SUMMER PROJECT WORK

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
 Summer Project Work:
Project Planning and Proposal
Writing Workshop
Difference between a thesis and
a project work
 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 5
 A country and its business
cannot grow without new ideas,
creativity, innovation and value
addition.
 What are the sources and
methods of idea generation?

 Knowledge
 Experience
 Observation
 Exposure
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
 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.
 Summer project is a great
opportunity for students to
develop marketable skills to
prepare for the transition from
academia into the workforce.
 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
 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.

 We cannot generalize SPW activities.

 There is no one best way for undertaking all

research. A wide range of techniques and
methods exist.
 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.
 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.
 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
 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.
 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
 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
 Case Studies

Select a unit of analysis:

 Individual (Women entrepreneurs)
 Organization (Micro enterprises)
 Community-based Development Projects

Community and development-related

studies:
 Waste management
 Literacy
 Public transportation
 Drinking water supply
 Community services
 Community participation
REPORT WRITING
 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
 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)
 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

 TITLE OF THE SUMMER PROJECT

BY
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
 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:
 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
 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
 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
 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
 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
 STYLE OF WRITING

 Write clearly
 Adhere to the study objectives
 Be careful of terminologies, grammar and
spellings
 Be selective
 Be objective
 Draw conclusions
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
 COMMON …..
 Language
 Sweeping remarks
 Without interpretation
 Careless presentation and proofreading
 Unsupported recommendations
 Poor organization of materials
 Window dressing
 Researcher’s ethics
REPORTING DATA
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”.
REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS
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.
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.

 Ofthe 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.

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.

 “Sixtypercent (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.”
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.
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).

 Sixtypercent 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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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)
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.
Reporting and Interpreting Data
Reporting data

 Themajority 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.
CITATIONS AND REFERENCING
 References
 For a 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
<http://www.edu.np
 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).
ETHICS FOR RESEARCHERS
 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.
 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.
 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: 35-40 pages
(10,000 to 12,000 words)
 Binding: Spiral
 Style of citation: APA