MGMT620-15S1 (C) Semester One 2015

Research Methods

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 23 February 2015
End Date: Sunday, 28 June 2015
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 8 March 2015
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 24 May 2015

Description

This course focuses on the conceptualisation of research issues in the field of management, the various management research paradigms in use, and the methodological approaches employed in management research. It discusses the nature and use of quantitative and qualitative methods in academic management research. This includes the development of research questions within a theoretical system informed by management and organization theories, and with a view to the appropriate methods of data collection and analysis, as well as the reporting and communication of research results.

A core course for all postgraduate students in both Management and Marketing. This paper provides an overview of the research process, and examines the different types of research philosophies used to help develop theory. An in-depth examination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques is provided to assist students when designing their own research study.

Relationship to Other Courses
This course is a core requirement for the MCom in Management, MCom in Marketing, BCom(Hons) in Management, and BCom(Hons) in Marketing.

It is also the prerequisite for MGMT/MKTG680 (Management/Marketing Dissertation) or MGMT/MKTG694 (Management/Marketing Thesis).

Workload
The total workload for this course is about 300 hours in total. This is made up approximately as follows:
Lectures/Computer tutorials 48 hours
Assignments 150 hours
Lecture preparation and follow-up 102 hours
Total 300 hours

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of competing research philosophies and paradigms.
2. Be able to develop a literature driven research question.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques.
5. Be able to interpret the results of data analysis.
6. Be able to critically assess research articles and reports that use qualitative and quantitative methods.
7. Be able to write a research proposal for a defined audience.

Master of Commerce Learning Goals
1. Graduates can demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of current theoretical concepts and frameworks within their major discipline.
2. Graduates are able to think logically, analytically and critically with respect to the academic literature in their major discipline.
3. Graduates can plan and carry out a supervised programme of academic research that shows a sound understanding of ethical practice.
4. Graduates are able to synthesise academic or professional literature and effectively communicate research orally and in written form.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Head of Department

Restrictions

Timetable Note

Computer labs will be scheduled in the Wednesday class during weeks 9, 10 and 11.
Details will be provided later.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Kevin Voges

Lecturers

Colleen Mills and Michael Hall

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
One-page Initial Research Proposal 25 Mar 2015 10% One-page Initial Research Proposal
Literature Review 13 May 2015 30% Literature Review
Research Proposal Presentation 20% Research Proposal Presentation
Research Proposal 15 Jun 2015 40% Research Proposal


One-page Initial Research Proposal 25 March 10%
This one-page research project proposal will be used to assign your supervisor(s) for the research project or thesis. The supervisor(s) will then be able to help with the development of your detailed proposal during Term 2. The full proposal (oral and written presentations) is due at the end of the course.

This short proposal will need to explain your research idea, catch attention, and show some awareness of the current literature surrounding the topic. The project details will be expanded and modified as the project proposal is refined in consultation with your supervisor(s).

Literature Review 13 May 30%
The literature review can either be on one of the topics provided (see details online) or, with approval, on a topic of your own choosing, which may be the literature review for your project. However, there is likely to be significant differences between this literature review assignment and what you hand in for the research proposal, as the proposal will need to be significantly more focussed on the problem you are tackling.

The word limit is between 4,000 and 7,000 words, including references (remember that the references list will make up a significant proportion of the word count).

Further discussion on undertaking literature reviews will be covered in class in Week 2. A substantial body of readings is also available via Learn.

Research Proposal Presentation 8/9 June (TBC) 20%
The research proposal presentation will be based on your written proposal. It should focus on the research problem, give a brief overview of the relevant literature, outline your proposed methodology, and speculate on the academic and practical contributions of the research.

Presentation length will depend on numbers in the class and will be finalised later, but should be between 15 and 20 minutes, including time for questions. The proposal will be presented to the whole class, the course lecturers, and your project supervisor(s) and other academic staff depending on their availability. Feedback will be provided that you can then incorporate into your written proposal, due one week later. (MCom Learning Goal 4)

Research Proposal 15 June 40%
Your proposal will outline the details of your MGMT/MKTG 680 research project or MGMT /MKTG694 research thesis. It should be no more than 20 pages long (excluding the references list), use 12pt Times New Roman font, 1.5 spacing, at least 1.5 inch margins all around the page.  Please ensure you follow the APA style for citations and references. Potential headings to be used in the research proposal could include (but are not limited to) short abstract [Not included in the 20 pages], introduction (including aims and objectives), literature review, methodology (including justification for choice of method), timeline for research, budget, ethical issues and approval, potential academic and practical contributions, and a summary/conclusion. More details, including the marking criteria, will be provided during the semester. (MCom Learning Goal 4)

Further details on assessment activities will be provided throughout the semester (in class and via Learn).

Grading
Marks may be scaled to a mean of 65 and a standard deviation of 18 before a final grade is determined. You should not regard 50% as a pass mark.

Textbooks / Resources

Readings are available on the course Learn site.

Online Resources
Lecture notes, assignment details, announcements relating to the course, and marks for assessment items will be available via the UC Learn site.

Check the MGMT/MKTG 620-S1 Learn site regularly for notices and updates.

Notes

Class Representative
A class representative may be asked to volunteer in the first few weeks of class. Any problems with the course can be raised with the class rep. Their email can be found at UCSA. The class representative will take up any issues raised by class members with the lecturer concerned as they occur.

Departmental Academic Policies The Department assumes that you have read this document.

You should also read the General Course and Examination Regulations

Dishonest Practice
The University of Canterbury considers cheating and plagiarism to be serious acts of dishonesty.  All assessed work must be your own individual work unless specifically stated otherwise in the assessment guidelines. Material quoted from any other source must be clearly acknowledged. You must not copy the work of another person (student or published work) in any assessment including examinations, tests and assignments. Any person, who is found to have copied someone else's work, or to have allowed their work to be copied, will receive a fail grade for that piece of assessment and may face disciplinary action which may lead to a fine, community service or exclusion from the university.

IMPORTANT: Where there are concerns regarding the authorship of written course work, a student can be required to provide a formal, oral explanation of the content of their work.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,761.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Management, Marketing and Tourism .

All MGMT620 Occurrences

  • MGMT620-15S1 (C) Semester One 2015
  • MGMT620-15S2 (C) Semester Two 2015 - Not Offered