Unit information: Research Skills for International Business and Strategy in 2022/23

Unit name	Research Skills for International Business and Strategy
Unit code	MGRCM0014
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Xiaolong Shui
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	School of Management - Business School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

Building on the units studied in TB1 and drawing on those in TB2, students will have experienced a range of International Business, Strategy and contemporary topics from which to surface relevant questions to form the basis of their dissertation project. With the research process as the overarching frame, they will gain a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of conducting research in International Business and Strategy. This unit will link research methods to wider debates within the International Business and Strategy field and demonstrate the use of research in interrogating and informing business practices. Students will critically apply methodologies, frameworks or lenses in different contexts to co-produce questions and research in a reflexive manner. Students will consider how different types of evidence and insights, history and memory, can be used to inform and address current challenges in International Business and Strategy. The skills learned in this unit will be applicable across a range of professions as students will be able to formulate quality research projects and have developed their writing and dissemination skills.

Unit aims:

1. Provide students with a range of skills to undertake effective and equitable primary and secondary source research in International Business and Strategy.
2. Critically engage with the relevant literature, identifying ‘gaps’ in academic debate and current practice.
3. Develop the principles of research methodology: to effectively design and conduct research; contextualise and interpret results; critically analyse and evaluate data; develop practical skills in its applications; and construct evidence-informed reports.
4. Demonstrate key competencies for engaging in evidenced-based problem-solving and decision-making across segmented geographies.

Your learning on this unit

At the end of the unit a successful student will be able to:

1. Critically analyse the assumptions underlying a range of academic perspectives with reference to their role in the creation and use of different types of knowledge;
2. Make informed decisions about appropriate methodologies, methods and any particular challenges of undertaking management research in an International Business and Strategy context;
3. Demonstrate an appreciation for contextual relevance, positionality, value, ethics and culture in order to consider research questions and appropriately apply learning to create new knowledge;
4. Synthesise disparate sources of information to frame clear, concise and appropriate research questions;
5. Communicate ideas, analyses, results, and conclusions associated with International Business and Strategy research through effective written communication skills.

How you will learn

This unit will provide a training in research methods over the 10 weeks in TB2. This will include 9 two-hour lectures and 5 two-hour seminars. There will also be a two-hour proposal workshop provided during the ten weeks, taking the contact hours to 30.

Appropriate online and/or blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities, will be used if required due to COVID-19 or similar disruptions.

How you will be assessed

Formative assessment: An essay in the form of research question and mini literature review. This supports and feeds forward into the summative assessment.

Summative assessment' (100%): A research proposal for the International Business and Strategy Dissertation (3,500 words).

The summative assessment addresses ILOs 1-5.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MGRCM0014).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.