• University of Exeter Business School
• Module

Business and Management Research Design

Module description

This module provides students with the necessary integration of ideas, concepts and skills for carrying out impactful empirical research. The module has no pre-requisites but is dependent on its co-requisite modules Business and Management Research Skills, Quantitative Research Methods and Qualitative Research Methods. Students will investigate substantive methodological issues related to management studies research that will prepare them for writing their research methodology chapters. The module is suitable for all MRes/PhD students carrying out research in management studies and global political economy.

Module aims - intentions of the module

• Equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design coherent and meaningful research.
• Enable students to develop insight into methodological issues associated with research in management studies.
• Encourage students to take a critical approach to selecting strategies for conducting research that will achieve highly reliable and valid research findings suitable for publication in leading management journals.
• Prepare students for the rigour necessary to write a defensible research methodology chapter.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. identify methodological issues associated with conducting research within management studies;
• 2. critique research strategies relevant to management studies research;
• 3. develop a coherent design for a research question in management studies appropriate for a PhD.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. evaluate and assess the reliability and validity of published research.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. prepare and communicate analyses effectively through written reports and presentations;
• 6. demonstrate independent/self-directed learning skills, including time management and working to deadlines.

Syllabus plan

The sessions provide an overview of key research designs and methodologies commonly used in business and management research studies. The following content will be covered in an integrated fashion throughout the course:

• Research design types and selection of a research approach
• Research methodologies
• Exploratory research designs
• Descriptive research designs
• Causal study designs
• Advanced quantitative and qualitative research designs
• Ethical considerations

Sessions will involve the discussion and analysis of relevant research papers and book chapters that demonstrate the importance of choosing appropriate research designs to ensure that research questions are addressed effectively.

Students will be encouraged to critically reflect and discuss limitations and problems related to specific research designs and learn how to overcome limitations by adjusting or combining and integrating research designs.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Creswell, J.W. & Creswell, J.D. (2018). Research design : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Los Angeles ; London: SAGE.

Yin, R.K. (2018). Case study research : design and methods (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

Philosophy, Methodology, Research Methods, Research Design