HR4D001 - The HRM Research Report/Dissertation 01 Sep 2020 - 31 Aug 2027 | Version 2
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | HR4D001 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | The HRM Research Report/Dissertation | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Business and Creative Industries | ||
| Faculty Group: | Business Management | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Business Management | ||
| Module Leader: | Adam Poole, Linda Hamweemba | ||
| Module Team: | Karl Greenhough, Shehla Khan, Tiru Madahar, Tiansheng Yang, Elizabeth Lloyd-Parkes, Shelley Poole, Rebecca Brittain, Kevin Brown, Christine Esposito | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2019 | Final Year of Intake: | |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 40 | Credit Level: | 7 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | |||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | |||
Document Version Information
| Version | 2 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2020 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2027 |
Module Aims
The HRM Research Project requires students to demonstrate the following:
Identify and justify a business issue that is of strategic relevance to the organisation. Identify a suitable topic for the project. Potential sources might include critical incidents, significant external or internal influence, chang management initiatives, risk assessment, internal or external diagnostic, and a chronic or acute problem. Plan and design a project that has strategic relevance and the potential to add value to the organisation.
Critically analyse and discuss existing literature, contemporary HR policy and practice relevant to the chosen issue. Knowledge of literature and contemporary HR practice; information search and retrival; analysing sources of data; writing a critical literature review; academic referencing.
Compare and contrast the relative merits of different research methods and their relevance to different situations. Research methods: understanding different methods of data collection (for example interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, participant observation), the strengths and weaknesses of each and the circumstances in which they might be used; ethical considerations.
Undertake a systematic analysis of quantitative and / or qualitative information and present the results in a clear and consistent format. Data analysis: the use and value of different analytical tools for interpreting data; systematic data analysis; identification and explanation of emerging patterns and how to deal with conflicting evidence; effective interpretation and presentation of data.
Draw realistic and appropriate conclusions and make recommendations based on costed options. Drawing reasoned conclusions from data collected and presented; production of realistic, timely and effectively justified recommendations and costed implementation plans; awareness of potential resistance to recommendations and how this might be overcome.
Develop and present a persuasive business report. Developing and presenting a report: the importance of clear aims, objectives and appropriate terms of reference; awareness of time management and project development; potential barriers and how they might be overcome; the structure and content of a management report; principal techniques of communication and persuasion appropriate to a business report; presentation skills.
Write a reflective account of what has been learned during the project and how this can be applied in the future. Developing the skills of critical reflection.
Content Summary
The HRM Research Project is a significant piece of student-directed learning, based on a detailed investigation into a business-related phenomenon. However, the project allows students and their situations one of three models that best suits your academic interests and/or professional development requirements. These options are outlined below:
Dissertation:
The dissertation is an opportunity for students to carry out an in-depth investigation into an IHRM topic of particular interest to them. It should be a conceptual discourse, have a clear focus, and be an investigation based on primary and/or secondary data, justified by detailed reference to relevant theories and concepts from literature.
And
Research Viva (or Oral Examination)
The oral examination will be an integral part of the assessment for the HRM Dissertation/Research Report and is not to be regarded as a mere formality. The Viva (or oral examination) is the culmination of the process, and both the candidate and examiners must recognise it as an occasion of importance. The fundamental notion of the oral examination is to allow the candidate to explain, expand, and justify their research, in response to the examiners’ questions. However, specifically, the examiners will be looking for students to:
Demonstrate that the thesis is their own work
Confirm that they understand what they have written and can defend it verbally
Allow the student to clarify and develop the written thesis in response to the examiners' questions
The oral examination may be used to establish a candidate’s general knowledge of the field of the research, and to investigate the student’s awareness of where the research sits in relation to the wider research field, and within the different contexts
Consultancy Project:
Through this model students have the opportunity to link theory to practice by analysing a real organisational issue. Having identified a project (with the approval of both the client company and the Course/Module Leader) students will investigate a particular issue that can be supported through the relevant literature and by conducting primary research with the client. The ‘issue’ that students investigate may be a current People/Organisational/Management problem but must have specific and direct consequences for HR from an International perspective.
And
Research Viva (or Oral Examination)
The oral examination will be an integral part of the assessment for the HRM Dissertation/Research Report and is not to be regarded as a mere formality. The Viva (or oral examination) is the culmination of the process, and both the candidate and examiners must recognise it as an occasion of importance. The fundamental notion of the oral examination is to allow the candidate to explain, expand, and justify their research, in response to the examiners’ questions. However, specifically, the examiners will be looking for students to:
Demonstrate that the thesis is their own work
Confirm that they understand what they have written and can defend it verbally
Allow the student to clarify and develop the written thesis in response to the examiners' questions
The oral examination may be used to establish a candidate’s general knowledge of the field of the research, and to investigate the student’s awareness of where the research sits in relation to the wider research field, and within the different contexts
(This module is mapped to the following CIPD unit(s):
7 IBI - Investigating a Business Issue from a Human Resources Perspective)
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 6 |
| Seminar | 12 |
| Project supervision | 12 |
| Independent Study | 260 |
| Directed Study | 60 |
| Formative Assessment - Scheduled | 50 |
| Total Hours Selected | 400 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Analytical skills, based on a thorough and systematic approach to the handling of rimary and secondary data; whilst showing the ability to evaluate, appraise and critique new ideas, models and concepts, and to identify any biases and assumptions inherent in these |
| LO2 | The skills of unravelling complex ideas and problems, interpreting and synthesising these effectively; whilst showing the development of personal initiatives, attitudes of responsibility, and systematic approaches to problem solving and project management. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | Dissertation | A major written work reporting the results of a substantial research project (typically conducted over more than one term) providing a coherent argument about the topic addressed and aiming to incorporate an element of originality in the argument and /or the evidence used to sustain it. | 0 | 15000 | 65 | No | 40 |
| Asynchronous Assessment | Research Plan / Proposal / Project/ Log 1 | The proposal must set out the timescales, research intentions, which include a novel research question, samples of the literature to be explored and initial research methods to be employed. | 0 | 1000 | 15 | No | 40 |
| Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment | Oral Assessment (Internally assessed, Onsite) 1 | A formal oral examination designed to assess the student’s ability to present, explain, and critically defend the research undertaken for the dissertation. The viva requires the student to demonstrate a deep and comprehensive understanding of the chosen topic, to articulate the rationale for the research design and methodological choices, and to respond effectively to detailed questions and challenges from examiners. The discussion should reveal the student’s capacity to situate the research within the wider academic context, to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the work, and to reflect thoughtfully on the contribution made to knowledge and practice, thereby evidencing scholarly originality, critical insight, and academic integrity. The student will be required to make a 15-minute presentation after which, they will answer questions posed by the examiners. | 10 | N/A | 20 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Dissertation | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Research Plan / Proposal / Project/ Log 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Oral Assessment (Internally assessed, Onsite) 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |