Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines
Trimester T2 2020
Unit Code HI6008
Unit Title Business Research Project
Assessment Type 3. Group* Report on Research Design and Methodology (including statement of ‘who wrote which sections’)
Assessment Title Business Research Design and Methodology
Purpose of the assessment (with ULO Mapping) The purpose of this assessment is to ensure each student is able to contribute to the construction of a written report demonstrating their understanding of the business research paradigm, appropriate methodology, and required (proposed) data collection, analysis and interpretation.
A brief presentation in-class may be requested by your lecturer.
Matches to Unit Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Weight 30 % of the total assessments
Total Marks 30
Word limit 2500 words (plus revised literature review, only if requested)
Due Date Friday of Week 10
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Submission Guidelines • All work must be submitted on Blackboard by 12 midnight on the due date, along with a completed Assignment Cover Page. [if no cover page your mark will be educed -20%]
• The group members’ names and student numbers listed on the Cover Page must align with the members officially registered in your group. [any errors or omissions may affect your grade and there is no guarantee of any adjustment]
• The assignment must be in MS Word format, 1.5 spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings, paragraphing, and page numbers.
• Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list, all using Harvard referencing style.
• This submission requires an appendix in which it is stated which members of the group actually wrote which sections of the Business Research Design and Methodology.
* Note: Students will already be officially registered into small assignment groups, consisting of 3, 2, or 1 persons.
Assignment 3 Specifications
Purpose:
This unit aims to give you an opportunity to combine many facets of your acquired MBA skills into the production of a high-quality research report.
Assignment 3 - the Research Design and Methodology - is to ensure each student is able to contribute to the construction of a written report demonstrating their understanding of the business research paradigm, appropriate methodology, data collection, analysis and interpretation.
You will work in a group of up to 3 persons. Your respective contributions will be governed by your Team Charter, which you produced at the same time as your Topic Approval submission. Additionally, you are required to append to this report a statement indicating ‘who wrote which sections’.
This assessment builds upon your Literature Review (assessment 2) in that you are now aware of what additional data is needed to lead you to the answer to your research question(s) (as defined in Topic Approval (assessment 1). To discover the required data may require you to search for additional secondary data, and will most probably also require the collection of primary data, by applying qualitative or quantitative methods. In this assessment you will document what your team has decided as the most appropriate way forward. If you choose a quantitative approach, you will go ahead and state your hypothesis, how you intend to verify it, what data you need, how it can be collected and analysed. [Note that you are NOT required to actually obtain primary data]. If you choose a qualitative approach, you will go ahead and decide which method is appropriate, how you would design the questionnaire (include a few example questions), and state how you would collate and interpret your data. [Note that you are NOT required to actually obtain primary data].
Your tutor will LEAD and FACILITATE you through the process, week by week. The learning will be progressive, so for best results you will need to be in weekly contact with your lecturer during class time at your campus.
This submission requires an appendix in which it is stated which members of the group actually wrote which sections of the Business Research Design and Methodology.
Assignment Structure should be as the following:
1. Introduction (an edited and adjusted version of your topic approval) including a justification for your research question(s).
2. A detailed research methodology addressing the qualitative-quantitative debate, hypothesis (if appropriate), additional secondary data, proposed primary data sample size and sampling approach, questionnaire design factors (include some sample questions), data collection method, envisaged analysis and interpretation.
3. A summary of your findings OR what you would expect to find
4. A conclusion (relating back to your original research problem and question(s))
5. List of references in Harvard style (only for sources mentioned in this submission)
6. The appended statement of ‘Who Wrote What’
Note: Approval may be requested (Unit Coordinator and Degree Convenor) to undertake this assignment with variation, such as a Business Plan or Business Development Case. If that is approved the Assignment Structure and Marking Criteria may differ accordingly.
HI6008 Assignment 3 – Research Design and Methodology - Marking Rubric
Excellent
[5 marks] Very Good
[4 marks] Good
[3 Marks] Satisfactory
[2 marks] Unsatisfactory
[0-1 mark]
Report Layout and Flow
(max 5) Report creates an excellent overall impression Report creates a very good overall impression Report creates a good overall impression Report creates a satisfactory overall impression Unprofessional or confusing
Research Design
(max 5) Ample evidence of advanced understanding regarding research design Evidence of very good understanding regarding research design Evidence of good understanding regarding research design Satisfactory understanding regarding research design Missing or confusing
Sample of Questions (max 5) Example questions are excellent, with an indicative range of purposeful questions Example questions are very good, with a range of purposeful questions Example questions are good, with purposeful questions Example questions are satisfactory, Missing or confusing
Data
(max 5) Excellent understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretation relevant to this research Very good understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretation Good understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretation Satisfactory understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretation Missing or confusing
Expected Findings and Conclusion
(max 5) Excellent indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s) Very good indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s) Good indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s) Satisfactory indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s) Missing or confusing
Reference List and Appendix
(max 5)
Up to 5 marks if Reference List is Accurate and follows Harvard style and Statement of Who Wrote What is precise.
No marks if either is missing
Total Marks (30)
/30
Note to Marker: No Cover Sheet -20%.
Note: In the event that your project report was approved to be based on a business project, company-specific consultation, or business planning project, such projects may be marked using different criteria.