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IB Business and Management IA examples

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Starting from the May 2024 session, the Business IA requirements have changed. We created a couple of exemplars to show you how the new IA should look like. It's OK to refer to the old Business IA exemplars (especially the SL ones since the new IA is similar) for inspiration/ideas, but make sure to follow the new requirements.

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IB Business IA Guide - $1000 To Your PayPal If You Score Less Than A 7! 💰

Discover the secrets to nailing your IB Business IA! Get ahead of the game with our comprehensive 2023 Ultimate Guide. Boost your grades now!

Table of content

Ib business management in a nutshell 🥜, ib business ia - a deep dive 🌊, pros of doing a ib business ia, breaking down ib business sl ia 🔨, understanding ib business hl ia 📚, secret business ia tips that no one will tell yeh 💯 , the perfect workplan for a level 7 worthy business ia 🏫, sexy suggestions from our desk 💁.

Hey there, biz wizards!

Need help with your IB Business IA?

Well, aren't you in the right place!

IB Business can be a tough nut to crack, given how dynamic it is, but tackling the IB Business Internal Assessment is another job. And as though that needed to be more, surfing the net only to find bits of information and tips scattered all over makes it all the more troublesome.

We understand that you need to crack your IB Business Internal Assessment with a comprehensive assortment of tips, strategies, and ideas.

Presenting the one-stop guide that will help you nail your IB Business IA. With step-by-step guidance, sample IAs to kickstart the process, and tips/techniques to fix your IA, this guide is your key to unlocking a level 7.

Before we begin, you should check out our premium IB Business course curated by subject experts and top-performing alums!

• IB Business Management SL Video Course & Resources

The IB Business Management course aims to develop students' ability to analyze, discuss and evaluate business activities on different levels by understanding various business management theories and various tools and techniques. It gives students a taste of the dynamic business environment via real-world examples and case studies. It ensures that subject-specific skills (e.g., Financial Analysis) and generic ones (e.g., Critical Thinking) are learned and developed.

To read more on the IB Business Management Curriculum, there's no better resource than the IB itself. Go through  this  article to understand first-hand what the course's objectives are. Now that we are well acquainted with the subject objectives let's get down to business.

What is the IB Business IA, and how does it benefit students?

The Internal Assessment is where students get the opportunity to use their knowledge and skills to pursue their interests. Although the IA is compulsory for SL and HL students, there's a difference.

While the SL students must prepare a  Written Commentary , the HL students must produce a  Research Project . The HL students must base their project on primary Research (gathered from the investigated organization). SL students' written commentary needs to be based on secondary Research.

As listed by the IB, examples of Primary and Secondary data sources include

• Primary Sources
• Responses to questionnaires (students should include a blank copy of the questionnaire and a tally/ summary of results)
• Results of surveys
• Discussions with Business Stakeholders

The research findings should be summarised, and relevant documents (interview transcript, evaluations) should be added to the appendix.

• Secondary Sources
• Articles from the local, national or international press
• Business accounts
• Business plans Extract from company websites.
• Transcripts of a relevant audio-visual file
• Financial reports
• Government and other statistics
• Journal publications
• Market research surveys
• Web-based surveys

Learners tend to grasp information relatively faster in the IB business Internal Assessments since maximum study content is relevant to everyday life, helping learners create comparisons.

The emphasis in IB Business IA is on

• how well do you carry out your research
• the conciseness of arguments put up
• and the real-time case analysis of the chosen company/organization.

Students pursuing IB business develop critical reasoning, practical, cognitive, and judgment abilities.

The IB Business IA examines an organization from any industry and the social-economic and political environments in which it functions.

The IA works with issues that arise inside businesses, where students gain a reasonable understanding via case studies. With a fresh and objective point of view on enterprises and overall variety, they have a more excellent grasp of the industry surrounding them, both worldwide and regionally.

Students working on their IB Business IA will study a business's fundamental ideas and processes while learning about ethics and corporate social responsibility. With this help, learners begin to evaluate, debate and develop brief data on local, national, and worldwide business activity.

Below is a coherent breakdown of SL and HL IA requirements, criteria, etc. Understanding the highlights will help you complete half the IA task!

If you've opted for IB Business SL, your IA will be a Written Commentary, and your work will center around secondary Research. This commentary will make up 25% of your total grade. All the points you need to take care of are listed below .

• A real business issue about an entire organization should be selected.
• Primary Research may be used for support.
• The title of your commentary should be framed as a research question.
• Adhere to the word limit of 1500 for the commentary.
• The commentary should comprise analysis, evaluation, and discussion of the findings. The conclusion should give a solution/answer to the commentary question.
• 3-5 fully referenced supporting documents and additional sources in the bibliography.
• The content of the commentary should be structured and well-presented. Starting with the introduction, which states the business issue at hand and gives background information about the organization, the next part is the body of your work. The body should present the findings from the supporting documents and, most importantly, analyze them with the help of business theories and business tools and techniques. This must be done in the context of the question, and a clear link must be established. Finally, the conclusion should answer the explored question and discuss aspects that must be fully answered.

To work in the right direction, it is essential to understand the marking/grading standards set by the IB. The criteria against which your Business SL IA will be assessed are as follows

• Supporting documents (Levels - 0,1,2,3,4)
• Choice and application of business tools, techniques, and theories (Levels - 0,1,2,3,4,5)
• Choice and analysis of data and integration of ideas (Levels - 0,1,2,3,4,5)
• Conclusions (Levels - 0,1,2,3)
• Evaluation (Levels - 0,1,2,3,4)
• Structure (Levels - 0,1,2)
• Presentation (Levels - 0,1,2)

Now that you know the deets, here's an  annotated level 7 worthy IB DP Business SL IA published by the IB . Please give it a good read to better understand how to go about your exploration.

For your Business HL students, your IA also weighs 25% of your total grade. Your IA will be a Research Project based on primary research obtained/collected from the organization under investigation. Everything that you need to take care of is listed below .

• Take up an actual issue/business decision in the context of an entire organization or a range of organizations.
• Secondary research may be used for support.
• The title of your project needs to be framed as a question. Your task is divided into the Research Proposal and the Written Report. The word limit should be at most 500 and 2000 words for the two sections.
• Research Question
• The proposed Methodology includes the rationale for the study, areas of the syllabus to be covered, possible sources of information, organizations and individuals to be approached, methods to be used to collect and analyze data, the reason for choosing them, the order of activities and timescale of the project.
• Anticipated difficulties, such as limited or biased sources
• Action plan
• Acknowledgments
• Contents Page
• Abstract (max word limit-200 (not included in the word count of the Written Report))
• Introduction
• Methodology, Findings, and Results
• Conclusion and Recommendations
• References and Bibliography and Appendices.

The HL IA criteria are nine in total. While criterion A is used to assess the Research Proposal, criteria B-I are used to evaluate the Written Report.

• Criterion A -  Research Proposal (Levels - 0,1,2,3)
• Criterion B -  Sources and data (Levels - 0,1,2,3)
• Criterion C -  Use of tools, techniques and theories (Levels - 0,1,2,3)
• Criterion D -  Analysis and Evaluation (Levels - 0,1,2,3,4,5,6)
• Criterion E -  Conclusion (Levels - 0,1,2)
• Criterion F -  Recommendations(Levels - 0,1,2)
• Criterion G -  Structure (Levels - 0,1,2)
• Criterion H -  Presentation (Levels - 0,1,2)
• Criterion I -  Reflective Thinking (Levels - 0,1,2)

You should refer to this document to better understand the descriptors of the assessment criteria levels.

And here's an  annotated high-scoring Business HL IA published by the IB . The more you refer, the better your clarity.

Obtaining a 7 in just about any IB Business IA topic will always be among the most challenging tasks an IB student may face, especially those attempting to get admission to elite institutions or universities. This is also true for IB Business IA. Nail IB discovered that the most challenging obstacle students face in achieving high scores in the Business IA involves utilizing analytical tools. To put it in simple terms, students frequently make the error of conducting a ton of research but need to relate it to the given research topic.

• Make sure you form a relevant link between your analytical approach and the chosen IA report topic. When starting the report, do not mention why this particular argument was selected and the strategy applied. You must conduct a detailed analysis that adds value to your topic.
• Conduct the analysis appropriately and thoroughly, demonstrating that you understand its aim. You can look at numerous business IA sample pdf  here  for a better understanding of how to go about the entire report and the right way to put across relevant arguments.
• After you've finished each approach, provide a note about what you learned about your proposed solution. After each analysis is completed, do a quick review. State the key results that are relevant to your answer. The goal here will be that by the time your teacher reaches the overall conclusion, they will already know your level of understanding.  
• Ask, ask and ask again -  No amount of google searches can answer your queries the way your teacher can. Understand that your teacher is always there to help you improve your chances of getting a band 7. It is critical, particularly in IB, to seek the teacher's limitless wisdom; trust us, it is worth it. When asking questions, you're not just clearing your doubts but also giving your brain new information and a fresh viewpoint, which are extremely useful to you and your IB business IA score. Look for clarifications. Develop an interest in what you're studying. Consider how most of the notions throughout the course may be used in the actual world. This is an excellent technique to get your teacher to share information!   
• Get your research documents rights -  The number of supporting research papers mentioned in the IB business IA criteria is 3-5. These supporting papers are pertinent to the question under consideration. These papers should be recent and written within the previous two years, not preceding that. Accounting records, media articles, web publications, and other credible information are also encouraged. These papers must include a broad spectrum of views and standpoints. The bodily parts that were identified and utilized must be emphasized accordingly.  
• Calling into question the data you used throughout your analysis should be part of the evaluation process. Remember to have at least two quantitative and two qualitative analytical tools to give credibility to your arguments.
• All assessments regarding the significance of propositions must be supported by evidence.
• The structure of supporting papers should be evaluated, and so should the grounds for the given research query's existence.
• In your conclusion, remember that your commentary has to lead to a decision.
• Conclusions must be a natural extension of the conducted analysis and its explanations. They should stand relevant, backed up by evidence from the accompanying sources, and address the chosen question directly.  
• The word limit for the IB Business SL IA is 1500, with the number of words noted on the first page. Regarding IB Business HL IA, the Research Proposal should be 500 words, while the word limit for the Written Report is 2000 words. Remember, do not beat around the bush. A single paragraph of irrelevant or extra data will completely digress the report. Thus, the comments should always support or focus on the highlighted situation or question. Through the discussion, subject-oriented vocabulary must be utilized. This showcases that your conference addresses the given question throughout.
• For Business SL, all corroborating papers of your primary research and any references utilized must be accompanied by a bibliography. Secondary data may be used for support for Business HL. Your preliminary research details should be mentioned in the appendix. The supporting documents are a critical piece of your puzzle, so examine them thoroughly.  
• Choose a topic keeping your strengths in mind -  Make a mental map of the themes in your curriculum that you'd like to learn more about, along with companies that you're willing to take part in or deal with frequently. Selecting a company whose statistics are widely or easily obtainable for you to utilize in your investigation is an intelligent choice. Cross-reference those themes and companies, then come up with several research problems. Ensure you clarify how you conduct analyses and what this implies for a competitive or profitable firm. Its marketplace in case your topic includes broad phrases like  competitive, dynamic or successful.  
• Include relevant factors in your evaluation -  Your research has to be the center of your evaluation. The assessment should be logical and relevant to the business and its principles. In addition to that, your analysis and interpretation should be backed up by sufficient evidence, and the findings must be based on your evaluation. The conclusion should provide an answer to your core evaluation. Suggestions for the topic's future activities and suggestions for further research should always be offered (It is essential to give tips wherever necessary). Analytical and critical reflection must also be present in the evaluation section.  
• Understand the aim of your rationale -  The rationale is not to prove or justify why you seem interested in the topic. Instead, cover why your chosen company is the right fit for your case. Let's take, for instance, the firm is now focusing on enhancing the quality of goods and services, and your Business IA is connected to boosting performance. Here, you are supposed to have a reference to showcase the same. This demonstrates to the teacher that your effort is worthwhile and noteworthy.

The IB business IA report is demanding, no doubt about that. However, losing hope or lowering your expectations will get you nowhere. Thus, aim for scoring a 7! There is no silver bullet for scoring a seven since it always boils back to actual effort and perseverance.

• Keep records, practice questions, and review related material handy. It would help if you felt like a company leader to succeed in IB business IA. You must provide answers to every problem or question in the corporate world. Use journal articles and case studies to put this strategy into practice. Put yourself in the shoes of a director or an advisor.  
• Do not lag! As your study will depend heavily on individuals and factors from outside the school setting, you should begin your internal review on schedule. The last thing you need is conducting late research, cramping up your nights, and not thoroughly planning the entire report. Make an action plan, divide each stage of the information (like research, analysis, writing, references, etc.) by weeks and give undivided attention to the task at hand. Thus, getting started on your coursework as soon as possible is imperative.  
• Make sure you're familiar with the course material. This will aid in developing your plan; you may either begin by working on themes or focusing on the basic principles. Keep up with the latest business news from the day your curriculum starts. This will help you save time when picking a company for your IA since you will already be aware of companies and their recent updates. Every company has its approach to running its operations. Reading the most recent business news will help you comprehend each organization's various techniques, thus helping you pick the best out of all.  
• Don't Charge-in Aimlessly. It's incredibly beneficial to invest serious effort into understanding what to compose and how your IB business IA topic would develop in writing. It would help if you had a general notion of what you want to accomplish before starting. It would help if you were alright as long as you have a general idea of what you want in your IA. Making a one-page outline with primary headings and subheadings and writing down some thoughts will help you channel your ideas.
• Mention some of your research's shortcomings. There should be at most one, if not two. Demonstrate that you've thought deeply about your internal assessment. You might talk about any inconsistencies in your research and why they exist.  
• Since the entire HL Internal Assessment revolves majorly around primary research, it's a good idea for learners to look at relatively small, local firms. There's a better possibility you'll be able to schedule conversations and obtain specific information, such as cash flow figures.  
• As an IB student completing the IA, you'll have to emphasize constructing comments, picking which argument on an organization might effectively back your claims, and looking for any potentially contradictory information. This combination of contradictions supported by your solutions/suggestions is advantageous to your evaluation.  
• Before conducting primary research on your specific firm, looking for secondary sources or asking where you would obtain additional information about them is suggested. Some instances could be in covered print publications, or the mainstream press profiled them.  
• Create a statement/argument at least 250 words long for every source you mention. This number may vary based on the supplementary or primary resources available. Still, the objective would be that the IA should be a single and well-supported argument.  
• Whatever you discover in the analysis and how you apply it will determine the quality of your work. Remember that your work should flow smoothly and not appear like a poorly articulated argument accompanied by sources cited as evidence rather than facts for the idea.  
• Your teacher will critique your IA original proposal. Don't be too concerned. After all, it's the first version, and no one ever wrote a flawless first copy. Accept the teacher's criticism carefully, evaluate whatever they said and wrote, and above all, pay attention to the suggestions they make for your progress. This is precisely what will get you a couple of grades higher.  
• As per the IB business IA format, you will have to figure out where you'll place your sources and which referrals go where and for what purpose. Ensure you're correctly referencing and utilizing the materials you've learned about to avoid plagiarism. This is why it's crucial to plan.  
• You must do an analysis that tackles a problem that an organization is experiencing or examine a choice that an organization is about to make. In addition, you must write a study proposal that may be utilized as a critical project plan and can be displayed as an implementation strategy.  
• You must do an analysis that tackles a problem that an organization is experiencing or examine a choice that an organization is about to make. In addition, you must write a study proposal that may be utilized as a critical project plan and can be displayed as an implementation strategy.

It does not end here. Business IA HL and SL prep is a never-ending process, but you should still explore it. Remember to have fun in this journey of becoming a business genius. You can show why the given choices were made or what techniques using concepts and substance may be used. Also, continue to examine firms critically daily.  

To wrap things up, here's a c omplete IB DP Business Management Guide published by the IB. I t will come in handy throughout your Business Course journey.

That's all for now! We hope this comprehensive guide answers your queries about IB Business IA! Whenever stuck, Nail IB will be there to your rescue. You can explore  our plan  or get in touch with  IB professionals here.

Happy learning!

To wrap things up, here's a complete  IB DP Business Management Guide   published by the IB. It will come in handy throughout your Business Course journey.

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February 14, 2023

How to Ace your Business Management Internal Assessment (HL)

Business Management Internal Assessment (IA) is a significant component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level (HL) program. It requires students to conduct research, analyze data, and apply business management concepts to a real-world business situation. The IA contributes 20% towards the final grade and is an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills and understanding of business management. However, with proper planning and preparation, students can ace their Business Management IA.

Section I: Pre-Research Proposal Material

1. Title page Include: ● Your Research Question ● Intended Audience (i.e. To Company X) ● The IB Number (Something in the format “QWE123” ● Session (i.e. May 2019) ● Proposal word count and IA word count. (Note that the Executive Summary is not counted in the 2000 words allowed for the IA.)

2. Acknowledgements

3.Contents Page Include information about (and page numbers for): ● Your proposal ● All parts of your IA ● Your Appendices

Section II: The Research Proposal Layout

Research Proposal (A total of 500 words) The research proposal section is written in the future tense. Include: ● Your RQ (Research Question) ● Rationale ○ How this RQ relates to current company priorities or challenges. ○ Discuss WHY the company should have interest in your topic! For instance, the company is currently planning an expansion for a second outlet and your IA provides a qualitative and quantitative analysis that will help them evaluate their decision.

● Theoretical Framework ○ Academic content (i.e. textbook chapters), reference to chosen business tools listed. Provide an explanation of how each will help you answer the RQ. ○ The tools with good scope for evaluation include Steeple, Ansoff, BCG matrix, product life cycle, ratio analysis, investment appraisal, break even analysis.

● Methodology ○ State the sources of primary and secondary data collation, including the names of people you will interview (and why), focus group format, or questionnaire content. It is good to  Include more than one source of primary data. If you can’t do two interviews, you’ll likely want to do something like a survey or an observation.

● Anticipated Difficulties. ○ Explain some possible problems you will likely face, the reasons for these difficulties and how you plan to deal with them. ○ Try to go beyond the obvious ones, such as bias and access to information. ○ Tell us why some of the information you need could be hard to get or unreliable.

● Action Plan. ○ Include dates and also a section where you show modifications you’ve made, as you completed your work. ○ This shows that you actually used your action plan during your IA. Also, at least one of these modifications should show that you actually learned something (or realized something related to business) and that’s why you made the change. ○ This again shows that you were growing as a result of your work which starts to build the case for Criterion I (Reflective Thinking).

● Include the word count for the entire proposal.

Section III: The IA Layout

The Internal Assessment (Maximum 2000 words) 1.Executive Summary (Abstract) (Maximum 200 words- not included in word count) ● Introduce the company and its current situation ● State your RQ ● State the tools you used in your study ● Elaborate on your primary and secondary research ● Explain key research findings ● Explain limitations of your research

2.Introduction (approx. 200 words) ● Introduce the company and explain its main business activities ● Explain their current strategic objectives ● Explain the business problem your RQ is based on Explain which sections of the IB business course you will use for your RQ

3.Methodology (approx. 200 words) Details of the primary and secondary data you will be using to investigate your RQ. For example, why a stratified sampling or face to face interview was conducted. You should explain how these will help you to answer your RQ ● Rationale for using the selected sources of data. ● Business tools you will be using to answer your RQ ● Explain how valid your research methodology will be, ● Explain the changes made to your IA methodology throughout your research.

4.Main Results and Findings (approx. 300 words) Include: ● Graphs, statistics, or relevant information. ● A research summary to state the key facts you found from your primary and secondary sources

5. Analysis and discussion (approx. 900 words) For each tool (3 or 4 of them) include: ● A clear justification of the use of the theory (how it will help answer the RQ), ● Make sure you are using a proper structure and that as much of your information as possible is coming through the tools (rather than in paragraph form). ● The analysis (i.e. the SWOT, etc), and then ● The mini-conclusion (linking the findings of the tool to the RQ). ● QE recommends at least one financial tool, but this should come after your qualitative tools. In general we like to see qualitative tools (such as SWOT and PEST) come before the quantitative ones (like ratio analysis and decision trees), because the qualitative tools set the scene and provide context for the financials.

6.Conclusions (200 words) You should not include any new data ● Pull your mini-conclusions together (synthesize them), make some interesting insights based on them (i.e. pros and cons, short-term vs long-term effects, possible stakeholder conflicts). ● This is where you really get to shine. Take time with your conclusion, so you can really emphasize everything you’ve discovered and how it all fits together to answer your RQ. ● Mention some limitations to your research. There needs to be at least one, probably two. Show you have really reflected on your work. You could discuss other information that would be very valuable to have, but which you couldn’t access. You could discuss possible inaccuracies in your work and the reasons for those. This is similar to how you write your EE reflections.

7. Recommendations (approx. 200 words) Include: ● 3 recommendations for improvement(such as changes or improvement to the company’s proposed action) ● One more question for future research. This will improve the reliability of your study and provide scope for future studies to address limitations of your IA.

8. Works Cited (No word limit) Include: ● 2 books or more sources (including your textbook) ● Primary research, be sure to get other sources of primary data –including 2interviews, survey, observation data, focus group data, etc). ● 3 internet sources or more (websites, articles) ● 1 academic source or more (a trade journal or advanced academic paper)

9.Appendices (No word limit) Do Include key content such as : ● Any interview or focus group transcripts and questionnaire results to support your analysis ● Academic analysis, support business tools, or relevant data for the marker to reference ● Further details of calculations for financial analysis ● Any additional data, including market map, in-depth steeple writeup, or more.

In conclusion, acing your Business Management Internal Assessment requires time, effort, and dedication. By following the guidelines, choosing an appropriate topic, conducting thorough research, analyzing data, and applying business management concepts, students can produce a high-quality IA that demonstrates their skills and understanding of the subject. With proper planning and preparation, students can excel in their Business Management IA and achieve their desired grade.

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Ibdp business ia tips.

“Analyze your primary data by applying several business tools you have learnt (using quantitative tools will produce clearer results). Almost everyone uses SWOT – be different!” Written by: Jerry Grzegorzek IBDP Business Management Teacher & IB Examiner & EE Supervisor and Cambridge IGCSE & AS & A2 Business Studies Teacher

Navigate the IB Business IA Tips page easily by clicking the section icons below.

Choosing the business

Choosing the question, type of research, research proposal & action plan, main results and findings, analysis and evaluation, presentation, pay attention to the assessment criteria.

Internal Assessment is compulsory for both SL and HL students enabling you to demonstrate the application of skills and knowledge, and to pursue personal interests in business management. The IA requirements for SL and HL students are different. The SL IA is a written commentary and the HL IA is a research project .

To produce IA, you need to choose, know, and analyze the business.

IAs are marked by school teachers and externally moderated by the IB. Examiners moderate IAs using the best-fit model and spend around 10-15 minutes on marking one IA, usually reading it only once. Different assessment criteria are provided for SL and HL students.

The total number of marks for IA is 25 marks, for both SL and HL, and IAs contribute 25% to the final grade. Therefore, without a good IA, it barely possible to score a 6 or 7 in DP Business Management.

SL students should spend around 15 hours while HL students should spend around 30 hours on their IAs. SL students need around 20-25 marks to get a 7, and around 10-12 marks to get a 4, while HL students need around 18-25 marks to get a 7, and around 10-12 marks to get a 4.

Important: Visit the official IBO page  for the most updated requirements of this curriculum.

Click this page for our IB Business Management Exam Guide .

IB Business IA Tips: Standard Level (SL)

It is a written commentary on a real business issue/problem faced by a real organization in the past . It is based on 3-5 supporting documents which are secondary sources . These must be printed out and attached to the commentary at the end.

• Is Tesla’s decision to increase productive capacity by building a new manufacturing plant in Shanghai a sound financial decision?
• Is including a product line for male customers a profitable decision for Prada?

Supporting documents

Business tools, techniques, theories, use, analysis and evaluation of data.

• identifying the issue or problem
• balanced analysis of strengths and weaknesses
• the final conclusion

SL IA Criteria:

• Criterion A:

3-5 supporting documents must be relevant to the tile, sufficient to answer the question and provide a range of ideas from different stakeholders.

• Criterion B:

See above about business tools.

• Criterion C:

Focus on analysing supporting documents . What is written in other sources should only complement your commentary – IA SL is not a literature review.

• Criterion D:

Conclusions should include recommendations.

• Criterion E:

Evaluation should include limitations.

• Criterion F:

Structure of ideas rather than structure of the document itself – ‘Is your language clear?’, ‘Can the examiner easily understand your ideas?’

• Criterion G:

No elements should be missing! Follow the structure:

(1) Title page

(2) Contents page

(3) Introduction

(4) Findings

(5) Analysis and discussion

(6) Conclusions

IB Business IA Tips: Higher Level (HL)

It is a research project addressing an issue faced by an organization or a decision to be made in the future . It is mainly based on primary research gathered from the organization investigated. Business tools, theories and concepts should be used to analyse and evaluate, leading to recommendations that will help address the research question. This report must be of practical use to management. HL IA must start with a 500-words Research Proposal & Action Plan that serves planning purposes.

• Should Tasty Bites Bakery purchase a new delivery truck to cater for customers in the city center?
• Should Shiny Jewelry stop outsourcing production of gold ornaments in order to increase its profit margins?

Main results & findings

Pay attention to assessment criteria, hl ia criteria:.

Research proposal needs to be appropriate, detailed, clear and focused. No elements should be missing!

Explain reasons for selecting primary sources and primary markets research methods used. Research proposal should say what will be done in the IA.

More than 1 primary research method is required to score 3 marks, ideally have 3 different methods :

(1) Interview

(3) Observation or Focus Group

Company information such as Final Accounts are considered secondary data. The primary sources selected and data collected must be appropriate, varied and sufficient . Interview transcript should be in Appendix.

Use tools, techniques and theories in the main body only to analyse primary data collected. You must show that you understand each tool , e.g. explain selection of forces and weights in Force Field Analysis.

Main Results and Findings should be separated from Analysis and Discussion. In Analysis and Discussion part, explain the business issue/problem, analyse the decision to be made, evaluate arguments for and against this decision, and make judgements.

Conclusions must be consistent with the analysis and evaluation part, and supported by evidence .

Recommendations should be related to the main body and consistent with conclusions. Areas of further study must be in Recommendations , not in Conclusions. Further study must be relevant to the existing investigation.

• Criterion H:

(1) The research proposal consists four components:

– Research question

– Proposed methodology

– Anticipated difficulties, such as limited or biased sources

– Action Plan

(2) Title page

(3) Acknowledgements

(4) Contents page

(5) Executive summary

(6) Introduction

(7) Research question

(8) Methodology employed

(9) Main results and findings

(10) Analysis and Discussion

(11) Conclusions

(12) Recommendations

(13) Bibliography and references

(14) Appendices

• Criterion I:

Reflection on your research process and future improvements – how did you gather primary data? Reflection cannot be generalised .

‘How could my research be improved, if I had more time?’ , ‘What else could I do?’

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internal assessment

Introduction.

For the IB Business Management Internal Assessment , you will apply business management tools, techniques and theories to a real business issue or problem and write a research paper that refers to a single business organization, but considers industry wide issues that impact the organization.

October 7                   Preliminary interview with local business

October 21                  Research question due

November 4               Rough draft Research Proposal due

November 11             Proposed business tools/data collection

December 17             Rough draft Written Report due

January 21                  Final Draft due

Getting Started

Sample letter to local business initial business interview ia template: business management sample research questions, research proposal, the research proposal follows the title page and is a separate document from the written report and should not exceed 500 words. it consists of the following components., research question  , how this research question relates to current company priorities or challenges..

This is not why you are interested in this topic, but rather why the company has an interest in this question. For example, the company is currently focused on improving the quality of their products and your IA (and you show us this using a source) is related to increasing quality. This shows that your work is actually valuable. 

Theoretical Framework

Course sections (i.e. chapters), with specific tools listed and an explanation of how each will help you answer the rq., methodology, the sources of primary and secondary information you will pursue, citing specific names of people you will interview (and why), as well as specific information you will focus on finding., include more than one source of primary data. if you can't do two interviews, you'll likely want to do something like a survey or an observation., anticipated difficulties, explain some possible problems you will likely face, the reasons for these difficulties and how you plan to deal with them., try to go beyond the obvious ones, such as bias and access to information., tell why some of the information you need could be hard to get or unreliable., action plan, include dates and also a section where you show modifications you've made, as you completed your work., this shows that you actually used your action plan during your ia. also, at least one of these modifications should show that you actually learned something (or realized something related to business) and that's why you made the change., this again shows that you were growing as a result of your work --which starts to build the case for criterion i (reflective thinking)., sample research proposal, written report, the written report is the second part of your ia. it follows the research proposal and must use the required format below. title page includes research question, intended audience, ib number, session,  proposal word count, ia word count.   research proposal (with word count)   acknowledgements should recognize any individual and/or organization that made the report possible. customary, but not required.   contents page include information about (and page numbers for): your proposal, all parts of your ia, your appendices.   executive summary from this point onward everything should be written in the past tense. for example, "first the owner was contacted to discuss possible areas of concern..." also, include page numbers. give a very quick (i.e. 1 or 2 sentence) background of the type of company and its situation, give the research question, state the tools used, explain major primary and secondary sources used, explain your major findings, mention a limitation of the findings.   introduction state the company name and explain what the company does (make sure this is really clear), explain one of their current strategic priorities, explain what you are going to research (your rq), explain the sections of the course which are involved, the word count for this section. methodology employed more detail about your procedure --what kinds of primary and secondary sources you used to explore your rq. explain some of the sources of information you used (i.e. 'an interview with x and y and a survey of z'). make it clear you had more than one source of primary data. (very briefly) the benefit of using these sources. the business techniques and tools you used, and (very briefly) the purpose of your business tools. explain how valid and reliable your data collection was. for example, how there may have been room for bias or a limited scope to your research. explain how valid your methods of gathering data were. mention any changes made to your ia approach as the work progressed. there should be several. main results and findings include: a graph of some kind is recommended, a summary of your research, perhaps as a list of a few of the key facts uncovered and their primary or secondary sources. analysis and discussion this is where you j.a.m. for each tool (3 or 4 of them) include: a clear justification of the use of the theory (how it will help answer the rq), make sure you are using the jam structure and that as much of your information as possible is coming through the tools (rather than in paragraph form). the analysis (i.e. swot, etc.), and then the mini-conclusion (linking the findings of the tool to the rq). use at least one financial tool, but this should come after your qualitative tools. in general, qualitative tools (such as swot and pest) come before the quantitative ones (like ratio analysis and decision trees), because the qualitative tools set the scene and provide context for the financials.   conclusion and recommendations pull your mini-conclusions together (synthesize them), make some interesting insights based on them (i.e. pros and cons, short-term vs long-term effects, possible stakeholder conflicts). emphasize everything you've discovered and how it all fits together to answer your rq. include: at least 3 recommendations, at least one additional type of research (or another question to research in the future) which would help ensure the reliability of your findings. to get full marks for your recommendations section (2/2) you need to do this. (a student needs to have identified "areas for further study" for full marks here). make sure everything you write here is supported by your conclusion. the recommendations also don't include any new information.   references and bibliography - at least 2 books (one of these can be the textbook), - at least 2 interviews. if you can only do one interview, then you'll      definitely need another source of primary research --a survey, observation data, focus group data, etc.), - at least 4 internet sources, - at least one source which shows your willingness to go beyond the minimum requirements (i.e. a trade journal, an advanced academic paper, an interview with a competitor).   appendices includes only relevant information that supports or emphasizes what is discussed in the report: transcripts from your interviews, additional analysis you did which didn’t fit in the body of your ia, questionnaire results, details of the calculations you did for your financial tool, any other interesting data which you would like to refer to in the body of your work., business tools/data collection, checklist/rubric, hl ia rubric, ia student checklist, ia examples, hl ia sample a       ( 24 /25 marks) hl ia sample b       ( 21 /25 marks) hl ia sample c       ( 19 /25 marks) hl ia sample d       ( 16 /25 marks).

MARKING THE IA HL

The HL business management research project is assessed against nine criteria that are related to the assessment objectives for the business management course. Criterion A refers to the research proposal, while criteria B-I are used to assess the written report.

There are nine assessment criteria for the research project. (A full breakdown of each criterion can be found at the end of this document)

Criterion A: Research proposal

Criterion B: Sources and data

Criterion C: Use of tools, techniques and theories

Criterion D: Analysis and evaluation

Criterion E: Conclusions

Criterion F: Recommendations

Criterion G: Structure

Criterion H: Presentation

Criterion I: Reflective thinking

The analysis section of the IB Business Management Internal Assessment is the single most important section of the IA to get right. What you do here will largely determine the marks you are awarded across THREE interrelated sections of the IA: Criterion B, C and E.

Criterion A: Research proposal - 3 marks

This criterion focuses on the topic, the research question and the methodology. It assesses the explanation of the focus of the research (this includes the topic and the research question), how the research will be undertaken, and how the focus is maintained throughout the essay.

Please note: Criterion A should be used to assess the research proposal only.

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student presents a research proposal that gives an effective direction for the project, with all the required elements.

The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors.

The research proposal is presented but is generally inappropriate, or two or more elements are missing.

The research proposal is generally appropriate but some elements lack clarity, detail and focus, or one element is missing.

The research proposal with all the required elements is appropriate, detailed, clear and focused.

Criterion B: Sources and data - 3 marks

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student selects primary sources and collects data which address an issue or a decision to be made by an organisation or a range of organisations in appropriate depth and breadth.

AMENDED GUIDANCE 2020: Primary and supporting secondary sources.

The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.

Some of the primary sources selected or the data collected are appropriate.

The primary sources selected and the data collected are appropriate, but are not varied and sufficient.

The primary sources selected and the data collected are appropriate, varied and sufficient.

Criterion C: Use of tools, techniques and theories- 3 marks

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student understands and applies relevant business management tools, techniques and theories so that a greater insight into the situation of the organisation ensues.

There is a limited understanding of business management tools, techniques and theories, and these are not applied or are superficially applied.

There is a satisfactory understanding of relevant business management tools, techniques and theories, and these are suitably applied.

There is a good understanding of relevant business management tools, techniques and theories, and these are skillfully applied.

Criterion D: Analysis and Evaluation - 6 marks

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student uses his or her results and findings effectively in order to explain the issue or decision to be made and is able to integrate his or her ideas coherently. This criterion also assesses the extent to which the student evaluates his or her arguments and makes judgments that are well substantiated.

Aim to answer your research question by applying a range of analytic tools

The results and findings are limited, and no analysis of them is provided.

The results and findings are limited, and a superficial analysis of them is provided.

There is a satisfactory analysis of the results and findings and some integration of ideas.

There is a satisfactory analysis of the results and findings, a satisfactory integration of ideas and some evidence of evaluation.

There is a good analysis of the results and findings, a good integration of ideas and evidence of substantiated evaluation.

There is a skillful analysis of the results and findings, a coherent integration of ideas and consistent evidence of substantiated evaluation.

Criterion E: Conclusions (written report) - 2 marks

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student is able to draw relevant conclusions based on the analysis of the report.

• There cannot be any new information presented in this section!
• Your conclusions must be substantiated
• You must mention areas for further study
• Try answering the question ‘what could have I done better  if I had had more time, resources, skills and access

There are some conclusions, but they are unsubstantiated and/or inconsistent with the evidence presented in the main body of the report.

Conclusions are substantiated and consistent with the evidence presented in the main body of the report. Areas for further study have been identified, if appropriate.

Criterion F: Recommendations (written report) - 2 marks

There are recommendations, but they are unsubstantiated and/or inconsistent with the conclusions, or they do not answer the research question.

The recommendations are substantiated and consistent with the conclusions, and they answer the research question.

Criterion G: Structure (written report) - 2 marks

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student organizes his or her ideas into a structured report with an argument that is easy to follow.

Limited structure.

Appropriate structure.

Criterion H: Presentation (written report) - 2 marks

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student presents all the required components of the written report in the correct order and format.

The report is missing one or more of the required components, or the components are not in the correct order or format.

The report includes all of the required components in the correct order and format.

Criterion I: Reflective thinking (written report) - 2 marks

This criterion assesses the extent to which the student is able to reflect critically on their own work.

The report includes limited or superficial reflective thinking on the approach taken in this piece of research and its limitations.

The report includes appropriate evidence of reflective thinking on the approach taken in this piece of research and its limitations.

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Business and Management – IA Research Proposal

Seasons Supermarket has many businesses apart from the market industry such as Seasons Hotel. Seasons Supermarket is mainly focused on its sales targeting the local needs and has faced difficulty in selling products due to its competition and also are overstaffed this making them fail completely thou they have a little window of opportunity to grow. The main objective would be to position their market in a way that would help the company to sell all range of products more efficiently and make profits. Theoretical framework:-(BCG matrix, Porters generic) Some strategies and analysis tools that can be used are SWOT analysis this will be used to examine the company's strength to weakness and also will help in identifying the areas that need and can be improved matrix and Porters generics are tools that can be used to analyze the company's market positioning. This entire research will help find a solution to make the supermarket more efficient in selling their products in a better way.

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Overview: Business Management HL IA

This is an overview of my Business Management HL IA, alongside tips to score well. I received 24/25 from my teacher, and received a moderated mark of 20/25, both 7!

I chose a public limited insurance company (Company X) as my firm. It was dealing with cash flow concerns. My question was: “Should Company X improve their cash flow by strengthening its co-insurance system?”

For Business Management HL IAs, a key component is access to primary data. Therefore, it is best to choose a firm that you have easy access to, in case you need to request company data and interviews. In contrast, Business Management SL IAs primarily use secondary data—which is generally available online—to evaluate firms with an online presence.

Research Proposal

As the first part of the IA isn’t included in the overall word count, the research proposal mainly acts as the planning document for your actual IA. In my proposal, I included:

• Rationale – explaining a brief overview of the firm and why I chose to analyse it
• Key Areas of Syllabus – Finance & Accounts and Operations Management
• Tools – SWOT Analysis, FFA, Profit & Loss Account
• Sources of Data – Primary, Secondary
• Anticipated Difficulties + Potential Solutions
• Action Plan – detailing the action, the date, and a modification column to show changes or additional notes
• Gantt Chart – visualizing my action plan

Executive Summary (200 words)

Outline the problem that the firm is facing and introduce the primary aim of the investigation by contextualizing the research question. I summarized the findings from the investigation. This includes the use of primary and secondary resources, the key areas of improvement for the firm, the brief overview of the solutions, and the benefits that the firm may reap by implementing these resources. 

Introduction

More detailed overview of Company X (the products they sell, the industry it operates in, and their competitors), followed by their strategic and tactical objectives. As my research question included the term “co-insurance”, which may be unfamiliar, I also explained the definition of the term and its application within the context of the investigation. 

Main Issue in my IA: Company X’s recent implementation of the co-insurance system created several cash flow problems rising from systemic complications. The main focus of the research was to analyse the complications that Company X is facing as the lead insurer in terms of financial and operational aspects.

Methodology

I included a short paragraph outlining the data collection process, which entails:

• Primary Research – Interviews with Firm Employees (inquiring about qualitative reports and expert evaluations), Focus Group Research, Surveys
• Secondary Research – Evaluating competitor’s positions through articles, regional business context, evaluating the firm’s financial reports, etc.
• Briefly reiterating the key areas of syllabus covered (Finance & Accounts/Operations Management)

Main results and findings

Primary research : Summarizing the interview findings, referring to interview transcripts that I inserted in the appendix.

Secondary research : Summarizing findings through research towards main competitors, as well as evaluation of the firm’s financial reports.

Analysis and Discussion

• SWOT Analysis – Analyses the strengths and weaknesses (internal factors) of the firm’s current standing, as well as the potential opportunities and threats (external factors) that the firm may face.
• Force Field Analysis – Created a diagram to evaluate the driving forces (forces for change) and restraining forces (forces against change) in the context of implementing the solution proposed in the research question.
• Profit & Loss Account (for 2017 and 2018 data) – Evaluating the financial standing of the firm to remark on the firm’s suitability in implementing the changes, commenting on the changes in the firm’s financial profits.

TIP : There are various other tools you can use to assist your analysis, including Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram, Decision Trees, etc. In my IA, I used a mix of qualitative and quantitative tools to analyse my chosen firm on both an operational and financial standpoint.

Here, I reiterated the focus of the research as well as the methodology used (primary/secondary resources, tools). I also summarized the overall findings from the research I conducted, as well as the final recommendation for the firm in response to the initial research question. For instance, I concluded that “Company X is encouraged to implement the change in the co-insurance system to deal with the cash flow disruption they are experiencing.”

Here, I wrote down the solutions obtained from the analysis of the firm’s situation. For instance, I suggested that:

• Company X should improve the terms set in their co-insurance contracts, as they have stable financial standing. 
• Company X should implement the concept of kaizen (a Japanese process of efficiency gains that promotes small and continuous improvements).
• Constructing a detailed cash flow forecast would enable Company X to identify the sources of inflow/outflow that may need to be further scrutinised for improvement.
• Company X should implement further quality assurance to increase competitive advantage.

TIP : To strengthen your propositions, justify the solutions by referring back to your analysis and mentioning the potential gains your firm will reap by implementing such a change.

Bibliography

• A useful guide to MLA Citations
• A useful resource for creating citations: Cite Fast , EasyBib, Citation Machine
• Include all relevant excerpts of company data, articles, book resources, survey samples and interview transcripts.

The IB subject guide to Business Management (last assessments 2022) is here .

Find Nikki’s overview on Business Management HL for IBlieve here .

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IA Research Questions for first exams 2024

The most important part of the IA in Business Management is of course the research question.  It is important to first consult the IB guide for this course, but here are some of my own tips on how to settle on a good question. If you are a student, you’ll want to ask your teacher for the sections of the subject guide on the IA, and the annual subject report, if they have not already done so.  The subject published every year is a fantastic resource in which the IB team gives specific guidance on strengths and weaknesses that they tended to see in the last exam session’s IAs.  

Most of my students go through multiple rounds of consultation with me before they settle on a question that is viable.  If your question is problematic in any way, a student will likely end up wasting a lot of time and effort pursuing a path that is fruitless or must be significantly altered.  It is therefore much better to spend more time than you want nailing down a good question rather than having to fix it later.  

Should I do a forward-looking or backward-looking question? 

The question can be forward-looking or backward-looking, as long as you remember for backward-looking questions that there is a three-year limit on sources and that the question needs to be evaluative and not simply report and/or analyze what happened.  A student may not use source material that is dated more than three years before their IA submission.  I personally often advise my students that writing a forward-looking IA question is usually easier, giving the question a binary either/or choice for the firm.  However, it is quite possible to do a backward-looking question, and many students evaluate something like how successfully a firm has been able to implement a choice, or to what extent it was the right decision.

Examples of good questions 

Should Nintendo stop making Rated M games and focus on kid-friendly games?

Should Alphabet acquire a smart TV manufacturer?

Should Walmart try to expand the variety of products offered under the Great Value brand?

Will third-party delivery apps be a greater source of revenue for The Bagel than catering to large events?

Should Celtic Crossing consider expanding to a second location in the metro area?

Are Taco Bell’s experimental product campaigns a valid marketing strategy for future expansion in China?

All of these questions narrow the firm’s options down to a clear set of options that can be addressed adequately within the word limit.

"Should" questions 

For most students, I often find that “should” questions end up being the easiest for the students to narrow down their focus into a scenario in which they can apply course tools, techniques, and theories.  It tends to lead to a simple binary choice of “yes or no,” or “Option A or Option B.”

"Can" questions 

This is similar to a “should” question in the sense that the answer is clearly going to be yes or no.  For example, “Can Exxon successfully increase revenues by adding electric car charging ports to its gas stations?”

"To what extent" questions 

Another option is to go with “to what extent.” For instance, to what extent is a product line, marketing campaign, strategy, or so on impacting the firm in a positive way (profitability, competitive advantage, productivity, etc.).   While the conclusion could be a bit more fuzzy than in a “should” question, it’s still pretty straightforward to conclude if the answer is to a limited, moderate, or great extent.

"How Effective" questions 

As long as this addresses an issue that is ongoing and not solely in the past, this can be a good way of evaluating the merits of a firm’s objectives, strategies, tactics, and so on.  For example, “How effective is Gold's Gym's use of social media promotional techniques?”  

What makes a bad question? 

There are many things that can lead to a bad research question, but here are a few things I commonly see in students’ first iteration of their questions: 

Considers too many aspects of the business functions

Is about the industry, not the firm

Requires info that you don’t have access to [for this reason, I highly recommend that students do a publicly traded company so that they can get access to financial info]

Has already been answered

Is very likely to be answered/irrelevant long before you submit your draft

Has an obvious answer

Examples of  unusable q uestions I have seen before 

"Should Nike cut back on advertisement/ marketing money and focus it on new tech products?"

This could work, but so often the student doesn't have a really good idea of what "tech products" they envision Nike getting into.  Nike is a company that mostly sells sporting goods and apparel.  What kind of tech products would they do?  Upon questioning, the student was unable to come up with concrete examples other than NFTs, and they were unable to explain Nike's potential creation of NFTs further.  Students need to have a clearer idea of what they're proposing.

"How did the transgender bathroom policy impact Target's profits?"

I doubt you’re going to be able to prove whether or not it had any impact on their profits; teasing out the cause and effect there is likely to be way too difficult, and you will not have firm data to point to in order to justify a conclusion. This essay will thus be highly speculative.  Also, the way the student has phrased this question, it’s entirely in the past and they're running the danger of writing a report on facts and ahve no true evaluation.  If the student wants to investigate whether this will have an ongoing or future impact on the business, then this should be rephrased.  

"What impact will the recent move of Wilson Sporting Goods' headquarters have on the mobility of jobs within the workforce of the company?"

This is a mouthful.  I’m not entirely sure what the student means by mobility of jobs within the workforce of the company, and the student clearly didn’t either when we chatted.

"How can Wendy's revamp the public's outlook on the service and attitude of the staff?"

Firstly, I generally advise against questions beginning with “how.”  Too often, there are far too many possibilities to explore, so a “how” question is too broad to be covered well within the word count limit. Secondly, the student is assuming that Wendy’s has a problem with the public perception of service and staff attitudes.  In this case, the student was never able to come up with reliable data showing that these were even problems to begin with. 

"Should Amazon invest in private label brands?"

They already are, so this question is irrelevant.

"Should Sony expand its electronics sales into new markets?"

Sony is a huge company, and I don't know what market they could potentially get into that they're not currently in.  Also, does the student mean geographic markets, new product markets, etc?  The student was never really able to answer these questions for me.

"What new features can Spotify add to better compete with Apple Music?"

Maybe this could work if it were more specific, but the student wasn't really able to clearly lay out what options he had in mind.  Consequently, without narrowing it down to specific features or at least types of features, the question was too broad and wasted a lot of the student's time before he switched.

"How can/should " q uestions 

As stated above, I usually advise students against these questions because they very often end up being too vague and broad.  For example, “How can Sony increase its market share in electronics sales?”  There are far too many ways that the firm could potentially do that, so it’s very hard to imagine that the student could effectively answer the question within the word limit.  If a student has a more specific “how” question though, it could be workable.  For instance, “How can Local Firm X reduce its monthly fixed costs?” may be workable because there are not many options to explore for the specific firm in question.  

PhD Assistance

Writing a research proposal for business management.

A research design is a thorough plan that helps a research project achieves its goals. Business research is a scientific examination that entails a series of highly interconnected operations, each of which might have negative consequences for subsequent activities if completed incorrectly (Greener, 2021). The steps of the business research proposal process are explained in this blog.

Fig1. Writing a Research Proposal

• Identifying the Problem

The determination of the topics that need to be explored is the first step in the research process. In the case of fundamental research undertaken by academics, a topic of interest or a new field of inquiry is found.

2. Collection of basic literatures

Following the identification of the problem , the following stage is to gather preliminary data/literature that can aid in developing a basic grasp of the problem; in the case of business difficulties consulting, this can aid in understanding the scenario (Saeed et al., 2021).

3. Problem Statement

Although other writers may not have included this step as an explicit step, I believe it is critical to explicitly express the problem. Clearly defining the problem with a statement can give significant benefits. It can assist in generating a clear knowledge of the issue that needs to be handled, as well as clearly spelling out the objectives that must be met in order to solve the problem.

4. Detailed Literature Review

Literature review is an important aspect of academic research since it acts as the heart of the study. It expands research horizons, aids in the development of focus, gives direction, and minimises ambiguity. A literature review entails searching the body of knowledge for relevant literature that will aid in not only identifying but also determining the direction of relationships between variables, as well as in the formulation of hypotheses. It will also be useful in discussions later on in the research (Pereira et al., 2021).

5. Research Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a well-informed estimate; it’s called such since it’s founded on the conceptual framework established in the literature study and theoretical framework . Predictable and testable hypotheses are essential.

6. Methodology

The researcher decides how the research will be carried out at this stage. It is critical that this part provide adequate information to the reader so that he or she may easily reproduce the research in their own situations (Wickert et al., 2021).

Step 7: Collecting data

After deciding on a study approach, the following step is to gather data . Telephonic interviews, individually delivered surveys, postal questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, and observation are all examples of data collection methods.

Step 8: Data Entry and Screening & Cleansing of Data

The first step is to enter the information into any statistical programme that can aid in rapid data analysis . It is critical to review and cleaning of data for any irregularities once it has been submitted; failing to do so will result in inaccurate results.

Step 9: Data Analysis with statistical techniques

The next stage is to conduct proper statistical study based on the study hypothesis after the data has been input and cleaned. To examine the data, a variety of procedures are employed.

Step 10: Interpretation/Presentation of Results

After the data has been processed and the findings have been displayed on the screen, the following step is to analyse the data before presenting it. Contact PhD Assistance  for any of your PhD requirements as we offer PhD Dissertation Writing UK, Content Quality of Dissertation Proposal UK. The interpretation of the results is one of the most important challenges that most studies encounter. The researcher must assess whether the findings are important, whether the hypothesis is correct, and then report the findings in a clear and understandable manner (Johnson et al., 2021).

Step 11: Discussion

The Discussion chapter is the most significant portion of the article and the culmination of the study, but it is often overlooked. The majority of newcomers to research just interpret the findings without discussing them. Reviewing the research findings in light of previous research is part of the discussion. This part entails comparing and contrasting the study findings with those of earlier studies to evaluate if the findings are comparable or conflicting. If they are in conflict, the researcher must determine what is causing the change.

Step 12: Conclusion

A conclusion is the last phase of a research project. It gives a high-level summary of the thesis while highlighting the key areas of debate. This section presents the study findings in a logical order (Nair et al., 2021). When the conclusions agree with the findings of other studies, they might cite references.

Bell, Bryman,  and H. (2018). Formulating a research proposal . https://learninglink.oup.com/static/5bf28a25d910f40011b79ade/page_12.htm

Greener, S. L. (2021). Non-supervisory support for doctoral students in business and management: A critical friend. The International Journal of Management Education , 19 (2), 100463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2021.100463

Hejase, H. J. (2022). Faculty of Business Administration Guidelines on Writing the MBA Research Project / Thesis Faculty of Business Administration Guidelines on Writing the MBA Research Project / Thesis Applicable to most business emphases Accounting Economics Finance Hospita . February . file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/MBAResearchProject-ThesisManuscriptFebruary2022.pdf

Johnson, C. D., Bauer, B. C., & Niederman, F. (2021). The Automation of Management and Business Science. Academy of Management Perspectives , 35 (2), 292–309. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2017.0159

Nair, R., Arshad, R., Abd Aziz, A. Z., & Muda, R. (2021). A critical reading of impression management in times of financial crisis and implications for business writing. Journal of Education for Business , 96 (4), 230–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2020.1806017

Pereira, L., Santos, R., Sempiterno, M., Costa, R. L. da, Dias, Á., & António, N. (2021). Pereira Problem Solving: Business Research Methodology to Explore Open Innovation. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity , 7 (1), 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7010084

Peterson, M. (2021). Teaching the Online Marketing Research Course for MBA Students. Journal of Marketing Education , 43 (3), 371–385. https://doi.org/10.1177/02734753211001422

Saeed, M. A., Mohammed H. Al-Ahdal, A. A., & Al Qunayeer, H. S. (2021). Integrating research proposal writing into a postgraduate research method course: what does it tell us? International Journal of Research & Method in Education , 44 (3), 303–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2020.1777963

Shao, H., Zhang, Z., & Wang, B. (2021). Research on accounting information security management based on blockchain. Mobile Information Systems , 2021 . https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9926106

Wickert, C., Post, C., Doh, J. P., Prescott, J. E., & Prencipe, A. (2021). Management Research that Makes a Difference: Broadening the Meaning of Impact. Journal of Management Studies , 58 (2), 297–320. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12666

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SL Business Management Internal Assessment

by  Antony W

August 23, 2021

This is a guide to SL Business Management Internal Assessment for IB students. You’ll learn what this assessment assignment is all about, the right structure to use, the assessment criteria, and more. In short, if you’re looking for a more comprehensive guide on SL Business Management IA, you’ve come to the right place.

What is SL Business Management IA?

SL Business Management IA is an assessment assignment worth 25 marks. The assignment requires you to choose a business-related question, use up to 5 data documents and at least course tools for analysis. Your focus will be on a single business and its aspects, and the expected word count of the assessment is 1,500 words.

SL Business Management IA Outline

The following is the structure of the SL Business Management IA, with what you should include in each section:

This page should include in the particular order in which we’ve highlighted:

• The research question you’ve formulated
• The business or audience you intend to target
• The IB number, written in the right  format
• Word count in your IA

The title page should NOT include student number, school, candidate number, student’s name, or the name of the school.

Contents Page

The contents page should have the following information, with the corresponding page numbers:

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Methodology

• Analysis and discussion

While the acknowledgment isn’t included in the word count, it’s an important part of the SL Business Management IA. This part simply shows your gratitude to teachers, students, and anyone else who helped you with your IA. This section is very easy to write and it’s best to keep in short and direct to the point.

The introduction is the section where, according to IB, you set the scene for your SL Business Management Internal Assessment.

Write down the company’s name and explain what it does. Follow this with the research question, and then explain why it’s important to the company you’re currently studying.

Suggested word count: 150

Show how you picked 3 to 5 sources for your SL Business Management IA. Your description should clearly demonstrate that you put enough time and thoughts in the process to bring out a clear range of perspective.

Your methodology has to indicate the part of the course that you’ll use to explore the issue and why such chapters and tools are important. Also, there should be a short but clear explanation of the sources used and why they’re relevant to the research question.

Don’t just mention the reliability of your data. You should also state the weaknesses that your sources have. Also, don’t forget to mention the changes you made if there is any.

Suggested word count: 200

Analysis and Discussion

Use at least 3 or 4 technique to do your analysis and discussion. It’s important to link the tools in the order in which they appear in the analysis to give the readers a clear picture of how the tools are not only related but also useful in answering the research question.

Furthermore, the conclusion in this section should include insights and themes that emerged from your overall analysis and discussion.

Suggested word count: 900

The conclusion of your SL Business Management IA should be as insightful as your analysis. You’re limited to 250 words, and that means you have a very small room to write, so only the most important details should go into this section.

A good conclusion should support your analysis by summarizing your best insights. As with any other type of essay, the conclusion of this assessment shouldn’t introduce new arguments or facts that you haven’t yet addressed in the analysis. More importantly, make sure the conclusion includes a very clear answer to your research question.

Suggested word count: 250

Work Cited 

This section should include all the 3 to 5 sources used. You should cite your work using the MLA format.

You can use additional source for minor information in your work. If you choose to do so, make sure to include those sources in this section as well.

Like Work Cited, this section too doesn’t have word limit. You should include copies of the 3 to 4 supporting documents with their respective labels for easy referencing. Also, you should write down the parts of the supporting document as used in the analysis.

Choosing Sources for Your SL Business Management IA

You will have to choose 3 to 5 secondary sources for the SL Business Management IA. The source you choose for your SL IA in this subject should:

• Feature different point of views provided they’re relevant to the Business Management issue that you’ve decided to investigate
• Be recent. The sources you pick should not be more than three years old. If you’re taking your final IB test in May 2022, pick sources written not later than June 2019.
• Come from variety of sources. Use business articles, explore annual business reports, look at academic papers, read market research documents, and credible news websites.
• Fit your analysis tools. It’s important to include a source that contains numbers to help you with financial analysis

SL vs HL IA in Business Management: What’s the Difference?

It’s important not to confuse between SL and HL IA in Business Management. Below is a comparison table between the two, which should help to keep you on the right track.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Business & Management IA Research Proposal

• Internal Assesment
• Research proposal
• action plan

By Rafa de Azua May 20, 2013 in Economics and Business & Management

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Rafa de azua.

Hi! I am studying Business and Management HL and I'm actually writing my Research proposal for my IA.

The maximum number of words is 500 and I have seen examples that counting the words of all the parts and the action plan of the proposal have more than 500 words.

Does the action plan count for the word count in the research proposal?

Link to post

Share on other sites, adhamhussein.

you should have three different word counts:

1. Executive summary a.k.a abstract. The maximum word count is 200

2. Research Proposal/Action Plan. The maximum word count is 500

3. Main Essay. The maximum word is 2000

If u exceed the limit IB will down score. One of the assessment criteria (E-value to management) will give u a maximum of one point if you exceed the word count

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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
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See an example

Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 21). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved April 10, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/

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