RESEARCH SKILLS FOR BUSINESS AND MARKETING PROFESSIONALS - 2023/4

Module Overview

Working in business and marketing related professions will often entail research, for example on customers' needs, employee satisfaction, etc. This module develops students' understanding of the principal qualitative and quantitative research methods and will provide them with opportunities to practice and apply these methods.

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

DIPPOLD Doris (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes

• Research design


• Research questions and hypotheses


• Generating quantitative data


• Quantitative analysis of categorical and continuous variables


• Generating qualitative data: interviews, focus groups


• User experience Research


• Thematic analysis

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

n/a

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to develop research questions, identify appropriate methods of data collection, design data collection instruments and analyse small samples of data to answer research questions and make recommendations.
 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists the following:

• Assignment 1: 1500 word essay (LO 1, 2, 3, 4) 
  This focuses on quantitative methodologies/ Students are asked to design research questions and instruments and demonstrate their skills in applying statistical tests.


• Assignment 2: 1500 word essay (LO 2, 4, 5) 
  This focuses on qualitative methodologies. Students are asked to conduct qualitative data collection or analysis and reflect on the process.

The assessment strategy develops students’ employability skills by equipping them with the skills to conduct research on workplace issues. It also develops resourcefulness and resilience by equipping them with the skills to think through and overcome obstacles within the research process. Digital capabilities are developed as assessments require engagement with digital analysis tools.


Formative assessment / feedback

Students will receive feedback on assignment 1 in the form of practical, forward-facing advice for the second assignment. Students will also receive verbal feedback on practical exercises throughout the class and will be able to discuss their plans for the assignment(s) with the module tutor.

Module aims

• The module aims to: develop students' understanding of the nature and methods of quantitative research
• develop students' understanding of the nature and methods of qualitative research
• enable students to develop questions and procedures (data collection, and analysis) which allow them to address problems in professional practice in business and marketing

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to apply theoretical concepts in a practical manner and develop their own ideas for research problems. The module is taught primarily in seminar-style, with lecture-type input by the tutor which is followed by practical examples and exercises. Some sessions will take place in a lab, allowing students to use relevant analytical software (Qualtrix, NVivo).


The learning and teaching methods include:

Weekly seminar sessions: The seminar sessions include a mixture of lecture-type and interactive elements.
In each session, theoretical concepts and analytical frameworks will be introduced by the tutor. Students are given the opportunity to apply these practical exercises, some of which students prepare at home. 

Captured content: Captured content provided for each weekly session include the Pdf slides for the sessions as well learning videos on key concepts. The captured content aims to develop understanding of key concepts and theories. Students are expected to engage with the captured content to deepen their engagement with the materials.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CMCM064

Other information

Surrey's Curriculum Framework is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:

Employability: Modern careers in a complex world increasingly demand from graduates to ability to make evidence-based decisions in order to inform policies, workplace training, recruitment or other issues. This module enables students to develop the research skills necessary to gather and then analyse relevant evidence, using both quantitative and qualitative perspectives.  The module thus enhances students’ practical communication skills developed in Business Communication I and II and provides them the skills to design and conduct research on their own rather than relying on published evidence. Moreover, the module develops students’ skills in interpreting published research, thus supporting students’ research for their final Business Projects.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: Conducting research, in particular research with a human focus, is naturally imbued with a range of obstacles relating to data collection, researcher positionality and maintaining objectivity in data analysis. Assignments 1 and 2 allow students to practice and apply these skills in relation to both quantitative and qualitative research, developing students’ ability to reflect on the research process and find ways of becoming resilience in the face of obstacles and apply strategies to overcome these obstacles.

Digital Capabilities: There are many different tools available on the market place which support quantitative and qualitative research. This module introduces students to two of these tools – Nvivo and Qualtrix – thus equipping students with digital skills that are directly transferable to their future workplaces. Students will be able to familiarize themselves with these tools through practical exercises.  Students will also use Surrey’s VLE and other digital platforms as part of their engagement with this module.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.