PGDM /Core Humanities

Dissertation basics

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PGDM Core Humanities – Dissertation Basics

(Study Notes in Markdown)

1. Simple Explanation

A dissertation is a substantial research project that demonstrates your ability to investigate a topic, analyze data, and present findings in a clear, scholarly format.

  • Purpose: Show mastery of research skills, critical thinking, and subject‑specific knowledge.
  • Scope: Usually 8 – 12 k words (or equivalent pages) for a PGDM program.
  • Outcome: A written document that can be defended orally before a panel.

2. Key Points

Aspect What to Do Why It Matters
Topic Selection Choose a focused, relevant business/humanities issue. Keeps research manageable and meaningful.
Research Question / Hypothesis Formulate a clear, testable question. Provides direction to all subsequent steps.
Literature Review Summarise existing research, identify gaps. Justifies the need for your study.
Methodology Decide on qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Determines how data will be collected & analysed.
Data Collection Surveys, interviews, case studies, archival data, etc. Generates evidence to answer the question.
Data Analysis Statistical tests, thematic coding, content analysis. Transforms raw data into meaningful insights.
Findings & Discussion Present results, interpret them, compare with literature. Shows understanding of implications.
Conclusion & Recommendations Summarise contributions, suggest future research. Highlights the value of your work.
References & Citations Use APA/Harvard/Chicago consistently. Gives credit and credibility.
Formatting & Style Follow university guidelines (margins, font, headings). Ensures professionalism and readability.
Timeline & Project Plan Map out milestones (proposal, data collection, writing). Keeps project on track and reduces last‑minute stress.

3. Step‑by‑Step Process

  1. Brainstorm & Refine Topic
    List 5–10 potential topics → pick one that aligns with your interests and resources.

  2. Write a Proposal (≈1,000 – 1,500 words)

    • Problem statement
    • Objectives & research question
    • Brief literature review
    • Proposed methodology
    • Expected contribution

  3. Conduct Literature Review (≈2,000 – 3,000 words)

    • Systematic search of databases (Google Scholar, JSTOR, Scopus).
    • Summarise key theories, models, findings.

  4. Design Methodology

    • Decide sample size, instruments, ethical approvals.
    • Draft questionnaires or interview guides.

  5. Collect Data

    • Fieldwork or secondary data extraction.
    • Record and organise data systematically.

  6. Analyse Data

    • Quantitative: SPSS, Excel, R.
    • Qualitative: NVivo, manual coding.

  7. Write the Dissertation

    • Title Page
    • Abstract (150–250 words)
    • Table of Contents
    • Chapter 1 – Introduction
    • Chapter 2 – Literature Review
    • Chapter 3 – Methodology
    • Chapter 4 – Results
    • Chapter 5 – Discussion
    • Chapter 6 – Conclusion & Recommendations
    • References
    • Appendices

  8. Revise & Proofread

    • Peer review, supervisor feedback, grammar check.

  9. Defence Preparation

    • Slide deck, key points, anticipate questions.

  10. Submission

    • Follow formatting, deadline, and electronic upload instructions.

4. Worked Example

Topic: “Impact of Remote Work Adoption on Employee Engagement in Indian IT Firms”

Section What to Include Sample Content
Title Page Title, your name, PGDM, university, date. Impact of Remote Work Adoption on Employee Engagement in Indian IT Firms
Abstract 250 words summarising aim, methods, key findings. “This study examines how remote‑work policies influence employee engagement in three Indian IT firms. Using a mixed‑methods approach, 150 employee surveys and 12 semi‑structured interviews were analysed. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between remote flexibility and engagement scores (p < 0.05), moderated by managerial support.”
Chapter 1 – Introduction Context, problem statement, research question, objectives. Problem: “Many Indian IT firms are uncertain whether remote work boosts engagement.”
RQ: “To what extent does remote work adoption affect employee engagement in Indian IT firms?”
Chapter 2 – Literature Review Theories: Maslow, Herzberg, Job‑Demand‑Control. “Previous studies (Smith, 2019; Gupta, 2021) suggest remote work increases autonomy, a key driver of engagement.”
Chapter 3 – Methodology Mixed‑methods: survey (Likert scale), interviews (thematic). Sampling: Random stratified sample of 150 employees across 3 firms.
Chapter 4 – Results Tables/graphs of survey results, interview themes. Table 1: Engagement scores by remote‑work frequency.
Chapter 5 – Discussion Compare with literature, explain contradictions. “Our findings align with X (2020) but diverge from Y (2018), possibly due to cultural differences.”
Chapter 6 – Conclusion & Recommendations Summarise, propose management strategies. “Managers should provide clear communication and virtual collaboration tools to sustain engagement.”
References APA style. Gupta, A. (2021). Remote Work in India. Journal of Management Studies.
Appendices Survey instrument, interview guide. Appendix

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