BUU44505 Strategy Independent Research Project (20 ECTS)

Lecturer(s)

Module Content/Outline

This module may take a maximum of 5 Full Year exchange/visiting students With co-requisite module BUU44501 Strategic Management Theory & Practice (Full Year 10 ECTs)

Individual students are required to undertake an independent research project in the area of Strategic Management, typically in the range of 5,000 - 7,000 words. Each student will identify a strategic opportunity/challenge that an organization faces, this will be the driver for the project.

The research project should accomplish the following:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant literature and research methods.
Leverage the material from the corequisite ‘taught’ module BUU44501 Strategic Management Theory and Practice and other relevant modules and sources, to provide a critical strategic evaluation of an organization.
Apply relevant frameworks and collate sufficient organization/sector background and context information to enable this.
Identify the key challenges/opportunities facing the organization through research and analysis, and through evaluation suggest feasible strategies to leverage these opportunities and/or mitigate against these challenges.

Learning and Teaching Approach

The research project relies on the independent work of the student. There will be short pre-recorded lectures (video or PowerPoint with voice-over) and a series of ‘live’ workshops to aid students in developing required skillsets and progressing their project. Attendance at the workshops is mandatory. The workshops may be 2 or 1 hours either in person or Online via Blackboard, depending on timetabling and COVID related recommendations.

The lectures and workshops will provide an introduction to doing research, and sessions focused on key deliverables of the research project including drafting the research proposal and project. The workshops will comprise lecture-based elements, opportunities for individual practice, group discussions and problem solving. Reciprocal peer discussion and evaluation will be a key method for enabling students to successfully complete their projects. The research lecturer will guide, facilitate and mediate these workshops. Students will need to prepare for each workshop, to participate effectively and to progress their projects in a timely manner. Additionally, students may also avail of up to two individual 20-minute guidance sessions with the research lecturer for their research project.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Frame and complete a research proposal.

2. Gather and collate relevant literature, organization and macro and industry context information.

3. Describe and justify the research method applied in your project.

Interpret data through theories/frameworks/models to create strategic analysis and recommendations for an organization.

Recommended Texts/Key Reading

The following texts may be useful in supporting students on their research journey. (There are copies in the library.) Students will also be directed to engage with journal articles, videos and other supporting material as they progress through the module.

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2007). Business Research Methods (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Robson, C. (2014). How to Do a Research Project: A Guide for Undergraduate Students (2nd ed.) :Blackwell Publishing.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research Methods for Business Students (8th ed.) :Pearson. [This is the core book for the module. Earlier editions are acceptable]
Sharp J. A. &Peters, J. (2017). The Management of a Student Research Project (3rd ed.): Routledge.
Silverman, D. (2013). Doing Qualitative Research (4th edition): Sage Publications.
Yin, R. K. 2009. Case Study Research: Design and Methods (4th ed.). London: Sage.

Student Preparation for the Module:

Read business newspapers to become sensitised to problems and opportunities that organizations are facing. This may help you to select an organization that your project will focus on.

Assessment

1. Research proposal= 15%

2. Research workshop attendance= 10%

3. Research project= 60%

4. Research project presentation= 15%