BUS6A10 Business Project Assessments Brief | Wrexham University

Assessments

This section outlines the type of assessment task the student will be expected to complete as part of the module.

There is no ‘Assessment Brief’ for the Level 6 Business Project Module. This module Handbook presents details for both assessments (AS1 and AS2) as outlined below:

The research project is divided into two assessments for the module:

• Research Project Proposal: (AS1)
• Research Project: (AS2)

Indicative Assessment 1: This will take the form of a 1,000-word research proposal (Mandatory – must be completed before you start your dissertation).

Indicative Assessment 2: This will take the form of a 5,500-word dissertation/project report and a 10-minute presentation on aspects of the dissertation/project report (which will include a Q&A). 

Assessment Tasks

Students are expected to choose a business topic area that helps them to carry out a research project. This will start by developing a research proposal that covers the first three chapters of the project.

Chapter 1 presents the Research background, with an introduction and rationale that explain why the project is of interest and how you plan to conduct your research. This first chapter also presents terms of reference (ToR) – covering aspects such as the research question, research aims and research objectives.

Chapter 2 presents a preliminary Literature review: identifying relevant sources, and exploring relevant themes and theories related to the topic area.

Chapter 3 presents a Research Design and Methodology. This covers key aspects of research design such as methodology applied (e.g. qualitative or quantitative), sampling techniques applied, data collection methods (e.g. interviews, observation, document analyses, questionnaire survey etc.), data analysis methods (e.g. SPSS, Excel, Thematic/Content analysis, Nvivo etc).

The information below provides more details about the task.

The business environment in the UK and internationally is constantly changing. Factors such as globalisation, the impact of the Covid-19 global pandemic, advances in technology, innovation, emphasis on ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR), changing consumer behaviour, changes in the financial sector, new demands for renewable energy, limited resources, disruption in global value chains, BREXIT, and geopolitical conflicts etc. are fundamentally
affecting how businesses operate. To understand how these factors affect business it is often necessary to do research.

Your task in this assessment is to research an area of business and management context.

below identifies some areas you may wish to consider.

There are several broad areas from which you can choose a topic for your research project. This means that you will have to focus on a specific aspect of the business and/or management area you have chosen for your research. Your specific topic will have to be agreed by your tutor/supervisor. It is therefore important to do preliminary reading early on to identify a particular area of interest and choose a topic that you are confident you will be able
to find sufficient secondary sources to conduct a literature review.

In choosing your topic you should bear in mind the following:

• Undergraduate students have different strengths and preferences in their approach to collating and evaluating research evidence. For the Business Research Project, you have an opportunity to choose from various primary and/or secondary data collection methods. Whichever method you opt for, a critical approach to the topic will be required.
• Conducting primary or secondary research both present challenges. You will
  opportunities to discuss the research process, including the strengths and challenges of both primary and secondary research design, approaches, methodologies and appropriate methods for data collection and data analysis in the lectures and seminars with your tutor/supervisor, and in group discussions.
• If you are planning to carry out primary research, you should choose a topic that will enable you to collect data from participants/respondents using methods such as questionnaire survey, interviews, document analyses, participant observation, focus groups etc. The chosen topic should be of interest to you and ensure that you can easily identify relevant literature from secondary (existing) sources to enable you to do a thorough literature review. You will get opportunities to discuss this research related terminology in the module including some guidance on how to access sources of relevant information from books, journals, business reports and several online
  databases and library resources.

Business Areas

Broad areas you could consider for the generation of a more specific topic are, for example:

• The financial services sector (e.g., discuss the dominance of the ‘Big Four’ retail banks in the UK and efforts to make account-switching easier)
•  The changing face of retail (e.g., discuss the challenges faced by the major supermarkets from new entrants such as the discounters)
•  Technology as a driver of change (e.g., how has technology disrupted industries such as accommodation (Airbnb), taxis (Uber) and others.
•  Ethics and the supply chain (e.g., are consumers influenced by Fairtrade groceries and sustainable businesses like the People’s Supermarket or companies known to pollute the environment and treat workers badly?)
• Environmental concern and “green” laws (e.g., Product packaging and Recycling)
• Brand loyalty and …?
• Social media as marketing platforms
• Digital marketing Vs traditional marketing
• Fast fashion and celebrity endorsement
• Online shopping and security issues
• Faster technological advances and innovation (e.g. mobile phone industry)
• Changing trends in higher education
• Fast food industry/restaurants and healthy lifestyles
• Health and fitness consciousness (e.g. organic foods, vegan campaigners, energy drinks, smoking etc.)
• Leadership, change management…
• Motivation, rewards & incentives…
• Staff turnover and job satisfaction…
• Recreational parks and increasing demand for housing, parking space etc.
• Urbanisation of cities and challenges (e.g., pressure on public services, transportation, overcrowding, pollution, security, congestion etc.)
• Public transport services (e.g. quality of services, prices, convenience etc.)
• Diversity, inclusion, equality, cross-cultural issues
• BREXIT and impact on…?
• COVID-19 (Coronavirus) global pandemic and impact on …?

You may have any other research area in mind for your research. If you would like to focus your research in an area not covered above, please discuss this with your supervisor/tutor or your module leader

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to equip students with the research skills to enable them to critically analyse and evaluate a business topic with a view to providing a range of relevant recommendations on which a business could make informed decisions for improvement.

The module seeks to blend the practical and theoretical aspects of business research. In particular, the module presents opportunities to cover a range of research activities and methods, including problem definition, sources of data, questionnaire design, sampling, data analysis and presentation of research findings. 

Module Learning Outcomes

• Produce a research proposal based on a feasible research question of their choice.
• Apply knowledge and skills gained during the degree to the critical analysis of a complex business management investigative topic of their choice.
• Evaluate a range of research methods and justify a research strategy/methodology.
• Apply appropriate research methodology.
• Critically evaluate, synthesise, and apply relevant theoretical frameworks.
• Draw conclusions and/or propose and present feasible solutions.