Complete Guidelines on How to Write a Management Essay
Whenever we think of the term “management,” crisp three-piece suites and business class flights immediately come to mind. However, management is a holistic discipline with far-reaching applications in every sector and institution. The most widely known definition of management is that of a “process of controlling, directing, organizing and planning organizational resources to achieve set outcomes.” All the various management sub-disciplines such as HR management, financial management, information management systems, strategic management, etc. all focus on or revolve around five key things:
- Machinery,
- Methods,
- Manpower,
- Money,
Therefore, when writing a management essay, you should always keep in mind that you are being tasked to identify causes of problems or propose solutions that detail the working of these five factors.
Depending on the sub-discipline, you may need to use such methods as statistical analysis, specific data collection methods such as questionnaires and samples, or take on actual case studies and apply theoretical frameworks to analyze these situations and provide your own unique assessments. This requires an understanding of the various management principles and theories (management as a science) and how to apply these theories to solving specific problems (management as an art).
What Is a Management Essay? Applying Yourself to the Real World
In most cases, your management essay will require you to understand both internal and external factors that affect specific operations of an organization and come to optimal solutions for problems. Resources in the organization may be financial, informational or human. Management will involve coordinating these resources between different departments to achieve maximum output from the organization. A management essay, therefore, seeks to tackle a research question which can be addressed within the confines of theoretical parameters and which can apply itself to a real-world situation. The essay question will obviously depend on the specific sub-discipline you are learning in, for example, HR management, but it can also be a question covering general management principles.
How to Start a Management Essay
The basis of any management essay is research, which allows you to conduct literature reviews or synthesize information from various sources or a particular case study and apply theories to these situations. The basis of any management essay is, therefore, a hypothesis or a research question. The research question should not have an obvious answer, for example, “is Apple the biggest tech in the world by market valuation?” is information that is already in the public domain. A better research question which is more narrowed is “has Apple’s cash retention practices contributed to it being the biggest tech company in the world?” This kind of question allows you to investigate Apple’s practices in relation to other tech companies for example Samsung which has more sales of smartphones compared to Apple but still has a lower valuation.
The research question should be on a topic which you are enthusiastic about. The question should also avoid the use of primary sources as you might not get a chance to do an actual investigation say, inside Apple or Samsung. Use of properly referenced and relevant secondary sources is encouraged.
How to Write a Good Management Essay
Management essays heavily rely on industry data, since the use of secondary sources is allowed and preferred over primary sources. The sources of data should be clearly referenced, preferably in the MLA system. Your research focus should be clear, and you should showcase a good grasp of the topic. Important is for your teacher or supervisor to see that you have understood the case, know which theoretical framework from previously taught work will provide the solutions, have analytical models or concepts that can be applied in understanding the question or the data, and provide verified methodologies to manipulate the data.
Application of management tools, for example, SWOT, Pareto, Ansoff & Boston matrices, and Fishbone, etc. is key to showcasing your understanding of the topic and making an educated critique of data. These are also some of the easier tools to apply, as opposed to say, Decision Tree or STEEPLE. You should choose what you are comfortable with, understand and can easily manipulate your current dataset with.
A Proper Management Essay Outline Makes Your Writing Effective
Writing a management paper requires that you understand the specific problem that you are trying to solve. It shouldn’t be a case of emptying your chamber firing everywhere and expecting to hit the bullseye. This starts with an essay map, which should consist of a working title, your research question which can be broken down into three or four research objectives, the sources that you will employ for your analysis, the methodologies to be employed, a section for the analysis and a possible conclusion. While creating the outline, you should always include footnotes and endnotes and have a reference management system on the side which will come in handy when you are compiling your drafts and your final document.
Your Management Essay Structure Depends on the Rubric Provided
Extended management essays of over 1500 words typically include the title, introduction, methodology, main results and findings, analysis and discussions, conclusions and recommendations, and the appendices, in that order. For essays totaling 4000 words, additional sections such as the abstract (with the research question), an executive summary, and a full annotated bibliography may be required. A table of figures is also encouraged if you will make use of graphs and charts. Always consider departmental requirements when creating the structure. Once you have your outline as you work on your research, it becomes much easier to fill in these sections during the actual writing process.
Management Essay Introduction – Educating Your Reader in a Nutshell
The introduction can also house the research question, although this may be placed differently. This section provides the reader with the theoretical and actual framework of the problem you are trying to address and breaks down that research question into an easily understandable format. If you are working with a thesis beyond the research question, you should clearly elucidate this. For example, your research question could be “has the financial bailout by the US government diminished the dollar value, and to what extent?” Your thesis could be “since injection of over $700B in the Troubled Asset Relief Program from 2008, the dollar has shrunk by 2.5% in value compared to the preceding decade of 1998-2008”.
This section should also briefly mention the methods that you will use both for data collection and analysis, and should also address potential limitations of the study.
Management Essay Body – Present Your Methods, Findings & Analysis Distinctly
The body is divided into sections for a brief literature review (if required), methodology, and your analysis and findings, each under different headers. In the methodology, you should compare different methods, each with its advantages and disadvantages, e.g., primary vs. secondary sources. There should be a distinct section for presenting your key findings, aided with charts and other infographics.
Wrap It Up & Convince the Reader with Your Management Essay Conclusion
With the conclusion, you not only sum up your entire essay but also focus on reflection which draws from your findings. This showcases your understanding of the entire problem, the theoretical and practical frameworks within which it occurs, and the methodologies and tools used to assess the problem and provide solutions. You should also mention any gaps that may exist in your research and provide a way forward for the problem in the future.
Management Essay Tips for Superb Writing
Other factors to consider when writing these essays is the required structure and formatting styles. There is always a rubric attached which show how marks are apportioned. Ideally, for extended essays, the maximum word count is 4000 words, 12 point font double-spaced. You should make good use of graphs and other figures, label these appropriately and make extensive reference to them, especially where a lot of data is involved.
Last but not least, never plagiarize! If you can’t work on your own topic or are running a tight deadline, it is better to get assistance from an expert college paper writing service like us. With the plethora of professionals in diverse fields at our disposal, no task is insurmountable. Feel free to contact us for any type of academic writing help!