Submission Format:

You should have initial guidance in planning your work and regular monitoring
meetings with your supervisor.

Research project proposal

You should meet individually with your supervisor to monitor the research project
and ensure it is progressing in an appropriate direction and at a pace which will
enable you to meet the assessment requirements. The supervisor will
authenticate the work as your own, which can be done by regular monitoring of
progress and conducting interim reviews.

The project must be based on the theme below and must be related to your
specific pathway of study, unless you are on the general business pathway.

The research project proposal will form the basis of your project. You must agree
and sign off your research proposal with your supervisor before embarking on
your project.

Research project

Research skills are as vital for the workplace as they are for academic
development. Research skills enable you to identify a problem, collect
informational resources that can help address the problem, evaluate the
resources for quality and relevance, and come up with an effective solution to the
problem. These are seen as essential skills by employers for most positions in
industry, to support a range of duties, for example report writing, building a
business case, business planning, launching a new product or service.

The aim of this unit is to offer you the opportunity to engage in sustained research
in a specific field of study. The unit enables you to demonstrate the capacity and
ability to identify a research theme, to develop a research aim and objectives and
to present the outcomes of such research in both written and verbal formats. The
unit also encourages you to reflect on their engagement in the research process,
during which recommendations for future, personal development are key learning
points.

You must complete the research project in order to complete your work for this
unit. Group work is not appropriate for this project. Your work must be individual.

You are required to submit a cover sheet with details of programme name, module
name, assignment title, tutor name, student name, student number, submission
date, number of attempts.

Submission is in the form of an academic report. This should be written in a

concise, formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. You are
required to make use of headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate
and all work must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard
referencing system. A bibliography should be provided using the Harvard
 referencing system. The recommended length is 4,500 – 6,000 words, but you will
not be penalised for exceeding this. You must ensure you support the written
report with a range of graphical illustrations and appropriate appendices

You will need to reflect on the success of your research project and your
performance at the end of the project with the inclusion of a project evaluation and
recommendations.

The research project can take the following forms:

 Dissertation.
 Feasibility study.
 Investigation/fieldwork.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

LO1 Examine appropriate research methodologies and methods to identify those

appropriate to the research process
LO2 Develop a research proposal, including a supporting literature review
LO3 Analyse data using appropriate techniques to communicate research findings
LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and process.

Transferable skills and competencies developed for Unit 19

Cognitive Skills:
Problem solving, Critical thinking, Analysis, Effective communication, Digital literacy,
Numeracy, Creativity

Intra-personal Skills:
Plan prioritise, Self-management, Independent learning, Self-reflection.
Assignment Brief:

Introduction

The aim of this unit is to offer you the opportunity to engage in sustained research
in a specific field of study. The unit enables you to demonstrate the capacity and
ability to identify a research theme, to develop research aims, objectives and
outcomes, and to present the outcomes of such research in both written and
verbal formats. The unit also encourages you to reflect on your engagement in the
research process, during which recommendations for future and personal
development are key learning points.

You are working as a business consultant for a consultancy company of your

choice. You have been approached by a business organisation to conduct
research into a key area of business and have been provided with a theme below
which will be the focus of the research. The organisation have left it to you to
decide what would be appropriate to investigate in this area of business and for
you to choose the research topic below.

You should read this information before starting to define and work through your
research brief. You should refer to these instructions as you complete work for this
unit.

• Consider the development of a methodical and valid research proposal as

the foundation for the project.

• Choose a topic of personal interest in a specialism. The topic chosen

should allow a sufficient and suitable degree of research through the
existence of adequate background materials.

• A good project proposal title should meet the following criteria:

 The proposal is one that has an existing body of literature or source
material that can be reviewed.
 The proposal extends a current line of learning that will lend itself to
further rigorous exploration.

• Decide on appropriate research methods and select an appropriate

sample.

• Ensure that your proposal is ethical, reliable and valid. An ethics form must
be submitted prior to completion of research as part of the research
proposal.

• Agree your research proposal with your supervisor before beginning your
research.

• Conduct your research as outlined in the proposal agreed with your

supervisor.

• Carry out your research, analyse your research findings and draw
conclusions. Apply both qualitative and quantitative research methods to
evaluate data collected from primary research.
• Communicate your research outcomes in a manner appropriate to your
audience.

• You will be asked to reflect on the success of your research project and
evaluate the problems/ issues encountered.

• You must complete the research project in order to complete your work for
this unit.

1.1 Research Theme:

You will choose your own research project based on the theme below.
(Apply to the delivery of the unit: 1st September 2021 - 31st August 2022)

Transformation in the workplace

Workplace transformation is the rethinking of flexible workspaces to accommodate

different kinds of work, workers, and technology. Driven by new technologies and
increasing globalisation the workplace has been evolving rapidly to support these
constant changes. The changes in technology, roles and competencies has
provided countless opportunities for enhancement and change within
organisations and as the world or work changes so does the workplace.
Deloitte in their report entitled ' Workplace transformation in the digital age'
identified four dimensions of the workplace ecosystem that needed to be
considered in any workplace transformation strategy:
• space, relating to the design of office buildings and space;
• place, relating to how the workforce is spread across different locations;
• technology and the requirements needed for employees to carry out their
roles and collaborate;
• talent relating to organisational structure and culture.

In the wake of the recent global pandemic all these dimensions of the workplace
ecosystem are having to be reimagined. Many organisations already have had to
refocus their workforce plan to ensure a fully remote workforce has the capabilities
and technologies available to continue employee connectivity, engagement and
productivity. Navigating this new way of work is crucial to support business
operations and far-reaching implications for the future.

1.2 Choosing a research objective/question

You are to choose your own research topic for this unit. 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 be encouraged by 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:

• The impact of the global pandemic on accelerating workplace transformation
• Why linking organizational and employee efficiency transformation is critical for
to remain competitive
• Employee collaboration tools: How they are being deployed and how they are
impacting productivity in sometimes surprising ways
• The Gig Economy: It’s real and redefining the nature of employment and
employees
• How remote workers are surpassing their peers in the office in both job-
satisfaction and productivity and how workplaces are using these insights to
transform operations
• The challenges faced by organizations when embarking on workplace
transformation initiatives and how the right strategy, funding, and support of
management can result in an increase in product and services innovation as well
as a long-term competitive edge.

The research objective should allow for you to broaden your understanding and
widen your perspectives by being able to explore, argue, prove, and disprove a
particular objective. They should be feasible, novel, ethical, relevant and ultimately
of interest to the student.

1.3 Project Evidence / Outcomes

It is important to recognise that project work is reliant on gathering

information/data that can be analysed. The scale of the project means that there
must be time for both primary and secondary research. An advised model would
be to use secondary research to provide a context for you to conduct and interpret
primary data collection. The project could then yield data that could be compared
with the findings of secondary research information

In assessing the project, the assessor would see a rationale for your project title,
an identification of controversial aspects of the title and of the relevant
literature/data sources. This will be based primarily on your research proposal.
Your research should outline the literature/theories that supports the identified
research objective/s and include critical evaluation of central arguments paying
attention to whether or not the arguments are logically valid. Throughout the
research, you should be aware of the importance of clear and consistent use of
language and the use of a consistent reference system. Engagement in reflective
study of the research process should be evident, with you explaining how your
ideas have developed, the significance of results and what you have learnt about
the methodology of research. Well edited, focused writing and presentation, where
the key decisions, developments, lines of argument and salient research are
explained succinctly, is preferable to unstructured writing and presentation where
little attempt to select or edit material has been made.

It is important to recognise that there are many different formats that you could
use to present your work and it is important that you think carefully about the
suitability of the format in relation to the target audience. Both verbal and written
forms of communication should be appropriate to the audience, both in terms of
the nature and level of material you use and also in terms of length. You will be
guided to produce research that gives a succinct account of the main arguments
or developments from your project. If a verbal presentation is the chosen format,
the question-and-answer session should address issues raised by the
presentation, but also give students an opportunity to review your work.
You are to submit as evidence for the unit in addition to their project findings, the
research proposal and ethics form. The research proposal sets out the plan for
how the students 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. Students will need to gain ethical
approval before commencing their research, this will be discussed with the tutor
during the research proposal.

1.4 Employer engagement

It is advisable to you linking this assignment with employer engagement, although

this is not a mandatory requirement. This enhances the learning experience and
improves your employability. Real-life projects provide you with the opportunity to
develop and acquire appropriate skills, knowledge and expertise required by
employers.

Templates are provided for both the research proposal and ethics form

Activity

Once you have identified your research topic and objective you will undertake the
following steps to collate, analyse and present your findings. This will be presented in
the form of a research report.

1. Methodology and Literature Review (Secondary Research)

 Examine alternative research methodologies.
 Explore alternative methods and tools used for the collection of research data
that consider costs, ethics and access.

You need to know what the key literature is related to the research objective in order
to plan a research study to explore the phenomenon. Conduct a literature review
using a range of sources relating to the research topic. Evaluate the validity and
reliability of the sources, discussing current understanding on the research topic area
In your report discuss the sources of literature found and how they relate or
otherwise to the research topic. Your report should critically evaluate literature in
order to assess the validity of the literature in supporting the research topic.

2. Develop a project proposal for researching the research objective identified

Your research proposal identifies the purpose of the research project with clear aim
and objectives and justifies the chosen research methods in terms of the research
question. Discuss the ethical issues which will need to be considered and examine
the research methods and approaches to be taken. Prepare an action plan with
target dates and methods for monitoring and updating your activities to ensure your
meet the deadline for the final written report.
 Produce a research proposal, including a defined aim and objectives supported by a
literature review.
3. Carry out independent primary research
Design, implement, collect and critically analyse data. For example, using a
survey/questionnaire/interview or other primary research technique collect data and
then present and analyse findings. Present your findings using visual illustrations e.g.
bar charts/pie graphs/tables.
Your report will include the critical analysis of data and the advantages and
disadvantages of the research methods and approaches taken to data collection.
 Conduct research using appropriate methods for a business research project.
 Analyse data from research findings to communicate research outcomes in an
appropriate manner for the intended audience.

4. Communicate outcomes - Report

Develop a report that provides valid and justified recommendations for the business
organisation based on the analysis of the research both primary and secondary. Your
findings and outcomes must be based on the research proposal objective/s and refer
back to this in drawing your conclusions.

Finally, critically reflect on how you have conducted the project, the lessons learnt
and the alternatives you would consider in the future with recommendations for
actions to be taken forward.
 Reflect on the effectiveness of research methods applied in meeting objectives of
the business research project.
 Consider alternative research methodologies and lessons learnt in view of
outcomes.

*Top Tip – Self-reflection could be either presented at the end of a report or

completed separately e.g. reflective statement/ viva/ presentation. If there are
additional submissions this must be made clear in the assignment brief.

Title Page
● It is important that you state clearly, at the beginning of the assignment, what its
title is, which module it applies to and your name as the author.
● You should also include the College name, report title and the date.

Executive Summary
● A summary should be provided, so that people can see at a glance what the report
is about. You should mention your key findings, conclusions and recommendations.
● This summary is usually printed immediately after the title page.

Contents Page
● Page numbers as well as section/chapter titles should be included.
● If the report incorporates some appendices, their titles should be listed.

Acknowledgements
● A list of names, roles and organisations (if relevant) of all of those who helped you
when compiling the report should be listed
.
Terms of Reference
● Refer to your project proposal.

Introduction
● This section should provide some of the background of the subject that forms the
principal theme of your report.
● If the report is designed to solve a perceived ‘problem’, the history of the ‘problem’
can be reviewed here, culminating in the situation that prompted the report to be
written
● You should also provide some key information about the organisation in which
your research is based.

Literature review

Methodology
● This section is needed for the reader to judge the authenticity of the ‘evidence’ that
comprises the main body of the report. All sources should be mentioned and, if
appropriate, describe how you put together your questionnaire or survey.
● Copies of questionnaires, interview questions etc. should be included in the
appendices.
● If any published documents were studied, this should be mentioned here.

Main Body
● This is likely to comprise many paragraphs or sections. It is often useful to break up
your assignment into subheadings.
● This section should be structured around the key themes of your research.
● Use tables, charts if possible. Your presentation of data is important.
● This section should bring together your secondary and primary research and your
findings.

Conclusions
● In this section you should say what your facts or findings mean i.e., discuss the key
implications arising from the wealth of detail you may have collected.
● Your findings and outcomes should be related back to your initial research
objective and proposal.
● The conclusions should not incorporate any new facts.
● It should also reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts:
Reflect on the effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting objectives of
the business research project and consider alternative research methodologies and
lessons learnt in view of the outcomes.
● Better conclusion will provide critical reflection and insight that results in
recommended actions for improvements and future research considerations.

Recommendations
● Your recommendations should clearly spell out your ideas to enable them to be
acted upon.

Bibliography
● All references in the report should be listed in the correct Harvard format.
Appendices
● All detailed statistical tabulations, graphs, lists, questionnaires etc. should be
organised into separate appendices
● Include a list of references (sources that are actually cited in the report itself)
● Nothing should be included that isn’t referred to in the main body of the report.

*Top Tip – Students will need to reflect on the success of their project and their own
performance in a personal performance review at the end of the project. It is
advisable to provide students with an appropriate structure for this reflection.

Milestones and Interim Feedback

The purpose of milestones is to monitor the progress of the project and to

maintain momentum, making it more likely that the project will succeed. Each
milestone should be a clear, achievable activity that you aim to achieve by a
particular time. You should agree at least two milestones with their supervisor.
Examples of milestones include:

• Completing and discussing the research proposal form.

• Producing a first draft of findings.
• Completing all primary research.

At each milestone, the supervisor liaises with you to check whether it has been
achieved. You may need to redirect you if necessary.
Proposal form
• You will need to reflect on the success of your research project and your
performance at the end of the project with the inclusion of a project
evaluation and recommendations.

• The research project can take the following forms:

 Dissertation.
 Feasibility study.
 Investigation/fieldwork.
Business Research Project Brief

• Define your research problem or question. This can be stated as a research

question, objectives or hypothesis.

• Provide a literature review giving the background and conceptualisation of

your proposed area of study. This would provide existing knowledge and
benchmarks by which your data can be judged.

• Consider and define your research methodology and research process.

Demonstrate understanding of the pitfalls and limitations of the methods
chosen and ethical issues that might arise.

• Draw points (1–3, above) together into a research proposal for agreement
with your supervisor.

• Conduct your research as outlined in your proposal. Keep track of your

findings as you work.

• Carry out your research and analyse your findings in relation to your original
research question. Draw conclusions.

• Communicate the outcomes of your research project to the identified

audience.

• Reflect on the success of your research project and your performance at

the end of the project with the inclusion of a project evaluation and
recommendations.
(Templates)
Research Proposal Form
Student Name ...................................................Student number...........................................
Centre Name ......................................................................................... ..............................
Tutor ................................................................................... Date..............................
Unit .........................................................................................
Proposed title .............................................................................................................................................

Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities

Title or working title of research project (in the form of a question, objective or hypothesis)
Research project objectives (e.g. what is the question you want to answer? What do you want
to learn how to do? What do you want to find out?):

Section Two: Reasons for choosing this research project

Reasons for choosing the project (e.g. links to other subjects you are studying, personal
interest, future plans, knowledge/skills you want to improve, why the topic is important):

Section Three: Literature sources searched

Use of key literature sources to support your research question, objective or hypothesis:

Section Four: Activities and timescales

Activities to be carried out during the research project (e.g. How long this will take:
research, development and analysis of ideas, writing, data
collection, numerical analysis, tutor meetings, production of final
outcome, evaluation, writing the report):

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Milestone one: .........................................................................................
Target date (set by tutor): .........................................................................................
Milestone two: .........................................................................................
Target date (set by tutor): .........................................................................................

Section Four: Research approach and methodologies

What type of research approach and methodologies are you
likely to use and why? What your areas of research will cover:

Comments and agreement from tutor

Comments (optional):

I confirm that the project is not work which has been or will be submitted for another
qualification and is appropriate.
Agreed: ..................................................... (name)...................................................................
(date) ......................................................

Comments and agreement from project proposal checker (if applicable)

Comments (optional):

I confirm that the project is appropriate.

Agreed: ................................................ (name)....................................................................
(date) ......................................................

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Research Ethics Approval Form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants or the use of data
collected from human participants are required to gain ethical approval before commencing
their research. Please answer all relevant questions and note that your form may be returned
if incomplete.
For further support and guidance please see your respective Unit Tutor.
Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed research fully with
your Unit Tutor. Please complete this form in good time before your research project is due to
commence.

Section 1: Basic Details

Project title:
.............................................................................................................................................................................................................
.

Student name: ...................................................................................

Student ID number: ...................................................................................

Programme: ...................................................................................

School: ...................................................................................

Intended research start date: .............................................

Intended research end date: .............................................

Section 2: Project Summary

Please select all research methods that you plan to use as part of your project:

• Interviews:
• Questionnaires:
• Observations
• Use of Personal Records:
• Data Analysis:
• Action Research:
• Focus Groups:
• Other (please specify):
....................................................................................................................................................................

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HNC/D in Business 13
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Section 3: Participants

Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants?
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply:

Ages 12-16: Young People aged 17–18: Adults:

How will participants be recruited (identified and approached)?
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what you are doing:
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it be made clear to participants that
they may withdraw consent to participate at any time?
Studies involving questionnaires: Will participants be given the option of omitting questions they do not wish to
answer?

Yes: No:
If no please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues arising from this
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be asked for their informed consent to be
observed.

Yes: No:
Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e. give them a brief explanation of the study)?

Yes: No:
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study? (This could be a brief summary of your
findings in general)

Yes: No:

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Section 4: Data Storage and Security
Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act
(1998) Yes: No:
Who will have access to the data and personal information?
During the research:
Where will the data be stored?
Will mobile devices such as USB storage and laptops be used? Yes:
No:
If yes, please provide further details:

After the research:

Where will the data be stored?

How long will the data and records be kept for and in what format? Will data be kept

for use by other researchers?

Yes: No:

If yes, please provide further details:

Section 5: Ethical Issues

Are there any particular features of your proposed work which may raise ethical concerns? If so, please outline
how you will deal with these:
It is important that you demonstrate your awareness of potential risks that may arise as a result of your
research. Please consider/address all issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may include, but are not
limited to the following:

• Informed consent.

• Potentially vulnerable participants.

• Sensitive topics.

• Risks to participants and/or researchers.

• Confidentiality/anonymity.

• Disclosures/limits to confidentiality.

• Data storage and security, both during and after the research
(including transfer, sharing, encryption, protection).

• Reporting.

• Dissemination and use of your findings.

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Section 6: Declaration
I have read, understood and will abide by the institution’s Research and
Ethics Policy: Yes: No:
I have discussed the ethical issues relating to my research with my Unit
Tutor: Yes: No:
I confirm that to the best of my knowledge:
The above information is correct and that this is a full description of the ethics issues that may arise in
the course of my research.
Name: .....................................................................................................................................................................
Date: ...................................................................................
Please submit your completed form
to ......................................................................................................................................................................

Grading Criteria:

You need to address all the learning outcomes and assessment criteria (AC) as specified
toward pass, merit and distinction below. Guidance in addition to the Pass criteria, this
assignment gives you the opportunity to submit evidence in order to achieve the following
Merit and Distinction grades. You will have to pass all the P’s to achieve an overall pass,
address all the M’s to achieve overall merit besides addressing all the P’s and address all
the D’s to achieve an overall distinction besides addressing all P’s and M’s.

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Learning Outcomes (LO) and Assessment Criteria (AC)

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 Further Guidance:

1. You are required to sign a declaration stating that the work you are submitting is
their own. The supervisor will authenticate the work as your own, which can be
done by regular monitoring of progress and conducting interim reviews.
2. You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all
sources used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments which
show evidence of academic unfair practice.
3. You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with
appropriate and wide-ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced
using the Harvard system.
4. You should use diagrams and tables of figures where appropriate ensuring to
reference their source using the Harvard Referencing method.
5. You are required to write your report within 4,000 – 6,000 words but you will not
be penalised for exceeding the word limit.
6. The word count excludes the title page, reference list and appendices. Printed
words include those contained within charts and tables.
7. Your assignment should be submitted as a single document.
8. You could access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this
unit. For further guidance and support on report writing please refer to the Study
Skills Unit on HN Global. Link to www.highernationals.com.
9. You could also visit the Study Support from University of Sunderland’s University
Library Services website. Link to http://library.sunderland.ac.uk/services-and-
support/skills/.
10. Guidelines for submitting online are on our online platform.

Recommended Resources
FLICK, U. (2020) Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to Doing a
Research Project. 3rd Ed. London: SAGE.

GRAY, D. (2017) Doing Research in the Real World. 4th Ed. London: SAGE.

SAUNDERS, M., LEWIS, P. and THORNHILL, A. (2019) Research Methods for

Business Students. 6th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Costley, C., Elliot, G. and Gibbs, P. (2010) Doing Work Based Research:
Approaches to Enquiry for Insider-researchers. London: SAGE.

Journals
International Journal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research.
Qualitative Research Journal.

Websites
www.skillsyouneed.com
www.learnhigher.ac.uk

Links
This unit links to the following related units:
Unit 6: Managing a Successful Business Project (Pearson Set)
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