MOD001085 & MOD001086

Undergraduate Major Project

Lecture 2
Developing a research topic

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Learning objectives
• Understand the criteria that need to be
considered when choosing a research topic;
• Know what makes a good research topic;
• Recognize how to develop research
questions;
• Recognize how to develop objectives

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Learning objectives
• Evaluate your own research questions;
• Be able to understand the relationship
between theory, research questions
and objectives.
• Understand how to develop a research
proposal

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Nature of your topic
• A topic can be defined as ‘A business
related idea or issue’. A topic can be
broken down into ‘broad topic’ and ‘specific
topic’.

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

Characteristics of a good research topic

• Your topic is achievable (Access,

Complexity, Time)
• Your topic is specific.
• Your topic is relevant.
• Your topic satisfies project guidelines.
• Your topic is of interest to you.

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Marketing

Business Marketing

Business marketing
between supplier and
retailer

Business marketing relationship

between Cott Corporation and
Tesco

Narrowing down your research topic

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic
 Sample topics by area, field and aspect

Area Field Aspect

Marketing International An analysis of

Marketing market entry
methods
Human Resources Employee An analysis of
retention employee retention
in relation to
Hawkins plc

Finance Management Development of a

Accounting word based
financial system
for the Royal
London Hospital
Accounting
Lecture 2: Developing a research topic
 Discussion with
your supervisor
or employer

A trip to the Brainstorming

supermarket

Scanning
Family and previous
business
research projects
networks

Drawing a Drawing a
relevance tree mind map
Reading existing
literature

Sources of ideas
Lecture 2: Developing a research topic
 Why are research questions
important?
• They help to set boundaries when conducting
your literature review.
• They help propose a suitable methodology.
• They help produce a refined set of results.
• They allow for easier analysis.
• They help draw together a reasonable set of
conclusions and make reference to previous
research.
‘Research questions and objectives are the glue that hold together a
dissertation/research project”
Lecture 2: Developing a research topic
 Key questions / issues

Define what you want to find out

Explain why you wish to research this
topic area
Establish why it is important for this
research to be carried out (e.g. a gap
exists in the literature or does it
contribute to existing
theory/management)
What data/information exists relating to
similar studies elsewhere?

Key questions/issues
Source: Adapted from Wilkinson (2000: 16)
Lecture 2: Developing a research topic
 Research questions
Research question Comments
How does an employee reward system Too big (this question consists of too many
help to benefit and reward employees and words and would be difficult to achieve)
increase their motivation when working
full-time or part-time for companies in high
profile public sector organisations?

What is auditing? Too small (also not specific)

What marketing strategies do companies Although you can argue that this is
employ in the business-to-business sector essentially too big, the main problem is that
and how effective are these and why are it is too fragmented. In other words,
they employed? consists of 3 research questions
What are the levels of corruption within Too sharp or sensitive
local government?
How do Japanese cultural values impact Look alike, too similar
leadership style?
What is the influence of cultural values on
Japanese management?
How successful is ABC plc in the Korean Just right
market?
Lecture 2: Developing a research topic
 You’re the supervisor question
• Group task: Imagine you’re the supervisor
• You have received a number of research proposals from final-year
Business Studies students. Four in particular have caught your attention.
This is to do with the way that their research questions have been
formulated. Discuss the problems associated with the following research
questions. Have a go at making them more appropriate.

• Why is marketing important?

• How does MI5 compare to the CIA?
• How is the technology industry likely to change in the next 20 years?
• How will xyz plc change in the next 1-5 years?

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Developing an objective
• Objectives tend to be broader/less specific
than research questions e.g. To
understand the impact of trust and
commitment on joint venture
performance.
• Research question: How does trust and
commitment impact joint venture
performance?

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Making the ‘link’ between research
questions and objectives
Examples of research questions:
1. How important are the various factors for evaluating staff
performance?
2. How have sports celebrities contributed to the Gillette brand?
3. What attributes do consumers have towards fair trade
products?
Examples of research objectives:
1. Identify the reasons behind the company’s expansion into the
Dutch market.
2. To determine the best way our company can increase staff
retention over the next financial year.
3. To establish the best way of introducing a sales training scheme.

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Problem: ‘loss of
trade’

Aims: ‘Increase
trade’

Objective: To
increase UK sales by
10% within the next
12 months

Research question:
How do we increase
UK sales by 10%
within the next 12
months?

Relationship between problem, aims, objectives and questions

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic
 Common questions
• Can I base my topic on our family business?
• How many research questions do I need to
include in my research project?

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic

 Exercise
• Try to identify 2 research questions that you find
interesting.
• Then discuss with your neighbour. Evaluate
whether your questions are achievable, too
small, too big, too fragmented, etc.
• Finally, your tutor will select a number of
student questions and the whole group will
brainstorm on them.

Lecture 2: Developing a research topic