Research Proposal: Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

You are to submit a proposal of maximum of 2,000 words. The research proposal sets out the plan for how you will achieve the intended research objective and shows whether the objective will be feasible, ethical and achievable in the time scale. It sets out how secondary research supports the research objective, how the research will be conducted, how the research will be evaluated. You will need to gain ethical approval before commencing your research and you will discuss it with tutor during the research proposal.

You are to choose a research topic for this unit based on the set theme: Equality and Diversity in the Workplace.

Strong research projects are those with clear, well focused and defined objectives. A central skill in selecting a research objective is the ability to select a suitable and focused research objective. One of the best ways to do this is to put it in the form of a question. Students should engage with their tutors to discuss a variety of topics related to the theme to generate ideas for a good research objective.

The range of topics discussed could cover the following:

• Behaviours that support equality and diversity in the workplace

• Managing cultural diversity in the workplace

• Gender equality in leadership and management

• Workplace discrimination

• The work-life balance and enrichment experiences

Please bear in mind these are not research topics but ideas from which topics can be formulated. The research objective should allow for students to broaden their understanding and widen their perspectives by being able to explore, argue, prove, and disprove a particular objective.

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. Introduction/ background to the research area (500 words)

Title or working title of research project (in the form of a research question or hypothesis)

State the rationale or reasons for choosing the topic explaining why it is of academic and or practical importance

2. Literature review (800 words)

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

3. Methodology (500 words)

• Explain and justify your research approach (qualitative, quantitative or mixed approach)

• State and justify your research techniques (interviews, questionnaire, case studies, modelling etc.)

• Explain your suggested data collection method, indicating sources and associated difficulties

• Explain your approach to analysing the data you will collect.

4. Timeline of research activities (200 words)

• Present an appropriate and realistic table of activities and duration.

5. Provide a list of all references and bibliography.

You will submit your proposal as a formative at the end of week 10. All drafts must be submitted on the Research Project module page on the link provided for Formative submission.

Failure to submit your proposal before proceeding onto the research would require further explanation to justify your understanding and rationale to your approach.

1. Executive summary

Give a summary of the whole report, outline the purpose, research method, findings, main conclusions and recommendations (Mainly uses past tense).

2. Methodology

Explain very briefly how the research was done and outline how the data was collected.

3. Results/Findings

Presents findings of the research, facts only - no interpretation, Use graphic form (eg. tables & graphs).

4. Discussion

Presents an interpretation and evaluation of the results, draw together different aspects of the findings, findings of other studies and refer to literature.

5. Conclusion

Brief statement of what you personally conclude after your analysis

6. Recommendations

Suggest suitable changes/solutions/further research.

7. Reflection

Statement on your experience- key questions for reflection could be; was the research successful, did you achieve the objectives, were you able to follow the research methodology, what have you learnt and what would you change if you are to do it again.

8. References – all references used.

9. Appendices - Attachments of additional information (eg. surveys, questionnaires, glossary etc).