MBA Thesis Advisor Skill

---

name: mba-thesis-advisor

description: >

MBA thesis advisor for improving academic papers to award-winning quality.

Use when a user wants to: (1) upgrade an MBA thesis to top-tier quality (e.g.,

Tsinghua excellent graduation thesis), (2) diagnose problems with an existing

thesis draft, (3) rewrite thesis sections with critical analysis ("writing style B"),

(4) build a strong theoretical framework, (5) identify and articulate the original

contribution (novelty) of a thesis, or (6) revise conclusions to be insightful and

non-trivial. Handles LaTeX-based theses (thuthesis template preferred) and Chinese

MBA thesis conventions. Trigger phrases: "帮我改论文", "MBA论文", "优秀毕业论文",

"thesis improvement", "论文诊断", "帮同学改论文".

---

# MBA Thesis Advisor Skill

This skill guides you through diagnosing, restructuring, and elevating an MBA thesis

from a passing draft to award-winning quality. It is based on proven techniques for

Tsinghua MBA theses but applies broadly to any Chinese or international MBA program.

---

Core Philosophy: Writing Style B (批判性写法)

Most MBA thesis drafts use **Writing Style A**: describe a company's problem →

apply standard frameworks (SWOT, PEST, Porter's Five Forces) → propose generic

recommendations. This produces forgettable, low-scoring work.

**Writing Style B** (critical-analytical) is what separates excellent theses:

**Three markers of Style B:**

1. Counterintuitive finding backed by data

2. Identified mechanism (not just correlation)

3. Clear boundary conditions ("this holds when X, fails when Y")

---

Phase 1: Diagnosis

Step 1.1 — Read All Chapters

Read every `.tex` file in the `mydata/` directory (or equivalent), including:

`chap01.tex` through `chap05.tex`, `abstract.tex`

For each chapter, assess:

Step 1.2 — Score the Draft

Rate the draft on five dimensions:

| Dimension | Question | Red Flag |

|-----------|----------|----------|

| **Contribution** | What does this paper say that no one has said before? | "Any MBA textbook covers this" |

| **Insider access** | Does the author leverage their unique position? | All evidence is publicly available |

| **Theory fit** | Does the framework match the research question? | SWOT used as the primary lens |

| **Data quality** | Are claims supported by specific numbers? | Qualitative description only |

| **Conclusion rigor** | Are conclusions falsifiable and bounded? | "Company should improve X" |

Step 1.3 — Identify the Insider Angle

Ask the author five questions to unlock their insider perspective. See

`references/diagnostic-questions.md` for the full question set.

The answers to these questions are the **raw material** for the entire rewrite.

Do not proceed to Phase 2 without them.

---

Phase 2: Framework Upgrade

Step 2.1 — Choose the Right Theoretical Backbone

Replace or supplement generic MBA frameworks with higher-level academic theory:

| Research Context | Recommended Framework |

|-----------------|----------------------|

| Organizational change / R&D management | Dynamic Capabilities (Teece 2007) |

| Cross-cultural / institutional environment | Institutional Isomorphism (DiMaggio & Powell 1983) |

| Strategy execution failure | Principal-Agent Theory + Path Dependency |

| Technology adoption | Absorptive Capacity (Cohen & Levinthal 1990) |

| Team / org design | Team Topologies + Conway's Law |

| VUCA / uncertainty | VUCA framework + Scenario Planning |

| Supply chain / platform | Resource-Based View (Barney 1991) |

**Rule:** PEST and Porter's Five Forces are acceptable as *context-setting tools*

in Chapter 2–3, but must NOT be the primary analytical lens in Chapter 4.

Step 2.2 — Build the Analytical Framework Diagram

Create a framework diagram (Figure in Chapter 2 or Chapter 1) that shows:

1. External environment pressures → Company response mechanisms → Outcomes

2. Where the theoretical lens applies

3. The research question mapped onto the framework

This diagram becomes the "backbone" referenced throughout the thesis.

---

Phase 3: Excavate the Original Contribution

Step 3.1 — Find the Mechanism

From the insider angle (Phase 1, Step 1.3), identify a **mechanism**: a causal

chain that explains WHY something happens, not just that it happens.

Template:

> "[Company/industry] faces [problem]. Conventional wisdom says [X]. But our

> analysis shows the real mechanism is [Y]: when [condition], [cause] leads to

> [effect] because [mechanism]. This matters because [implication]."

Step 3.2 — Name the Contribution

Give the original contribution a **memorable name or label**. Examples:

A named concept is citable, memorable, and signals academic seriousness.

Step 3.3 — State the Contribution Explicitly

In the thesis conclusion chapter, add a dedicated subsection:

\subsection{理论贡献}
本文的主要理论贡献包括：
\begin{enumerate}
  \item \textbf{概念提出：}...（原创概念名称）...
  \item \textbf{机制识别：}...（因果机制）...
  \item \textbf{框架整合：}...（理论整合方式）...
\end{enumerate}

---

Phase 4: Rewrite Critical Sections

Chapter 4 (Core Analysis) — Priority Rewrite

This chapter must carry the weight of the thesis. Checklist:

- Bad: "4.2 公司战略分析"

- Good: "4.2 监管趋严下CT公司战略漂移的三重机制"

Chapter 5 (Conclusion) — Critical Rewrite

Replace generic recommendations with:

1. **Core finding statement** (1 paragraph): the single most important thing this paper shows

2. **Theoretical contribution** (named concepts, mechanisms)

3. **Managerial implications** (specific to THIS company, not any company)

4. **Boundary conditions**: when do these findings NOT apply?

5. **Limitations and future research**

Avoid these phrases in conclusions:

Chapter 2 (Literature Review) — Targeted Additions

Add 3–5 foundational papers for the chosen theoretical framework (Step 2.1).

Structure: existing theory → gap → how this paper fills the gap.

---

Phase 5: Data and Evidence

Step 5.1 — Identify Data Sources

For Chinese internet/tech companies: annual reports (IR pages), WIND, Bloomberg

For industrial/agriculture companies: CNKI industry reports, company IR pages,

China customs data (海关总署), Ministry of Agriculture data

Step 5.2 — Minimum Evidence Standards

Each major claim in Chapter 4 needs at least ONE of:

Step 5.3 — Figures and Tables

Minimum recommended figures for a strong thesis:

Use Python + matplotlib/seaborn for charts. Save as both PDF (for LaTeX) and PNG.

---

Phase 6: Quality Check

Before finalizing, verify:

Academic Rigor Checklist

Style B Checklist

LaTeX/Formatting Checklist (thuthesis)

---

LaTeX Workflow Notes

**Thesis root file:** typically `my-thesis.tex`

**Chapter files:** `mydata/chap01.tex` through `mydata/chap05.tex`

**Figures:** place in `myfigure/` or `figures/`; reference with relative path

**Build command:**

cd <thesis-root>
latexmk -xelatex my-thesis.tex

**Git workflow:** commit only source files; ignore build artifacts.

Standard `.gitignore` entries: `*.pdf`, `*.log`, `*.aux`, `*.synctex.gz`, `*.bbl`, `*.blg`

Do NOT ignore: `myfigure/*.py`, `myfigure/*.png`, `mydata/*.tex`, `refs.bib`, `abstract.tex`

---

References

See `references/` directory for: