Page 1 of 11 FACULTY OF LAW AND BUSINESS Peter Faber Business School Melbourne; North Sydney; Online SEMESTER 1 2017 UNIT CODE: MGMT617 Research Methods UNIT OUTLINE Credit points: 10 Prerequisites/co-requisites/incompatibilities: Nil National Lecturer in Charge Teaching Team: All queries should initially be directed to your campus lecturer listed below. The campus lecturer will consult with the National Lecturer in Charge if necessary. Description This unit helps students understand a range of concepts and techniques associated with both qualitative and quantitative methods of research that are applicable for business, OHSE, and/or information systems. Students will be coached on evaluating appropriate methods of doing particular types of research and will apply some of these techniques in activities and projects. Being able to research new areas is an important skill in many roles within business and this unit will help students understand research applications, methods, design and reporting. Name: Campus: Dr. Judy Rex Melbourne Office location: Level 7, 250 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne Email: [email protected] Telephone: 03 99533570 Contact: By email please Campus: Name: Insert campus Insert lecturer's name Office location: Insert office location Email: insert [email protected] Telephone: Insert ACU telephone number Contact: Preferred means of contact, response time, and/or hoursPage 2 of 11 Mode/attendance pattern: lectures; tutorials; workshops; online Not every request to change tutorials can be accommodated due to various OHSE, university and room size limitations. As a full-time student you are required to be available to attend classes that commence anytime from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday. Students who have medical or personal reasons requiring allocation into certain tutorials are given priority over changes requested due to work commitments. We suggest you continue to attempt to allocate yourself into your preferred tutorial. If you have not been able to allocate yourself into a tutorial by Thursday of the week before semester starts, please resend the request. Duration: 12 week-semester or equivalent. You should anticipate undertaking 150 hours of study for this unit, including class attendance, readings and assignment preparation. LEARNING OUTCOMES On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to: 1. Write a literature review; (GA 4, 5, 8) 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the range of concepts and techniques associated with qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methods; (GA 4, 5, 8, 10) 3. Critically review appropriate research methods for specific research problems; (GA3,4,5,6,8,9) 4. Apply standardized procedures to ensure research is conducted ethically and demonstrates respect for human dignity; (GA 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 8) 5. Design a qualitative and/or quantitative research project and write an associated research proposal. (GA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10) GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES Each unit in your course contributes in some way to the development of the ACU Graduate Attributes which you should demonstrate by the time you complete your course. You can view the ACU Graduate Attributes for all courses at http://www.acu.edu.au/204356. All Australian universities have their expected Graduate Attributes – ACU’s Graduate Attributes have a greater emphasis on ethical behaviour and community responsibility than those of many other universities. All of your units will enable you to develop some attributes. On successful completion of this unit, you should have developed your ability to: GA1 demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity GA2 recognise your responsibility to the common good, the environment and society GA3 apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making GA4 think critically and reflectively GA5 demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession GA7 work both autonomously and collaboratively GA8 locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information GA9 demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media GA10 utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively CONTENT Topics will include:  Types of research  Design and ethical considerations  The research question  Searching and reviewing the literature  Qualitative methods and instrumentsPage 3 of 11  Quantitative methods and instruments  Sampling and data collection  Qualitative data analysis  Presenting and describing quantitative data  Quantitative analyses: estimation and comparison  Quantitative analyses: linear relationships between variables  Writing the report QUALITY ASSURANCE AND STUDENT FEEDBACK This unit has been evaluated through the ‘Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching’ (SELT) online surveys. SELT surveys are usually conducted at the end of the teaching period. Your practical and constructive feedback is valuable to improve the quality of the unit. Please ensure you complete the SELT survey for the unit. You can also provide feedback at other times to the unit lecturers, course coordinators and/or through student representatives. As a result of feedback from 2016, we have made the following changes: Student feedback Our response As this is an online subject students do not have so much time to interact with lecturer for detailed discussion of the method and some problems when doing business research. We will continue to hold classes as needed to assist students with understanding the basics of business research methods, and to work through their assignments and the course material together. Students can also liaise with other students during semester, and with their lecturer during their consultation times to seek assistance with course matters. More detailed notes for the topics and examples to assist in learning We have re written the course notes and are confident that students will find these easier to work through Maybe the deadlines of the assessment could be different from the other units. They always seem to fall in the same fortnight and making a quality paper would be difficult with other units' assessments pending the same week. This is a tricky issue, particularly for this subject as students are also studying many different subjects with differing deadlines for assessment submission. We suggest that students start their assignments earlier, and consider submitting earlier so they can focus on other assignments. SCHEDULE Study schedule For the most up-to-date information, please check your LEO unit and also note advice from your lecturing and tutoring staff for changes to this schedule. Week Starting Lecture & tutorial content & readings Chapter 1 February 27 Business research and the research topic 1, 2 2 March 6 Ethics and completing an ACU Research Ethics Form 6 3 March 13 Critically reviewing the literature 3 4 March 20 Research philosophy 4Page 4 of 11 5 March 27 Formulating the research design 5 6 April 3 Selecting samples 7 7 April 10 Using secondary data 8 UA RECESS 8 April 24 Observation 9 9 May 1 Semi structured, in depth and group interviews and analysis 10, 13 10 May 8 Quantitative data – questionnaires 11 11 May 15 Analysing and presenting quantitative data 12 12 May 21 Writing the report and an overview 14 ASSESSMENT The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for you to demonstrate your achievement of each learning outcome. Compulsory attendance is not applicable to FLB units. In order to pass this unit, you are required to submit the three assessment tasks and complete the hurdle task (ethics application in week 3). The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for you to demonstrate your achievement of each learning outcome. Those students conducting this unit as part of the Master of Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management (OHSEM) will be expected to conduct their project work on project management for an Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (OHSE) issue. Assessment tasks Due date Weighting (%) Learning Outcome/s assessed Graduate Attributes assessed Ethics application Week 3 Hurdle 1, 3, 4 3, 8, 10 Research problem analysis Week 5 20 1, 4 3, 4, 5, 9 Literature review Week 9 30 1, 2 5, 8, 9, 10 Research proposal Week 12 50 3, 4, 5 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 Assessment task 1: Research problem analysis Due date: week 5, before the class Weighting: 20% Length and/or format: 500-750 words Purpose: The purpose of the assessment is to introduce students to the decisions that need to be made when commissioning research. Learning outcomes assessed: 1, 4 How to submit: Students will submit this assignment via turnitin in Leo.Page 5 of 11 Return of assignment: Assignments will be returned 2 weeks after submission. Assessment criteria: Marking rubrics are appended to this outline Assessment task 2: Literature Review Due date: week 9, before the class Weighting: 30% Length and/or format: 1500 words Purpose: To learn how to write a literature review. Learning outcomes assessed: 1, 2 How to submit: Students will submit this assignment via turnitin in Leo. Return of assignment: Assignments will be returned 2 weeks after submission. Assessment criteria: Marking rubrics are appended to this outline Assessment task 3: Research Proposal Due date: End of week 12, by Friday at 5pm Weighting: 50% Length and/or format: 2000 words Purpose: To give students the opportunity to learn how to write a research proposal Learning outcomes assessed: 3, 4, 5 How to submit: Students will submit this assignment via turnitin in Leo. Return of assignment: Assignments will be returned 2 weeks after submission. Assessment criteria: Marking rubrics are appended to this outline REFERENCING This Unit requires you to use the Harvard referencing system. See the Academic Skills Unit for assistance with this: https://students.acu.edu.au/806410. ACU POLICIES AND REGULATIONS It is your responsibility to read and familiarise yourself with ACU policies and regulations, including regulations on examinations; review and appeals; acceptable use of IT facilities; and conduct and responsibilities. These are in the ACU Handbook, which is available in the Library or on the ACU website at http://www.acu.edu.au/142401. For services and support in relation to ACU policies see: http://students.acu.edu.au/241467. Assessment Policy and Procedures You must read the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures in the University Handbook. In particular, the rules on deadlines: penalties for late submission; extensions; and special consideration https://handbook.acu.edu.au/949064. For queries on Assessment Policy, see your Lecturer in Charge. Word limits Word limits will be enforced with penalties. The marking penalty for exceeding the word limit will bePage 6 of 11 calculated as follows: 5% of the total available marks for the piece of work will be deducted from the student’s mark for each 10% or part thereof by which the number of words in the student’s piece of work exceeds the relevant word limit. Late submission Unless an extension is granted, essays/assignments submitted after the due date will incur a 5% per calendar day penalty based on the maximum marks available for that assessment task. This penalty will run up to a maximum of 15%. Assessment tasks received more than three calendar days after the due or extended date will not be allocated a mark. Note: The 5% penalty will be incurred for each whole or part of a calendar day that the work is overdue. Extensions For extension of time for assessments, please see: https://students.acu.edu.au/154914. Timely submission is critical. Academic integrity You have the responsibility to submit only work which is your own, or which properly acknowledges the thoughts, ideas, findings and/or work of others. The Framework for Academic Integrity and the Academic Honesty Policy are available at https://students.acu.edu.au/806310. Please read them, and note in particular that plagiarism, collusion and recycling of assignments are not acceptable. Penalties for academic dishonesty can vary in severity, and can include being excluded from the course. Turnitin The ‘Turnitin’ application (a text-matching tool) will be used in this unit, in order to enable:  students to improve their academic writing by identifying possible areas of poor citation and referencing in their written work; and  teaching staff to identify areas of possible plagiarism in students’ written work. While Turnitin can help in identifying problems with plagiarism, avoiding plagiarism is more important. Information on avoiding plagiarism is available from the LEO Academic Skills Unit: https://leo.acu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=12421. For any assignment that has been created to allow submission through Turnitin (check the Assignment submission details for each assessment task), you should submit your draft well in advance of the due date (ideally, several days before) to ensure that you have time to work on any issues identified by Turnitin. On the assignment due date, lecturers will have access to your final submission, and the Turnitin Originality Report. STUDENT SUPPORT If you are experiencing difficulties with learning, life issues or pastoral/spiritual concerns, or have a disability/medical condition which may impact on your studies, you are advised to notify your Lecturer in Charge, Course Coordinator and/or one of the services listed below as soon as possible. For all aspects of support please contact the Student Services and Support https://students.acu.edu.au/801831 which can assist you with the following:  Academic Skills offers a variety of services, including workshops (on topics such as assignment writing, time management, reading strategies, referencing), drop-in sessions, group appointments and individual consultations. It has a 24-hour online booking system for individual or group consultations.  Campus Ministry offers pastoral care, spiritual leadership and opportunities for you to be involved with community projects.  The Counselling Service is a free, voluntary, confidential and non-judgmental service open to allPage 7 of 11 students and staffed by qualified social workers or registered psychologists.  Disability Services can assist you if you need educational adjustments because of a disability or chronic medical condition; please contact them as early as possible.  Indigenous student communities and support on each campus provide information and support for students.  The Student Advocacy Service is an information, advice and referral service.  Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) can improve your marks and increase your academic success.  IT information and resources assist you with your IT needs at ACU.  AskACU is a first point of contact for all enquiries for your proposed or current studies.  Careers and Opportunities services can assist you with finding employment, preparing a resume and employment application and preparing for interviews. ONLINE RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS The LEO page for this unit contains further readings/ discussion forums. In addition, for this unit you will be required to use the following technologies: SPSS TEXTS AND REFERENCES: Required text(s) Saunders, M, Lewis P and Thornbill, A, 2016, Research Methods for Business Students, Pearson Education Ltd, 7th edn, England. Recommended references Allen, P, Bennett, K & Heritage B 2014, SPSS Statistics Version 22: A Practical Guide, 3rd edn., Cengage Learning, or e-book, available from https://cengagebrain.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780170350686/cfi/0 Ridley, D 2012, The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students, 2nd edn, Sage, London. Sekaran, U & Bougie, R 2013, Research methods for business: a skill-building approach, 6th edn, Wiley, Chichester. Zikmund, WG Babin, BJ Carr, JC & Griffin, M 2013, Business research methods, 9th edn, SouthWestern, Cengage Learning, Mason OH This site is also useful http://users.ugent.be/~dgosseli/Presentations/PhD-Thesis-Approach.pdfPage 8 of 11 APPENDICES Assessment 1 details You have been invited to commission business research about one of the tasks which are listed below. You can assume that you will have no problems about gaining access to an organisation’s data records and personnel.  What are the issues related to ACU employees’ work-related stress including a comparison between the workers at different job levels and on different campuses?  What are the customer needs and perceptions of airlines?  Why does a government organisation have such a high staff turnover?  Why are customers switching to competitors’ online stores?  ACU wants to determine whether there is an opportunity to offer/a viable new course offering for a new postgraduate qualification for financial planners in Australia in light of the new requirement that all financial planners will need to be degree qualified, (that is, hold a relevant degree), by 2021. Currently, 75% of the 22,000 registered financial planners are not degree qualified.  What is the status of female employment opportunities in senior management?  To what extent do organisations care about workplace bullying?  What is the future of Management Accounting in Australia?  How does ethics education impact ethical awareness in accounting students in Australia. (Perhaps a comparative study between ACU and other universities?) For the task you chose, you need to do the following. 1. Describe your proposed research problem based on what is known. In other words, you need to examine (about) 10 recent refereed journal articles and other sources to describe this. What is missing or needs further research, based on the existing knowledge? In other words, in what way is this body of knowledge incommensurate with reality or with your experiences? 2. Propose a research question that solves the problem based on the literature. 3. What are your research objectives (can be exploratory or explanatory) The essay has to be coherent, logical, clear, well-argued and precise as discussed in the class. Assessment 2 details The purpose of this task is to take a critical look at the literature that already exists in an area of interest to you. A literature review includes a critical analysis and evaluation of the existing literature and combines the literature from different journals and other sources that you have read. It demonstrates the relevance of the existing research and your knowledge of the topic area. Literature can include books, journal articles, newspapers, magazines, theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, reports, and documentaries. In the literature review, you need to include a discussion about the accepted facts in the area, the main constructs and variables that are important and the relationship between them. This will also include suggestions for further research in the area. In other words, it is much like the journal articles that you have read – except that it is more up to date and more comprehensive. You have 2 options: Choose your own topic (email this to your lecturer to check) OR, use the topic from the first assessment task. Use 10-15 journal articles and other sources to write a literature review about your chosen topic. The majority of these journals should be post 2010, and come from peer reviewed and other sources that imply a check of quality.Page 9 of 11 First, you need to develop a list of the topics that need to be addressed in the literature review, based on the gaps in the knowledge that you have found from your readings. Then make a review of the findings based on your readings. You need to demonstrate that you can think critically and reflectively; show an understanding of the important literature in the topic area, taking local and international perspectives into account, locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information; demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language, and utilise information technologies effectively. Assessment 3 details Using the literature review from assessment task 2 (which you can modify based on feedback!), this assessment task requires you to develop a research proposal in accordance with the following guidelines: 1. The proposal should be describe research that you can realistically carry out, so you need to consider available resource requirements as you create your design. 2. Define your research problem based on existing literature, using the literature review that you wrote for assessment 2. You should summarise the literature review that you did for assessment 2 based on the feedback from the lecturer, to provide evidence that your proposed investigation is relevant and able to supply new information to add to the body of knowledge in your chosen topic. 3. Discuss the methods that are required to carry out the research. You need to recommend either exploratory or conclusive research. If necessary, you could justify the inclusion of both exploratory and conclusive research, but this could make the proposal too complex. Please discuss this with your lecturer. You should also describe issues of access to your target population, the proposed sampling method, the instrument(s) to be used and the recording of data. You need to defend your research method as appropriate, and ensure that your sampling method is compatible with the research method. 4. You need to develop the instrument(s) that you will use, including about 8-10 topics for the exploratory, or about 4-6 questions (not including demographics) for the conclusive research. Your research instrument may be based on, and modified from existing research. You do not need to provide evidence of the validation of your Instrument(s), but you should explain the methods and criteria you would use in such validation. 5. Specify how you would analyse your data. Explain the methods to be used, what specific techniques you would be able to use, and what skills you would need to call on or acquire.Page 10 of 11 APPENDIX APPENDIX Rubric - Assessment Task 1: Research Problem Analysis ILOs Criteria Standards Below Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Level 1 (e.g. F) Level 2 (e.g. P) Level 3 (e.g. C) Level 4 (e.g. D) Level 5 (e.g. HD) 1,4 Clarity of description of research problem (12 Marks) Research problem poorly articulated, definitions inaccurate or poorly sourced. Research problem described adequately, definitions appropriate. Significance minimally noted. Research problem described adequately, definitions appropriate. A number of issues of significance noted. Research problem clearlydescribed, definitions clear, current and accurate, significance of the research clearly and thoroughly articulated. Outstanding description of research problem, definitions clear, current and accurate, significance of the research clearly and thoroughly articulated, and contextualized to a contemporary setting. 1,4 Research question (4 Marks) Poor language, difficult to understand, poorly conceptualized question Question clear but with some minimal conceptual issues needing refinement. Question clear, conceptualization adequate Question very clear, conceptualization wellarticulated, accurate and builds on previous research. Outstanding question, clear, conceptually correct using appropriate academic terms. 1,4 Research Objectives (4 Marks) Research objectives not clear, research questions poorly formulated and/or aligned to research question. Research objectives able to be understood but need refinement, research questions adequately formulated and/or aligned to research question. Research objectives clear, research questions well formulated and/or aligned to research question. Research objectives very clear, relevant and identifies a gap in the research. Very well formulated and aligned to research question. Outstanding objectives clear, highly relevant, insightful and demonstrates comprehensive analysis to builds on gaps in body of knowledge, taking local and international perspectives into account. Very well formulated and aligned to research question.Page 11 of 11 Rubric - Assessment Task 2: Literature Review ILOs Criteria Standards Below Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Level 1 (e.g. F) Level 2 (e.g. P) Level 3 (e.g. C) Level 4 (e.g. D) Level 5 (e.g. HD) 1,2 Clarity of description of research area (5 Marks) Issue poorly articulated, definitions inaccurate or poorly sourced. Issue described adequately, definitions appropriate. Issue described adequately, definitions appropriate. Issue clearly-described, definitions clear, current and accurate, significance of the issue clearly and thoroughly articulated. Issue clearly-described, definitions clear, current and accurate, significance of the issue clearly and thoroughly articulated, and contextualized to a contemporary setting. 1,2 Research/Evidence Base (10 Marks) Does not identify accepted facts, main constructs and variables, main methodological techniques and areas for future research. No references or citations. Identifies minimal accepted facts, main constructs and variables, main methodological techniques and areas for future research. Provides general references to literature to support assertions. Identifies accepted facts, main constructs and variables, main methodological techniques and areas for future research. Provides appropriate quality references to literature to support assertions. Clearly discusses all relevant accepted facts, main constructs and variables, main methodological techniques and areas for future research. Provides high quality and number of references to literature. Shows awareness of limitations that might exist in the literature. Discusses all relevant accepted facts, main constructs and variables, main methodological techniques and areas for future research. Makes novel links. Provides high quality and number of references to literature. Shows awareness of limitations that might exist in the literature. Very recent references used skillfully 1,2 Analysis and critical thinking (10 Marks) Content is not relevant; no analysis or evidence of critical thinking. Does not identify the relevant issues in the aspects of the OHSE issue under consideration. Content is relevant, but superficial, with minimal analysis; recalls known information. Addresses relevant issues in the parts of the OHSE issue under consideration in a rudimentary manner. Content is relevant, insightful and shows thoughtful analysis; summarizes known information. Content is highly relevant, insightful and shows comprehensive analysis and depth; draws relevant conclusions from information presented. Content is highly relevant, insightful and shows comprehensive analysis and depth; draws relevant conclusions from information presented and is contextualized to a contemporary setting. 2 Clarity of Expression, Language, and Grammar (5 Marks) Misuse of language, difficult to understand, significant grammatical errors. Paper poorly structured. Common use of language with some grammatical errors, adequately structured. Appropriate language with minimal grammatical errors. Structure of adequate. Scholarly language with no grammatical errors, wellstructured and easy to follow. Scholarly language with no errors, well- structured and easy to follow. Provides a unique perspective.Page 12 of 11 Rubric – Assessment task 3 – Research Proposal ILOs Criteria Standards Below Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Level 1 (e.g. F) Level 2 (e.g. P) Level 3 (e.g. C) Level 4 (e.g. D) Level 5 (e.g. HD) 3, 4 Methodological Consistency (10 Marks) Link between problem statement, research objectives, research questions and choice of methods is not evident/clear. Link between problem statement, research objectives, research questions and choice of methods is able to be understood. Link between problem statement, research objectives, research questions and choice of methods is clear. Link between problem statement, research objectives, research questions and choice of methods is clear. Link between problem statement, research objectives, research questions and choice of methods is clear. 4 Terminological consistency and explanation of contribution (10 Marks) There is no clarity/ consistency in the language/terminology between the research proposal and that in the body of knowledge. Explanation of significance/contribution is not clear. There is some clarity and the language/terminology is generally consistent with that in the body of knowledge. Explanation of significance/contribution is adequate. There is clarity and the language/terminology is consistent with that in the body of knowledge. Explanation of significance/contribution is clear. There is high clarity and the language/terminology is consistent with that in the body of knowledge. Explanation of significance/contribution is clear and well-articulated. There is very high clarity and the language/terminology is highly consistent with that in the body of knowledge. Explanation of significance/contribution is well argued and persuasive. 4, 5 Discussion on sampling and data collection and analytic methods Overall assessment of research proposal (24 Marks) There is no/severely limited discussion of sample population, sampling method, sample size, data collection tools, procedure, analytic method and ethics. Overall, a poor research proposal that lacks clarity and details. There is some discussion of sample population, sampling method, sample size, data collection tools, procedure, analytic method and ethics. Overall, a fair research proposal that lacks clarity and a good understanding of the research requirements. There is clear discussion of sample population, sampling method, sample size, data collection tools, procedure, analytic method and ethics. Overall, a good research proposal that demonstrates some clarity and a good understanding of the research requirements. There is clear and thorough discussion of sample population, sampling method, sample size, data collection tools, procedure, analytic method and ethics. Appropriate academic terminology and issues are used/identified. Overall, a very good research proposal that demonstrates very good clarity and a very good understanding of the research requirements. There is high quality and thorough discussion of sample population, sampling method, sample size, data collection tools, procedure, analytic method and ethics. Highly-level academic terminology and issues are used/identified. Overall, an excellent research proposal in all respects. 3,4 Clarity of Expression, Language, and Grammar (6 Marks) Poorly structured, copied and pasted from web sources. Misuse of language, difficult to understand, significant grammatical errors. Proposal poorly structured. Common use of language with some grammatical errors. Proposal adequately structured. Common use of language with minimal grammatical errors. Proposal adequately structured. Appropriate language with minimal grammatical errors. Structure of Proposal adequate. Correct academic business language with no grammatical errors, well- structured and easy to follow.