Research Methods and Professional Skills
The Consultancy Skills Assignment
You are required to analyse a case study where you will be taking on the role of an HR consultant. This assignment is about research methods and the consultancy process, so you are NOT required to solve the problem(s) in the case study.
Create a 3,500 word report.Harvard referencing is required.
Use the following as a checklist for the structure and content of your report.
1. Introduction
Outline the purpose and structure of your assignment (briefly).
2. (Main body) Choose your own title for this section
In this section, you should consider the various ways in which your research could be carried out. This should include ideas on what information you need to collect, how to get this information, who to include (your sampling method), what methods of data collection could be used such as a questionnaire, interviews, focus groups and so on. You could provide examples of the kinds of questions you would include in a questionnaire or interview and how you would collect the data using a quantitative and/or qualitative method.
Consider any practical and ethical problems. Make sure this section is properly underpinned by academic theory on research methods and consultancy.
3. Conclusions
Briefly summarise the key points in your discussion of the research design.
4. Recommendations
Put forward your suggestions for the way in which you think this research project should be carried out. Draw up an implementation plan including details of timescales, priorities, responsibilities and costs/benefits (and any other details you think are appropriate.)
Remember – It is about designing a research project just like the Applied Consultancy Projects you will soon be undertaking. You need to demonstrate to us that you can consider an organisational issue and plan a research project. But of course in this case, you do not know the results of your research as you cannot actually carry it out so do not ‘invent’ results. You are not being asked to suggest a new structure for the HR department - that is something for the organisation to do as an outcome of your research.