Complete Harvard Referencing System Guide for MBA Assignments

This document serves as a Harvard System Referencing Guide tailored for MBA program assignments, emphasizing the importance of proper citation to avoid plagiarism and support academic rigor. It details the generic format for both in-text referencing and creating a comprehensive reference list, covering various source types such as books, journal articles, internet sites, newspapers, chapters in edited collections, and company publications. The guide provides specific examples for each source type, including variations for multiple authors, direct quotes, and electronic sources, while also addressing nuances like citing multiple publications from the same author in the same year. It advises against referencing personal communications unless part of a submitted field research project. The guide also highlights the necessity of including page numbers for direct quotes and encourages paraphrasing where possible, ensuring students understand how to properly attribute ideas and information to their original sources, all available on Desklib.

Harvard System Referencing GuideHarvard System Referencing Guide
1. INTRODUCTION1. INTRODUCTION
This guide sets out the Harvard system of referencing to be used in the Thesis and other
major essays submitted as part of the course taught through out the MBA program. It is
important to reference published material that you wish to use in your essay. While
referencing is a standard that is used to avoid plagiarism it also supports a strong
scientific method.
To build arguments and provide evidence you must reference any published resources
you use. The spirit of referencing is embodied in Newton's famous 1676 quote, 'If I have
seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants'. It means that Newton's great
discoveries were made by building on the previous work of scientists. This reference
guide sets out how to reference other authors' work properly.
For each type of material you are referencing (e.g. books, journal articles, newspapers,
internet sites), this guide presents two parts, how to write the reference in the text of your
essay and how to write the full reference at the end of the essay. The section at the end of
the essay should be called a reference section and only include those references cited in
the essay. For the purposes of this guide these two sections will be called in-text
referencing and the reference list format.
A note on paraphrasing and quoting: Quotes are direct transcriptions of text from other
sources while paraphrasing uses your own words to express others' ideas. You should
attempt to paraphrase where possible and only use quotes sparingly and strategically.
Both paraphrasing and quoting require referencing, and quotes must refer to the page
number from which they were taken (see Books).
2. GENERIC FORMAT2. GENERIC FORMAT
The Harvard system has a generic format for in-text referencing and the reference list.
While this guide provides a range of examples for books, articles, Internet sources etc,
the generic format below should be used where adaptation is necessary.
In-text
(Author, year) or Author (year) e.g. Sillince (1996) or (Sillince, 1999)
Reference List
Books
Author, (Year) Title. Place Published: Publisher.
e.g. Sillince, J.A.A. (1996) Business Expert Systems. Hitchin: Technical Publications.
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Articles
Author, (Year) 'Article title'. Journal Title, volume (number): pages.
e.g. Sillince, J.A.A. (1999) 'The role of political language forms and language coherence
in the organizational change process'. Organization Studies, 20 (3): 485-518.
3. BOOKS3. BOOKS
The following exemplifies several in-text references for books with one, two, more than
two authors, and authors cited by another author. When citing more than two authors, list
all authors' surnames the first time, then use et al. (see example). Note the different
formats for the in-text referencing of paraphrasing and quotes (with page number) and the
complete references in the reference list.
In-Text
One Author
The development of bureaucratization in the UK was fundamentally different from that of
the US. The Taylorist efficiency movement occurred in the US during an expansionary
period while the same movement occurred in the UK during one of the worst ever
recessions (Littler, 1982). Littler (1982) concludes that for these reasons the labor
movements in the UK are fundamentally different from those in the US. These
differences in capitalist development had important consequences, 'This affected the
pattern of resistance, and British capitalism still carries the scars of this historical
conjuncture' (Littler, 1982: 195).
Two Authors
Managerial skills are a key focus for Whetton and Cameron's (1991) introductory text.
Three or More Authors
Smith, Child and Rowlinson's (1990) case study of Cadbury's Ltd revealed that the
corporate culture's resistance to change was diminished by the use of new concepts and
symbols. The new vision embodied in the transformation was also facilitated by key
change agents located strategically throughout the organizational structure (Smith, et al.,
1990).
Author cited by other Author
Haslam, Neale, and Johal (2000) outline Porter's (1980) industry structure analysis. It
features five important forces; barriers to entry, buyers, suppliers, substitutes, and
intensity of rivalry (Porter, 1980, in Haslam, et al., 2000). Haslam, et al. (2000) cite
Pharmaceutical giant Glaxo-Wellcome as particularly at risk of low-cost substitutes as
drug patents expire.
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Reference List
Alphabetically ordered list of references:
Haslam, C., Neale, A., and Johal, S. (2000) Economics in a Business Context 3rd ed.
London: Thompson Learning.
Littler, C.R. (1982) The Development of the Labour Process in Capitalist Societies.
London: Heinemann.
Smith, C., Child, J., and Rowlinson, M. (1990) Reshaping Work: The Cadbury
experience. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Whetton, D.A., and Cameron, K.S. (1991) Developing Management Skills 2nd ed. New
York: HarperCollins.
4. JOURNAL ARTICLES4. JOURNAL ARTICLES
In-text referencing of journal articles uses the same format as books (see above). Notice
that the reference list includes the name of the journal article and the name of the journal.
Be wary of electronic journals or articles retrieved from the internet as some formats may
not include the original page numbers you might need for direct quotations.
In-Text
Broadbent, Jacobs, and Laughlin's (1999) comparison of the organizational accountability
of UK and New Zealand Schools reveals important distinctions. Broadbent, et al. (1999)
discuss how management accounting in UK schools results in an individualistic focus in
contrast to the socializing focus of an integrated financial accounting in New Zealand
Schools. An individualizing focus may result in undermining 'the capacity for communal
action and alienate the organizational members from the activities that they are required
to undertake' (Broadbent, et al., 1999: 358).
Reference List
Broadbent, J. Jacobs, K. and Laughlin, R. (1999) 'Comparing schools in the U.K. and
New Zealand: Individualizing and socializing accountabilities and some implications for
management control'. Management Accounting Research, 10: 339-361.
5. INTERNET SITES5. INTERNET SITES
The variability of internet site quality is problematic for referencing in academic essays.
However, access to annual company reports, press releases, and daily news services
provide ample reasons to utilize the internet in essays. Journal articles obtained over the
internet should use the standard journal format unless the journal is solely in electronic
format (see below).
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In-Text
Wiegran and Koth's (1999) article on successful online commerce focuses on customer
loyalty, increasing purchases, and higher margin products. They propose five website
features to achieve successful online commerce; Value added information,
personalization, intelligent communication, user generated content, and loyalty incentives
(Wiegran and Koth, 1999). Since 1991, the price of oil has reached its highest in
February 2000 and this rise is due to OPEC restrictions on oil production (BBC, 2000).
Reference List
BBC, (2000, February 19) 'Oil reaches $30 a barrel'. (BBC News), Available:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_644000/644028.stm (Accessed: 2004,
February 20).
Wiegran, G., and Koth, H. (1999) 'Customer retention in on-line retail'. (Journal of
Internet Banking and Commerce), Available: http://www.arraydev.com/commerce/JIBC
4(1), (Accessed: 2004, February 20).
6. NEWSPAPERS6. NEWSPAPERS
In-Text
Use same as Books (i.e. Author, year). If no author is found then use full name and date
as follows:
The oil crisis has caused parents to 'consider home education' (The Times. 9th July
1973:3).
Reference List
The Times (1973) 'Oil Crisis Impacts on Learning'. 9th July: 3.
7. CHAPTER IN EDITED COLLECTION7. CHAPTER IN EDITED COLLECTION
In-Text
Smith's (1991) examination of flexible specialization focuses on production and
consumption. [Note that the author's cited chapter is taken from pages 138 to 157 from
Pollert's Book, 'Farewell to Flexibility'.]
Reference List
Smith, C. (1991) 'From 1960s' Automation to Flexible Specialization: A déjà vu of
technological panaceas'. In A. Pollert (ed.) Farewell to Flexibility: 138-157. Oxford:
Blackwell.
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8. COMPANY PUBLICATION8. COMPANY PUBLICATION
In-Text
Flexible work technologies are a key focus for British Telecom. BT has set up a
consultancy unit that specializes in employing flexible working practices with respect to
technology (British Telecom, 1999).
Reference List
British Telecom (1999) Annual Review and Summary Financial Statement. London:
British Telecom.
9. CITING AN AUTHOR WITH MORE THAN ONE PUBLICATION IN SAME9. CITING AN AUTHOR WITH MORE THAN ONE PUBLICATION IN SAME
YEARYEAR
In-Text
Haslam, Williams, and Williams (1990a) investigate a consultancy process that
specializes in intelligent communication, user generated content, and loyalty incentives
(Haslam, Williams, and Williams, 1990b).
Reference List
Haslam, C., Williams, J., and Williams, K. (1990a) 'The hollowing out of British
manufacturing'. Economy and Society, 19(4): 456-490.
Haslam, C., Williams, J., and Williams, K. (1990b) 'Bad work practices and good
management practices'. Business History Review, 64(4): 657-688.
10. INTERVIEWS AND PERSONAL COMMUNICATION10. INTERVIEWS AND PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Students are advised not to reference personal communication (e.g. lectures or meetings)
unless they are part of a submitted field research project with a relevant section on
methods.
In-Text
One respondent believed that postmodern research methods were indicated by the use of
computers and quantitative algorithms with traditionally qualitative textual analysis
(Innes, 2000).
Reference List
Innes, P. (2000) Interview, no.01a00, 22 March.
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