The course literature accumulated via the courses included in the Master programme "Leadership for Sustainability" (OL641E, OL642E, OL643E, OL644E and OL645E) is highly recommended but must be complemented as follow:
- Students must select and evaluate relevant and high-quality literature in regards to their research problem.
- Students must select and evaluate up-to-date literature in regards to their research problem.
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This course is offered as part of programme:
Course content
The aim of the course “Master Thesis with a focus on Leadership and Organisation for sustainability” is to develop students' abilities to conduct an independent study revealing significant contribution to the field and practice of leadership and organisation in the context of sustainability.
The thesis work is carried out in pair. Each pair must work independently. The thesis work starts at the research proposal submission. Students in pair must organise and lead their research process that is supported by supervision, manuscript submission, research seminars and support workshops as follows:
Research proposal submission and seminar:
- The pair must develop and submit a research proposal in the form of a report. The submission of a research proposal report is compulsory and each student must have fulfilled all entry requirements when submitting his/her research proposal in pair.
- The research proposal report must include a background for the study to be conducted, a preliminary purpose and research question, a suggested methodology and method plan and an evaluation of the feasibility of the study. The research proposal enables each pair to be given a supervisor. No written feedback is given of the proposal itself but it serves as a basis for the supervising process.
- At the occasion of the research proposal submission, that is compulsory, students may at their discretion attend a research proposal seminar to get feedback on their proposal. Peer students and teachers’ feedback will be given to students who desire to attend and actively participate to the research proposal seminar. Only one research proposal seminar is proposed during the course, i.e. at the first submission possibility. Students who submit a research proposal but decide not to participate at the seminar cannot require their research proposal to be commented in other manners by peers or other teachers than the supervisor. Students who do not submit a research proposal at the first submission cannot require a seminar to be organised when submitting later in the advancement of course.
50% seminar:
- Students may at their discretion attend a 50% seminar to get feedback on their on-going 50% manuscript. Feedback is at that occasion given by a panel of teachers. Other students also briefly comment on the manuscript. The 50% manuscript may in most cases present the research problem, a draft of the theoretical framework, methodology and methods.
- Neither the submission nor the active participation at the seminar is compulsory. Students cannot hand in a 50% without participate and be active to the 50% seminar. Only one 50% seminar is organised during the course; the date is in line with the first submission possibility of the research proposal. The 50% seminar is fully at the discretion of the students so that a pair who decides not to submit nor participate at the seminar cannot require their 50% manuscript to be commented on in any other manners by peers or other teachers than the supervisor.
75% seminar submission and seminar:
- Students must submit a 75% manuscript. The manuscript must, in most cases, present the research problem, a developed theoretical framework, a developed methodology and a developed method and possible empirical material. This manuscript is reviewed by the teaching team and by an external reviewer to evaluate the level of advancement in the thesis work. No systematic feedback is given on the 75% seminar beyond the supervision process.
- Students may at their discretion attend a 75% seminar to get feedback on their on-going 75% manuscript. At that occasion, the feedback is given by an external reviewer as well as by a designated opponent pair selected among the students presenting their 75% manuscript. Students who decide not to participate at the seminar cannot require their manuscript to be commented on in any other manners by peers or other teachers than the supervisor. Only one 75% seminar is proposed during the course; the date is set in line with the first submission possibility of the research proposal.
100% seminar:
- Students must submit a 100% manuscript. The 100% manuscript must include all parts required in a research process (problem, theory, methodology and methods, empirical material, analysis and conclusions) even if the conclusions and few minor aspects are still under process.
- Each pair must present a 100% manuscript of their thesis at the 100% seminar that is compulsory, and assessed with the scale A-U as part of the examination. At the 100% seminar, the research is presented by the authors and opposed by another student, as individual, selected among students who defend their thesis
- To access the 100% seminar, students must have submitted a research proposal and a 75% manuscript. The participation at these seminars is however at the discretion of the students.
Supervision:
- Each pair has possibilities for supervision with its assigned supervisor. Each pair gets similar supervision resources (number of hours). The supervising time ends automatically at the end of the second semester. A thesis pair whose thesis has obtained the grade as U (fail) and is under the re-examination process, does not get extra supervising resources.
- Beyond the above guideline, a pair may get an extension of their supervising time (not the amount of hours) if their research plan requires it. The extension is to be accepted by the supervisor and the course responsible. A written documentation must be provided by the students/pair for a decision to be taken by the supervisor and the course responsible.
Support workshops:
- Along the thesis course period, methodological and methodical support workshops are organised at the students’ discretion to be able to discuss methodological and methods issues in their thesis.
Entry requirements
To be accepted to the course and to submit a research proposal
The student must have passed the courses:
- OL641E - Organising and Leading Sustainable Organisations (7,5 credits).
The student must also have obtained:
- at least 3 credits in the course OL644E - Sustainable Development: Individual, Organisational and Network Perspectives
- at least 7,5 credits in the course OL643E - Project Management and Sustainability.
Course literature
Course evaluation
Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).