Module Overview

Welcome to the module guide for the Management Research Methods module of the Business Management. This module provides an introduction to academic research methods and provides an overview of the quantitative and qualitative methodologies that are needed in order to successfully carry out your dissertation research project.

The module will cover the major research methods – observation, surveys, case studies, interviews and action-based research – the implications of using them as well as the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data and presentation of findings. It identifies how to develop research questions and how to produce a research proposal and research design considering the issues of data validation and reliability.

You can discuss any of the following key topic areas:

  • Behaviours that support equality and diversity in the workplace
  • Managing cultural diversity in the workplace (CHOOSE THIS ONE)
  • Gender equality in leadership and management
  • Workplace discrimination

The tutor will then check the proposal and if approved student can progress and start working on the dissertation or resubmit again to the tutor with the required changes. PLEASE CHOOSE ONE COMPANY FROM THE LIST: TESCO, Morrison, ALDI, LIDL.

Aims and learning outcomes of the module

On completion of this module the student should be able to:

LO1: Generate, evaluate, and select a variety of appropriate research questions in the chosen discipline that will facilitate the development of academic, career and personal aspirations.

LO2: Critically discuss a variety of research designs and methods including primary and/or secondary data and assess the validity and robustness of both quantitative and qualitative research.

LO3: Present and justify a structured and coherent research proposal deploying accurately established techniques in order to enable unpredictable and complex problems to be addressed; the proposal should include considerations of ethical issues especially is the data is collected from human subjects to be in compliance with ethnical best practice.

     LO4: To present research parameters in their research project topic relevant to their chosen named pathway

Within your research proposal you should include the following:

  • Have chosen an agreed topic of interest within the discipline of Business and Management.
  • Formulate a design research problem – does your dissertation ask an appropriate question?
  • Establish aims for your dissertation.
  • Prepare an introduction, highlighting the broad background of the subject and an indication of why it is your choice of study.  This should focus a little on your interest in the subject and a description of its contemporary nature.
  • Prepare an overview of the subjects you consider will be relevant for your literature review.  This should take the form of one or two paragraphs highlighting the key theories, models, best practice, journal/research articles, latest thinking, academic subjects etc.
  • Prepare an overview of your methodology, considering the method and process you are going to use to collect your primary and secondary research.  Highlight what primary and secondary research you will require, where you can find it and how easy you believe it will be.  When considering primary research, highlight who you will be contacting and the methods you have considered to achieve this, i.e. interview, questionnaire, meetings, focus groups etc.  Give a little theory of what this process will take and what its benefits are over other methods.  Highlight what form the collected data will take, i.e. quantitative or qualitative data, and why you have designed your research in this way.  How reliable is the data, can you think of any statistical methods you could use to analyse it?
  • Consider the limitations to your methodology, for example, what are your time constraints, can you ensure people will respond to your primary research, what resources do you require?
  • Prepare a comprehensive list of reference materials you consider will be useful to your dissertation.  Use books, journal articles, legal proceedings, conference reports, official data, web references, union publications, documents from support bodies such as National Training Organisations, Local Government etc.