Reference no: EM133029063 , Length: 6000

SG7002 The Applied Business Project - University of East London

Knowledge
1. Demonstrate the ability to analyse complex business and management problems critically and rigorously and make evidenced based management recommendations (COI, EE, SEI)
2. Demonstrate high levels of expertise in selecting and conducting research methods and addressing strategically significant organisational problems and issues. (COI, EE)
Thinking skills
3. Demonstrate synthesis of knowledge and skills by applying appropriate research strategies and philosophies to organisational issues (COI, EE, DP)
4. Demonstrate self-directed capacity to plan, design and monitor an individual piece of research (SEI, EE)
5. Design and present a well-defined and structured report covering the investigation with appropriate and justified conclusions and recommendations, while showing awareness of their limitations (SEI, COI, EE)
Subject based skills
6. Identify, interpret and engage in critical analysis and discussion of contemporary literature in your professional field. (COI)
7. Demonstrate the ability to effectively analyse business problems from the professional practitioner perspective in your field and make meaningful and where appropriate costed business recommendations (COI, EE, CI, IC)
8. Demonstrate the skills of logical thought, critical evaluation, data analysis and reflection that will enhance influencing and negotiation capabilities as practitioner in your relevant field (SEI, COI, DP, EE)

Skills for life
9. Demonstrate the ability for self-directed learning and the ability to reflect on learning, and emotional and social intelligence, which will inform future practice (SEI, CI)
10. Exhibit digital proficiency in computer aided research skills that promotes the effective presentation of research findings and recommendations (DP)

ASSESSMENT
The business project for Masters programmes at the Royal Docks School of Business and Law, requires students to conduct applied research under the supervision of an academic member of staff. It is a 6000-word project which accounts for 30 credits of your programme of study.
The expectation is that you will undertake an applied business project which is appropriate to your vocational area. This could include primary or secondary research into a business problem, a work-based project, business simulation or Bloomberg live project, management or business report, case study or other empirical research. For some course's students will have to select a particular activity based on programme or professional body accreditation requirements (please see below for details).
The project takes one semester to complete and submission takes place in December (Term 1), April (Term 2) and September (Term 3). Please note that postgraduate projects are not subject to the usual "resit coursework" deadline, and students who must resit must do so at the next available opportunity. Please confirm with your supervisor as to when you should re-sit.

APPLIED RESEARCH BUSINESS PROJECT
If you are undertaking a dissertation style business project, involving primary or secondary research, this section guides you on what is required. Students are required to produce applied research that contains six chapters - Introduction, Literature Review, Research Methodology (Interviews/Questionnaires/Case Study/Secondary data, etc.), Data Analysis, Conclusions and Recommendations. The nature of research should be applied rather than theoretical and focused on a contemporary business/management problem/issue.
Students must evaluate the literature on their chosen topic, formulate a valid (applied) research question and objectives, design an appropriate research methodology, collect relevant primary and/or secondary data, analyse the findings and develop cogent conclusions and recommendations on the basis of their analysis. The following is a brief outline of the approximate length and contents of each section and chapter.
Title
The Title of a dissertation style business project is important. It is, however, expected to evolve with the research process. Students can choose a provisional title for their dissertation proposal and use a working title for their dissertation as they conduct their research. The title should as much as possible encapsulate the topic and approach taken to the research.
Abstract
The Abstract is typically 250 words long, and is not included in the 6,000-word count for the dissertation. It should provide the reader with an overview of the focus of the dissertation, the theory incorporated into the project, the methodological approach and data collection, key findings and conclusions and recommendations of the project. The abstract should not contain academic references and is intended to provide a short summary for the reader of the work. Students should invest time into this section, as it's often the very first paragraph an examiner will read. Although the abstract appears first, it should be the last thing you write.
Acknowledgements
An Acknowledgements page is optional, but some students like to use this opportunity to thank their family, friends, colleagues, sponsor and supervisor for support during their studies. Students should not feel compelled to include this section however. The acknowledgements section is not included in the overall word count for the dissertation.
Table of Contents
A Table of Contents is absolutely essential for a dissertation style business project and is used by examiners to navigate the various sections of the project. A Table of Contents can be quite simply added using Microsoft Word®, and students should familiarise themselves with how to use this function. There are also some excellent tutorials available on Youtube for students who wish to develop their skills in this area. The Table of Contents is not included in the overall word count for the dissertation.
Introduction
The Introduction chapter should be 500 words in length approximately. It sets the scene for the entire thesis and introduces the topic. In this chapter, the student should outline the focus of the project, and the origins of the research question. If possible, the student should frame the professional/industry context for the inquiry, and provide some industry insights in the form of media commentary and/or statistical facts. In this chapter, the student introduces the research question and objectives/hypotheses, and provides rationale and justification for them. Students should ensure that their research question is phrased as a question (i.e. a sentence expressed in such a way as to elicit information), the research objectives are relevant to the research question and phrased in appropriate Masters Level language (EG: "To critically evaluate...", "To investigate...", "To determine..." etc.). In this chapter, students should also introduce the structure of the thesis and provide readers with an overview of the contents of each chapter.
In summary, the introduction should:
? briefly describe the context
? identify the general subject matter
? describe the issue or problem to be reported on
? state the specific questions the report answers
? outline the scope of the report (extent of investigation)
? preview the report structure
? comment on the limitations of the report and any assumptions made.

Critical Literature Review
The Critical Literature Review should be 1,500 words in length approximately. It is the chapter in which students critically evaluate academic scholarship on their chosen topic. The student should read the literature on their topic, form key headings for the literature review and critically evaluate previous research on the topic. In the context of a literature review, "critical" means that the student is intellectually engaged with the key debates in the literature on the topic in question. Students conduct the literature review to understand the academic conversation on a particular topic or subject and determine what the expert perspective is. There may well be a divergence of opinion on a subject, or that different aspects of the subject have been previously explored. The goal of the literature review is to evaluate the current body of knowledge and formulate an academically relevant research question from this review. Students should try, wherever possible, to identify gaps in the current body of knowledge and ways in which they could contribute to the discourse on a particular topic. For students engaging in quantitative research, it is useful to refer to hypotheses formulated during the research process in the Critical Literature Review, so examiners can see a clear link between the hypotheses and the extant literature.

Research Methodology
The Research Methodology should be 1,000 words in length approximately. In this chapter, the student should re-state the research question and objectives/hypotheses for the benefit of the reader, having completed the literature review the focus of the research project should be made clear. Students should explain the research methods used and provide rationale and justification for the research design of the study. They should explain how they have collected their data, and the sampling strategy they adopted for the work. Students should also explain how they have conducted their analysis and interpretation of the data they have generated during the inquiry, and the ways they have ensured the trustworthiness, reliability and validity of their data and analysis.

In this chapter, students should also discuss the limitations of their research, and any challenges they may have encountered in the research process (access to interviewees, survey response rates, etc.). Students can use a single methodology (EG: Questionnaires/Depth Interviews), or use multiple data collection approaches as part of either a case study or mixed methods study. Primary and/or secondary data collection approaches are acceptable for the dissertation project. Students are advised to collect a minimum of 8 hours of qualitative data (for a qualitative study), 100 questionnaires (for a quantitative study), or whatever appropriate balance for a mixed methods study. The nature of the topic and the methodology must also be considered in how much data the student will collect, and consultation with the supervisor is vital prior to the data collection phase of the project. Students collecting secondary data as part of a Case Study or other secondary data project should agree an appropriate level of data collection with their supervisors.

Data Analysis
The Data Analysis chapter should be 2,000 words in length approximately. This chapter accounts for 35% of the marks, and is a vitally important chapter for the dissertation. In this chapter, the student must analyse the data collected and identify key patterns from the analysis. These can take the form of overarching themes (in qualitative research), hypothesis testing (in quantitative research), or key tabulations from secondary quantitative data using SPSS, Eviews or other statistical software. Students should read their data with their research question and objectives in mind and ensure that the analysis adequately helps to address the overall aims of the research project. In this chapter, students should also compare and contrast their findings with previous studies for consistency, and evaluate the significance of their findings. It is also useful if students formulate a clear thesis (argument) from their analysis of the data collected in this chapter.

Conclusion
The Conclusion chapter should be 500 words in length approximately. In this chapter, students should reflect upon their research question and objectives/hypotheses, and the answers they have developed from the findings of their research project. They should also consider the theoretical (do the findings challenge existing theory?) and managerial implications (what do the findings imply for practicing managers/practitioners/public sector leaders of the research project). Crucially, students must show how they have addressed the research question and objectives they originally formulated for the research project.
When writing conclusions:
? interpret and summarise the findings; say what they mean
? relate the conclusions to the report issue/problem
? limit the conclusions to the data presented; do not introduce new material
? number the conclusions and present them in parallel form
? be objective: avoid exaggerating or manipulating the data.

Recommendations
The Recommendations chapter should be 500 words in length approximately. Recommendations are oriented to the future: what changes are recommended, or what actions are recommended for the future? They are specific, action-oriented suggestions to solve the report problem. Students should make recommendations for management practice, wider society (if applicable) and importantly for future research projects, which may be particularly helpful for students undertaking dissertations in future cohorts. Students should also critically reflect upon their findings and consider their implications.
When writing recommendations:
? make specific suggestions for actions to solve the report problem
? avoid conditional words such as maybe and perhaps
? present each suggestion separately and begin with a verb
? number the recommendations
? describe how the recommendations may be implemented (if you were requested to do this)
? arrange the recommendations in an announced order, such as most important to least important.

Bibliography and Appendices
The Bibliography of sources should include all sources cited in the dissertation as well as all sources which helped to formulate the approach to the topic, this is not included in the overall word count. All references should be cited using "Cite Them Right", and dissertations should all conform to this referencing standard. Footnotes and/or Endnotes can be provided if students wish to further elaborate on a particular point made in the text of the dissertation. All references cited in the Bibliography must be in alphabetical order. Students can also include an Appendices which should include a sample of the questionnaire used, interview guides, sample interview transcripts (a minimum of three), or any other secondary documentation referred to in the dissertation. Any material in the appendices in any language other than English must be translated for the benefit of the reader.

Summary of the Applied Research Project Structure
You have been asked to produce a postgraduate piece of applied research (dissertation). In summary it should contain the following:
* Title Page, including the given title in full.
• Word count; excluding abstract, appendices and reference list
• Abstract (No more than 250 words and not included in the overall word count)
• Contents Page
• Introduction Chapter (500 words)
• Literature Review (1,500 words)
• Research Methodology (1,000 words)
• Data Analysis (2,000 words)
• Conclusion (500 words)
• Recommendations (500 words)
• Appendices, which should be numbered - Make sure you refer your reader to them as required.

Attachment:- The Applied Business Project.rar