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MN50617: Methods of management research for HRM & consultancy

[Page last updated: 05 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: School of Management
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CW 50%, EX 50%
Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework (CW 50%)
  • Examination (EX 50%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Aims: To help students to appreciate the value of management research in HRM and Consultancy in decision making, to judge the value of other persons' research efforts, and to plan and execute their own research.
To introduce the research methods necessary to successfully undertake an advanced level management research project. Its specific focus is preparation for research-based projects: from problem statement to methods selection, through the research process (e.g. how to combine what is already known with novel primary data), to conduct primary research, writing up the results, and write an appropriate discussion.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students will be able to:
* develop and defend an interesting or novel set of research questions and an appropriate set of methods to investigate those questions;
* make judgements about what to include/exclude in producing a critical literature review;
* demonstrate awareness of the potentially contradictory methodological and theoretical frameworks that can be selected;
* understand the practical challenges of collecting and analysing data using different methods, (including reflection on any ethical issues raised);
* use a referencing system (e.g. Harvard) with consistency and accuracy

Skills:
* Comprehensive and scholarly written communication (e.g. essays) (Taught/Facilitated).
* Ability to critically evaluate research and decide on how to conduct own research (T/F/A).
* Ability to select, summarise and synthesise written information from multiple sources (T/F/A).
* Ability to formulate a research question (T/F/A).
* Ability to critically review literature (T/F/A).
* Ability to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data (T/F/A).
* Ability to produce work to agreed specifications and deadlines (T/F).

Content: The nature and scope of management research, selecting research questions, supervision, secondary data, structured literature reviews, primary data collection techniques, the questionnaire, the purpose of qualitative research, qualitative techniques, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, the presentation of research findings.

Programme availability:

MN50617 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

School of Management

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.