The Research Process and Sustainable Business Projects

BMAN75112 The Research Process and Sustainable Business Projects 15 Semester 2 Postgraduate Taught Level 7 Josephine Mylan Unit coordinator Michael Hodson Unit coordinator Alliance Manchester Business School 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 7.5 What kinds of knowledge are required to effectively understand sustainable business solutions and how can this knowledge be produced and communicated in a way that is both useful and robust? The unit emphasises the importance of critical thinking in designing research processes to address this question. It sees research design as a systematic process and as a craft, that requires researchers to make informed choices. The unit is organised around producing a research/project proposal to address sustainable business solutions and the steps involved in this. It aims to bring together questions of how we see the sustainable business world, as a focus of inquiry, with how we can know it, through systematic processes of research.Using real world challenges (framed by sustainable business practitioners), students learn a range of research techniques to critically analyse and assess evidence about the problem and develop evidence-based arguments in support of their proposed sustainable solutions.   What kinds of knowledge are required to effectively understand sustainable business solutions and how can this knowledge be produced and communicated in a way that is both useful and robust? The unit emphasises the importance of critical thinking in designing research processes to address this question. It sees research design as a systematic process and as a craft, that requires researchers to make informed choices. The unit is organised around producing a research/project proposal to address sustainable business solutions and the steps involved in this. It aims to bring together questions of how we see the sustainable business world, as a focus of inquiry, with how we can know it, through systematic processes of research.Using real world challenges (framed by sustainable business practitioners), students learn a range of research techniques to critically analyse and assess evidence about the problem and develop evidence-based arguments in support of their proposed sustainable solutions.   The unit aims to:<ul><li>Introduce students to the ‘research process’ and how this is consequential for knowledge and evidence about sustainable business solutions</li><li>Equip students with knowledge of a variety of research techniques to critically analyse and assess evidence of sustainable business solutions</li><li>Enable students to design, develop and deliver a research/project proposal of a small project to address sustainability challenges</li><li>Enable students to critically evaluate the usefulness of research methodologies for addressing global sustainability challenges and organisational responses</li><li>Provide a collaborative working environment, contributing to the development of effective team dynamics through group-based proposal development.  </li></ul> Demonstrate critical understanding of how to construct a small project to research sustainable business responses/solutionsDemonstrate understanding of the research process and how this is consequential for what kinds of knowledge and evidence about sustainable business solutions are producedDemonstrate knowledge of a variety of research techniques to critically analyse and assess evidence of sustainable business solutions Critically engage with literature on research design and methodologies in relation to sustainable business and sustainable transitionsEvaluate the usefulness of research methodologies for addressing global sustainability challenges and organisational responsesDesign, develop and deliver a research/project proposal of a small project to address sustainability challenges Communicate theory and evidence-based arguments through academic writings and presentationsResearch, synthesise and critically analyse published academic literature on research design and methodology in relation to a sustainable business perspective Demonstrate skills in debating, persuasion and compromise verbally and in writingWork collaboratively, contributing to the development of effective team dynamics and project management processes Syllabus (indicative curriculum content): The unit addresses the question: What kinds of knowledge are required to effectively understand sustainable business solutions and how can this knowledge be produced in a way that is both useful and robust? Using combinations of lectures and workshops, topics covered includes:Varieties of sustainable projects, objects of inquiry and modes of knowledge production Reviewing literatures Framing case-based projects Developing research frameworks Qualitative methods and analysis   Quantitative methods and analysis Communicating Sustainable Business evidence, analysis and knowledge Each week of the unit will be organised around three modes of teaching and learning.Recorded lecture: a one hour recorded (asynchronous) lecture will be posted on the unit Blackboard page at the beginning of each week. The recorded lecture will set out the key ideas, theories, concepts and examples in relation to that week’s topic.Face-to-face lecture: there will also be a weekly (synchronous) lecture on the unit. The lecture will be face-to-face and will involve elaboration of the key ideas set out in the recorded lecture and a deepening of understanding via group discussions.Workshop: the unit will also have weekly (synchronous) workshops, in which exercises will be undertaken that contribute to developing practical understanding of the steps involved in producing a Sustainable Business Project report/dissertation proposal. 0 Other 100% Group project proposal OR individual research proposal 70%Individual Assignment 30%  Feedback within 15 days.  Submission: Semester 2, Week 10.Feedback within 15 days. Submission: Semester 2, Week 12. <span class="TextRun SCXW2909073 BCX8 NormalTextRun" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:none !important;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.3458px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-GB" lang="EN-GB">MSc Sustainable Business<span style="background-color:rgb(198,198,198)!important;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif", "Microsoft Sans Serif_EmbeddedFont", "Microsoft Sans Serif_MSFontService", sans-serif;font-size:11pt;"><span class="EOP Selected SCXW2909073 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color:transparent;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-user-drag:none;border-bottom-color:rgb(198, 198, 198);border-left-color:!important;border-right-color:!important;border-top-color:rgb(198, 198, 198);cursor:default;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.3458px;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;user-select:text;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-ccp-props="{}">  N • Beech, J., (2015) Doing your Business Research Project, Sage: London. • Bell, E., Harley, B., and Bryman, A., (2022) Business Research Methods, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 6th Edition. • Bryman, A., (2016) Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 5th Edition. • May, T., and Perry, B., (2022) Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process, McGraw Hill: Maidenhead, 5th Edition. • Robson, C., (2024) Real World Research: A Resource for Users of Social Research Methods in Applied Settings, Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, 5th Edition. Lectures 10 Seminars 10 Supervised time in studio/wksp 10 0 120