Importance of Business Research in Developing Competitive Advantages

A1. The importance of business research to organizations, to retain and develop competitive advantages;

A2. The relationship between theory, research problematization, research questions, hypothesis/conceptual or theoretical frameworks, methods of investigation and analysis;

A3. Different research paradigms, with their divergent assumptions on what constitutes valid knowledge and how it can be reliably gained;

A4. The principal methods of business research using both quantitative and qualitative modes of analysis, in particular archival data, surveys, qualitative interviews, focus groups, netnography and ethnographic research.

B1. Interpret the results of data analysis, and understand the strengths and weaknesses of different methods;

B2. Prepare an effective research proposal, formulate research questions, and choose appropriate methods of data collection and analysis.

Transferable and Generic Skills

C1. Apply analysis skills, which include qualitative data interpretation and quantitative analysis skills;

C2. Apply critical analytical skills on research projects;

C3. Plan and control effectively for successful completion of workload;

C4. Communicate effectively in writing, using and justifying argument within reports.

You are encouraged to develop your own topic for this assignment, relevant to the degree program you are studying. Tutors will discuss your choice with you and advise you and can offer some suggested topics if you need that guidance.

The choice of topic is secondary to the main learning objective for this module; which is to support you in learning the process of designing effective research, evaluating and justifying different methods for conducting research. Please note: you are NOT required to gather primary data for this assessment, only to propose an appropriate data collection strategy.

1. Introduction: introduce the research problematization that underlies your choice of topic and its background or connection to the relevant literature/evidence

2. Overall research aim(s)/objective(s) and research question(s),

3. Discussion of the steps followed and value of using a Quantitative research proposal (e.g. using a survey, analytical methods, or an experiment etc.)

4. Discussion of the steps followed value of using a Qualitative research proposal (e.g. using focus groups or interviews etc.)

5. Critical evaluation: justification and reflection on the most suitable research approach Nature of Assessment: This is a SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT. See ‘Weighting’ section above for the percentage that this assignment counts towards your final module mark.

Either side of the word count (see above) is deemed to be acceptable. Any text that exceeds an additional 10% will not attract any marks. The relevant word count includes items such as cover page, executive summary, title page, table of contents, tables, figures, in-text citations and section headings, if used. The relevant word count excludes your list of references and any appendices at the end of your coursework submission.

Title/Cover Page: You must include a title/ cover page that includes: your Student ID, Module Code, Assignment Title, Word Count. This assignment will be marked anonymously, please ensure that your name does not appear on any part of your assignment.

You should use the Harvard style to reference your assignment. The library provide guidance on how to reference in the Harvard style and this is available fromPlease note that the submission deadline for Southampton Business School is 16.00 for ALL assessments.

Turnitin Submission: The assignment MUST be submitted electronically via Turnitin, which is accessed via the individual module on Blackboard. Further guidance on submitting assignments is available on the Blackboard support pages. Uploading files to Turnitin may take 30 seconds or more and you must give yourself plenty of time for the file to be uploaded by the assignment deadline.