1 Basic rules

As a rule, empirically oriented theses are supervised. Please refer to your examination regulations for the specified length of your thesis and the time allowed for completion.

The goal of a thesis is to present the problem to be addressed in such a way that the reader is sufficiently informed about the problem, the central theses, arguments and findings.

The thesis should show through a convincing presentation that the topic has been understood. The topic does not have to be treated exhaustively; it is more important to summarize essential aspects in a meaningful and insightful way. The specific achievement lies in summarizing a topic independently and according to one's own outline logic.

2 Survey

The following section provides a summary of how to proceed with the survey.

2.1 Qualitative work

First, you need to create an interview guide using the research guiding assumptions (RGA). The guide will be annotated by us before you go into the field. Therefore, you should submit the guide including the RGA as a WORD file (no odt or pdf files!) to us by e-mail with sufficient lead time. You will then receive a commented version, which we will send to you for revision.

You must record the interviews you conduct and then transcribe them. You should evaluate your interviews according to Mayring's content analysis (Mayring, P. (1994). Qualitative content analysis. UVK: Konstanz). The transcripts are part of your thesis in the appendix.

2.2 Quantitative work

First you have to create a questionnaire with the help of the hypotheses. The questionnaire will be commented by us before it goes into the field. Therefore, you should submit the questionnaire including hypotheses as a WORD file (no odt or pdf files!) to us by e-mail with sufficient lead time. You will then receive an annotated version, which we will send to you for revision.

Help and instructions for data analysis (German only):

Selecting Test Procedures: Interactive decision support for statistical procedures | StatistikGuru

SPSS: SPSS-Script-1_6.pdf (tu-dortmund.de); SPSS Instructions - StatistikGuru

3 Structure

The following is an overview of how you should structure your work.

3.1 Structuring the chapters

Introduction

The introduction is the 'hook' of the thesis and should be short and to the point. By highlighting the problem, the reader's interest will be aroused. In addition, the 'added value' of the work for the research must be presented and social references must be made.

Furthermore, the research core question is explicitly formulated, which will be answered in the conclusion of the thesis. At the end of this chapter, a brief overview of the content of each chapter is presented.

You could use the following guiding questions to guide your introduction:

• Who cares? (Relevance)
• What do we know? What don't we know? (current state of knowledge and research)
• What will we learn? (outlook/ structure of the work)

Theory

An empirical work is - apart from a few exceptions - always based on previous research or theories. Here you should list all relevant theories and models that are necessary to answer the research question.

You will also introduce and explain terms in the theory section. You will develop a scientific point of view and build a stringent argument. You support arguments with references and/or evidence.

Research guiding assumptions/hypotheses

From the theory, research guiding assumptions (RGA) or hypotheses are created to answer the core research question. It is important here that only one aspect is considered per assumption. Do not formulate too many RGA or hypotheses, but focus on the essential aspects.

Methodology

Before the results can be presented, the methodological approach must be justified. Furthermore, the selection of the sample must be justified as well as described in more detail and the guideline should be explained. You should also briefly describe the evaluation method.

Results

In this chapter you give a global brief overview of the descriptive details.

Qualitative work:

State and describe the key qualitative categories and support them with example citations.

Quantitative work:

Tables often lend themselves to the presentation of results. State the results for the variables studied. These must correspond with the information in the design section and the question section. Overall, correct formal reporting of statistical data is important.

Indicate all significant results. For example, in a two-factor analysis of variance, report the effects of both factors and their interaction.

If you have predicted and observed a significant interaction, a T-test (post-hoc test) is indicated to check which way the interaction is going.

Relevant statistical information:

• Correlations:
  • Report the correlation coefficient, degrees of freedom, and significance value. Pay attention to italics.
• T-tests:
  • Give the t-value, degree of freedom, and p-value, and the means if applicable (if they do not already appear in a table). Pay attention to italics.
• Single factorial ANOVA:
• Indicate F-value, degrees of freedom, and p-value. Perform a post-hoc T-test, see also example t-test. Pay attention to italics.
• Two-factor ANOVA:
  • Report F-values, degrees of freedom, and p-values for the main effects and the interaction. If the interaction is significant, perform a post-hoc test to show what the significance is due to. Pay attention to italics.

Discussion and Conclusion

In the discussion, begin by repeating the research question and briefly summarizing your results. Then, organize your results in a recourse to the justifications for the hypotheses named in the theory section. In the case of hypotheses that are not confirmed, give possible reasons (problems in operationalization, peculiarities in the sample, etc.).

Also, elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of your survey. Furthermore, state the implications for future research. These could be other contexts, open questions, and other exciting aspects. In the final conclusion, draw an overall conclusion of the paper.

In the discussion/ conclusion, they relate the empirical findings back to the theory and finally answer the core research question. There is also space here for the author's own comments and interpretations for theory and practice. The conclusion, and thus the thesis, concludes by pointing out limitations of the author's own work as well as a research outlook for further research possibilities.

Bibliography

Appendix

Questionnaires as well as a statement of independence are attached in the appendix. For qualitative work, also include transcripts in the appendix. If the line numbers are not legible because of the margin, you can change the margin. Transcripts should be written in 1.5 line spacing. For quantitative papers, SPSS outputs must be submitted in digital format.

3.2 Sample

1 Introduction

2 Theory

     2.1 Subchapter

     2.2 Further Subchapter

3 Research Assumptions

4 Methodological Approach

     4.1 Survey Methodology

     4.2 Sample

     4.3 Implementation and analysis

5 Presentation of results

     5.1 Summary of results

     5.2 Comparison with other studies

     5.3 Limitations

     5.4 Implications for theory and practice

6 Conclusion Bibliography Appendix

4 Citation

In a scientific paper, citations with details of the sources are essential. The cited sources are indicated in the bibliography at the end of a scientific paper. It must always be clear whether the facts described are discussed from one's own perspective or from the perspective of a referenced text.

You indicate text references and the bibliography according to the APA guidelines (7th edition). To ensure that your bibliography is complete, it is a good idea to work with Citavi or another literature management program (integration of APA in Citavi: https://help.citavi.com/knowledge-base/article/apa-american-psychological-association).

4.1 Short references in the text

For short references in the text, a distinction is made between direct citations, indirect citations/paraphrases, and secondary literature.

Direct citations:

If words, sentences or entire text passages are taken over unchanged, the source citation follows directly after the quotation. Direct quotations are indented from three lines and the line spacing is reduced to 1.0. In addition, quotation marks are omitted.

Special features for direct quotes in the text:

• Spelling and grammatical errors: are accepted and marked with [sic].
• Omissions and abbreviations: Omissions are marked with ... are marked with ....
• Self-added text is in square brackets: [added text/added word].
• Self-added emphasis is in italics and followed by [emphasis added] in square brackets.

Examples:

• One author: "Direct quote" (author, year, p. X).
• Two authors: "Direct quote" (author & author, year, p. X).
• More than two authors: "Direct quotation" (Author et al., Year, p. X).

Indirect quotations/paraphrases:

Indirect quotations state content in the author's own words, but with the source cited at the end of the statement:

• Indirect quotation (cf. Author*in, Jar, p. X).

It is also possible to mention the author's name in the text.

• Example: "According to Mustermann (cf. year, p. X), the knowledge about..."

Secondary literature:

Mainly should be quoted from so-called primary literature, however, it may be that, for example, the procurement is not possible. Then the quotation can be taken from secondary literature.

• "Quotation from secondary literature" (author A, quoted from author B, year, p. X).

If there is already a quotation in the text passage to be quoted, then it is a quotation within a quotation.

• Citation in citation: "Citation from secondary literature 'citation in citation' (Author*in, Year, p. X)" (Author*in, Year, p. X).

Citing your own interviews:

In a qualitative paper, citations from your interviews should be labeled with interview number, page number, and line.

4.2 Bibliography

In the bibliography, list all works that are cited in at least one place in the seminar paper or thesis or to which reference is made with a citation. The bibliography is also compiled using the APA style.

The references are sorted alphabetically. For references with the same authors, the earlier reference is listed first (2004 before 2010). In the case of references with the same authors and years, the references are distinguished with a and b after the year.

All lines except the first for multi-line entries in the bibliography should be indented by 0.5 cm.

Books and eBooks:

Monograph, one*author, with DOI.

Koch, T. (2010). Power of habit? The influence of habitualization on television use. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-92529-5.

Monograph, one*author*in, without DOI.

Schmidt, B. (2020). Citing correctly: A guide for students (2nd ed.). Springer.

Chapter or contribution in an anthology, without DOI.

Neuer, M. (2016). Using APA to succeed. In P. Lahm (Ed.), Citing and substantiating internet sources (19-35). Scribbr.

Journals:

Journal article, one*author, without DOI.

Burton, T. (2012). Citing correctly according to APA guidelines. International Citations Journal, 48(3), 13-29.

Journal article, multiple author*s, with DOI.

Zervas, G., Proserpio, D. & Byers, J. (2016). The Rise of the Sharing Economy: Estimating the Impact of Airbnb on the Hotel Industry. Boston U. School of Management Research Paper 2013(16), 1-45. dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2366898.

To note: If a journal article does not have a DOI but does have a URL, cite the URL at the end of the bibliography instead. For journal articles, always include the issue number if available.

If the journal article has an article number instead of a page number, list the word "article" followed by the article number.

If a book, article, journal article, etc. has 20 authors or fewer, list all authors. If a book has 21 authors or more, list the first 19 authors, followed by three periods, and finally the name of the last author.

Contribute to an online dictionary:

Duden response. (n.d.). Citation, the. In Duden online. Retrieved October 15, 2021, from www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Zitation.

Contribution (presentation at a conference with URL attribution:

Schneiders, P. (2020, March 10-12). Content remembered, source forgotten? Factors of effective social branding of news organizations [Poster presentation]. 65th Annual Conference of the German Society for Journalism and Communication Studies (DGPuK), Munich, Germany. https://www.conftool.org/dgpuk2020/. Last accessed on: 16.06.2022.

Internet source:

Müller, T. (2020, January 24). Cite sources according to APA. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.de/quellen-nach-apa-zitieren. Last accessed on: 16.06.2022.

Online video (including YouTube):

Scribbr. (2020, Dec. 16). Proper citation in 5 steps. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7cV9iZaH-s. Last accessed on: 16.06.2022.

Twitter/Instagram post:

Bach, N. [@studiglueck]. (2021, March 24). Instead of freezing in front of a huge task, define small subtasks first and complete them at regular intervals. This way you'll develop motivating habits #Abi #Learning [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/studiglueck/status/1374674355683217412. Last accessed on: 16.06.2022.

5 Formal design

5.1 Title Page.

The title page must contain the following information:

• Name of the university and department.
• Subject/title of the thesis
• Type of thesis (seminar, bachelor or master thesis)
• Title of the seminar, if any, in which the thesis is written
• Name, address, e-mail address, matriculation number and telephone number of the author
• First and second reviewers
• Date of submission

5.2 Formatting of the text

• Font: Times New Roman size 12 or Arial size 11
• Margins: left 2 cm, right 3 cm, top and bottom 2.5 cm each
• Line spacing: 1.5 lines
• Paragraphs: Spacing after a paragraph is 6 pt. and spacing before a paragraph is 0 pt.
• Justification
• Indentations by 0.5 cm
  • The first line of each paragraph
  • The first line of each footnote
  • Block quotations

5.3 Outline and headings

• Max. three levels of outline or headings per chapter.
• Heading may not follow heading.
• If subheadings are used in a chapter, there must be at least three.
• Subheadings must not be verbatim repetitions of the heading.
• Headings should be substantive and self-explanatory.
• The heading levels are to be formally designed as follows:
  • Level: 14 pt., bold, left-aligned, spacing after heading: 12 pt.
  • Level: 13 pt., bold, left justified, spacing after heading: 12 pt.
  • Level: 12 pt., bold, left justified, spacing after heading: 12 pt.

5.4 Page numbers

• Right-justified at the bottom of the page
• Pages up to the introduction are named with Roman numerals.
• All pages from and including the introduction with Arabic numerals.
• The title page is counted as page I, but not marked as such.

5.5 Gendering

Language affects how we perceive, think, and act. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the impact your word choice has on your readership. The use of the generic masculine in scientific papers categorically excludes individuals who do not self-identify as male and may also promote stereotypical role models. For this reason, please use gender-appropriate wording in your work, and if this is not possible, use the gender star. Be sure to be consistent in your use.

Suggestions for using gender-appropriate terms can be found here: https://geschicktgendern.de/

5.6 Transcripts in qualitative work

In a qualitative paper, quotations from your interviews should be labeled with interview number, page number, and line.

6 Submission and oral examination

Submission: You must submit the thesis as a PDF in the online portal ExaBase. Furthermore, you should email a digital version of the thesis to the reviewers for possible plagiarism checks.

Result: Please refer to the examination regulations of your degree program to find out whether a colloquium is required for your thesis. You will receive an invitation to the colloquium by e-mail - provided that you have passed. Please refer to the examination regulations of your degree program for the assessment periods.

Colloquium: After successfully passing the written paper, an appointment for the colloquium will be arranged. After the presentation (approx. 15 min.) of the central results of your thesis, the two reviewers will ask questions about the topic and the thesis for approx. 30 minutes.

You can structure your presentation similarly to your thesis. However, limit yourself to the essentials so that you are not unnecessarily pressed for time. The theoretical assumptions, research guiding assumptions, methodological considerations, empiricism as well as the traceability of the results to the theory should be included in any case.

Immediately after the oral examination, you will receive feedback on your written and oral performance. Grades will be forwarded immediately to the Examination Office.

• Industry 4.0 and knowledge management. An empirical study using the example of an SME.
• Expectations of junior staff with regard to employer attractiveness using the example of public transport.
• Customer 4.0 - Are customers ready for the digital revolution? An empirical study using the example of smart home technologies
• Solo self-employment in a European comparison
• "Wisdom of the specialist" or "knowledge of the many"? The use of Internet-based product evaluations using the example of consumer electronics
• Innovation management as a discursive process between idea generation and knowledge utilization. An empirical study using the example of GEA Farm Technologies GmbH.
• What influence do socio-economic factors have on the employer choice of Generation Y?
• Knowledge and Non-Knowledge in High Reliability Organizations. An empirical study on the handling of Ebola in German hospitals.
• How does transformational leadership influence employee job satisfaction with a special focus on individualization? An Empirical Study Using the Example of WILA Lichttechnik GmbH
• What impact does the aging society have on the strategic orientation of municipal hospitals in rural areas? An empirical analysis using the example of a Thuringian clinic
• How do finance departments manage their resource "knowledge"? An empirical analysis using the example of a cinema group
• Factors influencing the choice of health insurance
• Inequalities in the health care system
• Taylorism 4.0 - An empirical study on the motivation of employees in the manufacturing industry
• Motivated by De-limitation? An Empirical Study on the Influence of Delimited Work on the Motivation of Career Starters
• The influence of mobile communication devices on the de-limitation of work
• How is knowledge managed in the commercial kitchen? An empirical study using university catering as an example
• Dissolution of work boundaries - curse or blessing? An empirical study on the perception of the working conditions of scientific employees of a university
• How do employees in in-house practice deal with their non-knowledge and which factors influence their handling of non-knowledge in the process? An empirical investigation using the example of the organization Techniker Krankenkasse Bochum
• Possibilities and limits of controlling interactive work in hospitals
• Which strategies do hospital administrations develop to react to the tension between medicine and economy? An empirical study
• The Future of Learning on the Net: The Example of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
• Knowledge transfer processes in technology networks. An empirical study using the example of HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co.
• Which factors influence intraorganizational knowledge transfer in companies. An empirical study
• Which strategies do companies develop to respond to the different requirements of Generation X and Y? An empirical analysis using the example of the care service industry.
• To what extent does the changed financing system of hospitals have an influence on the quality of treatments in the nursing sector?
• How do companies evaluate social competence in the context of personnel recruitment? An empirical study
• To what extent does preventive health care play a role among employees in the health care industry? An empirical analysis of workplace health promotion using the example of a hospital
• Intra-organisational knowledge transfer under uncertainty. A case study of a small company
• The health economy is booming - Effects of health economic aspects on German companies using the example of Commerzbank
• Dealing with knowledge and non-knowledge. An empirical study with a special focus on knowledge deficits in a German logistics company.
• Factors influencing knowledge transfer processes. An empirical study based on the example of a non-profit organization
• Does work make you sick? An empirical study of work-related stress in the retail sector
• Family constitutions as an instrument of competence and knowledge retention in family-run companies. An empirical study in the steel processing industry
• What role does non-knowledge play in knowledge management? An empirical study using the example of ThyssenKrupp AG
• What is the relationship between work and leisure time? An empirical study in the field of human resource consulting
• Non-knowledge in knowledge and competence management. An empirical study
• What influences decision-making in projects? An empirical analysis based on WILO SE
• What motivates employees to use internal wikis? An empirical analysis
• Knowledge transfer at Telekom in the Controlling department: To what extent does knowledge transfer take place and what barriers exist?
• Intra- and inter-departmental knowledge transfer. An empirical study using the example of Karstadt Sports Dortmund.
• Do moral violations by companies have an impact on the job decision of students?An empirical study
• Technology transfer from the electronics division to the retail division.How can the technology transfer process be ensured in the face of high product complexity?An empirical study using the example of Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.
• What influence does leadership style have on knowledge transfer in the company?A quantitative study using the example of Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.
• To what extent does personnel selection influence the success of projects?The importance of targeted personnel selection by project managers and project leaders.An empirical study using the example of BOSCH Sicherheitssysteme GmbH.
• What is the importance of knowledge and competence management as well as project management tools in the execution of strategic projects? An empirical study at Deutsche Bahn AG
• To what extent can project management tools be supported by competence management? An empirical study using the example of BOSCH Sicherheitssysteme GmbH
• What influence do international corporate activities have on corporate culture?An empirical study at WILO SE