This guide is for BUSI 536 Week 7 Individual Research Paper, start to submission. A 10 to 12-page research paper on a topic related to mergers and acquisitions theory, with at least 5 scholarly resources.
BUSI 536 is Mergers & Acquisitions, 3 credit hours, in Liberty University's MBA. Canvas and the course guide file print the code as BUSI536; it is the same course.
| Course | BUSI 536 Mergers & Acquisitions |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 7 |
| Points | 125 points |
| Length | 10 to 12 pages |
| Sources | At least 5 scholarly resources |
| Faith integration | Not required by the guide |
| Format | Current APA |
What BUSI 536 Week 7 Individual Research Paper asks for
You write a 10 to 12-page research paper in current APA on a topic related to mergers and acquisitions theories, using at least 5 scholarly resources. The topic is submitted in Module/Week 3, and the paper is due in Module/Week 7 with Gaughan chapters 13 and 14. Worth 125 points.
Where it fits in BUSI 536
In the published schedule, Individual Research Paper is one of 9 graded written assignments in BUSI 536. It follows Week 7 Group Discussion Board Forum 3 and comes before Week 8 Homework 4. The same week also has Group Discussion Board Forum 3, so plan the week's writing together.
How BUSI 536 Week 7 Individual Research Paper is graded
Liberty grades Individual Research Paper with the rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas, worth 125 points in the published guide. That is about 12% of the course's 1,010 points. Read the rubric first. Each row is a criterion, and the wording of the highest column is the closest thing you have to a model answer.
Course grades in BUSI 536 use Liberty's point scale: an A is 940 to 1010 points of the course total. Missing the length or source minimum usually costs points on several rows at once, which is why the checklist below starts with them.
Timing in the published guide: Modules/Weeks 1-7 begin on Monday at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and end at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday. Module/Week 8 begins on Monday at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Check the due dates in your Canvas section, which govern.
The BUSI 536 Week 7 method, step by step
Turn the instructions into an outline
Start from the assignment instructions in Canvas. Every element the Individual Research Paper instructions name becomes a heading in your outline, in the order given, and the rubric rows tell you how deep each one has to go.
Narrow the topic until it fits the length
10 to 12 pages is not much room. Choose a question narrow enough that you can answer it fully inside that length; a broad topic forces summary, and summary scores lower than analysis.
Collect sources before drafting
Build the source list before the draft (At least 5 scholarly resources). A short evidence table (who, when, what they found, which section it serves) prevents the late scramble for citations that weakens most papers.
Write a thesis that the sections prove
Draft the thesis before the body. A BUSI 536 paper reads as organized when each heading answers part of the thesis, and as a list of facts when it does not.
Draft section by section, analysis first
Write each section to answer its rubric row, then add the analysis: what the evidence means, where sources disagree, and what follows for practice. Description supports the analysis; it cannot replace it.
Format and check against the rubric
Finish with an APA pass and a rubric pass. Match every in-text citation to a reference, check the headings, and read each rubric row against the section that answers it.
Build the literature review around competing explanations, then use two or three real deals as evidence. Five scholarly resources is a minimum; a 10 to 12-page paper usually needs more to be convincing.
A structure for BUSI 536 Week 7 Individual Research Paper
Word targets are planning numbers for about 1,700 words of body text, set by the length in the guide; the rubric decides where to spend more.
| Section | What it must do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Topic, question and thesis. | ~170 words |
| Theory and literature | The M&A theories involved. | ~510 words |
| Analysis | Evidence and cases. | ~540 words |
| Implications | For managers and investors. | ~310 words |
| Conclusion | Synthesis. | ~170 words |
A topic angle that works
Choose a focused research question, such as whether diversifying acquisitions destroy value, why acquirers overpay (the hubris hypothesis), or how cultural differences affect integration, and test theory against evidence.
Model paragraph with notes
An original paragraph written by our desk to show the register that earns full rubric credit. It is study material: learn the moves, then write your own.
Roll's hubris hypothesis holds that acquirers overpay because managers overestimate their ability to value targets. Studies finding that acquirer returns are lowest when CEOs are overconfident support it. The case of a large technology acquisition later written down by more than half its price fits the pattern: the buyer paid a high premium on optimistic synergy forecasts that never materialized.
- A theory.
- Evidence.
- A case.
Mistakes that cost points on BUSI 536 Week 7
- Too broad a topic.
- Fewer than 5 scholarly resources.
- Description without a thesis.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: 10 to 12 pages
- Sources: At least 5 scholarly resources
- Title page and reference page in current APA format
- Headings follow the order of the instructions
- Each rubric row read against the section that answers it
Questions students ask
When is the BUSI 536 research paper topic due?
In Module/Week 3; the paper is due in Week 7.
How many points is BUSI 536 Week 7 Individual Research Paper worth?
125 points in Liberty's published course guide for BUSI 536, out of a course total of 1,010 points (about 12% of the grade). The rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas shows how those points are divided.
Is BUSI 536 Week 7 the same in every section of BUSI 536?
This guide follows Liberty's published course guide for BUSI 536. Liberty notes that course content can change from term to term, so if your Canvas section shows different instructions, a different week or different points, follow Canvas and your instructor.
Want a tutor to look at your draft?
Send the instructions and what you have so far. A Liberty tutor replies with what to fix first, usually within the hour.