27361 Industry Project 1

Subject level: Undergraduate

Handbook description

This subject provides students with the knowledge and skills to negotiate and establish a relationship with an industry partner, interpret the partner's needs in relation to a specific management problem, systematically review existing research material and prepare a proposal for researching and solving an industry-based management problem. Students are provided with the opportunity to learn and integrate industry standard research and project management software. The research proposal outcome of the subject is operationalised in the following semester through Industry Project 2.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Understand the role of literature, secondary data, quantitative and qualitative methodologies in research design for an industry-based management project.
2. Develop a conceptual framework through a critical review of the literature to address an industry-based management project.
3. Demonstrate proficiency in quantitative and qualitative data preparation and analysis using appropriate software packages.
4. Integrate project management tools within a research proposal using appropriate software packages.
5. Develop and present a research proposal for an industry-based management project.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject extends the learning established in Research Foundations for Leisure, Sport and Tourism to provide the student with conceptual knowledge and the practical research skills to prepare a research proposal for an industry-based management project. It does so through providing an understanding of social science research methods and processes commonly used within industry research. It provides a framework for considering the relationships between theory and practice and seeks to incorporate research and project management knowledge within the fields of practice to which it relates.

Teaching and learning strategies

Lectures, tutorials and computer laboratory sessions will be used to provide a variety of learning experiences. Tutorials will be arranged into disciplinary groups for the delivery of industry specific content. The laboratory sessions will be based on Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project/Outlook, SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and a qualitative research package. Content for this subject will be supported by UTSOnline. Early in the semester, students will select or negotiate an industry-based project and associated client as the framework for learning in this subject.

Content

• Conceptualising research, industry liaison and writing critical literature reviews to arrive at context-specific research objectives
• Research design and appropriateness of various methodologies
• Quantitative survey research methods and design: types of surveys; questionnaires; variables; dependent and independent variables; measures; wording and layout; etc.
• Quantitative data preparation and analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
• Qualitative methods: in-depth interviews; focus groups; Delphi studies; content analysis; media analysis
• Qualitative data preparation and analysis using manual and a computer based package
• Project Management: Tasks, milestones, timelines, responsibilities, budgets etc.
• Research proposal writing: components of proposals, writing for an industry brief/tender, ethics, timelines, budgets etc.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Critical Literature Review and Conceptual Framework (Individual)

Assessment item 2: SPSS Competency Test and Qualitative Analysis Exercise (Individual)

Assessment item 3: Research Project Proposal (Individual or Pair)