How to Design a Successful Dissertation

www.henley.reading.ac.uk 1 Dissertation Writing Professor Yuksel Ekinci 2 3 Recommended Structure for Dissertation •Preliminary Content Title Page Abstract Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Tables/Figures List of Abbreviations •Main Body Content Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature Review (name of the chapter?) Chapter 3: Literature Review (name of the chapter?) Chapter 4: Methodology Chapter 5: Findings Chapter 6: Conclusion (including recommendations & limitations) •Rounding off Content References / Appendices 4 Dissertation Writing Style •Demonstrating that the study is a scientific investigation •Adopting academic writing style –Formal + Objective –Concise –Varied –Cautious –Connected 5 Constructing Table of Contents Marketing as a Tool for Achieving Service Quality in the Five Star Hotels in Paris, France Q1. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the table of contents distributed. Q2. If possible, make recommendations for improvement. 6 Abstract •Should be written last •A good abstract includes; –Statement of the aim(s) –Description of the methodology (e.g., survey) –Summary of the main findings –Managerial implications 7 CASE 1: ABSTRACT The catering sector includes a wide range of food service outlets from institutional caterings to exclusive fine-dining restaurants. Past research has been done in different food service outlets. However, it seems that there is not enough research about customer satisfaction in a University context. This study aims to assess customer satisfaction with campus restaurants using a variety of variables that affects perception of the service. The modified SERVQUAL scale was used to measure service quality in camps restaurants (Parks, 1998). Other variables included in the questionnaire to measure customer satisfaction were: comparison standards (expectation and experience-based norm), overall satisfaction, intention to return and recommend behaviour. Significant results are found throughout the study. Firstly, results show that the modified SERVQUAL scale is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring service quality in campus restaurants. Secondly, experience based norm was found to be a better comparison standard than others in assessing customer satisfaction. Thirdly, students’ satisfaction with the campus restaurants were low. 8 1. Introduction Chapter •Must be written after main chapters (e.g., literature review, methodology, conclusion) and just before writing the abstract •A good introduction chapter has 3 main qualities –interesting, –clear, –indicate direction •Introduction chapter must include –Background of the study –Purpose of the study –Structure of the study 9 Literature Review The documentation of a comprehensive review of published and unpublished work from secondary data sources in the area of specific interest to the researcher •Risk of "re-inventing the wheel" is reduced •Problem statement" can be made with greater clarity & precision •A good Literature Review is precise, comprehensive, and concise •A good LR ensures that important variables are not omitted (e.g., key choice criteria used for Management Dev Prgms) 16 Presenting Inferential Statistics Test Results Table 5.2.Evaluation of Service Quality by Gender: Independent Samples t-Test Constructs Gender n Mean S.D. t-Value Significant (2-tailed) Intangibles Male Female 61 59 4.79 5.39 1.39 1.34 -2.39 .01* Tangibles Male Female 61 59 4.76 5.01 1.20 1.19 -1.13 .25 Overall Satisfaction Male Female 61 59 4.62 5.11 1.36 1.19 -2.07 .04* *Statistically significant at p < .05 17 Inferential Statistics Cont. Table 5.3. Linear Relationship between Variables: Pearson Correlation Constructs ATTs CS/D OSQ OverallAttitude (ATTs) 1 Customer Satisfaction (CS/D) 0.68** 1 Overall Service Quality (OSQ) 0.52** 0.50** 1 * Statistically significant at p < 0.01 level. ** Statistically significant at p < 0.05 level. Correlation Matrix 18 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Aim of the Study/ Approach/ Purpose Theoretical Framework/ Key Concepts Information Goals Type of Questionnaire/ Method of Administration Relevant Questions Suitable Data Analysis Method To investigate the most preferred soft drink among residents in [X] town. Deductive approach. Descriptive study. A. Consumer preference of soft drinks. B. Consumer Demographics. 1. To determine the most preferred soft drink. 2. Profiling consumers who purchase soft drinks. Closed-response questions/ Interviewer administered. Q1. Name of soft drinks. Q2.Year of residency. Q3. Current place of residency. Q4. Age. Q5.Occupation. Q6. Gender. Frequencies and percentages. Means and standard deviations. Frequencies and percentages. Frequencies and percentages. Frequencies and percentages. Frequencies and percentages. Table 2.2 Question-Matching Technique Source: Ekinci (2015, p.32) 19 Presenting Qualitative Findings TOPIC: Impacts of Customer Relationship Management on Customer Loyalty in the UK Telecommunications Industry. Key Themes & Supporting Statements 1. Understanding of CRM 2. Implementations of CRM to reduce customer churn “there is no use of churn reduction measures if the service provider does not know who it is aimed at”. (CRM Manager A) “Data warehousing and mining is an effective way to identify potential customers who might switch. There are many complex algorithms, which large organizations use, like Amazon.com, which can pin point the segment of customers who might switch”. (Company Director A) 20 6. Conclusion / Recommendation Chapter 6.1. Summary of main conclusions 6.2. Contribution of the study (e.g., theoretical & methodological contributions) 6.3. Managerial implications 6.4. Limitations 6.5. Further research areas 21 References In alphabetical order of author using Harvard Referencing System. http://libguides.reading.ac.uk/citations Appendices Research Instrument. Interview Transcript. http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/sta-videotutorials.aspx Useful videos for referencing, writing essays, projects and dissertations.