MBA / 2020-2021

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

BUSINESS STATISTICS

Inception Course

Professor Dr. Mihai KORKA

mihaikorka@gmail.com
 Agenda

• Course objectives and content

• Learning in online education and training

• Evaluation Project
 Course objectives and content
• Objectives:
- Set of tools and indicators for the assessment of the
economic environment in a country;
- Methodology for the international comparative analysis of
economic environments.
• Content:
- Operating in the environment of an open economy.
- Business decision making and the need for data;
- Data taxonomy and sources of data;
- Assessment based on statistics and alternative tools.
 8 lectures

• Living and working in an open economy

• The need for data related to the economic environment
• Exploring the economic environment
• Economic development and growth & Price indicators
• Human resources & Social stability
• The external sector
• International trade in goods and services
• Foreign direct investments & External debt
 Learning in online education and training

• Acquiring knowledge and appropriate use of concepts and

analytical tools (course support + glossary of terms +
bibliography). Official statistics and alternative tools;
• Understanding and exercising the assessment of the
various facets specific to the economic environment (in
class and at home);
• Implementing comparative analysis;
• Adopting a systemic approach for decision making;
• Applying oral and written communication skills.
 Evaluation Project
• Evaluation:
- Written exam: evaluation of each student: a chapter from a
“Country Report” project prepared by each student by using
international data bases and following methodological advice
offered in the uploaded Guidelines;
- By the end of the courses, each student registers online for
examination and expresses his/her option concerning the
country and project chapter chosen for evaluation;
- On the exam day students upload their paper till 23.59.
Grades will be available in one week.
• Evaluation project: country report guidelines
Dissertation paper guidelines
 Master Thesis = Dissertation Paper

• In Latin “dissertare” means to debate.

• In academic communities, a dissertation (Master thesis) is a
written discussion paper on a chosen topic.
• It is the result of an in-depth independent research aimed at
enlargement of the knowledge existing in the field of study.
• This research paper should mirror the level of graduate
education (level 7 in EQF) in terms of knowledge and skills
acquired through the disciplines composing the curriculum.
• Topic and content of the dissertation paper have to be
pertinent to the study programme.
Criteria for choosing the topic of the thesis
• Relevant to the master’s degree programme, not to a
discipline of the curriculum;
• Avoid to broad topic as it should be fully covered by the
dissertation paper content;
• The topic should ilustrate the professional and scientific
interest of the student;
• In formulating a topic, student + scientific coordinator have
to be aware of potential limitations in the desk research or in
the data collection for the case study. They have to find
viable alternatives aimed to allow for an appropriate
treatement of the topic.
 Choosing the scientific coordinator

He/She should:

• Be scientifically interested in the topic suggested by the

student in the dissertation proposal (concept);
• Be competent in terms of previous reserch output or
professional activities:
• Be available for offering scientific and methodological
advice;
• Assure a good and systemic communication with the
student.
 Writing a dissertation proposal (concept)
• It is a blueprint for action. So write it in the future tense.
• To be accepted by the scientific coordinator, the title has to be
clear and concise (unambiguous) and the concept has to:
- explain why have you chosen the topic in the context of what
we already know. Your research question(s) should lead to the
objective of the thesis;
- demonstrate the robustness of the research objective and
how this relates to the existing literature;
- describe the research plan and applicable methodology (the
what, why and how in your future research);
- show your strong commitment to acomplish the work.
• Some revision rounds are eventually necessary to finalise the
concept in a direct dialogue with the scientific advisor.
 Articulating research question(s)
• The literature review (mainly scholarly articles and books) is
the primary source for formulating a draft of potential
research questions related to the suggested topic.
• Explore this topic by asking what issues surround it, what
are the knowledge or practical needs in the area, what are
(possible) influential factors in the respective area and how
they exert impact, etc.
• By mapping these ideas, you will come up with your own
research question and eventually formulate one or more
hypothesis on how the topic changes when the researched
populalation is sub-divided according to relevant variables or
descriptors.
Correct research question Wrong definition of a
research question
What effect does daily use of What effect do social media
Facebook have on the attention have on people’s minds?
span of under-16s?
What effects had the Why is there a student housing
internationalization of crisis in Bucharest university
universities on the availability hostels?
and affordability of housing for
students in Bucharest?
What effects do different legal How can drunk driving be
approaches have on people who prevented?
drive after drinking in
Romania?
 Documenting a master thesis
In the era of Internet:
- It is recommended to start with a general survey of the
refereed literature, which can be helped by finding review
papers in the respective field of research. This is
followed by an in-depth survey of the papers which are
closely connected to the dissertation topic.
- Much web-based material is not refereed and, unless
confirmed from other sources, makes poor reference.
Thus, it is not un-reasonable to use web-resources as a
starting point of the research. However, it is strongly
recommended to confirm any information included in the
paper from refereed or reviewed sources and reference
those sources in the dissertation.
 Size of a dissertation paper

• Usually universities recommend a length of 60 pages for

the core text. There are good academic reasons for
having such a limit, in particular in the development of the
skill to write concise, clear and rigorous documents.
• Front page, Abstract, Bibliography and Technical Annexes
are usually added to the core text.
• For the technical layout of the dissertation paper you
have to follow the recommendations given in:
GHID ELABORARE LUCRARI STIINTIFICE,
a document already posted on the Chair’s webpage.
 Structure of the dissertation paper

• Front page = Title page (special format)

• Abstract (1-2 pages)
• Introduction (up to 5 pages)
• Contents (1-2 pages)
• Chapter 1: Literarture review (18-20 pages)
• Chapter 2: Research methodology (5-6 pages)
• Chapter 3: Case-study = Presentation+findings+discussion
• Conclusions, further research opportunities (4-5 pages)
• Bibliography (in alphabetical order of authors)
• Technical annexes (Appendix)
 Tables ad diagrams (charts)

• The core text of a dissertation paper includes only small tables

and less then half a page diagrams (graphs, charts).

• Larger tables and charts are placed in the Annexes.

• Each table or chart is identified by number and title (put

above).

• Tables and graphs are provided with Source (put below).

 Commenting outcomes of the research

• After making a short but consistent descriptive presentation of

the original research outcomes, it is recommended to switch to a
more analytical approach aimed at explaining why were
obtained the given results.
• If needed, introduce comments concerning research limitations.
• Comment the existing relations between the observed variables.
• If possible, test statistically these relations.
• To bring in the spot light the value added of your research,
compare your outcomes and conclusions with those existing in
the reviewed literature.
 Q&A

Thank you!