MAM_H4 - Business Strategy, International Marketing, Organisational Behavior and Research Project
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MAM_F4.zipMAM_F4/Business Strategy/Module Booklet/FOLLOW STRICTLY !!!.PDF
MAM_F4/Business Strategy/Module Booklet/Harvard_Referencing.pdf
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ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Harvard Referencing and Citation Guidelines
Referencing:
This is a method used to demonstrate to the assessors that a learner has conducted a thorough
and appropriate literature search. Equally, referencing is an acknowledgement that you have
used the ideas and written material belonging to other authors in your own work. As with all
referencing styles, there are two parts: Citing and the Reference List.
Referencing list format:
This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the assignment. The list is inclusive showing books, journals, etc., listed in one list, not in separate lists according to source type. The list should be in Alphabetical Order by author/editor/company name, etc. (No bullet
points or numbering)
PRINTED/PUBLISHED SOURCES
Book: by one Author
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book (Italic). Edition. (only include this if not the first edition) Place of publication (this must be a town or city, not a country): Publisher. Reference List: Where 1st edition
Baron, D. P. (2008) Business and the Organisation. Chester: Pearson. Where 3rd edition Redman, P. (2006) Good essay writing: a social sciences guide. 3rd ed. London: Open University in assoc. with Sage. In text reference:
According to (Baron, 2008) organization structure … Leading social scientist (Redman, 2006; Baron, 2008; Smith, 2008) have noted … Book: by two, three authors The required elements for a reference are: Author, Initials.(Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher.
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Reference List: Barker, R., Kirk, J. and Munday, R.J. (1988) Narrative analysis. 3rd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. In text reference for the above examples:
A new theory (Barker and Munday, 1988) has challenged traditional thinking … Book: by four or more authors Author (surname), Initials. et al (Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher. Reference List:
Grace, B. et al. (1988) A history of the world. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. In text reference for the above examples: Leading business fellows Grace et al (1988) noted that… Foreign Book Author (surname), initial. (Year) Title of Book [either as given or an English translation in square brackets] Place of publication Publisher Language of translation in round brackets Reference List: Borges, J. L. (1995) [Ficciones] Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Book: Translated Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book. Translated from (language) by (name of translator) Place of publication: Publisher.
Canetti, E. (2001) The voices of Marrakesh: a record of a visit. Translated from German by J.A.Underwood. San Francisco: Arion.
Multiple Books by same Author published in the same year Author (surname), Initals.(Year a/b/c) Title of book. Place: Publisher.
Reference List: Soros, G. (1966a) The road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Soros, G. (1966b) Beyond the road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. In text reference for the above examples:
Soros (1966a) mentioned in his …………… According to Soros (1966b) modern literature……….
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Chapter of edited book or Secondary reference for Book and Journal
When an author refers to another author’s work and the primary source is not available
Chapter author(s) surname(s) and initials. Year of chapter. Title of chapter followed by In: Book editor(s) initials and surnames with ed. or eds. after the last name. Year of book. Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher. Chapter number or first and last page numbers followed by full-stop.
References List:
Smith, J. (1975) “A source of information.” In: W. Jones, ed. (2000). One hundred and one ways to find information about health. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ch. 2. Samson, C. (1970) “Problems of information studies in history.” In: S. Stone, ed. (2002). Humanities information research. Sheffield: CRUS, pp. 44-68. In text reference for the above examples: (Smith, 1975) (Samson, 1970)
N.B. You are advised that secondary referencing should be avoided wherever possible and you should always try to find the original work
Journal Articles
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of article. Full Title of Journal, Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page number(if single page then use ‘p’ if more than one page use ‘pp’) References List:
Boughton, J.M. (2002) The Bretton Woods proposal: an in-depth look. Political Science Quarterly, 42(6), pp.564-78.
Foreign Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article [square brackets] Journal title Edition Page number Language of translation (round brackets) References List:
Caballero, D. (2003) [Policing without borders] Cambi16. 1(668) pg. 24 (in Spanish)
Report
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of report (underline or italicise) Publisher Report code and number (in brackets) References List:
Dearing, R. (1996) Review of qualifications for 16 – 19 year olds: quality and rigour in A Level examinations. London: SCAA Publications (COM/96/467)
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Annual Report:
Corporate author, Year of publication. Full title of annual report (if available), Place of Publication: Publisher.
Marks & Spencer (2004) The way forward, annual report 2003-2004, London: Marks & Spencer. For an e-version of an annual report. The required elements for a reference are: Author or corporate author, Year. Title of document or page, [type of medium]Available at: include web site address/URL(Uniform Resource Locator)[Accessed date]
Marks & Spencer (2004) Annual report 2003-2004. [Online] Available at: http://www- marks-and-spencer.co.uk/corporate/annual2003/[Accessed 4 June 2005]. Theses Author (surname), initials. (Year) of submission. Title of theses (underline or italicise) Degree statement Degree-awarding body References List:
Hounsome, I. W. (2001) Factors affecting the design and performance of flexible ducts in trench reinstatements. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Napier University.
Newspaper
Article with author
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Article Title (underline or italicise) Name of Newspaper Date (day, month, year) Page number References List:
Ward, L. (2004) Diploma plan to reward lower and higher abilities. The Guardian.18th February, p.4.
Article without an author
Title of publication Year of publication (in brackets) Title of article (underline or italicise) Day and Month Page number References List:
The Guardian (2004) HSBC CEO has come down at last. 23rd November, p. 10.
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ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Electronic Book (e-book)
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of book (underline or italicise) Name of e-book supplier [Online] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Krug, B. and White, S. E. (2004) EBay secrets: how to create Internet auction listings that make 30% more money while selling every item you list. Amazon [Online]. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/ (Accessed: 16 August 2004).
Articles in Electronic Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (in quotation marks) Title of journal (underline or italicise) Volume, issue, page numbers Database Name [Online] Available at: URL of collection (Date accessed). References List:
Haliday, J. (2004) 'Ford dealers test custom cable ads', Advertising age,75 (42), pg. 6. Proquest [Online]. Available at: http://proquest.umi.com/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Article in Internet Journal Database
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) Title of Journal (underline or italicise) [Online] Volume, issue Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed). References List:
Lloyd, J. (2001) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation. New Statesman, 23 April [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles(Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material in the Internet without Date
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online], issue [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List:
Lloyd, J. (No Date) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material from Internet without Author’s Name
Name of the Organisation, (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List: Marks & Spencer (2010) Marks and Spencer’s Corporate Strategy [Online]. Available at: http://www.m&s.co.uk/corporate/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004)
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Name of sender and email address, (Year) Message or subject title from posting line. [type of medium] Recipient's name and email address. Date sent: Including time. Available at: URL (e.g. details of where message is archived). [Accessed date].
Jones, P. ([email protected]), (2005) Mobile phone developments. [email] Message to R. G. Schmit ([email protected]). Sent Monday 7 June 2005, 08:13. Available at: <http://gog.defer.com/2004_07_01_defer_archive.html> [Accessed 7 July 2005]. N.B: Permission should be sought before these sources are quoted. Copies of such correspondence should be kept, as these may need to be submitted as an appendix in an academic submission
Images from the Internet
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of image (underline or italicise) [Online image] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Marshall, J. (2000) Cathedral clock. [Online image]. Available at: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_cathclock.html (Accessed 23 November 2004).
OTHER SOURCES
Computer Programme
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of programme (underline or italicise) Version (in brackets) Form, i.e. Computer programme [in square brackets] Availability, i.e. distributor, address, order number (if given)
References List:
Sanders, B. and William, B. (2001) Java in 2 semesters. (version 2) [computer programme] Microsoft Inc. New York.
Atlas
As for books, using the title page to find the information
References List:
The times atlas of the world (2004) London: Times Books.
Video / Film
Title of programme/film (underline or italicise) Year of distribution (in brackets) Director [Videocassette] Place of distribution: distribution company
References List
All about Eve (1977) Directed by Joseph Mankiewiez [Film]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.
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Television programme Title of programme (underline or italicise) Year of publication (in brackets) Name of channel Date of transmission (day/month/time)
References List
Coronation Street (2004) ITV1, 25 November. 19.00hrs.
Audiocassette/CD/DVD
Author (if available, if not use title first) Year of publication (in brackets) Title of recording (underline or italicise) [Audiocassette] Place of publication: publisher. References List
Buenos: world Spanish (1995) [Audiocassette or CD or DVD]. London: BBC Books.
QUOTATIONS AND CITING INSIDE THE TEXT
Citation: When you use another person’s work in your own work, either by referring to their ideas, or by including a direct quotation, you must acknowledge this in the text of your work. This acknowledgement is called a citation. It is important that information taken from another author’s work is properly cited and referenced, giving credit to the original author. This includes the use of direct quotations as well as summaries, paraphrased information, statements and conclusions. If you do not cite information in the correct way you will be accused of plagiarism. This allows the reader to find the source of all the ideas including direct quotations that are presented in your work in the list provided in the Reference List. The information given at this point should be the author, and the date of the publication. The aim is to keep it short so that it does not detract from the text. There are a range of ways of presenting this and situations that might dictate the style.
You can incorporate references and quotations in a number of ways. The following examples use the Harvard Referencing.
Short quotations of a sentence or two are enclosed with quotation marks (“…”) and included in the main text.
Short Quotation
In this example, you are making a direct quote. Up to two lines can be included in the body of the text and must include the page number.
Smith (2003, p. 11) states that “Harvard referencing has to be done accurately”
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Longer Quotation
This should be indented in a separate paragraph. If part of the quotation is omitted, then this can be indicated by three dots.
Cottrell (1999, p. 10) in discussing plagiarism states that, plagiarism is using the work of others without acknowledging your sources of information or inspiration. This includes: using words more or else exactly as they……….
N.B: Longer quotations are separated from the text, placed in their own paragraph and do not need to be enclosed in quotation marks. Avoid long quotations as they will be picked up by (Turnitin) as plagiarism. Long words for quotation should be avoided but it is acceptable to include them if they are presented in the following way.
Citations (inside the text) If the originator’s name occurs naturally in the sentence, the year of publication
should follow in brackets. Example
Smith (2003) found that…or, In a recent study Smith (2003) argued that…
If the author’s name would not naturally be included in the sentence add the author’s
name and year of publication in brackets i.e. Example
Management theories have become much more diverse (Anderson, 1996)
For publications by two authors:
Example
In a recent study (Smith & Jones, 2003) it was argued that…
If you are referring to a particular page or section of a work and the author’s name
would naturally be included in the sentence the date and page numbers follow in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study Smith (1996, p.26) argued that….
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If the author’s name will not normally be included in the sentence all information is given in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study (Smith, 1996, p.26) it was argued that…
In cases where the name of the author cannot be identified, the item should be referred to by title:
Example
Figures in a recent survey (Tourism trends, 2003. p. 12) showed that…
In cases where the date of an item cannot be identified, the item should be cited:
Example
The earliest report (Smith, no date, p. 231) showed that…
If the author and date are unknown:
Example
When you refer to a corporate publication e.g. a company report, use the Company
Name: Example
A survey (Tourism trends, no date) showed that…
The recession affected………..(Hanson Trust plc, 1990)
MAM_F4/Business Strategy/Module Booklet/Unit 32 Bus Strategy SoW - Feb 2018.pdf
Page 1 of 7
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 32 Business Strategy Scheme of Work
Session: February 2018
This unit is aimed at achieving the following learning outcomes:
LO1 Analyse the impact and influence which the macro environment has on an organisation
LO2 Assess an organisation’s internal environment and capabilities.
LO3 Evaluate and apply the outcomes of an analysis using Porter’s Five Forces model to a given
market sector.
LO4 Apply models, theories and concepts to assist with the understanding and interpretation of
strategic directions available to an organisation.
Programme Title TNA67 Pearson BTEC in Business
Unit number and Title Unit 32 Business Strategy
Unit Type Optional
Unit Level Level 5 15 Credit
Sessions Learning outcomes Session Activities
Session 1 All Learning Outcomes
Topic: Business strategy
• Introduction to the unit’s content and
the unit assessment.
• Unit overview and assessments.
• What is strategy? What is strategic management?
• Types of strategic choices: corporate,
business or functional.
Sample activities:
• Brainstorm activity – what is strategy
and what questions should be addressed
by strategy?
• Group discussion
Students provided with examples to determine
different types of strategies.
Session 2 LO1
Topic: Operational, tactical
and strategic strategies
External environments –
analytical frameworks
• The strategic management framework.
• Types of strategies: Porters Generic Strategies,
Hybrid strategy and Focus strategy.
• The components of an organisation’s macro
environment
• The PEST/LE framework
Sample activities:
• Students compare and contrast different
examples of vision, mission and objectives for a
range of organisations.
• Discuss and explore strategic objectives and
determine strategies that could be taken for
provided examples.
• Students to identify an article or research
paper related to a strategic decision taken by an
organisation and produce a summary of the
article/paper.
Page 2 of 7
• Group activity – research the key components
of the macro environment.
• Discussion activity – determine the implications
of macro factors through different group
presentations followed by Q&A.
Session 3 LO1
Topic: Porter’s Five Forces
model
External environments –
analytical frameworks
• What is competitiveness?
• Elements and levels of competiveness.
• Application of Porter’s Five Forces
model.
• The components of an
organisation’s macro environment.
• The PEST/LE framework
Sample activities:
• Discussion forum – how can businesses
compete in order to create competitive
advantages in the marketplace? How can
businesses create competitive advantages that
are unique, valuable and difficult for rivals to
copy?
• Group activity – research Porters Five Force
model, illustrating different business scenarios
and market conditions. Present findings to the
rest of the class.
• Group activity – research the key components
of the macro environment.
• Discussion activity – determine the
implications of macro factors through different
group presentations followed by Q&A.
Session 4 Recap on LO1 Formative feedback on draft submission of
assignment tasks.
Session 5 LO2
Topic: Stakeholder analysis
The internal environment and
capabilities
• (How to conduct stakeholder analysis.
• Strategic capabilities – VRIN.
• Resources – competencies dynamics.
• Core competencies, redundant capabilities,
dynamic and distinctive capabilities.
• The application of SWOT analysis.
Sample activities:
• Facilitate a discussion activity to provide
what value each stakeholder brings to an
organisation.
• Consider different organisational types and
conduct stakeholder analysis
• Group discussions to identify organisational
responsibilities towards the stakeholders.
• Brainstorm activity – what are strategic
capabilities and how do they contribute to
competitive advantage?
• Group activity – students conduct a SWOT
analysis on an organisation of their choice and
critique their organisation’s strategic capabilities
using the VRIN model.
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• Individual contributions by students towards
strategic decision-making approaches in their
respective organisations, followed by
presentation of SWOT analysis of their
organisations.
Compare and discuss the differing views of strategic
decision making presented by their peers.
Session 6 LO2
Topic: Resource-based
view, Seven S model and
VRIO/N
Break-even and cost- benefit
analysis
• The core concepts and significance of the
three strategic approaches of business
management.
• The significance of break-even analysis
for each project and overall organisational
undertakings.
• How to conduct cost-benefit analysis
and how to use the same for improving
business strategies and decision making
Sample activities:
• Group discussion of the three business
strategies and for exploring the implementation
of the three approaches.
• Provide examples of business situations in
which these models have been most applicable
and successful.
• Group discussion about step-by-step
methodology for defining business strategy on
basis of cost-benefit analysis.
Students group activity to identify break-even point
for the sample projects and discuss business
strategies for bringing break-even point lower in
terms of time as well as investments to be made.
Session 7 Topic: LO1 & 2 recap and
assessment check
Formative feedback
• Recap of LO2 content.
• In-class quiz/test to recap and retain
learner knowledge.
Sample activities:
• Tutor explanation and recap of LO1 & 2 content. In-class test on the LO1 & 2, peer marked with
feedback exchanged on the most common faults
and incorrect answers.
Session 8 LO3
Topic: Competitive analysis
using Porters Five Forces
model
Significance of balance
scorecard offering (e.g. office
space etc)
• Porters Five Forces model and its application.
• The concept of balance scorecard and its
importance to business decision making and
continued improvisation.
Sample activities:
• Students to read ‘The Five Competitive Forces
that Shape Strategy’ by M. Porter (as homework
activity) and present summary of the paper in
class.
• Brainstorm activity and discussion – the
determinants of the five forces and their
strategic importance.
• Group activity – apply Porter’s Five Forces
to a given case study (e.g. Coca-Cola) and
present back analysis.
• Use real-time business scenarios to
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understand the application of balance
scorecard approach.
Group discussion to identify business strategies and
decision-making processes.
Formative Feedback
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements
Academic writing
Session 9 LO3
Topic: Application of
Ansoff Matrix
Strategic growth platforms
• Four approaches for different product and
market development plans.
• Discussion on risk levels involved in each
approach.
• Different options/directions for growth,
e.g. market share, diversification,
partnerships and acquisition.
• Bowman’s Strategy Clock.
• The concept of Bowman’s Strategy Clock.
• Making business decisions and strategic
initiatives for each phase.
Sample activities:
• Contribute to group discussion on recommended
case studies for different business objectives
based on Ansoff Matrix.
• Refer to different case studies to understand
application of Ansoff Matrix and risks involved
in each approach.
• Brainstorm activity – the eight positions of
Bowman’s Strategy Clock.
Group activity – apply the concept to a given
business case study and present to the class.
Session 10 LO3 & 4
Topic: Use of differentiation
and focus strategies
Formative feedback on draft
assignment
• What is Focus strategy?
• Porters Generic Competitive Strategies.
• Cost Leadership.
• Differentiation.
Sample activities:
• Research activity – identify various business
scenarios for which these strategies are most
beneficial.
• Group activity – illustrate the concept and
provide the benefits of the same to the business
to leverage certain market conditions.
• Discussion activity – discuss examples of
business scenarios to indicate implementation of
the strategies and its benefits. When is
competitive advantage used in Focus strategy?
• Tutor explanation on formative feedback.
Session 11 LO4
Topic: Use of Diversification
and Hybrid strategies
Mergers and acquisitions
• What is diversification?
• Types of diversification – forward, full and backward.
• Ansoff Matrix and new product development.
• Vertical and horizontal integration.
• Forward, backward and balanced integration.
• The differences between the two processes.
• Alternatives – franchising/joint ventures.
Page 5 of 7
Sample activities:
• Group activity – illustrate the concept and show
how it provides benefits to the business to
leverage certain market conditions.
• Group discussion activity on
recommended case studies.
• Students identify various business scenarios
for which these strategies are most beneficial.
• Read articles and case studies on
vertical/horizontal integration and compile a
list of advantages and disadvantages for both
processes.
Discussion forum – which is better for operations
and growth strategy? When and when not to
integrate?
Formative Feedback
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements
Academic writing
Session 12 Topic: LO3 & 4 Recap and
formative feedback on
assignment task
• Recap of LO3 & 4 content.
• In-class feedback on formative
assessment.
Sample activities:
• Tutor explanation on formative feedback. In-class test on the LO3 & 4, peer marked with
feedback exchanged on the most common faults
and incorrect answers.
LO1-4 Final submissions
Individual tutorials by appointment
Page 6 of 7
Pearson Edexcel Standard Verifier (EE) : Cheran Stevens Standard Verifier (EE): Visit Date: TBA
Recommended Reading Main Textbooks Johnson, G., Whittington, R., and Scholes, K. (2011), Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases Harlow, Pearson. Edexcel 2011 BTEC Higher National Business Study Guide: Chapter 7: Business Strategy Additional Textbooks Barney, J. (2010) Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, 4th Edition, Pearson Education. Grant. R. (2010) Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 7th Edition, John Wiley and Sons. Gratton, L. (2000) Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose, Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Harrison, J. S. (2002) Strategic Management of Resources and Relationships: Concepts and Cases, John Wiley and Sons. Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2000) Exploring Public Sector Strategy, Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Lynch, R. (2005) Corporate Strategy, 4th Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall McGee, J.; Thomas, H. and Wilson, D. (2005) Strategy: Analysis and Practice, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Pettigrew, A. M., Thomas, H. and Whittington, R. (2006) (Eds), The Handbook of Strategy and Management, SAGE Publications. Stacey, R. D. (2010) Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics, 6th Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
Journals
British Journal of Management, John Wiley and Sons (British library)
European Management Journal, Elsevier (British library)
Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Publishing (Available in ICON College library)
Journal of Business Strategy, Emerald (British library)
Journal of Management Studies, John Wiley and Sons (Available in ICON College library)
Economist (Available in ICON College library)
Websites
Page 7 of 7
www.ft.com, Financial Times
www.managers.org.uk, Chartered Management Institute
www.sps.org.uk, Strategic Planning Society
In addition to case note and exercise students must read and analyse following articles:
Gavitti, G. and Rivkin, J. W. (2006) “How strategists really think tapping the power of analogy”,
Harvard Business Review, April issue, Harvard University Press
Ghemawat, P. (2007), Managing Differences the Central Challenge of Global Strategy, Harvard Business Review, Harvard University Press
Kim, C.W. and Moubborgne, R. (2009) “How Strategy Shape Structure”, Harvard Business Review. McGrath, R.G. (2013) “Strategy for Turbulent Time: Transient Advantage”, Harvard Business Review Neilson, L. G. (2009) “How Strategy Shape Structure”, Harvard Business Review, March issue, Harvard University Press. Porter M. E (2010) “What is Strategy?” Harvard Business Review, Harvard University Press. Porter. M. E (2010) “The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy”, Harvard Business Review, Harvard University Press. DVD: Raymond Levitt (2008) Executing Your Strategy – How to Break It Down and Get it Done, Stanford Executive Briefings. Newspaper Financial Times Website www.cim,co.uk www.ft.com Student Portal: HN Global https://www.highernationals.com/
MAM_F4/Business Strategy/Module Booklet/Unit 32 Business Strategy - Lecture 1 Introduction.pdf
1
Lecture 1: Introduction of the Unit
Prepared by: Dr Gilbert Zvobgo
ICTM
Objectives of the Session: To introduce the Unit’s content
and the Unit assessment
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
2. Going over the Assignment Brief, including the assessment
criteria of the Unit
3. Going over the Scheme of Work so that students see how
they could allocate their time wisely.
4. Going over the Unit Specification so that students have an
overview of the syllabus (also available on ICON VLE).
2
5. Library visit to help students check available books in their
Unit and to suggest those they want the College to purchase.
6. Ask students to register with HN Global at:
Pearson Resources: Student Portal: HN Global (RQF)
https://www.highernationals.com/
7. Help students understand the importance of academic
skills, academic writing, and referencing (citation and
references).
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
There should be no consumption of either food or drinks in the classroom except bottle of water.
The front desks should be filled in to avoid any scattered sitting in rear seats
Students cannot claim ownership of the seating position throughout the semester. Seating is based on “first- come-first-seat”.
You must come on time. You cannot be signed in after 15 minutes of the start of the class but you are allowed in for another 15 minutes and you are not allowed to sign in until after the break.
3
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
You are not allowed to be late in the 2nd part of the lecture after break time
You are not allowed to leave the class during the teaching time without the permission from the tutor for a valid reason, e.g., going to the toilet, answering an emergency call, for health-related problems, etc.
There should be no side talking or disruptions when tutor is delivering lectures. To ask any questions, students should raise their hands to draw the tutor’s attention
Speaking should be in English only in the classroom
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
Phones must be switched off during teaching time. However, in the second part of the lesson students may be allowed to use mobile phones, iPads, and laptops for academic purposes only, and with the consent of the tutor.
There should be no charging of mobile phones or any electronic devises, including laptops in the classroom. There are additional charging sockets in the student common room which can be used during break time
There should be mutual respects of each other. Any abusive language or behaviour and interruption of the lecture in any way is not acceptable
4
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
You should not touch in and then leave the classroom or come back at the end of the session to touch out. Doing so will be regarded as absence from class and the tutor will report you to the responsible personnel in the Administration Office
Come prepared always for your lesson.
2. Going over the Assignment Brief, including the assessment
criteria of the Unit
3. Going over the Scheme of Work so that students see how
they could allocate their time wisely.
4. Going over the Unit Specification so that students have an
overview of the syllabus (also available on ICON VLE).
5
5. Inform students importance of the Library and that a visit to
the library will be arranged to help students check available
books in their Unit and to suggest those they want the College
to purchase.
6. Ask students to register with HN Global at:
Pearson Resources: Student Portal: HN Global (RQF)
https://www.highernationals.com/
7. Help students understand the importance of academic
skills, academic writing, and referencing (citation and
references).
MAM_F4/Business Strategy/Module Booklet/Unit 32 Business Strategy Assignment Brief Feb 2018 GZ.pdf
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business Unit 32 Business Strategy (RQF)
Assignment Brief Session: February 2018
Programme title TNA67 Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit number and title Unit 32 Business Strategy
Unit Type Optional
Unit Level and Credit Value
Level 4 15 Credit
Assessor (s) Mr Neil Coade, Mr Tony Doherty, Mr Harish Jyawali
Issue Date 3 March 2018
Final assignment submission deadline
11 – 16 June 2018
Late submission deadline
18-23 June 2018
The learners are required to follow the strict deadline set by the College for submissions of assignments in accordance with the BTEC level 4–7 submission guidelines and College policy on submissions.
Resubmission deadline TBA
Feedback
In-class feedback will be available from draft submissions on a task-by- task basis as a formative assessment as well as summative feedback in the form of initial submission.
Final feedback will be available within 2 weeks of the assignment submission date.
General Guidelines
The work you submit must be in your own words. If you use a quote or an illustration from somewhere you must give the source.
Include a list of references at the end of your document. You must give all your sources of information.
Make sure your work is clearly presented and that you use correct grammar.
Wherever possible use a word processor and its “spell-checker”.
Internal verifier Dr Gilbert Zvobgo
Signature (IV of the brief) *
[email protected] Date 1/3/18
Assignment Brief – continued
2
ICON College of Technology and Management Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 32: Business Strategy Session: September 2018
Coursework Recommended Word limit: 3,000–4,000
This Unit will be assessed by assignment. You are strongly advised to read “Preparation guidelines of the Coursework Document” before answering your assignment. ASSIGNMENT Assignment Context and Scenario: You have been recruited as a Strategic Manager by a large UK-based enterprise (with at least 250
employees) of your choice. The management board of the company has asked you to produce an
environmental analysis and a strategic growth management plan based on the use of recognised
internal and external analytical tools taking into account the company objectives of growth and
expansions.
You are required to devise a strategic plan based on the environmental analysis.
What you must do The following tasks are required to be carried out: Part A LO1 Analyse the impact and influence which the macro environment has on an organisation. You are required to analyse the capabilities of your chosen organisation applying PEST/LE and SWOT frameworks highlighting macro environment and their impact on the organization [P1]. To achieve M1 you should have critically analyze the macro environment to determine and inform
strategic management decisions.
To achieve D1 you should have critically interpreted the information and data applying environmental and competitive analysis to produce a set of valid strategic directions, objective and tactical actions. LO2 Assess an organisation’s internal environment and capabilities. Consider that your chosen organization has to face competition with other companies of same nature. Using appropriate frameworks you are required to analyse the internal environment and capabilities of your chosen organization [P2]. To achieve M2 you should critically analyse the internal environment to assess strengths and
weaknesses of your organization’s internal capabilities, structure and skill set.
Assignment Brief – continued
3
To achieve D1 you should critically interpret the information and data applying environmental and competitive analysis to produce a set of valid strategic directions, objective and tactical actions. Part B LO3 Evaluate and apply the outcomes of an analysis using Porter’s Five Forces model to a given market sector.
Evaluate the competitive forces applying Porter’s Five Forces model of a given market sector for
your chosen organization [P3].
To achieve M3 you should devise appropriate strategies to improve competitive edge and market positions based on the outcomes.
To achieve D1 you should critically interpret the information and data applying environmental and competitive analysis to produce a set of valid strategic directions, objective and tactical actions.
LO4 Apply models, theories and concepts to assist with the understanding and interpretation of strategic directions available to the chosen organization.
Applying a range of theories, concepts and models, you are required to interpret and devise a strategic plan for your chosen organization. (P4)
To achieve M4 you should produce a strategic management plan that has tangible and tactical strategic priorities and objectives.
To achieve D1 you should critically interpret the information and data applying environmental and competitive analysis to produce a set of valid strategic directions, objective and tactical actions.
Assignment Brief – continued
4
Grading Criteria
Learning Outcome Pass Merit Distinctions
LO1 Analyse the impact and influence which the macro environment has on an organisation.
P1 Apply appropriate frameworks to analyse the macro environment for a given organisation
M1: Critically analyse the macro environment to determine and inform strategic management decisions.
.
D1: Critique and interpret information and data, applying environmental and competitive analysis to produce a set of valid strategic directions objectives and tactical actions
LO2 Assess an organisation’s internal environment and capabilities.
P2 Using appropriate frameworks analyse the internal environment and capabilities of a given organization
M2 Critically analyse the
internal environment to
asses strengths and
weaknesses of an
organization’s internal
capabilities structure and
skill set.
LO3 Evaluate and apply the outcomes of analysis using Porter’s five forces model to a given market sector.
P3 Apply Porter’s five
forces model and to
evaluate the
competitive forces of a
given market sector for
an organization.
M3: Devise appropriate
strategies to improve
competitive edge and
market position based on
the outcomes.
D1: Critique and Interpret information and data, applying environmental and competitive analysis to produce a set of valid strategic directions objectives and tactical actions
LO4 Apply models, theories and concepts to assist with the understanding and interpretation of strategic directions available to an organization.
P4 Apply a range of theories, concepts and models, interpret and devise strategic planning for a given organization.
M4: Produce strategic management plan that has tangible and tactical strategic priorities and objectives.
Relevant Information Guide to student 1. Preparation guidelines of the Coursework Document
a. All coursework must be word processed. b. Document margins must not be more than 2.54 cm (1 inch) or less than 1.9cm (3/4 inch). c. The assignment should be in a formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. d. Standard and commonly used type face such as Arial should be used. e. All figures, graphs and tables must be numbered. f. Material taken from external sources must be properly referenced using the Harvard
referencing system. g. You should provide references using the Harvard referencing system. h. Do not use Wikipedia as a reference.
Assignment Brief – continued
5
2. Plagiarism and Collusion Any act of plagiarism or collusion will be seriously dealt with according to the College regulations. In this context the definitions and scope of plagiarism and collusion are presented below: Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes copying information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort. Collusion is copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework from another student and submitting it as your own work. Suspected plagiarism or collusion will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt with according to the College procedure (For details on Plagiarism & Collusion please see the Student Handbook).
3. Submission
a. Initial submission of coursework to the tutors is compulsory in each unit of the course. b. The student must check their assignments on ICON VLE with plagiarism software Turnitin to make
sure the similarity index for their assignment stays within the College approved level. A student can check the similarity index of their assignment three times in the Draft Assignment submission point located in the home page of the ICON VLE.
c. All Final coursework must be submitted to the Final submission point into the Unit (not to the Tutor). The student would be allowed to submit only once and that is the final submission.
d. Any computer files generated such as program code (software), graphic files that form part of the coursework must be submitted as an attachment to the assignment with all documentation.
e. Any portfolio for a Unit must be submitted as a hardcopy to examination office. f. The student must attach the tutor’s feedback from the First submission in between the cover page and
the answer in the case of Resubmission. 4. Good practice
a. Make backup of your work in different media (hard disk, memory stick, etc.) to avoid distress for loss or damage of your original copy.
5. Extension, Late Submission and Resubmission
a. If you need an extension for a valid reason, you must request one using an Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances (EEC) form available from the College examination office and ICON VLE. Please note that the tutors do not have the authority to extend the coursework deadlines and therefore do not ask them to award a coursework extension. The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick, and should be submitted to the Examination Office.
b. Late submission will be accepted and marked according to the College procedure. It should be noted that late submission may not be graded for Merit and Distinction.
c. All late coursework must be submitted to the Late submission point into the unit (not to the Tutor) in the ICON VLE. A student is allowed to submit only once and that is also treated as the final submission.
d. Only one opportunity will be given for reassessment (resubmission) will be permitted and the assessment will be capped at Pass for the unit. In addition, no resubmission will be allowed in any component of the assessment for which a Pass grade or higher has been achieved.
e. Repeat Units – A student who has failed to achieve a Pass in both Final/Late submission and in the Resubmission must retake the unit the full attendance and payment of the unit fee. The overall unit grade for a successfully completed repeat unit is capped at Pass for that unit. Units can only be repeated once.
6. Submission deadlines Online to the ICON College VLE
Final Submission date: 11-16 June 2018 Late Submission date: 18-23 June 2018
Assignment Brief – continued
6
Glossary:
Analyse: Identify separate factors, say how they are related and how each one contribute to the topic. Apply: Use a particular method/technique to solve a problem Assess: to determine the importance, size and value of something. Or give careful consideration to all the factors or events that apply or identify which are the most important or relevant. Critically analyse: When you critically analyse you look at the arguments for and against an issue. You look at the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments.
Critique: evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way
Devise: detailed systematic and step by step planning of a work
Evaluate: review the information then bring it together to form a conclusion. Give evidence of each of your views or statement. Produce: detailed structured and well planned presentation of work
MAM_F4/International Marketing/Module Booklet/FOLLOW STRICTLY !!!.pdf
MAM_F4/International Marketing/Module Booklet/Harvard Referencing.pdf
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ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Harvard Referencing and Citation Guidelines
Referencing:
This is a method used to demonstrate to the assessors that a learner has conducted a thorough
and appropriate literature search. Equally, referencing is an acknowledgement that you have
used the ideas and written material belonging to other authors in your own work. As with all
referencing styles, there are two parts: Citing and the Reference List.
Referencing list format:
This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the assignment. The list is inclusive showing books, journals, etc., listed in one list, not in separate lists according to source type. The list should be in Alphabetical Order by author/editor/company name, etc. (No bullet
points or numbering)
PRINTED/PUBLISHED SOURCES
Book: by one Author
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book (Italic). Edition. (only include this if not the first edition) Place of publication (this must be a town or city, not a country): Publisher. Reference List: Where 1st edition
Baron, D. P. (2008) Business and the Organisation. Chester: Pearson. Where 3rd edition Redman, P. (2006) Good essay writing: a social sciences guide. 3rd ed. London: Open University in assoc. with Sage. In text reference:
According to (Baron, 2008) organization structure … Leading social scientist (Redman, 2006; Baron, 2008; Smith, 2008) have noted … Book: by two, three authors The required elements for a reference are: Author, Initials.(Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher.
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Reference List: Barker, R., Kirk, J. and Munday, R.J. (1988) Narrative analysis. 3rd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. In text reference for the above examples:
A new theory (Barker and Munday, 1988) has challenged traditional thinking … Book: by four or more authors Author (surname), Initials. et al (Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher. Reference List:
Grace, B. et al. (1988) A history of the world. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. In text reference for the above examples: Leading business fellows Grace et al (1988) noted that… Foreign Book Author (surname), initial. (Year) Title of Book [either as given or an English translation in square brackets] Place of publication Publisher Language of translation in round brackets Reference List: Borges, J. L. (1995) [Ficciones] Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Book: Translated Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book. Translated from (language) by (name of translator) Place of publication: Publisher.
Canetti, E. (2001) The voices of Marrakesh: a record of a visit. Translated from German by J.A.Underwood. San Francisco: Arion.
Multiple Books by same Author published in the same year Author (surname), Initals.(Year a/b/c) Title of book. Place: Publisher.
Reference List: Soros, G. (1966a) The road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Soros, G. (1966b) Beyond the road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. In text reference for the above examples:
Soros (1966a) mentioned in his …………… According to Soros (1966b) modern literature……….
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Chapter of edited book or Secondary reference for Book and Journal
When an author refers to another author’s work and the primary source is not available
Chapter author(s) surname(s) and initials. Year of chapter. Title of chapter followed by In: Book editor(s) initials and surnames with ed. or eds. after the last name. Year of book. Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher. Chapter number or first and last page numbers followed by full-stop.
References List:
Smith, J. (1975) “A source of information.” In: W. Jones, ed. (2000). One hundred and one ways to find information about health. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ch. 2. Samson, C. (1970) “Problems of information studies in history.” In: S. Stone, ed. (2002). Humanities information research. Sheffield: CRUS, pp. 44-68. In text reference for the above examples: (Smith, 1975) (Samson, 1970)
N.B. You are advised that secondary referencing should be avoided wherever possible and you should always try to find the original work
Journal Articles
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of article. Full Title of Journal, Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page number(if single page then use ‘p’ if more than one page use ‘pp’) References List:
Boughton, J.M. (2002) The Bretton Woods proposal: an in-depth look. Political Science Quarterly, 42(6), pp.564-78.
Foreign Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article [square brackets] Journal title Edition Page number Language of translation (round brackets) References List:
Caballero, D. (2003) [Policing without borders] Cambi16. 1(668) pg. 24 (in Spanish)
Report
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of report (underline or italicise) Publisher Report code and number (in brackets) References List:
Dearing, R. (1996) Review of qualifications for 16 – 19 year olds: quality and rigour in A Level examinations. London: SCAA Publications (COM/96/467)
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Annual Report:
Corporate author, Year of publication. Full title of annual report (if available), Place of Publication: Publisher.
Marks & Spencer (2004) The way forward, annual report 2003-2004, London: Marks & Spencer. For an e-version of an annual report. The required elements for a reference are: Author or corporate author, Year. Title of document or page, [type of medium]Available at: include web site address/URL(Uniform Resource Locator)[Accessed date]
Marks & Spencer (2004) Annual report 2003-2004. [Online] Available at: http://www- marks-and-spencer.co.uk/corporate/annual2003/[Accessed 4 June 2005]. Theses Author (surname), initials. (Year) of submission. Title of theses (underline or italicise) Degree statement Degree-awarding body References List:
Hounsome, I. W. (2001) Factors affecting the design and performance of flexible ducts in trench reinstatements. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Napier University.
Newspaper
Article with author
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Article Title (underline or italicise) Name of Newspaper Date (day, month, year) Page number References List:
Ward, L. (2004) Diploma plan to reward lower and higher abilities. The Guardian.18th February, p.4.
Article without an author
Title of publication Year of publication (in brackets) Title of article (underline or italicise) Day and Month Page number References List:
The Guardian (2004) HSBC CEO has come down at last. 23rd November, p. 10.
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ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Electronic Book (e-book)
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of book (underline or italicise) Name of e-book supplier [Online] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Krug, B. and White, S. E. (2004) EBay secrets: how to create Internet auction listings that make 30% more money while selling every item you list. Amazon [Online]. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/ (Accessed: 16 August 2004).
Articles in Electronic Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (in quotation marks) Title of journal (underline or italicise) Volume, issue, page numbers Database Name [Online] Available at: URL of collection (Date accessed). References List:
Haliday, J. (2004) 'Ford dealers test custom cable ads', Advertising age,75 (42), pg. 6. Proquest [Online]. Available at: http://proquest.umi.com/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Article in Internet Journal Database
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) Title of Journal (underline or italicise) [Online] Volume, issue Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed). References List:
Lloyd, J. (2001) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation. New Statesman, 23 April [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles(Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material in the Internet without Date
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online], issue [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List:
Lloyd, J. (No Date) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material from Internet without Author’s Name
Name of the Organisation, (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List: Marks & Spencer (2010) Marks and Spencer’s Corporate Strategy [Online]. Available at: http://www.m&s.co.uk/corporate/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004)
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Name of sender and email address, (Year) Message or subject title from posting line. [type of medium] Recipient's name and email address. Date sent: Including time. Available at: URL (e.g. details of where message is archived). [Accessed date].
Jones, P. ([email protected]), (2005) Mobile phone developments. [email] Message to R. G. Schmit ([email protected]). Sent Monday 7 June 2005, 08:13. Available at: <http://gog.defer.com/2004_07_01_defer_archive.html> [Accessed 7 July 2005]. N.B: Permission should be sought before these sources are quoted. Copies of such correspondence should be kept, as these may need to be submitted as an appendix in an academic submission
Images from the Internet
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of image (underline or italicise) [Online image] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Marshall, J. (2000) Cathedral clock. [Online image]. Available at: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_cathclock.html (Accessed 23 November 2004).
OTHER SOURCES
Computer Programme
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of programme (underline or italicise) Version (in brackets) Form, i.e. Computer programme [in square brackets] Availability, i.e. distributor, address, order number (if given)
References List:
Sanders, B. and William, B. (2001) Java in 2 semesters. (version 2) [computer programme] Microsoft Inc. New York.
Atlas
As for books, using the title page to find the information
References List:
The times atlas of the world (2004) London: Times Books.
Video / Film
Title of programme/film (underline or italicise) Year of distribution (in brackets) Director [Videocassette] Place of distribution: distribution company
References List
All about Eve (1977) Directed by Joseph Mankiewiez [Film]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.
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Television programme Title of programme (underline or italicise) Year of publication (in brackets) Name of channel Date of transmission (day/month/time)
References List
Coronation Street (2004) ITV1, 25 November. 19.00hrs.
Audiocassette/CD/DVD
Author (if available, if not use title first) Year of publication (in brackets) Title of recording (underline or italicise) [Audiocassette] Place of publication: publisher. References List
Buenos: world Spanish (1995) [Audiocassette or CD or DVD]. London: BBC Books.
QUOTATIONS AND CITING INSIDE THE TEXT
Citation: When you use another person’s work in your own work, either by referring to their ideas, or by including a direct quotation, you must acknowledge this in the text of your work. This acknowledgement is called a citation. It is important that information taken from another author’s work is properly cited and referenced, giving credit to the original author. This includes the use of direct quotations as well as summaries, paraphrased information, statements and conclusions. If you do not cite information in the correct way you will be accused of plagiarism. This allows the reader to find the source of all the ideas including direct quotations that are presented in your work in the list provided in the Reference List. The information given at this point should be the author, and the date of the publication. The aim is to keep it short so that it does not detract from the text. There are a range of ways of presenting this and situations that might dictate the style.
You can incorporate references and quotations in a number of ways. The following examples use the Harvard Referencing.
Short quotations of a sentence or two are enclosed with quotation marks (“…”) and included in the main text.
Short Quotation
In this example, you are making a direct quote. Up to two lines can be included in the body of the text and must include the page number.
Smith (2003, p. 11) states that “Harvard referencing has to be done accurately”
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Longer Quotation
This should be indented in a separate paragraph. If part of the quotation is omitted, then this can be indicated by three dots.
Cottrell (1999, p. 10) in discussing plagiarism states that, plagiarism is using the work of others without acknowledging your sources of information or inspiration. This includes: using words more or else exactly as they……….
N.B: Longer quotations are separated from the text, placed in their own paragraph and do not need to be enclosed in quotation marks. Avoid long quotations as they will be picked up by (Turnitin) as plagiarism. Long words for quotation should be avoided but it is acceptable to include them if they are presented in the following way.
Citations (inside the text) If the originator’s name occurs naturally in the sentence, the year of publication
should follow in brackets. Example
Smith (2003) found that…or, In a recent study Smith (2003) argued that…
If the author’s name would not naturally be included in the sentence add the author’s
name and year of publication in brackets i.e. Example
Management theories have become much more diverse (Anderson, 1996)
For publications by two authors:
Example
In a recent study (Smith & Jones, 2003) it was argued that…
If you are referring to a particular page or section of a work and the author’s name
would naturally be included in the sentence the date and page numbers follow in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study Smith (1996, p.26) argued that….
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If the author’s name will not normally be included in the sentence all information is given in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study (Smith, 1996, p.26) it was argued that…
In cases where the name of the author cannot be identified, the item should be referred to by title:
Example
Figures in a recent survey (Tourism trends, 2003. p. 12) showed that…
In cases where the date of an item cannot be identified, the item should be cited:
Example
The earliest report (Smith, no date, p. 231) showed that…
If the author and date are unknown:
Example
When you refer to a corporate publication e.g. a company report, use the Company
Name: Example
A survey (Tourism trends, no date) showed that…
The recession affected………..(Hanson Trust plc, 1990)
MAM_F4/International Marketing/Module Booklet/Unit 40 International Marketing Assignment Brief Feb 2018 GZ.pdf
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 40 International Marketing
Session: February 2018
Programme title TNA67 Pearson BTEC HND in Business
Unit number and title Unit 40 International Marketing
Unit Type Optional
Assessor (s) Dr Uzo Anozie, Dr Vipin Nadda, Mr Chris Dampare,
Issue Date 3 March 2018
Final assignment submission deadline
11-16 June 2018
Late submission deadline
18-23 June 2018
The learners are required to follow the strict deadline set by the College for submissions of assignments in accordance with the BTEC level 4–7 submission guidelines and College policy on submissions.
Resubmission deadline TBA
Feedback
Formative feedback will be available in class during the semester.
Final feedback will be available within 2 weeks of the assignment submission date.
General Guidelines
The work you submit must be in your own words. If you use a quote or an illustration from somewhere you must give the source.
Include a list of references at the end of your document. You must give all your sources of information.
Make sure your work is clearly presented and that you use correct grammar.
Wherever possible use a word processor and its “spell-checker”.
Internal verifier Dr Gilbert Zvobgo
Signature (IV of the brief) *
[email protected] Date
Assignment Brief – continued
2
ICON College of Technology and Management Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 40: International Marketing (L5) Session: February 2018
Coursework Recommended Word limit: 4,000–5,000
(You will not be penalised for exceeding the total word limit) This Unit will be assessed by individual assignment. You are strongly advised to read the
“Preparation guidelines of the Coursework Document” before answering your assignment.
ASSIGNMENT Assignment Context and Business Scenario
Individual Consultancy Work LO1, LO2, LO3 and LO4. Using a local company that would like to expand internationally, complete the following:
You have been hired by this local organization as a marketing consultant and they are currently
thinking about expanding internationally, but don’t have the international marketing knowledge.
They would therefore like you to write a report for the owners and the management team, focusing
on how marketing contributes to business strategies in an international context and how they can
enter into international markets and be successful in these.
Based on your marketing expertise, they would also like you to further advise them on how the
marketing plan can be adapted or standardized across international markets and how to organize
and evaluate marketing efforts.
You will need to produce a report which includes the following: An introduction to the organization and their current market Use a range of sources to define international marketing and highlight the main differences to local marketing. Assess the scope and key concepts of international marketing. Explain the rationale for an organisation to want to market internationally. Describe the various routes to market an organisation can adopt and which route the company should adopt and why? Evaluate the key criteria and selection process that the company should use when considering which international market to enter. Define and explain what a market entry strategy is, using examples of the different strategies that are available to an organisation, and include the advantages and disadvantages of each. Conclusions and recommendations on how and why the company should enter the international market. Explain the difference between global and local marketing, using examples where appropriate.
Assignment Brief – continued
3
Present an overview of the key arguments in the global v local debate. How does the product, pricing, promotional and distribution approach differ when using a variety of international markets? Explain and analyse in detail the various international marketing approaches the company can adopt. Use examples from other organisations to further enhance your answer. Compare home and international orientation and ways to assess competitors, outlying the implications of each approach. Conclusions and recommendations for the company.
Assignment Brief – continued
4
What you must do The following tasks are required to be carried out:
LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of how marketing contributes to business strategies in an international context. Analyse the scope and key concepts of international marketing [P1]. Using your chosen client organisation, explain the rationale for it to want to market internationally and describe the various routes to market the organisation can adopt [P2]. To achieve M1, you should evaluate the opportunities and challenges that marketing internationally presents to your chosen client organisation. LO2: Evaluate entry to a selection of international markets and define the key success factors Using your client organisation, evaluate the key criteria and selection process to use when considering which international market to enter [P3]. Explain, using examples, the different market entry strategies, including the advantages and disadvantages of each [P4]. To achieve M2, you apply the market evaluation criteria and entry strategies, and make recommendations for your chosen client organisation To achieve D1, you should produce a critical evaluation of the international market context, including insight into how your chosen client organisation should adapt their marketing strategies for various markets (NB: To obtain D1 you must meet both M1 and M2 criteria).
LO3 Investigate how elements of the marketing plan can be adapted or standardised across
international markets.
Using your client organization, present an overview of the key arguments in the global versus local debate [P5]
The management team of your client organization would like you to investigate how the product, price, pricing and promotional distribution approach differs in a variety of international contexts [P6].
To achieve M3, you should evaluate the context and circumstances in which your client organization should adopt a global or local approach, highlighting the implications of doing so.
To achieve M4, you should determine and articulate in detail how to adapt the marketing mix of your client organization in different international markets
To obtain D2, you should produce a critical evaluation of how the marketing mix is applied to a range of international contexts (NB: To obtain D2 you must meet both M3 and M4criteria).
LO4 Demonstrate an understanding of how to organise and evaluate international marketing efforts (multinational, global, transnational, meta-national, etc.).
Explain and analyse the various international marketing approaches your client organisation can adopt [P7].
In order to help them make an informed decision, your client organization wants you to compare home and international orientation and ways to assess competitors, outlining the implications of each approach [P8].
Assignment Brief – continued
5
To achieve M5, you should evaluate various marketing approaches and competitor analysis in relation to an organization and make recommendations on how they should operate in an international context.
To achieve D3, you should make recommendations on how organisations should be structured to maximize the opportunity in an international context.
Grading Criteria
Learning Outcome Pass Merit Distinction
LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of how marketing contributes to business strategies in an international context.
P1 Analyse the scope and key concepts of international marketing P2 Explain the rationale for it to want to market internationally and describe the various routes to market the organisation can
M1 Evaluate the opportunities and challenges that marketing internationally presents to your chosen client organisation
D1 Produce a critical evaluation of the international market context, including insight into how your chosen client organisation should adapt their marketing strategies for various markets
LO2 Evaluate entry to a selection of international markets and define the key success factors
P3 Evaluate the key criteria and selection process to use when considering which international market to enter
P4 Explain, using examples, the different market entry strategies, including the advantages and disadvantages of each
M2 Apply the market evaluation criteria and entry strategies, and make recommendations for your chosen client organisation
LO3 Investigate how
elements of the
marketing plan can be
adapted or
standardised across
international markets.
P5 Present an overview of the key arguments in the global versus local debate P6 Investigate how the product, price, pricing and promotional distribution approach differs in a variety of international contexts
M3 Evaluate the context and circumstances in which your client organization should adopt a global or local approach, highlighting the implications of doing so.
M4 Determine and articulate in detail how to adapt the marketing mix of your client organization in different international markets
D2 Produce a critical evaluation of how the marketing mix is applied to a range of international contexts.
LO4 P7 Explain and analyse the various international marketing approaches your client organisation can adopt
P8 Compare home and international orientation and ways to assess competitors, outlining the implications of each approach.
M5 Evaluate various marketing approaches and competitor analysis in relation to an organization and make recommendations on how they should operate in an international context.
D3 Make recommendations on how organisations should be structured to maximize the opportunity in an international context
Assignment Brief – continued
6
Relevant Information Guide to student 1. Preparation guidelines of the Coursework Document
a. All coursework must be word processed. b. Document margins must not be more than 2.54 cm (1 inch) or less than 1.9cm (3/4 inch). c. The assignment should be in a formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. d. Standard and commonly used type face such as Arial should be used. e. All figures, graphs and tables must be numbered. f. Material taken from external sources must be properly referenced using the Harvard
referencing system. g. You should provide references using the Harvard referencing system (including the Power
Point Presentations). h. Do not use Wikipedia as a reference.
2. Plagiarism and Collusion Any act of plagiarism or collusion will be seriously dealt with according to the College regulations. In this context the definition and scope of plagiarism and collusion are presented below: Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes copying information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort. Collusion is copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework from another student and submitting it as your own work. Suspected plagiarism or collusion will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt with according to the College procedure. (For details on Plagiarism & Collusion please see the Student Handbook)
3. Submission
a. Initial submission of coursework to the tutors is compulsory in each unit of the course. b. Student must check their assignments on ICON VLE with plagiarism software Turnitin to
make sure the similarity index for their assignment stays within the College approved level. A student can check the similarity index of their assignment three times in the Draft Assignment submission point located in the home page of the ICON VLE.
c. All Final coursework must be submitted to the Final submission point into the unit (not to the Tutor). A student would be allowed to submit only once and that is the final submission.
d. Any computer files generated such as program code (software), graphic files that form part of the coursework must be submitted as an attachment to the assignment with all documentation.
e. Any portfolio for a unit must be submitted as a hardcopy to the Examination Office. f. The student must attach a tutor’s comment in between the cover page and the answer in the
case of Resubmission. 4. Good practice
a. Make backup of your work in different media (hard disk, memory stick, etc.) to avoid distress due to loss or damage of your original copy.
5. Extension and Late Submission and Resubmission
a. If you need an extension for a valid reason, you must request one using an Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances (EEC) form available from the Examination Office and ICON VLE. Please note that the tutors do not have the authority to extend the coursework
Assignment Brief – continued
7
deadlines and therefore do not ask them to award a coursework extension. The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick.
b. Late submission will be accepted and marked according to the College procedure. It is noted that late submission may not be graded for Merit and Distinction.
c. All Late coursework must be submitted to the Late submission point into the unit (not to the Tutor). A student would be allowed to submit only once and that is the final submission.
d. Only one opportunity will be given for reassessment (resubmission) will be permitted and the assessment will be capped at Pass for the unit. In addition, no resubmission will be allowed in any component of the assessment for which a Pass grade or higher has been achieved.
e. Repeat Units – A student who has failed to achieve a Pass in both Final/Late submission and in the Resubmission must retake the unit with full attendance and payment of the unit fee. The overall unit grade for a successfully completed repeat unit is capped at Pass for that unit. Units can only be repeated once.
6. Submission deadlines
Submission deadlines Online to the ICON College VLE Final Submission date: 11-16 June 2018 Late Submission date: 18-23 June 2018
Glossary:
Analyse: Break an issue or topic into smaller parts by looking in depth at each part. Support each part with arguments and evidence for and against (Pros and cons). Break something down into its components; examine factors methodically and in detail to recognise patterns by applying concepts and making connections to predict consequences. Apply: Use a particular method/technique to solve a problem Compare: Estimate, measure or note the similarity or dissimilarity between one thing and another…(compare something to) draw an analogy between one thing and another for the purpose of explanation or clarification. Determine: Find a solution by argument, making clear your reasoning (e.g., determine the type of event that has occurred, based on the data provided”) (application) or “Determine the most appropriate course of action for the company, within the given constraints” (higher order skills). Evaluate: Examine in detail the meaning or essential features of a theme, topic or situation; break something down into its components; examine factors methodically and in detail, identify separate factors, say how they are related and how each one contributes to the topic to make reasoned judgements and conclusions. Review the information then bring it together to form a conclusion. Present: Produce an exposition/resumé for an audience, eg at the conclusion of the project to demonstrate what has been done and the outcome Produce: To bring to existence. Give rise to by intellectual or creative ability: to make or manufacture. Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance and support on report writing please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Global. Link to www.highernationals.com
MAM_F4/International Marketing/Module Booklet/Unit 40 International Marketing SoW - Feb 18.pdf
Page 1 of 5
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 40 International Marketing Scheme of Work
Session: February 2018
This unit is aimed at achieving the following learning outcomes: LO1: Conduct appropriate research methodology which integrates knowledge into the research process. LO2: Conduct and analyse research relevant to a chosen business research project. LO3: Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders. LO4: Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts.
Programme Title: TNA67 Pearson BTEC HND in Business
Level:
4
Unit number and title Unit 40 International Marketing
Unit Type Core
Level 4
Unit Level and Credit Value Level 5 15 Credit
Sessions Learning Outcomes Session Activities
Sessions 1 & 2 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topic: Introduction to the
unit
• Introduction to the unit’s content and the two unit assignments.
• Recap of key concepts covered in Marketing Essentials.
• Scope and definition of international marketing.
• Academic Skill, citation and referencing, group formation Sample activities:
• Group activity – students recap the main terms from
Marketing Essentials, which can be done in the form
of quiz.
• Peer review of the marketing quiz, each group to
read out their answers to the class and a discussion to
follow.
• Tutor-led explanation on the scope and definition of
international marketing.
Session 3 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topic: How marketing
contributes to business
strategies in an
international context
• Rationale for why organisations are seeking to internalise.
• Key global macro and customer trends.
Sample activities:
• Tutor-led explanation on the rationale of why
organisations are seeking to internalise.
• Class discussion activity – organisations that have
successfully marketed their product internationally.
• Group research activity – key global macro and
customer trends. Students to give examples and present
feedback.
Page 2 of 5
Session 4 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topic: Marketing’s role in
meeting strategic
objectives
• Marketing’s role in contributing to the business
strategy in an international context.
• Factors that influence internationalisation.
• Setting an international marketing strategy.
Sample activities:
• Brainstorm activity – marketing’s role in contributing to the
business strategy in an international context.
• Brainstorm and discussion activity – factors that
influence internationalism.
• Pair work – setting a marketing strategy to meet objectives.
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
• Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 5 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO2
Topic: Critical evaluation of international markets
Re-brief LO2 from assessment
• The importance of choosing the right international market.
• The international market selection process.
• Opportunity and challenges when entering international markets.
• Risk management and contingency planning in relation
to volatile international markets.
• Generic international market entry strategies.
• Determining key success factors of international marketing. Sample activities:
• Group activity – each group is to be given a different
case studies on organisations thinking about entering
international markets. Each group is to be given a set time
to answer the questions and then to report back to the
class.
• Tutor-led discussion on the findings of the case study. • Tutor-led explanation on risk management and
contingency planning.
• Class discussion activity – generic international
market entry strategies.
• Brainstorm activity – list the key success factors of
international marketing.
• Homework – students to prepare for an in-class
quiz
Page 3 of 5
Session 6 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1 & 2
Topic: International market
entry strategies
• Exporting, licensing, joint ventures, franchising etc. Sample activities:
• Brainstorm activity – different strategies.
• Students review case studies and contribute to
discussion activity on the advantages and disadvantages
of different strategies.
• Research the legal requirements for entering international markets based on given case studies.
Session 7 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1 & 2
Topic: Key success factors
for entering international
markets
• Summarise success factors for international marketing.
• What factors result in failures in international marketing?
Sample activities:
• Discuss and evaluate topics covered in previous session as recap.
• Group research activity – students given examples of successful/failed businesses to research and to summarise key factors that affected both success and failure.
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
• Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 8 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3
Topic: The marketing plan in an international context
Introduction and briefing for the second assessment.
• Product adaption – global v local.
• Pricing in international markets.
• The use of new technologies that support international
distribution and promotional strategies considering
hardware and software.
• People and servicing in an international context.
• Venturing into untapped markets.
Sample activities:
• Discussion activity – why companies need to adapt their
products when entering into global markets, using
examples from real organisations.
• Students examine and review examples of how new
technologies support international distribution and
promotional strategies.
• Research activity – pricing in international markets.
Page 4 of 5
Session 9 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO4
Topic: International
marketing efforts
• Organisational structures in an international context.
• Home or international orientation and reporting lines.
• International competition and market performance.
• International competition and market performance. Sample activities:
• Group research activity – students to research
organisational structures in an international context and
report back to the class.
• Tutor to lead discussion on group findings. • Group activity – evaluate strategies used for competing
in foreign markets.
• Presentation activity – the advantages and disadvantages of competing in the international market place. • Homework – students to prepare for a short in-class test on LO3 & 4.
Session 10 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3 & 4
Topic: Recap of LO3 & 4
• Recap of LO3 & 4.
• In-class quiz/test to recap and retain learner knowledge. Sample activities:
• Tutor-led explanation and recap of LO1 & 2 content.
• In-class test, peer marked with feedback exchanged on the most common faults and incorrect answers.
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
• Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 11 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1 - 4 Visit to an organisation (with an international marketing
department) or Guest Speaker to present on international
marketing strategies.
Session 12 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3 & 4
Topic: Assignment workshop
Review of student progress on the second
assignment. Sample activities:
• Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
• Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
• Review of academic requirements and submission format.
Individual student queries and questions.
Page 5 of 5
Pearson Edexcel Standard Verifier (EE): Cheran Stevens Standard Verifier (EE): Visit Date: TBA Recommended Resources
ALBAUM, G and DUERR, E (2011) International Marketing and Export Management. 7th Ed. Harlow:
Pearson.
BRADLEY, F (2005) International Marketing Strategy. 5th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.
KEEGAN, W (2013) Global Marketing Management: International Edition. 8th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.
Journals
Emerald Insight
International Marketing Review Links
Pearson Resources: Student Portal: HN Global Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance and support on presentation skills please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Global. Link to: https://www.highernationals.com/
MAM_F4/Organisational Behaviour/Module Booklet/FOLLOW STRICTLY !!!.PDF
MAM_F4/Organisational Behaviour/Module Booklet/Harvard_Referencing.pdf
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ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Harvard Referencing and Citation Guidelines
Referencing:
This is a method used to demonstrate to the assessors that a learner has conducted a thorough
and appropriate literature search. Equally, referencing is an acknowledgement that you have
used the ideas and written material belonging to other authors in your own work. As with all
referencing styles, there are two parts: Citing and the Reference List.
Referencing list format:
This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the assignment. The list is inclusive showing books, journals, etc., listed in one list, not in separate lists according to source type. The list should be in Alphabetical Order by author/editor/company name, etc. (No bullet
points or numbering)
PRINTED/PUBLISHED SOURCES
Book: by one Author
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book (Italic). Edition. (only include this if not the first edition) Place of publication (this must be a town or city, not a country): Publisher. Reference List: Where 1st edition
Baron, D. P. (2008) Business and the Organisation. Chester: Pearson. Where 3rd edition Redman, P. (2006) Good essay writing: a social sciences guide. 3rd ed. London: Open University in assoc. with Sage. In text reference:
According to (Baron, 2008) organization structure … Leading social scientist (Redman, 2006; Baron, 2008; Smith, 2008) have noted … Book: by two, three authors The required elements for a reference are: Author, Initials.(Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher.
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Reference List: Barker, R., Kirk, J. and Munday, R.J. (1988) Narrative analysis. 3rd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. In text reference for the above examples:
A new theory (Barker and Munday, 1988) has challenged traditional thinking … Book: by four or more authors Author (surname), Initials. et al (Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher. Reference List:
Grace, B. et al. (1988) A history of the world. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. In text reference for the above examples: Leading business fellows Grace et al (1988) noted that… Foreign Book Author (surname), initial. (Year) Title of Book [either as given or an English translation in square brackets] Place of publication Publisher Language of translation in round brackets Reference List: Borges, J. L. (1995) [Ficciones] Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Book: Translated Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book. Translated from (language) by (name of translator) Place of publication: Publisher.
Canetti, E. (2001) The voices of Marrakesh: a record of a visit. Translated from German by J.A.Underwood. San Francisco: Arion.
Multiple Books by same Author published in the same year Author (surname), Initals.(Year a/b/c) Title of book. Place: Publisher.
Reference List: Soros, G. (1966a) The road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Soros, G. (1966b) Beyond the road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. In text reference for the above examples:
Soros (1966a) mentioned in his …………… According to Soros (1966b) modern literature……….
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Chapter of edited book or Secondary reference for Book and Journal
When an author refers to another author’s work and the primary source is not available
Chapter author(s) surname(s) and initials. Year of chapter. Title of chapter followed by In: Book editor(s) initials and surnames with ed. or eds. after the last name. Year of book. Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher. Chapter number or first and last page numbers followed by full-stop.
References List:
Smith, J. (1975) “A source of information.” In: W. Jones, ed. (2000). One hundred and one ways to find information about health. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ch. 2. Samson, C. (1970) “Problems of information studies in history.” In: S. Stone, ed. (2002). Humanities information research. Sheffield: CRUS, pp. 44-68. In text reference for the above examples: (Smith, 1975) (Samson, 1970)
N.B. You are advised that secondary referencing should be avoided wherever possible and you should always try to find the original work
Journal Articles
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of article. Full Title of Journal, Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page number(if single page then use ‘p’ if more than one page use ‘pp’) References List:
Boughton, J.M. (2002) The Bretton Woods proposal: an in-depth look. Political Science Quarterly, 42(6), pp.564-78.
Foreign Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article [square brackets] Journal title Edition Page number Language of translation (round brackets) References List:
Caballero, D. (2003) [Policing without borders] Cambi16. 1(668) pg. 24 (in Spanish)
Report
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of report (underline or italicise) Publisher Report code and number (in brackets) References List:
Dearing, R. (1996) Review of qualifications for 16 – 19 year olds: quality and rigour in A Level examinations. London: SCAA Publications (COM/96/467)
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Annual Report:
Corporate author, Year of publication. Full title of annual report (if available), Place of Publication: Publisher.
Marks & Spencer (2004) The way forward, annual report 2003-2004, London: Marks & Spencer. For an e-version of an annual report. The required elements for a reference are: Author or corporate author, Year. Title of document or page, [type of medium]Available at: include web site address/URL(Uniform Resource Locator)[Accessed date]
Marks & Spencer (2004) Annual report 2003-2004. [Online] Available at: http://www- marks-and-spencer.co.uk/corporate/annual2003/[Accessed 4 June 2005]. Theses Author (surname), initials. (Year) of submission. Title of theses (underline or italicise) Degree statement Degree-awarding body References List:
Hounsome, I. W. (2001) Factors affecting the design and performance of flexible ducts in trench reinstatements. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Napier University.
Newspaper
Article with author
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Article Title (underline or italicise) Name of Newspaper Date (day, month, year) Page number References List:
Ward, L. (2004) Diploma plan to reward lower and higher abilities. The Guardian.18th February, p.4.
Article without an author
Title of publication Year of publication (in brackets) Title of article (underline or italicise) Day and Month Page number References List:
The Guardian (2004) HSBC CEO has come down at last. 23rd November, p. 10.
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ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Electronic Book (e-book)
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of book (underline or italicise) Name of e-book supplier [Online] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Krug, B. and White, S. E. (2004) EBay secrets: how to create Internet auction listings that make 30% more money while selling every item you list. Amazon [Online]. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/ (Accessed: 16 August 2004).
Articles in Electronic Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (in quotation marks) Title of journal (underline or italicise) Volume, issue, page numbers Database Name [Online] Available at: URL of collection (Date accessed). References List:
Haliday, J. (2004) 'Ford dealers test custom cable ads', Advertising age,75 (42), pg. 6. Proquest [Online]. Available at: http://proquest.umi.com/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Article in Internet Journal Database
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) Title of Journal (underline or italicise) [Online] Volume, issue Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed). References List:
Lloyd, J. (2001) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation. New Statesman, 23 April [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles(Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material in the Internet without Date
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online], issue [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List:
Lloyd, J. (No Date) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material from Internet without Author’s Name
Name of the Organisation, (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List: Marks & Spencer (2010) Marks and Spencer’s Corporate Strategy [Online]. Available at: http://www.m&s.co.uk/corporate/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004)
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Name of sender and email address, (Year) Message or subject title from posting line. [type of medium] Recipient's name and email address. Date sent: Including time. Available at: URL (e.g. details of where message is archived). [Accessed date].
Jones, P. ([email protected]), (2005) Mobile phone developments. [email] Message to R. G. Schmit ([email protected]). Sent Monday 7 June 2005, 08:13. Available at: <http://gog.defer.com/2004_07_01_defer_archive.html> [Accessed 7 July 2005]. N.B: Permission should be sought before these sources are quoted. Copies of such correspondence should be kept, as these may need to be submitted as an appendix in an academic submission
Images from the Internet
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of image (underline or italicise) [Online image] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Marshall, J. (2000) Cathedral clock. [Online image]. Available at: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_cathclock.html (Accessed 23 November 2004).
OTHER SOURCES
Computer Programme
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of programme (underline or italicise) Version (in brackets) Form, i.e. Computer programme [in square brackets] Availability, i.e. distributor, address, order number (if given)
References List:
Sanders, B. and William, B. (2001) Java in 2 semesters. (version 2) [computer programme] Microsoft Inc. New York.
Atlas
As for books, using the title page to find the information
References List:
The times atlas of the world (2004) London: Times Books.
Video / Film
Title of programme/film (underline or italicise) Year of distribution (in brackets) Director [Videocassette] Place of distribution: distribution company
References List
All about Eve (1977) Directed by Joseph Mankiewiez [Film]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.
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Television programme Title of programme (underline or italicise) Year of publication (in brackets) Name of channel Date of transmission (day/month/time)
References List
Coronation Street (2004) ITV1, 25 November. 19.00hrs.
Audiocassette/CD/DVD
Author (if available, if not use title first) Year of publication (in brackets) Title of recording (underline or italicise) [Audiocassette] Place of publication: publisher. References List
Buenos: world Spanish (1995) [Audiocassette or CD or DVD]. London: BBC Books.
QUOTATIONS AND CITING INSIDE THE TEXT
Citation: When you use another person’s work in your own work, either by referring to their ideas, or by including a direct quotation, you must acknowledge this in the text of your work. This acknowledgement is called a citation. It is important that information taken from another author’s work is properly cited and referenced, giving credit to the original author. This includes the use of direct quotations as well as summaries, paraphrased information, statements and conclusions. If you do not cite information in the correct way you will be accused of plagiarism. This allows the reader to find the source of all the ideas including direct quotations that are presented in your work in the list provided in the Reference List. The information given at this point should be the author, and the date of the publication. The aim is to keep it short so that it does not detract from the text. There are a range of ways of presenting this and situations that might dictate the style.
You can incorporate references and quotations in a number of ways. The following examples use the Harvard Referencing.
Short quotations of a sentence or two are enclosed with quotation marks (“…”) and included in the main text.
Short Quotation
In this example, you are making a direct quote. Up to two lines can be included in the body of the text and must include the page number.
Smith (2003, p. 11) states that “Harvard referencing has to be done accurately”
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Longer Quotation
This should be indented in a separate paragraph. If part of the quotation is omitted, then this can be indicated by three dots.
Cottrell (1999, p. 10) in discussing plagiarism states that, plagiarism is using the work of others without acknowledging your sources of information or inspiration. This includes: using words more or else exactly as they……….
N.B: Longer quotations are separated from the text, placed in their own paragraph and do not need to be enclosed in quotation marks. Avoid long quotations as they will be picked up by (Turnitin) as plagiarism. Long words for quotation should be avoided but it is acceptable to include them if they are presented in the following way.
Citations (inside the text) If the originator’s name occurs naturally in the sentence, the year of publication
should follow in brackets. Example
Smith (2003) found that…or, In a recent study Smith (2003) argued that…
If the author’s name would not naturally be included in the sentence add the author’s
name and year of publication in brackets i.e. Example
Management theories have become much more diverse (Anderson, 1996)
For publications by two authors:
Example
In a recent study (Smith & Jones, 2003) it was argued that…
If you are referring to a particular page or section of a work and the author’s name
would naturally be included in the sentence the date and page numbers follow in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study Smith (1996, p.26) argued that….
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If the author’s name will not normally be included in the sentence all information is given in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study (Smith, 1996, p.26) it was argued that…
In cases where the name of the author cannot be identified, the item should be referred to by title:
Example
Figures in a recent survey (Tourism trends, 2003. p. 12) showed that…
In cases where the date of an item cannot be identified, the item should be cited:
Example
The earliest report (Smith, no date, p. 231) showed that…
If the author and date are unknown:
Example
When you refer to a corporate publication e.g. a company report, use the Company
Name: Example
A survey (Tourism trends, no date) showed that…
The recession affected………..(Hanson Trust plc, 1990)
MAM_F4/Organisational Behaviour/Module Booklet/Unit 12 OB SoW - Feb 2018.pdf
Page 1 of 4
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 12 Organisational Behaviour Scheme of Work
Session: February 2018
This unit is aimed at achieving the following learning outcomes:
LO1: Analyse the influence of culture, politics and power on the behaviour of others in an organisational
context.
LO2: Evaluate how to motivate individuals and teams to achieve a goal.
LO3: Demonstrate an understanding of how to co-operate effectively with others..
LO4: Apply concepts and philosophies of organisational behaviour to a given business situation.
Programme Title: TNA67 Pearson BTEC HND in Business
Level:
4
Unit number and Title Unit 12 Organisational Behaviour
Unit Type Core
Level 4
Unit Level and Credit Value Level 5 Credit value 15
Assignment number & Title 1 of 2 Organisational Cultures and Workforce Motivation
Sessions Learning Outcomes Session Activities
Session 1 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1: Introduction: the Unit’s content and the Unit assessment Exploration of different organisational cultures
Introduction to the Unit: learning outcomes, syllabus, and assignment briefing. Academic skills: reading, citation and referencing, group formation Sample activities: group discussions on organisational cultures: importance, link between culture and organisation performance
Session 2 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1: Use of theoretical frameworks to understand culture Dimensions of culture Principles of Network theory Systems theory
Research into culture:
Sample activities: Library visit
Group activity: research and explanation of one theory
Session 3 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1: Politics and culture Definitions Impact of politics on practice Impact of change Differences between personal, decisional, structural and organisational change Different types of power
Politics, change and power
Sample activities: Question and answer activity on politics and power
Group activity – examine relationships between power
and politics.
Student debate: effects of change on politics and
power.
Session 4: Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO2: Motivation in organisations Motivational practices Content theories of motivation Process theories of motivation
Motivation practices and theories Sample activities: Individual assessment: what motivates you at work? Group activity: differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Class discussion – What purposes do motivation techniques serve in the workplace?
Tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 5:
LO2: Behavioural psychology:
Behavioural psychology
Page 2 of 4
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
- emotional intelligence - leadership - psychodynamics Early ssignment preparation
Sample activities: Group debate on leadership styles Early assignment preparation: discussion forums; assessment requirements; allocation of teams; group trial forum
Sessions 6 Assignment preparation workshop
LO1 and 2: Assignment preparation workshop
Discussion forums How to discuss in a forum Indicative relevant research content Q&A activity for information and concerns Group trial forum – pre-set statements and discussion
Session 7 Assessment – facilitated and monitored discussion forum
LO1 and 2: Appropriate learning environment Tutor’s monitoring and recording of discussion forums
Practical application by students of discussion forum Sample activities: Discussion based on pre-set statements Small groups address key topics Key questions by tutor followed by students comments and views Students to support views through prior research and sources Student questions and challenges during discussions to show criticality
Session 8 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3: Groups and teams in organisations. Assignment 2 introduction and briefing. Groups and teams Importance of teams Types of teams Models of teams
Introduction to the Assignment 2: learning outcomes, syllabus, and assignment briefing. Sample activities: group discussions on importance of teams. Trial group activity for assignment 2. Tuckman’s model – group discussion
Tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 9 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO4: Managing effective teams. Use of models to understand team work Benefits and risks of team work Skills and roles required for effective team work. Co-operation and conflict
Teamwork: risks, benefits, skills required
Sample activities: Small groups – assessment of types of skills required
for teamwork
Belbin’s self-test – individual task
Evaluation of Belbiin’s model
Pair work – best methods to manage and resolve
conflict
Session 10 Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3 and 4: Organisationa behaviour Path-goal leadership theory Resistance Social capital theory Contingency theory
Organisational behaviour
Sample activities: Question and answer activity on influences on
behaviour and performance
Peer questioning on content of theories
Tutor revision of theories
Group activity – recap on content, theories and
assessment requirements for L03 and L04
Q&A session with tutor
Session 11 Assignment - facilitated and monitored discussion forum
LO3 and 4: Time-constrained team tasks as preparation for Assignment 2
Teamwork and reflection on the activity Sample activities:
Team tasks in a time-constrained situation
Tutor and students to monitor and record team processes
Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
Preparation for individual student reflections
Session 12:
LO3 and 4: Activities for
Sample activities:
Page 3 of 4
Revision session
Assignment 2 Tasks issued to challenge students in a time-constrained situation
Tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general
questions and concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 13 Study week
Session 14 Final Assignment Submissions
Page 4 of 4
Pearson Edexcel Standard Verifier (EE): Cheran Stevens Standard Verifier (EE): Visit Date: TBA Recommended Resources Archer, D. and Cameron, A. (2013) Collaborative Leadership: Building Relationships, Handling Conflict and Sharing Control. 2nd Ed. London: Routledge. Burns, T. and Sinfield, S (2016) Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University, Los Angeles, SAGE. By, R.T. and Burnes, B. (2013) Organizational Change, Leadership and Ethics: Leading Organizations Towards Sustainability. London: Routledge: Crowther, D. and Green, M. (2004) Organisational Theory. London: CIPD. Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D. (2013) Organisational Behaviour. 8th Ed. Harlow: Pearson. Levi, D. (2014) Group Dynamics for Teams. 4th Ed. London: Sage. Rollinson, D. (2008) Organisational Behaviour and Analysis: An Integrated Approach. 4th Ed. London: Pearson. Journals: Harvard Business Review (available in ICON Library) Organization The Journal of International Change Management Professional Journal: People Management News Papers The Financial Times Business http://www.ft.com/home/uk Evening Standard Business http://www.standard.co.uk/business/ CITY A.M. Business http://www.cityam.com/ Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdrctZ3EDPU
Websites http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk/culture-complex.htm www.cipd.co.uk http://shop.cipd.co.uk/shop/bookshop/ http://www2.cipd.co.uk/pm/ (CIPD journal: People Management) or www.peoplemanagement.co.uk Pearson Resources: Student Portal: HN Global Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance and support on presentation skills please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Global. Link to: https://www.highernationals.com/
MAM_F4/Organisational Behaviour/Module Booklet/Unit 12 Organisational Behaviour Assignment Brief - Feb 2018 NN.pdf
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 12 Organisational Behaviour
Assignment Brief Session: February 2018
Programme title TNA67 Pearson BTEC HND in Business
Unit number and title Unit 12 Organisational Behaviour
Unit Type Core
Unit Level and Credit Value
Level 5 Credit Value 15
Assessor (s) Prof Zakir Hossain, Dr Miriam Green, Mr Christopher Ngwasiri
Issue Date 3 March 2018
Final assignment submission deadline
11-16 June 2018
Late submission deadline
18-23 June 2018
The learners are required to follow the strict deadline set by the College for submissions of assignments in accordance with the BTEC level 4–7 submission guidelines and College policy on submissions.
Resubmission deadline TBA
Feedback
Formative feedback will be available in class during the semester.
Final feedback will be available within 2 weeks of the assignment submission date.
General Guidelines
The work you submit must be in your own words. If you use a quote or an illustration from somewhere you must give the source.
Include a list of references at the end of your document. You must give all your sources of information.
Make sure your work is clearly presented and that you use correct grammar.
Wherever possible use a word processor and its “spell-checker”.
Internal verifier Prof Nurun Nabi
Signature (IV of the brief) *
[email protected] Date 1/3/18
Assignment Brief – continued
2
ICON College of Technology and Management Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 12: Organisational Behaviour (L5) Session: February 2018
Recommended Word limits: 4000 for both parts
This Unit will be assessed by assignment only and will be in two parts (A& B) You are strongly advised to read “Preparation guidelines of the Coursework Document” before answering your assignment. PART A Assignment Context and Business Scenario (LO1 and LO2)
You have been invited to attend a local Employer Advisory Forum that is presenting a discussion topic on organisational culture and motivation. You are to choose UK based business organisation of your choice to research and discuss as a case study within the forum. The purpose of the discussion forum will be to establish the influence that organisational culture and motivation have on behaviours and performances within the workplace. You will be required to discuss and analyse the various organisational cultures and motivational theories, and to identify which ones can be found in your organisation. The discussion must then evaluate how the above-mentioned theories influence behaviours within organisations and how this affects the performance of your organisation. You will conclude with recommendations on how your organisation could improve the performance of its staff to meet goals. You are required to produce a case study report and this will be submitted as evidence of your group discussion. Your case study will be an overview of your chosen organisation’s culture, politics and power, with relevant examples of how these aspects of organisational behaviour have influenced behaviour in the workplace. It should also include how motivational theories and techniques have been applied in your organisation, supported by relevant examples. PART B
Assignment Context and Business Scenario (LO3 and LO4)
In PART B you should form small groups of 5–6 members per group to participate in an activity to test group and teamwork theories (for example, Belbin, Tuckman, and hard and soft skills) and their effectiveness. During this process you are required to analyse various factors and skills that assist or hinder effective teamwork. You also have to consider appropriate philosophy regarding team performances and the impact on behaviours. After the activity you will individually reflect on the various concepts and theories in a reflective statement of your team performance, analysing team dynamics, team members’ roles and behaviour. You should conclude with an explanation of what factors are instrumental in teams effectively achieving their objectives and identify those aspects which threaten successful achievement and cohesive group work. Your tasks would be to:
Assess the benefits of working in a team: identify the mix of knowledge, skills and experience necessary for a team to fulfil its functions in your organisation.
Assignment Brief – continued
3
Demonstrate and discuss the benefits of working in a team as a leader and member towards specific goals, dealing with any conflict or difficult situations to develop roles during team assignments.
Review the effectiveness of teamwork in achieving the goals.
Relate the effectiveness of teamwork to achieving goals in the workplace.
What you must do
L01 Analyse the influence of culture, politics and power on the behaviour of others in an
organisational context.
Using your orgnisation analyse how an organisation’s culture, politics and power can influence
individual and team behaviour and performance [P1].
To achieve M1 you should critically analyse how the culture, politics and power of your
organisation can influence individual and team behaviour and performance.
To achieve D1 you should critically evaluate the relationship between culture, politics, power and
motivation that enables teams and your organisation to succeed, providing justified
recommendations.
L02 Evaluate how to motivate individuals and teams to achieve a goal. Using your orgnisation evaluate how content and process theories of motivation and motivational techniques enable effective achievement of goals in an organisational context [P2]. To achieve M2 you should critically evaluate how your orgnisation influence the behaviour of others through the effective application of behavioural motivational theories, concepts and models.
To achieve D1 you must critically evaluate the relationship between culture, politics, power and
motivation that enables teams and your organisation to succeed, providing justified
recommendations.
LO3 Demonstrate an understanding of how to co-operate effectively with others.
Using your orgnisation Demonstrate an understanding of what makes an effective team, as
opposed to an ineffective team [P3].
To achieve M3 you should analyse relevant team and group development theories to support the
development of dynamic co-operation.
To achieve D2 you should critically analyse and evaluate the relevance of team development
theories in the context of OB concepts and philosophies that influence behaviour in the workplace.
LO4 Apply concepts and philosophies of organisational behaviour to a given business
situation.
Using your orgnisation Apply concepts and philosophies of OB within an organisational context
and a given business situation [P4].
To achieve M4 you should justify and evaluate a range of concepts and philosophies in how they
inform and influence behaviour in both positive and negative ways.
To achieve D2 you should critically analyse and evaluate the relevance of team development
theories in the context of OB concepts and philosophies that influence behaviour in the workplace.
Assignment Brief – continued
4
Grading Criteria
Learning Outcome Pass Merit Distinction
LO1 Analyse the
influence of culture,
politics and power
on the behaviour of
others in an
organisational
context.
P1 Analyse how an
organisation’s
culture, politics and
power can influence
individual and team
behaviour and
performance.
M1 Critically analyse
how the culture,
politics and power of
an organisation can
influence individual
and team behaviour
and performance
LO1 and LO2
D1 Critically evaluate
the relationship
between culture,
politics, power and
motivation that
enables teams and
organisations to
succeed, providing
justified
recommendations.
LO2 Evaluate how
to motivate
individuals and
teams to achieve a
goal.
P2 Evaluate how
content and process
theories of
motivation and
motivational
techniques enable
effective
achievement of goals
in an organisational
context.
M2 Critically
evaluate how to
influence the
behaviour of others
through the effective
application of
behavioural
motivational
theories, concepts
and models.
LO3 Demonstrate
an understanding
of how to co-
operate effectively
with others.
P3 Demonstrate an
understanding of
what makes an
effective team, as
opposed to an
ineffective team.
M3 Analyse relevant
team and group
development
theories to support
the development of
dynamic co-
operation.
LO3 and LO4
D2 Critically analyse
and evaluate the
relevance of team
development
theories in the
context of OB
concepts and
philosophies that
influence behaviour
in the workplace.
LO4 Apply
concepts and
philosophies of
organisational
behaviour to a
given business
situation.
P4 Apply concepts
and philosophies of
OB within an
organisational
context and a given
business situation.
M4 Justify and
evaluate a range of
concepts and
philosophies in how
they inform and
influence behaviour
in both positive and
negative ways.
Assignment Brief – continued
5
Relevant Information Guide to student 1. Preparation guidelines of the Coursework Document
a. All coursework must be word processed. b. Document margins must not be more than 2.54 cm (1 inch) or less than 1.9cm (3/4 inch). c. The assignment should be in a formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. d. Standard and commonly used type face such as Arial should be used. e. All figures, graphs and tables must be numbered. f. Material taken from external sources must be properly referenced using the Harvard
referencing system. g. You should provide references using the Harvard referencing system. h. Do not use Wikipedia as a reference.
2. Plagiarism and Collusion
Any act of plagiarism or collusion will be seriously dealt with according to the College regulations. In this context the definition and scope of plagiarism and collusion are presented below: Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes copying information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort. Collusion is copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework from another student and submitting it as your own work. Suspected plagiarism or collusion will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt with according to the College procedure. (For details on Plagiarism & Collusion please see the Student Handbook)
3. Submission
a. Initial submission of coursework to the tutors is compulsory in each unit of the course. b. Student must check their assignments on ICON VLE with plagiarism software Turnitin to
make sure the similarity index for their assignment stays within the College approved level. A student can check the similarity index of their assignment three times in the Draft Assignment submission point located in the home page of the ICON VLE.
c. All Final coursework must be submitted to the Final submission point into the unit (not to the Tutor). A student would be allowed to submit only once and that is the final submission.
d. Any computer files generated such as program code (software), graphic files that form part of the coursework must be submitted as an attachment to the assignment with all documentation.
e. Any portfolio for a unit must be submitted as a hardcopy to the Examination Office. f. The student must attach a tutor’s comment in between the cover page and the answer in the
case of Resubmission. 4. Good practice
a. Make backup of your work in different media (hard disk, memory stick, etc.) to avoid distress due to loss or damage of your original copy.
Assignment Brief – continued
6
5. Extension and Late Submission and Resubmission a. If you need an extension for a valid reason, you must request one using an Exceptional
Extenuating Circumstances (EEC) form available from the Examination Office and ICON VLE. Please note that the tutors do not have the authority to extend the coursework deadlines and therefore do not ask them to award a coursework extension. The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick.
b. Late submission will be accepted and marked according to the College procedure. It is noted that late submission may not be graded for Merit and Distinction.
c. All Late coursework must be submitted to the Late submission point into the unit (not to the Tutor). A student will be allowed to submit only once and that is the final submission.
d. Only one opportunity will be given for reassessment (resubmission) will be permitted and the assessment will be capped at Pass for the unit. In addition, no resubmission will be allowed in any component of the assessment for which a Pass grade or higher has been achieved.
e. Repeat Units – A student who has failed to achieve a Pass in both Final/Late submission and in the Resubmission must retake the unit with full attendance and payment of the unit fee. The overall unit grade for a successfully completed repeat unit is capped at Pass for that unit. Units can only be repeated once.
6. Submission deadlines
Submission deadlines Online to the ICON College VLE Final Submission date: 11-16 June 2018 Late Submission date: 18-23 June 2018
Glossary:
Analyse: Break an issue or topic into smaller parts by looking in depth at each part. Support each part with arguments and evidence for and against (Pros and cons). Break something down into its components; examine factors methodically and in detail to recognise patterns by applying concepts and making connections to predict consequences. Apply: Use a particular method/technique to solve a problem Critically Evaluate/Analyse: When you critically evaluate you look at the arguments for and against an issue. You look at the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments. Conduct: To do or carry out, to organise and perform a particular activity Determine: Find a solution by argument, making clear your reasoning (e.g., determine the type of event that has occurred, based on the data provided”) (application) or “Determine the most appropriate course of action for the company, within the given constraints” (higher order skills). Demonstrate: Show that you can do a particular activity or skill. Provide several relevant examples or related evidence which clearly support the arguments you are making. Explain: When you explain you must say why it is important or not important. Clarify a topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurs, or what is meant by the use of this term in a particular context. Identify: When you identify you look at the most important points. Establish or indicate the origin, nature or definitive character of something
MAM_F4/Research Project/Module Booklet/FOLLOW STRICTLY !!!.PDF
MAM_F4/Research Project/Module Booklet/Harvard_Referencing.pdf
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ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Harvard Referencing and Citation Guidelines
Referencing:
This is a method used to demonstrate to the assessors that a learner has conducted a thorough
and appropriate literature search. Equally, referencing is an acknowledgement that you have
used the ideas and written material belonging to other authors in your own work. As with all
referencing styles, there are two parts: Citing and the Reference List.
Referencing list format:
This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the assignment. The list is inclusive showing books, journals, etc., listed in one list, not in separate lists according to source type. The list should be in Alphabetical Order by author/editor/company name, etc. (No bullet
points or numbering)
PRINTED/PUBLISHED SOURCES
Book: by one Author
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book (Italic). Edition. (only include this if not the first edition) Place of publication (this must be a town or city, not a country): Publisher. Reference List: Where 1st edition
Baron, D. P. (2008) Business and the Organisation. Chester: Pearson. Where 3rd edition Redman, P. (2006) Good essay writing: a social sciences guide. 3rd ed. London: Open University in assoc. with Sage. In text reference:
According to (Baron, 2008) organization structure … Leading social scientist (Redman, 2006; Baron, 2008; Smith, 2008) have noted … Book: by two, three authors The required elements for a reference are: Author, Initials.(Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher.
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Reference List: Barker, R., Kirk, J. and Munday, R.J. (1988) Narrative analysis. 3rd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. In text reference for the above examples:
A new theory (Barker and Munday, 1988) has challenged traditional thinking … Book: by four or more authors Author (surname), Initials. et al (Year) Title of book. Edition (only include this if not the first edition). Place: Publisher. Reference List:
Grace, B. et al. (1988) A history of the world. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. In text reference for the above examples: Leading business fellows Grace et al (1988) noted that… Foreign Book Author (surname), initial. (Year) Title of Book [either as given or an English translation in square brackets] Place of publication Publisher Language of translation in round brackets Reference List: Borges, J. L. (1995) [Ficciones] Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Book: Translated Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of book. Translated from (language) by (name of translator) Place of publication: Publisher.
Canetti, E. (2001) The voices of Marrakesh: a record of a visit. Translated from German by J.A.Underwood. San Francisco: Arion.
Multiple Books by same Author published in the same year Author (surname), Initals.(Year a/b/c) Title of book. Place: Publisher.
Reference List: Soros, G. (1966a) The road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Soros, G. (1966b) Beyond the road to serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. In text reference for the above examples:
Soros (1966a) mentioned in his …………… According to Soros (1966b) modern literature……….
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Chapter of edited book or Secondary reference for Book and Journal
When an author refers to another author’s work and the primary source is not available
Chapter author(s) surname(s) and initials. Year of chapter. Title of chapter followed by In: Book editor(s) initials and surnames with ed. or eds. after the last name. Year of book. Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher. Chapter number or first and last page numbers followed by full-stop.
References List:
Smith, J. (1975) “A source of information.” In: W. Jones, ed. (2000). One hundred and one ways to find information about health. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ch. 2. Samson, C. (1970) “Problems of information studies in history.” In: S. Stone, ed. (2002). Humanities information research. Sheffield: CRUS, pp. 44-68. In text reference for the above examples: (Smith, 1975) (Samson, 1970)
N.B. You are advised that secondary referencing should be avoided wherever possible and you should always try to find the original work
Journal Articles
Author (surname), Initials. (Year) Title of article. Full Title of Journal, Volume number (Issue/Part number), Page number(if single page then use ‘p’ if more than one page use ‘pp’) References List:
Boughton, J.M. (2002) The Bretton Woods proposal: an in-depth look. Political Science Quarterly, 42(6), pp.564-78.
Foreign Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article [square brackets] Journal title Edition Page number Language of translation (round brackets) References List:
Caballero, D. (2003) [Policing without borders] Cambi16. 1(668) pg. 24 (in Spanish)
Report
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of report (underline or italicise) Publisher Report code and number (in brackets) References List:
Dearing, R. (1996) Review of qualifications for 16 – 19 year olds: quality and rigour in A Level examinations. London: SCAA Publications (COM/96/467)
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Annual Report:
Corporate author, Year of publication. Full title of annual report (if available), Place of Publication: Publisher.
Marks & Spencer (2004) The way forward, annual report 2003-2004, London: Marks & Spencer. For an e-version of an annual report. The required elements for a reference are: Author or corporate author, Year. Title of document or page, [type of medium]Available at: include web site address/URL(Uniform Resource Locator)[Accessed date]
Marks & Spencer (2004) Annual report 2003-2004. [Online] Available at: http://www- marks-and-spencer.co.uk/corporate/annual2003/[Accessed 4 June 2005]. Theses Author (surname), initials. (Year) of submission. Title of theses (underline or italicise) Degree statement Degree-awarding body References List:
Hounsome, I. W. (2001) Factors affecting the design and performance of flexible ducts in trench reinstatements. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Napier University.
Newspaper
Article with author
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Article Title (underline or italicise) Name of Newspaper Date (day, month, year) Page number References List:
Ward, L. (2004) Diploma plan to reward lower and higher abilities. The Guardian.18th February, p.4.
Article without an author
Title of publication Year of publication (in brackets) Title of article (underline or italicise) Day and Month Page number References List:
The Guardian (2004) HSBC CEO has come down at last. 23rd November, p. 10.
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ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Electronic Book (e-book)
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of book (underline or italicise) Name of e-book supplier [Online] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Krug, B. and White, S. E. (2004) EBay secrets: how to create Internet auction listings that make 30% more money while selling every item you list. Amazon [Online]. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/ (Accessed: 16 August 2004).
Articles in Electronic Journal
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (in quotation marks) Title of journal (underline or italicise) Volume, issue, page numbers Database Name [Online] Available at: URL of collection (Date accessed). References List:
Haliday, J. (2004) 'Ford dealers test custom cable ads', Advertising age,75 (42), pg. 6. Proquest [Online]. Available at: http://proquest.umi.com/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Article in Internet Journal Database
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) Title of Journal (underline or italicise) [Online] Volume, issue Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed). References List:
Lloyd, J. (2001) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation. New Statesman, 23 April [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles(Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material in the Internet without Date
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online], issue [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List:
Lloyd, J. (No Date) Blessed are the pure in heart: globalisation [Online]. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles (Accessed: 23 November 2004).
Online Material from Internet without Author’s Name
Name of the Organisation, (Year) Title of article (underline or italicise) [Online] Available at: URL of web page (Date accessed).
References List: Marks & Spencer (2010) Marks and Spencer’s Corporate Strategy [Online]. Available at: http://www.m&s.co.uk/corporate/ (Accessed: 23 November 2004)
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Name of sender and email address, (Year) Message or subject title from posting line. [type of medium] Recipient's name and email address. Date sent: Including time. Available at: URL (e.g. details of where message is archived). [Accessed date].
Jones, P. ([email protected]), (2005) Mobile phone developments. [email] Message to R. G. Schmit ([email protected]). Sent Monday 7 June 2005, 08:13. Available at: <http://gog.defer.com/2004_07_01_defer_archive.html> [Accessed 7 July 2005]. N.B: Permission should be sought before these sources are quoted. Copies of such correspondence should be kept, as these may need to be submitted as an appendix in an academic submission
Images from the Internet
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of image (underline or italicise) [Online image] Available at: URL (Date accessed) References List:
Marshall, J. (2000) Cathedral clock. [Online image]. Available at: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/art/art_cathclock.html (Accessed 23 November 2004).
OTHER SOURCES
Computer Programme
Author (surname), initials. (Year) Title of programme (underline or italicise) Version (in brackets) Form, i.e. Computer programme [in square brackets] Availability, i.e. distributor, address, order number (if given)
References List:
Sanders, B. and William, B. (2001) Java in 2 semesters. (version 2) [computer programme] Microsoft Inc. New York.
Atlas
As for books, using the title page to find the information
References List:
The times atlas of the world (2004) London: Times Books.
Video / Film
Title of programme/film (underline or italicise) Year of distribution (in brackets) Director [Videocassette] Place of distribution: distribution company
References List
All about Eve (1977) Directed by Joseph Mankiewiez [Film]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.
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Television programme Title of programme (underline or italicise) Year of publication (in brackets) Name of channel Date of transmission (day/month/time)
References List
Coronation Street (2004) ITV1, 25 November. 19.00hrs.
Audiocassette/CD/DVD
Author (if available, if not use title first) Year of publication (in brackets) Title of recording (underline or italicise) [Audiocassette] Place of publication: publisher. References List
Buenos: world Spanish (1995) [Audiocassette or CD or DVD]. London: BBC Books.
QUOTATIONS AND CITING INSIDE THE TEXT
Citation: When you use another person’s work in your own work, either by referring to their ideas, or by including a direct quotation, you must acknowledge this in the text of your work. This acknowledgement is called a citation. It is important that information taken from another author’s work is properly cited and referenced, giving credit to the original author. This includes the use of direct quotations as well as summaries, paraphrased information, statements and conclusions. If you do not cite information in the correct way you will be accused of plagiarism. This allows the reader to find the source of all the ideas including direct quotations that are presented in your work in the list provided in the Reference List. The information given at this point should be the author, and the date of the publication. The aim is to keep it short so that it does not detract from the text. There are a range of ways of presenting this and situations that might dictate the style.
You can incorporate references and quotations in a number of ways. The following examples use the Harvard Referencing.
Short quotations of a sentence or two are enclosed with quotation marks (“…”) and included in the main text.
Short Quotation
In this example, you are making a direct quote. Up to two lines can be included in the body of the text and must include the page number.
Smith (2003, p. 11) states that “Harvard referencing has to be done accurately”
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Longer Quotation
This should be indented in a separate paragraph. If part of the quotation is omitted, then this can be indicated by three dots.
Cottrell (1999, p. 10) in discussing plagiarism states that, plagiarism is using the work of others without acknowledging your sources of information or inspiration. This includes: using words more or else exactly as they……….
N.B: Longer quotations are separated from the text, placed in their own paragraph and do not need to be enclosed in quotation marks. Avoid long quotations as they will be picked up by (Turnitin) as plagiarism. Long words for quotation should be avoided but it is acceptable to include them if they are presented in the following way.
Citations (inside the text) If the originator’s name occurs naturally in the sentence, the year of publication
should follow in brackets. Example
Smith (2003) found that…or, In a recent study Smith (2003) argued that…
If the author’s name would not naturally be included in the sentence add the author’s
name and year of publication in brackets i.e. Example
Management theories have become much more diverse (Anderson, 1996)
For publications by two authors:
Example
In a recent study (Smith & Jones, 2003) it was argued that…
If you are referring to a particular page or section of a work and the author’s name
would naturally be included in the sentence the date and page numbers follow in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study Smith (1996, p.26) argued that….
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If the author’s name will not normally be included in the sentence all information is given in brackets i.e.
Example
In a recent study (Smith, 1996, p.26) it was argued that…
In cases where the name of the author cannot be identified, the item should be referred to by title:
Example
Figures in a recent survey (Tourism trends, 2003. p. 12) showed that…
In cases where the date of an item cannot be identified, the item should be cited:
Example
The earliest report (Smith, no date, p. 231) showed that…
If the author and date are unknown:
Example
When you refer to a corporate publication e.g. a company report, use the Company
Name: Example
A survey (Tourism trends, no date) showed that…
The recession affected………..(Hanson Trust plc, 1990)
MAM_F4/Research Project/Module Booklet/Unit 11 Research Project Assignment Brief Febuary 2018 NN.pdf
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business
Unit 11 Research Project (RQF) L5 Assignment Brief
Session: February 2018
Programme title Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF) Level V 30 Credits
Unit number and title Unit 11 Research Project
Unit Type Core
Unit Level and Value Level 5 30 Credit
Assessor (s) Dr Gilbert Zvobgo, Dr Richard George, Mr Bekhzod Klichvev
Issue Date 3 March 2018
Final assignment submission deadline
11-16 June 2018
Late submission deadline
18-23 June 2018
The learners are required to follow the strict deadline set by the College for submissions of assignments in accordance with the BTEC Level 4–7 submission guidelines and College policy on submissions.
Resubmission deadline TBA
Feedback
Formative feedback will be available in class during the semester.
Final feedback will be available within 2 weeks of the assignment submission date.
General Guidelines
The work you submit must be in your own words. If you use a quote or an illustration from somewhere you must give the source.
Include a list of references at the end of your document. You must give all your sources of information.
Make sure your work is clearly presented and that you use correct grammar.
Wherever possible use a word processor and its “spell-checker”.
Internal verifiers Prof Nurun Nabi
Signature (IV of the brief) *
[email protected] Date 1/3/18
2
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RCF)
Unit 11: Research Project (L5) Assignment Brief
Session February 2018 Recommended word limit: 6 500 (excluding references and appendices)
This Unit will be assessed by assignment. You are strongly advised to read “Preparation Guidelines of the Coursework Document” before answering your assignment. ASSIGNMENT Assignment Theme:
“The impact of digital technology on business activity”
Digital technology has revolutionised the way people conduct business. Over the last decade, it has dramatically changed traditional business models and transformed business activities. The use of digital technology (in particular mobile) has provided businesses with a wealth of choice and opportunity. This has enabled existing products and services to become more profitable and innovative new offerings to be developed, leading to increasingly diverse product-offering portfolios. Its impact is evident at the core of all key business systems:
Administration - cloud technology enables effective filing, storage and sharing of information.
Communication - social media and mobile technology allows businesses to connect,
communicate, collaborate and build relationships on a global scale.
Storage and Distribution - `The Internet of Things’ is connecting and integrating systems throughout business structures.
Production - Artificial intelligence and big data analytics are driving Innovation and product growth.
Consider that you have recently been appointed as a marketing researcher. You have to produce a research proposal and a report to be presented to the senior management team of your organisation. The assignment requires that you conduct research to examine the impact of digital technology on how people conduct business.
You should identify a specific problem or issue related to the theme (“The impact of digital technology on business activity”) and write a research proposal outlining the issues as a problem statement - identifying the research objectives necessary to address your research question. The research proposal should include a relevant literature review which supports and justifies your research objectives. This will form the basis of your research project. When you have completed the research proposal, you should complete an ethics form and get this approved by your tutor.
You must carry out and conduct the whole research project yourself to show your independent enquiry and critical analysis throughout.
3
What you must do LO1 Conduct appropriate research methodology which integrates knowledge into the research process. Based on your chosen business research project, produce a research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis, supported by a literature review [P1]. In order to carry out the research, examine appropriate research methods and conduct primary and secondary research [P2] To achieve M1, you should evaluate the different the research approaches and methodology, and make justifications for the choice of methods you have selected based on philosophical/theoretical frameworks. LO2 Conduct and analyse research relevant for a business research project. Based on your chosen business research project, conduct primary and secondary research using appropriate methods that take into account costs, access and ethical issues [P3] Having collected your primary research, apply appropriate analytical tools to analyse research findings and data [P4] To achieve M2, you should discuss the merits, limitations and pitfalls of approaches to data collection and analysis you used. To achieve D1, you should critically evaluate the research methodologies and processes in application to a business research project of your choice to justify the chosen methods and analysis. LO3 Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders. Now that you have completed your research project, communicate the research outcomes in an appropriate manner for the intended medium [P5] To achieve M3, you should communicate the outcomes coherently and logically to the intended audience demonstrating how outcomes meet the set research objectives you developed in the research proposal. To achieve D2, you should critically evaluate the research outcomes and make valid, justified recommendations. LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts. To help you learn from the research project, reflect on the effectiveness of research methods you applied for meeting the objectives of your chosen business research project [P6] and evaluate alternative research methodologies and lessons you have learnt in view of the outcomes of your research project [P7] To achieve M4, you should provide critical reflection and insight that result in recommended actions for improvements and future research considerations. To achieve D3, you should demonstrate reflection and engagement in the resource process leading to recommended actions for future improvement.
4
Assessment Criteria
Pass Merit Distinction
LO1 Conduct appropriate research methodology which integrates knowledge into the research process.
D1 Critically evaluate research methodologies and processes in application to a business research project to justify chosen research methods and analysis.
P1 Produce a research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis, supported by a literature review.
P2 Examine appropriate research methods and conduct primary and secondary research.
M1 Evaluate different research approaches and methodology, and make justifications for the choice of methods selected based on philosophical/ theoretical frameworks.
LO2 Conduct and analyse research relevant to a chosen business research project.
P3 Conduct primary and secondary research using appropriate methods for a business research project that consider costs, access and ethical issues.
P4 Apply appropriate analytical tools to analyse research findings and data.
M2 Discuss merits, limitations and pitfalls of approaches to data collection and analysis.
LO3 Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders.
P5 Communicate research outcomes in an appropriate manner for the intended audience.
M3 Coherently and logically communicate outcomes to the intended audience, demonstrating how outcomes meet set research objectives.
D2 Communicate critical analysis of the outcomes and make valid, justified recommendations.
LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts.
P6 Reflect on the effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting objectives of the business research project.
P7 Consider alternative research methodologies and lessons learnt in view of the outcomes.
M4 Provide critical reflection and insight that results in recommended actions for improvements and future research considerations.
D3 Demonstrate reflection and engagement in the resource process leading to recommended actions for future improvement.
Guide to student 1. Preparation guidelines of the Coursework Document
a. All coursework must be word processed. b. Document margins must not be more than 2.54 cm (1 inch) or less than 1.9cm (3/4 inch). c. Font size must be within the range of 10 point to 14 points including the headings and body
text (preferred font size is 11). d. Standard and commonly used type face, such as Arial and Times New Roman, should be
used. e. All figures, graphs and tables must be numbered. f. Material taken from external sources must be properly referred and cited within the text using
Harvard system g. Do not use Wikipedia as a reference.
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2. Plagiarism and Collusion Any act of plagiarism or collusion will be seriously dealt with according to the College regulations. In this context the definitions and scope of plagiarism and collusion are presented below: Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes copying information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort. Collusion is copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework from another student and submitting it as your own work. Suspected plagiarism or collusion will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt with according to the College procedure (For details on Plagiarism & Collusion please see the Student Handbook).
3. Submission
a. Initial submission of coursework to the tutors is compulsory in each unit of the course. b. The student must check their assignments on ICON VLE with plagiarism software Turnitin to
make sure the similarity index for their assignment stays within the College approved level. A student can check the similarity index of their assignment three times in the Draft Assignment submission point located in the home page of the ICON VLE.
c. All Final coursework must be submitted to the Final submission point into the Unit (not to the Tutor). The student would be allowed to submit only once and that is the final submission.
d. Any computer files generated such as program code (software), graphic files that form part of the coursework must be submitted as an attachment to the assignment with all documentation.
e. Any portfolio for a Unit must be submitted as a hardcopy to the Examination Office. f. The student must attach the tutor’s feedback from the First submission in between the cover
page and the answer in the case of Resubmission. 4. Good practice
a. Make backup of your work in different media (hard disk, memory stick, etc.) to avoid distress due to loss or damage of your original copy.
5. Extension and Late Submission
a. If you need an extension for a valid reason, you must request one using an Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances (EEC) form available from the Examination Office and ICON VLE. Please note that the lecturers do not have the authority to extend the coursework deadlines and therefore do not ask them to award a coursework extension. The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick, and should be submitted to the Examination Office.
b. Late submission will be accepted and marked according to the College procedure. It should be noted that late submission may not be graded for Merit and Distinction.
c. All late coursework must be submitted to the Late submission point into the unit (not to the Tutor) in the ICON VLE. A student is allowed to submit only once and that is also treated as the final submission.
Submission deadlines Online to the ICON College VLE Final Submission date: 11-16 June 2018 Late Submission date: 18-23 June 2018
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Glossary:
Analyse: Break an issue or topic into smaller parts by looking in depth at each part. Support each part with arguments and evidence for and against (Pros and cons).
Critically Evaluate/Analyse: When you critically evaluate you look at the arguments for and
against an issue. You look at the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments. This could be from an article you read in a journal or from a text book.
Discuss: When you discuss you look at both sides of a discussion. You look at both sides of the
arguments. Then you look at the reason why it’s important (for) then you look at the reason why it’s important (against).
Explain: When you explain you must say why it is important or not important. Evaluate: When you evaluate you look at the arguments for and against an issue. Identify: When you identify you look at the most important points.
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Research Proposal Form Student Name Student ID Tutor Date Unit Proposed title
Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities
Title or working title of research project ( in the form of a question, objective or hypothesis) Research project objectives (e.g. what is the question you want to answer? What do you want to learn how to do? What do you want to find out?):
Section Two: Reasons for choosing this research project
Reasons for choosing the project (e.g. links to other subjects you are studying, personal interest, future plans, knowledge/skills you want to improve, why the topic is important):
Section Three: Literature sources searched
Use of key literature sources to support your research question, objective or hypothesis:
Section Four: Activities and timescales Activities to be carried out during the research project (e.g. research, development and analysis of ideas, writing, data collection, numerical analysis, tutor meetings, production of final outcome, evaluation, writing the report):
How long this will take:
Milestone one: .........................................................................................
Target date (set by tutor): .........................................................................................
Milestone two: .........................................................................................
Target date (set by tutor): .........................................................................................
Section Five: Research approach and methodologies What type of research approach and methodologies are you likely to use and why? What your areas of research will cover:
Comments and agreement from tutor Comments (optional) I confirm that the project is not work which has been or will be submitted for another qualification and is appropriate Agreed Name: Date:
Comments and agreement from project checker (if applicable) Comments (optional) I confirm that the project is not work which has been or will be submitted for another qualification and is appropriate Agreed Name: Date:
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Research Ethics Approval Form All students conducting research activity that involves human participants or the use of data collected from human participants are required to gain ethical approval before commencing their research. Please answer all relevant questions and note that your form may be returned if incomplete. For further support and guidance please see your respective Unit Tutor. Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed research fully with your Unit Tutor. Please complete this form in good time before your research project is due to commence.
Section 1 Basic Details
Project title:
Student name:
Student ID Number:
Programme:
College:
Intended research start date:
Intended research end date:
Section 2 Project Summary
Please select all research methods that you plan to use as part of your project:
Interviews:
Questionnaires:
Observations:
Use of Personal Records:
Data Analysis:
Action Research:
Focus Group:
Other (Please specify):
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Section 3: Participants
Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants?
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply:
Ages 12-16: Young People aged 17–18: Adults:
How will participants be recruited (identified and approached)?
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what you are doing:
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it be made clear to participants that they may withdraw consent to participate at any time?
Studies involving questionnaires: Will participants be given the option of omitting questions they do not wish
to answer?
Yes :
No :
If No please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues arising from this
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be asked for their informed consent to be
observed.
Yes
:
No
: Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e. give them a brief explanation of the study)?
Yes
:
No
: Will participants be given information about the findings of your study? (This could be a brief summary of your
findings in general)
Yes :
No :
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Section 3: Participants
Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants?
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply:
Ages 12-16: Young People aged 17–18: Adults:
How will participants be recruited (identified and approached)?
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what you are doing:
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it be made clear to participants that they may withdraw consent to participate at any time?
Studies involving questionnaires: Will participants be given the option of omitting questions they do not wish
to answer?
Yes :
No :
If No please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues arising from this
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be asked for their informed consent to be
observed.
Yes
:
No
: Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e. give them a brief explanation of the study)?
Yes
:
No
: Will participants be given information about the findings of your study? (This could be a brief summary of your
findings in general)
Yes :
No :
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Section 4: Data Storage and Security
Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act
(1998) Yes: No:
Who will have access to the data and personal information?
During the research:
Where will the data be stored?
Will mobile devices such as USB storage and laptops be
used? Yes: No:
If yes, please provide further details:
After the research:
Where will the data be stored?
How long will the data and records be kept for and in what format?
Will data be kept for use by other researchers?
Yes: No:
If yes, please provide further details:
Section 5: Ethical Issues
Are there any particular features of your proposed work which may raise ethical concerns? If so, please outline how you will deal with these:
It is important that you demonstrate your awareness of potential risks that may arise as a result of your research. Please consider/address all issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may include, but are not limited to the following:
• Informed consent.
• Potentially vulnerable participants.
• Sensitive topics.
• Risks to participants and/or researchers.
• Confidentiality/anonymity.
• Disclosures/limits to confidentiality.
• Data storage and security, both during and after the research (including transfer, sharing, encryption, protection).
• Reporting.
• Dissemination and use of your findings.
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Section 6: Declaration
I have read, understood and will abide by the institution’s Research and Ethics Policy:
Yes: No:
I have discussed the ethical issues relating to my research with my Unit Tutor:
Yes: No:
I confirm that to the best of my knowledge:
The above information is correct and that this is a full description of the ethics issues that may arise in the course of my research.
Name: .....................................................................................................................................................................
Date: ...................................................................................
Please submit your completed form to ......................................................................................................................................................................
MAM_F4/Research Project/Module Booklet/Unit 11 Research Project SoW - Feb 18.pdf
Page 1 of 6
ICON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT Pearson BTEC HND in Business (RQF)
Unit 11 Research Project Scheme of Work
Session: February 2018
This unit is aimed at achieving the following learning outcomes: LO1: Conduct appropriate research methodology which integrates knowledge into the research process. LO2: Conduct and analyse research relevant to a chosen business research project. LO3: Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders. LO4: Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts.
Programme Title: TNA67 Pearson BTEC HND in Business
Level:
4
Unit number and title Unit 11 Research Project
Unit Type Core
Level 4
Unit Level and Credit Value Level 5 30 Credit
Sessions Learning Outcome(s)
Session Activities
Session 1
LO1: To introduce the Unit’s content and the Unit assessment
Introduction to the Unit learning outcome, Syllabus, and assignment briefing Reading, Academic Skill, citation and referencing, group formation.
Session 2
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topics:
Introduction to the unit
Research approaches and research philosophy
• What is research?
• Developing a research proposition.
• The significance of the research objective or hypothesis.
•The different types of research – phenomenological, ethnographic, case study, grounded theory, narrative research etc
Sample activities:
• Brainstorm activity – what is research? Definition and purpose.
• Brainstorm activity – the differences between objective/question/hypothesis.
• Discussion activity – the importance of developing a methodical approach and discussing the benefits.
• Students review different examples of research objectives and proposals.
•Research activity – the types of research objectives and qualities of research objectives.
• Students use examples discussed from previous session and match and define the type of research that applies.
Session 3
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topic: Research design and strategies
• The values and the beliefs of the researcher.
• Issues to consider and key considerations when planning and undertaking research.
• Saunders’ research onion.
Sample activities:
• Watch video on Saunders’ onion and brainstorm ontology and epistemology.
• Group activity – determine what the key considerations are for planning and undertaking research. Present feedback.
• Discussion activity – issues that can be encountered in research.
Page 2 of 6
Sessions Learning Outcome(s)
Session Activities
Session 4
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topic: Choosing a topic and objectives
• What is a research proposal?
• Identifying a research study.
• Guiding principles of the flow of ideas.
• The basic components of the research proposal.
Sample activities:
• Brainstorm and map the key components of a research proposal.
• Students use the conceptual framework for identifying a research study for their own ideas. Discuss the theme, topic, types of questions and objectives.
• Activity to draft research question and SMART objectives.
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general questions and
concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 5
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topic: The literature review
• How to review the literature for a research project.
• What is a literature review?
• Literature review process.
Sample activities:
• Discussion activity – the definition of literature review.
• Brainstorm the process for the literature review.
• Group exercise to determine the different sources available: primary, secondary, tertiary
• Group presentations – groups to brainstorm and present the literature search, how and where?
Session 6
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1
Topic: Qualitative and Quantitative research
• Definition of qualitative research.
• Qualitative research methods and application.
•Definition of quantitative research.
• Quantitative research methods and application
•Definition of the mixed methods approach.
• Comparing both research approaches.
Sample activities:
• Brainstorm activity – how to collect qualitative/quantitative data and research.
• Students investigate qualitative research methods.
• Small group activity – present methods and highlight benefits and limitations for each method.
•Online multiple choice quiz on research methods.
Session 7
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO2
Topic: Writing the research proposal
• How to write a good research proposal.
• The key components of the research proposal.
Sample activities:
• Brainstorm activity – the key components of the research proposal and discuss the validity of having structure.
• Student activity to consider the validity and justification of their proposed research.
• Research activity – the benefits and limitations of different types of research methods.
Page 3 of 6
Sessions Learning Outcome(s)
Session Activities
Session 8
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO1 - 2
Topic: Assignment workshop
• Recap content and review student progress
Sample activities:
• Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
• Open question and answer activity to address general questions and concerns.
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general questions and
concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 9
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO2
Topic: Literature review – secondary research
• How to write the literature review.
• The checklist for a critical literature review.
Sample activities:
• Discussion activity – what is critical reading and how to do it.
• Student activity to produce a checklist for producing a critical review.
• Present a list of questions that need to be asked and present feedback.
• Independent research for the literature review
Session 10
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO2
Topic: Conducting research
• How to complete a Gantt chart.
• Methods and techniques of data/information gathering and collecting.
• How to store and retrieve data
• Demonstrate how to create a questionnaire using Word.
Sample activities:
• Students to create questionnaires/devise interview questions relevant for their research and check them off with the tutor
Sample activities:
• Students create a Gantt chart for timescale on conducting research for their project.
• Students to evaluate the amount of information needed and write list of sources of information.
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general questions and
concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 11
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO2
Topic: Samples selection and ethical considerations
• Sample selection and types of samples.
• Ethical considerations and approaches.
Samples activities:
• Brainstorm different research methods and appropriate sample sizes and selection for their own research.
• Discussion activity – ethical considerations and implications.
• Completing the ethics form and the validity of this for the research project.
Session 12
End of Semester 1
LO2 Primary research/field work – independent research.
Page 4 of 6
Sessions Learning Outcome(s)
Session Activities
Session 13
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
Topic: Assignment Workshop
• Recap content and review student progress
Sample activities:
• Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
• Open question and answer activity to address general questions and concerns from data collection.
• Review of academic requirements and submission format.
• Individual student queries and questions.
• Students highlight which topics/practices/theory need recapping.
Session 14
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3
Topic : Assignment workshop
• Students in class completing data analysis.
• Creating charts/graphs and pie charts.
• Coding interviews.
• Collating focus group/observations records/audio tapes etc.
Session 15
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3
Topic: Reflective learning and practice
• Reflection of performance and evaluation of the project.
• Models of reflective theory and the cycle of reflection, including Schon’s model of reflective practice and Kolb’s learning cycle.
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general questions and
concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 16
Lecture 2 hours Tutorial 2 hours
LO3
Topic: Reflective writing
• Reflective writing – the challenges of reflective writing, the key features of reflective writing and getting the language right.
Sample activities:
• Students reflect and present the pitfalls and limitations of their chosen research methods.
• Students present how they would have improved their research.
• Discussion activity – future considerations and what they have learned.
Session 17
LO1 - 4 Final independent study and completion of research projects
Session 18
LO1 - 4 Final independent study and completion of research projects
Session 19
LO1 - 4
Final independent study and completion of research projects
Brief tutor-led overview of assessment requirements.
Open question and answer activity to address general questions and
concerns.
Academic writing and formative feedback.
Session 20-24
LO1 - 4 Final appointments prior to submission to review draft work completed.
Page 5 of 6
Pearson Edexcel Standard Verifier (EE): Cheran Stevens Standard Verifier (EE): Visit Date: TBA Recommended Resources COSTLEY, C., ELLIOT, G. and GIBBS, P. (2010) Doing Work Based Research: Approaches to Enquiry for
Insider-researchers. London: SAGE.
FLICK, U. (2011) Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to Doing a Research Project.
London: SAGE.
GRAY, D. (2009) Doing Research in the Real World. 2nd Ed. London: SAGE.
SAUNDERS, M., LEWIS, P. and THORNHILL, A. (2012) Research methods for Business Students. 6th
Ed. Harlow: Pearson.
See also the following (Not Pearson Recommended) Business Research Methods Saunders, M., Thornhill, A. and Lewis, P. (2012) “Research Methods for Business Students”, - 6
th Edition
Financial Times/ Prentice Hall. Collis J & Hussey R, (2009), “Business Research: A practical guide for undergraduate & postgraduate students”, 3
rd Edition, Palgrave Macmillan.
Survey Research & Research Project Rea, L. and Parker, R., (2014) “Designing and Conducting Survey Research: A Comprehensive Guide”, - 4
th Edition, John Wiley & Sons.
Davies, M, (2007), “Doing a Successful Research Project – Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods”, Palgrave Macmillan. Punch, K. (2003) “Survey Research: The Basics”, - Sage Publications UK.
Business Statistics & Quantitative Data Analysis Scherbaum, C. and Shockley, K. (2015), “Analysing Quantitative Data for Business & Management Students”, Sage London. Davis, G. and Pecar, B. (2013), “Business Statistics using Excel”, 2
nd edition OUP Oxford.
Taylor, S. (2007), “Business Statistics: for Non-Mathematicians”, 2
nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan.
McGrane, A. and Smailes, J. (2000) “Essential Business Statistics”, FT/ Prentice Hall. Academic Writing Bailey, S. (2011), Academic Writing – A Handbook for International Students, London, Routledge Burns, T. and Sinfield, S (2016), Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University, Los Angeles, SAGE. Swales, J. M and Feak, C, B. (2012), Academic Writing for Graduate Students, Ann Abor, The University of Michigan. Journals Harvard Business Review (Available in ICON College library) Economist (Available in ICON College library
Page 6 of 6
Pearson Recommended: International Journal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research Journal. Newspapers Financial Times Websites www.ons.gov.uk surveys http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat Data Collection and Analysis https://www.surveygizmo.com/ Pearson Resources: Student Portal: HN Global Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance and support on presentation skills please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Global. Link to: https://www.highernationals.com/
MAM_F4/Research Project/Support/Session 2 Research Project - What is research.pdf
1
Lecture 2: What is research?
Research Project
2
What is research?
• research. 1.a. the systematic
investigation into and study of materials,
sources, etc, in order to establish facts
and reach new conclusions. b. an
endeavour to discover new or collate old
facts etc by the scientific study of a
subject or by a course of critical
investigation. [Oxford Concise
Dictionary]
2
3
What is research?
• Research is what we do when we have a question or a problem we want to resolve
• We may already think we know the answer to our question already
• We may think the answer is obvious, common sense even
• But until we have subjected our problem to rigorous scientific scrutiny, our 'knowledge' remains little more than guesswork or at best, intuition.
4
What is research?
• First priority is to formulate your question
• Then figure out how you are going to answer it
– How have others answered it?
– How does your proposal fit in with what others have done?
– How will you know when you have answered it?
• Then you can present your answer
3
5
Classical scientific method
• Observation of some phenomenon
– Maybe systematic, occasional or accidental
• Some idea of an explanation (hypothesis)
– Induction, conjecture, intuition, guesswork
– Usually informed by related work
• Testing of the hypothesis
– Test and revision cycle
6
Hypothesis
• Probability of research
– Nothing is certain
– The exception that “proves” the rule
– Scientific “truth” is actually usually a statement of
what is most probable given the currently known data
...
– ... within the given framework
• Statistical techniques try to help us show extent
to which our results really do support the
hypothesis
4
7
Hypothesis
• A hypothesis makes a prediction of the expected outcome in a given situation
• Usually: how the manipulation of the independent variable will influence the behaviour of a dependent variable
• The hypothesis is tested in an experiment
• Experimental design ensures that what you are doing is genuinely (and solely) responsible for the results
• Extraneous variables have to be controlled
8
Experiment
• If the experiment works, the hypothesis is
shown to be probably correct
– Can’t prove 100% truth
• If it fails, it could be because
– The hypothesis is wrong
– The experimental design is faulty
5
9
Null hypothesis
• Experiments are generally set up to demonstrate or support (rarely “prove” , note) a hypothesis
• The null hypothesis H0 is that any observed changes in behaviour are due to chance
• The alternate hypothesis H1 is the hypothesis you are trying to demonstrate
• Usually, the best you can do is refute H0 thus showing that H1 is probably correct (with a measruable degree of likelihood: statistical significance)
10
Where do hypotheses come from?
• Not usually thin air
• From within a framework
– Some phenomenon is not well explained by
current thinking
– “New” hypothesis is often just an adaptation
of an existing hypothesis
• thesis ~ antithesis ~ synthesis
6
11
thesis ~ antithesis ~ synthesis
• Thesis
– the original statement of an idea
• Antithesis
– an argument to challenge a previous thesis
– often draws on new data
• Synthesis
– a new argument from existing sources
– typically, resolves the apparent contradiction between a thesis and an antithesis
12
Testability
• A good hypothesis is testable
– Not provable, in the sense of “shown to be
true” (true = certain)
– Refutation of a thesis by proving that it is false
is a cornerstone of modern science
– Simply refuting a hypothesis is OK but better
science will explain why hypothesis is wrong,
and (better still) offer an alternative
hypothesis
7
13
One-/two-tailed hypotheses
• Our experimental design may make either – a strong prediction about the behaviour we expect to
observe: • our manipulation of the independent variable will cause a
specific change in the dependent variable
– a prediction about a range of behaviours we expect to observe, typically perhaps two
• One-tailed hypothesis: statistical significance means expected result was found
• Two-tailed hypothesis: only need to show that the different results are statistically significant
14
Variables
• The experiment measures the “behaviour”
of the dependent variable
• DV must be operationalised
– Some aspect of the DV must be measurable
– What to measure?
– How to measure it?
• Are you really measuring what you think you are
measuring?
8
15
Quantitative vs qualitative
• Quantitative research
– systematically observe changes in the
phenomena of interest while manipulating
what are believed to be causal influences
• Qualitative research
– may be more concerned with the individual’s
personal experiences of the problem under
study
16
“Proof” by demonstration
• Intuitive alternative to the classical scientific method: – Build something specific and then claim that it can be
seen as an example of a more general class of solutions
• High risk – difficult to demonstrate generalisability
– in fact doing so entails making an a posteriori hypothesis
– What can you say if it goes wrong ?
• So you still need a theoretical basis
9
17
Planning
• Statement of the problem
• Literature review
• Choice of research method
• Design of study
• Data collection
• Analysis of data
• Write-up
The Research Process
10
Purposes of Research
• Exploration – gaining some familiarity with a topic, discovering some
of its main dimensions, and possibly planning more structured research
• Description – Census Bureau’s report on number of Americans
– Political poll predicting who will win an election
– Anthropologist’s ethnographic account of a preliterate tribe
• Explanation – Take it one step further
Research ‘Musts’
• Problem must be clearly recognized
• Determine information already available and
what further information is required, as well as
the best approach for obtaining it
• Obtain and assess information objectively to
help inform the decision
11
‘Six’ Phases of Research
1. Problem definition
2. Literature review
3. Selection of research design, subjects, and data collection techniques
4. Data gathering
5. Data processing and analysis
6. Implications, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Problem Definition
• Describe broader context (background)
• State the objectives or purposes
• Inform reader about the scope of the study, including defining any terms, limitations, or restrictions – Reduces potential criticisms
• State the hypothesis (es)
12
Literature Review
• Gives theoretical rationale of problem being studied,
what research has been done and how it relates to
the problem
– Helpful to divide the literature into sub-topics for ease
of reading
– Quality of literature should be assessed
– Be sure to include well respected ‘individuals’ in the
research area (if they exist)
Selection of Research Design
• The research design indicates the steps that will need to be take and the sequence they will occur
• Each design can rely on one ore more data collection technique
• Assess reliability and validity
• Critical consideration in determining methodology is the selection of subjects
13
Data Gathering
• Must pretest
• Design the sampling scheme
• Questionnaires must be coded
Data processing and analysis
• Describe demographics of the data
• Compare behavior (if applicable)
• Choose appropriate statistical technique (if applicable)
• Look for patterns in data (if applicable)
14
Interpreting the Results
• Make sure to consider the audience
• Discuss implications for the population of
interest and future research
MAM_F4/Research Project/Support/Session 3 Research Project - Planning a Research Project.pdf
1
Lecture 3: Research design and strategies
Research Project
2
Objectives
By the end of the session students should be
able to understand the importance of
• Formulating research questions
• Assessing the practical feasibility of the
research
• Assessing the ethical feasibility of the research
2
3
Formulating research questions • Selecting a topic to study – is it realistic and
feasible to conduct research into this topic, given the practical and ethical restrictions on what you are able to do?
• The need to formulate specific research questions - what it is that you want to find out about this topic
4
Formulating research questions
Strategies to adopt when formulating specific research questions
– It is always helpful to formally articulate research questions in words.
– Secondly, the articulated questions should contain specifications of the particular situations or conditions in which the phenomena of interest would be studied, as well as specifications of the precise type of participants who would be used in the research.
• Choice of possible research methods – Quantitative or qualitative:
• The literature review - contains a massive amount of information about the topics, the specific research questions asked by previous researchers, about the research designs and methods which have been used by previous researchers
3
5
ASSESSING THE PRACTICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
• Participants required for the research
– Availability
– Type of participants, with what particular
characteristics
– How many participants are needed
• Equipment and materials required for the research –
What equipment and materials are needed for the study
to take place
• Other costs which may be incurred by the research –
can you do it on your own
• Pilot work - to establish whether participants understand
instructions, to ascertain how much time it takes to test
each participant,
6
Assessing the ethical feasibility of the research
Identifying the statistical analyses needed and
rechecking the sample size
• To identify in advance the types of data which will be
collected
• Types of statistical analyses which will be performed on
those data in order to answer appropriately the research
questions which have been posed
• Formulating a timetable
• Needs to contain all the intermediate staging posts, and their
deadlines, which will punctuate the research (e.g. when the
data collection will begin and end, when data coding will
begin and end, when the statistical analyses will be
conducted, when the research will be written)
4
7
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH • The protection and welfare of participants
– You must always consider the welfare of the participants who take part in their research
– You must protect them from being either physically or mentally harmed by the research process.
• The principle of informed consent – Wherever possible, researchers should inform participants in
research of all aspects of that research which might reasonably be expected to influence their willingness to participate in that research
– Researchers should explain any aspect of the research about which a participant inquires.
– Thus, when a participant agrees to participate in a study, that person’s consent should normally be informed by knowledge about the research.
8
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
• The principle of informed consent
– If such permission or approval cannot be obtained, then the
study would be considered to be ethically unacceptable
– when considering the application of the principle of informed
consent, that a researcher is often in a position of authority or
influence over the participants.
– This position should never be used to pressurise the participants
to take part in, or to remain in, an investigation.
– Payment which may be offered to participants should not be
used to induce them to accept risks which they would not
normally accept in their everyday life without payment.
5
9
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
The use of deception - According to section 4, paragraph 1 the BPS ethical principles (BPS, 2004):
– The basic guidelines which should be followed in all such situations are the following: The withholding of information or the misleading of participants is unacceptable if the participants are typically likely to object or show unease once debriefed. Where this is in any doubt, appropriate consultation must precede the investigation. Consultation is best carried out with individuals who share the social and cultural background of the participants in the research, but the advice of ethics committees or experienced and disinterested colleagues may be sufficient.
• Do you think researchers should tell participants everything which they could be told about the study?
10
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
The debriefing of participants
• After the data have been collected, the participants
should be given any information which they might
need or request concerning the nature of the
study.
• Sufficient time must be built into that timetable to
allow for the debriefing of participants after testing,
wherever this may be necessary
6
11
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
Participants’ right to withdraw from an investigation • Researcher should make it clear to participants at the
outset of the study that they have a right to withdraw from the research at any time, irrespective of whether or not payment or any other inducement has been offered.
• Participants should always have the right to withdraw any consent which they may have given previously to participate in the study - participants also have a right to require that any data pertaining to themselves, including any recordings, be destroyed.
• This is a limitation which the researcher must accept, as the retention and use of participants’ data who have withdrawn is an ethically unacceptable practice.
12
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
The invasion of privacy in observational
research
• Research based upon the naturalistic
observation of participants in their
everyday settings raises particular ethical
concerns, because in such studies
informed consent may not be given by the
participants.
7
13
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
The invasion of privacy in observational research • If consent is not obtained in advance, observational
research is only acceptable in places and situations where those observed would expect to be observed by strangers
• Particular account should always be taken of local cultural values, and of the possibility that the participants might consider it to be an invasion of their privacy to be observed whilst believing themselves to be unobserved, even though they are in a normally public place
14
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
Confidentiality and the anonymity of data
• All information which is obtained about a participant
during an investigation must be confidential unless it
has been agreed otherwise in advance
• All participants in research have a right to expect that
the information which they provide will be treated
confidentially and, if published, will not be identifiable
as theirs. If such confidentiality or anonymity cannot
be guaranteed, then the participant must be warned
of this before he or she agrees to participate in the
study.
8
15
ASSESSING THE ETHICAL FEASIBILITY OF
THE RESEARCH
Confidentiality and the anonymity of data • When data about an individual person are stored on a
computer in such a form that the individual is personally
identifiable, then the researcher storing those data must
comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act
1998.
• This Act is designed to ensure that those who use
computerised information (and some paper records)
about identifiable individuals are always open and
honest about their use of that information and follow
sound and proper practices.
Source: Barrett (2006) Practical and Ethical Issues in Planning
Research https://us.corwin.com/sites/default/files/upm-
binaries/9902_040472ch2.pdf
16
Saunders’ research onion Video: https://onion.derby.ac.uk/
Ontology
• This philosophy makes you aware of the nature of
reality. You ask yourself different questions while using
this research method. You try to find out how the world
operates. It also makes you learn the process of the
construction of the society. It also helps you in knowing
how society impacts our surroundings.
• In other words, ontology clears the difference between
reality and how you perceive reality. Furthermore, it
makes you learn how it influences the behaviour of the
people. Mainly, three philosophical positions come under
the ontological worldview. Those are objectivism,
constructivism and pragmatism.
9
17
Saunders’ research onion Epistemology • It tries to find the acceptable knowledge and addresses the facts
according to that. Here, you have to define the acceptable
knowledge about the field of your research. It is also a must for you
to give information you acquired after rigorous testing.
• You use epistemology mostly for the scientific research purposes. It
is like that because it helps you in finding the information that you
can prove without a doubt. Positivism, critical realism and
interpretivism are the philosophical positions relate with
epistemology. You can learn it to get an in-depth idea of the
epistemology.
• Axiology: Helps you learn how valuables and opinions impact the
collection and analysis of your research. Here, you don’t have to
eliminate or balance the impact of it.
Source: https://www.allassignmenthelp.co.uk/blog/research-onion-
made-easy-to-understand-and-follow/
The Research Process
NB: If this was covered
adequately in Session 2, there is
no need to cover it again
10
Purposes of Research
• Exploration – gaining some familiarity with a topic, discovering some
of its main dimensions, and possibly planning more structured research
• Description – Census Bureau’s report on number of Americans
– Political poll predicting who will win an election
– Anthropologist’s ethnographic account of a preliterate tribe
• Explanation – Take it one step further
Research ‘Musts’
• Problem must be clearly recognized
• Determine information already available and
what further information is required, as well as
the best approach for obtaining it
• Obtain and assess information objectively to
help inform the decision
11
‘Six’ Phases of Research
1. Problem definition
2. Literature review
3. Selection of research design, subjects, and data collection techniques
4. Data gathering
5. Data processing and analysis
6. Implications, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Problem Definition
• Describe broader context (background)
• State the objectives or purposes
• Inform reader about the scope of the study, including defining any terms, limitations, or restrictions – Reduces potential criticisms
• State the hypothesis (es)
12
Literature Review
• Gives theoretical rationale of problem being studied,
what research has been done and how it relates to
the problem
– Helpful to divide the literature into sub-topics for ease
of reading
– Quality of literature should be assessed
– Be sure to include well respected ‘individuals’ in the
research area (if they exist)
Selection of Research Design
• The research design indicates the steps that will need to be take and the sequence they will occur
• Each design can rely on one ore more data collection technique
• Assess reliability and validity
• Critical consideration in determining methodology is the selection of subjects
13
Data Gathering
• Must pretest
• Design the sampling scheme
• Questionnaires must be coded
Data processing and analysis
• Describe demographics of the data
• Compare behavior (if applicable)
• Choose appropriate statistical technique (if applicable)
• Look for patterns in data (if applicable)
14
Interpreting the Results
• Make sure to consider the audience
• Discuss implications for the population of
interest and future research
MAM_F4/Research Project/Support/Session 4 Research Project - Choosing a Topic and Objectives.pptx
Lecture 4: Choosing a topic and objectives
Research Project
2
Objectives
By the end of the session students should be able to understand:
What a research proposal is
How to identify a research study
The guiding principles of the flow of ideas
The basic components of the research proposal
3
What a research proposal is
A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research.
It sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address.
It outlines the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic.
It also demonstrates the originality of your proposed research.
It helps us to match your research interest with an appropriate supervisor - research is a team work and you have opinion of others if it is in written form.
3
4
How to identify a research study
Identifying what is it that you want to find out about – or what your organisation wants you to find
Identify a broad field or subject area of interest to you
Select what is of interest to you
Raise research questions
Formulate aim and objectives
Assess your aim and objectives
5
How to identify a research study
Identify a broad field or subject area of interest to you
Example: If your interest is in marketing, you might consider consumer behaviour (customer satisfaction)
6
How to identify a research study
Select what is of interest to you
It is neither advisable nor feasible to a wide range of areas of a subject
Go through your list and delete all those sub-areas in which you are not interested
Select a specific problem – e.g., Customer satisfaction
7
How to identify a research study
Raise research questions
What is the effect of customer expectation on customer satisfaction?
What is the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction?
What is the effect of Internet marketing on customer satisfaction?
You can also begin your research questions with:
How?
What research questions could be raised in
HRM?
Organisations and Behaviour?
8
How to identify a research study
Formulate aim and objectives
Your objectives grow out your aim and research questions
The main difference between aim, objectives and research questions is the way in which they are written
Research questions are obviously that – they are questions
Aim and objectives transform these questions into behavioural aims by using action-oriented words such as “to find out”, “to determine”, “to ascertain”, “to examine”, “to explore”, etc.
Can you give examples?
9
How to identify a research study
Access your aim and objectives
Examine your aim and objectives to ascertain the feasibility of achieving them in the light of the time, resources (financial and human) and technical expertise at your disposal
10
How to identify a research study
Other considerations
Interest
Magnitude
Measurement of concepts (operationalisation)
Level of expertise
Relevance
Availability of data
Ethical issues
11
Guiding principles of the flow of ideas
1) Make the structure of the proposal clear
Use a variety of “road signs” to guide the reading and to highlight important points.
Foreshadow what is coming and indicate what has been. Techniques for doing this include headings, marginal notes, sectional introductions and prefaces, summaries and appendices, outlines, charts and diagrams.
12
Guiding principles of the flow of ideas
2) Make the proposal easy to skim
Clear organisation with distinct “road signs” eases skimming.
Skim the proposal yourself, or better yet, ask someone for whom the proposal is new to skim it. Assure that the “road signs” lead the reader to the correct meaning.
13
Guiding principles of the flow of ideas
3) Make transitions smoothly
Do not let the reader get lost at junction points
Proper sequencing, clear reference to earlier discussion, and constructive reasoning from such references join up with selective repetition of key phrases and words to assure easy shifts of perspective between sections, paragraphs and even sentences.
14
Guiding principles of the flow of ideas
4) Use active verbs and simple constructions
Active verbs bring lucidity to sentences.
Complex, passive constructions diminish the intensity of the communication by leading the reader into grammatical bottlenecks, thus breaking his or her concentration. By striking out words and phrases and rearranging the remainder (changing only a few words), good technical editors markedly clarify meaning. Try it!
Change passives to actives. For example, “It has been reported by Paddington (2017) that the UK proposal was found to be complex,” becomes, in the active voice: “Paddington (2017) found the UK proposal complex.”
15
Guiding principles of the flow of ideas
5) Simplify sentences
When a page seems one big, black, unbroken wall of words, skim it for periods
Find sentences that go on and on and break them up. But keep an interesting rhythm of long and short sentences.
16
The basic components of the research proposal
A good hypothesis is testable
Not provable, in the sense of “shown to be true” (true = certain)
Refutation of a thesis by proving that it is false is a cornerstone of modern science
Simply refuting a hypothesis is OK but better science will explain why hypothesis is wrong, and (better still) offer an alternative hypothesis
The basic components of the research proposal
Problem definition
Literature review
Selection of research design, subjects, and data collection techniques
Data gathering
Data processing and analysis
Implications, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Problem Definition
Describe broader context (background)
State the aim and objectives or purposes
Inform reader about the scope of the study, including defining any terms, limitations, or restrictions
Reduces potential criticisms
State the hypothesis (es)
Components of research proposal
The introduction generally covers the following elements:
State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of the study
Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a way as to show its necessity and importance
Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing
Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by your research.
Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment. Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study
Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus.
Provide definitions of key concepts(This is optional).
Literature Review
Gives theoretical rationale of problem being studied, what research has been done and how it relates to the problem
Helpful to divide the literature into sub-topics for ease of reading
Quality of literature should be assessed
Be sure to include well respected ‘individuals’ in the research area (if they exist)
Components of research proposal
Literature Review (Important functions):
Reinventing the wheel / Credits to deserved ones
Demonstration of knowledge and understanding of the theoretical and research issues
Demonstration of ability to critically evaluate
Indicates your ability to integrate and synthesize the existing literature
Development of a new model as the conceptual framework
Convinces reader regarding significance and substantial contribution to the literature
21
Components of research proposal
Methods
The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for the completion of your project
The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should contain sufficient information for the reader to determine whether methodology is sound
Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely accepted canons in qualitative analysis, your method section needs to be more elaborative than what is required for traditional quantitative research
More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative research has a far greater impact on the results as compared to quantitative research.
Selection of Research Design
The research design indicates the steps that will need to be take and the sequence they will occur
Each design can rely on one ore more data collection technique
Assess reliability and validity
Critical consideration in determining methodology is the selection of subjects
Data Gathering
Must pretest
Design the sampling scheme
Questionnaires must be coded
Data processing and analysis
Describe demographics of the data
Compare behavior (if applicable)
Choose appropriate statistical technique (if applicable)
Look for patterns in data (if applicable)
Interpreting the Results
Make sure to consider the audience
Discuss implications for the population of interest and future research
References
Grant Funding Resources (n.d) Proposal Writing: Stages and Strategies with examples. [Online]. Available at:
https://grantfundingresources.wordpress.com/proposal-writing-stages-and-strategies-with-examples/
MAM_F4/Research Project/Support/Session 5 Literature Review.pdf
1
Session 5: The literature review
Research Project
2
Objectives
By the end of the session students should be
able to understand:
• What is literature review is
• How to review the literature for a research
project
• Literature review process
2
literature review
The literature review is an integral part of the
entire research process and makes a valuable
contribution to almost every operational step.
1-3
Literature Review
• is the documentation of a comprehensive
review of the published and unpublished
work from secondary sources of data in the
areas of specific interest to the researcher.
3
Why?
• Literature Reviews are considered
important for numerous reasons: • 1) They allow you to know just WHAT is out there;
• 2) They allow you to demonstrate mastery over a
subject;
• 3) They allow you to locate your area of research
within the literature, such as “how does this fit in
with everything else that has been written on this
subject?”
A literature review has a number of
functions
• Bring clarity and focus to your research
problem
• Improve your methodology
• Broaden your knowledge base in your
research area
• Contextualise your findings
1-10
4
General Guidelines to
Writing a Literature Review
• It is important to cover research relevant to all the variables being studied.
• Research that explains the relationship between these variables is a top priority.
• You will need to plan how you will structure your literature review and write from this plan.
Literature Review • All sources cited in the literature review
should be listed in the references
• To sum, a literature review should
include introduction, summary and
critique of journal articles, justifications
for your research project and the
hypothesis for your research project
5
Common Errors Made in Lit
Reviews • Review isn’t logically organized
• Review isn’t focused on most important facets of the study
• Review doesn’t relate literature to the study
• Too few references or outdated references cited
• Review isn’t written in author’s own words
• Review reads like a series of disjointed summaries
• Review doesn’t argue a point
• Recent references are omitted
Writing the Literature Review
Plagiarism includes (Galvan, pg. 89): 1. Using another writer’s words without proper citation
2. Using another writer’s ideas without proper citation
3. Citing a source but reproducing the exact word without quotation marks
4. Borrowing the structure of another author’s phrases/sentences without giving the source
5. Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper
6. Using paper-writing service or having a friend write the paper
6
Organizing Your Literature
Review • Topical Order—organize by main topics
or issues; emphasize the relationship of
the issues to the main “problem”
• Chronological Order—organize the
literature by the dates the research was
published
• Problem-Cause-Solution Order—
Organize the review so that it moves
from the problem to the solution
Organizing Your Literature
Review • General-to-Specific Order—(Also called
the funnel approach) Examine broad-
based research first and then focus on
specific studies that relate to the topic
• Specific-to-General Order—Try to make
discuss specific research studies so
conclusions can be drawn
7
• After reviewing the literature,
summarize what has been done, what
has not been done, and what needs to
be done
• Remember you are arguing your point
of why your study is important!
• Then pose a formal research question
or state a hypothesis—be sure this is
clearly linked to your literature review
Literature Review
General Guidelines to
Writing a Literature Review • Don’t attempt to cover everything written
on your topic
• You will need to pick out the research most relevant to the topic you are studying
• You will use the studies in your literature review as “evidence” that your research question is an important one
8
General Guidelines to
Writing a Literature Review • Introduce the literature review by pointing
out the major research topic that will be discussed
• Identify the broad problem area but don’t be too global (for example, discussing the history of education when the topic is on specific instructional strategy)
• Discuss the general importance of your topic for those in your field
Bring clarity and focus to your
research problem
• N.B. you cannot effectively start the literature
review search without an idea of the problem you
wish to investigate.
• The literature review can play an extremely
important role in shaping your research problem
• It also helps you to define the relationship
between your research problem and the body of
knowledge in the area.
1-14
9
Improve your methodology
Literature review
• acquaints you with the methodologies that have
been used by others to find answers to questions
similar to the one you are investigating.
• Tells you if others have used procedures and
methods similar to the ones that you are
proposing, which procedures and methods worked
well for them and what pitfalls they have faced with
them.
Broaden your knowledge base in your
research area
• Literature review ensures you read widely around
the subject area in which you are intend to
conduct your research study.
• It is important to know what other researchers
have found in regard to the same or similar
questions, what theories have been put forward
and what gap exit in the relevant body of
knowledge
10
Contextualise your findings
• Literature review helps identifying how your
findings compare with the existing body of
knowledge.
• How do answers to your questions compare with
what other have found? What contribution have
you been able to make to the existing body of
knowledge? How your finding different from
others?
Procedures for reviewing the literature
Five steps involved in conducting a literature review: • search for existing literature in your area of study;
• review the literature selected;
• develop a theoretical framework;
• develop a conceptual framework;
• writing up the literature reviewed
11
1) Search for existing literature
• Start with at least some idea of the broad subject
area and of the problem you wish to investigate,
in order to set parameters for your search.
• Next compile a bibliography for this broad area.
There are two sources that you can use to
prepare a bibliography:
– books;
– journals.
Notice
• Be aware that sometimes a title does not provide
enough information to decide if a book/ journal is
going to be of use.
• Start with the latest issue, examine its contents
page to see if there is an article of relevance to
your research topic.
• Start by reading the abstract. If it is relevant then
download and read.
12
2) Review the literature selected
• Now that you have identified several books
and articles as useful, the next step is to
start reading them critically to pull together
themes and issues that are associated.
• If you do not have a theoretical framework
or themes in mind to start with, use
separate sheets of paper for each article or
book.
Review the literature selected
• Once you develop rough frameworks, slot the
findings from the material so far reviewed into that
framework, using a separate sheet of paper for
each themes of that framework. As you read
further, go on slotting the information where it
logically belongs under the themes so far
developed.
13
Review the literature selected
• Notice where there are significant
differences of opinion among researchers
and give your opinion about the validity of
these differences.
• Ascertain the areas in which little or nothing
is known-the gaps that exist in the body of
knowledge.
3) Develop a theoretical framework
• As you start reading the literature, you will soon
discover that the problem you wish to investigate
has its roots in a number of theories that have
been developed from different perspectives.
14
4) Develop a conceptual framework
• The conceptual framework stems from the
theoretical framework and concentrates,
usually, on one section of that theoretical
framework which becomes the basis of your
study.
Conceptual Framework
• Examples of conceptual
framework
15
29
Conceptual Model
Complaint Handling
Strategies
Satisfaction
with Service Recovery
30
Complaint handling strategies
apology
explanation
compensation
Response speed
facilitation
Being courteous
Problem solving
effort
Satisfaction with
complaint handling
16
Examples of conceptual
framework
31
Customer
satisfaction
Service
Quality
Customer
Loyalty
5) Writing up the literature reviewed
• While reading the literature for theoretical
background of your study, you will realize that
certain themes have emerged.
• List the main ones, converting them into
subheadings. These subheadings should be
precise, descriptive of the theme in question, and
follow a logical progression.
17
• Now, under each subheading, record the main
findings with respect to the theme in question,
highlighting the reasons for and against an
argument if they exist, and identifying gaps and
issues.
34
Examples of Literature Surveys
Organizational effectiveness
Organization theorists have defined
organizational effectiveness (OE) in various
ways. OE has been described in terms of goals
(Etzioni, 1960), efficiency (Katz and Kahn,
1966), resources acquisition (Yuchtman and
Seashore, 1967). As Coutler (2002) remarked,
there is little consensus on how to
conceptualize, measure, or explain OE.
18
35
Examples of Literature Surveys
Researchers are now moving away from a single
model and are taking contingency approaches to
conceptualizing OE (Cameron, 1996; Wernerfelt,
1998; Yetley, 2001).
References
Chapter 2.ppt
www.aast.edu/pheed/staffadminview/pdf_retreive.php?url=
77...1...1...ppt...
MAM_F4/Research Project/Support/Session 6 Qualitative Research Methods.pdf
1
Session 6: Qualitative Research methods
LO1 and LO2: Qualitative and Quantitative research
Research Project
Objectives
By the end of the session students should be
able to understand:
• The different types of qualitative and
quantitative methods
• The advantages and disadvantages of
qualitative and quantitative methods
2
Research and research
methods • Research methods are split broadly into
quantitative and qualitative methods
• Which you choose will depend on
– your research questions
– your underlying philosophy of research
– your preferences and skills
Basic principles of research design
Four main features of research design, which are distinct, but closely related
• Ontology: How you, the researcher, view the world and the assumptions
that you make about the nature of the world and of reality
• Epistemology: The assumptions that you make about the best way of
investigating the world and about reality
• Methodology: The way that you group together your research techniques to
make a coherent picture
• Methods and techniques: What you actually do in order to collect your data
and carry out your investigations
• These principles will inform which methods you choose: you need to
understand how they fit with your ‘bigger picture’ of the world, and how you
choose to investigate it, to ensure that your work will be coherent and
effective
3
Four main schools of ontology (how we construct reality)
Ontology Realism Internal Realism Relativism Nominalism
Summary
The world is ‘real’, and
science proceeds by
examining and
observing it
The world is real,
but it is almost
impossible to
examine it directly
Scientific laws are
basically created
by people to fit
their view of
reality
Reality is entirely
created by people,
and there is no
external ‘truth’
Truth There is a single truth Truth exists, but is
obscure
There are many
truths There is no truth
Facts
Facts exist, and can
be revealed through
experiments
Facts are concrete,
but cannot always
be revealed
Facts depend on
the viewpoint of
the observer
Facts are all
human creations
However, none of these positions are absolutes.
They are on a continuum, with overlaps between them.
Epistemology i.e. the way in which you choose to investigate the world
Two main schools are positivism and social constructionism:
• Positivists believe that the best way to investigate the world is through objective methods, such as observations. Positivism fits within a realist ontology.
• Social constructionists believe that reality does not exist by itself. Instead, it is constructed and given meaning by people. Their focus is therefore on feelings, beliefs and thoughts, and how people communicate these. Social constructionism fits better with a relativist ontology.
4
Methodology
• Epistemology and ontology will have implications for
your methodology
• Realists tend to have positivist approach
tend to gather quantitative sources of data
• Relativists tend to have a social constructionist
approach
tend to gather qualitative sources of data
• Remember these are not absolutes! People tend to
work on a continuum role for mixed methods and
approaches
• Also consider the role of the researcher*:
internal/external; involved or detached? * See also Adams, Anne; FitzGerald, Elizabeth and Priestnall, Gary (2013). Of catwalk
technologies and boundary creatures. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human
Interaction (TOCHI), 20(3), article no. 15. http://oro.open.ac.uk/35323/
A note about data
• Quantitative data is about quantities, and therefore numbers
• Qualitative data is about the nature of the thing investigated, and tends to be words rather than numbers
• Difference between primary and secondary data sources
• Be aware of research data management practices and archives of data sets (both in terms of downloading and uploading)
5
Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
Qualitative Quantitative
(Usually) Non-probability based
sample
Typically a probability-based
sample
Non-generalisable Generalisable
Answers Why? How? Answers How many? When?
Where?
Formative, earlier phases Tests hypotheses, latter phases
Data are “rich” and time-
consuming to analyze
Data are more efficient, but may
miss contextual detail
Design may emerge as study
unfolds
Design decided in advance
Researcher IS the instrument Various tools, instruments
employed
Qualitative approaches
• Any research that doesn’t involve numerical data
• Instead uses words, pictures, photos, videos, audio recordings. Field notes, generalities. Peoples’ own words.
• Tends to start with a broad question rather than a specific hypothesis
• Develop theory rather than start with one inductive rather than deductive
6
Gathering qual data
• Tends to yield rich data to explore how and why things happened
• Don’t need large sample sizes (in comparison to quantitative research)
• Some issues may arise, such as – Respondents providing inaccurate or false information
– or saying what they think the researcher wants to hear
– Ethical issues may be more problematic as the researcher is usually closer to participants
– Researcher objectivity may be more difficult to achieve
Sources of qualitative data
• Interviews (structured, semi-structured or unstructured)
• Focus groups
• Questionnaires or surveys
• Secondary data, including diaries, self-reporting, written
accounts of past events/archive data and company
reports;
• Direct observations – may also be recorded
(video/audio)
• Ethnography - researchers observe and/or interact with a
study's participants in their real-life environment
7
Focus Groups
• Recruited to discuss particular topic
• One focus group is ONE unit of analysis
• Complement surveys – often the 1st step
in tapping critical questions to be used in a
survey
• Identify why people feel certain way and
elucidate steps in their decision-making
process
Focus Group Methods
• Ideal size: 6 – 12 people and a
moderator/note taker
• Series of groups is necessary for validity
• Homogeneity and anonymity in selection
of groups
– people may open up with others who are
perceived to think along similar lines AND
whom they may never see again
8
Analysing qual data
• Content analysis
• Grounded analysis
• Social network analysis (can also be
quant)
• Discourse analysis
• Narrative analysis
• Conversation analysis
Data analysis and findings
• Comparison of the two different walks
– Differences/similarities of the walks
– Issues surrounding participant engagement
• Thematic analysis
– Mode of delivery
– Number of participants and social interactions
– Geographical affordances of places and locations
– User experience
– Opportunities for learning
– Other factors
• Findings, lessons learned, recommendations
9
What qualitative researchers worry
about
• Have I coded my data correctly?
• Have I managed to capture the situation in
a realistic manner?
• Have I described the context in sufficient
detail?
• Have I managed to see the world through
the eyes of my participants?
• Is my approach flexible and able to
change?
What’s wrong with qualitative
research?
• It can be very subjective
• It can’t always be repeated
• It can’t always be generalisable
• It can’t always give you definite answers in
the way that quantitative research can
• It can be easier to carry out (or hide) ‘bad’
(poor quality) qualitative research than
‘bad’ quant research
10
Other aspects of research
design • Validity
• Reliability
• Trustworthiness* – Dependability: showing that the findings are
consistent and could be repeated
– Confirmability: a degree of neutrality or the extent to which the findings of a study are shaped by the respondents and not researcher bias, motivation, or interest
– Credibility: confidence in the 'truth' of the findings
– Transferability: showing that the findings have applicability in other contexts
Quantitative approaches
• Attempts to explain phenomena by collecting and analysing
numerical data
• Tells you if there is a “difference” but not necessarily why
• Data collected are always numerical and analysed using
statistical methods
• Variables are controlled as much as possible so we can
eliminate interference and measure the effect of any
change
• Randomisation to reduce subjective bias
• If there are no numbers involved, its not quantitative
• Some types of research lend themselves better to quant
approaches than others
11
Quantitative data
• Data sources include
– Surveys where there are a large number of respondents (especially where you have used a Likert scale)
– Observations (counts of numbers and/or coding data into numbers)
– Secondary data (government data; SATs scores, etc.)
• Analysis techniques include hypothesis testing, correlations and cluster analysis
Questionnaires
Three methods:
1. Postal
2. Personally administered survey
3. Telephone interviews
4. Internet
12
Questionnaires Advantages:
✓ Can be posted, e-mailed or faxed with a wide geographic coverage
✓ Can cover a large number of people or organisations.
✓ Relatively cheap.
✓ Avoids embarrassment on the part of the respondent.
✓ Possible anonymity of respondent.
✓ No interviewer bias.
Disadvantages:
✓ Design problems.
✓ Questions have to be relatively simple.
✓ Historically low response rate (although inducements may help).
✓ Time delay whilst waiting for responses to be returned.
✓ Require a return deadline.
✓ Several reminders may be required.
✓ International valididity
✓ Not possible to give assistance if required.
✓ Problems with incomplete questionnaires.
✓ Respondent can read all questions beforehand and then decide whether to complete or not.
Postal Survey
Advantages:
• Post Office locates participants
• Everybody gets the same questions
• Researcher can ask more complex questions
• No response effect (willing to divulge more info w/o face-to-face contact; less likely to try to impress interviewer
• Can be computer-based
13
Postal Survey
Disadvantages:
• No control over participant interpretation
• Low response rates
• Uncertainty about who actually filled out
the questionnaire
• Useless with non-literate, illiterate
populations (same problem with English
language sampling) or hard-to-reach
populations
Personal Administered Survey
Advantages:
✓ Serious approach by respondent resulting in accurate information.
✓ Good response rate.
✓ Complete and immediate.
✓ Interviewer in control and can give help if there is a problem.
✓ Can investigate motives and feelings.
✓ Can use recording equipment.
✓ If one interviewer used, uniformity of approach.
✓ Used to pilot other methods.
Disadvantages:
✓ Need to set up interviews, time consuming and geographic limitations.
✓ Can be expensive.
✓ Normally need a set of questions.
✓ Respondent bias – tendency to please or impress, create false personal image, or end interview quickly.
✓ Embarrassment possible if personal questions.
✓ If many interviewers, training required.
14
Telephone Surveys
Advantages:
✓ Relatively cheap and quick.
✓ Can cover reasonably large numbers of people or organisations.
✓ Wide geographic coverage.
✓ High response rate.
✓ Help can be given to the respondent.
✓ Can tape answers.
Disadvantages:
✓ Questionnaire required.
✓ Not everyone has a telephone.
✓ Repeat calls are inevitable – average 2.5 calls to get someone.
✓ Time is wasted.
✓ Respondent has little time to think.
✓ Cannot use visual aids.
✓ Can cause irritation.
✓ Good telephone manner is required.
• Online surveys can be developed for little or no cost
through services such as Survey Monkey
(http://www.surveymonkey.com/).
• This site and similar services may help you to set up
your questions, administer your response, and analyse
your responses
• Surveygizmo
Online resources
15
Advantages of online questionnaires
• Increasingly common approach (familiar to respondents)
• Speed and volume of data collection
• Savings in costs (to researcher)
• Flexible design
• Data accuracy
• Access to research populations
• Anonymity
Online questionnaires - challenges
• Sample bias
• Measurement error
• Non-response bias
• Length, response and dropout rates
• Technical problems
• Ethical issues
• Recruitment
• Identity verification
• Response rates
• Identifying appropriate tools & implementation
16
Design issues
Usability
Accessibility
Doability
Will your questionnaire be easy to use?
Or will the interface, colours and question
types frustrate people and put them off?
Will your questionnaire be accessible?
Or will it crash on old computers, render
weirdly on different operating systems and
be impossible to use with a screen reader?
Will your questionnaire be doable?
Or are your multi-media dreams running
ahead of your technical ability and are your
data arriving in an unusable format?
Improving response rates
• Make contact before mailing the survey e.g. an introductory letter
• Provide information that builds trust e.g. names and photos of the researchers
• Engage gatekeepers and encourage them to endorse the survey
• Think about how your brand (e.g. the university) will be perceived by the subjects
• Provide clear instructions on how to complete the questionnaire;
• Limit the amount of personal information you request
• Use simple questionnaire format and avoid complex or open- ended questions
• Design survey so it takes approximately 10 minutes to complete;
• Do not include more than 15 questions
• Send one or two follow up reminders
• Emphasise confidentiality (if appropriate)
Key resource: Fan, W., & Yan, Z. (2010). Factors affecting response rates of
the web survey. Computers in Human Behavior , 26 (2), 132-139.
17
Analysing quant data
• Always good to group and/or visualise the data initially
outliers/cleaning data
• What average are you looking for?
Mean, median or mode?
• Spread of data:
– skewness/distribution
– range, variance and standard deviation
What are you looking for?
• Trying to find the signal from the noise
• Generally, either a difference (between/within groups) or
a correlation
• Choosing the right test to use:
parametric vs non-parametric (depends what sort of data
you have – interval/ratio vs nominal/ordinal and how it is
distributed)
• Correlation does not imply causation!
18
Example correlations
From ‘Spurious
correlations’ website http://www.tylervigen.co
m/spurious-correlations
Interpreting test statistics
• Significance level – a fixed probability of wrongly rejecting the null hypothesis H0, if it is in fact true. Usually set to 0.05 (5%).
• p value - probability of getting a value of the test statistic as extreme as or more extreme than that observed by chance alone, if the null hypothesis H0, is true.
• Power – ability to detect a difference if there is one
• Effect size – numerical way of expressing the strength or magnitude of a reported relationship, be it causal or not
19
Example of quantitative data/analysis*
• Matched users were those who learning styles were matched
with the lesson plan e.g. sequential users with a sequential
lesson plan. Mismatched participants used a lesson plan that
was not matched to their learning style, e.g. sequential users
with a global lesson plan.
• H0 – there will be no statistically significant difference in
knowledge gained between users from different experimental
groups
• H1 – students who learn in a matched environment will learn
significantly better than those who are in mismatched
environment
• H2 – students who learn in a mismatched environment will
learn significantly worse than those who learn in a matched
environment
Interpreting test statistics
• Statistical testing was carried out using a univariate
ANOVA in SPSS, to determine if there was any significant
difference in knowledge gained.
• Initial conjecture suggests that the mismatched group
actually performed better than the matched group.
• However, the difference between the two groups was not
significant (F(1,80)=0.939, p=0.34, partial eta squared =
0.012) and hence hypotheses 1 and 2 can be rejected.
20
What’s wrong with quantitative research?
• Some things can’t be measured – or measured
accurately
• Does not tell you why
• Can be impersonal – no engagement with human
behaviours or individuals
• Data can be static – snapshots of a point in time
• Can tell a version of the truth (or a lie?)
“Lies, damned lies and statistics” – persuasive
power of numbers
What quantitative researchers worry about
• Is my sample size big enough?
• Have I used the correct statistical test?
• have I reduced the likelihood of making Type I and/or
Type II errors?
• Are my results generalisable?
• Are my results/methods/results reproducible?
• Am I measuring things the right way?
21
Type I error (alpha error)
• Occurs when an experimenter thinks she/he has a significant result, but it is really due to chance
• Analogous to a “false positive” on a drug test.
• Risk of a Type I error is the same as the significance level, e.g., p < .05
• Solutions: avoid internal validity errors (such as confounding variables), use a more stringent significance level, use replication
Type II error (beta error)
• Occurs when a researcher fails to find a significant result when, in fact, there was something significant going on.
• Analogous to a “false positive” on a drug test.
• Must be calculated with a test of statistical “power,” e.g., given the sample size, how big would an effect have to be in order to detect it?
• Solutions: increase sample size, use more sensitive precise measures, use replication
22
Type I and Type II errors
In the larger population, H0 is correct
In the larger population H1 is correct
Based on sample, H0 is supported
Correct Decision
Incorrect Decision: Type II Error
Base on sample, H1 is accepted
Incorrect Decision: Type I Error
Correct Decision
References
Chapter 2.ppt
www.aast.edu/pheed/staffadminview/pdf_retreive.php?url=
77...1...1...ppt...
Fitzgerald, L. Introduction to quantitative and qualitative
research
Introduction to quantitative and qualitative research
(William Bardebes). PDF at http://tinyurl.com/qq-models
MAM_F4/Research Project/Support/Unit 11 Research Project - Lecture 1 Introduction.pdf
1
Lecture 1: Introduction of the Unit
Prepared by: Dr Gilbert Zvobgo
ICTM
Objectives of the Session: To introduce the Unit’s content
and the Unit assessment
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
2. Going over the Assignment Brief, including the assessment
criteria of the Unit
3. Going over the Scheme of Work so that students see how
they could allocate their time wisely.
4. Going over the Unit Specification so that students have an
overview of the syllabus (also available on ICON VLE).
2
5. Library visit to help students check available books in their
Unit and to suggest those they want the College to purchase.
6. Ask students to register with HN Global at:
Pearson Resources: Student Portal: HN Global (RQF)
https://www.highernationals.com/
7. Help students understand the importance of academic
skills, academic writing, and referencing (citation and
references).
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
There should be no consumption of either food or drinks in the classroom except bottle of water.
The front desks should be filled in to avoid any scattered sitting in rear seats
Students cannot claim ownership of the seating position throughout the semester. Seating is based on “first- come-first-seat”.
You must come on time. You cannot be signed in after 15 minutes of the start of the class but you are allowed in for another 15 minutes and you are not allowed to sign in until after the break.
3
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
You are not allowed to be late in the 2nd part of the lecture after break time
You are not allowed to leave the class during the teaching time without the permission from the tutor for a valid reason, e.g., going to the toilet, answering an emergency call, for health-related problems, etc.
There should be no side talking or disruptions when tutor is delivering lectures. To ask any questions, students should raise their hands to draw the tutor’s attention
Speaking should be in English only in the classroom
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
Phones must be switched off during teaching time. However, in the second part of the lesson students may be allowed to use mobile phones, iPads, and laptops for academic purposes only, and with the consent of the tutor.
There should be no charging of mobile phones or any electronic devises, including laptops in the classroom. There are additional charging sockets in the student common room which can be used during break time
There should be mutual respects of each other. Any abusive language or behaviour and interruption of the lecture in any way is not acceptable
4
1. Ground Rules in the Classroom
You should not touch in and then leave the classroom or come back at the end of the session to touch out. Doing so will be regarded as absence from class and the tutor will report you to the responsible personnel in the Administration Office
Come prepared always for your lesson.
2. Going over the Assignment Brief, including the assessment
criteria of the Unit
3. Going over the Scheme of Work so that students see how
they could allocate their time wisely.
4. Going over the Unit Specification so that students have an
overview of the syllabus (also available on ICON VLE).
5
5. Inform students importance of the Library and that a visit to
the library will be arranged to help students check available
books in their Unit and to suggest those they want the College
to purchase.
6. Ask students to register with HN Global at:
Pearson Resources: Student Portal: HN Global (RQF)
https://www.highernationals.com/
7. Help students understand the importance of academic
skills, academic writing, and referencing (citation and
references).
