Why a Business Case?

Shipham, (2010) has discussed the role of the MBA research process and the concept of developing an understanding or unravelling of the business complexity.

The unravelling of complexity has two facets i.e. unravelling a business case and unravelling an academic case.

Very often however, MBA research places such a great emphasis on the academic case that the establishment of the business case is seen as secondary or even unimportant. However, in applied research or a professional research report such as the MBA, a strong business case provides the motivation for, and establishes the importance of, the research.

This is especially significant in that many MBA students are sponsored by their companies for the MBA studies. The company needs therefore to benefit from .

such sponsorship in as many ways as possible, and a research project with a strong business case thus makes sense.

A number of advantages thus accrue from this approach:

Firstly the student establishes a raison de etre for the research in the eyes of his/her employer and secondly the approach calls for unravelling complexity around the research problem and this process provides insight for the student into some of the real underlying issues around the problem and in the workplace.

Lastly, the student is afforded the opportunity of applying all (or at least the relevant aspects) of the theory covered during the MBA programme. This practical approach ensures entry into the workplace at a higher level than simply a theoretical one.