HANOI UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND TOURISM

Course Outline
61FMT4CAP
CAPSTONE PROJECT
Spring 2023
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Course details
Course name Capstone Project
Units of credit 6
Study length 15-30 weeks
Students are recommended to take the Capstone Project in the 4th
Prerequisite/Corequisite
year.
Suggested study
Approximately 10 hours per week
commitment
Year Spring 2023
Thu Hoang, Ph.D.
Tuan Nguyen, M.S.
Hung Pham, M.S.
Course Coordinator
Hang Le, M.S.
Hieu Nguyen, MS
Cuong Nguyen, MS.
Tutors TBA
Rm. 201, Building C; Tel: (04) 5533 560
Contact details
Hung Pham: hungpv@hanu.edu.vn

The Course profile contains important information. Please ensure that you read it carefully. It is also
strongly recommended that you keep this copy of your Course profile for future reference.

Course aim/rationale
The Capstone project is a one or two-semester investigative course aiming to provide students with an
opportunity to demonstrate their learning and apply their areas of expertise to real-world issues and
problems. Working in a diverse and interdisciplinary team, students' responsibilities include identifying
issue(s) faced by a particular community, collecting, and analyzing relevant data and information for
better understanding of the issue(s), and providing recommendations to help the community dealing with
the issue(s) effectively.

The Capstone project is designed to provide students authentic learning experience through effective
partnerships with their communities. The course encourages students to connect their projects to
community issues or problems and to integrate outside-of-school learning experiences, including
activities such as interviews, scientific observations, or internships. This form of community-based
learning enhances students’ ability to communicate and interact with diverse populations, understand
community issues and problems, and develop competencies and tools allowing them to deal with issues
and problems successfully.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students should be able to
 Capstone Project – Course Outline 3

• Identify key issues faced by a real community (e.g., a company, a professional association, a
NGO, a government agency).
• Apply the theory and frameworks accumulated during the program to analyze and appraise
specific community issues.
• Evaluate innovative, systems-based solutions through the application of interdisciplinary
knowledge and skills to researching, analyzing, and resolving community challenges.
• Demonstrate various oral and written skills necessary to successfully communicate and engage
with others in a dynamic environment.
• Research, plan, and structure an extended written discourse.
• Demonstrate an ability to engage effectively in diverse teams to complete complex team tasks
in culturally diverse settings.

Course materials
Students must purchase or have access to the following text

● Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches (5 edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.

In addition, depending on the topic, the students - with the guidance of a faculty mentor - are expected
to bring relevant knowledge, literature, and tools from other courses and disciplines to analyze,
understand and provide recommendations to deal with the issue(s) effectively.

Course structure
The course will be conducted in various settings including in-class lectures, small group mentoring and
discussions, and company visits. Students are expected to take ownership of their learning to ensure
successful completion of the course.

The nature of a capstone project

Audiences

There are two main audiences for a capstone project: a community and the project committee. The
community is any group of people within a larger society who share a common location, interests,
characteristics, or purposes. The community chosen for the capstone project can be a village, a
workplace, or an organization that has established a need for a solution addressing a particular issue or
problem the community is facing. The project committee consists of individuals who will evaluate the
quality of the rationale report that accompanies the deliverable solution. This mechanism will ensure the
connection between the academic components of the project and the application of such knowledge to
real-world problems. The project committee should be proposed by students by the end of week 3.
 Capstone Project – Course Outline 4

Core tasks

In essence, students are responsible for finding out what is needed by a particular community,
determining what kind of product/solution would fulfill the need, and eventually delivering the
product/solution to effectively serve the community. Your capstone requires execution of a project in
which the final product is a potential deliverable for a community accompanied by a rationale report.
Examples of deliverables include an employee handbook for the company, a procedure and tools for
quality management, a tour designed for a new destination, or a training evaluation manual. The rationale
report should document how the deliverable reflects the scholarly principles supporting the execution of
the deliverable.

Process

The capstone course will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, students will learn key
investigative tools to develop a proposal for the capstone project. The proposal serves as the blueprint
for all the activities carried out in the projects. The project proposal must be approved by the project
committee. In the second phase, students are expected to carry out activities to complete the proposal
set out in the first phase. Activities may include meetings with representatives of the community,
reviewing relevant literature, data collection and analysis, and presenting ideas to the project committee.
They will also need to pass the defense and submit the final rationale report for approval.

Roles

Students are expected to lead the project activities. This is your responsibility to ensure that your project
goes smoothly and meets the key deadlines of the course. This may include keeping a calendar of
important meetings and deadlines or checking in with faculty mentors when you need support. A project
committee of 3 members will be assigned to your project. It will include HANU faculty members and those
from the community. The committee will serve as your mentor throughout the whole project.

Registration for capstone topics

Students, in a group of 5, are expected to register for a capstone topic by week 5 of the course. Students
can choose from topics provided by the Faculty of Management and Tourism or develop a topic of their
own. Either way, students are strongly encouraged to choose a topic in which they have some
competence based on academic work, professional experience, or future career aspirations. A list of areas
for investigation has been prepared for you in the Appendix 1. Please consult with your project committee
before finalizing your topic.

Grading and assignment

Both the deliverable and the rationale report must be defended before your project committee. For you
to earn credit for FMT4CAP, the completed project must be approved by your project committee after
the defense

1. Project proposal 30 points

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2. Final deliverable 30 points

3. Rationale report 40 points
Total 100 points

Each of the tasks is described in more detail below:

1. Project proposal
The project proposal describes the basic aspects of your capstone project. The intent of writing the
proposal is to highlight the significance of the research topic or the issue you want to address and map
out important tasks necessary to complete the project on time. The proposal also provides the chosen
community and the project committee what you will study, what question you want to answer, how the
project will be implemented (methodologies, data collection, analysis strategy), and what are the
expected deliverables of the project.
The content of the projects is recommended below
01. Title of the project.
02. Abstract. In approximately 200 words, summarize the rationale for your project, the
methodology, anticipated results, and conclusions you will draw from your work.
03. Problem statement. Description of the target community. State the problem you are
addressing and how the problem was identified. What methods have been tried and failed?
What are the difficulties in solving the problem? The rationale for your project, what impacts
does it make, how does it contribute to or benefit the community?
04. A brief literature review relevant to the chosen topic. The project and its solutions must be
informed by relevant theories, the latest research findings, or the relevant industrial context
(current trends, direction of the industry). At a minimum, you will cite six professional or
scholarly references in your literature review.
05. Method of inquiry. Statement of the proposed method for achieving the desired deliverable.
What kind of data is needed? How will the data be collected? How much data – and/or how
many participants – do you need. Your analysis strategy.
06. Work allocation among group members based on the required tasks to be completed.
07. Timeline for completion of the capstone, including a proposed schedule for meeting with an
advisor(s), deadlines for completion of research and chapters/sections, projected defense date.
Please note that you are advised to submit the proposal as soon as it is ready for approval
before commencing the project.
08. Potential obstacles and the feasibility of the proposed capstone. Any obstacles leading to
delays or changes in the nature of the project must be brought to the attention of the project
committee immediately for advising and approval.
Deadline for the Project proposal is February 27, 2023, submitted via Microsoft Team.

2. Final deliverable
The final deliverable is the outcome of the project aiming to address the needs of the targeted
community. Examples of deliverables include an employee handbook for the company, a procedure and
tools for quality management, a tour designed for a new destination, or a training evaluation manual.
The final deliverable should be appended to the final report, but it will be evaluated separately.
 Capstone Project – Course Outline 6

Deadline for the Final deliverable is May 15, 2023, submitted via Microsoft Team.
3. Rationale report
Rationale report provides audiences a scholarly foundation for why the deliverable is effective in
addressing the identified issue(s).
01. Title of the project.
02. Abstract. In approximately 200 words, summarize the rationale for your project, the
methodology, project results, deliverables, and conclusions.
03. Problem statement. Description of the target community. State the problem you are
addressing and how the problem was identified. The rationale for your project, what impacts
does it make, how does it contribute to or benefit the community?
04. A brief literature review relevant to the chosen topic. The project and its solutions must be
informed by relevant theories and the latest research findings. At a minimum, you will cite six
professional or scholarly references in your literature review.
05. Method of inquiry. Describe the method used to conduct the project. What are the
procedures? What are the participants? What and how data were collected? Provide the
questionnaires or list of interview questions, or any instruments used in the project as
appendices.
06. Results of the projects. What are the findings? What did you learn? How the findings inform
your recommendations and final deliverables
07. Conclusions and action plan. What are the conclusions and recommendations? Prioritize the
current recommendation. How can the final deliverable be applied?
08. Deliverables as an appendix.
Deadline for the Rationale report is May15, 2023, submitted via Microsoft Team.

Other policies and requirements

Students with Disability
If you have a disability and need academic accommodations, please notify your project committee
immediately to arrange needed support.
Academic Honesty
The Faculty of Management and Tourism strictly prohibits all forms of academic cheating, fraud, and
dishonesty. These acts include but are not limited to, plagiarism, buying and selling course assignments
and research papers, performing academic assignments (including tests and examinations) for other
persons, and other practices commonly understood to be academically dishonest. Acts of academic
dishonesty may result in a failing grade on the exam or assignment for which the dishonesty occurred or
failing the course.

Proposed weekly schedule

Meeting 1
Introduction: Expectations and syllabus review.
Lecture 1: Introduction to Capstone Project
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Reading: Chapter 1 Creswell & Creswell (2018)

Meeting 2
Lecture 2: Choosing a topic for your Capstone Project
Reading: Readings vary across disciplines. Classes will be organized based on key
disciplines (e.g., Finance, Banking, Accounting, Management, Human Resource
Management, Organizational Behaviors, Travel and Hospitality, Marketing)

Meeting 3
Lecture 3: Review of the Literature
Reading: Chapter 2 Creswell & Creswell (2018)

Meeting 4
Lecture 4: Method of Inquiry: Quantitative Research
Reading: Chapter 8 Creswell & Creswell (2018)

Meeting 5
Lecture 5: Method of Inquiry: Qualitative Research
Reading: Chapter 9 Creswell & Creswell (2018)

Meeting 6 - 12
Consultation: Meeting with project committee will be organized weekly and by appointment.
The details of each meeting vary depending on the issues confronting the group
with the goals to assist students in data collection, data analysis and solution
developments.
Reading: To be provided by the Project Committee

Meeting 13 - 15
Submission and Evaluation of Project Reports and Deliverables

Sample Topics for Capstone Investigation

Create and apply standardized recipes for a local restaurant.
Standardization plays an important role in maintaining a restaurant's productivity and quality. Without
standardized recipes, restaurants may face declining customer satisfaction and, at the bottom line,
profitability. Standardized recipes are needed for every single dish at a restaurant with ingredient
quality specifications and thorough instructions. Students are required to disseminate the advantages
of a standardized recipe and work with a local restaurant owner to create standardized recipes for all
dishes in the restaurant. Students must record each step in the procedure and the standardized recipes
must be implemented in the establishment. Students and owners should come up with a plan to utilize
the recipes at the best convenience.

Building a brand for a destination/organization

The students will have to conduct a SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis, market research, and brand equity
assessment to develop a branding and positioning strategy with action plans and actual related
products. Then the students will run some part of the strategy and evaluate the strategy. To conduct
 Capstone Project – Course Outline 8

the above jobs, the students are required to contact the community, be approved, shared with the
necessary information, and assessed by the studied community and relevant stakeholders.

Bookkeeping services for a home-based business or a local small business

Students can offer to provide bookkeeping services for a home-based business. A micro business, or a
proprietor having a small business of selling goods or services to customers but does not maintain
adequate financial records. Students investigate the nature of the business, business operations, types
of transactions, the volume of transactions to develop a set of accounting records for the home-based
business. Examples of accounting records include cash receipts journal, cash payments journal, records
of revenues, expenses, and determining profit/loss of the business periodically.

Cash flow management for a business or a company

Cash is crucial for business survival. Proper cash flow management is a key element for a healthy and
growing business. Students should study the nature of business operations, identify the sources, uses of
cash, and the timing of cash flows. Based on the analysis, students can identify factors that lead to cash
flow problems and then recommend tools for managing cash flows in the business.

Application of 5S in business
5S is a workplace organization method developed in Japan aiming at improving the effectiveness and
efficiency of the operation. This method has been proved to contribute to the success of many Japanese
firms but has not been popular in Vietnam. The project should provide a justification for the use of 5S
for the firm based on the analysis of the firm’s characteristics and current operations. The detailed
implementation of the method for the firm should also be discussed.

Inventory management system

Many businesses in the food and beverage industry are currently not having an effective inventory
management system. For SME businesses, they are relying more on a manual system which is time-
consuming and less accurate. On the contrary, investing in a modern inventory system using customized
software can be costly to the business. By using computer software such as Excel or Spreadsheet tools,
students can offer a more convenient solution to the business.

Staff turnover
Staff turnover is one of the biggest challenges for many businesses, especially in Vietnam where skilled
and talented employees are in extremely high demand. In this Capstone project, you will need to
identify a company that is experiencing a serious staff turnover problem with an aim to improve the
situation. Based on your knowledge of HR and Organizational Behaviors, you will need to investigate the
reasons for staff turnover and propose specific and solutions for the identified problem.

Validating a hiring system

Hiring is one of the crucial steps in ensuring organizations have the right kind of people to achieve
organizational goals. However, research indicated that there is a mismatch between what science
knows and what organizations do in hiring their staff. Your responsibilities include (1) collecting
information about a current hiring system including how they recruit (e.g., sources of recruitment,
recruitment effectiveness), select (e.g., selection tools and process) and socialize (e.g., orientation
 Capstone Project – Course Outline 9

activities) their staff, (2) whether their hiring system is effective (i.e., having the right amount and the
right kind of people), and (3) recommendations for improvement.

Cash flow management

Essentially, the cash flow management is concerned with the flow of cash in and out of the business. As
an analytical tool, the statement of cash flows is useful in determining the short-term viability of a
company, particularly its ability to pay bills. Students are required to investigate if there are any
problems with the cash flow of a specific company. In this capstone project, students work in groups to
gather the financial information of a company. Base on the information, students will analyze the
current situation of the company and propose a solution for short term, medium term, or long-term
objective of the organization.

Foreign exchange rate risk

Foreign exchange risk arises when a company engages in financial transactions denominated in a
currency other than the currency where that company is based. Any appreciation/depreciation of the
base currency or the depreciation/appreciation of the denominated currency will affect the cash flows
emanating from that transaction. In this capstone project, you are required to propose a
comprehensive plan to mitigate a credit risk or foreign exchange rate risk of an import/export company.
You are advised to identify the credit risk that the firm may face with, indicators to measure the risk,
and propose feasible hedging strategies that the company can employ.

Short-term Investment
A short-term investment is an investment that will mature to cash within a one-year period and is
considered liquid. When a firm invests in short-term stock and bonds, their expectation is that these
assets can be cashed in quickly. An asset is liquid if the owner can readily access it, and it has an
established market where prices cannot be manipulated by one buyer or seller. In this capstone project,
you should find out the sources for the short-term investment and propose a plan to make the
investments more efficient for a year forward given the current situation of a company. Students are
advised to identify the short-term and medium-term investments of a firm or a division and gather the
information about the cash flows, operating cost, cost of capital to come up with the best short-term
proposal for the company.

Organizational branding
The higher education in Vietnam is undergoing drastic changes as it prepares to grant universities more
autonomy in their governance. As a result, Vietnamese universities are enjoying more freedom in
student admission, curriculum development, faculty development, industry engagement, international
cooperation, finance, and investment. However, it also means that the competition between
universities in attracting students has never been higher. University branding, therefore, is now an
essential part of the marketing strategy for your institution to become more appealing to prospective
students. It also helps reinforce any advertising messages and promotes a distinctiveness which
separates an institution from others. To help universities become more recognized and familiar to their
stakeholders, a thoughtful IMC strategy should be developed based on a thorough market research and
the execution plan need to provide enough details for the strategy to be implemented. This topic
requires the application of theories from some courses such as Principles of Marketing, Consumers’
Behaviors, Marketing Research, Branding, and Integrated Marketing Communications.
 Capstone Project – Course Outline 10

Marketing budget for SMEs

For SMEs, cost control is always an issue because of their limited size and resources. However, for
Marketing But for marketing, spending means so much. Then how to achieve the objectives while trying
to make ends meet? Is marketing always spending? For some companies, marketing must be bringing
money back soon by utilizing all available limited resources and setting objectives one step at a time.
SME companies must think more, understand deeper within smaller scale and act more creatively. Find
their own way fighting in red oceans or go find the blue one? This topic on how SMEs spent marketing
budget wisely requires application of theories from some courses such as Principles of Marketing,
Digital Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications and Advertising Campaigns and Events.