An MBA dissertation report (a sketchy sample): on job value co-creation

An MBA dissertation report (a sketchy sample): on job value co-creation

What are: (1) the main research theme, (2) the main research issues, and (3) the main research objectives of this article? 

Based on the content of the article "Value co-creation in tourism live shopping": 

1. Main Research Theme: The central theme revolves around understanding value co-creation in tourism live shopping. Specifically, it focuses on how customers and tourism live streamers interact to co-create value during live-streamed shopping sessions within the tourism industry. 

2. Main Research Issues: The study addresses the following core issues: 

• Despite the increasing use of live streaming to sell tourism offerings, the mechanism through which value is added to customer shopping experiences remains underexplored, especially from a customer-centric perspective. 

• The need to understand how customers can actively co-create value through interactions enabled by tourism live shopping platforms. 

• The role of tourism live streamers’ credibility traits (trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness) in fostering customer co-creation behaviors. 

• The moderating role of social presence (the sense of being “there” and genuine interaction) in enhancing the effect of streamer credibility on customer engagement and value co-creation. 

3. Main Research Objectives: The study aims to: 

• Investigate how customers co-create value by using the interactive features in tourism live shopping. 

• Examine how the credibility of tourism live streamers influences customer co-creation behaviors. 

• Explore how social presence during the live shopping sessions may moderate the influence of streamer credibility on customer co-creation behavior, ultimately enhancing the perceived value of the shopping experience. 

These objectives are approached through a conceptual framework grounded in source credibility and social presence theories, with empirical testing conducted in the context of Chinese tourism live commerce 

 Describe two main arguments of the article in terms of the Toulmin model of argument. 

Based on the article "Value co-creation in tourism live shopping" and its empirical findings , two main arguments can be described using the Toulmin model of argument, which consists of Claim, Data (Grounds), Warrant, Backing, Qualifier, and Rebuttal: 

 

Argument 1: The Influence of Live Streamer Credibility on Customer Co-Creation Behavior • Claim: The credibility traits of tourism live streamers (trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness) positively influence customer co-creation behaviors during tourism live shopping. 

• Data (Grounds): Empirical results showed significant positive relationships between trustworthiness (β = 0.314), expertise (β = 0.355), and attractiveness (β = 0.323) with customer participation behavior, as well as with customer citizenship behavior (β values all significant) . 

• Warrant: Based on source credibility theory, credible sources are more persuasive and able to foster active engagement and participation among consumers . 

• Backing: Prior literature supports that credible influencers increase consumer trust and interactions in marketing contexts (e.g., Hovland & Weiss, 1951; Ohanian, 1990; Ismagilova et al., 2020) . 

• Qualifier: These effects are significant and supported statistically in the context studied, although they may vary depending on platform characteristics or cultural contexts. 

• Rebuttal: Some customer co-creation behaviors might be influenced by other factors such as platform interface or product type that were not the focus in this study. 

 

Argument 2: The Moderating Role of Social Presence in Enhancing the Effect of Streamer Credibility 

• Claim: The level of social presence during tourism live shopping sessions positively moderates the effect of live streamer credibility traits on customer co-creation behaviors. 

• Data (Grounds): The study empirically identifies that higher social presence strengthens the impact of streamer credibility on customer participation and citizenship behaviors . 

• Warrant: Social presence theory posits that a stronger sense of “being there” and genuine interaction in mediated environments enhances the influence of communicators and drives engagement . 

• Backing: Research on social presence in digital marketing contexts indicates that higher social presence increases consumer trust and interactive behaviors (e.g., Short et al., 1976; Kreijns et al., 2022) .

 • Qualifier: This moderating effect holds true within the constraints of the studied tourism live shopping platforms and audience demographics. 

• Rebuttal: In cases of low social presence or less interactive platforms, the moderating effect may be diminished or non-significant. 

These two arguments capture the article’s main claims about the mechanisms of value co-creation in tourism live shopping, supported by quantitative data and established theory 

In terms of an MBA dissertation report structure, highlight 3 main points from the article on each of the following dissertation chapters: Introduction Literature review Research methodology Presentation of research findings Discussion of research findings Conclusions and recommendations. 

Here are three main points from the article "Value co-creation in tourism live shopping" mapped onto typical MBA dissertation chapters:  

1. Introduction 

• Tourism live shopping is an emergent e-commerce format combining live streaming and tourism offerings, with growing consumer engagement but limited academic understanding of how customer value is co-created in this setting . 

• The study emphasizes the role of tourism live-streamers’ credibility traits (trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness) as key drivers for customer co-creation behaviors critical to value generation . 

• Live streamer credibility alone may not guarantee customer engagement; the study proposes exploring social presence as a contextual boundary condition influencing co-creation behaviors . 

2. Literature Review 

• Customer co-creation in tourism is defined as customers actively participating or engaging in value production, requiring cognitive and affective inputs that determine perceived value 

• Source credibility theory underpins the conceptualization of live-streamer credibility, which includes trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness, each linked to enhanced customer interaction and trust in tourism contexts . 

• Social presence theory provides a theoretical lens to explain how communication cues and interactive features in live streaming mediate the influence of streamer credibility on customer behavioral outcomes . 

3. Research Methodology 

• The study used a quantitative survey grounded in validated scales (e.g., Ohanian’s credibility scale, Gefen & Straub’s social presence scale) adapted for the tourism live shopping context, piloted through observations in Chinese live commerce . 

• Data collection involved an online survey targeting experienced users of tourism live shopping platforms, yielding 434 valid responses after screening and attention checks, ensuring data relevance and quality . 

• Structural equation modeling (SEM) using Mplus was employed for measurement validity, hypothesis testing of direct, mediating, and moderating effects, focusing on the relationships between streamer credibility, social presence, co-creation behavior, and perceived value . 

4. Presentation of Research Findings 

• Customer participation behavior was positively associated with perceived cognitive value, while customer citizenship behavior correlated with affective value; some expected associations were not significant . 

• All three dimensions of live-streamer credibility (trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness) showed significant positive effects on both customer participation and citizenship behaviors, supporting Hypothesis 2 . 

• Customer co-creation behaviors mediated the relationships between live-streamer credibility traits and customer perceived value; social presence was confirmed as a positive moderator amplifying these effects in tourism live shopping . 

5. Discussion of Research Findings 

• The findings validate the critical role of live-streamer credibility in facilitating active customer value co-creation behaviors, confirming and extending source credibility theory to tourism live shopping . 

• The distinct roles of participation behavior (linked to cognitive value) and citizenship behavior (linked to affective value) highlight the dual pathways through which customers derive value . 

• The moderating role of social presence emphasizes the importance of interactive live streaming features and real-time communication in boosting engagement and co-creation outcomes . 

6. Conclusions and Recommendations 

• Credible tourism live streamers who are trustworthy, knowledgeable, and attractive are instrumental in engaging customers to co-create value, thereby enhancing perceived cognitive and affective value of live shopping experiences . 

• Live shopping platforms should enhance social presence cues (e.g., interactive chats, real-time feedback) to maximize the positive effects of streamer credibility on customer engagement and co-creation behavior . 

• Future research could explore cross-cultural validations and the impacts of other technological features while tourism marketers should strategically invest in training and selecting credible live streamers to optimize live commerce performance .

Reference

Zang, Y.Z. and Prebensen, N.K.  2025. "Value co-creation in tourism live shopping" Journal of Business Research 186. 114964.

A note on focus group

A note on focus group

On 8 general characteristics of focus group as a research method, notably in the context of MBA dissertation projects.

Focus groups offer a dynamic qualitative method for MBA dissertations, capturing group interactions to explore business topics like consumer preferences or team dynamics. They excel in generating shared insights within time-constrained projects.

Small Group Size

Typically involves 6-10 participants to foster intimate discussion without overwhelming moderation. In MBA dissertations, this scale suits exploring niche issues like employee reactions to hybrid work models.

Homogeneous Participants

Participants share key traits (e.g., demographics, roles) for relevant, focused dialogue while allowing viewpoint diversity. MBA researchers select groups like mid-level managers to probe strategy implementation challenges.

Trained Moderator

A skilled facilitator guides with open-ended questions, ensuring balanced participation and topic coverage. For dissertations, this role prevents dominance, yielding richer data on topics like market entry barriers.

Group Interaction Emphasis

Insights emerge from participant exchanges, sparking ideas beyond individual responses. This dynamic aids MBA projects in uncovering collective rationales, such as customer loyalty drivers.

Limited Duration

Sessions last 90 minutes to 2 hours to maintain engagement and manage logistics. Dissertation timelines benefit from this efficiency, enabling multiple groups for triangulation.

Recorded Sessions

Discussions are audio/video-taped or noted for accurate transcription and thematic analysis. MBA students leverage this for coding group norms in business contexts like innovation adoption.

Structured Guide

Uses a flexible question sequence—warm-up, core topics, wrap-up—to align with research objectives. In dissertations, it ensures coverage of hypotheses, such as branding perceptions.

Multiple Sessions

Series of 3+ groups reaches saturation, refining findings iteratively. MBA projects use this to validate patterns, like investor sentiments on Singapore REITs, within resource limits.

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.