Assessment Details and Submission GuidelinesTrimesterT1 2021Unit CodeHI6008Unit TitleBusiness Research ProjectAssessment TypeGroup* Report on Research Design and MethodologyAssessment TitleBusiness Research Design and MethodologyPurpose of the assessment (with ULO Mapping)The purpose of this assessment is to ensure each student is able to demonstrate their application of relevant business research methodology, including proposed sample frame, data collection, analysis and interpretation. A brief presentation in-class may be requested by your lecturer. Matches to Unit Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7Weight30 % of the total assessmentsTotal Marks30Word limit2500 wordsDue DateBefore midnight on the Friday of Week 10, i.e. 28 May SSubmission GuidelinesAll work must be submitted on Blackboard by 12 midnight on the due date, with a completed Assignment Cover Page as one single document. [If no cover page your mark may be reduced -20%; Late submissions attract penalties at the rate of -5% per day]The group members’ names and student numbers listed on the Cover Page must align with the members officially registered in your group. [any errors or omissions may affect your grade and there is no guarantee of any adjustment] The assignment must be in MS Word format, 1.5 spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings, paragraphing, and page numbers. Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list, all using adapted Harvard referencing style. This submission requires an appendix in which it is stated which members of the group actually wrote which sections of the Business Research Design and Methodology.Adapted Harvard Referencing Holmes has now implemented a revised Harvard approach to referencing: Reference sources in assignments are limited to sources which provide full text access to the source’s content for lecturers and markers. The Reference list should be located on a separate page at the end of the essay and titled: References. It should include the details of all the in-text citations, arranged alphabetically A-Z by author surname. In addition, it MUSTinclude a hyperlink to the full text of the cited reference source. For example;P Hawking, B McCarthy, A Stein (2004), Second Wave ERP Education, Journal of Information Systems Education, Fall, http://jise.org/Volume15/n3/JISEv15n3p327.pdf All assignments will require additional in-text reference details which will consist of the surname of the author/authors or name of the authoring body, year of publication, page number of content, paragraph where the content can be found.For example;“The company decided to implement a enterprise wide data warehouse business intelligence strategies (Hawking et al, 2004, p3(4)).” Non Adherence to Referencing Guidelines Where students do not follow the above guidelines: Students who submit assignments which do not comply with the guidelines may be required to resubmit their assignments or incur penalties for inadequate referencing. Late penalties will apply per day after a student or group has been notified of a resubmission requirements. Students whose citations are fake will be reported for academic misconduct. * Note: Students will already be officially registered into small assignment groups, consisting of 3, 2, or 1 persons. Assignment 3 Specifications Purpose: This unit aims to give you an opportunity to combine many facets of your acquired MBA skills into the production of a high-quality research report. Assignment 3 – the Research Design and Methodology – is to ensure each student is able to contribute to the construction of a written report demonstrating their understanding of the business research paradigm, appropriate methodology, data collection, analysis and interpretation. You will work in a group of up to 3 persons. Your respective contributions will be governed by your Team Charter, which you produced at the same time as your Topic Approval submission. Additionally, you are required to append to this report a statement indicating ‘who wrote which sections’. This assessment builds upon your Literature Review (assessment 2) in that you are now aware of what additional data is needed to lead you to the answer to your research question(s) (as defined in Topic Approval (assessment 1). Rather than search for additional secondary data, this methodology report requires you to specify what primary data you would hope to collect, by applying qualitative or quantitative methods. [Note that you are NOT required to actually go out and collect primary data]. In this assessment you will document what your team has decided as the most appropriate methodology. If you choose a quantitative approach, you will go ahead and state your hypothesis, how you intend to verify it, what data you need, how it can be collected and analysed. If you choose a qualitative approach, you will go ahead and decide which method is appropriate, how you would design the questionnaire (including a few example questions), and state how you would collate and interpret your data. [Note that you are NOT required to actually obtain primary data]. Your tutor will LEAD and FACILITATE you through the process, week by week. The learning will be progressive, so for best results you will need to be in weekly contact with your lecturer during class time at your campus. This submission requires an appendix in which it is stated which members of the group actually wrote which sections of the Business Research Design and Methodology. Assignment Structure should be as the following: Introduction (an edited and adjusted version of your topic approval) including a justification for your research question(s).A detailed research methodology addressing the qualitative-quantitative debate, hypothesis (if appropriate), additional secondary data, proposed primary data sample size and sampling approach, questionnaire design factors (include some sample questions), data collection method, envisaged analysis and interpretation.A summary of your findings OR what you would expect to findA conclusion (relating back to your original research problem and question(s))List of references in Harvard style (only for sources mentioned in this submission)The appended statement of ‘Who Wrote What’ Note: Approval may be requested (via your tutor to be approved by the Unit Coordinator) to undertake this assignment with variation, such as a Business Plan or Business Development Case. If that is approved the Assignment Structure and Marking Criteria may differ accordingly. HI6008 Assignment 3 – Research Design and Methodology – Marking Rubric Excellent [5 marks]Very Good [4 marks]Good [3 Marks]Satisfactory [2 marks]Unsatisfactory [0-1 mark]Report Layout and Flow (max 5)Report creates an excellent overall impressionReport creates a very good overall impressionReport creates a good overall impressionReport creates a satisfactory overall impressionUnprofessional or confusingResearch Design (max 5)Ample evidence of advanced understanding regarding research designEvidence of very good understanding regarding research designEvidence of good understanding regarding research designSatisfactory understanding regarding research designMissing or confusingSample of Questions (max 5)Example questions are excellent, with an indicative range of purposeful questionsExample questions are very good, with a range of purposeful questionsExample questions are good, with purposeful questionsExample questions are satisfactory,Missing or confusingData (max 5)Excellent understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretation relevant to this researchVery good understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretationGood understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretationSatisfactory understanding of sampling, data collection, analysis and interpretationMissing or confusingExpected Findings and Conclusion (max 5)Excellent indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s)Very good indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s)Good indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s)Satisfactory indication of how expected findings link to literature review and research problem and research question(s)Missing or confusingReference List and Appendix (max 5)Up to 5 marks if Reference List is Accurate and follows Harvard style and Statement of Who Wrote What is precise.No marks if either is missingTotal Marks (30)/30Late penalty / Cover Sheet penalty…………………. Days @ -5% per day = ………………….No cover sheet / incorrect / inaccurate / not single document = – ……………..% (max -20%)/30 Note: In the event that your project report was approved to be based on a business project, company-specific consultation, or business planning project, such projects may need to be marked using different criteria.
