Assignments -
Overview of the two assignments - Overall, you are required to create a proposal for a research project aimed at a business related problem or opportunity. The two components of this proposal are related but separately assessed:
- Firstly, you must prepare a Literature Review and Evidence Review on that research proposal, fully referenced.
- Secondly, you are required to design a Business Research Proposal aimed at a business-related problem or opportunity.
There are two integrated parts to this assessment:
Component 1 - the Literature Evidence Review
Component 2 - the Research Design Proposal
The research proposal must include a background, which describes the basic situation underlying your project. It must include a statement of the problem or opportunity that is the aim of your project. It must describe the rationale for your project, why you wish to carry out this research and the benefits that will accrue from its successful conclusion.
You must create research objectives that, when successfully completed, will have the information that enables you to solve the problem or capitalise on the opportunity that is the aim of your research.
It must also include a literature review that evaluates the context for your research, and sources academic research and models that are relevant to the project. It should include critical evaluation of relevant theoretical and practical references and include breadth of understanding and depth of critical evaluation. Reviews will require analysis and evaluation of evidence and sources and be informed by theory and appropriate practice.
You must evaluate and fully describe the research methods that will be necessary to successfully complete the research.
Topic: 1- An Examination of cause's Aitken Spence Hotels in Sri Lanka.
Topic: 2- A study of factors leading to Dialog Axiata Underperformance in Sri Lanka.
Component 1 - Literature-Evidence Review
This should be an analysis and synthesis of the literature pertaining to your topic. You should ensure that you read up-to-date sources and assess current academic concepts and models relating to that topic and the research question and objectives developed.
Introduction
- Is the domain explained?
- Is there a rationale for the chosen topic?
- Are the main sources stated?
The Main Body
- Is there a clear structure?
- Does the review flow into a logical progression?
- Does the review convey the thinking of the writer?
- Use of secondary sources, citation, references, synthesis, critique, chronology, seminal works, models?
- Is the current position conveyed?
- Is there a set of emergent conclusions?
Conclusion
- Is there a clear concluding statement?
- Is there a clear implication for further research?
- Are research questions specified?
- Are there emergent themes?
- Is the literature review conclusive?
- Has a theoretical or conceptual framework been identified?
Structure:
1. Introduction
1.1 Background of the industry or company
1.2 Problem or issue identified and the boundaries of the research
1.3 Significance and Rationale of the Research
1.4 Research Questions
1.4.1 Main Research Question
1.4.2 Specific Research Question
1.5 The main body: Research Objectives and conceptual Framework
1.5.1 Research Objectives
1.5.2 What to be measured and how?
2. Research Methodology - philosophy, reasoning, design (1000 words approximately)
2.1 Description of the research design
2.1.1 Deductive or Inductive
2.1.2 Exploratory or Conclusive
2.2 Research Strategy
Survey/Experimental/Case Studies/Action/Archival
2.3 Research Instruments
Questionnaire, Interview, Focus group discussion, Observation
2.4 Sampling plan
2.4.1 Target population of the research
- Population A
- Population B
- Population C
2.4.2 Determining sample size
2.5 Data Types and Data Collection Methods
2.5.1 Sources of data required
- Primary and Secondary
- Quantitative and Qualitative
3. Research Proposal- Research Design and Data Analysis (1000 words approximately)
3.1 Conceptual table and analysis of data
3.2 Analysis tools
MS Excel, SPSS, ATLAS.ti, QDA Miner, NVivo
3.3 Ethical Issues
3.4 Timeline and Gantt chart
3.4.1Time schedule
3.4.2 The Gantt chart
3.5 Expected Research Outcomes
3.5.1 Expected primary outcome and other significant outcomes
3.5.2 Research barriers and limitations
4. Reference (Please take references from related books and Journals)
5. Bibliography
6. Appendices
Component 2: Research Design Proposal
TASKS
Research Title
Research Question
Research Objectives
A Background to the Research Proposal:
- Is the overall context for the research well established?
- Is the research topic interesting from an academic and practical perspective?
- Is there a statement of the problem?
- Is there a rationale for the topic?
- Is it clear what aspects of the chosen topic will be researched?
- Do the boundaries of the research make sense?
- Is there a clear statement of the aim of the research?
- Are research objectives included which are specific?
- Are research questions matched to the research objectives?
Research Methodology - Philosophy, Reasoning, Design
- Is there a logical and cohesive structure to the proposal?
- Are all the relevant sections included?
- Is the approach adequately explained?
- Is the scope of Literature outlined relevant to the research objectives to address theresearch questions?
- Is the relevance of the literature, models, theories and frameworks for thinking justified?
- Are the proposed research methods appropriate to the research task?
- Have the data types been defined and classified?
- Have target populations and samples been defined and justified?
Data Analysis
- Is the proposal for analysis linked back to the literature and the research questions?
- Have analysis methods been specified?
- Is there an adequate time plan for the research?
Ethics, Validity and Reliability
- Are validity and reliability issues discussed?
- Are the ethical issues in the project understood and dealt with?
- Are the intended outcomes for the research made known and is there a clear understanding of the value added?
Gantt Chart (or other suitable format).
Structure -
1. Introduction (500 words approximately)
1.1 The domain.
1.2 The rationale for the chosen topic.
1.3 The main sources used in brief.
2. The Main Body (1500 words approximately)
The main body of the literature review should focus relevant models, concepts, theories, frameworks and articles published within the research domain and provide authors critique with insightful views.
3. Conclusion (1000 words approximately)
The clear concluding statement should focus the overall perception regarding the literature review that discussed and any new emergent themes that author has been discovered with a clear implication for further research. In addition, research questions and research objectives required to be specified with the conclusion. (Same research questions and research objectives, but paraphrased version)
4. References
5. Bibliography
6. Appendices
Attachment:- Assignment File.rar