Participation Of Graduates Studying Management In Scientific Projects: Benefits And Problems

Abstract

The quality of the Master thesis developed by the students of the Entrepreneurship and Management to a large extent indicates the quality of knowledge, the level of skills and abilities of the graduates. In the article we consider our experience in supervising students' participation in the research projects and development of Master theses. Our analysis shows that participation in the scientific projects, parts of which become key research presented in the Master thesis, can substantially improve knowledge and research skills and abilities of the students, increase the quality of research and Master thesis per se and provides tangible benefits to the university and to the supervisor. Present research provides the analysis of the benefits gained as a result of graduates’ participation in the scientific projects as well as the analysis of the problems faced by the supervisor and the student such as insufficient level of knowledge and skills of the graduates or the necessity to reconcile the research topic with the study program. We also focus on the tasks, which most likely can be delegated to the students when involving them in the applied scientific projects. The results assure that the potential benefits received by the parties involved outweigh the headwinds faced by professors and the students when participating in the applied scientific research.

Keywords: Scientific projectsapplied researchmaster thesismanagement and entrepreneurshippersonal and professional development

Introduction

Modern education is characterized by a trend of involving students as much as possible into the interactive practical activities, which include also scientific work (Alberts, 2009). Participation in the research with active involvement of the professors can enrich students with valuable experience (Kuh, 2008). The researchers note that in the process of students' participation in scientific work they enjoy the tailwind in personal and professional development (Hunter et al., 2007). This process takes place outside the traditional training of students in the classroom (Burks, Chumchal, 2009). For the graduates, this model of participation in scientific activity can become an "open door" to the real world of science (Patterson, 2007). Students involved in the undergraduate research were admitted to demonstrate significant improvements in the ability to think analytically and logically, put ideas together and to learn independently (Ishiyama, 2002). Bauer and Bennett (2003) pointed to the increased satisfaction of the students being involved into the research, while also to the increased curiosity and enhancement of the research and communication skills. Gilmore et al. (2015) agree stating that participation of students in scientific work strengthens their research skills, these students also receive higher scores.

Walkington (2015) in her monograph states that students’ involvement in the research should be included in the curriculum as it increases students’ and professors’ involvement, while also increases research culture in the universities. Active learning or learning on the job has been always efficient, that’s why Jenkins and Healing (2012) strongly support including research in students’ curriculum.

In some cases, professors do not have enough spare capacity for conducting the scientific work and / or to ensure its high quality (Hunter et al., 2007). Besides, the plausibility of the obtained results to a large extent depend not only on the qualification of the supervisor or the student but also depend on the amount and quality of the material gathered, which usually has to be collected in a relatively short time period. And then the cooperation between the student and the professor become vital for both sides (Shmuratko, 2014). She states also that a very important part of the research depends on “the databases, coding, formalization and primary processing of the results of empirical research. Incidentally, a few students very often demonstrate a higher level of computer literacy than many older scientists. A student's intuitive knowledge of today's information technologies, his ability and desire to work with computer equipment, make him desirable performer of tasks at the stage of the presentation of empirical data in an electronic format. It is important to note that in a vast majority of research we see "statistical processing of the data".

As a result of participation in scientific projects, Master student receives specific scientific results that can be used to write course papers, theses and future dissertations, as well as an understanding of the organization and implementation of scientific research, the selection and analysis of empirical data, and knowledge in the preparation of publications.

The ready-to-use scientific results are important enough in the context of the fact that many graduates in Latvia not only study but simultaneously also have full-time job. Therefore, the participation in the scientific projects not only benefits the development of the students but also succeeds time saving when working on the Master thesis. Besides, substantial help is guaranteed from the supervisor side as the professor is being responsible for the project results. This approach encourages students to feel the taste for the research per se and continue their career entering doctoral studies, while their Master thesis becomes the basis for the dissertation.

Problem Statement

Master Thesis development and defence is the final stage of the Master studies. The quality of the thesis to a large extent is determined by the level of knowledge, skills and abilities that a student receives when graduating from the university. By involving graduate students in the projects, in which his/her supervisor participates (or plans to participate), one can substantially improve the quality of the Master's thesis and the level of knowledge, skills and abilities obtained by a Master student in the process of developing thesis. The article provides the results of involving the students, whom we supervised in 2016 and 2017, in the applied scientific research projects, the findings of which became a certain component part of the Master thesis research produced by the student.

A number of problems are associated with recruiting the students for the scientific project as well as with organizing their work afterwards for the project to become as efficient as possible. Not only is skilled and knowledgeable student required but also the ones who exhibit high motivation for participation in scientific research. Only in this case the cooperation and the result can be successful..

Research Questions

The authors consider a number of research questions in the present paper:

1. What are the benefits of involving students in the applied scientific research projects received by the parties involved and whether the benefits are overweighting the problems associated with the process?

2. What are the headwinds faced by the parties involved?

3. Based on which criteria should be selection process of the students be built on?

4. What are the typical tasks, which can be reliably delegated to the Master students?

When referring to the parties involved, primarily we mean students, university and supervisors of the Master thesis, who often tend to become initiators of the scientific projects.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the present article is to identify the benefits and potential problems, to analyze the process of involving the graduates, who are developing their Master thesis, in the scientific projects, to disclose the potential tasks, which can be reliably delegated to the students. Besides, we aim to share our own experience of supervising the students in the process of developing their Master thesis while also participating in the scientific projects.

Research Methods

The research is conducted based on the descriptive multiple-case method. The authors built their arguments based on six cases, when the students, who were developing their Master thesis, have been also involved in the applied research projects in academic years 2016 and 2017.

Findings

Conclusion

Applying the method of participation in applied scientific research projects to improve the qualification of the Master students and to support them in their Master theses development, we have gained successful results for two academic years (2015/2016 and 2016/2017), which we share below. Overall 6 Master theses have been developed during the mentioned period on the topics of the foreign direct investment, venture capital investments, microenterprise taxation. The average score of five (one thesis is pending for defence) graduates for the defence of their Master's papers was 9.6 (excellent/with distinction), which supports the Gilmore et al. (2015) statement. Two of six graduate students entered Doctoral studies, while three more graduates are likely to enter Doctoral studies.

The feedback from the students, which have been supervised, is very positive as they report that their participation in the scientific research and therefore, increasing their qualification and practical knowledge helps them to build and develop their career in the private sector.

We, as supervisors, and graduate students, who participated under our supervision in the applied scientific research, find that the method of students' participation in the applied scientific research project, which complies with the topic of Master's thesis, significantly increases the knowledge and skills of the students. It also positively influences the creation and promotion of the personal brand of the graduate. Students' participation in the applied scientific research has a significant positive impact on the understanding of the essence of scientific work and the evaluation of the Master's thesis, expands the scientific capabilities of research teams and universities in terms of the number of applied research and publications. It is an efficient way of encouraging students to proceed with the further education and development. It can be assumed that former graduate students who took part in the applied scientific research have a higher probability of obtaining Doctoral degree than Master students, who did not take part in the applied scientific research.

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the Latvian private higher educational institution "RISEBA" University of Business, Arts and Technology for financial support of the participation in the conference ICEEPSY 2017 and publication of this paper.

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