363-0887-00L Management Research
| Semester | Spring Semester 2020 |
| Lecturers | N. Geilinger |
| Periodicity | every semester recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Comment | Participation in both sessions and completion of all assignments is required to receive the credit. This course requires preparation time and completion of an assignment before the first course day. Please check the Moodle course page for more information. |
Courses
| Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 363-0887-00 S | Management Research
 Two-day block course | 14s hrs |
| N. Geilinger |
Catalogue data
| Abstract | This course teaches students about the basic principles of scientific work in the field of management research. The main learning objective of the course is to get familiar with the foundations of rigorous and relevant empirical management research and be prepared to write a master thesis in management. It is recommended to take this course in the last semester before the start of the thesis. |
| Objective | This course is for students who write their master thesis at the Department of Management, Technology and Economics. The successful completion of the course will help you to improve the quality of your thesis and specifically, you will be able to: 1. Turn ideas into interesting and relevant research questions and objectives 2. Prepare and plan your research project 3. Draft a research proposal 4. Receive inspiration and insights for conducting your thesis 5. Search, review and accurately reference the academic literature 6. Understand the importance of the research design |
| Content | Course structure: This course combines lectures, group discussions and individual assignments. Day 1: Course introduction, group analysis exercises and discussions, lectures on main topics. Between the two course days: Individual work on assignment. Day 2: Assignment review and discussion, lectures on main topics, conclusion session. Target audience: The course is designed with two groups of students in mind: first, students who write their master thesis at the SMI chair and second, students who write their master thesis in the field of management at other MTEC chairs. For both groups, the focal issues of this course will arise frequently during the journey of writing their thesis. We will provide some specific content (grading guidelines, thesis format) which might not be applicable for students tutored at other MTEC chairs; however, the main part should be relevant for all students. Course topics: 1. Thesis topic and thesis proposal: - Choice of thesis topic, identification of research gap, formulation of research questions, writing of thesis proposal 2. Literature review: - Search and evaluation of academic literature, use of reference tools, writing of theoretical background chapter of thesis 3. Empirical research design: - Types of empirical research designs, choice of methodology, overview of data collection and analysis methods 4. Research output and report: - Writing of introduction, results and conclusion, thesis format and structure 5. Thesis assessment: - SMI grading criteria, MTEC guidelines References: Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitiative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Jackson, P. (2012). Management research (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Van Aken, J., & Berends, H. (2018). Problem-solving in organizations: A methodological handbook for business students (3rd ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. |
| Literature | The course material will be available on the Moodle course page. We will suggest additional resources such as methodology books and research articles during the course. |
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course is graded with pass or fail. In order to pass, you need to satisfactorily complete all assignments and learning journals and actively participate in all class sessions. Attendance during all sessions is required to pass the course and absences need to be compensated with an additional assignment. |
Performance assessment
| Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
| ECTS credits | 1 credit |
| Examiners | N. Geilinger |
| Type | ungraded semester performance |
| Language of examination | English |
| Repetition | Repetition only possible after re-enrolling for the course unit. |
| Additional information on mode of examination | The course is graded with pass or fail. In order to pass, you need to complete all assignments, learning journals, and participate in class. The first assignment is due before the first day of class: Check the Moodle coursepage well in advance. |
Learning materials
| No public learning materials available. | |
| Only public learning materials are listed. |
Groups
| No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
| General |  : Special students and auditors need a special permission from the lecturers |
Offered in
| Programme | Section | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management, Technology and Economics Master | Recommended Elective Courses | W |  |
| MAS in Management, Technology, and Economics | Electives | W | |