Business and Management Research Design

Module title	Business and Management Research Design
Module code	BEMM067
Academic year	2023/4
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Jing-Lin Duanmu (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	10

Module description

This module provides students with the necessary integration of ideas, concepts and skills for carrying out impactful empirical research. The module has no pre-requisites but is dependent on its co-requisite modules Business and Management Research Skills, Quantitative Research Methods and Qualitative Research Methods. Students will investigate substantive methodological issues related to management studies research that will prepare them for writing their research methodology chapters. The module is suitable for all MRes/PhD students carrying out research in management studies and global political economy.

Module aims - intentions of the module

Equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design coherent and meaningful research.
Enable students to develop insight into methodological issues associated with research in management studies.
Encourage students to take a critical approach to selecting strategies for conducting research that will achieve highly reliable and valid research findings suitable for publication in leading management journals.
Prepare students for the rigour necessary to write a defensible research methodology chapter.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. identify methodological issues associated with conducting research within management studies;
2. critique research strategies relevant to management studies research;
3. develop a coherent design for a research question in management studies appropriate for a PhD.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. evaluate and assess the reliability and validity of published research.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. prepare and communicate analyses effectively through written reports and presentations;
6. demonstrate independent/self-directed learning skills, including time management and working to deadlines.

Syllabus plan

The sessions provide an overview of key research designs and methodologies commonly used in business and management research studies. The following content will be covered in an integrated fashion throughout the course:

Research design types and selection of a research approach
Research methodologies
Exploratory research designs
Descriptive research designs
Causal study designs
Advanced quantitative and qualitative research designs
Ethical considerations

Sessions will involve the discussion and analysis of relevant research papers and book chapters that demonstrate the importance of choosing appropriate research designs to ensure that research questions are addressed effectively.

Students will be encouraged to critically reflect and discuss limitations and problems related to specific research designs and learn how to overcome limitations by adjusting or combining and integrating research designs.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	22	Mixture of lectures, seminars and presentations (11 x 2 hours)
Guided Independent Study	128	Preparation for seminars Reading Preparing assignments

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Presentations	o The number of presentations required: 2 presentations o Whether these are individual presentations or group work: individual o Provide a word count and/or slide deck count to ensure the assessment meets the requirements of a Level 7 module: 8-15 slides		Oral The two presentations are for students to develop their skills and experience. They are not marked.

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Methodology essay outlining a research design to address a research question	80	3,000 words	1-6	Written
Presentations	20	o The number of presentations required: 2 presentations o Whether these are individual presentations or group work: individual o Provide a word count and/or slide deck count to ensure the assessment meets the requirements of a Level 7 module: 8-15 slides o Specify whether the 25% will be an overall average grade of all presentations, pre-calculated and provided to the Hub, or graded individually: 25% will be an overall grade of all presentation		Oral
	0
	0
	0
	0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Methodology essay (80%)	Methodology essay (3,000 words, 800%)	1-6	August/September Reassessment Period
Presentation (20%)	Presentation (20%)	1-6	August/September Reassessment Period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Creswell, J.W. & Creswell, J.D. (2018). Research design : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Los Angeles ; London: SAGE.

Yin, R.K. (2018). Case study research : design and methods (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

Philosophy, Methodology, Research Methods, Research Design

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	BEMM158, BEMM065, BEMM066
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	18/02/2018
Last revision date	07/03/2022