job!

It’s also worth noting that you’ll be given extensive support when it comes to picking a research question or sourcing a project. You’ll attend sessions dedicated to selecting the right topic in the run-up to the start of the dissertation or project module — and there is always additional help available at WBS.

How to write an MBA dissertation

Once you’ve chosen a topic for your MBA dissertation or project, your work on the module can begin in earnest.

As a Warwick Business School participant, you’ll be guided through the process from the outset. But if you’re still at the stage of wondering whether this is something you’d want to pursue in the first place, here’s a brief overview packed with MBA dissertation advice from one of our graduates.

Making contact with your supervisor

Kristen’s top tip for writing an MBA dissertation is not to wait to be assigned a supervisor:

“Once your project applications have been whittled down to interviews (early May for the Full-time MBA), look at the topics and seek out an academic in the school whose knowledge (and personality) you think would match the project and you. The sooner you do this the better.

“I had finalised my supervisor by the beginning of June and this head start was extremely beneficial. It allowed me to better project manage the different chapters of the dissertation and be more in control of the process.”

The planning phase

Delivering a successful MBA dissertation or consulting report is an exercise in sound project management; just one of the many ways in which it sets you up well for later working life. And it’s universally acknowledged that the best approach to take with any large-scale project is to break it down into bite-size chunks.

Kristen suggests seeking support to divide up the dissertation into smaller components, from the draft of your first chapter through to the final submission:

With the help of your supervisor, work backwards and set up a timeline to tackle each section of the dissertation. Include milestones where you will check-in with your supervisor (face-to-face is recommended) as well.

Preparing your literature review

The literature review is the all-important foundation of any dissertation – MBA-level or otherwise. 

Kristen’s experience speaks to the value of starting your research early and keeping a record of all the papers and publications you encounter along the way:

“Once you roughly know the topic of your project and dissertation, start researching. Do not wait until you have a supervisor or until your elective modules are finished. Start immediately! I recommend this for three reasons.

“Firstly, the initial articles you find will most likely not be the gems you hope them to be and it will take a lot of speed-reading and trial and error before you uncover the wisdom that will actually inform your research. 

“Secondly, once you find relevant research, it will take time to read it and most academic literature is not a page-turning detective novel (I can attest to falling asleep mid-read on several occasions). 

“Finally, I am a believer that to truly understand and process new material, you need time. Give yourself the time to read, step away and think, and come back to it. In the end, you will be grateful that you did.

Further to this point, when reading journal publications look at the references the author cites. Seek out these additional authors and their publications.”

Communicating with your client contact on a consulting project

Should you opt for a strategic consulting project, the way you manage the relationship with your client organisation is just as important as the write-up of the final report. Kristen offers this final piece of advice:

“If you are not going to their office, then from the beginning of your relationship set in place weekly 30-minute Skype sessions to keep the client up-to-date with what you are doing. This will allow you to build a relationship with them and will help you to address any hiccups along the way. 

“Sometimes after starting your research, you may find that the client’s initial request is too broad. This is okay, but you will need to bring it up and negotiate a more realistic deliverable. The weekly updates are also beneficial. As you research, you may find yourself going off in the wrong direction. Checking in with your client on a weekly basis will help you stay on track.”

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MBA programmes at Warwick Business School

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