mba project (prj-701) · document #: iba/mba-project-00 issue #: 03 title: mba project (prj-701)...

Document #: IBA/MBA-Project-00 Issue #: 03

Title: MBA Project Handbook

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IBA Karachi

Project Handbook*

MBA PROJECT (PRJ-701)

NAME DESIGNATION SIGNATURE DATE

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Wajid Rizvi Director Business Administration Programs

APPROVED BY: Dr. S Akbar Zaidi Executive Director

REVISION NO.: 01

DATE OF ISSUE: 23-September-2020

*This document is developed by Business Administration Academic Affairs Office, and it is meant only for internal /departmental use. The numbering format for this document is: “InstituteName/ProgramDocument-Revision#”; and for all related documents:

“InstituteName/ProgramDocument/Type-Revision#


Title: MBA Project (PRJ-701) Handbook

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1. SUBJECT

Master of Business Administration (MBA) Project Handbook.

2. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

MBA Project is an integral part of the MBA program conducted at IBA Karachi, as it is capstone in nature. A group of 4-6 final year students undertake a management consulting assignment in real life business environment related to managerial and organizational problems. It is where they apply the concepts studied in class.

MBA Project not only enables students to develop interviewing, report writing and presenting skills, but also provides an opportunity for them to enhance their managerial and leadership skills, besides their problem-solving, decision-making and project management skills.

The purpose of this Handbook is to standardize and systematize the Processes relevant to MBA Projects; it also defines the necessary controls. The objective of these Guidelines is to update the reader regarding different activities and stakeholders in projects.

3. COMMENCEMENT

These Guidelines shall be followed for all the projects that are completed within or after Fall-2018.

4. MBA PROJECT APPLICATION

4.1 MBA Students shall make Project Groups with 4-6 members. It is important that Group Members belong to different industries, disciplines and backgrounds to make the team more diverse.

4.2 Business Administration Academic Affairs (BAAA) Office invites organizations to

engage a Project Group (comprises of energetic students with sound academic and practical background, and who under an Advisor’s supervision, can be trusted to come up with practical and effective solutions) to solve their issues (see ‘MBA

Project Invitation Letter’). This exercise is done once per year.

4.3 Simultaneously, Project Group Members can also explore in various companies /organizations in their network, for possible areas /problems that are worthy of becoming MBA Project. Though, due diligence is ensured for any ‘conflict of

interest’. (i.e. working in a same department)

4.4 Once, projects are received from various organizations (clients), these are floated among MBA Students by the BAAA Office, on first come first served basis.

4.5 IBA Karachi does not charge for any project carried out for an organization by its

students.

4.6 Project Groups may start an informal discussion (preferably through E-mails) with one or more faculty members of IBA Karachi around their project ideas and projects shared by the office. One of these faculty members may become the Project Advisor.



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This discussion will ensure that a “Terms of Reference” (TOR) may be finalized

with higher level details.

4.7 Each Project shall be conducted under close supervision of one (01) experienced Project Advisor. Final assignment of advisors to projects rests with BAAA Office. (Students are required to select an advisor from full time faculty. However, if not found any full-time faculty than contact BAAA for further guidance).

4.8 The project scope should necessarily stick to one or more of the elements of business administration. A project may be inter-disciplinary in nature i.e. it may revolve around multiple interfacing areas. Projects shall be done with both local and multinational companies (preferably those based in Karachi due to logistics’ reasons).

4.9 TOR (see ‘MBA Project TOR’ – a crucial milestone document which serves as the

main kick-off component) shall be submitted, along with the approvals of Client’s

Representative and Advisor. These shall be submitted to BAAA Office by the prescribed week (see ‘MBA Project Lifecycle’) for Approval. Without this final

approval, no project can be considered as ‘formally started’.

4.10 Project Group Members mentioned on the TOR shall be considered final, and no change shall be allowed in any circumstance. BAAA Office shall assign a Group Number.

4.10.1 Group Number will follow the form: “622-701-XXX-XX”, where ‘622’ is a

code for Regular MBA, ‘701’ is course Code, ‘XXXX’ is semester code (e.g.

‘1911’ for Spring 2019) and ‘XX’ is Group Number (every semester, this number is reset).

5. GENERAL SCHEME OF STUDIES

5.1 MBA Project worth six (06) credit hours for which students shall maintain the details of each interaction with their advisors (see ‘MBA Project Supervision Log’).

5.2 Minimum period for MBA Project, after which the final defence (presentation exam) will be held, shall be of two semesters. The duration should be within allowed MBA Program duration.

6. RESPONSIBILITIES

6.1 MBA PROJECT EVALUATION COMMITTEE

6.1.1 Shall be chaired by Director Business Administration Programs.

6.1.2 Shall comprise of at least three (03) high-level stake holders (see ‘Exhibit1’). As advisor and client are different for each project, thus, every project will have a unique evaluation committee. It will be facilitated by the BAAA Office for each project’s lifecycle (see ‘MBA Project Lifecycle’). Project Advisor and Client’s Representative (mentioned in the TOR) are ex-officio members of this committee.



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6.1.3 Shall provide guidance on overall strategic direction and to monitor and govern all other stakeholders involved. It shall ensure ethics and quality assurance in all project activities.

6.1.4 Shall ensure professionalism and transparency of all activities in the project.

6.1.5 Shall meet at least twice (02) in one project cycle, i.e. for: grading Interim and Final Project Presentations. Moreover, it can meet whenever required.

Exhibit 1: Possible Composition of MBA Project Evaluation Committee

6.2 BAAA OFFICE

6.2.1 Shall be responsible for managing and providing support in every step of the Project Lifecycle (see ‘MBA Project Lifecycle’).

6.2.2 Shall be responsible for keeping track of each project’s progress.

6.2.3 Shall be responsible for establishing MBA Project Evaluation Committee for each project taking into consideration: clauses under 6.1.

6.2.4 Shall ensure the availability of an adequate pool of faculty members of IBA Karachi for advisory role. Preferably one (01) Project Advisor can supervise maximum six (06) Project Groups in a project cycle (02 semesters).

6.2.5 Shall evaluate the ‘Final Project Report’ for formatting (in consultation with library) and similarity.

6.2.6 Shall facilitate students in solving logistic /operational problems (such as: access to data /library /specialist faculty /breakout-rooms) as well as team issues.

6.2.7 Shall help students in maintaining high quality relationships with clients and advisors.

6.3 PROJECT ADVISOR

6.3.1 Shall be responsible for: deeper comprehension of client’s requirements;

initial definition and planning of the work assigned to the Project Group; guiding the Project Group in development of the final TOR; and helping the students in focusing on research questions /objectives and deliverables.

6.3.2 Shall suggest reading material, especially relevant conceptual models, to enhance the Project Group’s understanding of subjects related to the topic.

6.3.3 Shall be responsible for guiding the Project Group in academic writing, research methods, referencing and issues related to plagiarism, especially

MBA Project Evaluation Committee

Director Business Administartion

ProgramsProject Advisor Client's

Representative(s)

Subject Matter Expert(s) (on

invitation)



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during the development of ‘Interim Project Report’ and ‘Final Project

Report’.

6.3.4 Shall closely supervise the project work conducted at IBA Karachi and /or Client’s premises (where applicable) within ethical boundaries.

6.3.5 Shall facilitate project work with team spirit and conflict resolution (resolving any conflicts arising among Project Group Members).

6.3.6 Shall monitor that the Project Group is properly maintaining the record of interactions (see ‘MBA Project Supervision Log’).

6.3.7 Shall attend interim and final presentations of their Project Group as Evaluation Committee Member.

6.3.8 Shall grade their Project Group’s work during Interim and Final Project

Presentations as Project Advisor (and as Evaluation Committee Member).

6.4 CLIENT ORGANIZATION

6.4.1 Shall provide name and contact details of the individual in the organization who can be contacted by the Project Group to facilitate access, where necessary, to the company and its relevant material and information.

6.4.2 Shall provide a description of their requirements and scope of the project to the students so that the desired TOR can be developed.

6.4.3 Shall provide the Project Group guidance and feedback on their efforts.

6.4.4 Shall meet the financial costs incurred on the project, including: travel and accommodation costs, if any. Cost is minimal as compared to the cost that is incurred in engaging a professional consulting firm. Every group has access to the extensive resources /expert faculty available at IBA Karachi for delivering these clients based projects.

6.4.5 Shall confirm that the ‘Final Project Report’ (see ‘MBA Project Report’) meets their objectives by grading their Project Group’s work during Interim and Final Project Presentations as Evaluation Committee Member.

7. PROGRESS OF PROJECT WORK

7.1 Project Group shall regularly meet their Project Advisor and Client to submit the assigned work within the agreed timeline.

7.2 Any Project Group or Member failing to comply 7.1 may be referred to Director Business Administration Programs, who in extreme cases can formally terminate the project.

7.3 After approximately half semester of formal project study /work, each Project Group shall submit an ‘Interim Project Report’, which they shall defend in ‘Interim Project

Presentations’ on a prescribed date (see ‘MBA Project Report’). Minimum three (03) starting chapters (Introduction, literature review and Methodology) with proper



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references and draft questionnaire (if applicable, in appendix) should be submitted in spiral-bind form.

7.4 Presentation Slides for ‘Interim Project Presentations’ shall be required in the

prescribed format (see ‘MBA Project Presentation’).

7.5 Attendance of all Project Group Members is mandatory in Interim and Final Presentations as these are considered as exams.

7.6 Towards the end of the project, it is expected /encouraged that the Project Group shall publish (or submit) at least one (01) case-study or research-paper, in a Conference or Journal of international repute (where applicable, client’s approval is

also required – see ‘MBA Consent to Publish Form’). No Project Group Member can be left from co-authorship.

8. SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION

8.1 ‘Final Project Report’ shall show evidence of original capacity of the development or application of scientific principles and methods, acquaintance with work of others in similar fields and ability of presentation of ideas.

8.2 ‘Final Project Report’ must represent formal work of two (02) semesters completed by the Project Group.

8.3 ‘Final Project Report’ shall be written in English Language and shall be in the form prescribed (see ‘MBA Project Report’).

8.4 After two (02) semesters of work, each Project Group shall submit two (02) (spiral bind) copies of the final version of ‘Final Project Report’ for evaluation to the BAAA Office, which the Project Group shall be required to defend in ‘Final Project Presentation Exam’ on a prescribed date (see ‘MBA Project Lifecycle’). One copy will be retained by BAAA Office and the other is sent to the Project Group’s

Advisor. (In an online presentation during pandemic condition student shall submit only the softcopies i.e. Project Report, Presentation, Database sets used in working on a project)

8.5 ‘Final Project Presentation Exam is a viva-voce examination. Presentation Slides for ‘Final Project Presentation Exam’ shall be required in the prescribed format (see

‘MBA Project Presentation’ and ‘MBA Project Presentations’ Procedure’).

8.6 If the Evaluation Committee finds the work ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’, then the work shall be graded appropriately following clauses under 9.

8.7 In case the Evaluation Committee finds the work ‘Satisfactory with Corrections’, then the work shall be graded appropriately following clauses under 9. Project Group will do the corrections within one (01) week, and BAAA Office shall validate the changes suggested by the committee.

9. DELIVERABLES & GRADING POLICY

9.1 During the course of MBA project lifecycle, a student is expected to produce four (04) deliverables (see ‘Exhibit2’).



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Exhibit 2: Grading Plan as per Project Deliverables

Deliverable Grading Status

Weight age in Final Grade

Deliverable Sub-component

Sub-component Weight age

1. TOR submission Graded - Compliance (time/form) 100% 2. Interim Progress Update Graded 30% Interim Report 100%

3. Final Progress Update Graded 70% Final Presentation 40%

Final Report 60%

9.2 Different grades may be awarded to members within a same group.

9.3 The grading authority for each deliverable is split between the Project Advisor (40%), Director Business Administration Programs (40%) and Client (20%). Where Director Business Administration Programs is the Project Advisor, the Client shall 40% grading authority.

9.4 The exception to above is TOR, for which Director Business Administration Programs shall assign marks.

9.5 Grading shall be carried out on a prescribed grid (for both: interim and final), which will eventually produce the final letter grade for the project (see ‘MBA Project Grading Criteria Grid’). All compilation of results shall be carried out by the BAAA Office as per 9.1 and 9.3.

9.6 Assessment shall be carried out close to Portfolio-Based-Assessment (PBA), as students know about the criteria against which they will be graded prior to their investigation and proposition of a solution. Students can even gauge their own performance on the criteria and defend accordingly in front of Evaluation Committee. This is done gradually i.e. first in Interim Project Presentation and then Final Project Presentation that provides ample time for reflection at students’ end.

10. DISCIPLINE OF FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION EXAM

10.1 ‘Final Project Presentation Exam’ shall be mandatory for all MBA students to attend.

10.2 Evaluation Committee is not bound to ask questions at the end of a Project Group’s

Presentation, rather it can raise queries and interrupts wherever it feels necessary.

10.3 BAAA Office can also invite subject matter experts and observers to attend the Exam.

10.4 Observers shall follow the following rules to maintain discipline during the Exam:

10.4.1 Use of Cell Phones and other means of distractions shall not be allowed.

10.4.2 Cross-talking shall not be allowed as it distracts the students presenting as well as it shatters the formal atmosphere which is needed in Exam.

10.4.3 Questions shall only be asked during the ‘Question & Answer’ Session, i.e.

after the completion of a Project Group’s presentation and within the time allocated for each presentation exam.



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11. PUBLICATION OF PROJECT REPORT

11.1 Project Group, having successfully completed the Project, shall submit four (04) copies of the Final Project Report to the BAAA Office. Each copy is required to be submitted in a Blue Colour hard bind form with Embossed Golden Text (see ‘MBA Project Report Cover’).

11.2 One (01) copy shall be retained for the (Embossed); one (01) shall be handed to the Project Advisor; one (01) shall be handed to the Client, and; one (01) shall be sent to IBA Library (Main Campus).

11.3 Project Group shall submit /attach with the hard bind for one (01) shall be handed to the Project Advisor; one (01) DVD (or send by email) having appropriate folders for the following:

11.3.1 Word document of TOR.

11.3.2 Word document of Final Project Report.

11.3.3 All relevant data such as: data sheets (MS Excel, SPSS etc.); output(s); questionnaires (scanned if hard copies); brochures (scanned if hard copies); visiting cards (scanned if hard copies); literature reviewed (research papers, reports, manuals, thesis etc.) and other artefacts.

11.4 Results cannot be posted on the ERP unless all above the formalities are fulfilled.

12. RELATED DOCUMENTS

1. MBA Project TOR with checklist 2. Project Proforma (Excel Sheets’ Items) 3. APA Style Guidelines 4. Group Profile – Template 5. Group Status Form 6. MBA Project Invitation Letter 7. MBA Project Details' Template 8. MBA Project Action Plan 9. MBA Project Supervision Log 10. MBA Project Report (with Cover) 11. MBA Project Presentation 12. MBA Project Presentations’ Procedure 13. MBA Project Grading Criteria Grid 14. IBA Consent to Publish Form

13. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS:

BAAA : Business Administration Academic Affairs TOR : Terms of Reference PBA : Portfolio-Based-Assessment

MBA PROJECT - TERMS OF REFERENCE

Place Proposed Title of your Project here

PROJECT GROUP MEMBERS Member’s Name ERP ID Cell No. Employer, Designation & Department Member’s Name ERP ID Cell No. Employer, Designation & Department Member’s Name ERP ID Cell No. Employer, Designation & Department Member’s Name ERP ID Cell No. Employer, Designation & Department Member’s Name ERP ID Cell No. Employer, Designation & Department

MBA Project Advisor: __________________ IBA Karachi

Insert Logo of the Company, where you are going to carry out

the Project

MBA Project - Terms of Reference IBA/MBA-Project/TOR-00

IBA Karachi Page 1 of 4

Proposed Title for Project

Industry Background:

Discussion around the industrial sector to which the company belongs. Its salient features, such as: size, competition, trends, challenges, and advantages etc. with proper and current sources (in references section) mentioned. Better to discuss the major portions of this TOR in terms of bullet points.

Company Introduction:

Here, the company’s information can be placed with a brief introduction of the company such as its major: products, processes, equipment, achievements, locations and expertise etc. Number of employees, revenues, market-share and plans for near or far future can also be briefly mentioned here. Strengths and weaknesses in existing supply chain practices can also be briefly discussed here.

Context and Problem Statement: [This part is most important part of the TOR, this must be at least two pages with at least 10 references of which 5 must be of last two years. The reference style must be APA, the guidelines are attached].

Vital ingredients or facets of the MBA Project are discussed here in a logical sequence. This context elaborates the problem /issue faced by the company and importance of this study /work. Here, some references (preferably current) i.e. articles /papers /books may be referred as evidence or for building the case for the MBA Project. Discuss explicitly the following around your topic and industry background (both of the following require references as strong evidence):

What is known around your topic?

What are the un-knowns (Gaps) around your topic? or What is the problem /opportunity-area that the company is facing? (serves as the “Problem Statement”)

Referencing capability of MS Word should be used for placing references and APA referencing style should be followed.

Formatting of this document should be followed as it is, i.e. its fonts, font sizes, paragraphing and other relevant issues for uniformity as defined for each MBA Project. This document has a maximum limit of five (05) pages. Spacing in this document such as after between headings may be deleted, if required.

Research Question and/or Objectives: [Make sure that your research questions are in line with the problem, clear list of the research questions should appear here. You need to write number of hypotheses in line to the deliverables.]

The aim of the MBA Project should be discussed here. Research Questions (RQs) and/or Objectives should be presented in the form of numbered points. Essentially, these objectives fill or solve a number of Gaps /Un-knowns /Problems identified in the context above. For projects, inclined towards research, there can be a number of hypothesis that the group would like to accept or reject (refer to ‘hypothesis testing’ literature).

1. Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.

2. Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.

Methodology: [write your methodology (qualitative or quantitative) with clarity provide rational for it along with specific method (e.g. focus groups, interviews, questionnaire etc.). Each activity must be reflected on the Gantt chart].



Give special attention to this section as your efforts should be worthy of (2-course equivalent) MBA Project. One paragraph about what methodology the Project Group will employ to achieve the objectives of MBA Project. Here the Project Group may discuss what kind of data they will be dealing with such as Qualitative /Quantitative, along with the discussion of how this data will be collected i.e. by experiments, questionnaire or interview based surveys (primary or secondary data). In case of survey, sampling technique, inclusion criteria and prospective sample size should be provided. Also, it is beneficial to show how the data will be validated i.e. ‘Triangulation’. Next, the implementation approaches (research protocol) that will be used may also be highlighted here. Research Question /Objectives should be linked /mapped with Research Method (its sampling technique and sample sizes). See ‘MBA Final Project Report Completion Form’ for more

description of the research methodology and methods. MBA Project Groups are encouraged to publish their outputs as case-studies or research-papers (considering all ethical issues).

[Bridge your methodology part with your deliverables, how your proposed methods are appropriate in relation to the expected outcomes].

Significance /Expected Outcomes /Key Deliverables:

Here, the impact of the study will be discussed, i.e. how the practitioners and/or researchers will find the conclusions of this MBA Project helpful. Also, how the knowledge developed as the outcome of this study will be beneficial in Pakistan? Bulleted points defining the tangible and non-tangible outcomes of this MBA Project may be presented here. The work may be evaluated/disseminated by the practitioners/academics by presenting it at some forum such as seminar/conference presentations, conference/journal publications and etc.

Constraints:

Mention the possible constraints that your Group previews to face on the course of the project. These constraints will help in defining logical and achievable targets.

Resources Required:

The resources your group previews as a requirement for project completion, e.g. IBA Library Resources, IBA Computer Lab, specific software package etc.

Budget (required only when client approves explicitly)

According to your estimates, place in the following table the tentative expense heads that will be incurred during the course of the project. This should be discussed in detail with the client. Requirements such as the group may be needed to submit receipts of expense which will be either reimbursed monthly or at the end of the project by the client should be discussed with the client.

Sr. # Cost head Amount Cost factor

1 Travelling Rs. Depending on price of petrol

2 Printing /Binding Rs. Depending on market rate

3 Petty Cash Rs. Unaccounted circumstances

TOTAL Rs.

Project Timeline:

A Gantt chart is required to be placed here with as much clarity /detail as possible. [Add your proposed methods here (e.g. focus groups, interviews, questionnaire etc.).]

Major Activities and Milestones

Activities\Weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Activity 01 Activity 02 Interim Presentation Activity 03 Activity 04

Final Presentation



Client’s Focal Person: Attach visiting card as Figure /photo. The presence of focal person during interim and final presentations is mandatory.

Conflict of Interest: By submitting this TOR, the students’ group certify that there is no disclosure necessary regarding Conflict of Interest (CoI) in carrying out this project. If any CoI is subsequently discovered, the group bear the sole responsibility for the consequences. Responsibilities of Business Administration Academic Affairs Office, Advisor and Client are mentioned in the “MBA Project Handbook” (available at IBA’s website).

Ethical Consideration: By submitting this TOR, the students certify that they comply with the highest level of ethical considerations, which are not limited to ensuring:

quality, integrity, independence and impartiality of your study/work; informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity of study respondents/participants; study respondents/participants participate voluntarily, and; safety of the students’ group and all stakeholders of this study

Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi (IBA) and or its Members of the Board of Governors, Officers, Employees and Personnel shall be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages (whether under contract, tort, statute or otherwise) or losses of any nature whatsoever that may arise out or in connection with the use or access, or inability to use or access, of the report offered by IBA students.

References: APA referencing style should be followed for all. Place the material (books, journal articles, case-studies, reports, manuals, standards, laws, acts, web-pages etc.) here that you have referred while developing this TOR. At least 5 references are required and also ensure completeness of information.

Client’s Focal Person’s Visiting Card



TOR Check List

Please make sure before the submission,

1 - The Context and Problem statement section is at least of two pages. Yes-----NO

2 - The research questions are clearly enlisted. Yes-----NO

3 - The methodology is clearly defined in terms of qualitative or quantitative. Yes-----NO

4 - The sampling technique and the sample size are given. Yes-----NO

5 - The proposed methods are linked to the deliverables. Yes-----NO

6 - The proposed methods are added to the Gantt chart. (Breakdown in term of the methodology)

Yes-----NO

7 - The references are as per the APA guidelines. Yes-----NO

8 - There are at least 10 references. Yes-----NO

9 - There are at least five references of last two years. Yes-----NO

10 - Approvals of Client & Advisor (Either in email trail or screen shots) Yes-----NO

11 - Softcopies of ABR projects of all group members Yes-----NO

12 - Filled Group status form. Yes-----NO

13 - Filled Project Proforma. Yes-----NO

14 - Group profile Yes-----NO

15 - Screenshot /any other proof of official mail by the client to BAAA office for the self-acquired project.

Yes-----NO

16 - Program detail, member-wise (MBA-M or MBA-E) /Contact on top page, i.e. Employer /Designation /Department or Full Time Students on the top page (As mentioned in the MBA Project Handbook which is available at the main web under the research tab)

Yes-----NO

Project Proforma (Horizontal Items in Excel Sheets)

S# 1 2 3 4 5 6

Member# 1 2 3 4 5 6

CodeStudent NameERP IDAcad ProgPhoneEmail AddressABR Project's TitleProject NameClientClient's InfoMajor AreaMinor AreaIndustrial SectorCityLocationAdvisorAdv. DeptUnit Claimed InTOR Approval DateSuggested Interim

Interim (Actual)Suggested Final

Final (Actual)GradeClass No.TermCommentsConvocation

UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL OF SOCIAL, HISTORICAL AND LITERARY STUDIES

SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES AND AREA STUDIES

THE HARVARD APA-STYLE GUIDE TO BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCING

CONTENTS Page A. PRESENTING A BIBLIOGRAPHY: HARVARD APA-STYLE 3 B. IN-TEXT REFERENCES FOR ESSAYS: HARVARD-APA STYLE 6

Quoting and paraphrasing 6 Quoting long passages 7 Primary and secondary sources 7 Citing from the Internet 8 Citing page numbers in references 8 Referencing and Latin terms 9 Plagiarism and referencing 9 In-text references and bibliographies/reference lists 10 C. HOW POOR OR INADEQUATE REFERENCING WILL 12 IMPACT ON THE MARK YOU RECEIVE

Referencing Penalties 12 Original Version: Stephen Cope and Anne Worden, October 2002 Revised Version: Anne Worden, September 2005 Revised Referencing Penalties produced by Dave Russell, August 2005

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All students in SLAS must use the Harvard APA referencing system. History units within the School of Social, Historical and Literary Studies (SSHLS) use a traditional numeric referencing system but the rest of SSHLS uses Harvard APA referencing. This guide outlines the Harvard APA-style guidelines to bibliographic referencing only. For guidelines on the traditional numeric referencing used by History within SSHLS, please see the History Guide to Referencing accessible on the SSHLS web portal pages. The Library has produced a website called Referencing@Portsmouth http://referencing.port.ac.uk which has many more examples than can be shown in this referencing guide. Use this guide to learn the principles of Harvard APA, then if you get stuck when you need to write bibliographic references, look at the website.

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A. PRESENTING A BIBLIOGRAPHY: HARVARD APA-STYLE A bibliography is a list of sources that have been used in writing an essay (or other pieces of coursework). It includes all books, chapters in edited books, journal articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, official publications, websites etc. that have been read in planning and writing an essay, regardless of whether or not a reference has been cited in the essay. (Some departments e.g. ICJS prefer students to provide a reference list containing only those items which have been cited in the essay. However, the style in which the references are presented is the same whether the list is a reference list or bibliography so this guide uses both terms.)

The bibliography/reference list is presented at the end of the essay using single line-spacing (as shown on page 11 of this guide), and is excluded from the word-count of the essay.

References should be placed in alphabetical order by surname of author/s. • If there are two or more references to the same author, they should be presented in

chronological order with the earliest reference presented first. • If there are two or more references to the same author in the same year, they should

be distinguished by adding a, b, c, etc. after the year of publication. Very occasionally the names of the author/s, the year of publication and other referencing

details may not be evident from the material read. • If no author is named, the title of the article/website etc. should be moved into

the author position in the reference and this title is then put in the correct alphabetical position within the list of authors in the bibliography/reference list.

• If the publication is not dated, (n.d.) should be recorded. • If other referencing details are missing, (not known) should be recorded in the

bibliographic reference.

The style of presenting a bibliographic reference varies according to the type of reference (e.g. book, journal article, film, website etc.). Below are details of how to present the most common types of material as bibliographic references. Books Haynes, J. (2005). Comparative politics in a globalizing world. Cambridge: Polity. Kubálková, V., Onuf, N., & Kowert, P. (Eds.). (1998). International relations in a constructed world. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. Marr, P. (2004). The modern history of Iraq (2nd ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview. Name of author/s or editor/s using last name, plus initial/s. (Type Ed. or Eds. - short for editor/s - here if referring to a whole edited book). (Year of publication). Title of Book (Edition number goes here if later than first e.g. 2nd ed.). Place of publication: Publisher. Electronic books Gordon, P. H., & Shapiro, J. (2004). Allies at war: America, Europe and the crisis over Iraq [Electronic version]. New York: McGraw-Hill. This format is identical to that of a printed book apart from adding “Electronic version” in square brackets immediately after the book title.

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Chapters in edited books Evans, T. (1997). Democratization and human rights. In A. McGrew (Ed.), The transformation of democracy? (pp. 122-148). Cambridge: Polity Press. Name of author. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In Name of editor/s (Ed/s.), Title of book (pp. Start and end page numbers of chapter). Place of publication: Publisher. Journal articles Foster, C. D. (2001). The civil service under stress: the fall in civil service power and authority. Public Administration, 79(3), 725-749. Name of author/s. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume number(issue number), Start and end page numbers of article. Magazine articles Hobsbawm, E. (1998, November/December). The death of neo-liberalism. Marxism Today, 4-8. Name of author/s. (Year of publication, Date of publication – month/s or month plus day if weekly). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Page number/s of article. Newspaper articles Cowan, R. (2001, October 23). Adams asks IRA to disarm. The Guardian, p. 1. Name of author/s. (Year of publication, Date of publication – month plus day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, Page number/s of article. Official publications Prime Minister’s Office & Cabinet Office. (1999). Modernising Government (Cm 4310). London: The Stationery Office.

Select Committee on Defence. (1996). Fourth Report, Westland plc: The Government’s Decision-Making (HC 519). London: HMSO. Name of author/s. (Year of publication). Title of Official Publication (Official publication’s reference number). Place of publication: Publisher. Conference papers Newman, J. (2001, September). New Labour and the Politics of Governance. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the European Group of Public Administration, Vaasa, Finland. Name of author/s. (Year of publication, Month of conference). Title of Conference Paper. Paper presented at the Title of Conference or the Name of the Organisation holding the conference, Location of conference. Website material Commission of the European Communities. (2001). Governance in the European Union: a White Paper. Retrieved August 21, 2001, from http://europa.eu.int/governance/white_paper/ index_en.htm Name of author/s. (Year of publication). Title of web page. Retrieved date accessed, from World Wide Web address.

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Electronic journal articles which are duplicates of the printed version Mabbett, D. (2005). The development of rights-based social policy in the European Union: the example of disability rights [Electronic version]. Journal of Common Market Studies, 43(1), 97-120. This format is identical to that of a printed journal article apart from adding “Electronic version” in square brackets immediately after the article title. Articles retrieved from a full-text database e.g. JSTOR, LexisNexis, Business Source Premier Hughes, K., & Smith, E. (1998). New Labour – new Europe? International Affairs, 74(1), 93-104. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from the JSTOR database. White, M., & Seager, A. (2005, September 5). Blair hopes to unravel textile row at EU-China summit. The Guardian, p. 2. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from the LexisNexis Executive database. Article reference format follows that of a normal journal, newspaper or magazine article. You should then add: Retrieved month day, year, from name of full-text database. Films Reed, C. (Director). (1949). The Third Man [Motion picture]. United Kingdom: British Lion/London Films. Name of primary contributor - the director or producer, or both, Initials. (Role of primary contributor). (Year). Title of film [Motion picture]. Country of origin – where the film was primarily made and released: Name of studio. Television/Radio programmes Jewhurst, A. (Producer). (2005, September 15). Dispatches: secrets of the shoplifters [Television broadcast]. London: Channel 4. Scott-Brown, A. (Producer). (2005, September 15). Bulawayo boys [Radio broadcast]. London: BBC Radio 4. Name of primary contributor – the producer or director. (Role of primary contributor). (Year, month & day of broadcast). Title of programme [Type of broadcast]. Place: Name of broadcaster. Single episode from a television series Di Mambro, A. M. (Writer), & Walker, P. N. (Director). (2005). Holding on [Television series episode]. In S. Howells (Producer), Casualty. London: BBC1. Note that this example is similar to a chapter in an edited book with the producer being placed in the position used for editor. If details of the writer are unavailable, begin your reference with the name of the director.

6

B. IN-TEXT REFERENCES FOR ESSAYS: HARVARD APA-STYLE It is very important that references are provided within an essay (or other pieces of coursework) to indicate the sources of arguments, data, ideas, information, quotations etc.. Failure to provide references may constitute plagiarism, which is a serious disciplinary offence - see the University’s Student Handbook and Assessment Regulations. Furthermore, incorrect referencing can lead to a deduction of marks in the final mark given to student coursework. Generally it is best to avoid quoting from lectures etc., as lecturers can be easily misinterpreted and student notes of a lecture etc. do not constitute a verifiable record of what was stated by the lecturer concerned. The underlying requirement of referencing is that students must inform the reader of the precise source of material used in their essay. Students must show the reference to the source of material so that the reader also can find that material. Referencing should be used to cite and credit all sources of material (not only quotations). There are several ways in which references can be presented, but this guide outlines a Harvard APA-style of referencing where the reference appears (in brackets) in the text of the essay, as opposed to the more traditional numeric system, where the reference appears as a footnote or endnote to the essay. If there are any queries regarding the Harvard APA-style of bibliographic referencing, students should consult the following two publications available from the University Library: • American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American

Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. • University of Portsmouth. (2005). Bibliographic References: Harvard Format - APA

Style. Below are seven examples of Harvard APA-style referencing within the text of essays: Example 1: Quoting and paraphrasing Fairclough stated that language “has always been important in politics and in government” (2000, p. 3). Or this quotation can be paraphrased as follows: Fairclough argued that language plays a significant role within government and politics (2000, p. 3). Education “is permanently near the top of the political agenda in France” (Cole, 2001, p. 707). Or paraphrased: Cole argued that education is a constant and prominent issue on the French political agenda (2001, p. 707). The same reference is cited regardless of whether quoted or paraphrased. The surname of the author/s need not appear in the cited reference if the surname/s appear in the text preceding the cited reference.

7

It is often better to paraphrase rather than quote, as paraphrasing demonstrates to the reader of the essay that you understand what you have read more than if directly quoting a passage. It is important when paraphrasing that your words are sufficiently different from the original words you have read, while conveying the same meaning of the author/s you have read. However, if quoting, it is important that you place the quoted words within “double-quotation marks” to distinguish the quoted words from your own words: ‘single-quotation marks’ should be used for colloquial, slang etc. terms that are your, and not someone else’s, words. Example 2: Quoting long passages In the wake of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, Jackie Ashley wrote (2001, p. 10):

Goodbye, all those pundits who told us government and politics did not matter any more. Goodbye, the people who said history had ended. Goodbye, the notion that markets now ruled the world knitted together by the internet and cheap air travel. Goodbye, the gravediggers of the public service. Today, in the aftermath of the New York massacre, we are looking again to traditional sources of power - those fuddy-duddy sovereign governments - and we yearn for wise political leadership. Public service is back in fashion; the heroes of the hour are not just the armed forces preparing for whatever happens in the Gulf, but the self-sacrificing firefighters and police officers who walked into the jaws of death, never to return.

Quotations of a sentence or more should be separated from but introduced in the preceding text of the essay and should be double-indented. Single-line spacing should be used in presenting quotations of a sentence or more, as opposed to one-and-a-half-line spacing or double-line spacing used for the main text of the essay. The above quotation does not have to be presented in full if parts of it are irrelevant to the point being made in the essay. By inserting three full-stops this signifies to the reader that some of the original text has been omitted from the quotation. Furthermore, it is possible for students to insert their own words into the quotation by using the parentheses, [...], as a way of shortening a long quotation. The quotation presented above can be re-presented, as follows: In the wake of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, Jackie Ashley wrote (2001, p. 10):

Goodbye, all those pundits who told us government and politics did not matter any more ... [and] ... the people who said history had ended. Goodbye, the notion that markets now ruled the world ... [and] ... the gravediggers of the public service. Today ... we are looking again to traditional sources of power - those fuddy-duddy sovereign governments - and we yearn for wise political leadership. Public service is back in fashion....

Example 3: Primary and secondary sources When referencing it is important that students cite the source of the material they used in writing their essay. It may be that the source of the quotation is not the primary source (that is, the original text) but a secondary source (another text citing from the original text). If so, students must cite the secondary source of the material, and may cite the primary source only if significant, as follows: Hayek believed that “the intellectual foundations of socialism have all collapsed” (taken from

8

Gamble, 1994, p. 34). This presentation of a reference tells the reader that the quoted words are Hayek’s words (and not Gamble’s words) but that Hayek’s words were taken from Gamble’s book. Fox and Miller argued that there are no agreed criteria for ascertaining claims of truth (taken from Rhodes, 1997, p. 185). This presentation of a reference tells the reader that Fox and Miller’s paraphrased argument was taken from Rhodes’ book. It was argued that there “is some reason to doubt that the non-Western cultures of the world will prove capable of creating and maintaining the high degree of organization without which a modern economy and a democratic political order are impossible” (Banfield, 1958 as cited in Nodia, 2001, p. 30). This presentation of a reference tells the reader that the quoted words are Banfield’s words and cites the year in which his words were written, thus allowing the reader to make more sense of the quotation. Example 4: Citing from the Internet Students must cite sources taken from the Internet in their essay as follows: The British Government believed that Bin Laden and his terrorist network, Al Qaida, are responsible for the terrorist attacks that took place in America on 11 September 2001 (Prime Minister’s Office, 2001). The terrorist attack of 11 September 2001 against “symbols of U.S. military and financial might” represented “the worst act of terrorism in modern history” (Public Agenda, n.d.). When citing from Internet-based sources, students should download and keep a copy of the material used for their essay to protect against any charges of plagiarism. Example 5: Citing page numbers in references The key rule in referencing is to state precisely the sources of material used by students in writing essays. For example, students must specify the precise page number/s of their sources in their references, unless students are either referring to a general argument contained in a book, chapter in an edited book, journal article, magazine article, newspaper article, official publication or conference paper, or referring to an Internet-based source. Four relevant examples are shown below: George Monbiot argued that American attempts to overthrow the Taliban regime and to install a pro-Western government, if successful, “will have crushed not only terrorism, but also the growing ambitions of both Russia and China” (2001, p. 19). It has been calculated that the Labour Party spent £7.4 million in the general election campaign of 1997 (Russell, 2000, p. 20). Harris charted the Nazi roots of many extreme right political organisations in Europe (1999, pp. 8-9). Globalisation is having significant domestic effects upon Britain under New Labour (Axford, 2000; Krieger, 1999).

9

The first three examples above of a quotation, a figure and a specific point being taken from a source require page numbers in their references; whereas the fourth example of a general point taken from a source does not require any page numbers in its reference as it is referring to the argument outlined in the whole book. The fourth example also cites two sources; in cases where more than one source is cited, each reference is separated by a semi-colon. From the above, it can be seen that the abbreviation, p. (meaning ‘page’), denotes a single page (e.g. p. 89); whereas the abbreviation, pp. (meaning ‘pages’), denotes more than one page of a book, etc. referred to in the essay (e.g. pp. 23-25, 148). Example 6: Referencing and Latin terms Students should not use Latin terms such as etc. (meaning ‘and so on’), ibid. (‘the same as cited immediately beforehand’), op. cit. (‘as previously cited beforehand’), and passim (‘mentioned throughout the cited reference’) in their bibliographic references. However, students can use the term et al. (meaning ‘and others’), in their in-text references, (et al. is only used in bibliographies when more than 6 authors are listed - if you have 6 authors or less, you must give all the names). Et al. is used in-text when there are three or more authors, - if you have 3-5 authors, list them all the first time, then abbreviate to the first plus et al. after that, e.g.: It has been argued that the reform of public services in the United Kingdom over the last twenty years “involved the development of processes designed to scrutinize, evaluate and regulate the performance of agencies involved in service provision” (Clarke et al., 2000, p. 250). When quoting, it is vital that students quote word-for-word from their sources. Sometimes this reproduction of someone else’s words may mean replicating grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and clumsy phrases (such as sexist terminology). Students cannot correct the text by substituting it with what they thought the original author meant to write or ought to have written. However, students can insert the term, sic (meaning ‘thus used or spelt’), after the offending piece of quoted text, as follows: Parsons noted that “Bower’s [sic] study of environmental pollution compares and contrasts two models used in the analysis of environmental decision-making: the pluralist view and the political economy/Marxist view” (1995, p. 271). The term, sic, indicates to the reader that the student knows the academic cited has been spelt wrongly in Parsons’ book; it should read ‘Blowers’. It is vital that students faithfully record what the author of the passage quoted actually wrote. The term, sic, allows students to disassociate themselves from any problematic text written by others. Example 7: Plagiarism and referencing The key principle of referencing is that students must inform the reader of the exact source of information which they used in writing an essay, whether it is an argument, numerical data, an idea or a quotation. Incorrect referencing may lead to charges of plagiarism levelled at students. Plagiarism is academic theft, in that students are passing off someone else’s words as their own. Plagiarism is not condoned within the University, and anti-plagiarism software and search engines can be and are used to detect plagiarism. Please consult the relevant sections on plagiarism in the University’s The Student Handbook. According to the University, plagiarism is “the incorporation by a student in work for assessment of material which is not their own, in the sense that all or a substantial part of the work has been copied without any attempt at attribution, or has been incorporated as if it were the student’s own

10

when in fact it is wholly or substantially the work of another person or persons”. The following examples provide some guidance on what is and what is not plagiarism: Hobsbawm argued that “history is the raw material for nationalist or ethnic or fundamentalist ideologies, as poppies are the raw material for heroin addiction” (1997, p. 5). This is correctly referenced and not plagiarised. Hobsbawm argued that “history is the raw material for nationalist or ethnic or fundamentalist ideologies, as poppies are the raw material for heroin addiction” (1997). This is incorrectly referenced because of the missing page number, though not plagiarised as the quotation marks signify that the words quoted are not those of the student writing the essay. History is key in shaping nationalist and other ideologies (Hobsbawm, 1997, p. 5). This is correctly referenced, and not plagiarised as the paraphrased words used, while conveying the same meaning as intended by Hobsbawm, are sufficiently different from those used by Hobsbawm. History is the raw material for nationalist ideologies like poppies are for heroin addiction (Hobsbawm, 1997, p. 5). This is plagiarised, despite the source being correctly referenced, as many of the key words used are Hobsbawm’s words that are not presented within quotation marks. History is the raw material for nationalist ideologies as poppies are for heroin addiction. This is plagiarised as a) many of the key words used are Hobsbawm’s words but are not presented within quotation marks, and b) there is no in-text reference attributing the source of Hobsbawm’s view. Plagiarism is a serious disciplinary offence. It is important that students do not cheat by plagiarising, whether it is intended or not. It is vital that students, when making notes from material, such as books and journal articles, record accurately the precise reference of material they have read. Also it is vital that they distinguish any quoted text, by using quotation-marks, from their own words in their notes to be used in writing essays. Example 8: In-text references and bibliographies/reference lists The Harvard APA-style of referencing detailed above allows the reader of an essay to search for the full details of each cited reference in an essay within the bibliography/reference list that is presented in alphabetical order at the end of an essay using single line-spacing. For example, the references cited in the above seven examples should appear in the bibliography of an essay (along with other material not referenced but read for an essay) as follows:

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Bibliography Ashley, J. (2001, October 8). History and social democracy start again. New Statesman, 10-12. Axford, B. (2000). Globalisation: is it good or bad for Britain? In L. Robins, & B. Jones (Eds.), Debates in British Politics Today (pp. 192-205). Manchester: Manchester University Press. Clarke, J., Gewirtz, S., Hughes, G., & Humphrey, J. (2000). Guarding the public interest? Auditing public services. In J. Clarke, S. Gewirtz, & E. McLaughlin (Eds.), New Managerialism, New Welfare? (pp. 250-266). London: Sage. Cole, A. (2001). The new governance of French education? Public Administration, 79(3), 707-724. Fairclough, N. (2000). New Labour, New Language? London: Routledge. Gamble, A. (1994). The Free Economy and the Strong State: The Politics of Thatcherism. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Harris, G. (1999). The extreme right in contemporary Europe. Politics Review, 8(3), 8-10. Hobsbawm, E. (1997). On History. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Krieger, J. (1999). British Politics in the Global Age. Cambridge: Polity Press. Monbiot, G. (2001, October 23). America’s pipe dream. The Guardian, p. 19. Nodia, G. (2001). The impact of nationalism. Journal of Democracy, 12(4), 27-34. Parsons, W. (1995). Public Policy: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis. Aldershot: Edward Elgar. Prime Minister’s Office. (2001). Responsibility for the terrorist atrocities in the United States, 11 September 2001. Retrieved October 8, 2001 from http://www.number-10.gov.uk/news.asp?Newsld=2686&Sectionld=30 Public Agenda. (n.d.). Terrorism. Retrieved October 8, 2001, from http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/terrorism/terror_overview.htm Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997). Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability. Buckingham: Open University Press. Russell, A. (2000). New Labour and the electorate. In D. Coates, & P. Lawler (Eds.), New Labour in Power (pp. 16-33). Manchester: Manchester University Press.

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SECTION C: HOW POOR OR INADEQUATE REFERENCING WILL IMPACT ON THE MARK YOU RECEIVE FOR YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Normally coursework assessments must be referenced using Harvard APA style (or ‘numeric footnoting’ system for History units in SSHLS) and must have a bibliography/reference list for your work which details full bibliographical references for each of the sources cited in your text. An assessment that does not have a bibliography/reference list at the end will automatically receive a maximum mark of 40 at level 1 and 0 at levels 2, 3 and Masters level. A maximum mark of 40 will be awarded if the correct referencing system is not used. Students may lose up to 10 marks for incorrect referencing and demonstrating poor bibliographical skills. The following will apply except in the case of exams/tests and also some other types of assessment where the Unit Handbook will make it clear that these normal expectations do not apply. Referencing Penalties

1. Missing bibliography/reference list L2/3/M: Fail 0 L1: Maximum mark 40.

2. Wrong referencing system used Maximum mark 40 for all students with the

exception of L1 students in Sem 1 only

i.e. the correct referencing system to be used should be clearly indicated in the unit handbook (normally this will be Harvard APA except for History units in SSHLS, which require the ‘numeric footnoting’ system)

3. Poor/inadequate referencing 5-10 marks lost

- Where the required referencing system is inconsistently or incorrectly used throughout the work

- Where the precise source of material is not clearly provided in the required manner in a significant number of instances

- Where there are insufficient or no in-text references

4. Minor referencing mistakes/ omissions 2-4 marks lost

- Where there are some minor technical errors in referencing - Where there are faults in the presentation of the bibliography/reference list - Where the precise source of material is not clearly provided in the required

manner in a few isolated instances 5. Weighted assessment criteria

The above sliding scale will be applied effectively ‘in reverse’ for the positive allocation of marks for referencing/citations whenever weighted assessment criteria are used [your Unit Handbook will say if this applies]. Normally, up to 10 marks will be allocated to a weighted criterion of this kind.

MBA PROJECT GROUP PROFILE

Name : . ERP ID: .

Email: .

Mobile: .

Program:

Interests: .

Majors: .

Completed Courses: .

Previous Qualification: .

Work /Experience:.

Name : . ERP ID: .

Email: .

Mobile: .

Program:

Interests: .

Majors: .

Completed Courses: .

Previous Qualification: .

Work /Experience:.

Group Status Form Basic Information

Group Member

1 2 3 4 5 6

Student's Name

Ali

ERP 000010

Academic Program

MBA-Evening

CGPA 3.10

Cell # 0300-xxxx

Email [email protected]

Intake Term

Fall 20xx

Core Courses Information

Courses Title

Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade

Business Finance I

B+

Financial Accounting and Information Systems

C-

Managerial Economics

Marketing Management

Organizational Behavior and Leadership

Business Statistics

Business Intelligence

Accounting for Decision Making

Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business

mailto:[email protected]

Electives Information (If Any)

Elective-1 /Grade

Public Policy

Analysis /B

Elective-2 /Grade

Elective-3 /Grade

Elective-4 /Grade

Elective-5 /Grade

Elective-6 /Grade

Elective-7 /Grade

Elective-8 /Grade

Elective-9 /Grade

Operations and Production Management

Applied Business Research

Marketing Analytics

Business Finance II

Macroeconomics

International Political Economy

Corporate Strategy (If Taken)

C-

Project-1 (If Taken)

I

Project-2 (If Taken)

I

of 1

Friday, 07 September 2018

Name Designation: Company:

Subject: Invitation for MBA Project

Dear Sir/Madam,

IBA would like to invite your organization to engage one of our student groups in a business administration relevant project with your organization. IBA students, in final year of MBA Program, undertake a consulting assignment called the MBA Project. The student group will: conduct secondary and primary research; analyze issues that you want investigated; and find cost effective implementable solutions. These students have extensive practical experience along with rigorous theoretical /conceptual knowledge, which makes them ideal candidates.

The areas in which our students are interested in doing projects, include:

New ventures / Feasibility Studies Management Control Systems Human Resource Restructuring Strategic Analysis & Management Marketing Strategy Financial Analysis Supply Chain Management

However, we will welcome other relevant projects or problems that your organization requires: in-depth analysis including suggestions for improvements or tools’ implementations. These projects will be

conducted under close supervision of IBA Faculty.

If you would like our students to work on a project in your organization, then please contact the undersigned with a brief description of your requirements and scope of the project. Please also share the contact information of the person who will be dealing about the project. Student groups whose interests match project requirements will then contact him /her directly. Please accept the gratitude for the valuable input provided for developing future business leaders.

Name Director Business Administration Programs Assistant Professor, Management Dept., IBA, University Rd, 75270 Karachi Email: Tel. (ext.):

Annexure-1

Details for the MBA Project

Title of Project: Client Organization's Name: Name of Contact Person (with Designation): Contact Information (Mobile and Email): Organization's Brief Introduction:

Scope (e.g. limited to a department /program /project /market): Objectives of the Project (Numbered):

Project Details (mention activities): Final Deliverables: Duration (min. 3 months required) and Due date: Stipend / Financial Details (if any): Assumptions /Constraints:

MBA Project - Action Plan

1 Participants make Project Group(4-6 members); Prepare 2 Project TORs

2Submission of 2 different TORs with their Cover Letters to MBA Academic Affair Office

3Project Evlauation Committee Finalized; TOR Presentations & Finalization

4Project Work Phase-I

5Interim Project Report Preparation

6Interim Project Presentations & Progress Report by Advisor

7Project Work Phase-II

8Final Project Report Preparation

9Submission of one (01) spiral binded copy of the Final Project Report for Evaluation

10Final Project Defence (Presentation Exam)

11Submission of four (04) Blue Hard binded copies of the Final Project Report & 01 DVD

Legend:

Planned:

Note: This Lifecycle is for guideline purposes; Interim and Final Project Presentations are Exams and no absence is allowed.

Feb Mar Apr

S. No. Description FALL Semester SRPING Semester

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

MBA PROJECT SUPERVISION LOG

Project Title: _________________________________________________________________________

Group Number: _____________________________ Project Advisor: ___________________________

Note: Copy of this Log should be submitted with Interim Project Report. Originals should be binded (as part of Appendix) with Final Project Report submitted to MBA Academic Affairs-Office.

S. No. Date Start Time (Duration) Discussion/Targets

Signature of Advisor

01 Always set due date for each Target assigned by Advisor Kindly Sign with Date

02 Always set

next meeting date

Always discuss the attainment of Targets, set in previous meeting

(Delete all text in red-font)

03

04

05

06

Title of the Project

Team Members Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID.

Project Advisor

Name

Institute of Business Administration Karachi

20XX

Title

of th

e P

roje

ct 2

0X

X

MB

A

Title of the Project

Team Members Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID. Name ERP ID.

Project Advisor

Name

Institute of Business Administration Karachi

20XX

Title

of th

e P

roje

ct

MB

A

20

XX

PROJECT’S FULL TITLE

This Project Report is submitted to the Faculty of Business Administration as partial

fulfillment of Master of Business Administration

by

Group Member’s Full Name in alphabetical order (ERP ID), Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID), Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID),

Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID) and Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID)

Advised by

Advisor’s Name

Designation (e.g. Assistant Professor)

Business Administration - Academic Affairs

Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

2XXX

Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi,

Pakistan

PROJECT’S FULL TITLE

This Project Report is submitted to the Faculty of Business Administration as partial fulfillment of Master of Business Administration

by

Group Member’s Full Name in alphabetical order (ERP ID), Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID), Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID),

Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID) and Group Member’s Full Name (ERP ID)

Advisor:

Dr. ABC

Designation (e.g. Assistant Professor)

Institute of Business Administration, Karachi

2XXX

Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi,

Pakistan

iii

Acknowledgements [Times New Roman: 18]

Acknowledgements are optional. However, list here those individuals who provided

help during the project work (e.g., advising, logistics support, grants, financial support,

occasional advising, software support, providing language help, writing assistance or

proof reading the report, etc.).

[Times New Roman: 12]

iv

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements [Times New Roman: 18] .............................................................. iii

Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... iv

List of Tables ................................................................................................................. v

List of Figures ............................................................................................................... vi

Executive Summary [Times New Roman: 18] ............................................................ vii

Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1

Font and Font Sizes .................................................................................................... 1

Chapters and Headings ............................................................................................... 1

Tables ......................................................................................................................... 2

Page, Margins & and Spacing .................................................................................... 2

Paragraphs and Indentation ........................................................................................ 2

Figures and Appendices ............................................................................................. 3

Chapter 2: Literature Review ......................................................................................... 4

Plagiarism ................................................................................................................... 4

Citation ....................................................................................................................... 4

Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................ 6

Chapter 4: Industry Background .................................................................................... 8

Industrial Sector’s Introduction .................................................................................. 8

Company’s Introduction ............................................................................................. 8

Chapter 5: Results .......................................................................................................... 9

Chapter 6: Discussion and Recommendations ............................................................. 10

Chapter 7: Conclusions and Further Study .................................................................. 11

References .................................................................................................................... 12

APPENDIX-A.............................................................................................................. 14

MBA Project Group Members’ Introduction ............................................................... 15

MBA Project Supervision Log..................................................................................... 16

v

List of Tables

Table 1: Format as per Heading Level ........................................................................... 2

Table 2: Basic APA Citation Styles ............................................................................... 5

Table 3: Example Mapping of Research Questions (RQ) or Objectives with Method . 7

vi

List of Figures

Figure 1: Example of a Study’s Flow ............................................................................ 6

vii

Executive Summary [Times New Roman: 18]

Executive summary is a summarized format of the report. It should stand alone from

your report and written with an Executive (as an audience) in mind. Executives usually

do not have enough time to read the whole detailed report and they prefer to read a

concise summary of the report instead. Therefore, it should be independent of the report

and cover all important elements of the report such as purpose, problem statement,

research question /objectives, methodology, major results /findings, brief discussion

and recommendations. It is of utmost importance that you give ample time to this

section.

[Times New Roman: 12]

TITLE OF THE PROJECT

1

Chapter 1: Introduction

The official style for MBA Project Report is the 6th edition of Publication Manual of

the American Psychological Association (APA). Academic Affairs Office follows this

style overall, however there are some minor exceptions. Points that the author(s) wants

to emphasize can be italicized (do not use bold or quotes), as in this paragraph. In

general, use italics infrequently.

Introduction chapter briefly discusses three (03) main areas: (a) what is known

around the chosen topic; (b) what is unknown (gaps or problem statement) around the

chosen topic; and (c) among those gaps, which gaps (research questions /objectives)

your study /work will fill?

Introduction should have the following or similar headings: Context; Problem

Statement; Research Questions /Objectives /Hypothesis; and Study Outline.

Introduction should be written in such a way that the reader appreciates the criticality

/significance of the problem and becomes interested in continuing reading.

While writing, important aspects are: tone; word choice; precision; and

strategies to improve your writing style. For example, it is acceptable in APA style to

refer to yourself using “I” if you are the sole author and to refer to yourself and your

coauthors as “we.” Read your report aloud to catch mistakes or awkward wording. It is

also a good idea to have someone proofread your report.

Font and Font Sizes

Font should be Times New Roman. Font size for: Text should be 12 points; Main

Headings should be 18 points; Sub-heading should be 14 points; and Table should be

10 points.

Chapters and Headings

All chapter headings should be capitalized, bold and left-aligned. All chapters should

have at least three pages (exception is chapter 7). New chapter should start on new page.

According to APA guidelines, students should follow the heading levels i.e. for

Title, Section, and Sub-section etc. as shown in Table 1.


2

Tables

Limit the content in your tables to essential material. Tables should be integral to the

text but should be designed so that they can be understood in isolation. Table layout

should be logical and easily grasped by the reader. Always refer to a table in your text

i.e. there should not be any table that is not referred in the text. Do not write see the

table above (or below) or the table on page 32 (because the position and page number

of a table cannot be determined definitely until the report is finalized); instead use e.g.

see Table 12. Consider combining tables that repeat data.

Font for the table must be Times New Roman. Notes under the table can be used

for conveying additional information or repetitive information. Always mention

sources (reference) for any material placed in table that was extracted from external

sources. Table number and title are placed above the table as shown in Table 1. Spacing

should be single unless it hampers clarity.

Table 1: Format as per Heading Level Level Format

1 Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading a 2 Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading 3 Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. b 4 Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a

period. 5 Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.

a This type of capitalization is also referred to as title case. b In a lowercase paragraph heading, the first letter of the first word is uppercase and the remaining words are lowercase.

Page, Margins & and Spacing

Page. Use standard-sized paper of 8.27” ×11.69” (A4 size). Justify text rather

than align text flushed left (except the title page).

Margins and Spacing. Margins should be 1.5” on left and 1” on top, right and

bottom edges. Use 1.5 spacing everywhere (except the title page). Do not use

ampersand (&) in place of and, as this report is a formal text (therefore, similarly & is

crossed in heading for this section).

Paragraphs and Indentation

Indent the first line of every paragraph. For consistency, use the tab key, which should

be set at five to seven spaces, or 0.5”. Type the remaining lines of the manuscript to a

uniform left-hand margin.


3

The only exceptions to these requirements are (a) the acknowledgement, (b)

block quotations, (c) titles and headings, (d) table titles and notes, and (e) figure

captions.

Figures and Appendices

Through figures (Graphs, Charts, Maps, Drawings and Photographs) show only

essential facts and avoid any visually distracting detail. Make sure lines are smooth and

sharp. Font is simple and legible. Figures with watermarks are not allowed. Images with

copyright violations are not allowed. Always mention sources (reference) for any figure

that was extracted from external sources. Properly use legends in graphs to make them

more understandable. Prepare your figures well, such as: photographs usually benefit

from cropping (i.e., eliminating what is not needed). Cropping recomposes the photo,

eliminates extraneous detail, and centers the image. Before cropping, ensure that the

image is straight (e.g., that vertical lines are truly vertical); use your software

application to align the image if necessary.

The caption serves both as a brief explanation of the figure and as a figure title.

The captions should be a brief but a descriptive phrase. Captions are placed below the

figure. Figures and Appendices should be single spaced unless this hampers clarity.

Each appendix should begin on a new page.


4

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter presents the literature reviewed as part of secondary research around the

chosen topic of project. It describes: what is known and what is unknown; as these

aspects have already been discussed in various sources of literature. Various authors in

articles and books define the unknowns as future areas of study.

It is seen that students write this chapter in terms of floating paragraphs i.e. these

paragraphs are not linked to each other rather they are like islands. It is mandatory to

link these islands in such a way that a logical sequence can be developed to build

continuity in the presented concepts.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is: using someone else’s work and submitting it as your own; failing to give

appropriate acknowledgement when directly quoting or presenting another’s line of

thinking without giving credit. Do not repeat the author’s key words or sentence

structure while writing (page or paragraph numbers should also be included to help your

reader locate the material you used in the original source). Commonly-known or

understood material, such as a scientific truth or historical dates, do not have to be

documented /referenced, nor do proverbs, sayings, and clichés. Do not copy-paste

anything in your report. Academic Affairs Office will check the final report for

plagiarism, as HEC Pakistan has defined less than 20% being the acceptable limit for

similarity.

Citation

Properly cite references in your project report. Referencing capability of MS Word

should be used for citing references and APA referencing style should be followed. It

is important to cite at least 25 references (journal articles, books, reports etc.) preferably

authentic and recent journal articles.

APA format describes the following pattern for citing references: (a) in the flow

of the text: surname (year); (b) at the end of the text: (surname, year). When a work has

two authors, cite both names every time the reference occurs in text. When a work has

three, four, or five authors, cite all authors the first time the reference occurs; in

subsequent citations, include only the surname of the first author followed by et al. (not

italicized and with a period after al) and the year if it is the first citation of the reference

within a paragraph. For more details about APA referencing style, refer to Table 2.


5

Table 2: Basic APA Citation Styles


6

Chapter 3: Methodology

Here, we discuss what methodology we will employ to answer the research questions

or to achieve the objectives of MBA Project. Here the Project Group may discuss what

kind of data they will be dealing with such as Qualitative /Quantitative /Hybrid, along

with the discussion of how this data will be collected i.e. by experiments, questionnaire

or interview based surveys (primary or secondary data). For better clarity of the reader,

a flow chart can be included showing how the students conducted their study, for

example see Figure 1.

Figure 1: Example of a Study’s Flow

In case of survey, prospective sample size should be provided (preferably by

using a sample size calculator). Always be specific here, i.e. for example ‘10

interviews’ and NOT ’10 to 15 interviews’. Also, it is beneficial to show how the data

/results will be validated i.e. ‘Triangulation’. See ‘Project Report Completion Form’ for

more description of the research methodology and methods. Sampling technique is

another important aspect to discuss in this chapter. In case of Purposive Sampling (e.g.

convenient or snowball sampling techniques), students should also mention the

Inclusion Criteria (i.e. who will be considered as a respondent e.g. a manager having

Finalize Research Questions and/or Objectives

Secondary Research:

Literature Review

Primary Research:

Focus Groups

Primary Research:

Interviews

Primary Research:

Questionnaire

Results' Statistical Analysis

Workable Recommendations


7

at least 15 years of marketing relevant experience or a manager who has managed a

project worth Rs. 3 Billion or more). It is also better, for the readers’ clarity, to include

a table that maps /links the research questions and/or objectives with research method,

for example see Table 3.

Table 3: Example Mapping of Research Questions (RQ) or Objectives with Method RQ and/or Objectives Research Method Sample Size

RQ1 Focus Group 5 Participants RQ2 and RQ3 Interview 10 Interviews

RQ4 Questionnaire (Q4-Q7) 250 Respondents

RQ5 Questionnaire (Q8-Q15)

In case of Interviews, describe the type that was employed, such as fully-

structured, semi-structured or unstructured. Place the interview protocol (and questions

in case of semi- or fully-structured) and focus group protocol in Appendix, whatever

applicable. The transcripts of interviews and focus group are also mandatory to be

placed in Appendix. In case of Questionnaire, discuss how the questionnaire was

designed (step-by-step), for example questionnaire was designed using xyz model and

refined during the focus group discussion; then, a pilot was conducted with 10

respondents and both questionnaires i.e. pre- and post-pilot are placed in Appendix A

and B respectively; moreover, the validity of the questionnaire was gauged using

Cronbach alpha. Furthermore, present how the questionnaire was administered

/floated, for example questionnaire was self-administered or an online questionnaire

was floated among all the textile companies listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange.

In case of survey (interview and/or questionnaire), Respondents’ Profile can

also be placed here. Discuss further about the statistical techniques employed and the

reasons for choosing a particular technique. It means a discussion around descriptive

statistics and inferential statistics has to be presented here. If there was a need for

inferential statistics in the project work and still it was avoided, then this will reflect

poorly while grading by the Evaluation Committee. Also, other tools, methods,

approaches and techniques employed relevant to your project should be briefly

discussed here along with the reasons for their choice.

It is better to write this chapter while the Project Group is carrying out the work;

it is easy to write in this manner. Afterwards, participants may forget the details of their

step by step research methodology and methods, which could have been valuable

information.


8

Chapter 4: Industry Background

Always start a chapter with some narration for the reader about the chapter he/she is

going to read, i.e. what he/she should expect reading in the current chapter. It is highly

inappropriate to start a chapter directly with a sub-heading or table or figure.

Industrial Sector’s Introduction

Brief discussion around the industry to which the company belongs will then be

presented here. Its salient features, such as: size, competition, growth or declining

trends, challenges, and edge etc.

Company’s Introduction

Here, information regarding the case company will be placed, with a brief introduction

of the company such as its major: products, processes, equipment, achievements,

locations and expertise etc. No. of employees, revenues, market-share and plans for

near or far future can also be mentioned here. Strengths and weaknesses in existing

supply chain practices can also be discussed here. Some details about the company’s

corporate culture and internal challenges can be presented here. The discussion can be

extended for why the company is interested or compelled to carry out this project.

In this chapter, it is vital to have a careful writing style i.e. choice of words and

tone. As this is about a company, we try to discuss around two points: (a) what is going

well or what this company is doing exceptional; (b) what can be improved (and this

project that you have undertaken is a manifestation of the spirit of improvement in the

company).


9

Chapter 5: Results

This chapter is probably among the first chapters that you write in your report. Here

descriptive statistics is presented. Use a consistent form of charts and graphs i.e. avoid

mixing too many types of charts. Also, do not over do with these charts and graphs by

presenting same data in different ways. This chapter should be limited to five pages.

If the project was about implementing certain tools, then you can discuss here

about: what are the results /benefits after this implementation; any KPI (Key

Performance Indicator) used to gage the difference between as-is and to-be, and; any

dos and don’ts while implementing the tool.

After descriptive, results of inferential statistics (e.g. hypothesis testing) is

presented here, however the in-depth discussion and interpretations can be delayed to

present it in the next chapter. Place the data (if appropriate), that serve as the base for

descriptive statistics (presented in this chapter), in the Appendix.


10

Chapter 6: Discussion and Recommendations

This chapter is the heart of a project report, as here the participants provide the

significance of their work by inferring various salient results from the data gathered. It

can further be discussed that how these findings are in line with some earlier relevant

projects (in literature review). Detailed discussion should be carried out around those

findings which are interesting or surprising. All effort should be put in to discuss the

findings from various perspectives and answering for why something happened. Also,

discuss here about the implications of this work and its findings on future course of the

company or the industrial environment as a whole. Substantial time should be devoted

to write this chapter with rigor.

Recommendations are then presented, which are all linked with the findings i.e.

recommendations should not be independent of the findings. Generic recommendations

are not acceptable rather recommendations should be linked with findings and should

be actionable and workable. Practicality of a recommendation is an important feature,

therefore put in effort to search for secondary sources where such a recommendation

has worked previously (e.g. in similar environment in Bangladesh, this solution has

worked therefore we suggest to implement xyz). Always cite the reference for any

secondary source used. Recommendations can be classified for the reader who may be

interested in implementation, such as: short-term; long-term; strategic; tactical;

operational, and; urgent etc. At least one recommendation should be described at a

higher level of detail, i.e. students can discuss how a particular recommendation can be

implemented (e.g. a particular best practice or approach to be used) and what the reader

should take care of while implementing a recommendation (e.g. various risks in

implementation can be highlighted).


11

Chapter 7: Conclusions and Further Study

Exceptionally, this chapter should have at least two pages. Areas of further study should

be highlighted here. The limitations of your study /project can be discussed here which

provide ideas for future areas of research (e.g. our work is restricted to Karachi’s KIA

– Korangi Industrial Area – and we suggest that another wider study can be carried out

for whole of Karachi’s industrial zones). Always run spell check and grammatical error

check on your report by using this functionality in MS Word.


12

References

At least 25 authentic references should be listed here. Wikipedia is no reference. All

sources used in your report are listed in alphabetical order and are double-spaced with

hanging indentation. Make sure that all references are complete in their information (for

example, sometimes year or title of the study is missing), as the purpose of references

is to assist the reader to find the cited document. Therefore, if any reference is not

complete then the reader will find difficulty while searching for the document you have

referred in your work. Also, as scholastic honesty, do NOT cite here any reference that

is not used in preparing this report. Some examples, for citing a particular category of

references, follow. The categorization that follows is only for students’ understanding

i.e. how a particular source should be formatted; however, in report, all the references

are presented in alphabetical order and not in any categorization.

Journal Articles

Kay, A. C., Gaucher, D., Peach, J. M., Laurin, K., Friesen, J., Zanna, M. P., & Spencer,

S. J. (2009). Inequality, discrimination, and the power of the status quo: Direct

evidence for a motivation to see the way things are as the way they should be.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 421-434. doi:

10.1037/a0015997

Books

Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2003). The craft of research (2nd

ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Book by a Corporate Author

A corporate author can be an association, a committee, or any group whose

members are not identified individually. When the author and the publisher are the

same, use the word Author as the name of the publisher.


13

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American

Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Newspaper Articles

Print

Hafner, K. (2009, May 26). Texting may be taking a toll. The New York Times, p. D1.

Online from the paper’s website

Hafner, K. (2009, May 25). Texting may be taking a toll. The New York Times.

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Magazine Articles

Hemp, P. (2009, September). Death by information overload. Harvard Business

Review, 87(9), 83-89.

Web Site /Page

Landis, B. (1996). Carlisle Indian Industrial School history. Retrieved September 10,

2009, from http://home.epix.net/~landis/histry.html

When discussing an entire web site, an entry does not appear in the reference

list, but is cited within text as shown in the following sample sentence:

The International Council of Museums web site provides many links to

museums, codes of ethics, and the museum profession (http://www.icom.org/).

Technical and Research Reports

American Psychological Association, Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice with

Children and Adolescents. (2008). Disseminating evidence-based practice for children

and adolescents: A systems approach to enhancing care. Retrieved from

http://www.apa.org/pi/cyf/evidence.html

http://www.nytimes.com/

http://home.epix.net/~landis/histry.html

http://www.icom.org/

http://www.apa.org/pi/cyf/evidence.html


14

APPENDIX-A


15

MBA Project Group Members’ Introduction

Group Member’s Name

Insert maximum 30 words’ bio here e.g.: He/She is Manager Procurement in XYZ

Company in Karachi, Pakistan. His/Her interests are: Supplier Risk Management and

Quality Engineering. He/She is a CSCP. [email address]


















16

Title of Project

Group Member’s Name ERP ID

Member’s Name ERP ID





Advisor:January 1, 2019

Client’s Logo

Maximum twenty (20) slides for Interim and thirty (30) slides for Final Presentation.

On the title slide, place Group Members’ Names in sequence of presentation.

Presentation Plan is mandatory to present.

All slides should have a footer with ‘Slide No.’– Project Short Title’.

Practice well to complete your presentation in twenty (20) minutes for Interim and forty(40) minutes for Final.

Ten (10) and Twenty (20) minutes will then be provided for ‘Question and Answer’ forInterim and Final Presentation respectively.

Presentation Plan

Project Short Title 2

Quickly discuss the background or context of your Project, such as: Company Introductionand Industry Introduction.

Don’t spend too much time on Background.

State clear problem statements.

Background /Problem Statement


Quickly discuss the background or context of your Project, such as: Company Intro. andIndustry Intro.

Don’t spend too much time on Background.

Research Questions /Objectives


Place methodology used to complete the project on this slide.

Research Method, Sampling Technique, Sample Size and research flow, whicheverapplicable, should be mentioned here.

Presenting the mapping of research questions /objectives with research methods isalways preferable. See example below.

Methodology


RQ and/or Objectives Research Method Sample Size

RQ1 Focus Group 5 Participants

RQ2 and RQ3 Interview 10 Interviews

RQ4 Questionnaire (Q4-Q7)250 Respondents

RQ5 Questionnaire (Q8-Q15)

Make sure that the font sizes are readable.

Make sure that figures /images used are sharp, legible and are not copyrighted (don’t

have any watermark).

Make sure that font sizes in tables are legible.

Do not put too much text on the slides.

Do not over-do with Animations & Transitions.

Secondary Research


Place the results of the study here.

Results /Findings


Most important area is to discuss the results of the project.

Employ Inferential Statistics wherever applicable.

Discussion /Analysis


Recommendations should be linked to the findings of the project.

At least one recommendation in detail.

Recommendations


What has this work contributed (considering the audience of the study)?

Example: Case-Study or Research-Paper published or submitted to XYZ Journal/Conference

Example: Savings generated through your project

Example: Newspaper Article or dissemination through other media

Statement of Contribution


Acknowledgments

More logos (if required) can be placed adjacent to IBA’s logo for acknowledgment.

Question & Answer?

Thank You!


Proper referencing is required for any Text or Image or Table copied/borrowed from anywhere.

Place references for 10 important references on this slide

References, can be placed on other slides, in this form: (Last name of 1st Author, Year ofPublication).

List of References


PROCEDURE FOR

MBA PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Please follow the following thoroughly:

Be at the venue at least 15 minutes BEFORE TIME with all that is needed.

It is a FORMAL presentation /exam; therefore, it should be obvious from

attire and language.

Presentation is needed to be delivered in English (mode of communication is

ONLY English).

INTERIM:

o MAXIMUM SLIDES: 20 for Interim Presentation

o MAXIMUM TIME: 30 minutes (including Q&A)

FINAL:

o MAXIMUM SLIDES: 30 for Final Presentation

o MAXIMUM TIME: 60 minutes (including Q&A)

It is also MANDATORY to bring Spiral bind copy(s) of the Interim Report and

Final Draft Report for the physical presentation, whichever applicable.

Soft copy of Final report must be submitted prior to applying the time for

presentation along with ‘MBA Final Project Report Completion Form’.

Group must ensure the presence of client (client’s representative mentioned

in TOR) and advisor, as their presence is MANDATORY.

Submission of all softcopies (CD(s) or all data in Zip file on final submission)

for Interim and Final Report along with presentation is MANDATORY for final

grading. Grades will only be posted, once all requirements in hard (Blue-bind

Reports as per Library’s standard) and soft-form are submitted to the BAAA-

office.

You, the future mangers /leaders, are expected to manage within all the above

instructions /constraints. BAAA-office will be pressed to impose negative

marking in case of non-compliance of the above.

Checklist for online Interim and Final presentation (during pandemic condition)

For interim presentation student are required to mail with:

1. Interim Report

2. Interim Presentation

3. Suggested time for Interim presentation by the Advisor (client is optional in the interim

presentation)

For final presentation student are required to mail with:

1. Final Report

2. Final Presentation

3. Data sets (i.e. excel, SPSS or any other files used in the project)

4. Suggested time for Interim presentation by the Advisor and client

* students are required to open up their camera during the online presentation.


MBA Project Grading Criteria Grid

Group No.: 622-701-xxxx-xx Project-Advisor: xxx Project Title: xxx

Interim Final

Criteria Grading

Presentation (Scale: Assign Letter Grades) NOT Applicable on Interim

Project Group Members Name Name Name Name Name Name

ERP-ID ERP-ID ERP-ID ERP-ID ERP-ID ERP-ID

1. Presents concepts with CLARITY (Careful /Precise in Subject Knowledge)

2. Has SELF-CONFIDENCE (Eye-Contact and Body Language)

3. English FLUENCY (Speaks Clearly)

4. Active Presence in Meetings /Visit

Report (Place in the appropriate column) Grading Scale

F C- C C+ B- B B+ A- A 4a. Problem CONCEPTUALIZATION (Appropriate: Research Questions and/or Objectives)

4b. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (Appropriate: Methods; Design; Sample; Technique)

5. SECONDARY RESEARCH (Ample and Authentic Resources Referred)

6. PRIMARY RESEARCH (Proper: Survey; Implementation; Inclusion)

7. RESULTS & DISCUSSION (Descriptive and Inferential Statistics; Analysis)

8. RECOMMENDATIONS (Linked with Results and are Workable)

9. INNOVATIVE Thinking (Creativity /Out-of-Ordinary /Extra-Mile)

10. Report WRITING-SKILL (Structure; Narrative; Storyline; APA)

C o m m e n t s / R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

Project Advisor

S i g n a t u r e

Name

Evaluation Date:

Program-Director (MBA)

S i g n a t u r e

Name

All corrections done as recommended (for official use: sign, name & date; ONLY required for Final Report):

S i g n a t u r e Name

Independent Examiner /Client

S i g n a t u r e

Name

Grading Plan Effective from Spring-2010 Percentage Grade GPA Percentage Grade GPA

93-100 A 4.00 68-71 C+ 2.33

87-92 A- 3.67 64-67 C 2.00

82-86 B+ 3.33 60-63 C- 1.67

77-81 B 3.00 0-59 F=Failed 0.00

72-76 B- 2.67

Similarity:

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By signing this form, I warrant that I am authorized to grant full permission.

For official use:

Title of Case study:

Author(s):

Name:

Position:

Organization:

Address:

Email:

Signature with Date:

Date Reviewed: Signature:

mba project (prj-701) · document #: iba/mba-project-00 issue #: 03 title: mba project (prj-701)...

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