GBS Coaching

Hi GBS students ☺️,

Please note that this is supplementary to the lecture notes from my methodology course, as well as the thesis guideline I provided during our first group meeting.

To begin with, you should include these exact sections in this order in your master's thesis.

1. Abstract

·         Do not include an “Executive Summary.” This is not a consulting paper.

·         Title this section “Abstract.” It should be 100–200 words.

·         Present 3–5 keywords underneath the Abstract.

2. Introduction

·         Remember what I teach in class: Start with the topic paragraph, then address the research gap (a problem statement), followed by how you aim to fill the gap (both theoretically and empirically). Then, include a summary of findings and a summary of contributions.

·         Keep your introduction concise. An unnecessarily verbose introduction will easily cost you -0.5 points on your grade.

3. Theoretical Background and Hypotheses

·         You may (or may not) include a subsection for your research context (e.g., sustainability reporting and misconduct). This part may not directly relate to your model but helps engage the audience by providing relevant background.

·         Provide a brief description of your theoretical framework, including only the essential elements.

·         You may use multiple subsections.

·         Before each hypothesis, explain the mechanism: “Why do you believe this relationship exists?” “What leads X to impact Y?”

·         Avoid weak logic like: “Study A found a positive relationship. Study B also found a positive relationship. So I suggest a positive relationship!”

·         Aim for logic like: “Having a higher X motivates firms to commit more misconduct because they perceive the cost of repercussions to be lower. This is due to reduced media scrutiny, as social ties with the media make firms believe coverage will be less critical.”

4. Method

·         Explain your sample, then operationalization (measures), and finally your analytical approach (which model you chose and why) — in that order.

·         When discussing your sample, mention the data sources. Go into detail later when you explain operationalization.

·         Clearly state your final sample. If possible, show how your sample size changed as datasets were merged.

·         In operationalization, first define the measure (e.g., ROA is measured as net income over total assets), then elaborate on the details.

·         In the analytical approach, you may perform the following tests:

1.      Heteroskedasticity test

2.      Serial correlation (autocorrelation) test

3.      Hausman test

·         Mention key transformations such as log transformation and standardization. You may omit basic data cleaning steps, such as outlier handling via winsorization — you can of course mention them for clarity but it is not necessary.

·         Focus on your main variables in explaining your operationalization. If you perform additional analyses using alternative data, explain these later in the Results section.

5. Results

1.      Essential components (See tables below)

o a) Correlation matrix

o b) Descriptive statistics (can be combined with a))

o c) Main regression analyses

o Optionally, include supplementary data (e.g., maps showing country-wise variation in key variables). This is not required, just illustrative.

2.      Main results (See tables below)

o Present results stepwise: start with the control-only model and add variables incrementally.

o Use two to three decimal points only.

o Include model fit statistics (e.g., R-squared for linear models, AIC/BIC for probability models).

o Omit industry and year dummies from the table but indicate their inclusion in the notes.

o Use full names for abbreviations, either at the top of the table or in the footnote.

o Tables can be presented horizontally or vertically.

o Use figures only if you have significant moderating effects. Even then, they are not required.

3.      Explanation of findings

o Keep this section brief and avoid repetition.

o If results are surprising (e.g., null or opposite to expectations), provide plausible explanations.

o Include a subsection for additional analyses, if applicable.

6. Discussion

·         Begin by reiterating your research motivation, summarizing the gap and objectives, and briefly highlighting key findings.

·         State clearly which bodies of literature (2–3) you contribute to.

·         For each, explain what new insight you provide and how your findings link back to that literature.

·         Always ask: “How should people think differently about this phenomenon after reading my paper?”

·         Add a Limitation and Future Research subsection after discussing your contributions.

7. Conclusion

·         Write a short paragraph that summarizes your key message. This section is not particularly important, so keep it brief.

*The tables are from Tony Jaehyun Choi & Yuval Deutsch, (2023), “The two sides of community political conservatism and CSR: Exploring the role of community social connectedness.” Organization Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406231156979