LBPG5018 Faculty of Business and Law Assignment
The Faculty of Business and Law is a common organizational structure at universities that combines the study of business and law under one umbrella. It is typically made up of a number of different departments, schools, or faculties, each focused on a specific area of business or law. For example, a Faculty of Business and Law might include a department of accounting, a department of finance, a department of marketing, and a law school.
The Faculty of Business and Law typically offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business and law, as well as a variety of professional development and continuing education opportunities. These programs may be designed to prepare students for careers in a variety of industries, such as finance, consulting, marketing, and law.
In addition to its academic programs, the Faculty of Business and Law may also be involved in research and outreach activities related to business and law. For example, it may conduct research on issues related to corporate governance, regulation, or legal reform, and it may engage with industry partners, government agencies, and other organizations to share knowledge and expertise.
The Faculty of Business and Law plays a vital role in providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the business and legal worlds, and in contributing to the advancement of knowledge in these fields.
Assignment Brief
Module Title RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Assignment Number 2
Module Code LBPG5018 Assignment Title EXTENDED RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Module Leader MARTIN BECKINSALE Assignment Weighting 75%
Assignment Release Date: 4/10/2022
Submission Date/Time: 13/01/2312:00 (noon)
Assessment Information – What you need to do
This assignment is an individual assignment.
This assignment requires you to……….
Produce an extended research proposal outlining a piece of research you plan to conduct. You may either:
(a) Build on the topic and work already done for Assignment 1 and develop it into an extended research proposal;
OR
Write an extended research proposal on an ENTIRELY new topic. You will not be penalised for doing so, but do bear in mind that you will have no feedback from your draft work (i.e. Assignment 1) to work with or build upon. You do not need to seek pre-approval if you take this option.
A research proposal is an “action plan” for your proposed piece of research. It is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research. It sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address in a study, and demonstrates the originality of your proposed research. It outlines the research topic you are interested in, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic, and describes how you intend to carry out your research. This proposal is most likely to be a preparatory document for your dissertation module.
Criteria for Assessment – How you will be marked
Your extended research proposal should contain the following sections (approximate suggested length in brackets):
Front Cover Page should include: Your Name; Your Programme; and Your workshop/seminar tutor’s name (not included in word count)
Title
Abstract (~ 200 words)
Introduction/Background statement (approx.. 5 – 10% length – ~ 130-260 words)
Aims and objectives OR research question(s) (approx.. 5% length – ~ 130 words)
Literature Review (approx.. 30% length – ~780 words )
Research Methodology (pprox.. 20-30% length – ~ 520-780 words)
Business and/or managerial implications of your research (approx.. 5% length – ~ 130 words)
Limitations of the proposed study (approx.. 5% length – ~ 130 words)
Ethical issues and considerations (approx.. 5% length- ~ 130 words)
Conclusions (approx.. 5-10% length – ~ 130 – 260 words)
Research timetable/schedule (table – Gantt chart)
References (not included in word count)
Further Section Details
Your proposal should be at least 2000 words in length and no more than 2600 words. The title, abstract, reference list and research timetable/schedule are not included in the word count but in-text citations are. Include front cover page with tutor’s name on and No appendices should be included.
Title
Is your title focused, e.g. in terms of a specific area, literature, timespan? Does your title point your study at specific bodies of academic literature that already exist – e.g. consumer behaviour, strategy, digital consumerism, tourism development, financial derivatives etc?
Abstract
Remember – an abstract is not an introduction.
Does your abstract provide a self-contained overview of your entire proposed work?
(Look at examples in journal articles)
Introduction/Background statement
The introduction sets the context for your proposed research study and should aim to capture the reader’s interest. It introduces the topic and presents an overview of why the topic is interesting, relevant and worth exploring.
Does your introduction open ‘a window’ on your work? Does it ‘set the scene’?
Does it start with a broad statement…. And lead to the focal problem/ research question?
Think about the role of an introduction… does it entice, stimulate interest, inform?
What literatures you are planning to use?
Are there terms or concepts that need defining? This is where you might include them.
Aims and objectives OR research question(s)
You may state research aims and objectives, or research questions.
What is your overarching research question?
Do your aims connect to your objectives?
Remember – one or two aims only – ideally one for clarity.
Remember – employ a couple of objectives – ideally up to three objectives; you do not want too many avenues to pursue. Ensure focused.
Do your aims and objectives ‘unpack’ and explain your title?
Literature Review The literature review develops broad ideas of what is already known in a field, and what questions are still unanswered. It will highlight any theories/frameworks/models that may exist to support developing hypotheses and can help narrow the problem for investigation. This process also helps you to be sure that your investigation is not just “reinventing the wheel.” A discussion of the present understanding and/or state of knowledge concerning the problem or issue sets the context for your investigation.
Are you clear what you understand by ‘a literature’?
In relation to which specific ‘literatures’ or subject/topic areas is your work positioned?
Does your work use one or a number of literatures?
Does your work fall between literatures? … (And therefore must draw on a number of literatures in order to make sense of your chosen area?)
Is there apparently no literature on your chosen topic? …perhaps rephrase/rethink your topic?
Does what you have written respond to your Title, RQs and aims and objectives? Is there something you have under-worked or overlooked?
If there are theoretical frameworks/models related to the topic and literature have you identified them?
Approach – Research Methodology
The Research Methodology section should contain the following sub-headings:
Research approach
Research design and strategy
Approach to data collection and analysis of findings.
A research proposal’s methodology outlines the strategy for conducting an investigation in order to answer a research question. In this section you will briefly review different approaches, designs, procedures, and methods for investigating your area of research. You will describe your research design and the specific tools that will be used to help you to meet your research goals. Regardless of research design and choice of research methods chosen, it should be realistic and feasible, and be formulated with time and resource constraints in mind.
What is your overall methodology?
Are you using an inductive or deductive approach? Have you discussed the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen method and how you will work with them?
What will be the role of quantitative and/or qualitative data in your work?
What methods have you chosen within your methodology?
Why have you chosen it? Why is it appropriate for your study?
How will you go about collecting your data? Who? How many? How and Why? When and Where?
How will you go about analysing your findings? Are there any specific techniques or software that you might use?
Business and/or managerial implications of your research
What are the business and/or managerial implications of your proposed research? Why would businesses/ managers/ society find your research interesting/ worthwhile?
Limitations of the proposed study Are there any limits with regards to your proposed instruments, sample, time and resource constraints?
Are there any issues with regards to access that you need to consider/ acknowledge?
Ethical issues and considerations
Provide a complete Ethics Triage form for your methods (may be attached as an appendix). Plus outline what are the ethical issues that arise with your proposal in relation to you, your respondents and others? What measures will you take to deal with them? Have you identified an appropriate code of ethics that you will adhere to?
Conclusions
Your conclusion should not include the introduction of any new material or ideas.
Does your conclusion….
– Summarise the argument and key points you have made?
– Present its points in a punchy manner using the technical terms and concepts you have discussed in your argument?
Remember – your conclusion is about the proposal!!
Research timetable/schedule
You should provide a realistic timetable/ schedule outlining all the key stages in the dissertation process and the time you would allocate to each task. This can be presented in the form of a Gantt chart or table.
Have you identified all the key tasks that you will need to undertake in your dissertation?
Is a realistic amount of time allocated to each phase of your work?
To what extent will various stages of the work overlap with each other?
References & Writing Style A reference list should be provided at the end of your proposal and should include all the material cited in the main text. It should be presented using the Harvard System of referencing.
Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here.
This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes:
Demonstrate an understanding of the main methodological approaches relevant to business and management research (Assessment 1)
Identify a suitable research topic and appropriate (focused) objectives aligned with their programme of study (Assessment 1)
Assessment Details
The word count is 2000-2600 WORDS
There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.
The word limit includes quotations and citations, but excludes tables, figures AND the references list.
How to Submit your Assessment
The assessment must be submitted by 12:00 noon (GMT/BST)on 13/01/23. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module blackboard site.
Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.
Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise advised by the module leader.
All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason will be subject to the University regulations on late submissions.
If an assessment is submitted up to 14 days late the mark for the work will be capped at the pass mark of 40 per cent for undergraduate modules or 50 per cent for postgraduate modules
If an assessment is submitted beyond 14 calendar days late the work will receive a mark of zero per cent
The above applies to a student’s first attempt at the assessment. If work submitted as a reassessment of a previously failed assessment task is submitted later than the deadline the work will immediately be given a mark of zero per cent
If an assessment which is marked as pass/fail rather than given a percentage mark is submitted later than the deadline, the work will immediately be marked as a fail
The University wants you to do your best. However, we know that sometimes events happen which mean that you can’t submit your coursework by the deadline – these events should be beyond your control and not easy to predict. If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to two weeks, or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for example, to the re-sit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline. You will find information about applying for extensions and deferrals here.
Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.
Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.
Return of Marked Work
You can expect to have feedback returned to you on03/02/23 (15 working days). If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be provided online.It is important that you access the feedback you receive as this will help to make improvements to your later work, you can request a meeting with your Module Leader or Personal Tutor to discuss your feedback in more detail.
Marks will have been internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed their review. More information on assessment and feedback can be found here.
