Identify a management or business issue which can be analysed using a project framework

Assessment Brief

Assignment Tasks 1

Module Title: Business Management and Leadership Project

Module Code: 5665BASSI

Topic on: “Sustainability practices by companies”

Introduction: 

Over the course of your degree assignments have been provided to assess your level of knowledge. This is your opportunity to choose a topic or idea that you can investigate based on your experienced and interests developed over the course of your programme. The submission may be used to enhance your employbility and should reflect your subject interests.

Completion of this assignment will address the following learning outcomes:

1. Identify a management or business issue which can be analysed using a project framework

2. Critically evaluate the importance of ethical practice when undertaking action research or research in a business setting.

3. Identify and justify a suitable methodology for the research which will include for example: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods methodology.

Task: Title: Your Proposal You are required to produce a 1,500-research proposal on a key and relevant topic of your choice. It should consist of the following elements. An Introduction to include the project aims, research question(s), research objectives, scope and justification. A brief indicative literature review accompanied by a methodology. All Project Proposals and the Project must have received ethics aooroval in advance. In this reoort. you should cover learning outcomes 1. 2 and 3.

Plagiarism and Malpractice

* You are encouraged to check the originality of your work by using the draft Turnitin links on your Moodle Web.

* Collusion between students (where sections of your work are similar to the work submitted by other students in this or previous module cohorts) is taken extremely seriously and will be reported to the academic conduct panel. This applies to all coursework and exam answers.

* A marked difference between your writing style, knowledge and skill level demonstrated in class discussion, any test conditions and that demonstrated in a coursework assignment may result in you having to undertake a Viva Voce in order to prove the coursework assignment is entirely your own work.

* If you make use of the services of a proof-reader in your work you must keep your original version and make it available as a demonstration of your written efforts.

* You must not submit work for assessment that you have already submitted (partially or in full), either for your current course or for another qualification of this university, unless this is specifically provided for in your assignment brief or specific course or module information.

Where earlier work by you is citable, i.e. it has already been published / submitted; you must reference it clearly. Identical pieces of work submitted concurrently will also be considered to be self-plagiarism.

Submission Guidelines

There should be a title page which clearly identifies the following.

* Student number                               * Name of the module

* Title of the Assessment                    * Assessment number

* Word count

The word count identified includes quotations, but excludes the bibliography and unless specifically stated, encompasses a discrepancy of + or – 10%.

Proposal guidance

• Provide an overview of your research question, explaining why it is of academic and or practical importance 
• Outline the main objectives of your research, providing details of two or three key aspects 
• Write a short literature review, indicating the importance of previous related research or investigated literature and how your own research question might make a useful contribution to the area 
• State the main research techniques (interviews, case studies, modelling etc.) you might use 
• Indicate your suggested data collection procedures, indicating sources and any possible difficulties 
• Explain any analytical techniques you intend to use 
• State your proposed timetable of activities
• Finally, list the references in your proposal or provide a short bibliography. 

Some of the common problems

In our experience, there are a number of common reasons why proposals from well qualified potential students are rejected.

Some common problems are outlined below:

• Your research topic is inadequately specified. You must write to a very tight format stating what you plan to research, why and how. The format is clearly outlined above.
• Whilst your proposal may identify a practical managerial problem it does not demonstrate its analytical importance. A study that merely aims to discover new empirical information or simply solve a current issue will probably not be accepted. Your proposal must engage with controversies, new ideas/thought and demonstrate strong critical insight into one or more academic disciplines to succeed in your research.
• Other proposals are rejected because their `geographical` focus does not fit with our supervisory competencies. Our perspective is international, whereas some overseas students seek to study an issue which is exclusively in their home country. If you intend to do this, it should be indicated clearly and how Coventry University will add value to your work. 

The format of your Research Proposal 

Your proposal should be a maximum of 1500 words, in addition to your timetable and references or a short bibliography. We do not expect the proposal to be perfect at this stage, nor do we expect you to stick to it very closely as your ideas will almost certainly change once you start to study, but we do expect you to write it as follows:

1  [revision 1.00 (September 2010)]

Project Summary

(200 words)

Project Title The title of your project must reflect the content. (20 words) Aims and Objectives Supply an overall aim and approximately 3 or 4 objectives that the research will address. (200 words) Relevance to Professional or Academic Field/Literature review Describe using referenced material (no more than six key texts) How your proposed research will fit in to the existing body of academic knowledge and practice in the professional field.  How your research will enhance knowledge or contribute to new understandings in the subject (800 words) Research Approach or Methodology  Describe the methods you intend to use to deliver your aim and objectives.   Provide detail of data source and any specialist resources or facilities you may require (300 words) Expected Outcomes  Summarise the outcomes/personal development that you hope will result from the project. (180 words)