Bachelor and Master Theses Guideline

Chair of Strategic and International Management

Philipps-Universitt Marburg
Marburg, April 2012

Prof. Dr. Torsten Wulf

Philipps-Universitt Marburg
Lehrstuhl fr Strategisches und Internationales Management

Agenda

1.

How to get thesis supervision

2.

Elements of a successful thesis

3.

Formal criteria

The topics supervised by the chair need to fall into one of two
dimensions
Possible sources for master theses at the chair
Application process

Topic follows research focus

of the chair
Topic contributes to the
research focus of the chair

Student sends
Current CV and
Up-to-date transcript
of records
Letter of motivation*
to the chair
(kati.roleder@wiwi.
uni-marburg.de)

Dimensions include Top

Management Teams,
Diversification, Family
Business, Scenario
Planning, etc.
Topics are assigned to
students by the chair

Thesis is developed with

strong practice support
Student arranges additional
strong support from a
company to work on the
thesis (not during an
internship possible)
And: company provides
guidance and access to
data/ interview contacts
And/or: company engages in
the development of the chair
(guest lectures etc.)

*Letter of motivation should answer the following questions: Why are you interested in writing
with our Chair of Strategic Management? Which research area/topic are you interested in?

Fulfillment of prerequisite criteria ensures best preparation for

students but topic assignment process is the only must-have
Overview of ideal prerequisites

Comment

Student has
participated at (at
least one) of the
chairs lectures

Student has
participated in the
Education
topic assignment
process

Working knowledge of the strategic concepts and processes

needed for successful thesis work
Lectures/seminar focus on process, concepts and methods in
management research as needed for successful research
efforts
Students taking the courses are better prepared to work
scientifically on theses subjects

Topics are assigned through the chair students interested

in supervision need to contact chair directly
Discussion with potential thesis supervisor recommended to
get background information on available topics

The assignment of topics follows a clear process

Topic can only be
communicated at
thesis start time
State law regulation!

Process for assignment of thesis topics (I)

Process
step

Comment

Timing

Student meets
prerequisites

Application
Student has
send CV,
motivation
letter,
transcript of
records

Check by Chair

Student has
fulfilled many
of the
prerequisites

Continuously

Topics are
communicated
Discussion
with chair
about possible
topics

Additional
topics only
after prior
alignment with
chair
supervisor
possible
~ 4 weeks
before start

Student aligns
on topics
Student
gathers
information
on topic
(discussion
with chair, own
literature
research)
Student writes
expos
3 weeks before
possible start
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The assignment of topics follows a clear process

Topic can only be
communicated at
thesis start time
State law regulation!

Process for assignment of thesis topics (II)

Process
step

Comment

Chair decides
on supervision
for thesis
within student
choices

Students get
information
that thesis is
possible
Timing

Registration at
examination office

Topics are
assigned

1 day later

Final acceptance
by Chair

Fill in the
application form
Download on
http://www.unimarburg.de/fb02/
studium/Pruefung
samt/downloads/
antraegeformular
e/master/

Communication
and start
Topics are
communicated
to students
Thesis time
starts instantly
(required by
state law)

General thesis
start date
6

The processing time for each thesis depends on the study program
timing starts the moment the topic assignment is communicated
Thesis process
Process
steps

Expos
preparation

Student
prepares 1-3
page expos
for discussion
with the
Comment supervisor

Research
process
Student works on her thesis
Regular alignment with
supervisor (latest at
important milestones, e.g.
development of
questionnaire)
Student to participate at
thesis workshop

Timing

Result

2-3 weeks

6 months (M.Sc.)
9 weeks (Bachelor)

Correction
period
Supervisor
and cocorrector
assess the
thesis
Supervisor
and cocorrector write
feedback and
grade thesis
4-6 weeks

Elaboration
(optional)
Student and
supervisor
prepare
publication of
results in
scientific
journal (highquality theses
only)

4-12 weeks

Thesis outline Completed thesis

Final grade
Publication
English compilation of thesis standard, however German sometimes accepted

An Expos summarizes the research plan for a thesis

Elements of an expos

Problem
definition

Definition of the research problem: why is it necessary to analyze this

problem scientifically? Why is it interesting, innovative and important?
(Situation-Complication-Solution Approach)

Goal

What is the aim of the thesis? How does this contribute to solve the
identified problem?

Approach

What is the theoretical reference framework for solving the problem?

Which theories, concepts and research methods are applied? How
does this contribute to reach the outlined goal?

Preliminary
structure

What structure will the thesis have? Which sections does it cover in
which order? What is the expected size of each section?

Basic
literature

What is the basic literature for the topic? Which literature is used as a
starting point for each section of the thesis?

Agenda

1.

How to get thesis supervision

2.

Elements of a successful thesis

3.

Formal criteria

Master theses are evaluated in three dimensions

Dimensions of evaluation

1. Content

Introduction

Main
Hauptteil
part

Conclusion
Schluss

Goal
Zielerachievereichung
ment

2. Scientific quality

3. Form and language

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Focus of any evaluation is the content of the thesis the introduction

lays the foundation for any successful result
Dimension 1: content

Introduction

How well has the problem to be assessed been described?

- Has the problem been logically derived and is it explained?
- Does this constitute the necessity for the thesis?
Has the goal of the thesis been clearly outlined?
- Is a goal to be achieved in the thesis formulated?
- Does this goal refer to the problem and offer a solution to it?
Is the structure of the thesis explained? Is the structure and the
chosen approach suitable to solve the problem? Can the reader
easily understand how the author intends to approach the problem
and present the solution?
Has the author developed intellectually during her work with the
thesis, i.e. has she been able to evolve the first ideas from the
expos?

11

The main part serves for the elaboration of the approach as outlined
in the introduction - the conclusion for reflection and outlook
Dimension 1: content

Main part

Conclusion

Goal
achievement

Does the main part consequently follow the structure as described

in the introduction? Does it focus on solving the problem?
Are all contents necessary and goal-oriented?
Does the author always explain reason and application of every
approach/ method used?
Does the summary add any value to the goal besides rephrasing
introduction and main part?
Are the results reflected critically, i.e. are limitations highlighted and
results compared with current status of research?
Are implications for further research outlined? Does the thesis
develop new research questions?
Does the thesis present recommended action items for practice?
Does the thesis achieve the goal as outlined in the introduction?
Is the potential goal achievement discussed and critically reflected?

12

The requirements on scientific quality apply to all parts of the thesis

Dimension 2: scientific quality

Object of
research

Theoretical
foundation

Application of
research
methods

Is the object of research carefully chosen?

Is it explicitly named and explained?
Is it clearly differentiated and circumscribed from other objects?
Is a suitable theoretical reference framework chosen?
Are all statements supported with the help of scientific sources?
Is it highlighted when statements have not yet a scientific
reference?
Is the theoretical foundation based on a broad and deep literature
analysis?
Is the choice of methods and tools logically derived and
scientifically discussed?
Is the application clearly described and correctly performed?

13

Objectivity, reliability and validity are central criteria for evaluating

master theses
Dimension 2: scientific quality

Objectivity

Reliability

Validity

Are all results and statements consistently explained, discussed

and comprehensible? Would another author on this topic have had
to derive the same conclusions and statements?
Are the results independent of the author who did the research?
Is it possible to reproduce the achieved results?
Would another author get to the same results and conclusions if
she had applied the same approach and criteria as outlined in the
thesis?
Is the chosen method of measuring the observed phenomenon
correct?
Can the choice of the method be objectively justified as being the
best method to measure the phenomenon?

14

The thesis needs to cover all relevant topics mutually exclusive and
collectively exhaustive and of course do it correctly
Dimension 2: scientific quality

Accuracy

Are all statements comprehensible or do doubts remain?

Does the work contain incorrect argumentations or other contents?
Are concepts and tools applied correctly?

MECEness

Are all relevant aspects of the topic distinguishably covered?

Are all relevant questions of the topic answered or at least
addressed?

15

Proper form and language are the minimum criteria for a good result
Dimension 3: form and language

Language

Structure of
argumentation

Form

Does the author write grammatically correct, comprehensively and

with a rich language?
Does she use the correct scientific glossary?
Are syntax and orthography correct?
Is the thesis structured according to the MECEness criteria?
Is the structure logical and suitable for that approach and
consistently applied also in the single chapters and arguments?
Can the reader follow the arguments and understand their logic?
Are the formal criteria applied (citation, formats etc.)?
Does the layout follow the chair guideline? Is the technical
realization of the thesis acceptable?

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Several criteria can help a thesis to become a hit

Other evaluation criteria

Degree of
innovation

Scientific rigor

Additional
criteria

Is the thesis especially innovative in its approach, e.g. are models

and theories elevated, are transfers to other fields of research
developed
Does the result of the thesis contribute significantly to research?
Does the thesis present a well-founded discussion of other theories
highlighting e.g. significant anomalies or contradictions?
Does the thesis provide an outstanding literature overview?

Does the thesis suggest exceptional efforts of the author (going the
extra mile)
Is the overall impression of the thesis exceptionally good?
Did the author prepare a version of his work in a form that could be
submitted for publications in high-profile scientific journals?

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Agenda

1.

How to get thesis supervision

2.

Elements of a successful thesis

3.

Formal criteria

18

A thesis at the chair must follow a certain style-guide

Formal criteria for theses

General

Format

Numbering

Theses should have 40 (Bachelor) or 80 (Master) pages text (+/max. 10%); table of contents, backups etc. and appendices are
counted separately
All theses need to be handed in as a printed version (3 copies); in
addition all thesis related materials need to be handed in as nonprotected file formats (word documents, excel files, SPSS-files etc.)
Paper size needs to be A4
Pages need to have borders (left: 4cm, right: 1.5cm, top: 3cm,
bottom: 3.5cm
Text font is Arial 12 with 1.5 line spacing (footnotes, tables,
overviews: Arial 10, 1.0 line spacing)
Arabic numbers for text pages, starting with #1
Latin numbers for all other pages, starting with the title page
(counted but not displayed on title page); Latin numbers continue
again after the text pages (for backups etc.)
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A thesis consists of more parts than the actual text

Elements of a thesis

Before the text

(Latin numb.)

Title Page
Abstract
Table of contents
Table of figures
Table of abbreviations

Main text
(Arabic numb.)

Introduction
Main part
Conclusion

Appendix
(Latin numb.)

Table of annexes
Annexes
Bibliography

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Diffferent sources require different formats in the bibliography

Overview bibliography reference formats

Books

Hungenberg, H. (2002). Problemlsung und Kommunikation. 2. Edition,

Munich: Oldenbourg.

Journal articles

Buck, T., Bruce, A. (1991). Executive Share Options. Journal of General

Management, 16(4), 24-40.

Contribution in
edited works

Hahn, D. (1995). Aufbau von Planungssystemen. In H. Corsten & M. Rei

(Eds.), Handbuch Unternehmensfhrung (pp. 229-250). Wiesbaden:
Gabler.

Electronic
publications

Haid, A. (2000): Verstrkte FuE-Anstrengungen in Deutschland

erforderlich, http://www.diw.de/diwwbd/00-07-1.html, 18.02.2007.

Sources w/o
author/ editor

N. A. (2007): Japanese movie market on the verge, Concept Consult,

Munich 2007.

Scientific
encyclopedia

Note: can be cited, but it is not advised to use open-source encyclopedia

as Wikipedia. Such sources are not limited to scientific authors and the
statements can be wrong or misleading

21

References can be included in the text or as footnotes

Choice between two reference formats

In-text
references

References need to follow the APA standard (American Psychological

Association)
Important exception: alll references need to highlight the page-number
within the source (e.g.: Wulf, 2009: 123) stands for a reference to page
123.

Footnotes

Footnotes are used for references

Need to follow the master thesis guideline of the chair

Students can choose to use in-text references or classical footnotes for source
information consistency within the thesis required
22

The source information in the footnotes need to follow certain

formats
Overview citation formats for footnotes

General form

Each source reference needs to be directly linked to an entry in the

bibliography (no references that is not in the bibliography)
General form: Last Name (if more than one separated by /) Publication
year (in brackets): page of the citation (e.g.: Hungenberg/Wulf (2005):
p. 15.)

Exceptions

If several authors in the bibliography have the same last name, first
name initials need to be included (e.g.: Miller, M. (1994): p. 33.)
If the bibliography contains several publications from the same year of
one author, a sorting with small characters needs to be added to the
publication year (e.g.: Porter (1992b): pp. 12-15.)
If the source was published by more than 3 authors, only
the first one is mentioned with an additional et al.
(e.g. Hoskisson et al. (1993): p. 3.)
To indicate that contents of subsequent pages are cited, the page
abbreviation can be changed to pp. x - x (e.g. Kotler (2005): pp. 313.)

23

Depending on the information in the footnote, several other aspects

need to be considered
Comments to the use of citations with footnotes

Citations

If the footnote refers to a direct statement in the source, the footnote

starts directly with the source (e.g.: 1 Koza/Levin (1998), p. 251.)
If the footnote refers to an indirect citation, the source information starts
with a see (e.g.: 2 See Hahn (2005), pp. 372-373.)
If the footnote refers to numbers/ data given in the text, the source
information needs to start with Source (e.g.: 3 Source: DAG-Statistik
(1999), p. 32.)
The footnote should also indicate if statements/ data in the text that are
results of own interviews or surveys (e.g.: 4 Source: Interview with Mr.
Schmidt on 3. Nov. 2007 in Leipzig)

Comments in
footnotes

The footnotes can also contain additional information to statements in

the text or deliver extended explanations that are not necessarily
needed for understanding the argumentation in the text. It can also
contain references to further information or similar topics in other parts
of the thesis

24

The position of a footnote is determined by the content it refers to (I)

Types of reference and footnote position
Refers to

a word

Footnote is placed right after the respective word

a sentence
part

Footnote is placed before the punctuation mark that closes the

sentence part

a sentence

Footnote is placed before the punctuation mark that closes the whole
sentence

a paragraph

Footnote is placed directly before the punctuation mark of the first

sentence in the respective paragraph and has the form See for this and
the following

25

The position of a footnote is determined by the content it refers to (II)

Types of reference and footnote position
Refers to

a word

One of the generic strategies according to Michael Porter is

differentiation1, which aims on delivering a superior value to customers

a sentence
part

Timing is of essential importance for almost all types of markets2.

Especially in dynamic environments ..

a sentence

Implementation is the third phase in the process of strategic management

where a transformation of the chosen strategy into action is the focus3.

a paragraph

The term strategy is widely used in the management literature4.

Definitions range from .
1
2
3
4

See for a definition of the term differentiation chapter 3.1.4.

See Stalk, G. (1988), p. 41.
See Brehm, C. (2000), pp.261-262.
See for this and the following Hungenberg/Wulf (2005), pp. 109-111.

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