The study of management is a broad field including theoretical and practical approaches, and the first step in writing a management dissertation is to choose a specific topic to be studied. A theoretical management dissertation will require extensive statistical research and mathematical modeling. If a more applied approach is taken, the paper will require extensive research of management in practice to include interviews, research of organizational structure and documentation of the results of management in action. A management dissertation shares with all such doctoral research the requirement to draw conclusions that add to the body of knowledge, precisely detail the research methodology used and to be written in a style acceptable to the institution that will approve the paper.
For the doctoral student producing a theoretical management dissertation, the first step is to choose a specific topic in management science. After becoming well versed in all existing work on the subject, the student uses such techniques as game theory, computer modeling, probability forecasting and statistical analysis, to research and explore the topic. The results of the research are compared to existing work, and the student draws conclusions.
A practical or applied management dissertation also begins with the writer choosing a specific area of management to study. This can literally be any part of any organization from a business to a government, even a family group, as long as a managing entity is attempting to accomplish goals through other people. Such diverse areas of business can be manufacturing, sales, human resources and distribution.
The student must be familiar with existing study in the topic. Research is conducted at an organization or at organizations where the management topic is in practice, and this work will include documenting the management activity and its results; interviewing managers and subordinates; and comparing objectives of the management with results. This research is then compared with existing work on the subject resulting in conclusions that add to the body of knowledge.
Research and conclusions are the heart of a management dissertation, however the style of presenting the work is very important as well. Each institution will have an accepted style for punctuation and presentation of data that the doctoral student must follow. In addition, the writer must produce a grammatically correct document with correct spelling. The dissertation generally follows a format beginning with an introduction and presentation of the thesis of the dissertation; an extensive discussion of existing work on the topic; a clear presentation of the research methodology; a complete presentation of the research and its results; and conclusions drawn from the research.
