BE425-5-SP-CO:
Research Methods in Management and Marketing
2023/24
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
15
15 September 2023
Requisites for this module
BE400 or BE401
(none)
(none)
(none)
BE938, BE939, BE940
BSC NN24 Accounting and Management,
BSC NN27 Accounting and Management (Including Placement Year),
BSC NN42 Accounting and Management (Including Foundation Year),
BSC NNK2 Accounting and Management (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N200 Business Management,
BSC N201 Business Management (Including Foundation Year),
BSC N202 Business Management (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N204 Business Management (Including Placement Year),
BA NR19 Business Management and Modern Languages,
BA N1R9 Business Management with a Modern Language,
BSC N2N5 Management and Marketing (Including Foundation Year),
BSC NN25 Management and Marketing,
BSC NN2M Management and Marketing (Including Placement Year),
BSC NNF5 Management and Marketing (Including Year Abroad),
BA N19R Business Management and Language Studies,
BSC N344 Finance and Management,
BSC N345 Finance and Management (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N346 Finance and Management (Including Placement Year),
BSC N347 Finance and Management (Including Foundation Year),
MMANNN35 Marketing and Management,
MMANNN36 Marketing and Management (Including Placement Year),
MMANNN37 Marketing and Management (Including Year Abroad),
BSC N260 Business and Human Resource Management,
BSC N261 Business and Human Resource Management (including Placement Year),
BSC N262 Business and Human Resource Management (including Year Abroad),
BSC N263 Business and Human Resource Management (Including Foundation Year),
BA N29RCO Business Management with Language Studies
Research Methods in Management and Marketing is designed to develop your research skills and knowledge in order to prepare you for both related modules in subsequent years at university and for life after finishing your studies. Understanding how to produce sound research questions and how to
undertake research are essential life and work skills. This module will introduce research as a practice, and provide an overview of how to develop research questions and how to understand the ethics and various issues at stake in undertaking research. It will also introduce students to some of the various approaches to undertaking research, both qualitative and quantitative, and how to
present research to a range of audiences. Students completing this module should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the main
quantitative and qualitative methods used in management and marketing research, and an appreciation of the practical application of these methods in a variety of research settings. Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to develop skills in the presentation, discussion and dissemination of research material, and to gain an applied and reflexive understanding of the processes and skills involved in planning, organising and managing research projects. You will also explore the dynamics of ethical issues within research design, data management and dissemination.
In order to fully prepare you for later modules, and to successfully undertake a Capstone project, this
module aims to equip everyone completing it with an appropriate grasp of the following:
1. To understand what research is, and to develop the ability to generate research questions and
sound research objectives.
2. A familiarity with a range of research methods (qualitative and quantitative), and be able to
apply the appropriate method to a given research problem.
3. An understanding of how to evaluate and critically review relevant materials from a range of
sources, and the ability to use these materials to develop your research arguments and
questions in relation to your research inquiry.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an informed understanding of the principles and techniques involved in research
design, and in the collation and proposed analysis of research data.
2. Draw on relevant academic literature and appropriate data sources to identify and develop
research questions, and to evaluate insights from published research.
3. Explain and evaluate the main social scientific research strategies and methods.
4. Devise an appropriate strategy, informed by relevant literature, that addresses specific
research questions taking account of relevant practical, methodological and ethical issues.
Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)
After completing this module students should have:
1. Enhanced their written communication skills through producing discursive coursework
assignments.
2. Improved their oral communication skills by taking part in group discussions and activities in
the seminars.
3. Enhanced their individual research skills through preparing one coursework assignment and
preparing for an exam.
4. Developed their critical thinking and analytical skills by reading and commenting on
management and marketing articles.
5. Improved their collaborative and team building skills by taking part in short group activities in
the classes.
6. Developed their digital/technical fluency through the use and application of Microsoft Office
software package and Library search engines.
7. Contributed to their personal development through reflecting on their participation and
learning goals.
This module will thereby cover the following skills from the EBS skills map:
- A1 Synthesis and bringing together concepts and ideas
- A2 Critical thinking
- A3 Evaluation of evidence
- A4 Creative problem solving
- A5 Recognise rival conceptual ideas
- D1 Analysing quantitative data
- D2 Analysing qualitative data
- D4 Analysing Academic literature
- D5 Analysis of different business reports
- D6 Desk research/netnographic skills
- S2 Showing leadership
- S3 Showing adaptability to changing circumstances
- S4 Showing own initiative
- C2 Expressing research findings in report or slide deck
- C3 Expressing ideas for business purposes
- C5 Argumentation / Essay writing skills
- T1 Core IT skills (word, excel, PowerPoint, outlook)
- R1 Identifying research needs and aims
- R2 Identifying suitable frameworks and models to aid research aims
- R3 Using different research methods appropriately
- R4 Report research findings
- R5 Identifying application of research
- R6 Understanding plagiarism and referencing
- BM3 Ability to develop greater sensitivity and awareness around implied and explicit ethical assumptions
and beliefs
- M3 Understand the similarities and differences between academic and commercial research
- M4 Interpret and understand business-related information including visual and media analysis
Teaching and Learning consists of lectures, classes, guided reading and personal study.
Lectures
This module will be taught through 10 x 1 hour lectures and weekly classes. The lectures will begin in the spring term (week 16) and bring together introductory material with theories, examples and case studies. Lecture slides will be uploaded to Moodle (see below), but these slides are not a substitute for attending lectures. It is essential that you attend both lectures and classes in order to ensure you understand the course material.
Classes
Starting in week 17, the lecture sessions will be complemented by a series of 9 x 1 hour classes. These classes will take place either on campus or virtually. The classes are an essential part of the module.
Classes will be interactive sessions that will provide a space for you to understand the theoretical material covered each week, and to develop practical skills in planning and designing research, in data collection and analysis, and in presenting the research findings. The classes will provide guidance in preparation for your written assignment, through discussing a range of examples and case studies related to your topic of interest. Due to the interactive nature of the sessions, it is vital that you undertake any recommended reading or other preparation prior to the session in order to gain as much as possible from the practical exercises. Outside of the weekly sessions you are also expected to spend time on private study, undertaking guided reading and preparation for the sessions and the coursework assignment.
Material covered in classes is NOT necessarily covered in lectures and vice versa, so it is vital that you attend all taught sessions to avoid missing material that is important to your assignment and exam preparation.
Guided reading
There will be readings from the management and marketing research literature which discuss the course materials in greater depth and apply these to real world contexts on Moodle (see below).
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Research diary |
|
|
| Exam |
Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during Summer (Main Period)
|
| Exam |
Reassessment Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during September (Reassessment Period)
|
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Atika Kemal, email: atika.kemal@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Atika Kemal, Dr Hanqun Song, Dr Yingqin Zheng & Dr Mrinalini Greedharry
ebsugcol@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 109 hours, 108 (99.1%) hours available to students:
1 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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