GUIDELINES

for the preparation of

MBA Final Research Project / Thesis

Prepared for the

Faculty of Management Sciences

2018-2019
 Table of Contents

1. FORMAT OF WRITING ................................................................................................................................. 4

2. SEQUENCE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................ 4
Preface ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
Title page...................................................................................................................................................... 5
Original Literary Work Declaration Form ..................................................................................................... 6
Abstract........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Acknowledgment ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Table of Content .......................................................................................................................................... 8
3. Main Text .................................................................................................................................................... 9
4. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................10
5. Literature Review ...................................................................................................................................... 14
6. Research Methodology............................................................................................................................. 19
7. Results and Findings ................................................................................................................................. 22
8. Discussion, Conclusion, Implications, Limitation & Recommendation .................................................... 23
9. References ............................................................................................................................................... 26
10. Appendix ................................................................................................................................................ 27
11. FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 28
Paper Quality, Printing and Duplicating.................................................................................................. 28
Typing and Printing Quality..................................................................................................................... 28
Line Spacing............................................................................................................................................. 28
Margins ................................................................................................................................................... 28
Page Numbering...................................................................................................................................... 29
Numbering of Chapters and Sub-Chapters .............................................................................................. 29
Footnotes ................................................................................................................................................ 30
Tables ...................................................................................................................................................... 30
Binding ..................................................................................................................................................... 31
Word Length ............................................................................................................................................ 31
SUBMISSION............................................................................................................................................. 31
PLAGIARISM .............................................................................................................................................. 32
12. OTHER IMPORTANT FORMS AND DOCUMENTS ..................................................................................... 32
Appendix 1: FRONT COVER ....................................................................................................................... 33
APPENDIX 2-SPINE FORMAT ..................................................................................................................... 34
APPENDIX 3 –ORIGINAL LITERACY WORK DECLARATION FORM ............................................................ 35
APPENDIX 4 –CHECKLIST FOR FORMAT OF THESIS ................................................................................ 36
Appendix 5 – SUPERVISOR-STUDENT MEETING RECORD FORM ........................................................... 37

Appendix 6- PLAGIARISM VERIFICATION (FINAL SUBMISSION) ............................................................ 40

FORMAT OF WRITING
Thesis/Final Research Project will be written in the following formats:
Note: This format serves as a generic guideline for the students in writing a research report/thesis. Minor
variation of the format as recommended by the supervisors is allowed.
SEQUENCE OF CONTENTS
The structure of the research report or thesis is based on a standard format which contains the three main
sections; PREFACE, MAIN TEXT and SUPPLEMENTARY.

Preface

 Title Page
 Original Literary Work Declaration Form
 Abstract
 Acknowledgements
 Table of Contents
 List of Figures*
 List of Tables *
 List of Symbols and Abbreviations*
 List of Appendices*

Main Body

 Chapter 1: Introduction
 Chapter 2: Literature Review
 Chapter 3: Methodology
 Chapter 4: Results
 Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion
 References (A consolidated list of references for all chapters)

Supplementary

 List of Publications*
 Appendix*

* add them in your report/thesis if necessary

Title page
The title page is the first page after the front cover and should include:
This page is the first page of Roman numeral page number but it is not numbered. The text should be typed
using font type Times New Roman, font size 14 with 1.15 pt. line spacing.

Write the title of the project with font size 14, bold and centered

Research Project / Thesis submitted

By

Full Name
(Registration Number)

To

Faculty of Business Administration

In partial fulfilment of The requirement for the Degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
In
[Area of Specialization]

[Name of Supervisor] Advisor

Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology

SZABIST, Karachi.

Dated: 07th December 2018

Original Literary Work Declaration Form
This form must be completed and signed by the candidate. The original signed form must be included in all
copies of the research report/thesis.
Please refer to the example of the form as given in Appendix

Abstract
An abstract is a short summary of the research project/thesis. An abstract should briefly describe the objectives
(problem statement), the significance of research, research methodology, as well as the findings and
conclusion of the research. The abstract is written after the first draft of the project is complete. The abstract
is usually about (150-250 words) in length 1.15-spaced, and should cover the following:

Sample of Structured Abstract

Purpose: This explores the use of evolutionary and institutionalization models to understand the
progression of sustainability in organizations and their contribution to sustainable effectiveness. It describes
the evolution of Gap, Inc.’s sustainability approach, its increasingly central role in the organization’s strategy
and design, and the methods it is using to institutionalize this critical change.

Design: The chapter describes alternative models of sustainability evolution and change institutionalization,
and then applies the concepts in those models to understand Gap, Inc.’s sustainability journey.

Findings: The models of sustainability evolution and change institutionalization provide different but
complimentary views on the extent to which sustainability is embedded in Gap, Inc.’s organization. These
models can be a useful tool for assessing progress and recommending actions to increase the institutionalization
of sustainability strategies and initiatives.

Originality and Value: The findings of this chapter will help senior executives with responsibility for
sustainability implementation. In addition to providing indicators for assessment of progress, findings of
sustainability’s institutionalization should prove helpful in predicting achievement of sustainable
effectiveness.
Keywords: Institutionalization, sustainability, collaborative capability, (5-7 Keywords)

The Abstract page is assigned Roman numeral “iii” and the following pages should be numbered
consecutively. (Appendix 1 for Guidelines)
iii
Acknowledgment
Generally, research report/thesis includes a message to convey appreciation to those who have been
involved and provided their assistance directly or indirectly in the preparation of the study. This is optional
and should not exceed a single page, which is numbered in Roman numeral (iv) accordingly.

(iv)
Table of Content
The Table of Contents lists the chapters, topics and sub-topics together with their page numbers. Sub-topics
and topics should be labelled according to the chapter, for e.g.:

Table of Contents
Abstract ………….............................................................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgment ..............................................................................................................................................iv
Table of content .................................................................................................................................................v
Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the Study............................................................................................................................x
1.2 Problem Statement .....................................................................................................................................x
1.3 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................................................x
1.4 Significance of Study .................................................................................................................................x
1.5 Outline of Study .........................................................................................................................................x
1.6 Definition of Terms (If required) ...............................................................................................................x
Chapter 2 Literature Review...............................................................................................................................x
2.1 Underpinning and Supporting Theories/Models .......................................................................................xi
2.2 Empirical Reviews .....................................................................................................................................xi
2.3 Research Framework................................................................................................................................. xi
2.4 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................................................ xi
Chapter 3 Research Method .............................................................................................................................xxi
3.1 Research Approach ..................................................................................................................................xxi
3.2 Research Design .......................................................................................................................................xxi
3.3 Sampling Design ......................................................................................................................................xxi
3.4 Instrument of Data Collection ..................................................................................................................xxi
3.5 Procedure of Data Collection ..................................................................................................................xxi
3.6 Statistical Technique ................................................................................................................................xxi
Chapter 4 Results and Findings .....................................................................................................................xxxi
4.1 Descriptive Profile of the Data...............................................................................................................xxxi
4.2 Validation of Model ...............................................................................................................................xxxi
4.3 Hypotheses Testing ................................................................................................................................xxxi
4.4 Hypotheses Assessment Summary.........................................................................................................xxxi
Chapter 5 Conclusion, Discussion, Implications, Limitations and Recommendations ..............................xxxxi
5.1 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................xxxxi
5.2 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................xxxxi
5.3 Implications ..........................................................................................................................................xxxxi
5.4 Limitations ...........................................................................................................................................xxxxi
5.5 Recommendations ................................................................................................................................xxxxi
References.....................................................................................................................................................xxxxi
Appendix.......................................................................................................................................................xxxxi

(v)
Main Text

The main text in the research report/thesis must be organized following the guidelines as mentioned below:
• Text must be organized in titled chapters.
• The titles must reflect the content of the chapter.
• Every chapter must begin on a new page.
• Chapters can be divided into sub-chapters with corresponding sub-titles.
• Titles and sub-titles must be numbered.

There should be five chapters in research report. Generally, a research report/thesis will have the following
basic structure:

• INTRODUCTION
• LITERATURE REVIEW
• METHODOLOGY
• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION
• REFERENCES

Items in the structure are divided into separate chapters and the descriptions of these chapters are as follows:
 Chapter 1
Introduction
Project submitted by the graduate students must conform to established format and style. Though SZABIST
follows most of these guidelines, some exceptions are noted in this document. Pointers stated below
frequently pose difficulties for final acceptance of project. This chapter should comprise on at least 4 pages
to 6 pages in length (i.e., 1000 ±10% words).

The Introduction should cover five main items:

1. Establish the background field (the aspect of your degree studies that this Project will focus
on), and assert its significant position in theory or practice.
2. Summarize previous research (only one or two brief paragraphs at the most).
3. Indicate gaps, inconsistencies or controversies, and why they are important.
4. State the purpose of the present research (to address bullet-point 3), state briefly the main aspects of
how data was collected and analyzed, and conclusions of the research (and advanced students may add
a sentence about their contributions (relating to bullet-point 3).
5. Outline of the Project Report.

This chapter, in particular, contains following sub headings:

1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Problem Statement
1.3 Research Question(s)
1.4 Purpose of the Study
1.5 Significance of Study
1.6 Outline of Study
1.7 Definition of Terms

1.1 Background of the Study

Firstly, state what the background field is; this is usually one of the topics in one of your degree subjects
such as ecotourism, entrepreneurial characteristics or financial reports.

1.2 Problem Statement

In problem statement, researches very briefly summarize previous research about that established topic (as
has been noted in the textbook and in some recent journal articles). Then, point out that there is a gap,
inconsistency or controversy about an issue within that established field. For your project, the gap usually
appears where there has been little research about how managers in your country or region actually apply
the concepts. For example, the gap could be how ecotourism is done in Singapore or South Australia, the
characteristics of entrepreneurs in a manufacturing industry in Ghana, or how financial statements are used
in Vietnam. If you can, you might mention that this gap is an important one because the area is significant,
with supporting statements such as: ecotourism is growing in Singapore; entrepreneurship is critical for the
development of Ghana; free enterprise is growing fast in Vietnam.

Example of a Problem Statement:

Much of the endorsement research focuses on what characteristics constitute an effective celebrity
endorser, namely in terms of their personal attractiveness (McGuire, 1985), familiarity (Kamins, 1990;
Misra and Beatty, 1990), likeability (Erdogen, 1999), credibility, believability and expertise (Ohanian,
1990). Other research examines whether the celebrity endorser's image is consistent with the image of the
product, brand or organisation (Kamins,1990; Kamins and Gupta, 1994; Lynch and Schuler, 1994; Till
and Busler, 1998). Another stream of research assesses the impact of celebrity endorsements for marketing
purposes, including consumer attitude towards the brand and/or the advertisement and purchase intention
(Misra and Beatty, 1990; Lynch and Schuler, 1994; Tripp et al., 1994; Till and Shimp, 1998). Recent
research explores the deeper connections between consumers and celebrities. Escalas and Bettman (2009)
use McCracken's (1989) meaning transfer model, whereby the symbolic meanings associated with a
celebrity are transferred onto the brands the celebrity endorses, and in turn, these meanings are then
transferred from the celebrity to consumers through selecting brands that communicate their self-concept,
ultimately forming a self-brand connection. Thomson (2006) investigates consumer-celebrity (or human
brand) connections through the varying levels of attachment consumers feel for celebrities. Although,
Thomson’s (2006) study identifies the existence of consumer-celebrity connections, research is yet to
investigate whether these celebrity connections influence consumer attitude and purchase intention in an
endorsement context.
Although the business case for celebrity endorsement may explain why multiple endorsements by a
celebrity are common features in today's marketing world, too little research is devoted to examining the
effectiveness of multiple brand endorsements (Mowen and Brown, 1981; Tripp et al., 1994). In addition,
the impact
1.3 of consumer
Research Questionsattachment to celebrities on consumer brand evaluations is not known. As research
only identifies the existence of consumer- celebrity attachment (Thomson, 2006), it is not known whether
consumer attachment to a celebrity affects their attitude towards brands endorsed by that celebrity. While
the implicit suggestion of the meaning transfer process (McCracken, 1989) is that a positive relationship
exists between consumer attachment to a celebrity and consumer attitude towards brands endorsed by that
celebrity, these relationships have not been empirically tested. The influence of attachment within the brand
endorsement context is still unknown.
Research concerns are operationalized through research questions to which valid answers are sought for
during and are expected by the end of the study. Research questions should be clear, concise, and as simple
as possible, focused and empirically answerable. They should not be questions that require a yes or no
answer (Selamat 2008). They should be framed to provide the guide for the conduct of the study. For
descriptive empirical studies they are answerable through descriptive analysis of data, for inferential study,
they are answerable through testing hypotheses that emanate from them. A study can have some research
questions that are not convertible into hypotheses, and then both research questions and hypotheses are
accommodated in such cases. This might call for a mix-method approach involving both quantitative and
qualitative methods. The research question should be framed in such a way that it will not provoke "yes"
or "no" answer. For example, based on the sample topic selected earlier, the research question "to what
extent does teachers' satisfaction influence students' performance in mathematics?" is more appropriate
than "does teachers' satisfaction influence students' performance in mathematics"

1.4 Purpose of the Study

Briefly describe some key aspects of your research, and in one sentence, describe what your main findings
were (to entice the reader to keep reading on). For example, 'The purpose of this research is to explore how
one ecotourism operator in Pakistan actually manages a small entrepreneurial business’, or 'The purpose
of this research is to identify the four main characteristics of entrepreneurs in Pakistan'.

1.5 Significance of Study

This section highlights the current study's main contribution. Often start with a clear, but concise statement
of the core research problem to be investigated and of the study's specific research objectives specific
research objectives Then explain the academic (theoretical) and/or practical importance of the possible
research findings…relate to the issues/problems discussed earlier. (in 3 small paragraphs.)
Example
This study seeks to extend ............by addressing the gaps in........ The study will investigate the impact of
four........... (1) ........., (2) .........., (3) ............., and (4) .......... In addition, interrelationships among
............is examined based on what underpinning theory…... Findings from this study are hoped….
(Theoretical)…. (Practical)…. From this study are hoped…. (Theoretical)…. (Practical)

1.6 Outline of Study

The final paragraph of the introduction outlines the project report, starting with the sentence, 'This report has
… (four, five or six) sections after this Introduction'. In this final paragraph you should then give a brief
summary of the sections - no more than one sentence per section.
1.7 Definition of Terms (If required)

General Style Guidelines

SZABIST prefers capitalized chapter headings at the beginning of chapters. New chapters should start on
new pages with the first line of the paragraph indented. After the sub-headings, the first line of the
paragraph is also indented.

Margins
Set margins to 1½ inches at the left side and 1 inch at the top, bottom, and right side. Do not justify the
right margins.

Spacing
Double-space everything including subsections. Tables, figures, and appendixes may be the exceptions
when necessary for clarity or visual effectiveness.

Acceptable Fonts for Printing Project

The only font recommended when printing a project is Times New Roman. The font size must be 12-point
all along the document. Typefaces that are either compressed or sans serif are highly discouraged and
should not be used.

Headings
Headings within a manuscript identify different sections and subsections. In an APA-style manuscript, you
can have anywhere from one to five levels of headings. When setting up your paper, if there is no room at
the end of a page to include text under a heading, put the new heading on the next page. The structure for
these five levels is as follows (APA, 2010, p. 62):

Heading (Level 1) Centered, boldface, upper and lowercase

Heading (Level 2) Flush left, boldface, upper and lowercase

Heading (Level 3) Indented, boldface lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.
Heading (Level 4) Indented, boldface italicized, lowercase ending with a period.

Heading (Level 5) Indented, italicized, lowercase ending with a period.

This numbering system provides a clear picture of the relationship between chapters and topics and shows
how they are connected.
 Chapter 2
Literature Review
A literature review is a description of the literature relevant to a particular field or topic of study. It consists
of a critically written and comprehensive account of the published works on a topic by accredited scholars
and researchers. A critical literature review is a critical assessment of the relevant literature. It is directly
related to the research, providing information on theories, models, materials and techniques used in the
research. The literature review should be comprehensive and include recent publications which are relevant
to the research. It is compulsory to state the in-text citations here and its complete reference (in the chapter
of references) of the extracted research studies here to avoid plagiarism. This chapter should comprise on
at least 10 pages to 15 pages in length.

Objectives of the Literature Review

As of the timeframe for MBA Projects the nature of the degree (which is coursework), the research is relatively
basic. Therefore, a literature review will suffice instead of a comprehensive examination of the literature. The
least that SZABIST expects is that you have made some sense of the literature, and that you know the role of
the literature and its place in your project.
You have three objectives to fulfil when writing the literature review. Firstly, you need to introduce and review
items of previous research in the area of study. Introducing and reviewing items of previous research takes up
the greatest part of the literature review. Secondly, you need to indicate a gap in the previous research by
raising a question about it, or extending previous knowledge in some way. Finally, you must outline the
purpose or state the nature of the present research. Statements that achieve our second and third objectives
typically occur in the first and last paragraphs and sections of the literature review.
Students often write and re-write the literature review a few times. Since each version will serve a different
purpose, you should not think you are writing the same thing over and over and getting nowhere. Where you
may have trouble is if you just try to take whole sections out of an earlier version and paste them into the final
version which, by now, has to be differently conceived. The understanding of our Project changes day by day,
therefore, what we have written earlier might not reflect our current understanding of our Project.
In practical terms, it is necessary to have an overall picture of how the thread runs through your analysis of the
literature before you can get down to actually writing a particular section. The strategy which writers use as a
way to begin the literature review is to proceed from the general, wider view of the research you are reviewing
to the specific problem. This is not a formula but is a common pattern and may be worth trying. So if for
example, you are interested in reviewing the role of employee safety in the construction industry, the best place
to start is to look at what employee safety is and what it means to different organizations and industries before
you finally focus on the construction industry. This shows us the progression from general to specific and the
beginning of that thread which then continues through the text leading to the aims of the Project.

Effective paragraphs in a literature review

The secret to good academic writing is how you construct your paragraphs. Let us understand this further
by learning how to structure paragraphs in our literature review. A good way of understanding a paragraph
is to think of it as a mini essay. The topic sentence tells the reader the point the writer wants to make. The
supporting sentences expand on the point, points to, or discusses evidence, and the concluding sentence
tells the reader what the significance of the point is. In this way, the reader knows not only what the point
is, but also what evidence there is to make it, and importantly, why that point is being made-it connects the
paragraph to the overall argument. If you analyze the example below, you will see that the paragraph in it
is written using this model. In academic writing, in-text referencing must be included. Here is an academic
paragraph that would be typical for the body of a literature review:

Self-awareness is a critical skill/ability for leaders. Self-awareness is the capacity to be aware of

emotions and feelings, moment to moment (Smith, 2018). If one is not aware of one's own emotions in
an interaction, it would be impossible to regulate one's emotions, which is the second component in
Goleman's model (Goleman 1995; Jackson, 2016). For example, if one is not aware of rising anger in
oneself in an interaction, the effectiveness of communication may be impeded by an inappropriate
outburst of anger. Thus, self-awareness is not only imperative for communication but is also considered
the foundation of emotional intelligence (Goleman, 2017; Mayer, Salovey & Caruso, 2018).

Organizing the literature review

It is through paragraphs that we will build the arguments in our literature review. Let us review the example
below which introduces a topic using the literature.

In the literature it is recognized that a dichotomy exists between agricultural and business marketing
because the marketing management approach is not prominent in agricultural marketing theory. Johnson
(2013) suggests that agricultural marketing has traditionally incorporated everything that happens
between the farm gate and the consumer, therefore encompassing areas which 'the purist’ may not
consider marketing. While analysis of government intervention and policy form the focus of agricultural
marketing theory, studies of the objectives and decisions confronting individual businesses are central to
business marketing theory.

The text moves on to specify issues at various levels. Although the focus is sharper, the coverage at the
same time opens out. Whatever the pattern, which fits your work best, you need to keep in mind that what
you are doing is writing about what was done before. However, you are not simply reporting on previous
research. You have to write about it in terms of how well it was done and what it achieved. This has to be
organized and presented in such a way that it inevitably leads to what you want to do and shows it is worth
doing. You are setting up the stage for your work.

McDonald (2009) was the first to identify an agricultural marketing school of thought focusing on business
marketing theory, and this school of thought seems to be growing more prominent. For example, Harris
(2012) acknowledges that during the 1970s a minor paradigm shift occurred in agricultural marketing with
a move towards business marketing. He notes how successive editions of Kohl’s agricultural marketing
textbook (1972 and 1980) have changed to describe the marketing concept. Jones (2010) points out a
number of agricultural marketers who have partially incorporated the marketing management approach,
but mainly focus on the behavior of agribusiness companies (e.g. McGee, 2018; Harrison, 2017), rather
than individual farm firms.

By the time you conclude your literature review, you should have clearly signaled the discipline and fields
to which the literature relates, concisely represented previous work on the topic area, and explained how
your research will contribute to literature in your field.

The apparent differences between agricultural marketing and business marketing theories may not present
a problem because both disciplines examine issues, which are likely to require different theories and
techniques for analysis. However, concern must be expressed at the failure of researchers to systematically
examine the marketing strategies undertaken by individual farm businesses. Businesses in the agricultural
sector include farmers and other often larger and more sophisticated agribusinesses, such as input suppliers
and merchants. Business literature contains published articles examining the marketing strategies of large
agribusiness companies; however, little research appears to reach down to the farm business level.

Notice also how the research begins by focusing on the main topic area and then narrowing down to the
gap in the research. This is the point when you should formally state your research questions and outline
what you plan to find out from the project. Hopefully, you have understood the importance of a literature
review and what its essential components are.
Following points will be covered (as headings) in this chapter:

2.1 Underpinning and Supporting Theories / Models

2.2 Empirical Reviews
2.3 Research Framework
2.4 Hypotheses

This is the most common structure- you might find this does not work for you though once you start
reading the literacy.
Group research studies and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical articles, case studies, etc.)
according to common denominators such as qualitative versus quantitative approaches, conclusions of
authors, specific purpose or objective, chronology, etc. Summarize individual studies or articles with as
much or as little detail as each merits according to its comparative importance in the literature, remembering
that space (length) denotes significance.
 Chapter 3
Research Methodology

This chapter describes and explains the materials as well as the research methodology used in the study.
The sub-topics for this chapter include the key research questions, the research design, and the research
procedures adopted. It may also, where appropriate, indicate sampling methods, research instruments
and statistical methods employed. The purpose of this is to inform the reader on the methods used to
collect the data and generate the findings reported. This chapter should be (3-5 pages). This chapter include
the following components:

3.1 Research Approach

3.2 Sampling Design
3.3 Instrument of Data Collection
3.4 Procedure of Data Collection
3.5 Statistical Technique

3.1 Research Approach

There are two main research pathways that guide data collection and analysis. Your research is either
exploratory (or theory building) or explanatory (or theory testing).

Exploratory research typically asks 'what’, ‘who’ and 'how' questions which are answered through description
or discussion. Exploratory research is appropriate when not much is known about an issue and when
relationships between different components of an issue are not clear. Exploratory research is appropriate
when you are, literally, 'exploring' an issue.

Explanatory research typically asks questions about 'how many' and 'what proportion' which can be answered
with a number (or percentage) or with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Explanatory research is most effective when a lot
of detail is already known and when relationships between parts of the issue can be clearly articulated. It is
appropriate when you are testing something that is already known or when you are trying to find an additional
explanation for something known. It is likely that you will be using exploratory research for your Project as
you will be exploring an issue in your organization.
3.2 Sampling Design

Sampling is a means of selecting a subset of units from a target population for the purpose of collecting
information. In the description of sampling design, define population, sample size and sampling technique. In
particular, pronounce all relevant characteristics of your sample (e.g., number of participants, mean age, gender
breakdown, etc.). Do NOT provide information that might identify the participants, such as the name of their
university of place of work, should not be given. Rather, give information about the participants only in general
terms, such as "students at regional public university in Karachi."

3.2.1 Target Population

3.2.2 Sample Size

3.2.3 Sampling Technique

3.3 Instrument of Data Collection
These are the tools for data collection that includes questionnaire, interview, observation and reading.
Essentially the researcher must ensure that the instrument chosen is valid and reliable. The validity and
reliability of any research project depends to a large extent on the appropriateness of the instruments.

3.3.1 Reliability and/or Validity of Instrument

3.4 Procedure of Data Collection

In this heading, details of data collection procedures are discussing as follows:
o Who will the data be collected about?
o Who will the group of interest be compared to?
o What locations or geographical areas will the data be gathered from?
o What categories will be used to identify the group of interest and comparator group?
o What sources of data should be used to collect information?
o Pre-existing or official data
o Survey data

3.5 Statistical Technique

This heading comprises the proposed research technique to test the hypothesis. (e.g. Regression, Correlation,
Factor Analysis, t-test, ANOVA etc.)
 Chapter 4
Results and Findings

Start your Results chapter immediately after the end of your Method chapter on a new page. Type the heading
"Results" as a level 1 heading. In your results section provide a verbal description of what you found
supported by reports of all relevant descriptive statistics (e.g., Means and standard deviations and
correlations) and inferential statistics (e.g., t-test, Analyses of variance). The results are identified in this
chapter along with its interpretations and findings in relevance to the hypotheses tested. This chapter should
also include the Hypotheses Assessment Summary (Table form). This chapter should be at least 4-6 pages.
This chapter includes the following components which are commonly presented in the form of text, figures
and tables, complete with data analysis.

4.1 Descriptive Profile of the Data

4.2 Validation of Model

4.3 Hypotheses Testing

4.4 Hypotheses Assessment Summary

When reporting inferential statistics report the following information: The observed value of the statistic,
the degrees of freedom, p-value and any effect size statistics. The general format to follow is: F (2, 39) =
9.67, p = .014, l)2 = .06. When reporting descriptive statistics, report group means, standard deviations, and
confidence intervals. You should report 95% or 99% confidence intervals. For example: (M = 5.31, SD =
1.18, 95% CI [5.08, 5.54]). For more analyses, you may report the results in tables.
 Chapter 5

Conclusion, Discussion, Implications, Limitations and Recommendations

Start the Conclusion chapter immediately after the end of the results section on a new page. Type the heading
"Conclusion" as a level 1 heading. Start off this chapter by reminding the reader of the purpose of the study,
methods & procedures, major findings, summary of results. Provide links between your results and previous
research and theory (with citations) that you reviewed in your introduction. End your conclusion chapter
with an assessment of limitations in your research. Draw overall conclusions about the current state of
knowledge given your findings and previous findings. State why it is important to continue to pursue this
line of research and include ideas for future research. The findings are summarized and their implications
discussed. This section may include suggestions for future work.
This chapter should be at least (3-4 pages) and includes following components:

5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Discussion
5.3 Implications
5.4 Limitations
5.5 Recommendations

5.1 Conclusion
The conclusions relate directly to the research questions or objectives. They represent the contribution to
the knowledge. They also relate directly to the significance of the study, which is always, in some way, to
improve the human condition. These are the major generalizations, the answer to the problem(s) revealed in
Chapters 1 and 2.

5.2 Discussion
This heading refers to the hypotheses, objectives, or questions. Assess the meaning of the results by evaluating
and interpreting. Speculation should be reasonable, firmly justified, and subject to test. List the primary
research questions from Chapter 1 and answer them with the results. Cite several studies from Chapter 2 for
comparison and contrast with the results.
 Example of Discussion Section
Our findings show that PRA is not related to ECD. Such may be due to respondents' ECD being less likely
to be stimulated by their physical needs for protection and functionality, emotional needs of expressing
their personality, and psychological needs of identity building. The insignificant relationship between PRA
and ECD may also be explained by the respondents perceiving less importance of PRA than SRA when
making purchase decision on ECD. As shown in the results, SRA positively influences ECD. In line with
our theorization, this suggests that SRA plays an important role in respondents’ eco‐fashion purchase
decision making although it only has some positive effect on ECD.
On the other hand, our findings are in line with prior studies (e.g. Lloyd et al., 1993; Roberts,1996) that PP
is associated with ECD. Prior studies reported that high PP discourages ECD as fashion consumers have a
tight budget (Dodds et al., 1991; Bratt, 1999) or do not want eco‐fashion consumption to cause any sacrifice
(Bratt, 1999) or inconvenience (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001; Joergens, 2006). Our findings suggest that
respondents are open to environmental protection, and thus more willing to pay a premium for eco‐fashion
to protect the environment (Yeung, 2005; Harris, 2006; Lee, 2009).

5.3 Implications
It is important to remember that the study set out or was designed to contribute a solution to a given specific
problem, or to satisfy a specific interest or curiosity, so, to complete the logical loop of the research process,
such problem should be restated here, and the implications of the findings of the study to the solution of this
problem highlighted. What is the implication of the findings of the study to the various stakeholders? What
do the findings of the study suggest or what do evidences from the study suggest to each stakeholder? What
are theoretical, practical and policy implications of the findings of your study?

5.4 Limitations
What are the unavoidable limitations conditions (not within your control) surrounding your study and within
which conclusions to the study must be confined? What limitations exist in your method, design or approach,
sampling restrictions, uncontrollable variables, faulty measurements, and other compromises to internal
validity? For example, constraining characteristics of methodology/ design that tend to limit the interpretation
and application of the research findings. For example, the constraint in, or lack of simple random sampling
places limitation on generalizability of the findings.
5.5 Recommendations
Recommendations must be such that would facilitate the solution to the problem for which the study was out
to contribute a solution. Present appropriate recommendations that follow directly from the findings of the
study. How can the results of your study be used? Having found a contribution to the solution of the problem
at hand what role can each stakeholder play in implementing this solution? Be very clear, specific and
practical in your recommendations. Specifically, to whom are you directing each recommendation? Here
again the recommendation should target each of the stakeholders of the study. These can take two forms:
recommendations for further study, or recommendations for change, or both. This section answers the
question, "what other related studies should be carried out in order to add to the contribution to the solution
to this problem?

Note: Do NOT give personal reactions such as, "I was shocked/surprised/disappointed to find..."
References

All works or studies referred to in the research report/thesis in the form of quotations or citations must be
included in the references. The references should be written consistently in the American Psychological
Association (APA 6th edition) format. Each reference should be written in single spacing format and 1.15
space should be left between references. The list of references must be arranged in alphabetical order and the
entries should not be numbered. The list must also have a hanging indentation of 0.5 inch.
(Appendix-2) APA 6th edition Style.

Book
Example:
Newell, A. (1972). Human problem solving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. (for one author)
Newell, A., & Simon, H. A. (1972). Human problem solving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. (for two
authors)

Journal article
Examples:
Carlson, J. G. (1985). Recent assessments of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Personality
Assessment, 49(2), 356-365.
Buchwalow, I. B., & Bocker, W. (2010). Immunohistochemistry: basics and methods. Berlin: Springer
Verlag.
SHRM,
Chadwick, C., Super, J. F., & Kwon, K. (2015). Resource orchestration in practice: CEO emphasis on
commitment‐based HR systems, and firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 36(3), 360-
376.

Magazine article
Example: Adams, M. T. (1998, January 17). Seeing the elderly mind deteriorate. Omni, 68, 62-74.

Newspaper article
Example: Cancer therapy brings new hope. (1996, August 17). The Salt Lake Tribune, p. A6.

Article or chapter in an edited book

Example:
Mendelowitz, E., & Schneider, K. (1989). Existential psychotherapy. In R. J. Corsini & D. Wedding (Eds.),
Current psychotherapies (8th ed., pp. 295-927). Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole.
Web Site/Page - Informally Published or Self-Archived Work

When discussing an entire web site (as opposed to a specific page on the web site), an entry does not appear
in the reference list, but is cited within text as shown in the following sample sentence:

The International Council of Museums web site provides many links to museums, codes of ethics, and the
museum profession (http://www.icom.org/).
Landis, B. (1996). Carlisle Indian Industrial School history. Retrieved September 10, 2009, from
http://home.epix.net/~landis/histry.html

Appendix

Appendices consist of research instruments, additional illustration of data sources, raw data and quoted
citations which are too long to be placed in the text. The appendix section supports the written text of the
research report/thesis by including materials that can provide additional information. These materials include
tables, charts, computer programs and questionnaires, for example:

• Research data, tables, examples of questionnaires, maps, photos and other materials that are too long to
be included in the text or are not directly required to comprehend the text can be included as appendices.
Tables and graphics that are more than two pages long can be put in the Appendix section.
• Appendices are labelled as APPENDIX A1, APPENDIX A2, etc.

Note:
This chapter should include the supplementary material for the research carried out, as follows:
- SPSS data sheet Screen Shot (data view and variable view)
- Questionnaires (one unfilled) (For Primary Data)
- Elaborative SPSS outputs other than the immediate findings.
- Data source and evidence (For Secondary Data)
 FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS

Paper Quality, Printing and Duplicating

The research report/thesis should be printed, single-sided, on high quality white A4 paper (201 x 297 mm;
80 grams). Computer pin-feed printout paper is not permitted.
The research report/thesis, in softcover or hardbound copies, must be typed and duplicated by offset printing
or good quality photocopying. All copies must be clean and neat in order to ensure easy reading.

Typing and Printing Quality

The research report/thesis must be typed using font type Times New Roman, font size 12 (except for tables
and figures) and justified, using Microsoft Word 2010 or later versions. Text should be typed on one side of
a paper only.
Chapter titles should be typed with capital letters and centered between the left and right margins. Each
chapter must begin on a new page. Chapters and subchapters should be titled. Titles should be typed in bold
without underline. For mathematical texts, the use of Equation Editor. Script fonts are not permitted.
A high quality laser or ink-jet printer should be used for the printing.

Line Spacing

The body of the text should be typed with Double Spacing 2.0. Single-spacing is only permitted in tables,
long quotations, footnotes, citation and in the references. The first sentence of a new paragraph should not
start at the bottom of a page if the space available can only fit one line.

Margins
The text should have the following margins:

Top: 1.0 Inch

Right: 1.0 Inch
Left: 1.5 Inch
Bottom: 1.0 Inch
Additional guidelines need to be followed:
• Do not type more than one sentence after the bottom margin. If it is necessary to do so, it should only
be for a footnote or the completion of the last sentence of the chapter, topic or sub-topic or information
in a figure.
• All tables and figures must be placed within the specified margins.
• The last paragraph of the page should contain at least two sentences. If it does not, the paragraph
should begin on the next page.

Page Numbering

All page numbers should be printed 1.0 cm from the bottom edge of the page and placed at the right-hand
side without any punctuation. The page numbering system must conform to the following rules:
• The page numbers should be placed at the right hand side without any punctuation.
• Font type Times New Roman and font size 10 recommended for numbers.
• Roman numerals (i, ii, iii etc.) should be used in the Preface section. The first page of the thesis, the
title page, is an unnumbered page 'i'. Numbering begins on the second page with 'ii'.

Numbering of Chapters and Sub-Chapters

Chapters and sub-chapters must be numbered using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3 etc.). Chapters are numbered
CHAPTER 1, CHAPTER 2, CHAPTER 3, and so on. Sub-chapters are nested, but its numbering is not
indented, up to a maximum of 4 levels as in the example shown below:

CHAPTER 2: FIRST LEVEL (CHAPTER TITLE)

2.1 Level 2 (sub-title);
2.1.1 Level 3 (sub-sub-title);
2.1.1.1 Level 4 (sub-sub-sub-title)

The use of letters in parenthesis in the main body for e.g., (a), (b), (c) is appropriate as a means of
differentiating sub-topics of the same topic. However, it is not required to be listed in the Table of Content.
If a chapter title or chapter sub-title at any level exceeds a single line, the spacing between the lines must be
the same as that of the text (double-spacing). Subsequent sub-chapters beyond the fourth nesting level must
be numbered using alphabets; (a), (b), (c), etc.
Footnotes
Candidates are advised to limit the use of footnotes unless they are proved necessary to the document.
Footnotes are used to elaborate or provide additional information regarding matters discussed in that page.
Footnotes are recorded using Arabic numeric and numbered consecutively. Raised superscript numerals in
the text refer to explanatory notes and documented sources appearing either at the bottom of the page as
footnotes or at the end of the thesis as endnotes in a notes section. The advantage of using notes is that
explanatory type of information can be presented along with source citations on the same page or place.
Footnotes should use a smaller font than the text (font size 8).
When using footnote, a number formatted in superscript is inserted following the punctuation mark in the
text. Footnotes should be placed at the bottom of the page on which they appear.

Tables
Tables are printed within the body of the text at the center of the frame and labelled according to the chapter
in which they appear. Thus, for example, tables in Chapter 3 are numbered sequentially:
Table3.1, Table 3.2 and so on.
The caption should be placed above the table itself. If the table contains a citation, the source of the reference
should be included in the table caption.

Table 3.1: Short Title (Gibson, 2005)

Heading Heading
Text Text

If the table occupies more than one page, the continued table on the following page should indicate
that it is a continuation, for example: 'Table 3.7, continued'. The header row should also be repeated.

Figures
Figures, like tables are printed within the body of the text at the center of the frame and labelled according
to the chapter in which they appear. Thus, for example, figures in Chapter 3 are numbered sequentially:
Figure 3.1, Figure 3.2.
Figures, unlike text or tables, contain graphs, illustrations or photographs and their labels are placed at the
bottom of the figure rather than at the top (using the same format used for tables). If the figure occupies
more than one page, the continued figure on the following page should indicate that it is a continuation: for
example: 'Figure 3.7, continued'. If the figure contains a citation, the source of the reference should be placed
after the label.
Binding
Submission for Colloquium
For the purpose of defense/presentation in colloquium, 2 (Two) copies of research report/thesis should be
submitted in spiral bound

Final Submission
For final submission prior to graduation, copy of research report/thesis submitted should be hard
cover bound in rexine with the following color:

Program Color
MBA Blue

The thesis cover must be of A4 size (210mm x 297mm)

The title of research report/thesis, name of author, name of the university and year of submission must be
printed on the front cover. The letters for the Front Cover should be printed in Silver of font size 16, font
type Arial Narrow, bold and in uppercase letters. Engraved writing on hardcopy in silver color.

The spine of the manuscripts should show the title of research report/thesis, name of author, year of
submission and name of degree. The year of submission must be in accordance to the year when the research
report/thesis is submitted

Word Length
The maximum word length for a submission for examination:
a) Group & Individual: 8000 -10000 words.
The maximum length of words excludes footnotes, references, appendices, tables, figures and prefaces.

SUBMISSION
Submission for Colloquium
For the purpose of defense/presentation in colloquium, 2 (Two) copies of research report/thesis should be
submitted in spiral bound together with the
(i) Supervisor meeting record form (See Appendix)
(ii) Turnitin Report and
(iii) Thesis/Project Report Submission Form for Colloquium (See Appendix)
Final Submission
For final submission prior to graduation, the candidate is required to submit Two (2) printed hardbound
copies of the final research report/thesis with one (1) electronic copy in word and pdf form as well as turnitin
report in CD should be submitted after the final corrections or amendments (if any) have been made, together
with the "Final Submission for Research Report/Thesis" form (See Appendix)

PLAGIARISM
Students of the SZABIST, are expected to produce original academic work. Plagiarism is defined as the use
of original work, ideas or actual texts created by others, without acknowledging the original source. Hence,
failure to acknowledge the work of others in their work means the candidate is guilty of plagiarism and may
be subjected to disciplinary action. Plagiarism will be checked by PSO after the final submission before
final presentation.
Candidate of the SZABIST, are expected to produce original academic work. The University also highly
recommends the usage of turnitin, an online web-based plagiarism detection application to avoid plagiarism
and ensure academic integrity. According to the HEC policy, the similarity index percentage should not be
more than 19% and no more than 5% from a single source, in final submission; else, “F” grade will be
assigned to it.

OTHER IMPORTANT FORMS AND DOCUMENTS

There are some important forms and documents, which are also required by student during research journey.
They include

i. Supervisor-Student Meeting Record Form (See Appendix)

This form is required to be filled by student and signed by supervisor about the meetings held between them.
It provides the information that how many times has the students communicated to supervisors during his/her
registration for Thesis/Research project.

ii. Thesis Commencement Form (See Appendix)

This form is required to be filled when student complete his/her registration with ZabDesk and he has to
continue his Thesis/Research project. Based on this form, he/she is assigned supervisor.
iii. Plagiarism Verification (See Appendix)
This form is required to be submitted when the student submits his/her Thesis/Research project for
colloquium. The form must be stamped by Library head.

Appendices

Appendix 1: FRONT COVER

Appendix 2: SPINE FORMAT

Appendix 3: ORIGINAL LITERACY WORK DECLARATION FORM

Appendix 4: CHECKLIST FOR FORMAT OF THESIS

Appendix 5: SUPERVISOR-STUDENT MEETING RECORD FORM

Appendix 6: ADVISOR MEETING RECORD FORM

Appendix 7: PLAGIARISM VERIFICATION

Appendix 1: FRONT COVER

Example of the Front Cover of Research Report/Thesis

5cm

TITLE OF THESIS
4cm 4cm

NAME OF CANDIDATE

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

SHAHEED ZULFIKAR ALI BHUTTO INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

(SZABIST)

KARACHI

201x

5cm
 Approximately
2cm

NAME OF TITLE OF RESEARCH REPORT/THESIS MBA

CANDIDATE 2018
Appendix 2-SPINE FORMAT
 Appendix 3 -ORIGINAL LITERACY WORK DECLARATION FORM

SZABIST, ORIGINAL LITERACY WORK DECLARATION

STUDENT NAME -------------------------------------------------------------

REGISTRATION ----------------------------------------------------------

NAME OF DEGREE ------------------------------------

TITLE OF PROJECT REPORT/THESIS---------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do solemnly and sincerely declare that

1. I am/We are the author/s of this work;

2. This work is original
3. Any use of any work in which copyright exists was done by way of fair dealing and for permitted
purposes and any excerpt or extract from, or reference to or reproduction of any copyright work
has been disclosed expressly and sufficiently and the title of the Work and its authorship have
been acknowledged in this Work; I do not have any actual knowledge nor do I ought reasonably
to know that the making of this work constitutes an infringement of any copyright work;
4. I hereby assign all and every rights in the copyright to this Work to the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) of who henceforth shall be owner of the
copyright in this Work and that any reproduction or use in any form or by any means whatsoever
is prohibited without the written consent of (SZABIST) having been first had and obtained;
5. I am fully aware that if in the course of making this Work I have infringed any copyright whether
intentionally or otherwise, I may be subject to legal action or any other action as may be
determined by SZABIST.

----------------- -----------------
Candidate Signature Date
Appendix 4 – CHECKLIST FOR FORMAT OF THESIS

Please refer to Guidelines for the Preparation of Research Reports and Theses for further details
CHECKLIST Verified Verified
by the by the
Candidate Supervisor
1.TITLE
Front cover and title page of the research is according to guidelines given in
the book
2. ABSTRACT
In between 150 – 250 words
3. BINDING
For the purpose of defense/presentation, 2 copies of research report/thesis.
(Blue Binding).
4. FORMAT
(a) Double-spacing for all sections. Single-spacing can be used for footnote,
appendices, tables and diagrams.
(b) Font type: Times New
(c) Font size 12 for all text and font size 8 for footnotes.
5.WORD LIMIT
8000-10000 words
6. INDENT
The indents of pages as follows.
Top: 1.0 inch
Right: 1.0 inch
Left: 1.5 inch
Bottom: 1.0 inch
7. PAGE NUMBERING
(a) Font size 10;
(b) All page numbers should be printed 1.0 cm from the bottom margin and
placed on the right-hand side;
(c) Roman numerals (i, ii, iii etc.) should be used in the Preface section;
(d) The Title Page and the first page of the Preface should not be numbered.
Numbering begins on the second page with ‘ii’.
8. Turnitin
Must be less than 19 % and checked by Program Support Officer.
Note: To be submitted with the final Thesis.
Appendix 5 - SUPERVISOR-STUDENT MEETING RECORD FORM

Supervisor-Student Meeting Record Form

Semester -------------------------- Program M B A

Student Name --------------------------------------- Student ID ------------------------

Thesis Title ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Supervisor Name -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Meeting 1
Date and time * Medium of Communication
Summary of Discussion

Student Signature Supervisor Signature

 Meeting 2
Date and time * Medium of Communication
Summary of Discussion

Student Signature Supervisor Signature

Meeting 3
Date and time * Medium of Communication
Summary of Discussion

Student Signature Supervisor Signature

 Meeting 4
Date and time * Medium of Communication

Summary of Discussion

Student Signature Supervisor Signature

Meeting 5
Date and time * Medium of Communication
Summary of Discussion

Student Signature Supervisor Signature

Note: Please add extra sheet for more than 5 meetings. Minimum 8 meeting are compulsory for each student.
*Medium of Communication 1. Face to face 2. Telephone 3. E-mail 4. Facebook 5. WhatsApp 6. Video conferencing 7.
Voice Chat 8. Other
Appendix 6- ADVISOR MEETING RECORD FORM
Appendix 7- PLAGIARISM VERIFICATION

Plagiarism Verification
(Note: This form is filled when student submits)
Title

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Page -----------------

Student Name ---------------------------------------Registration ID---------------------

Supervisor -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Program --------MBA------------------Faculty of Management Sciences

This is to report that the above thesis was scanned for similarity detection. Process and outcome is given
below (Plagiarism maximum percentage allowed is 19% and no more than 5% from a single source):

Software used ---turnitin --------------- Date -----------------------

Similarity Index-------------------------- Total word count--------------

File Name ------------------------------- Digital Receipt No -------------

--------------------------- -------------------------
Checked by (Name & Signature)
(Signature & Stamp)

* Please attach report mentioning similarity index duly signed and stamped.