MGTM16 International Business Management Research Project Summative Assessment Brief | UoS

Introduction to the Module

Welcome to the International Business Management Research Project module. This Module Guide introduces the module, including details of module content and the skills and knowledge you are expected to demonstrate to produce a research project successfully.

The primary focus of this module is on research methods. Each unit will highlight some of the key aspects of the research process, such as writing a literature review, developing an argument, choosing a research strategy, understanding and adopting good ethical practices, and collecting, analysing, and presenting data.

A significant portion of this module is self-directed; thus, you are expected to engage with the preparatory and consolidation materials and attend all drop-in sessions to ensure you are ready for the assessment.

Conducting a research project can be extremely stimulating as you can explore a topic of interest in detail.

MGTM16 Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, you will:

• Critically analyse and investigate a relevant research problem, demonstrating a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current issues in international business management, and an advanced critical understanding of the pertinent theories.
• Demonstrate appropriate knowledge and understanding of research methodology, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques to create and interpret knowledge.
• Evidence self-direction, reflection, and originality to independently design an appropriate research strategy to investigate the identified problem, manage the project and deliver the research output in the required format.

Table of Units

A list of materials is provided on the canvas page. The materials will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the importance of the research process and its significance for developing an effective project. They are generally underpinned by systematic means and case study methods. This should ensure that the research undertaken is logical, coherent and replicable. This includes addressing research philosophy, induction/deduction and abduction issues, research approaches, methodological choices, research strategies, data collection and analysis methods and presentation of research findings.

You are expected to cover the fully allocated learning materials by engaging in proactive learning outside the sessions, such as undertaking additional reading to widen your knowledge and understanding of the course material. You will be expected to demonstrate this in your final project.
 
The Canvas page will be organised as of the following:

Assessment Information

You will be required to submit one written research project of 10,000 words containing an introduction, literature review, methodology, presentation of results, discussion, and conclusions.

This is a summative assessment weighted at 100%. This will assess all the module learning outcomes. You are required to submit a copy of your work on Canvas (a hard copy is not required). The deadline date will be posted on Canvas.

You must submit your report through Turnitin and include a copy of the report with your submission. Your project should include a cover page detailing your full name (not informal names adopted in English), course, student number, project title, and module number.

The last submission of the assignment before the submission date will be deemed the final submission for assessment purposes. All work submitted must adhere to the University Policy on 'Cheating, Collusion, and Plagiarism'. Two staff members assess each project internally. A sample of work is also sent to the Programme External Examiner.

Project Supervision

You will be allocated a project supervisor. Your supervisor will support you through the project phase of your studies. The scheduled dates for meeting your supervisor should be mutually agreed upon between you and your supervisor. You must explicitly agree with your supervisor about how the supervision will work for you. Meetings without a specific section of your work to discuss are unlikely to be an effective use of time. If you have a question or a point to check, an email will be more effective. Writing a good section of material and submitting it before your meeting means the supervisor will have read and commented upon it. It is also a sound idea to have some time as soon as possible after a supervision session so you can follow up on the comments. Successful students have also found it helpful at each supervision session to plan out the next stage of work and the target dates for this.

Project Structure

• Title
• Statement of Originality and Authenticity
• Abstract
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• Abbreviations
• List of Figures/Tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature Review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Findings
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• References
• Appendices

Chapter 1: Introduction

Your chapter should identify the topic's background, provide a rationale for its significance, and include the research aims and objectives. It should be concise, informative, and able to stand alone as a document.

Chapter 2 Literature Review

In this chapter, you will situate the study in the context of previous research. Here, you will critically analyse scholarly material about the topic, present a critical synthesis of empirical literature according to relevant themes or variables, justify how the study addresses a gap or problem, and outline the study's theoretical or conceptual framework. This provides a backdrop to your work and allows the reader to assess your research skills.

Chapter 3 Methodology

You should situate your research within a particular methodological tradition or paradigm in the methodology. Provide a rationale for that approach, and justify the chosen method (e.g., case study, grounded theory approach, thematic analysis), data collection technique adopted and your method of analysis (e.g., Thematic analysis, content analysis). Your chapter should include the rationale for the chosen research approach, justification of the selected research setting, and research sample and data collection methods. You will then present your approach to data analysis, including a discussion on the measures taken to enhance the study and its validity and reliability. You should also highlight the limitations of the methodology

Chapter 4 Presentation of Findings

In this chapter, you present the study's main findings based on the evidence and/or results of the primary research (qualitative or quantitative data) you have undertaken. Depending on your subject area, this can be detailed quantitative models, such as hypothesis testing via inferential or basic descriptive statistics. Alternatively, this can be done using qualitative techniques such as thematic analysis, grounded theory, structured content analysis, and case study descriptions. This data must be organised in a logical and coherently ordered whole so that your thought processes and interpretation are clear to the reader.

Chapter 5 Discussion

Having presented the data, you will be expected to interrogate the findings by asking questions about your information, such as: What is significant here? Where are the key agreements between participants/sources? What are the main areas of disagreement? How does this information reflect the outcomes (confirm or deny) from the literature review and so on? What does this say about important ideas to shape policy/strategy and their implementation?

Chapter 6 Conclusions

This short chapter should summarise the main points and decide what stance you are taking concerning the practice/policies under review. It should flow naturally from the earlier work. This section should not introduce new ideas or new debates, even if you have discovered new information.

The dissertation/project should be approximately 10,000 words. However, the exact makeup of the sections may vary. It is unlikely you will be able to meet the learning outcomes in terms of depth and range of analysis in a study of less than 10,000 words.

The remainder of the dissertation/project should comprise the reference list and appendices, which are evidenced in the main body of your report. Appendices should be carefully selected.

They should be referenced in the main body of the study, clearly relate to it, and provide further important references for the reader. They should not be included if they have no central bearing on the study or are simply a catalogue of all organisational information available.