To develop the competencies of the students to critically appraise a business problem and to plan and conduct relevant research, both individually and co-operatively, leading to a solution.
Outline Syllabus
The nature of business problems; Using literature to understand and scope the business problem;
Understanding types of data and issues regarding their collection;
Developing and planning systematic approaches to business problem solving;
Data collection using survey questionnaires;
Understanding hypothesis testing, cross tabulations and simple linear regression;
Collecting data using: participant observation;interviewing; focus groups, and; the Delphi method;
Using soft systems analysis to understand processes and quantify improvements;
Performing and presenting the analysis of qualitative data;
Using mixed methods to strengthen and support an argument;
Presenting analysis of quantitative data including descriptive summary statistics;
Presenting solutions to a business audience: writing a business project or report;
Applying ethical considerations to research activities.