MBA PROJECT

MBS4856
 The Benefits of the MBA Project
The Project plays an important role in your educational development and
exposure to career enhancing opportunities. The benefit that you get from the
Project will depend on the nature of the Project and will therefore vary. It is likely
to include a mix of the following:
• A deeper critical understanding of some aspect of selected theories,
industries and markets
• An opportunity to apply the models, theories and frameworks learned on the
programme within a “live” business context
• Development of technical expertise (e.g. financial analysis, mathematical
modelling, information technology, forecasting)
• Better understanding of research (e.g.; the evaluation and synthesis of
existing literature, familiarity with sources and use of data, analysis and
presentation of findings)
• Consulting experience
• Improvement in career prospects (e.g. job offers, promotion, cv building,
networking, pay rise)

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MBA Project Objectives

• Apply MBA knowledge

• Promotion
• Exposure
• Profile raising
• Practical and intellectual
• Challenging
• Networking
• Dynamic
• Rewarding

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Project Format

It is important to understand that there is no standard

template for a successful MBA project. The topic and format
of the final report should be driven by a range of factors
which include:

• Your personal interests

• Your career objectives
• The needs of your client (if you have one)
• The nature of the question(s) you are attempting to
answer
• The academic requirements and standards of MDX

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Project Format

• Projects vary considerably in respect of their theoretical

content, practical orientation and overall scope

• Content and practical application are NOT dichotomous

(mutually exclusive) components within a project

• We expect you not only to demonstrate that you are able

to apply relevant theories to practical problems and
issues, but that you also have a critical appreciation of the
theories, models and frameworks that you use

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Finding Projects

• Find your own Project

• Selecting a ‘pre-defined’ project from your own or

another external organisation (subject to availability)

• Working on your own business idea

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Assessment

• Proposal (1500 words) – 10% *

• Final Report ( 10-15,000 words) – 80%
• Includes 1000 word reflective summary in Appendix
• Project Presentation – 10%
• Submit (i) a video (max. 15 minutes) of you delivering a
presentation of your final project report (post on Youtube or similar)
and (ii) your presentation slides. (NB. You can alternatively submit
slides with audio)

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Project Proposal Format

• Working title
• A brief background to the Project (e.g.; the nature of the problem, the
organisation concerned (if any), industry and/or country)
• The aims, objectives and research questions
• An outline of the methodology you expect to use
• Project Plan and timescales (key ‘milestones’ and approximate dates)
• Review of progress to date
• References

In addition to the project proposal, students who do a practical / consulting

project with a client organisation should produce and agree terms of
reference with their client.

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 Consulting Report
1. Title page
2. Synopsis
3. Acknowledgements
4. List of contents
5. Notation - if applicable
6. Main body of the report to include the following sections:
• Introduction: an overview of the topic/problem including its rationale.
• Consulting Methodology: Overall approach to be used to solve the approach
including methodology in respect of data collection and analysis and how theory
will be used.
• Discussion and critical review of any relevant academic and practitioner
literature
• Sub-headings to take through the various stages identified in the consulting
methodology section
• Recommendations/Conclusions and Implications for Practice
7. References
8. Appendix or Appendices (where applicable).
Presenting Your Work

Consulting Process

facts analysis conclusions recommendations

Presenting Your Results

recommendations conclusions analysis facts

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 Academic Report
1. Title page
2. Synopsis
3. Acknowledgements
4. List of contents
5. Notation - if applicable
6. Main body of the report to include the following sections or chapters:
1. Introduction
This provides an overview of the entire project. It provides a background to and rationale for the
research; discussion of the research aims and objectives including key research questions. It will
also include an outline of any empirical study and its findings as well as an indication of the overall
conclusions of the project.
2. Literature – discussion of relevant literature
3. Methodology – presentation of methods and rationale
4. Data analysis (Findings) and Discussion
5. Conclusions and Recommendations, ideas for future research, limitations of this research.
7. References
8. Appendix or Appendices (where applicable).
 Business Plan

1. Title page
2. Synopsis
3. Acknowledgements
4. List of contents
5. Notation - if applicable
6. Main body of the report to include the following sections:
• Business background
• Market appraisal
• Management record
• Business Model, including product / service / process – and its unique selling
points (USPs)
• Selling: how, who, when, where
• Operational details, e.g. people, premises, transport, logistics, ICT
• Financial details, including risk assessment
• Performance management and measurement
• Prospects: Forecasting short, medium and long term, including outline of future
strategy
7. References
8. Appendix or Appendices (where applicable).
Past Project Titles

Sample titles:

• The Global Market for Sustainability Consultancy Services: A Market

Assessment and Entry Recommendations for ABC International

• Strategy Making and Dynamic Capabilities in a Professional Services

Firm: The case of X

• The Role of Reputation Management in Crisis Situations

• Talent Management for Millenials: Developing a Best Practice Approach

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Source Books
Essential for understanding research and collecting data:
• Saunders, M., P. Lewis and A. Thornhill (2019). Research Methods for Business Students, 8th
edition, Pearson, London

Also:
• Barrow, C., P. Barrow and R. Brown (2021). The Business Plan Workbook, 10th edition, Kogan
Page, London.
• Bell, E., B. Harley, and A. Bryman (2022). Business Research Methods. 6th edition, Oxford
University Press, Oxford.
• Miles. M., M. Huberman and S. Saldana (2019). Qualitative Data Analysis: A methods sourcebook,
4th. ed. London, Sage
• Wickham, L. and Wilcock, J. (2020) Business and Management Consulting: Delivering an Effective
Project. 6th edition, Pearson, London.
• Yin, R.K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods, 6th edition, London,
Sage.

(NB. Major plagiarism could lead to expulsion failure of MBA!)

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Timeline

SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR

A/B/C D E/F G H I

A. Idea generation – consider what benefits you want

B. Networking – who do you need to talk with to make this happen
C. Project formulation – development of specific topic with client
D. Project proposal submission / Ethics (MORE) form application
E Supervisor allocation – commence with supervisor
F Project proposal – grades and feedback
G Project conduct – complete data review, collection and analysis
H First Draft – complete first draft of final report
I Project submission – absolute deadline for project completion

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Project Milestones
KEY DATES

Project Proposal Submission 24

November 2023
Supervisor Confirmation by MBA Team
8 December 2023
Submission of the Research Ethics
(MORE) application by 12 January
2024
Final Project Report Submission 31
March, 2024

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Advice

1. Talk to people.
- MBA Programme Leader and Module Leaders – test your ideas
practically and intellectually
- Utilise your networks

2. Be creative
- How can you make the project work for you?
- Ensure you secure a project that is interesting to you

3. Deadlines
- Don’t leave things too late. We set deadlines to help you get your
MBA
- You will always experience delays, set backs etc be prepared
- The project report must be submitted on time (or you will fail your
MBA!)

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