Business Research Assignment
OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES -
On successful completion of this subject you will have the ability to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the research planning process ,business research methods and understanding importance of professional ethics, and of how to recognize and address ethical issues when they arise in a business research project
2. Apply concepts of business research to business scenarios.
3. Evaluate the impact of existing business research in a business environment
4. Evaluate and Compare various business research methodologies then apply them to a specific business research project
5. Develop a research proposal, research project plan, literature review to be able to solve business problem and explain research outcomes.
6. Evaluate professional practice issues in business research
7. Justify chosen research methodology (quantitative/qualitative) and explain procedures for data collection, proposed data analysis, and limitations of your proposed study.
Topic - Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Computing for Businesses.
Assessment 1 Literature Review - Individual Assignment
For this assessment, students are expected to demonstrate their understanding of the extant, academic literature related to an approved, business topic.
In consultation with their lecturer, students need to decide on a business-related topic/concept. Students need to select approximately eight to twelve (8-12), but at least three (3), peer-reviewed articles or comparable sources (online resource can be accessed using ProQuest or Google Scholar) that are related to the topic (as the basis of their literature review).
In the context of their chosen topic, students need to review the articles and sources selected, i. e. read and critically analyses (compare and contrast) the literature. In doing so, students are required to discuss the key ideas/arguments put forward by authors, identify communalities/similarities, differences and conclusions drawn by different authors. Based on this analysis and discussion, students are expected to point out potential gaps in the literature that will form the basis of Assessment 2, the research proposal.
Assignment 1 - Requirements Structure
1. Introduction
2. Project Objective
3. Project Scope
4. Literature Review (Students' needs to dofull literature review (2000 -2500 words) on chosen topic)
5. Conclusion
6. Reference List
7. Appendix
NOTE: Students should do consultation with lecturer regarding to research topic selection before literature review.
Assessment 2 -Business Research Proposal - Individual Assignment
For this assessment, students are expected to present a written research proposal that is based on the literature review (Assessment 1) and demonstrates their understanding of business research/research paradigm.
Based on their literature review, students are required to write a business research proposal outlining the details of the proposed research project that addresses the gaps identified in the literature. Derived from the business topic, the proposal needs to include clearly state research questions (primary and secondary), and provide a solid research methodology that supports the feasibility of the research project.
Assignment 2 - Requirements Structure
1. Introduction
2. Project Objective
3. Project Scope
4. Literature Review (Students' needs to summarise Assignment 1 literature review (2-3 pages)and justification from Assignment 1 literature problems, gaps opportunities, Hypothesis)
5. Research Questions/Hypothesis
-Primary Question (only one question)
- Secondary Questions (1, 2 ....)
Research questions should be linked to Literature Problems, Gaps, and Hypothesis
6. Research Design and Methodology
- Qualitative research
(Students should propose the Process of the Qualitative Research (Main Steps), Approaches to reliability and Validity, Sampling, Sample Size, Data Collection Method, Variables Specifications)
- Quantitative research
(Students should propose the process of the Quantitative Research Design Process (Main Steps), Research Instrument, Quantitative Data Analysis Process, Sampling and Simple Size, Interviewing and Questionary Design, Reliability and Validity of Data)
7. Research Limitations
8. Time Schedule (Research plan)
9. Conclusion
10. Reference List
11. Appendix
NOTE: Students are not with requirements to collect and analyse data.
Assessment 3 - Individual Reflective Journal - Individual Assignment
For this assessment, students are expected to write a weekly journal over the duration of the 12-week teaching period that documents a critical analysis of their learning process. In the journal students need to reflect/review how they have progressed with the learning goals related to assessments 1 and 2.
Students need to write their individual reflective journal concurrently to performing assessment tasks 1 and 2, i.e. from the first week of the subject. For each week, students need to make journal entries that provide a reflection of their 'journey' of gaining, and applying knowledge of the research paradigm. For each week students should reflect and compare the theoretical knowledge with what they apply into practice. As assessment 1 and 2 are completed, students should clearly identify learning goals achieved.
Assignment 3 - Requirement Structure
Assignment 3 Reflective writing aims to get you to think about your learning and understand your learning experiences.
When students writing Assignment 3 need to follow steps:
1. Evaluate the effectiveness and your usefulness of the learning experience Make judgements that are clearly connected to observations you have made. Answer the questions:
- What is your opinion about learningexperience?
- What is the value of this experience?
2. Explain how this learning process will be useful to you Consider: In what ways might this learning experience serve you in:
- course
- program
- future career
- life generally
Answer the question: 'How you will transfer or apply your new knowledge and insights in the future?'
3. Describe objectively what happened in the learning process
Give the details of what happened in the learning process. Answer the question: 'What you did, read, see, and hear?
4. Evaluate what you learn
Make judgments connected to observations you have made in the Business Research. Answer the question: 'How Business Research was useful for your Research Learning Process?'
5. Explain your learning process:
New insights, connections with other learning, your feelings, hypotheses, conclusions. Answer the questions: 'What was the reason you didparticular activities (Assignment 1, Assignment 2?
6. Explain Plan how this learning you will applied
Comment on its relevance to your research subject, your course, future profession, life... Answer the question: 'How might this learning apply in your future?'
SUBJECT MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Prescribed Textbook: Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2015), Business Research Methods, (Fourth Edition), UK, Oxford University Press.
Recommended Readings:
- Zikmund, W. G. (2012), Business Research Methods, (9th edn), USA, Cengage
- Sherri L. Jackson (2015), Research Methods and Statistics; Critical Thinking Approach, (5th edn), USA, Cengage.
- William, T., James, P. and Arora, K. (2015), Research Methods: The Essential Knowledge Base, (2nd edn), USA, Cengage.
Attachment:- Assignment File.rar