Doctor of Business Administration

This module is designed to empower students to contribute new knowledge to the field of business administration, with a focus on specialized areas such as finance, marketing, human resource management, organizational strategies, product and production management, and business analytics. By completing this module, students will be prepared to conduct original and publishable research in their chosen field, a vital component of subsequent modules aimed at advancing the state of knowledge.

The aim of this module is the achievement of a well-crafted Research Plan,

which will guide students on their journey to undertake substantial and

sustained research at the MQF 8 level.

It begins with a series of short units that establish community within a

cohort of researchers and allow students time to finalise a choice of thesis

supervisor. The units would encompass a variety of topics that may range

from effective ways of literature review, understanding of research

methods, ethics in research, data analysis tools and techniques etc. The

supervisor must possess a DBA or PhD in the field and subfield of the

proposed dissertation, or, failing that, have published recent peer-

reviewed scholarship in that area. Approval of the match between a

doctoral student and supervisor will rest with the dean of the college, and

must be reported to Woolf’s QAETAC committee.

The module begins with a selection of topics suitable for students

embarking on a research thesis in business administration. These might

include:

● Doctoral Writing and Research Methods

● Quantitative Research Methods in Business

● Qualitative Research Methods in Business Innovation and

Sustainability Research Perspectives

● Applied Research in Organisational Behaviour and Leadership

● Contemporary Research in Business Analytics

● Action Research Approaches in Operational Management

● Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility

The goal is not a generalised introduction to business research, but rather

a practical preparation for students preparing to embark upon the thesis.

Although these skills are highly transferable to other research domains, it

remains the case that the purpose of the module is scoped to the specific

research interests of the cohort of students and available faculty.

The module results in a highly structured ‘Research Plan’ for embarking

upon independent research at the MQF 8 level in the subsequent modules.

In order to provide context for the submission of the ‘Research Plan,’ the

student will gain a proficient knowledge of relevant research methods and

planning. Thus, in connection with the core learning outcomes resulting

from the research plan, the student will additionally gain a proficient

understanding of the wider context of research methods and evaluate the

fittingness of the chosen method for their topic.

In this phase a student must, under the guidance of their supervisor:

1. Propose his or her thesis topic

2. Identify a provisional title

3. Evaluate research methods and select a strategy

4. Write an abstract of the proposed research project

5. Compose a provisional table of contents for the thesis

6. Compose an annotated bibliography

7. Write a literature survey covering relevant primary and secondary

sources

8. Schedule a timeline to completion, including a work agreement

between the student and supervisor

The thesis supervisor finally prepares the student for external

examination of the ‘Research Plan.’

By the end of the first year, if not earlier, the Research Plan is submitted as

a digital portfolio containing six elements:

1. Provisional thesis title

2. Abstract

3. Expanded table of contents

4. Literature survey

5. Annotated bibliography

6. Timeline to completion.

The Research Plan provides students with a clear framework to guide

their research question, a structure into which they can fit their scholarly

research, and a pathway to the completion of the thesis. The Research

Plan also formally specifies the discipline the student is studying; this

discipline must also be the supervisor’s scholarly field. During the module,

students meet with their supervisor twice per month.

The student’s attention is directed to literature on the topic of the

proposed thesis, and thus methodological research guidance, beyond the

oral instruction of the student’s supervisor, will be provided within the

domain of study specific to the student’s thesis. This will vary

considerably, depending upon the topic of the thesis, and it forms a

natural component of the literature survey. (Thus, it is neither

appropriate nor possible to list here the bibliographic references that will

be needed by the student. We have, however, provided valuable works of

general research guidance and reference, and works to aid the student in

evaluating the best research method for the thesis.) Although the nature

of the training will vary by discipline and by the amount of focus on

human subjects, the supervisor will include scholarly ethics as a topic

during this period.

The ‘Research Plan’ is submitted to be examined by an academic in the

same field, selected by the thesis supervisor with the approval of the

college dean (for the role of college deans, see Woolf’s MFHEA-approved

Policy of Quality Assurance). The examining academic must possess a

research doctorate.

The module on Research Development and Progress Review helps a student who has just completed the ‘Research Plan’ to undertake a cadence of supervised, original research leading to a substantial portion of their research thesis being completed (2-4 chapters or equivalent). This module operationalizes the work agreement made in the previous one. Although students may request twice-weekly meetings early in the writing process, it is expected (and students typically prefer) not to meet more than twice per month thereafter. This allows the student time to develop their independent research and writing. As the student advances in independence and confidence in their research, and under the discretion of their supervisor, they may reduce their supervisory meetings to 1 time per month (not inclusive of ‘Work in Progress’ seminars). Under the supervision of their supervisor, and through regular submissions and synchronous feedback sessions, students hone and strengthen their ability to conduct innovative, original research at the

very forefront of an academic discipline.

While the focus of year one was on preparing the ‘Research Proposal’, the

focus of year two is on the actual work of research, whether that be in the

library, working with datasets, developing data management plans, ethical

approval, conducting interviews or surveys, or deep reading in the

scholarship on a chosen topic, producing extensive notes and questions,

and rough drafts of chapters or thesis sections. In addition to direct

intervention on the student’s work, faculty contributions might include

exploring innovative new research methods, research integrity, or, where

relevant, implications for policy and other applications.

In addition, supervisors in year two will facilitate the student’s

participation in the broader scholarly community, whether through

presenting in the ‘Work in Progress’ seminar for graduate students and

scholars, or through encouraging them to participate in doctoral

colloquiums/conferences at which students may annually present their

research and have it peer-reviewed in annual colloquium.

Entering the third year of doctoral studies, students will have a well-defined research topic, a clear structure to organise their proposed research, a firm grasp of the relevant literature, a practical timeline in which to conduct their research, and a substantial body of drafted thesis chapters or sections (equivalent to 2-4 chapters).

In this module, the aims of the methodology module are fulfilled and the research of the past two years is brought into one overarching argument. The exact length of the thesis will vary by method and discipline, but ordinarily will not exceed 80,00 words, exclusive of bibliography but including appendices, notes, tables, and so forth.

The thesis will constitute a substantial, original, independent piece of research, which is clearly articulated in relation to the primary evidence and secondary literature, and which is organised in relation to the plan first envisaged in the methodology module.

Regular supervision meetings keep the student on-course with the timeline agreed in the methodology module. Supervisory meetings concentrate on a pre- submitted piece of research in a pattern that continues until the first draft of the thesis is complete.

Although students may request twice-weekly meetings early in the writing process in module two, it is expected (and students typically prefer) not to meet more than once or twice per month by this stage of the thesis. This allows the student time to develop their independent research and writing. All full-time students must meet with their supervisor at least once per month. After the completion of the first draft, meetings focus on the harmonisation of the parts, adjustments to the overall argument, and the supervisor seeks to ensure that the student guides the thesis with a single, coherent line of enquiry.

The final meetings with the student focus on polishing the editorial aspects of the thesis, and helping the student prepare for examination. While there is not a formal requirement that a piece of the thesis will have been published already, the thesis should contain publishable work, and the student should graduate with a clear plan of revision toward publication (e.g., a series of articles, direct publication, or recasting the argument as a book for a more general audience).