Hospitality Business Research Project: Process, Outcome, and Learning Outcomes

This module aims to provide an opportunity for you to engage in a small scale business research project. The content of your project will be determined by you in response to an issue in your current  practice and the independent nature of this module offers you the opportunity to develop your analytical and critical skills in an analysis of a service sector topic, selected by you. You will be guided by your module tutor who will help you with the framing of the research question.

You will be assessed on a piece of work that presents the process and outcome of your own research, which should produce the actionable results with practical impact within the hospitality businesses, for example: practical problem solutions, providing ‘how-to’ knowledge, or new product development. Through undertaking a series of activities and producing the outcome, you will develop a set of transferable skills that includes professional awareness, specific occupational skills, and certain technical skills. This is also a good PDP opportunity as you will develop your expertise.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. Identify the appropriate and feasible management research topic within the hospitality industry context;
2. Design a research project that critically evaluates a problem or issue to a professional standard;
3. Identify and employ appropriate research methods to collect data, analyse, and draw  conclusions, providing recommendations where appropriate;
4. Present the outcomes of the research project in the appropriate methods to the stakeholders.

You will submit an individual piece of work that discusses the process and outcomes of research. You must present evidence of critical analysis of academic theories and concepts and demonstrate awareness of practical issues.

For this assessment, you will need to complete the following activities:
? Provide background and context to the issue you have been investigating
? Give an academic and practical rationale for the research on this issue
? Articulate your focus for the research using aim and objectives
? Demonstrate understanding of existing theories, concepts and models that are related to your    study
? Plan and carry out data collection
? Analyse data and present results of data analysis
? Support your research with academic literature
? Conclude the extent to which the goals of the research were achieved and make a set of recommendations to an organisation in light of your findings.

? Module overview and purpose
? Assessment strategy – what you need to do and when
? Choosing a topic – how to ensure your work is focused
? Data collection
? Preparing your proposal
? Ethical approval process

1. What is the aim of your study?  What are the objectives for your study?

2. Explain the rationale for this study (refer to relevant research literature in your response).

3. Provide an outline of your study design and methods.

4. Please provide a detailed description of the study sample, covering selection, sample profile,  recruitment and if appropriate, inclusion and exclusion criteria.

5. Are payments or rewards/incentives going to be made to the participants?

If Yes, please give details below.

8. Have / do you intend to request ethical approval from any other body/organisation?

If Yes, please give details below.

9. What resources will you require?  (e.g. psychometric scales, IT equipment, specialised software, access to specialist facilities, such as microbiological containment laboratories).

10. What study materials will you use? (Please give full details here of validated scales, bespoke questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group schedules etc and attach all materials to the application)