BUS606 Master of Business (Research)

Business Research Proposal and Literature Review
Guidelines for Confirmation of Candidature
Semester 1, 2020
Professor Ian Eddie, Head, School of Business
Preparing for Confirmation of Candidature
• BUS606 Assignment 3 ‘Research Proposal and Literature Review’ will be
forwarded to the Research Committee together with your lecturer’s
comments and grade as your Confirmation of Candidature (CoC) document.
• Based on the project you develop in your research proposal supervisors will
be allocated to you so that you can commence your thesis in Semester 2,
2020 when you enrol in BUS620.
• The following information provides guidance so you can prepare your
Assignment 3 to meet the Confirmation of Candidature requirements.
BUS606 Research Proposal CoC Guidelines – Professor Ian Eddie © 2020 2
Research Objective of the MBR Program
• The research objective of the Master of Business Research
thesis program is for candidates to complete an original thesis
that makes a contribution to knowledge in the Field of
Research (FOR) Code 1503 Business and Management.
• https://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/A064806C4
4BF7F07CA2574180004A57B?opendocument
BUS606 Research Proposal CoC Guidelines – Professor Ian Eddie © 2020 3
Research Clusters for the MBR
• Your Business Research proposal must be aligned to one of the following
Research Clusters:
• Cluster 1: Leadership and Management of Large Corporations
• Cluster 2: Leadership and Management of Not-for-Profit Organisations
• Cluster 3: Leadership and Management of Start-ups, SMEs and Family
Business
• Cluster 4: Leadership and Management of Technological and Digital
Transformation of Organisations
• Cluster 5: Leadership and Management of Sustainable Business Operations
• Cluster 6: Leadership and Management of Government and Multilateral
Organisations
BUS606 Research Proposal CoC Guidelines – Professor Ian Eddie © 2020 4
Master of Business (Research) Proposal Document
• Title of your Research Project – brief title 12 words or less.
• Identify the Research Cluster in the Excelsia College School of Business that
your research project will be associated with.
• Key words associated with your research project – maximum of six key
words.
• Statement of research method
• Statement of planned data source
• Statement of expected contribution
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Research Proposal – Key Questions to Address
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the issues and justify why this research
project is important.
• The research proposal should address the following questions:
• What fundamental problem is being investigated?
• What is the purpose of the research?
• What literature supports the research proposal?
• Why is this research important?
• What is your motivation?
• What is your expected contribution to the field of research?
• Who will benefit from your research findings?
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Research Proposal Contents
• Introduction – overview of the topic and issues
• Preliminary review of relevant literature in parent disciplines
• Identification and definition of key terms
• Evaluation of current theory and practice
• Development of research questions
• Statement of research objectives
• Specification of research hypotheses or position statements
• Statement of proposed research methodology
• Statement of data sources and data collection methods
• Statement of expected contribution of the research
• Evaluation of all ethical considerations
• Proposed research timetable for writing the thesis
• Initial bibliography
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Initiating a Literature Review
• A preliminary literature review is the first stage for developing an
understanding of the research problem.
• The purpose of a preliminary literature review is to:
• Evaluate the current state of knowledge
• Understand current theoretical frameworks
• Review prior research studies, data sets and methodologies
• Identify any gaps or unresolved matters in the literature
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Preliminary Literature Review
Broad search of research publications in the field of the
proposed research to identify seminal papers, thought leaders
and citation analysis and paths connecting research publications.
Classify all reviewed papers using themes, key words and
concepts, then identify:
 Scope of studies
 Methodologies
 Results
Assess ‘gaps’ in the literature
Develop relevant research questions
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Gap Analysis
What are the competing theories in this field of knowledge?
Are key constructs defined and measured consistently across studies?
Are data sources and samples consistent across studies?
What explanations have been provided for alternative conclusions in
prior studies?
Are there new or previously untested variables or relationships that
can explain observed results?
How does research in this field compare to other similar or related
disciplinary research?
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Developing Research Questions
• From the preliminary literature review consider the
following:
• Is there a reliable data source for the phenomena to
be studied?
• Do existing theories enable reliable prediction from
the observed phenomena?
• Can policies and guidelines be developed to improve
decision making and value judgements regarding the
phenomena?
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Hypothesis Development
• Hypotheses specify the relationship between the dependent
variable and independent variables in a study.
• Hypotheses are normally expressed in a null form: There is no
significant relationship between X and Y.
• The alternative form is to express either a predicted positive or
negative relationship between X and Y.
• Hypotheses should be expressed in such a manner that they are
falsifiable.
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Hypothesis Specification
Hypotheses MUST specify the relationship between the variables in
the study.
Hypotheses must relate to the research question.
Variables in the hypotheses must be consistent with the research
design.
Hypotheses and variables must be consistent with the theoretical
framework.
Hypotheses can be tested using various quantitative or qualitative
research methods.
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Contribution
• Consider what is the potential contribution of the
research in terms of the following parameters:
• Business and management practice
• Policy, recommendations and guidelines
•Methodology and data instruments
• Theoretical frameworks and constructs
• Critical and interpretative discourse
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Completing the Research Proposal
Clear statement of the research problem.
Wide review of the literature and demonstrated knowledge of the ‘gaps’
in the literature.
Ethics approval, where it is required.
Access to data and other information sources.
Capability to manage and deploy research methodologies.
Motivation and commitment to the research project.
Professional working relationship with supervisor and research mentors.
Capacity to make a significant contribution to practice and / or policy in
the field of research.
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Master of Business (Research) Thesis Completion Plan
Action / Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Proposal x
CoC + Ethics x
Literature Review x x x x x x
Research Questions x x x
Data Collection x x x
Data Analysis x x x x
Findings and
Conclusions
x x x
Finalise and Edit
Thesis
x x
Submit for
Examination
x
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Action Points
• 1. Submit your BUS606 Assignment 3 Research Proposal and
Literature Review (3,000 words) by the due date via Turnitin.
• 2. Your document and lecturer comments will be forwarded to
the Research Committee for Confirmation of Candidature.
• 3. Following the Confirmation of Candidature your thesis
Research Supervisors will be appointed.
• 4. After your supervisors are appointed you will need to
complete your Research Supervision Agreement Form.
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