FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
STUDIES

MODULE HANDBOOK

Department: Management Studies

Course Title
MGMT6901 (SPSC6902): RESEARCH
METHODS
Course Tutor
Dr. Dwayne Devonish
Tel. 417-4306
dwayne.devonish@cavehill.uwi.edu
Academic Year
Summer

No. of weeks 6 weeks

 MGMT6901- RESEARCH METHODS

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND RATIONALE

Good managerial decision-making is necessary for organisational

competitiveness and success. However, good managerial decisions require
systematic, data-based, critical, and objective methods, procedures and
analyses. Research represents the principal means of arriving at decisions
and practices that promote prompt problem-solving, increased
productivity and performance, and increased overall organisational
effectiveness and efficiency.

This research methods course will introduce graduate students to a range

of research methods, designs, techniques and analyses in the quantitative
and qualitative methodologies that are essential to effective and efficient
decision-making in various domains and sectors of business and
management. This course will seek to integrate relevant material and
topics from other courses in the programme so that students can have the
opportunity to apply these methods and techniques within a domain most
relevant to their area of study.

TEACHING METHODOLOGY

The course provides students with the necessary skills, tools and
knowledge to utilise and apply a wide range of qualitative and
quantitative research procedures and techniques in the world of work.
The use of case scenarios, practical exercises, oral presentations, and
interactive tutorials and lectures seeks to enhance the students’ learning
experience in the classroom. Much focus is placed on the integration of
relevant concepts and principles, and the application of these elements to
practical business situations. The use of various technological media such
as DVDs and videos on research methodology and data analysis will aid in
the teaching of critical and complex concepts and methods.

Teacher-student interaction, online educational technology/media, and

practical exercises have been researched to be effective methods of
instruction that promote learning within and outside the classroom.

Students will be provided with marking rubrics for each coursework

assessment to guide them through the necessary components that will be
critical for the development of these assessment pieces.
 COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

 Identify and implement the main stages of the overall research

process, and appreciate the major philosophical perspectives
underlying various research approaches within this process.

 Develop clear, sound, and testable research hypotheses, questions

and objectives.

 Identify, locate, and gather scientific literature in order to develop

comprehensive and critical literature reviews for research.

 Identify, select, and implement a range of study designs, sampling

methods, and data-collection techniques for the execution of
research projects in academic and applied settings.

 Engage in the process of instrument design and development,

especially for tools such as survey questionnaires and interview
schedules.

 Identify, select and conduct a range of statistical techniques and

procedures for quantitative research projects using computer
software packages such as the Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences and Microsoft Excel.

 Identify, select, and implement key data-analysis techniques in

qualitative research such as content and thematic analysis.
 WEEKLY CLASS SCHEDULE

No. Date Topic/Tutor/Reading

Topic: Introduction to Research
1
This lecture begins with an introduction of the
course content and its relevance to the academia
and applied settings. It also discusses the nature,
purpose and importance of research, and the main
stages of the research process. Qualitative and
quantitative research approaches are compared.

Activity: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Sekeran, U. (2003). Research methods for
Business., Ch.1, 4, 5,6
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch. 1.
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods. Ch.
1, 2, 3, 6.

Topics:
2
Choosing and Focusing a Research Topic,
and Developing Research
Questions/Hypotheses/Objectives

The session discusses the process of choosing and

focusing research topics, and developing research
questions, hypotheses, objectives in both
qualitative and quantitative research projects.

Activity: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch. 2, 4.
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods.
Ch.4, Ch.6.
 Topic:
3 Literature Reviews: Purpose, Process,
Procedures

This lecture examines the nature and purpose of

literature reviews in research, as well as discusses
the process and procedures involved in doing a
critical literature review for research papers. The
importance of prior empirical research, theory, and
conceptualisation is discussed. The role of the
literature review in shaping research questions,
objectives, or hypotheses is also examined.

Activity: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch. 2, 4.
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods.
Ch.3.
*Sekeran, U. (2000). Research methods for
Business., Ch.4 (p.63-67)
Topic:
Study Designs in Qualitative and
4 Quantitative Research

This lecture examines various study designs in the

qualitative and quantitative research approaches
and their implications for the practice of research.

Activity: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch. 5
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods.
Ch.7, 9-11; 13-14.
*Sekeran, U. (2003). Research methods for
Business. Ch.6 (p.117-126), 9, 10.
 Topic:
(1)Reliability and Validity in Research
5 (2) Designing Research Instruments:
Principles, Process, and Procedures

The first section of the lecture introduces the

concepts of reliability and validity and their
relevance to research. The second part of lecture
deals with the process, principles, and procedures
involved in the design and development of research
instruments in quantitative and qualitative
research: the survey questionnaire and interview
schedule, respectively.

Activity: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch. 10-11
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods.
Ch.7, 10, 13 (p. 406-410).
*Sekeran, U. (2003). Research methods for
Business. Ch. 8-10.

Topic:
Sampling: Principles, Process, and
6 Procedures

This lecture deals with relevant issues and

concepts related to sampling in quantitative and
qualitative research: non-probability and
probability-based sampling. Practical exercises on
how to implement various sampling procedures are
conducted in this session.

Activity: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch. 7
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods.
Ch.8.
*Sekeran, U. (2003). Research methods for
Business. Ch.11.
 Topic:
Data-Collection Procedures and Ethics in
7 Research

This lecture examines the different aspects and

dimensions of data-collection in both quantitative
and qualitative research. Different modes of data-
collection and their strengths and weaknesses are
discussed. This lecture also discusses the nature
and importance of research ethics, and various
ethical issues in quantitative and qualitative
research.

Activity: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch. 6, 9-11
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods.
Ch.5, 9-11;13-14
*Sekeran, U. (2003). Research methods for
Business. Ch.10.

Topic:

8 Introduction to Quantitative Data-Analysis I:

Using SPSS

This lecture provides students with practical,

hands-on experience using the SPSS programme.
Issues related to coding the instrument, data-
entry, and data analyses are examined.
Descriptive and basic statistics are discussed and
explored using the programme.

Tutor: Dwayne Devonish

Activity: Practical computer-based session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch.12, 13.
*Pallant, J. (2007). SPSS Survival Manual.
 Topic:
Quantitative Data-Analysis III: Inferential
9 Statistics Using SPSS
This session examines various forms of inferential
statistics using SPSS. The session will discuss
specific data-analysis techniques which test for
differences between two or more groups using the
SPSS programme: Independent samples-t-test and
one-way ANOVA.

Approach: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch.12.
*Pallant, J. (2007). SPSS Survival Manual.

Topic:
10 Quantitative Data-Analysis IV: More
Inferential Statistics Using SPSS

This session examines specific forms of inferential

statistics in testing for relationships between
variables using the SPSS programme: Chi-square
analysis, Correlation and Regression analysis.

Approach: Interactive Lecture Session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch.12.
*Pallant, J. (2007). SPSS Survival Manual.
11 Topic:
Qualitative Data Analysis and Course Review

This session concludes with qualitative data

analysis techniques and presents a review of
course to help with examination preparation.

Activity: Interactive lecture session

Readings:
*Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2007). Research
methods for business students (4th ed). Ch.13.
*Neuman, L. (2006). Social research methods.
Ch.15
*Silverman, D. (2000). Doing qualitative research.
 COURSE ASSESSMENT

The course assessment is divided into two elements: coursework (50%) and
final exam (50%). For the coursework component, there will be three (3)
pieces of assessment that students are required to complete by the end of
the course. Students will be required to provide (1) a written research
proposal (group assignment) (Max. 3,500 words), and (2) a written
SPSS data-analysis exercise (group assignment) (Max. 1,000 words).
You are allowed 10% below or above the required word limit for these
assignments. Further guidance on these coursework assessments and the
final exam will be given to students at a later date during the course.

Assessment
Component Weights Issue date Return
date
DD/MM/YY
Written Research
Proposal (Group 35% 20-07-2018
Project)
(Max. 3,500 words)
Written SPSS Data-
Analysis Exercise 20-07-2018
(Group Project) 15%
(Max. 1,000)

Final Exam 50% -

CORE TEXT(S)

Creswell, J. (2008). Reseach Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed

Methods Approaches (3rd ed). London: Sage. (Required text)

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., and Thornhill, A. (2007). Research methods for
business students (4th ed). New York: Prentice Hall (Very Good
Supplement)

Pallant, J. (2005). SPSS survival manual: a step by step guide to data

analysis using SPSS (2nd. ed.). New York: Open University Press. (Will be
made available in the Library)
 RECOMMENDED READINGS

Babbie, E. (2006). The practice of social research (11th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth/Thomson.

Berg, B (2003). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (4th
ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Brewerton, P. and L. Millward (2001). Organisational research methods.

London, Sage.

Field, A. (2005). Discovering statistics using SPSS. London, Sage.

Neuman, L.W. (2006). Social research methods: Qualitative and

quantitative Approaches. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Sekeran, U. (2003). Research methods for Business (4th ed). Danvers, MA:
John Wiley

Silverman, D. (2000). Doing qualitative research: A practical handbook.

London: Sage.

JOURNALS AND DATABASES

Students can locate a number of key readings in the form of scholarly journal
articles from the University’s online library system. Popular online databases
for business and management subjects and programmes include
ABI/INFORM (PROQUEST), EBSCOHOST, and EMERALD. Within these
databases, students can access popular journals including Academy of
Management, Journal of Employee Relations, International Journal of Human
Resource Management, Journal of Human Resources, Tourism Management,
and other key journals in various management and business-related fields to
fit their discipline or interest.