BUU44590 Business Dissertation

(20 ECTS) 

Dissertation Co-ordinator:

Dr. Aisling Curley

Email: aicurley@tcd.ie 
Office Hours: Online, by appointment. Email to make appointment.
Supervisors: To be assigned individually

Module Description

The dissertation capstone is an independent course of study under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor. There are no classes offered. This capstone is only suitable for those students who are prepared for and committed to undertaking independent, supervised study and research. Other capstones provide classes and methods instruction and if classes and methods instruction are desired, one of these capstones should be chosen.

Students are required to write a dissertation, typically in the range of 12,000 - 15,000 words. The dissertation should accomplish the following:

• Offer an insightful and critical evaluation of existing literature on a particular subject
• Evaluate and apply relevant theory in a specific business or management problem or setting
• Derive appropriate conclusions from the research process

A statement of intent to complete a dissertation must be submitted by 19th August and a dissertation proposal must be submitted to the Coordinator no later than 5:00pm Monday 2nd September.

The coordinator will ask two questions in reviewing proposals:

• Is the proposed research of dissertation standard?
• Is the proposer capable of carrying out this work?

It is therefore important that students address in their proposal both the area in which they wish to carry out their research and the approach they will take to doing it. The resources on writing a research proposal provided to all students who select the dissertation option will provide support in presenting and organising ideas.

There is insufficient time in the process to rehabilitate an unworkable proposal. If on review of a proposal, the coordinator determines the proposal isn’t workable, the student will be directed to join another capstone.

A supervisor from the staff, adjunct faculty, or doctoral programme of Trinity Business School, or from among former doctoral students / staff now working at other institutions, will be allocated before the end of Michaelmas Term Teaching Week 3 (Friday 27th September). The role of the supervisor is to discuss the merits of the proposed research ideas; to provide guidance on the research process, on the academic content and on the development of the argument; to indicate likely sources of information.

The supervisor should expect to meet with you on at least two occasions and not more than three during each semester. In 2024/25, the meetings may be online using Teams or Zoom, or in person. It is your responsibility to arrange meetings with your supervisor and ensure that steps agreed at meetings are recorded and taken.

You will be required to submit your literature review or, in relevant cases, another agreed significant piece of work, by Friday 13th December. Your supervisor will give you feedback on your submission and will complete a progress report for the programme coordinator. If there is concern about your progress at this stage, the programme coordinator will liaise with you and your supervisor to address the concerns. You will also be contacted by the coordinator at this time and asked to report on your progress and to raise any issues of concern to you. As with supervisor reports, the aim is to ensure you are equipped to complete your dissertation to an acceptable standard and on time.

Your completed dissertation must be submitted by Friday 4th April 2024. On a date between the 14th and the 25th of April, you will defend your dissertation at Viva, which will be attended by your supervisor and the programme coordinator or another member of academic staff of the School. You will prepare a 20-minute presentation to deliver at your viva and you will provide your panel with your presentation the day before your viva. At your viva, after your presentation, your panel will question you on your work for an additional 20 minutes. Your mark will be agreed by your supervisor and the dissertation programme coordinator who participates in your viva.

Learning and Teaching Approach

This module relies entirely on the independent work of the student, who will work under the guidance of their supervisor.

The module coordinators assign a supervisor to the individual student, with a focus on matching the supervisor to the topic. Matching is facilitated by a well-developed research proposal.

The role of the supervisor is to discuss and advise on the merits of the proposed research and guide the student through the research process. On occasion, a supervisor will suggest that the student use a research methodology / approach that is new to them. If the student agrees to use the new approach, their supervisor will supply them with resources so that they can acquire the skills necessary to use the approach competently.

The responsibility to produce content of quality and meet deadlines rests with the student.

The module coordinator is available to clarify issues that arise in the supervision/writing process. The coordinator will respond to both supervisor and student queries, and will check in formally with both supervisors and students during the year to monitor the process. When asked to give feedback to the coordinator, please provide it. Keep in mind that the role of the coordinator is to facilitate and support students and supervisors to achieve excellent outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to: 

• Identify and frame a research topic in a business or management related area 
• Conduct a literature review that identifies and critically evaluates the academic literature appropriate to the topic of investigation 
• Demonstrate an ability to relate the theories, models and frameworks identified through the research process to a specific business or management setting in the world of practice 
• Analyse data from primary and/or secondary sources that relates to the business and management situations and problems at hand 
• Evaluate and link the existing literature on a particular subject in a critical way to the analysed data 
• Derive conclusions that are applicable to the broader business context. 
• Give an oral presentation of the written dissertation at viva, and answer questions on the presentation and written thesis.

Relation to Degree

The dissertation is a capstone for the undergraduate business degree that provides the student with the opportunity to demonstrate, in a practical and tangible way, their ability to conduct research in a business area and derive conclusions that have application to the broader business context.

Workload

Assessment

• Written dissertation (90%)
• Viva (10%)

Note: Students must pass the Viva to pass the module.

Biographical Note

Dr Aisling Curley holds a PhD in Strategic Management and a BSc (hons) in Business and Information Technology, both from Trinity College Dublin. Her research engages with the intersections between Strategic Management, Industry Evolution and Digital Technology. She has over 20 years’ experience in the investment management industry.