MRes Management

1. to understand and critically evaluate fundamental theories and practices in business and management as a research arena.
2. to identify and analyse appropriate frameworks and models for management research.
3. to engage with a broad body of management knowledge, theory, and research approaches
4. to critically assess and evaluate management research and its various traditions and debates
5. to appreciate how management research interacts with and largely draws from social science research
6. to introduce how management research relates to broader philosophical, intellectual, and cultural matters
7. to analyze and critique a wide variety of research and methods, including qualitative and quantitative approaches

Outcome A1 A2, A3, A4 and A 5 are developed in the core subject modules BEMM067 and BEMM158, which ensures that students have a core understanding of management and management research; in required modules BEMM217 and BEMM219 which provide a survey of foundational theories in business and management. Outcomes A4 A5 and A6 are developed BEMM792 Research Workshops, which exposes them to cutting-edge research and methodologies and involves them in the development process of journal articles, and optional modules, which develop more specialised knowledge and expertise. Outcomes A2, A3, A4 and A5 are developed within the core subject modules and the optional modules.

Outcomes A6 and A7 are dealt with in the compulsory subject modules, research training modules (BEMM158, BEMM067, BEMM066 and BEMM065) and the dissertation (BEMM355).

Written work and oral presentations attract written and verbal feedback from tutors, intended to foster continuous improvement in student progress.  Assessment criteria are publicised for all major assessment components.

ILOs A1-7 to be addressed by a combination of individual written coursework, group presentations, peer assessment of group work and written examinations.

1. to synthesise and apply appropriate conceptual models and research methods to management problems.
2. to identify, evaluate and use appropriate theory found in learned academic works.
3. to conceptually locate management theory and research.
4. to synthesise and construct conceptual frameworks from multiple managerial and theoretical perspectives.
5. to reflect on research literature in management studies and related allied fields.
6. (Research Skills) 1. A global outlook: Our graduates are engaged and prepared for the demands of global business and society.
7. (Research Skills) 2. A critical thinker: Our graduates have a commercial awareness that enables them to critically analyse, conceptualise and evaluate the challenges facing business
8. (Research Skills) 3. A collaborative mind-set: Our graduates are enterprising and motivated individuals who are able to actively collaborate and effectively communicate within a range of diverse settings.
9. (Research Skills) 4. An ethical ethos: Our graduates understand the social, financial and environmental factors that can impact on corporate sustainability and are able to make decisions openly and responsibly.
10. (Research Skills) 5. Technological and digital literacy: Our graduates are able to use technologies to source, process and communicate information

Outcome B1 is developed throughout the programme, and particularly through the required methods courses (Either BEMM216 + BEMM067 + BEMM066 or BEMM066 + BEMM067 + BEMM065) which delve deeply into different methodologies and when each is appropriate, and in the dissertation.

Outcomes B2, B3, B4 and B5 are also developed throughout the core subject modules.

B1-4 Critical inquiry and conceptual application will be evaluated in BEMM158 Business and Management Research skills and BEMM792 Research Workshops, in addition to other core modules and dissertation.

B1-5 The dissertation will give students an opportunity to have their core academic skills evaluated in a specific subject area of their choice.

B5 All modules will involve students integrating content from their independent learning into their coursework.

ILOs B1-5 to be addressed by a combination of individual written coursework, group presentations, learning portfolios, peer assessment of group work and written examinations.

1. to develop presentation and debating skills.
2. to effectively identify and use both primary and secondary sources of evidential information.
3. to obtain skills for critical analysis and decision making.
4. to develop cultural sensitivity and ethical awareness.
5. to effectively work in groups and project teams.
6. to effectively engage in and manage independent research.

1. Global Outlook:  BEMM158 Business and Management Research Skills and BEMM792 Research Workshops draws on international research, and international publishing practice and communities.  May have international guest scholars contributing to class discussion.

The Business School has a vibrant and dynamic research seminar series through inviting top scholars and practitioners throughout the UK, Europe and the World to present their work. Students on the MRes in Management programme will be required through BEMM792 Research Workshops to attend numerous seminars and thus be able to critically engage with current issues within the field.

2. Critical Thinking BEMM158 Business and Management Research Skills and Management Research Skills and BEMM792 Research Workshops require students to critically understand assumptions in management research, understand a range of concepts and perspectives in research methods, evaluate the validity and rigour of methodologies employed in current literature, and acquire skills in critical analysis and giving collaborative feedback.

The required methods courses (Either BEMM216 + BEMM067 + BEMM066 or BEMM066 + BEMM067 + BEMM065) and BEMM792 Research Workshops teaches students that the principles of research are not always straightforward to apply in practice, and they create a series of dilemmas which researchers must apply critical reasoning and specific analytical methods to resolve. The module asks students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills necessary to design coherent and meaningful research. This requires i) developing insight into methodological issues associated with research in management studies, ii) taking a critical approach to selecting strategies for conducting research that achieves highly reliable and valid research findings suitable for publication in appropriate journals, and iii) preparing for the rigour necessary to write a defensible research methodology chapter.

The required methods courses (Either BEMM216 + BEMM067 + BEMM066 or BEMM066 + POLM063 + BEMM065) and BEMM792 Research Workshop provide the student with the core qualitative and quantitative research methods training necessary to conduct empirical research that leads to highly reliable and valid research findings.

BEMM355 Dissertation (MRes Management) requires students to develop, argue and justify, and present a thesis for their chosen area of study.

3. Collaborative The paper development workshop format adopted in BEMM792 Research Workshops will help students develop collaborative approaches to analysing and solving problems as well as leveraging peer review as an essential practice too iteratively improve drafts of their research publications.

4. Ethical Ethos   All the compulsory modules consider ethics in teaching as both an overt topic in the curriculum and as a feature of each method of data collection and analysis.  BEMM158 Business and Management Research Skills holds specific sessions dedicated to research ethics. All these modules make students aware of, standard ethical frameworks for the conduct of research in the social sciences, such as that of the Economic and Social Research Council

By taking part in the Business School research seminar series students will encounter guest speakers who speak on a range of topics, including ethics, sustainability, and consumption.

5. Tech & Digital Literacy: The required methods courses (Either BEMM216 + BEMM067 + BEMM066 or BEMM066 + BEMM067 + BEMM065)  requires students to apply industry standard data analysis software (e.g. SPSS, R, and NVivo). BEMM792 Research Workshops offers many workshops for additional tech and digital tools specific to individual topics and research methodologies (e.g. Python, SNA).  The literature review emphasis in the dissertation requires students to use industry standard citation management software and develop deep skills drawing information from academic databases).