MBA Project work Guidelines

Introduction:
This program guide will provide the student with all the information they need to know for
developing a project dissertation. As project work is a very important part of MBA course
curriculum, it has been marked for four credits.
The following guidelines may be adopted for MBA projects:
1. The duration of the project is for six months starting with synopsis preparation and ending
with evaluation.
2. It must be a live project either done at the place of work or some other organisation.
3. The project must be taken up under a guide at students Authorised Study Centre/ Program
Centre/ Learning Centre.
4. Students to contact Learning centre for appropriate formats for project work.
5. The project must be completed and submitted at the Learning Centre.
6. The project must relate to the specialisation pursued.
Selection of Project Title:
The title selected should be coherent with the stream of study or specialisation.
A list of suggested topics is provided at the end of this document. However, the student
and the guide have the freedom to identify an appropriate topic.
The title should be specific and focus towards the objectives of the project.

Project work and final submission:

1. Submit a draft project work to the Authorised Study Centre/ Program Centre/ Learning
Centre:
The draft project work should be submitted 20 days after the study has been conducted.
The draft should constitute the following:
Title of the project
Introduction
Literature review/related research outcomes (a brief review of similar or related studies
conducted elsewhere. (This should not be more than 500 words).
Description of study methodology
List of work done: Visits to company, list of functionaries met, documents received from
company; registers and files seen, and observations made, field visits, number of
samples collected/ questionnaires filled should be mentioned in proper order.
Names of books, sites, journals, magazines referred.
2. After receiving a feedback from the Authorised Study Centre/ Program Centre/ Learning
Centre, make the necessary corrections and proceed to the next step.
3. Submit the final report:

The final project report should be submitted 30 days after the submission of the draft
project work. The recommended number of pages of final report should be around 100.
4.

Viva Voce/Presentation:
Viva will be conducted as per the schedule. The power point slides for presentation should
be submitted along with the final project report. The student should demonstrate or make
a power point presentation of their project at the Study Centre/ Program Centre/ Learning
Centre to the University approved external and internal examiners. The student must stay
in touch with their Study Centre/ Program Centre/ Learning Centre for the actual date of
project evaluation.
The project work terminates with the viva voce/ presentation. A summary of the project is
to be submitted.
Executive Summary: Should be 500 words; besides being a part of the project report, a
copy of the executive summary should be submitted separately also. The following are
the constituents of the summary:
o
Title
o
Statement of the problem
o
Methodology used
o
Main findings /outcome of the study with respect to objectives
o
Recommendations

Project Report
The final project report should consist of the following components:
Cover page
Title page
Acknowledgement
Bonafide letter (from the company where the project was undertaken)
Table of contents
List of Tables & List of Figures
List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature
Executive Summary
Chapters
o Introduction
o Project details
Title of the project
Aims and objectives of the study
Problem statement
Scope of the study
Significance of the study
o Literature review/related research outcomes (should not be more than 500 words)
o Methodology used: Data collection method, research tools used, sampling
methodology, validity of the data

o
o
o

Data analysis and interpretation/Research findings

Recommendations and conclusions
Limitations of the study and scope for further research, if any,

References/ Bibliography
Format for Bibliography:
Books:
Authors or Editors Names, Title of the Book, Place of Publication, Publisher, Year of
Publication, Page number
Example:
R.C. Goyal, Hospital Administration and Human Resource Management, New Delhi:
Prentice Hall Publication, 2008, Pg. 75
S.K. Joshi, Quality Management in Hospitals, New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers, 2009, pg 8993
Journals:
Author, Article Title, Title of Periodical, Date of Publication, Page numbers of the article.
Example:
Bronwyn Fryer, The Layoff, Harvard Business Review, March 2009, Pg 17-24.
Keila Rooney, Consumer Driven Healthcare Marketing: Using the Web to Get Up Close
and Personal, Journal of Healthcare Management, Chicago: July 2009, Vol. 54, Pg 241

Visit our website http://edunxt.smude.edu.in, for detailed project guidelines.

Project Evaluation:
Evaluation pattern for the project is as given below:
Evaluation Criteria

Internal

External

Synopsis

Methodology

10

10

Analysis /Findings

25

25

Project Report

25

25

Viva

35

35

Total

100

100

Template/Details for Preparation of Project Report for MBA course Contents

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

Cover page and Title page

Acknowledgement
Bonafide Letter
Executive Summary

v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.

Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature
Chapters
References/Bibliography
Instructions

i) Cover Page and Title Page:

About Cover page and Title Page:

<TITLE OF PROJECT REPORT>

A PROJECT REPORT

Under the guidance of

______________________________

Submitted by
______________________________

in partial fulfillment of the requirement

for the award of the degree
Of
MBA

IN
[Finance/Marketing/Human Resource Management/Information Systems/Banking/Retail
Operations/Operations Management/Project Management/Total Quality Management]

<MONTH> & <YEAR>

ii) Acknowledgement:
Acknowledgment is the regard given to the people and organisations that have helped the
student in completing the project undertaken. It must consist of acknowledgements towards

the organisation the student studies and to the company where the student has done the
project followed by the people who have helped student in the process.

iii) Bonafide Certificate

Bonafide Certificate:

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
Certified that this project report titled .. is the bonafide
work of ..<NAME OF THE CANDIDATE(S)>. who carried out the project
work under my supervision.
SIGNATURE

SIGNATURE

HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

FACULTY IN CHARGE
<Academic Designation>
<Department>

<Department>
<<Full address of the Dept & College >>
College >

<Full address of the Dept &

<<Full address of the Dept. of College>> <Full address of the Dept. & College>

iv) Executive Summary:

Executive summary should be a one-page summary of the project report. It should consist of
the statement of the problem, main findings, and recommendations for further use. It should
be typed in double line spacing, font style -Times New Roman, and font size 14.

v) Table of contents:
It is the list of all the contents in the report. Please see the example below:
Table of Contents
Chapter
No.

Title

Introduction

Page No.

1.1

1.2

1.3

10

Literature review.
2.1

14

2.2

21

vi) List of Tables:

Give the same name for the table as it exactly appears above the tables in the text. The caption
of the table must be present above the table. 1.5-line spacing should be adopted for typing
the matter under this head.
Table 1 <Caption of the table>
Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

Field 4

Field 5

Field 6

List of tables
1. Table 1: <caption the table1>
2.
Note: By the word Table, we mean tabulated numerical data in the body of the project report
as well as in the appendices (if any). All other non-verbal materials used in the body of the
project work and appendices such as charts, graphs, maps, photographs and diagrams may
be designated as figures.

vii) List of Figures:

Give the same name for the figure as it appears exactly below the figures in the text. The
caption of the figure must be present below the figure. 1.5-line spacing should be adopted for
typing the matter under this head.

Figure 1: < Caption of the Figure>

List of Figures
1. Figure 1: <caption the Figure 1>
2. .

viii) List of Symbols, Abbreviations, and Nomenclature:

1.5 line spacing should be adopted for typing the matter under this head. Standard symbols,
abbreviations, etc., should be used.

ix) Chapters:
The chapters can be broadly classified into three parts:
1. Introductory chapter
2. Chapter(s) on the main content of the project
3. Concluding chapter.
The main text will be divided into several chapters and each chapter can be further divided
into several divisions and sub-divisions.
Each chapter should be given a relevant title.
Tables and figures in a chapter should be placed in the position with respect to the
reference where they are cited.
Headers and foot notes should be used sparingly. The title of the project must be reflected
on the left side of the header and chapter name must be on the right side of the headers.
Page numbers are to be placed on the right side of the footer. They should be typed in
single space and placed directly underneath in the very same page, which refers to the
material they annotate.
Note: The report must always end with the concluding chapter and future enhancements, if
any.

x) References/Bibliography:
The listing of references should be typed four spaces below the heading REFERENCES in
alphabetical order in single spacing left - justified. The reference material should be listed in
the alphabetical order of the first author. The name of the author/ authors should be
immediately followed by the year and other details. Any website reference must be referred/
preceded by the publications reference.

xi) Instructions:
The text in the printed copies must be in black colour.
1.5 line spacing should be used for typing the general text. The general text shall be typed
in
the
font
style
Times
New
Roman
and
font
size 12.

LIST OF PROJECT TOPICS (SUGGESTED)

Sl. No.

Project Topics
PROJECT TOPICS FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1.

A study of performance appraisal / performance management system

in XYZ organisation

2.

Assessment of role stress amongst the employees of XYZ

organisation

3.

Job satisfaction survey at XYZ organisation

4.

Competency mapping in an organisation

5.

Training effectiveness in an organisation

6.

Study of organisational culture OCTAPACE profile.

7.

Motivational analysis of organization

8.

A comparative study of team effectives in an organisation: Team

effectiveness assessment measure.

9.

A study of Compensation Management System

10.
11.

A detailed study of promotion and reward policy of organisations

A study of quality of work life in an organisation

12.

Mapping training needs of employees: Training Need Analysis

PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO MARKETING

13.

Formulation of Marketing Strategies to Improve Market Share of LG

Microwave Ovens

14.

Improving the Effectiveness & Efficiency of Operations at Cox &

Kings India Ltd.

15.

Demand Forecasting for Orion-ERP Package for ICICI InfoTech in

Bangalore, based on Small & Medium Enterprises.

16.

Developing a Service Delivery Model to Bridge the Gap between

Services Expected & Provided by ICICI Home Loans.

17.

Strategies for Increasing the Occupancy Rate of Taj West End Hotel,
Bangalore

18.

A Market Feasibility Study for New X-ray Machines from Wipro-GE

Medical Systems

19.

Distribution Mapping & Dealer Satisfaction Survey for Nokia Mobile

Phones.

20.

A Study of Marketing Strategies & Distribution Channels in North

Karnataka for Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company Ltd.

21.

A Study to Improve Awareness level of Triraksha Welfare Scheme

among Farmers for Tractors & Farm Equipment Ltd

22.

A Study to Increase Penetration Level & Brand Loyalty among

existing consumers of Samsung India Electronics Ltd.
PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO FINANCE

23.

The Study of Indian Financial System: Post Liberalisation

24.

The Impact of Global Recession on Information Technology Sector In

India

25.
26.

The Impact of the Recent Global Economic Slump on the Indian

Capital Market
A Comparative Study of Bancassurance Products In Banks

27.

A Comparative Study of Equity Linked Savings Schemes Floated by

Domestic Mutual Fund Players

28.

A Comparative Study of Cost Of Capital In Automobile/ Steel/

Pharma/ Finance Industry

29.

A Comparative Study of Financial Performance of Banks Using Ratio

Analysis

30.

Profitability and Operational Efficiency of Public Sector Banks

31.

Profitability and Operational Efficiency of Banks in India

32.

A Study of Working Capital Management In Small Scale Industries

33.

The Scope of Microfinance in the Indian Context.

34.

Financial Inclusion- The Scope and Effect in the Indian Economy

35.

Rural Banking in India

36.

Dematerialisation The Scope and Effect.

37.
38.

The Future of Investment Banks in the post- Lehman Brothers Era

PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Role of software agents as a collaborative tool E-commerce

40.

Hospital Management System - Database Approach, Mangala

Hospital, Hassan
Automation of Banking Database, XYZ Bank.

41.

Automation of Customer Relation Database, A SAP Product

42.

A Study on Electronic Data Storage- Steel Factory, Mumbai

39.

43.
A Webpage Design using JAVA-Google Page
PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO MBA - HCS
44.

A Study on the Identification of High Risk Groups Prone to Spinal

Disorders /Diabetes-/Heart Attacks (or any other lifestyle condition)
and Corresponding Prevention Recommendations

45.

A Study on the Wellness Practices in a Target Group (MNC

Employees, School Children and Older Adults) and
Recommendations on Wellness Practices

46.

A Study on the Identification of Causes of Delays in In-patient

Discharges and Recommendations to Avoid Delays and Increase
Patient Satisfaction

47.

A Comparative Study on Patient Satisfaction in (Executive Suites,

VIP Suites, Out-patient Department, General Ward, Laboratory
Services, etc.) and Recommendations to Increase Patient
Satisfaction

48.

A Study on Patient Satisfaction in Any One Department in a Multispecialty Hospital. (Health Screening Dept, In-house Pharmacy,
Outpatient Services, Billing, etc.)

49.

A Study on the Identification of Causes of Delays in Patient Transfer

(Internal/ External) and Recommendations to Decrease Waiting Time
and Increase Patient Satisfaction

50.

A Comparative Study on Waiting Time in Various Hospital

Departments and Recommendations to Decrease Waiting Time
(Outpatient Dept, Billing, etc.)

51.

A Study on Job Satisfaction of Nurses /Paramedic Staff in ICU

/Operation Theatre /Wards, etc., and Corresponding
Recommendations to Improve Job Satisfaction

52.

A Study of Sickness Absenteeism Among Various Groups of Hospital

Employees (Nurses, Housekeeping Staff, Ward Boys, CSSD

employees, Doctors, etc.). A comparative study of the same may also

be done.

53.

A Study on Work Safety for Employees in the Radiology Department /

Waste Disposal Department /Lab /Housekeeping, etc., and
Corresponding Recommendations to Improve Work Safety. A
comparative study may also be undertaken between the
departments.

54.

A Study on Waste Disposal Management in a Hospital and

Recommendations for Safe Disposal

55.

A Study on Hospital Acquired Infections and Prevention

Recommendations

56.

A Study on the Efficiency of CSSD (or any other department of a

multi-specialty hospital)

57.

A Cost Analysis Study in General Ward (or any other department) of

a Hospital to Develop User Charges

58.

A Comparative Study on Cost Analysis of the Various Departments in

a Hospital and Cost-cutting Recommendations

59.

A Study on Formulation of Marketing Strategies to Promote a

Healthcare Service (e.g., Women Wellness Check-up Promotions)

60.

A Study on Involvement of Doctors /Nurses /Paramedics in Rural

Healthcare and Suggestions to Improve Involvement

61.

A Study on Medical Representative Triumphs and Trials

Recommendation to Improve Liaison of Medical Reps and Doctors

62.

A Comparative Study of In-house Pharmacy and Retail Pharmacy

63.

A Study on the Identification of the Causes of Delays in Cashless

Hospitalisation and Recommendations to Reduce Time Lags
PROJECT TOPIC RELATED TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

64.

A study on the effectiveness of Project Management in Mining

65.

Importance of Human Resource Management in construction projects

66.

A study on controlling risks in construction projects

67.

Project Cost Estimation for software projects

68.

A study on software project management practices with special

reference to embedded systems

69.

A study on quality management/assurance for software projects

ion

70.

Effect of project risk on project performance : A study at XYZ Inc.

71.

Validity of feasibility studies in Infrastructure Projects

72.

Comparative Study of Project Management Software- MS project and

Primavera

73.

A Study on Risk Factors Involved In Outsourcing IT Projects

74.

Role of Earned Value Analysis in Project Management

75.

Risk analysis and management in IT projects

PROJECT TOPIC RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

76.

Market entry strategies and programs for a particular sector/

Company/ Product

77.

Cross cultural issues and managing cross border teams

78.

Strategies adopted by MNCs to cope with Indian brands

79.

Impact of FDI on any particular sector

80.

Multinational mergers and acquisitions

81.

HR policies Global and Local

82.

Transfer pricing- issues and government policies

83.

Impact of HRM practices on operational performance in MNCs

84.

Changes in banking industry after incorporation of FEMA

PROJECTS TOPICS FOR MBA TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

85.

Implementation of 5 S in manufacturing companies in XXXXX city/

town/state

86.

Quality Management in Software Industry A Study

87.

Process Capability Study in BPO companies

88.

A Study on Continuous Improvement Process in XXXXXXX Company

89.

Effectiveness of Six sigma Projects A Study

90.

Application of Quality Control tools A Study

91.

Cost reduction through Quality Approach A study

92.

A Study on Just In Time in XXXXXXX Company

93.

Total Productive maintenance in manufacturing Companies A

Study

94.

Customer Satisfaction through TQM Approach A Study

95.

Quality Management in Healthcare sector A Study

96.

A Study on Statistical Process Control in specific manufacturing

Company

97.

Application of QFD in Service Industries

98.

Impact of Application of FMEA in Manufacturing Industries in the city

of XXXXXXX

99.

A study on quality management in XXXXXXX bank

100.

A study on TQM implementation in hospital

101.

A Study on TQM implementation in service industries

102.

Measuring quality in service sectors

103.

SPC and its application in service industries

104.

A study on effectiveness of TQM implementation in XXXXXXX

industry

105.

Improving quality in small and medium scale industries

PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO RETAIL OPERATIONS

MANAGEMENT
106.

A study on Indian organized retail sector

107.

Effectiveness of promotional schemes in Retail stores

108.

Study of retail store operations

109.

Emerging retail formats and strategies

110.

Role of FDI in Indian retail sector

111.

A study on retail consumer behaviour-personal, social & cultural

112.

A study on Loyalty programs in organized retail sector

113.

A study on changing consumer preferences towards organized

retailing from unorganized retailing

114.

A study on strategies for promoting retailers brand

115.

An analysis of possible strategies for successful internet based

customer services in retail

116.

Measuring the effectiveness of display system in retail industry

117.

Retail outlet mapping of retail stores & shopping malls

118.

Study on private labels Vs. national brands

119.

A study on effective Supply Chain practices in organized retail sector

120.

Impact of retail IT application on effective store operations

121.

Best HR practices in organized retail sector

122.

A study on customer relationship management practices in retail

store

123.

A study on effective retail project management

124.

Analysis of training needs assessment of retail sales executives

125.

A study on pricing strategies followed by successful retailers.

126.

To analyse visual merchandising and space planning in a mall

127.

To identify significance of CRM in retail sector

128.

A study of automotive retail management structure in an organization

PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

129.

A study on Total Quality Management at XYZ Company

130.

A study on ERP selection process in SMEs

131.

A study on Production and inventory control

132.

A study on the role of internet in supply chains

133.

Analysis and design of service operations using waiting lines

134.

Computer Aided Management

135.

Impact of TPM practices on production performance

136.

Effect of six sigma on manufacturing performance

137.

A study on Quality Measurement in Service Operations

138.

Role of Artificial Intelligence in manufacturing

139.

Aggregate Planning and Master Production Schedule

PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO BANKING MANAGEMENT

140.

Analysis of SARFESAI Act on NPAs on banks

141.

Mergers and Acquisitions in Indian banks

142.

Securitisation in Indian banks

143.

Study of Management of NPAs in SBI Bank (any bank)- strategies

for Recovery

144.

Risk Management in Indian Banks

145.

Project finance management services by banks

146.

A Case study of Merchant banking services by banks

147.

Financial Performance (analysis) of banks - by Financial statement

analysis like ratio analysis, trend analysis, Balance sheet analysis for
the last five years

148.

Study of Investment and Portfolio management services

149.

A Case Study Of Selected Banks In Public & Private Sector

Operating In India With reference to Products and Services

150.

A study on Asset- Liability Management using Gap analysis

(sophisticated techniques can also be used, provided if branches are
using)

151.

Study of Retail Banking products and services-Customer satisfaction

at branch
a.
Study of retail liability products such as deposits
b.
Study of Retail asset products such as loans, overdrafts in
branches

152.

Study of Working capital Management in Indian banks

153.

Impact of internet banking system or Impact of Technology on Indian

banks

154.

An appraisal of Institutional banking services to SME sector

155.

Study on Credit risk management practices in banks

156.

Ratio analysis (comparative study) of SBI & ICICI bank (any two
banks)

157.

Performance of EXIM bank products and services

158.

Forfaiting and Factoring services by Banks

159.

A study on Foreign exchange risk exposure in banks