Guidelines for the
Master’s Thesis Project (MTP)
18 ECTS
EMIB
Executive Master in
International Business
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Table
of contents
1. SUBJECT MATTER AND SCOPE . …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...3
2. WHAT THE MASTER'S THESIS PROJECT (MTP) INVOLVES …………………………………………………………... 3
3. MASTER'S THESIS PROJECT TUTORS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
4. THESIS PRODUCTION STAGES . …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...4
4.1. Defining the Concept of the Master's Thesis Project (Preliminary Report) …………. 4
4.2. Writing the Master's Thesis Project ……………………………….………………………………………………………... 5
4.3. Defending the Master's Thesis Project …………………………………………………………………………………... 5
4.3.1. Preparing the Defence of the MTP …………………………………………………………….………………. 6
4.3.2. MTP Defence …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
4.3.3. Location of the Defence …………………………………………………………………………………………………...7
4.3.4. Language of the Master's Thesis Project ………………………………………………………………...7
5. GUIDELINES FOR PRESENTING THE MASTER'S THESIS PROJECT …………………………………………….. 7
6. GENERAL RULES AND DEADLINES ……………………………………………………………….………………………………………….. 9
7. RULES OF THUMB …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
8. APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
Appendix 1 - Evaluation Criteria of Master Thesis ……………………………………….……………………………...11
Appendix 2 - Cover Page and Declaration of Honour …………………………….…………..…….……………...12
Appendix 3 - Harvard Citation Guide …………………………….…………..…….…………………………………………….....14
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1. SUBJECT MATTER AND SCOPE
The Master's Thesis Project (hereafter also referred to as the MTP), represents the final stage
in the learning and training process of the EMIB. Successful completion of an MTP is a
requirement for the award of the Executive Master in International Business (EMIB) offered
by ESCP Business School.
These guidelines provide basic instructions for drafting, writing, presenting and defending
the Masters Thesis Project, as well as information on the role of Masters Thesis Project Tutors
and on how MTPs are assessed.
2. WHAT THE MASTER'S THESIS PROJECT (MTP) INVOLVES
The Masters Thesis Project involves writing of a report, study or project in which the student
puts into practice the knowledge, skills and capabilities acquired during the EMIB Master's
programme. Evaluated by a Committee created specifically for this purpose, the MTP also requires the student to demonstrate his or her ability to integrate, apply and communicate this
knowledge both orally and in writing. We use the term “project” to refer to the development
and defence of a plan and the means to execute it.
The MTP should be a product of everything that the student has learned in the different modules of the Master, reflecting in particular the multi-disciplinary nature of the programme and
its focus on international business. The MTP should, therefore, include ideas, rationales, explanations and analysis on a specific topic, chosen by the student with the approval of his or her
Master ́s Thesis Project Tutor.
The MTP must also have a strong practical focus and be oriented towards making use of the
knowledge and skills acquired in the EMIB. It requires, therefore, research, analysis, processing and interpretation of data, and the ability to bring these together in order to draw
conclusions and produce synopses.
Although the student works on the thesis under the supervision of a Master’s Thesis Project
Tutor, it is the student ́s responsibility to complete the MTP working on his or her own.
EMIB Masters Thesis Projects can take either of the following two forms:
The creation of a new enterprise
The execution of a specific project
In both cases, MTPS should have an international business focus. No exceptions to this rule
will be permitted.
A “New enterprise MTP” involves creating a new company, NGO or government agency, etc.,
including intra-entrepreneurship projects (i.e. creating something new within an existing enterprise or organization).
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A “Specific project MTP” involves carrying out an in-depth study within a particular field of Management or Business (Human Resources, Finance, IT Systems, Operations and Logistics, Marketing, etc.) and with an international focus. For example, in the field of Human Resources, the following types of study could be carried out:
Making changes to Human Resources Management in order to adapt it to a company's
internationalisation process.
Strategic Human Resources planning within a multinational company.
Online training in multinational companies: advantages and limitations.
Of course, MTPs can also address topics that touch on various different fields within a company.
For example, an MTP entitled “The strategic impact of redesigning and digitalizing the supply
chain at a global level” would incorporate Operations Management, IT Systems and Strategy.
3. MASTER'S THESIS PROJECT TUTORS
Each student completing an MTP will be assigned a Master ́s Thesis Project Tutor. The tutor's
role is to guide, advise, and work with the student at every stage of the MTP, ensuring that the
student completes the project successfully. This monitoring process is intended to ensure that
the MTPs are of sufficient quality to meet the requirements of the EMIB, and that the student is
able to meet the established objectives within the agreed time frame. Finally, the Masters The-
sis Project Tutor is responsible for authorizing the student to present his or her MTP to be defended in the Academic Committee.
It should be emphasized that the student alone is responsible for the design, research, contents
and drafting of the MTP, making the necessary decisions in each case, based on knowledge acquired during the EMIB course or drawing on other sources and experiences.
4. THESIS PRODUCTION STAGES
4.1. Defining the Concept of the Master's Thesis Project
(Preliminary Report)
Before a MTP may be defended before the Academic Committee, a series of form- and contentrelated requirements must be met and approved by the student’s Master’s Thesis Project Tutor.
In this section, we explain what the MTP proposal is and the process that must be followed to
have this approved by the student’s tutor.
The student's first task is to produce a MTP proposal, a document which is known as the
Preliminary Report. This report should outline the topic of the MTP, the objectives it seeks
to achieve, the research focus and methodology to applied, and the working plan and schedule
to be followed to produce the MTP. The Preliminary Report should also propose a working title
for the MTP.
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When writing the Preliminary Report (5 pages maximum), students should consult the guidelines on the content and writing of the Preliminary Report.
The written Preliminary Report should be sent by email to the Academic Coordinator of the
EMIB programme in order to be approved and ready to be distributed among the possible tutors. After evaluating the document, one tutor accepts the role, signing the Preliminary Report.
The Academic Coordinator will also inform if the Preliminary Report has been approved or if
changes are required before the student can proceed with the project.
4.2.Writing the Master's Thesis Project
Once the student’s Preliminary Report has been approved, the student can begin to write his or
her MTP. The student should follow the guidelines on the structure and presentation of MTPs
given in sections 5 and 6 below, as well as specific advice and instructions from his or her Master’s Thesis Project Tutor.
The general structure of the MTP should be as follows:
Title page
Table of Contents
I. List of contents with page numbers
II. List of Illustrations, Tables, Graphs, etc.
III. List of Appendices
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Aim and justification of the MTP | Definition, Literature review and Research
3. Methodology to be used | Conceptual framework, Hypotheses/ Propositions, Research method
4. Analysis and results obtained | Results, Implications / Recommendations
5. References
6. Appendices
After examining the document, the Tutor will either deem the document “Suitable for Oral De-
fence” or will suggest changes that must be made before the document can be considered
ready to be defended.
The definitive version of the MTP should be sent by email to the Academic Coordinator of the
EMIB.
4.3.Defending the Master's Thesis Project
Once the student has completed his or her MTP, s/he must defend it in front of an Academic
Committee. This event, known as the “Defence”, constitutes the final stage of the Master's Thesis Project. The Defence consists of an oral presentation in which the student should summarize
the content and central ideas of the project, as well as the results obtained, using any IT or audio
-visual supports considered necessary.
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The Defence of the MTP may only be undertaken by students who are already in possession of
the remaining 42 ECTS credits of the EMIB modules and whose MTP has been deemed “Suitable
for Oral Defence” by the student’s Master ́s Thesis Project Tutor.
4.3.1. Preparing the Defence of the MTP
The student is responsible for making all the necessary arrangements for the Defence with the
EMIB Academic Coordinator, specifically including the date, time and location of the Defence,
and the provision of any necessary equipment and/or technical requirement.
The student must also prepare an Executive Presentation of the MTP using PowerPoint or any
other similar programme. This will help the student defend the MTP, and the Academic Com-
mittee to follow the Defence. Regardless of whether the Defence is to be carried out face-toface or via videoconference, this Executive Presentation must be sent by email to the Academic
Coordinator of the EMIB programme no fewer than 5 days before the Defence.
ESCP Business School. will provide standard audio-visual equipment providing that this has
been arranged in advance by the student with the EMIB Programme Officer.
4.3.2. MTP Defence
The Defence is public and usually lasts no more than one hour. However, in exceptional circumstances, and when the Academic Committee considers appropriate, the time available for the
Defence may be extended. All Defences are recorded.
The Defence consists of two parts:
An oral presentation lasting 25 minutes, given with the support of a slide presentation and
any other IT and/or audio-visual aids the candidate considers appropriate.
Comments and questions from the members of the Committee, made to enable them to
better judge the quality of the MTP, and responses from the candidate.
The Committee will assess:
The student’s ability to demonstrate skills and knowledge relating to the EMIB pro-
gramme
The quality of the MTP:
• Originality
• Methodology used
• Findings, analysis and results
Quality of the written document:
• Structure, writing, presentation
Quality of the Defence:
• Presentation skills
• Use of audio-visual materials
• Responses to the comments and questions from the Committee
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The Committee will deliberate on the Defence in a closed session, awarding a numerical grade
on a scale of 0 to 20, expressed to one decimal point. The corresponding qualitative grades may
also be added:
18.0 - 20: Distinction (D)
14.0 - 17.9: Merit (M)
10.0 - 13.9: Pass (P)
0.0 - 9.9: Fail (F)
For further information, see Appendix 1: Evaluation Criteria of Master Thesis
If the student does not obtain a minimum of 10/20, s/he will be allowed an additional month to
improve his or her MTP, which may then be awarded a maximum grade of 10/20. If the MTP has
not improved during this month, the Academic Committee will meet to decide accordingly.
Master's Project Thesis should only be published if recommended by the Academic Committee
and with the student ́s express consent. The student's intellectual property rights will always be
respected.
4.3.3. Location of the Defence
The MTP Defence can be carried out in person on one of the campuses of ESCP Business
School., or alternatively via Internet videoconference.
NB.: Students are responsible for ensuring that they can guarantee the necessary technical
conditions for the use of Internet video-conferencing and to test the equipment at least 8 days
in advance of the Defence.
4.3.4. Language of the Master's Thesis Project
Both the MTP and the final presentation can be delivered in either English or French. Students
should use clear and concise language, and ensure that Presentation is free of spelling, grammar and typing mistakes.
5. GUIDELINES FOR PRESENTING THE MASTER'S THESIS PROJECT
The written document should be approximately 50 pages (excluding any appendices) in
length, presented in Times New Roman 12 (or similar) and single spacing. Generally speaking,
the contents of the MTP should include the following points, which should be developed in a
clear and organised manner:
1. Cover Page (cf. Appendix 2) with the title (less than 20 words) and stating if the thesis contains confidential information or not
2. Declaration of Honour (cf. Appendix 2)
3. Summary in English (less than 20 lines)
4. Table of Contents
5. Definition, Literature review and Research Question (around 20 pages) It is necessary to carry out a Literature review and bibliographical research on key concepts and
relevant existing research related to the topic:
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In order to identify and define the concepts: What do we mean exactly by “X”? How can we
define “Y”?
In order to delimitate the object of study: Some concepts (such as stakeholder management,
organizational behaviour, project success factors...) may have various different meanings in different contexts.
In order to locate the MTP within the body of existing research and knowledge in the field:
what do we know, in Management, about these concepts, related variables, drivers and consequences, context of application, etc.,? What do we still need to know?
The Literature review should mainly be based on academic journal articles and specialized
books
Searches can be made through keyword searches on Google Scholar, but students should also
access the literature on databases available on-line through the ESCP library (e.g. EBSCO, Emerald Insight, JSTOR, or ScienceDirect).
Students should use these resources to review important Academic journals in relevant disciplines.
Not all sources have the same value: newspaper and periodical articles have unverified contents, while academic papers or articles present validated results; books can be helpful to ex-
plore a domain, but are rarely complete enough.
By completing a good literature review, it becomes possible to identify an interesting and original research question.
The most important step in any research is to devise an appropriate research question, otherwise:
• the subject may be too large and impossible to handle.
• the researcher may be pose a question that has already been answered, or analyse a topic that has already been dealt with in past theses.
• it may contain two or three questions in one, and be too much work for the researcher.
A good research topic is essential, to save time and allow the researcher to focus on a reasonably specific body of literature.
The research question must be defined in consultation with, and the approval of, the student’s
Master’s Thesis Project Tutor.
6. Methodology
The method must be relevant to the research topic and to the research question:
• it should usually be quantitative if the research question is conclusive: databases, ques-
tionnaires, experiments
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• it should usually be qualitative if the research question is exploratory: interviews, observation, narratives, and diaries
• It may combine both approaches (a shorter qualitative analysis to set the ground for more
substantial quantitative analysis for instance)
Generally two stages: Design and Sample and Field work
Always keep your subject and your question in mind: it is a waste of time to collect and analyse
useless or irrelevant data.
The methodology must be decided in consultation with the agreement of the student ́s Mas-
ter’s Thesis Project Tutor.
7. Results, Implications / Recommendations (around 10 pages)
Define and discuss the characteristics of the sample.
Present your results clearly and simply, using graphs, tables...
Structure the presentation of your results in terms of your Research hypotheses or propositions (see above).
Differentiate between “Expected results” and “Unexpected results”
Based on your findings, give a clear answer to the research question
Propose recommendations
8. List of References (cf. Appendix 3: Harvard Citation Guide)
Remember that you need to cite all the sources (books, papers, webs links...) used in the thesis
both in the text and in the list of references
If you quote exact clauses or sentences, they should be quoted in inverted commas, followed
by (author, year); for example, “everything in management is influenced by culture, but never
purely determined by it” (Smith, 2017)
If you modify existing figures, graphs, tables, you should indicate (Source: adapted from author, year).
If you create your own table, graph, figure, you should indicate (“Source: own elaboration”).
Remember that plagiarism is severely punished and that it is the student’s responsibility to
ensure that all sources are properly referenced. More information on the meaning of plagiarism and how to be sure to avoid it in: http://www.plagiarism.org/
6. GENERAL RULES AND DEADLINES
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The Master Thesis Project constitutes a total of 18 ECTS. The entire EMIB programme, therefore, amounts to 60 ECTS.
The thesis is evaluated based on the written report and on the final presentation, using the
evaluation criteria given above.
There are 4 sessions per year, with their respective deadlines, to submit and defend the Master
Thesis:
SUBMIT
DEFEND
THESIS
THESIS
December
January
March
April
June
July
September
October
In order to be able to defend their thesis on the chosen date, students must submit the definitive
version of their Master Thesis (in pdf. format) to both the Academic Coordinator and Academic Director of the EMIB:
Roberta Larocca (rlarocca@escp.eu) – Academic Coordinator of the EMIB
José Ramón Cobo (jcobo@escp.eu) - Academic Director of the EMIB
7. RULES OF THUMB
Choose a topic you really like.
Plan your work now.
Contact or meet your tutor frequently.
Your thesis is likely to evolve over time. Do not feel constrained by your first project structure.
Try to be creative and come up with original topics, research questions or methods. This is your
work, your expertise, your choices...
Have fun exploring, measuring, discovering!
8. APPENDICES
Appendix 1 - Evaluation Criteria of Master Thesis
Appendix 2 - Cover Page and Declaration of Honour
Appendix 3 - Harvard Citation Guide
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Appendix 1 – Master’s Thesis Project: Evaluation Criteria
WRITTEN THESIS
EXCEEDED
MET
PARTIAL
NOT MET
The topic is understood and the problem
is clearly identified
The methodology is appropriate and applied correctly to the problem posed
The data used to analyse the problem are
relevant
The results are interpreted rigorously and
critically
The writing is fluent and free of mistakes
The structure and the reasoning in the
report are pertinent
Innovative solutions are proposed and
discussed
ORAL PRESENTATION
The oral presentation is fluent and in free
speech
The student argues convincingly
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA
International dimension of the project
considered
Real applicability and short-term
implementation
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Appendix 2 - Cover Page and Declaration of Honour
EXECUTIVE MASTER
IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
MASTER THESIS PROJECT 18 ECTS
Author:
Thesis Tutor:
Title:
Confidential Thesis
Yes
No
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Declaration of Honor
I, the undersigned, graduating in the Academic Year 20_ _ - 20_ _
Participant of the Executive Master in International Business
Hereby confirm that I have not incurred in plagiarism in this Master
Thesis Project. I declare that I have personally written the entire text
and that all the original published or non-published material used in
drafting this thesis is expressly mentioned and referenced. I expressly
authorize ESCP Business School to use any means considered necessary to verify the originality of the text. I am aware that the failure to
honour this commitment will lead to disciplinary action.
I also hereby confirm that this Master Thesis Project has not been
presented previously by earlier ESCP Business School. students.
This commitment only concerns myself.
Date:
Signature:
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Appendix 3 – Harvard Citation Guide
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Guidelines for the
Master’s Thesis Project (MTP)
18 ECTS
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