Thesis Writing – MIB Michael von Wuntsch

1. Thesis Writing – MIBMichael von Wuntsch

2. What is a Thesis? • A contribution to the scholarly world. • It is a stepping stone into your career. • It represents an opportunity to integrate your theoretical knowledge into something practical. • It represents a problem and offers a solution.

3. Planning the Assignment • Focus on a particular problem or question ! • Limit your topic ! • Consult source material and prepare a Bibliography • Time Schedule

4. Define a problem ! • What do I want to find out? • Does the subject promise to hold my interest? • Concentrate on 1 to 3 main questions! • Example: • Can firm-valuation techniques reflect sustainable ? • What are valuation techniques used by brokers currently? • Why has relative valuation become the dominant valuation tool for brokers? • Provide information and select first source material in libraries

5. Limit your Topic • Don't attempt topics that are too broad! • Casting the net wide is a common reaction, but, you can easily • get lost in a mass of data. • Example: FDI in China • Unclear: Field of research (Marketing; Macroeconomic frame; • Investment Conditions; Industry) ? • A Statement of a study's limitations in the introduction is useful

6. Consulting Source Material and Preparing a Bibliography • Locate source material for a particular topic • (check reference books, catalogues for books in libraries, • handbooks, web) • Prepare an alphabetic list of source material • (books, journal articles, other documents, internet-sources) • Continues throughout the duration of a thesis.

7. Time Schedule • Allocate time for different stages of writing: • Defining and limiting the problem, consulting source material, • collecting information = 35 - 40 % • First draft = 30 - 35 % • Revising, footnoting, referencing, writing final draft, • proofreading = 35 - 25 %

8. Topics - Examples • Can firm-valuation techniques reflect sustainable business development ? • Adidas-Salomon's Acquisition of Reebok – Company and Synergies Valuation • How to enter the Chinese Automotive Market • Incentives for Attracting Foreign Direct Investments – A Comparison between Mexico and Brazil

9. Designing a Study • Approach can be predominately quantitative or qualitative • Quantitative studies are typified as experimental studies in • science based disciplines where findings are usually expressed • in numerical form. • Qualitative research is characterized by historical and • ethnographic studies where findings are expressed in words.

10. Qualitative Studies • .... explain a phenomenon by using elements of existing • concepts or theories • .... are based on primary or secondary data

11. Qualitative Studies • Can be • more descriptive or exploratory • more inductive • (= creating a concept based on data collection) • or deductive • (= testing existing theories on a specific case)

12. Definition of Terms and Concepts • Key terms must be defined and statedclearly! • Essence of concepts and main theories related to the topic and • thesis must be explained!

13. Statement of Hypothesis(for Master and PhD papers) • A particular argument is pursued • A hypothesis is an idea or concept that is expressed as a • statement, a contention for which evidence is gathered • and discussed logically • (my or the book's thesis is that ...) • The thesis statement usually appears in the first chapter where • the background of the study is described

14. Gather and interpret data –apply effective methods • Determine methods in data collection (primary and secondary data) • Interpret reliability of collected information, summarize and check if • data supports your statements or hypothesis

15. Data Collection • Primary Data: • Generated through direct observation (field research) and • interviews. • Interviews are highly or semi-structured (questionnaire).

16. Data Collection • Secondary Data: • Data already collected for same or other purpose • Identified and collected in books, articles, journals, databases • Two types: internal and external

17. Logical structure of text - First Draft • Check the line of your arguments! Build a clear, • systematic structureof your statements. • Armed with an outline, reading notes and data structure • your thesis logically and write a first rough draft.

18. Structure of the final Text • A: Introduction • Introduce the problem or your hypotheses • Stimulate reader's interest • B: Main Body • Organize arguments in a logical way • C: Conclusion • D: Spelling and grammar are of utmost importance!

19. Format: Preliminaries • Title page • Declaration Statement • Executive Summary • Table of Contents • List of Tables/Figures • List of Abbreviations

20. Format: Declaration Statement • I, ...Name..., declare that this thesis is my own work • and has not been submitted in any form for • another degree or diploma at any university or • other institute of tertiary education. • Information derived from the published and • unpublished work of others has been • acknowledged in the text and a list of references is • given in the bibliography.

21. Format: Executive Summary • What did you want to do (main goals or hypotheses)? • How did you want to get the goals (methodology)? • What did you find out (major findings)? • What still needs to be done (open issues)?

22. Format: Introduction • Explain the rationale for your thesis (problem / hypotehesis). • Give details about your goals. • Explain the research tools used (methodology). • Narrate the structure of your thesis.

23. Format: Main Body • Provide a profile of topic or hypothesis under investigation. • Analyze the literature on the subject. • Apply and compare different concepts and tools in order to • support your arguments. • Offer your own view or a critic. • Describe your results.

24. Format: Conclusion • Provide a brief summary of main findings. • Show the relevance of your findings and draw conclusions. • Point out the remaining open questions.

25. Format: Referencing (1/4) • The aim of referencing is: • to achieve clarity and consistency in crediting other authors • to point out statements or ideas useful for your own analysis • to analyze or refute another author's claim

26. Format: Referencing (2/4) • Citations and bibliographical references must be in accordance • with the scholarly standards! • Apply the: • „footnote system“ • or the • „Harvard system“

27. Format: Referencing (3/4) • The „Footnote System“: • Rappaport1 pointed out the idea of ... • _______________ • 1 Alfred Rappaport, Creating Shareholder Value, New York, 2001, • p. 46 (or: pp. 60-70) • 2 Ibid (or: Ibid p. 50) • 3 www:usda.pdf retrieved on 03.08.2006

28. Format: Referencing (4/4) • The „Harvard system“: • He (Copeland 2002: 62) examined ...

29. Format: Bibliography • A bibliography is a complete list of works • consulted. • All references must be included (even when • not directly quoted)!! • References can be from Books, Journals/Periodicals, • Conference Papers, Unpublished Sources, Internet • Sources, Corporate reports or Author's Interviews.

30. Format: Appendices • You can use Appendices to supply additional • information (in graphical, tabular or any other • form).

31. Plagiarism will not be tolerated!! • In addition to the 3 printed copies hand in aCD-Romwith the • thesis file (Format: Word or Pdf). • Every thesis will be systematically checked for plagiarism!! • Just a part of the thesis not properly quoted is sufficient • for a failure(5,0) !!

32. Mechanical Details • Margins: 4 cm on the left and 2,5 cm on the right • Spacing: 1,5 • Words : max. 16,000 (50 to 60 Pages) • Font: Times New Roman (New Times Roman) • Font Size: 12

33. Definition of Terms and Concepts • Key terms must be defined and statedclearly! • Essence of concepts and main theories related to the topic and • thesis must be explained!

34. Evaluation Criteria • Format • Citations format • Bibliographical references • Content • Goals/Definitions • Analytical quality/Logical arguments/Coherence • Theoretical Underpinning • Latest Data • Organization • Systematic • Readability • Graphical and Tabular Support • Language

35. HTW Examination Order • This Handout is only a supplement to the HTW Rules & Regulations. • This information does not replace what you have learned heretofore. • In doubt, contact your professors or supervisors.

36. Professors / Lecturers Marketing Lütters:holger.luetters@HTW-Berlin.de Hummel:contactdirectlyorthrough M. von Wuntsch Finance (Markets; Valuation; Taxation) Arora:Dayanand.Arora@HTW-Berlin.de von Wuntsch:Michael.vonWuntsch@HTW-Berlin.de Singer:Wolfgang.Singer@htw-berlin.de

37. Professors / Lecturers • Accounting • Arora:Dayanand.Arora@HTW-Berlin.de • Buchheim:Regine.Buchheim@HTW-Berlin.de • Trauner:contact directly or through M. von Wuntsch • Human Resource Man. • Frank:gernold.frank@HTW-Berlin.de

38. Professors / Lecturers • Economics • Thomasberger: claus.thomasberger@htw-berlin.de • Joebges: heike.joebges@HTW-Berlin.de • Dullien:sebastian.dullien@HTW-Berlin.de • Business Ethics / CSR • Von Wuntsch:Michael.vonWuntsch@HTW-Berlin.de

39. Professors / Lecturers • Project Management • Luther:contact directly or through M. von Wuntsch • Soft Skills • Cooper-Kovacs: contact directly or through M. von Wuntsch • Von Zadow:contact directly or through M. von Wuntsch • Quantitative Approaches • Dobkowitz:contact directly or through M. von Wuntsch • See all professors on homepage of faculty 3: • www.f3.htw-berlin.de/professoren.html

40. Application for Admission to the Master Thesis • Students have to hand in the form „Admission to Master Thesis“ • till 12.02.2011in Room VG 309 (Frau Biehl). • In the Annex of this form, students must submit a thesis proposal • (topic) and suggest two supervisors. The signature of the • First Supervisor is mandatory!!! • Download the form from Homepage of HTW-Berlin • (link: Prüfungsangelegenheiten / Prüfungsanmeldung / Diplom / • Bachelor / Masterarbeiten / • Application for Admission to the Master Thesis

41. Approval of the topic & thesis period Deadline for the Approval of the thesis by the Examination Board is 28.03.2011! Every student has to pick up and sign the Approval Form till the begin of the thesis period in room VG 309 (office Nicole Biehl / phone 5019 2353) ! The thesis period begins on 04.04.11 and ends on 01.08.11 (= 17 weeks).

42. Assessment of final grade X • X = 0.7 X1 + 0.2 X2 + 0.1 X3 • X1 = Average of all module grades • X2 = Grade of thesis • X3 = Grade of thesis seminar and colloquium

43. Thanks for your attention and good Luck!