June 2023 Version 2.5 d.d. 05-06-2023 International Business Thesis Manual 2023-2024 F Introduction You are nearing the end of your studies at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, and now the time has come for you to write your masterpiece. Maybe you have been looking forward to this moment, thinking of it as a great opportunity to finally showcase your combined skills and talents. Maybe you have been dreading this thesis, looming before you as an insurmountable challenge. Either way, whether you are excited or frightened, you can rest assured that the knowledge and skills you have acquired at your IB studies are more than sufficient to bring this task to a good end. Next to that, you can still count on the expertise of your supervising lecturer to help you through the research process. Wherever you will end up in your future, we hope you will remember your thesis not as your last assignment as a student, but as your first step as a professional. You will have a standard thesis period of approximately 20 weeks from your start date. If you will experience a delay, that might result in spanning the summer holiday. Be aware then that you have no right to supervision during the, probably, final weeks of your thesis period. During the thesis period, you will work on a research assignment for a company of your choice. You will demonstrate that you have acquired the end level of the programme learning outcomes (PLOS) and that you are ready to enter the professional field for which you have been prepared. During the thesis semester, you should resolve a practice-based issue for an organization that is relevant to your professional field of International Business. Your role is that of an independent researcher and advisor/consultant. This document contains four parts, directly related to the four phases in the thesis process: • Product: oral defence • Assessed by: thesis IB assessors The thesis process A. D. Thesis Thesis Defence Getting Started C. B. Thesis Report Research Design • Product: Thesisreport • Assessed by: IB assessor • Product: thesis getting started document •Assessed by: thesis coordinator • Product: research design • Assessed by: thesis committee The thesis period can be broken down into the following phases, please consult page 5 for a flow- chart of the four phases. 2 Part A Thesis Application Phase (approximately two weeks) The first phase is aimed at finding a suitable company and assignment. After you start in this company your first task is to define the management issue and research objective. How are you going to solve the management issue by setting up and implementing a research project? You translate the need for research in the Thesis Application document (appendix 1). For your Thesis Application document, you need to describe the organization, the background of the management issue, and the problem itself. You end this document with your preliminary main research question. If your Thesis Application document meets all requirements the thesis coordinator approves your application, assigns a supervisor and you can continue with the second phase. Part B Research Design Phase (approximately six weeks) In this stage, you will familiarize yourself as broadly as possible with the organization and the field in which it operates. You will do exploratory research on the various aspects of your assignment, in line with the requirements and wishes of the parties involved in the assignment. You will write the Research Design document based on the above. Assessment of the Research Design document by the Thesis Committee will result in a Go or No Go for the rest of the thesis assignment. Your Research Design document helps you to start your research properly. However, it is not set in stone. Along the way you will develop more insight that could be beneficial to your research and thesis company. Also, unexpected occurrences may influence your research. This requires you to reassess your research design and decide on a new course of action. Your supervising lecturer is there as your sounding board to help you decide on the best course of action. Part C Thesis Report Phase (approximately sixteen weeks) This phase will comprise the execution of the research, the formulation of solutions and the completion of your Thesis Report: The research stage In this stage, you will do research in accordance with your Research Design. The solution stage You will draw conclusions and proposals for improvement on the basis of the data obtained from your research. You will weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the various solutions and arrive at a motivated choice. The completion stage In the final version of your thesis your recommendations are prioritized in time and budgeted. Your findings are suitable to implement at an operational level. You will hand in your Thesis Report, round off your activities at the thesis company and transfer any matters ensuing from your research. Part D Thesis Defence Phase Finally, you will end the thesis period by defending your thesis orally. In this defence, you will further explain the implication(s) and the implementation of the recommendation(s) you have written for the company. Good luck writing your thesis!!! 3 A. Getting started B. Research design C. Thesis report (1) C. Thesis report (2) D. Thesis defence Read the thesis guide write your research design (RD) Fill in thesis application on intouch, upload grade overview approval thesis coordinator Yes Student conducts research and writes thesis report Supervisor checks plagiarism, send it to IBthesis@hir.nl Student and supervisor plan defence with assessor (1st or 2nd) supervisor approves Supervisor reads thesis and gives go/no go Coordinator assigns 2 Yes supervisor fills in assessors defence application form Yes Yes no go -NO- sufficient? Supervisor sends RD to thesis committee RBSthesiscommittee-IB@hr.nl student incorportates feed back and hands in again with supervisor Company rejected? Not enough ECTS? Find new company Get more credits hand in new application start next semester Formative exam: TC approves or gives feedback with tips on how to proceed Defence takes place No Sufficient? Supervisor gets feedback and shares this with student Repair thesis and hand in again LYes- No student applies for diploma on Osiris New defence is planned after two weeks, students incorporates feedback Table of contents 1. 2. General information about the thesis assignment... Period and length of the thesis period........... Goals of Graduation Research Project......... Programme Learning Outcomes (IB). Acquiring an assignment ............ Requirements Different thesis assignments Requirements for the context of your thesis assignment. Requirements for Rotterdam Incubator Academy Organisation of the graduation period. The Thesis Coordinator The Supervising Lecturer (Supervisor or Thesis Coach). The Thesis Committee... The Final Examiners.. The Client Company and the Company Supervisor. Insurance Confidentiality and secrecy ..... Leave and illness during the thesis period.. Handing in the Research Design......... Handing in your thesis. Important dates and information A................. Thesis Application Phase A. The Thesis Application Phase.. B. The Thesis Application Document/Form (see appendix 1)....... Research Design Phase.. B. The Research Design Phase. 1. Description of the organization (indication 1 page). Management Issue (1 paragraph) ......... 3. 4. 5. 6. Research Objective + Sub-objectives (indication 1 page). Main Research Question and Sub-questions (indication 1 page). Theoretical Framework (indication 6 pages) Research Methodology.......... Planning & project risks (indication 1 page). Reporting... Appendices... Finally.. ................ Lay-out requirements C................ Thesis Report Phase..... C. The Thesis Report Phase The Thesis Report..... ................ Executive Summary (indication of 2 pages). 5 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 14 ............ 15 15 16 ……….. 16 19 19 .20 222 20 21 21 21 22 24 27 28 28 28 28 29 29 22mm 30 30