Assessment item 2
Research Plan - QuantitativeLength -- 2500 words
Task
Identify a dependent variable for a business problem which is of interest and perform the following tasks.
1. Conduct a brief literature review which employs at least five articles which does the following:
(a) Identifies how to most appropriately measure the dependent variable of interest, document and comment on its validity and reliability properties.
(b) Identify at least two variables which are hypothesized to influence or explain the dependent variable of interest, document and comment on their validity and reliability properties.
2. List the specific hypotheses relating the dependent variable to the independent variables. Draw an accompanying diagram illustrating the conceptual model. Briefly outline the theory which underpins these hypotheses and the conceptual model.
3. Develop and justify an appropriate questionnaire which can be used to generate the data to test the proposed conceptual model. Explicitly consider other control and demographic variables which may impact on the employed framework.
4. Using the proposed quantitative method develop a research plan.
The research plan should address, at least, the following, choices must be justified:
• What is the population of interest and what sampling frame will be used? How will sampling be conducted? What is the target sample size?
• How will the data be collected, mail survey, on-line distribution, face-to-face? Motivate your choice.
• How do you propose to analyse the data?
• What are the ethical implications of your research, and how will they be addressed?

Rationale
This assignment is designed to address how the researcher would plan a quantitative research methodology to investigate a business problem. The capacity to know how to measure variables, specify and justify hypotheses, develop an questionnaire, identify a sampling design and choose an appropriate data collection mode is critical for conducting successful quantitative business research.