1. SUMMER PROJECT WORK

2. Focus of Discussion What the SPW is all about?
Purpose and nature of SPW
Report writing: Styles and format
Reporting and interpreting data
Citations and references
Ethics for SPW report writers
Reporting requirements

3. Summer Project Work: Project Planning and Proposal Writing Workshop

4. Difference between a thesis and a project work

5. Level of Analysis Thesis: Theoretical focus:
Developing a theoretical framework; testing the theory; and contributing to new knowledge generation.
This research works at the instrumental level.
Project Work: Empirical focus: Understanding the situation; analyzing it; and solving current problems.
This research works at the primary level.
Dr Salmiah Mohamad Amin FPPSM, UTM

6. A country and its business cannot grow without new ideas, creativity, innovation and value addition.

7. What are the sources and methods of idea generation?
Knowledge
Experience
Observation
Exposure

8. The purpose of SPW is to increase students’ practical exposure and develop their business ideas. Idea about value addition Make the SPW a team work Higher education is highly labour intensive Knowledge industry SPW can be planned to develop the teaching materials

9. Critical Thinking
Even after completing all course work, students cannot select a single issue for their research work.
This is an example of lack of critical thinking skills.

10. Summer project is a great opportunity for students to develop marketable skills to prepare for the transition from academia into the workforce.

11. What is SPW? It is a compulsory assignment.
It is off-the-classroom and field-based assignment.
SPW is an organized, systematic, data-based, and fact-finding investigation into a specific situation.
Organized
Systematic
Data-based (Evidence is the raw material of research)
Fact finding

12. Knowledge Generation SPW (new knowledge is created)
Internship (knowledge is applied and verified)
These are built-in mechanisms in any academic program of business administration.
These activities are the barometers of measuring the academic health of an institution.
Knowledge is the source of competitiveness.

13. We cannot generalize SPW activities.
There is no one best way for undertaking all research. A wide range of techniques and methods exist.

14. Purpose of the SPW Expose students to the business or social reality.
Promote student-directed learning.
Provide opportunity to students to work in area of their interest.
Provide students an opportunity to integrate their course work knowledge with application.
Develop inter-personal and communication skills.
Provide opportunity to work closely with a faculty member.
Develop data-processing and report writing skills (preliminary research training).
Provide opportunity to learn how organizations work.
Provide opportunity to make useful contacts.

15. Activities Involved in Writing a SPW Report
The following activities will be involved in the SPW report writing:
Selecting a relevant topic or issue for the study;
Getting approval of the Research Committee to pursue the proposed study;
Locating the relevant literature;
Locating the sources of information;
Extracting the relevant information from different sources;
Organizing and analyzing the data;
Drawing conclusions; and
Writing a SPW report.

16. Nature of SPW It can be of the following two types:
Descriptive Studies
Small-scale surveys
Case studies
Documentary analysis based on secondary data
Community-based Development Projects

17. Exploratory Research
Exploratory research is a study undertaken in areas where very little prior knowledge or information is available on the subject under investigation.
When knowledge is scant and a deeper understanding is needed, exploration is required.
It is an initial research conducted to study and define the nature of a problem.
It is the first stage of any research, which is new and unexplored.

18. Descriptive Studies Footpath business Street vendors Call centers
Micro enterprises
Use of credit cards
Mineral water market
Vegetable market
Finance cooperatives
Music industry
Insurance business
Fast food café
Tourism business

19. Small-scale Surveys Survey of shop-keepers in street festivals
Survey of restaurant diners
Survey of cinema goers
Survey of salary scales
Survey of shoppers in a departmental store
Survey of tourists visiting Pokhara
Survey of dealers and retailers
Survey of residents of a locality

20. Case Studies Select a unit of analysis:
Individual (Women entrepreneurs)
Organization (Micro enterprises)

21. Community-based Development Projects
Community and development-related studies:
Waste management
Literacy
Public transportation
Drinking water supply
Community services
Community participation

22. REPORT WRITING

23. What is a SPW Report?
A SPW report is simply a statement or description of things that have already occurred.
It is a concise, clear communication of the findings of the research work.
In any game of communication, the following actions and actors are involved:
The communicator
The information and its transmission
The audience

24. The SPW Process There are five steps in the report process:
Information sources
(data, literature, observation)
Condensation
(data cards, editing, coding, master data sheets)
Combination
(charts, tables, graphs, diagrams, pictures)
Assimilation
(analysis, interpretation, writing)
Finished product
(report)

25. Systematic Process of SPW
Identify a broad area of study
Select the research topic Planning Phase
Decide the approach
Formulate the plan
Collect data/information Implementation Phase
Analyze and interpret data
Present the findings Presentation Phase

26. TITLE OF THE SUMMER PROJECTBY
Student’s Full Name   
A Summer Project Report Submitted to
Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of 
Bachelor of Business Administration
at the
Name of the Campus/College
Tribhuvan University
Place
Month/Year

27. STUDENT’S DECLARATION (on plain paper)
This is to certify that I have completed the Summer Project entitled”(title of the project)” under the guidance of “(name of the guide)” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration at Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University. This is my original work and I have not submitted it earlier elsewhere.
Date: Signature:
Name:

28. CERTIFICATE FROM THE SUPERVISOR
This is to certify that the summer project entitled “____________________” is an academic work done by “__________________” submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration at Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University under my guidance and supervision. To the best of my knowledge, the information presented by him/her in the summer project report has not been submitted earlier. 
____________________
Signature of the Supervisor
Name
Designation
Date

29. BODY OF THE REPORT Chapter I Introduction
Chapter II Data Presentation and Analysis (including SWOT analysis)
Chapter III Conclusion and Action Implications
Supplementary Materials
References
Appendices

30. INTRODUCTION
Background information on the topic so that students are able to ‘place’ their summer project report in the study context. This chapter is the engine that drives the rest of the SP report. The contents of this chapter may include:
Context information
Purpose of the study
Significance of the study
Literature survey
Research methods used for data collection and analysis

31. DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter is the main body of the report. Essentially this chapter draws the scenario of the study unit, analyzes data and tells the reader what the findings might mean, how valuable they are and why. This chapter includes the following contents:
Organization/situation/respondent profile
Data presentation
Data analysis
SWOT analysis
Findings and discussion

32. CONCLUSION AND ACTION IMPLICATIONS
The purpose of this chapter is to tie together, or integrate the various issues covered in the body of the SP report. This includes noting any practical implications resulting from the discussion of the topic. The contents of the chapter will be as follows:
Conclusion
Action/practice/policy implications

33. STYLE OF WRITING Write clearly Adhere to the study objectives
Be careful of terminologies, grammar and spellings
Be selective
Be objective
Draw conclusions

34. COMMON PROBLEMS IN SPW REPORTING
Review of literature section is unorganized
Inappropriate application of research instruments
Sampling
Mixing facts and opinions
Confusion in findings and conclusions
Use of inappropriate statistical tools
Defective citation and referencing
Neglect of qualitative data

35. COMMON ….. Language Sweeping remarks Without interpretation
Careless presentation and proofreading
Unsupported recommendations
Poor organization of materials
Window dressing
Researcher’s ethics

36. REPORTING DATA

37. Some Examples
Wording
Use wording that is as similar to the question asked as possible. For instance:
Fifty percent of the employees “agree” or “strongly agree” that “there is a lot of flexibility when decisions are made”.
The majority (65%) of teachers implementing Education Project Nepal believe that the “content of the curriculum was very appropriate for their students”.

38. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

39. Example…. Reporting from largest to smallest
Report results from largest to smallest for multiple questions related to one another. This is generally the easiest way to read this information. For instance:
Seventy percent of the participants of the bar-tenders’ training reported that they felt the overall quality of the training was high. Sixty percent reported that the training will be beneficial to them in performing their job.

40. Example…..
Know when to report in percentages and when to report in numbers.
Of the 12 employees who were surveyed in December 2016, 78 percent reported that they feel strongly committed to the new policy.
Of the eight members who participated in the survey in August 2016, seven “strongly agree” or “agree” that they feel strongly committed to the new policy.
Numbers at the beginning of a sentence must be spelled.

41. Example…. Clubing scales
Most of the questionnaires use scales such as “Strongly agree,” “Agree,” “Disagree,” and “Strongly disagree,” the agreement and disagreement categories can be combined to simplify the reporting of findings.
Sixty percent of the training participants believe that the training should be required for all waiters serving food to customers.
“Sixty percent (n= 18) of the sample either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement that the holiday season tends to cause a great deal of anxiety.”

42. Other Examples……
Most of the teachers who taught Management Accounting, 78% were comfortable teaching the course.
Of the 15 teachers teaching Management Accounting course, 62 percent think that their students were interested in the information shared.
When asked whether they would recommend the curriculum to other teachers, 72 percent of teachers agreed, while 28 percent of teachers disagreed.

43. Reporting Continuous Data
Another form of data that may be reported is continuous data (e.g., months, years, hours, and numbers of participants).
Employees reported being involved with the New Policy for between six months and five years (average = 2 years).
Sixty percent of employees reported that they were involved with the New Policy for less than one year, while 40 percent reported more than one year of involvement.

44. Reporting open-ended questions
Eighty percent of the participants in the beverage server training felt that this training will be beneficial to them in performing their jobs. When asked what they will do differently as a server as a result of this training, one participant stated, “I will know what to say when I feel someone is too drunk for another drink” while another said, “I will be more invested in checking IDs from everyone in the bar.”

45. Verbatim List
Employees were asked about their initial reason for deciding to participate in the New Policy. Their responses include:
“I saw too many kids drinking at parties and I wanted to do something.”
“I joined because [another member] told me what great work the company was doing.”
“I work for [a social organization] and we are trying to help reduce alcohol consumption by youths.”

46. Reporting Themes
Meeting and working with other strategic alliance partners:
“Working with others who share similar values.”
“Networking at meetings.”
Seeing positive outcomes due to our work:
“Seeing changes in our employees.”
“Hearing about fewer underage drinking abuses.”
Being involved more in the community:
“Becoming a part of the community.”

47. Number of respondents who mention particular theme
Members of this alliance feel that the most worthwhile aspect of their partnership includes:
Meeting and working with other alliance members. (N=2)
Seeing positive outcomes due to our work. (N=2)
Being involved more in the community. (N=1)

48. Reporting and Interpreting Data
Reporting data
Only 26 percent of the employees interviewed reported knowing how to handle emergency procedures like industrial accidents, fire, and earthquake events.
Interpreting data
This finding shows how unaware and unprepared the employees are in handling emergency situations and illustrates that perhaps efforts to provide emergency training for employees need to be stepped up by organizations.

49. Reporting and Interpreting Data
Reporting data
The majority of the respondents (75%) said that they had to wait for more than an hour before being able to board a bus at Ratna Park in the evening, between 4pm to 7pm.
Interpreting data
The finding indicates that the frequency of bus service in the evening peak hours is inadequate in Kathmandu.

50. CITATIONS AND REFERENCING

51. References For a book For an edited book
Harrison, A. (2006). Just-in-time manufacturing in perspective. New York: Prentice Hall.
Peppard, J., & Rawland, P. (2006). Business process re-engineering. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India.
For an edited book
Singh, R., & Manandhar, N. (Eds.). (2007). Human psychology at work. Kathmandu: Sastoma Kitab Publishers.
For a journal article
Joshi, P. (1998). Labour management: A cross-country overview of South Asian countries. The Nepalese Management Review, 3(1), 1-14.
For a newspaper
The Rising Nepal. (1996, July 15). p.2
For an Internet site
Pokhara University (online) (cited 2008, January 7). Available <

52. Examples of Citation Direct Quotation
Block and Indented Quotation
The UNDP (2007) makes an assessment of the current status of technology transfer in Nepal in the following words:
Foreign aid has played a major role in the source and value of technology imports including those in the manufacturing sector. Much of the technology transfer under the category has been the turnkey type. The percentage of foreign technical personnel has assisted in acquiring operational competence. However, it does not seem to have led to the development of indigenous capabilities for technological innovation and upgradation (p. 44).
Within-sentence Quotation
According to UNDP (2007), “Foreign aid has played a major role in the source and value of technology imports in Nepal” (p. 44).
Paraphrase and Summary
UNDP (2007) argued that the increasing use of foreign technical personnel working in Nepal does not lead to the development of local capabilities for technical innovation.
Generalization
There is wide agreement that the presence of foreign experts would ultimately affect the capability-building of the local people. The increasing use of such foreign experts in Nepal has increased the country’s dependence on them for technological innovation and upgradation (Gurung, 1997; Tuladhar & Thapa, 2007; Yadav, 2009; and Chaudhary, 2011).

53. ETHICS FOR RESEARCHERS

54. What is Research Ethics?
Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choice about our behavior and our relationships with others.
The goal is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities.

55. Common Ethical Issues
Put pressure on the respondents to grant access to confidential information.
Violate an individual’s right to privacy; force the respondents to provide personal data.
Fabricate the data; replace actual data with false data.
Alter the data to make them “look better” or fit with theory.
Select only the best data for reporting.
Claim credit for the work done by others.
Report data without permission from the organization.
Share the research result with colleagues and others prior to its finalization and publication.
Make unauthorized copies of data and reports.
Publish the same paper in two different journals.
Publish a collaborative work in one’s own name.
Waste materials and animals in research.

56. Reporting Requirements
Paper: Standard A4 size
Margins: Top, bottom and right 1.0” and left 1.5”
Line spacing: 1.5
No of copies to be submitted: 3
Total pages required: pages
(10,000 to 12,000 words)
Binding: Spiral
Style of citation: APA