Project Study

Semester and Year Offered: Year II

Course Coordinator and Team: Programme coordinator and faculty of SBPPSE

Email of course coordinator: Richa@aud.ac.in

Pre-requisites: Nil

Aim In this course participants will undertake a real life research/business problem guided by faculty mentor(s) and subsequently complete and submit a research project report. The requirement of preparation of a report based on the research undertaken will help the participant develop an ability to carry out research, to report their findings/results accurately and coherently and to internalise constructive criticism. The objective of the project study is to enable participants to work intensely in an area of their interest and to enable them to apply relevant theoretical techniques appropriate to their chosen area of research. Project study provides an opportunity to the participants to draw together and integrate the knowledge gained and the skills developed from the various courses undertaken in the course of MBA programme.

Course Outcomes:

1. To apply the learning from various courses and conceptualise a research based project
2. To apply acquired skills to conduct primary research using real data
3. To conduct a thorough literature review and appreciate the value of existing knowledge
4. To develop analytical insight by using the appropriate tools to analyse the data collected in the context of the literature and the research problem
5. To be able to relate the research output to managerial learning and outcomes
6. To be able to intuitively assimilate how the professional / corporate world operates and use the experience to gauge the participants’ preparedness for future career options

Brief description of Project Study

Topic of Project

Participants can undertake a project study in any area of management with a combination of both theoretical and practical elements. They may choose to carry out academic research or a consultancy type of project or prepare a business plan.

The Academic Research Project is an independent research effort by an individual student under the supervision of a faculty mentor. In the conduct of academic type research project, candidates will undertake research with an objective of some original contribution to knowledge. The research may require collection of primary data or could be based on secondary data or both. The research may aim to explore an unexplored area or fill the gap in the existing literature. Candidates may also choose to write a dissertation based on an indepth analysis of a particular sector/industry/product etc.

In the Consultancy Type of Research, candidate may undertake a project based on a real life management problem. The candidate may find a project from a business organisation, public institutions, NGO etc. and work under the joint guidance of the industry mentor and faculty mentor.

The Project Topic may also be related to developing a business plan for a new entrepreneurial venture. In such types of projects, candidates are also expected to include a feasibility analysis of the proposed business plan based on the field data.

In all types of the projects, candidates must demonstrate their ability to critically evaluate the academic literature, collect data systematically, organise the findings and ensure that the research results are presented in a logical and clear manner.

Project Duration and Course Execution

The course will begin at the start of the II year of the MBA programme with the requirement of submitting a short research proposal/idea indicating their domain of interest and supervisor preference (optional; in consultation with the concerned faculty). Based on their research interest, each participant will be assigned a faculty mentor(s).

Participants will work with the assigned faculty mentor and prepared a detailed project proposal. This will include the research topic, the research objectives and questions, the main literature (or issues), research design and methodology, scope and limitations that might be encountered and references. Once the research proposal has been approved by the faculty panel, the candidates will start the research process under the guidance of their faculty supervisor and work towards their own intellectual independence. They will thereafter be required to collect the data through fieldwork and submit a full analysis of the same in the format of a dissertation/project report. On the completion of the research, candidates will submit the project report in the school office with due approval of the faculty supervisor(s).