module specification

This module provides students with the opportunity to devise and undertake a small scale research or consultancy project on a specific topic relevant to their area of interest. It will also provide a vehicle for reflection on the impact of the study on the organisational context and on personal progress as a practitioner researcher and/or researcher-consultant

Students will devise a research or consultancy proposal identifying the aim, context, rationale, knowledge gap, proposed methodology and ethical issues relevant to the study. The proposal will be agreed by the DBA academic team. For the consultancy proposal, this will also be agreed by the organisation.

The agreed proposal will form the foundations for a small-scale research or consultancy study which potentially could make a contribution to knowledge and to practice in the identified context.

Following completion of the study students will provide a reflexive account on the potential impact of the study on the organisational context and on their own development as practitioner/consultant researcher

The aims of the module are to:  

1. To devise, undertake and report upon a small scale research/consultancy study into a specific topic relevant to their area of interest

2. Reflect upon the impact on practice in the identified context of the knowledge generated by the study

3. Reflect upon the impact on personal development as a practitioner/consultant  researcher and identify future development needs

None

The project topic will be mainly associated with the interests of the student. The project should be an original piece of research and identify a contribution to knowledge and to practice. It will support the transition onto the doctoral stage.

Students are expected to show that they have exercised initiative and worked independently. The scope of the project is not only to complete a well-defined piece of work in a professional manner, but also to place the work into the context of the current state of the art of the subject area.

Students will identify a project with either a practitioner research focus or a consultancy focus. For those choosing a consultancy focus, the topic will be agreed with an identified organisation

Syllabus constituents will include:

Formulating a research/consultancy  proposal
Identifying access and ethical issues associated with the study
Undertaking and reporting on a small scale study based on the agreed proposal
The student-supervisor relationship
Reflection on the impact on the organisation of the knowledge created by the small scale study
Reflection on the impact of undertaking the study on progress as a practitioner/consultant  researcher

This is a project module which will firstly enable students to develop a reasoned research proposal, to be submitted in week 4, and then to undertake a small-scale study with supervisor support. Students will attend prior to week 4 for workshops and tutorials designed to support proposal development. The remainder of the module time will include online peer and supervisor support.
Students will also be expected to critically reflect on their role as a researcher and on the impact of knowledge created by the study on the research context

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

1. Critically devise a carefully considered and agreed research/consultancy proposal

2. Undertake and report upon a small-scale study into a specific topic relevant to their area of interest

3. Reflect upon the impact on practice in the context of the knowledge generated by the study

4. Reflect upon the impact on personal development as a practitioner/consultant researcher

Assessment for this module consists of two items:

1. A proposal for a small-scale practitioner/consultancy research project relating to an area of personal  interest, to include ethics application  (30%: 2,500 words) LO 1
2. A report on the small scale research project including critical reflection on (i) the impact on the context of the findings of the project and on (ii) development as a consultant/practitioner researcher (70%: 6500 words) LO 2, 3 and 4

This will be student-specific depending on the student’s research area.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/CF3CD020-34EC-ACE9-AF74-0316E75B5BBE.html?lang=en-GB&login=1

Suggested core reading:

Bryman, A., Bell. E. and Harley, B. (2019), Business Research Methods,  5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2019), Research methods for business students. 8th ed.  Harlow: Pearson.
Wickham, L, & Wilcock, J (2019). Management Consulting Delivering an Effective Project, 6th edn : Harlow, United Kingdom, Pearson Education.

Some useful additional reading:

Alvesson, M. (2021). Doing critical research. London: Sage

Alvesson, M. and Skoldberg, K. (2018), Reflexive Methodology: New Vistas for Qualitative Research, 3rd ed. London: Sage.

Barth, J. R., Lin, C. and Wihlborg, C. (2012) Research Handbook on International Banking and Governance. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Blumberg, B., Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2014) Business research methods. Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill Education.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013) Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners. Sage.

Bolton, G. and Delderfield, R.  (2018) Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development, 4th ed, London: Sage Publications

Conn C., and McLean R., (2018) Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything, New Jersey: John Wiley & Son

Costley, C., Elliott, G. and Gibbs, P.  (2010).  Doing work-based research: approaches to enquiry for insider-researchers. London:Sage.

Cottrell (2017), Skills for Success, Critical Thinking Skills: Effective Analysis, Argument and Reflection. Maidenhead: Palgrave.

Creswell, J.D. and Creswell, J.W. (2014) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. London: Sage.

Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2017) Designing and conducting mixed methods research. London: Sage publications

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.) (2011) The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Sage.

Drake, P. (2009). Practitioner research at doctoral level: developing coherent research methodologies. Abingdon: Routledge.

Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., Jackson, P. and Valizade, D. (2021).  Management & Business Research. 7th ed.  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.

Krippendorff, K. (2018) Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology. London: Sage publications.

Kumar, R. (2018) Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. London: Sage.

Moon, J. A. (2004). A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: theory and practice. Abingdon: Routledge.

Newton R (2019). The Management Consultant; Mastering the Art of Consultancy.  Harlow, England; Financial Times/Prentice Hall

Pallant, J. (2020) SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using IBM SPSS [7th edition] Open University Press

Passer, M., (2021) Research Methods: Concepts and Connections, 2nd Ed,, Worth Publishers

Richard, N 2010, Consultant ebook, Harlow, Pearson Education UK.

Riley, M., Wood, R. C., Clark, M., Wilkie, E. and Szivas, E. (2000) Researching and Writing Dissertations in Business and Management. Cengage Learning EMEA.

Robson, C., & McCartan, K. (2016), Real world research. 4th ed. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons

Schein, E. (2013). Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Vidgen, R, Kirshner, S and Tan F. (2019) Business Analytics: A Management Approach, Red Globe Press.

Whitney, DD, & Trosten-Bloom, A (2010), The Power of Appreciative Inquiry : A Practical Guide to Positive Change, 2nd ed. Oakland, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated. ers

Yin, R.K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Zikmund, W.G., Babin, B.J., Carr, J.C. & Griffin, M. (2013) Business Research Methods. 9th ed. South Western: Cengage Learning.

Articles

Cunliffe, A. & Hibbert, P. (2013). Responsible Management: Engaging Moral Reflexive Practice Through Threshold Concepts. Journal of Business Ethics [online]. Vol 127, 177-188.

Journals

• Harvard Business Review
• Journal of Management Inquiry
• International Studies of Management and Organisation
• British Journal of Management
• Academy of Management Learning and Education
• Academy of Management Annals