Instructions
Purpose of the assignment:
The purpose of the assignment is to enable you to examine the impact of globalization on how business is conducted through the context of your own chosen research project. This will provide you the opportunity to contextualize the implications of globalization in the workplace and how successful multinational companies have devised and customized new strategies for doing business in emerging markets and how they implement new business models to stay ahead of the competition.
Scenario:
You are working as a consultant for a consulting firm that has been approached by a business organization to conduct research into the effects of globalization on a key area of their activity. The organization has left it to you to define the scope of the research and choose the research topic. (At the bottom of this page you will find the companies to choose from.)
Theme: Globalization
The OECD defines globalisation as the following:
“The geographic dispersion of industrial and service activities, for example research development, sourcing of inputs, production and distribution, and cross-border networking of companies, for example through joint ventures and the sharing of assets.”
The key implications of globalisation for business include:
- the increasing trade across borders of goods and services,
- increasing levels of labour migration between countries,
- the emergence of global brands,
- greater outsourcing and offshoring of production,
- expansion of foreign investment.
You are expected to produce a piece of work that will provide sufficient evidence that you are able to:
- Consider the development of a methodical and valid research proposal as the foundation for your project.
- Choose a topic of personal interest in a specialism. The topic chosen should allow a sufficient and suitable degree of research through the existence of adequate background materials.
- Produce a project proposal. A good project proposal title should meet the following criteria:
○ The proposal is one that has an existing body of literature or source material that can be reviewed.
○ The proposal extends a current line of learning that will lend itself to further rigorous exploration.
- Decide on appropriate research methods and select an appropriate sample.
- Conduct your research as outlined in the proposal
- Carry out your research, analyse your research findings and draw conclusions. Apply both qualitative and quantitative research
methods to evaluate data collected from primary research.
- Communicate your research outcomes in a manner appropriate to your audience.
- Reflect on the success of your research project and evaluate the problems/ issues encountered.
Submission format:
Submission is in the form of a report. This should be written in a concise, formal business style. You are required to make use of headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate. You must support the written report with a range of graphical illustrations and appropriate appendices. All work must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended length of the final submission is 4,500 – 6,000 words, but you will not be penalised for exceeding this.
Task 1 – Completing and submitting the research proposal and ethical approval forms
You are expected to submit a research proposal and an ethical approval form using the designated forms provided by your instructor. In the proposal form you are expected to clearly define the research topic that you will pursue, encapsulated in relevant research aims, objectives, questions or hypotheses (if appropriate). You are expected to examine and present alternative methods of primary and secondary research with a view to evaluating and critically appraising them in order to select the most appropriate method for your project. You shall:
1) produce an ethical approval form,
2) develop a research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis supported by a literature review,
3) examine 2-4 appropriate research methods and approaches to primary and secondary research,
4) justify your choice of research methodologies and processes for your research project through critical evaluation with reference to theoretical frameworks.
Task 2 – Designing, collecting and analysing the data, and evaluating the limitations of your research approach.
You are expected to have completed your primary and secondary research and an analysis of the data you collected using appropriate methods and techniques. You must now submit a draft business report that employs an effective and appropriate communication style to present the data you collected and an analysis of the findings. You also need to discuss the implications and limitations of your research. You shall:
1) conduct primary and secondary research using appropriate methods that consider also the costs, access and ethical issues of conducting the research,
2) apply appropriate analytical tools to analyse the data and discuss the merits and limitations of the processes,
3) communicate a critical analysis of your findings in an appropriate manner for your business client, including justified recommendations that meet the research objectives.
Task 3 – Completing and submitting the final business report
You are expected to submit a business report in an appropriate format and style. The sections produced for task 2 shall be included in the final report. Your report will demonstrate an understanding of the research project and the implications it may have for your business client. You will achieve this through a rigorous discussion of your research questions, amid a strong contextual background that frames the research problem and a robust literature review that theoretically underpins your work.
You shall:
1) develop a report that provides valid and justified recommendations for the business organisation based on the analysis of both the primary and secondary research (integrate your findings and analysis from task 2 into this document);
2) communicate the research outcomes in an appropriate manner for your business client including visual illustrations, demonstrating how the outcomes meet the research objectives and making justified recommendations supported by critical analysis;
3) critically reflect on the effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting objectives of your research project including lessons learnt and alternative methodologies;
4) recommend actions for future improvement and considerations for future research.
Assessment criteria:
Examine appropriate research methodologies and approaches as part of the research process:
- 1. Produce a research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis supported by a literature review.
- 2. Examine appropriate research methods and approaches to primary and secondary research.
- 3. Evaluate different research approaches and methodology and make justifications for the choice of methods selected based on philosophical/theoretical frameworks.
- 4. Critically evaluate research methodologies and processes in application to a business research project to justify chosen research methods and analysis.
Conduct and analyse research relevant for a business research project:
1.Conduct primary and secondary research using appropriate methods for a business research project that consider costs, access and ethical issues.
- 2. Apply appropriate analytical tools, analyse research findings and data.
- 3. Discuss merits, limitations and pitfalls of approaches to data collection and analysis
- 4. Critically evaluate research methodologies and processes in application to a business research project to justify chosen research methods and analysis.
Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders
- 1. Communicate research outcomes in an appropriate manner for the intended audience.
- 2. Coherently and logically communicate outcomes to the intended audience demonstrating how outcomes meet set research objectives.
- 3. Communicate critical analysis of the outcomes and make valid, justified recommendations.
Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts
- 1. Reflect on the effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting objectives of the business research project
- 2. Consider alternative research methodologies and lessons learnt in view of the outcomes.
- 3. Provide critical reflection and insight that results in recommended actions for improvements and future research considerations.
- 4. Demonstrate reflection and engagement in the resource process leading to recommended actions for future improvement.
List of a business organisations to choose from:
Finnair
Marimekko
Nokia
Nokian Tyres
KONE
Fiskars
Neste Oyj
Supercell
Fortum
Lumene
Wärtsilä
