21815 Management Project

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

The knowledge of research methods gained from the prerequisite research methods subject is applied in the data gathering, analysis and interpretation phases of this subject. On completion, students are able to: systematically gather, process and interpret data in the area of management; effectively relate research results to the relevant management literature; prepare a thorough and effective report on a completed management project; and demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge in the area chosen for the project.

Subject objectives/outcomes

By the end of this subject, students will be able to complete a comprehensive management research project through:

1. clearly formulating and clarifying a research question or questions
2. conducting an extensive literature review around the research question(s)
3. developing appropriate methodologies to address the research question(s)
4. collecting and analysing data relevant to the research question
5. discussing the findings of the study in the context of the appropriate management literature
6. writing an effective research report.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject is one of three in the Master of Business by coursework programs, which aim to further develop knowledge and skills in the process of management research for students completing the final year of the master's course. The subject draws on the literature search conducted in the prerequisite subject 21814 Management Project Design, and on knowledge of research methods acquired in the prerequisite subject 21751 Management Research Methods.

Teaching and learning strategies

Students will be allocated an academic member of staff to be their supervisor for the subject. The supervisor will normally be the same person who supervised them for 21814 Management Project Design. The supervisor will assist the student in the designing and conducting of an empirical research project, the analysis of the data, and the writing of a final written report.

Minimum requirements

A suggested structure for the final report is give below. However, students should follow the advice of their supervisors on the desired format.

• Title page: (Name of student, subject, course, title of project)
• Abstract: This contains a brief summary of the report, including an outline of the study and its main findings. This should be less than one page, with no graphs, tables, just plain text.
• Index
• Introduction: This gives a brief overview of the whole report, including the nature of the literature to be reviewed the broad aims and nature of the study. This section should be no more than one page. A more detailed presentation of the aims (and possibly hypotheses) will be given in a later section. Just enough information is given here so that the reader can understand the relevance of the literature review.
• Literature review: This section provides the theoretical foundation for the various concepts in your paper. The literature review, which was completed in 21814 Management Project Design, should be used as a starting point, but this can be modified by appropriate revisions and/or extensions arising from feedback in that subject and from further reading of the literature.
• Aims and hypotheses: The research aims and hypotheses should be clearly stated in this section either as outlined in 21814 and/or further refined.
• Methodology: This section should include a description of the subjects (or participants, respondents) used in the study, a detailed description any instruments: used, such as a questionnaire, or interview checklist, a description of the actual procedure used to carry out the research.
• Results: This section should include details of the approach and methodology used for analysing the data, a presentation of the results, using tables or graphs if appropriate and discussion of findings in relation to the aims of the study and any hypotheses.
• Discussion and conclusions: This section summarises the main findings of the study and its significance, and relates it to the relevant literature. Also, limitations of the study are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.
• Appendices: This contains any additional material not directly related to the presentation of the study, or more detailed information than is required for the presentation of the findings (such as the data matrix for a quantitative study).