module specification

This module will enable students to develop awareness of what is involved in being a practitioner researcher and undertaking ethical work-based research associated with responsible and sustainable management practice in an organisational context. The concepts of positionality and reflexivity will be explored, and will support students in identifying the factors that influence the identification of the problem and the factors that influence practitioner research choices when planning ways to explore this problem. Candidates will actively consider the ethical issues that need to be taken into account when undertaking practitioner research including changing roles and identities, risk and organisational reputation.
They will be enabled to explore their own contexts more critically and reflexively with the aim of finding sustainable solutions to key challenges in the working environment. Development of professionals with these capabilities is key to tackling the ‘wicked’ problems confronting organisations and societies

• Work-based research; Evidence-based decision making
• The researcher within, undertaking research as an insider
• Positionality and reflexivity
• Ethical concerns in practitioner research
• Problem identification
• Impacting organisational practice
• Identifying factors influencing research choices
• Principles associated with responsible and sustainable management
• The Researcher Development Framework
• Identifying and monitoring research development needs

Students will participate in a blend of face to face and online workshop and tutorial activities to enable them to identify factors associated with practice-based research and to support justification of a research problem in an identified context

On completion of this module students will be able to:

1. Identify and justify a problem which will form the foundations for a research study
2. Explore the factors influencing practitioner researcher choices in designing a study to ethically explore a problem associated with responsible and sustainable management practice
3. Critically reflect upon and evaluate research skills development
4. Critically reflect upon and evaluate progress as a practitioner researcher

Students will be required to maintain a record of progress on the development of their identified research skills using Weblearn Portfolio. This formative assessment will be 0-rated and consist of

• Identification of research skills development requirements 
• Creation of a Research Development Plan (RDP)
• Formative record of progress using Portfolio

The summative assessment will consist of two components

• Written problem identification and discussion of factors influencing practitioner research choices (70%) 2000 words (LO 1 and 2)
• Reflexive account of progress relating to identified research development needs (30%) 1000 words (LO 3 and 4)

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/0C8B850A-2CEA-AE3C-4D48-F1785FC42A3B.html?lang=en-GB&login=1

Brannick, T. and Coghlan, D. (2006), Reflexivity in Management and Business Research: What Do We Mean?, The Irish Journal of Management, Vol. 27, (2), pp. 143-160.

Costley, C. Elliot, G. and Gibbs, P. (2010), Doing Work Based Research: Approaches to Enquiry for Insider-Researchers. London: Sage

Fulton, J., Kuit, J., Sanders, G. and Smith, P. (2013). The professional doctorate: a practical guide. Macmillan Research Skills. London: Red Globe Press.

Johnson, P. and Duberley, J. (2003), ‘Reflexivity in Management Research’, Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 40, (5), pp. 1279–1303.

Laasch, O.  and Conaway, R. (2015). Principles of Responsible Management: glocal responsibility, sustainability and ethics. Stamford; Cengage Learning

Laasch, O.  and Conaway, R. (2016).  Responsible Business: The Textbook for Management Learning, Competence and Innovation. Abingon: Routledge.

Molthan-Hill, P. (2017). The Business Student's Guide to Sustainable Management: Principles and Practice. 2nd ed. Abingdon: Routledge.

Moon, J. (2000), Reflection in Learning and Professional Practice.  Oxford: Routledge.

Moon, J. (2004), A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice, Oxford, RoutledgeFalmer

Ortlipp, M, (2008), Keeping and Using Reflective Journals in the Qualitative Research Process, Qualitative Report, 13(4) pp695-705

Pedler, M, Burgoyne, J, & Boydell, T. (2013), A manager's guide to self development. Maidenhead, England, McGraw-Hill Education Professional.

Raelin, J.A. (2008), Work-Based Learning: bridging knowledge and action in the workplace. San Francisco: Jossey Bass 

Rimanoczy, R. (2020). The Sustainability Mindset Principles: A Guide to Developing a Mindset for a Better World. Abingdon: Routledge

Schon, D. (1992), The Reflective Practitioner, New York, NY: BasicBooks

Research texts

Bell, E. Bryman, A. and Harley B. (2018) Business Research Methods, [5th Edition], Oxford University Press, Oxford
Bradbury, H. ed. (2015), The Sage Handbook of Action Research, London: Sage
Hallebone, E.  and Priest,  J. (2008). Business and Management Research: paradigms and practices. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2019), Research methods for business students. 8th ed.  Harlow: Pearson.

Additional reading
Alvesson, M. and Skoldberg, K. (2018), Reflexive Methodology: New Vistas for Qualitative Research, 3rd ed. London: Sage..
Bolton, G. and Delderfield, R.  (2018) Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development, 4th ed, London: Sage Publications
Coghlan, D. (2019), Doing Action Research in Your Own Organisation, 5th ed. California: Sage
Dilworth, R.; Boshyk, Y. (2010), Action Learning and its Applications: history and evolution. Palgrave Macmillan UK
Herr, K.G. and Anderson, G.L. (2015), The Action Research Dissertation: a guide for students and faculty. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Klein, S. (2012), Action Research Methods : Plain and Simple, USA: Palgrave Macmillan
Marshall, J. Coleman, G. and Reason, P., (2017), Leadership for Sustainability: an action research approach.  Routledge.
McNiff, J. (2017), Action Research: all you need to know.  London:  Sage Publications.
McNiff, J. and Whitehead (2009), Doing and Writing Action Research. London:  Sage Publications.
Pedler, M. (2012), Action Learning in Practice, Abingdon: Routledge.
Reason, P. and Torbert, W.R. (2001), ‘The Action Turn: Toward a Transformational Social Science’, Concepts and Transformation, Vol. 6,  (1), pp. 1–37
Zuber-Skerritt, O. and Perry, C. (2002), ‘Action Research within Organisations and University Thesis Writing’, The Learning Organisation, Vol. 9, (4), pp. 171–179.

Websites
The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers-professional-development/about-the-vitae-researcher-development-framework
The Open University Digital and Information Literacy Framework (OU DILF) https://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/pages/dilframework/
Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework https://repository.jisc.ac.uk/7278/1/BDCP-DC-Framework-Individual-6E-110319.pdf