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2023/2024  BA-BHAAV2307U  Reviewing research to identify questions for your Bachelor thesis

English Title
Reviewing research to identify questions for your Bachelor thesis

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 60
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Anne-Karen Hüske - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Guest lectures might be invited to present their systematic reviews to inspire the students.
Main academic disciplines
  • Management
  • Methodology and philosophy of science
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 08-02-2023

Relevant links
Learning objectives
At the exam the student should demonstrate that s/he achieved the following learning objectives:
  • Motivate and define a research question for a systematic literature review
  • Design and conduct a systematic literature review and a content analysis to synthesize previous and recent literature
  • Critically synthesize the state of the art responding to the research question, identify gaps in research and identify avenues for future research
Examination
Reviewing research to identify questions for your Bachelor thesis:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 10 pages
(excluding tables, figures, and references)
Assignment type Scientific paper
Release of assignment Subject chosen by students themselves, see guidelines if any
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter, The students will develop their project during the course and submit a 10-pager (excluding references, tables, and figures) at the end of the course.
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Re-take exam if ordinary exam is failed: The retake examination is based on the same written product as the original exam. However, at the retake you need to submit a revised version addressing the feedback and comments on the original product as provided by the examiners at the ordinary examination.
Make-up exam when ill for the ordinary exam: Written product (‘systematic review’) submitted upon a deadline specified for the retake.
Description of the exam procedure

The students will submit their systematic literature review (max. 10 pages excluding tables and references).
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

The course provides students with an introduction to conducting systematic literature reviews. Students design and implement a systematic literature for a self-chosen topic related to business. The students are encouraged to do their literature review related to topics of societal changemaker, social entrepreneur, or sustainable entrepreneurship to address humanity’s challenges, which relate to sustainability, digitalization, demographic, etc.

This provides the student with a student-centered learning experience and enables them to explore a suitable topic for their Bachelor thesis. The students train in competencies such as formulating a research question, identifying data sources, and developing a coding scheme to respond to the research question, analyzing and synthesizing the identified research. From the research synthesis, the students will derive gaps for future research, and implications for policy and practitioners. These could be the starting point for their thesis project.
Description of the teaching methods
Teaching consists of lectures, interactive exercises, and peer-feedback sessions. Lectures complemented by exercises focus on introducing the basics of the research methodology of why and how to conduct a systematic literature review and the content analysis to synthesize the literature complemented with illustrating exercises. In peer-feedback sessions, the students present and discuss the progress of their projects along the different steps of the systematic review (motivation of research question, research design: systematic review and coding scheme for content analysis, results and deriving avenues for future research as well as implications for research, policy, and practice) with peer students and the instructor. Peer feedback will enhance the learning experience to reflect on their own and others learning. We apply blended learning by combining on-campus teaching elements with online elements (canvas).
Feedback during the teaching period
Students receive continuous feedback in these dedicated feedback sessions for the development of their projects over the whole course. These sessions are a crucial element for students to learn how they can meet the specific learning objectives of this course. Feedback by the instructor will always complement peer feedback. The students can also make use of the ‘office hours’ provided by the course coordinator. These never substitute for participation in lectures and exercises, but are a forum to discuss urgent issues regarding lack of progress, individual learning challenges, etc. In the course examination, students receive feedback from the internal examiner.
Student workload
Teaching 38 hours
Preapration and research 120 hours
Exam 50 hours
Further Information

The main academic discipline depends on the topic for the systematic review, which will be chosen by the student her/himself. It should be related to business.

 

Identify a research topic related to business responses to humanity’s great challenges (Nordic Nine K3) can become part of the learning objectives depending on the chosen topic.
Expected literature

The literature includes scientific articles to understand the methodology and examples of reviews. Please see the following examples.

 

Literature related to systematic review as methodology:

Bacq, S., Drover, W., Kim, P.H. 2021 Writing bold, broad, and rigorous review articles in entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 36 (6).

Fan, D., Breslin, D., Callahan, J.L., Iszatt-White, M. (2022) Advancing literature review methodology through rigour, generativity, scope and transparency. International Journal of Management Reviews, 24:171–180.

Hiebl, Martin R. W. 2021 Sample Selection in Systematic Literature Reviews of Management Research.” Organizational Research Methods (online first).

 

Example literature reviews related to SDGs and business responses:

Silva, S. 2021 Corporate contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals: An empirical analysis informed by legitimacy theory. Journal of Cleaner Production 292.

Geissdoerfer, M.; Vladimirova, D., Evans, S. 2018 Sustainable business model innovation: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production 198: 401-416.

 

The majority of the literature will be defined by the topic chosen to conduct the systematic literature review.
Last updated on 08-02-2023