A note that examines two common viewpoints in MBA dissertation research theme formulation

A note that examines two common viewpoints in MBA dissertation research theme formulation (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "In the context of doing part-time MBA dissertation projects, I would ask you to review these two viewpoints: (1) it is not adequate to formulate an MBA dissertation research theme purely based on the working experience of a part-time MBA student, and (2) it is important to perform some preliminary exploratory study on a few candidate themes by reading some relevant academic readings and public media news so as to produce, via some brainstorming effort, a more properly formulated research theme."

The reply: "Viewpoint (1) is broadly sound, but needs nuance, and viewpoint (2) is both important and strongly supported by good research practice.

On using only work experience

Relying purely on a part-time MBA student’s own work experience to formulate a dissertation topic is usually not adequate for academic purposes. A topic derived only from one organization or role tends to be:

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• Narrow in context and hard to generalize, which weakens academic contribution and theory linkage.
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• At risk of duplicating problems already well-studied in the literature, leading to low novelty or “reinventing the wheel.”

• Driven by practical irritation (“what bugs me at work”) rather than a clearly specified research gap or conceptual puzzle.

However, work experience is a valuable starting source of ideas in applied fields like business, housing, and finance, because it reveals real managerial problems and practical relevance. The academically stronger approach is: workplace issue → map to theories and prior studies → refine into a researchable, gap-based theme.

So: your experience alone is not sufficient justification for an MBA dissertation theme, but it is an important input that must be checked and reshaped through academic work.

Importance of preliminary exploratory study

A preliminary, exploratory phase (short literature scan + practitioner/media scan + brainstorming) is exactly what most research guides recommend before committing to a dissertation topic.

Key functions of this phase:

• Identifying gaps, trends, and debates: An initial literature review helps you see what has been done, where the gaps are, and how your idea might add something new.

• Establishing feasibility and scope: Early scanning shows whether there is enough prior work and accessible data to support a master’s-level project, and helps narrow an over‑broad idea.

• Clarifying academic and practical value: By combining academic articles with professional reports and news, you can frame a topic that is both theoretically grounded and relevant to practitioners.

Brainstorming techniques (mind mapping, brainwriting, concept mapping) are widely recommended to move from a loose idea set to a small number of well-defined, promising topics. They help you generate many variants of a theme and then filter them against criteria like relevance, novelty, and data access.

How the two viewpoints fit together for a part-time MBA

For a part-time MBA student, a good workflow is:

1. Start from 2–3 issues deeply rooted in your own work context (e.g. leadership, housing policy implementation, customer analytics, ESG reporting).

2. Do a preliminary literature and practice scan on each candidate: core academic articles, recent review papers, industry reports, credible news.

3. Use structured brainstorming (mind map or concept map) to connect workplace issues with theories, variables, and potential methods, then narrow and sharpen the themes.

4. Choose the theme that shows a clear gap in the literature, feasible data access, and strong relevance to your own organization or sector.

Under this logic:

• Viewpoint (1) is correct if interpreted as “work experience alone is not a sufficient academic foundation.”

• Viewpoint (2) is essential: preliminary exploratory study is what converts practice-driven ideas into rigorous, MBA-level dissertation themes with clear academic and practical contributions."

My question 2: "Should an MBA student only start to do preliminary literature review and "serious" research theme exploration after meeting his/ her supervisor and learning the supervisor's comments? However, the initial comments from the supervisors tend to be vague, not very concrete."

The reply: "No, an MBA student should not wait to meet their supervisor before starting preliminary literature review and serious research theme exploration. Research guides and MBA program advice strongly recommend beginning this work early to build a strong foundation and make better use of supervisor input.

Why start before supervisor meeting

Preliminary literature scanning and theme brainstorming are foundational steps that help you refine ideas independently and arrive at meetings with focused proposals. Waiting delays progress and risks vague initial supervisor comments remaining unaddressed longer. Key benefits include:

• Spotting gaps, trends, and feasibility early, which sharpens your topic before feedback.

• Demonstrating initiative, allowing supervisors to provide targeted advice on a solid starting point rather than starting from scratch.
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• Building your own understanding, as writing and reading are learning processes that evolve non-linearly.

Explicit advice from MBA programs like Warwick Business School: "Once you roughly know the topic... start researching. Do not wait until you have a supervisor."

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Handling vague initial supervisor comments

Supervisors often give high-level feedback first (e.g., "broaden/narrow the scope" or "link to theory") because they respond to what you present, and early proposals are typically underdeveloped. Treat this as normal and iterative:

• Use it to prioritize: vague comments signal areas needing more lit review or data exploration on your end first.
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• Submit refined work chapter-by-chapter (starting with lit review or proposal outline) for more concrete input, as recommended for MBA/Housing Studies projects.
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• Prepare questions in advance: "Does this gap align with current debates?" or "Is this scope feasible for 12 months?" to elicit specifics.

This sequential submission turns vague starts into detailed guidance over time.

Recommended timeline for part-time MBA

Stage	Action	Timing
Pre-supervisor	Brainstorm 2-3 themes from work experience; scan 10-20 key papers/ news per theme.	Immediately after topic ideas emerge (e.g., now)
First meeting	Present 1-page theme summaries with lit gaps; seek directional feedback.	Within 1-2 weeks of assignment
Post-first feedback	Deepen lit review (20-50 sources); draft proposal outline for next review.	2-4 weeks after meeting
Ongoing	Iterate via chapter drafts; use notes for non-linear evolution.	Monthly check-ins

 

This approach maximizes limited supervisor time while minimizing delays in your part-time schedule.

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.