MNM3MRC: Management Research Challenge

Module code: MNM3MRC

Module provider: Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour; Henley Business School

Credits: 40

Level: 7

When you'll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Ana Graca, email: ana.graca@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 19 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The Management Research Challenge (MRC) is a major project that offers students the opportunity to demonstrate practical business research skills in identifying a significant organisational issue, problem or gap in management knowledge, design an appropriate data collection and analysis process, and present supported recommendations for practice or contribution to knowledge.

The key aims are to:

Develop knowledge and understanding of key research skills for a management-based investigation;
Prepare, implement, and evaluate an appropriate research process that investigates a relevant business issue, management question or gap in knowledge; 
Demonstrate awareness of appropriate use of methodology, theory, data, and critical use of literature;
Undertake a piece of original research in management and present findings and recommendations in line with the type of project chosen;
Integrate and consolidate learning from relevant MBA subject areas and apply this to a real business problem or gap in knowledge

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

• justifying research techniques and research process in undertaking the investigation, analysis and reporting of the outcomes;
• being critical, evaluative and reflective in respect of applying knowledge and understanding gained within the overall programme;
• conducting personal research around the topic, including the use of wider reading in terms of appropriate theory and appropriate practitioner/commercial literature;
• collecting and using evidence (from reading and fieldwork) to support the investigation, analysis and conclusions in a critical and evaluative manner;
• reflecting on the research process and personal learning objectives.

Module content

The module covers the following topics:

• The investigation process as a foundation for the Management Research Challenge;

• The value of evidence for management, learning and research;

• Research worthy or significant problems or issues and focused question that can be addressed through structured and rigorous investigation

• Gather evidence from current thinking and literature;

• Research techniques to undertake the investigation, analysis and reporting of the outcomes

• Collecting and using evidence to formulate conclusions in a critical and evaluative manner;

Students will be provided with core materials, workshops, clinics and a learning guide on Canvas in stages 2 and 3.  In stage three, on submission of a proposal, they will be assigned a supervisor who will support them on a one to one basis in terms of further development of their proposal, the project and the writing up process.

Additional learning outcomes:

MNM3G012 MRC Research Skills 1, MBA Stage 2  

Preparation for the management challenge begins in the second stage of the programme. Delivery in stage two is blended learning comprising of both self-study with learning material and a workshop. Students will get to know a range of evidence-based management sources that will help them formulate a problem and focused question and conduct an evidence-based investigation. The objectives in this stage are to:

• Introduce the investigation process as a foundation for the Management Research Challenge;
• Consider the value of evidence for management, learning and research;
• Demonstrate an understanding of how to gather evidence from current thinking;
• Identify, define and scope a significant problem or issue and focused question that can be addressed through structured and rigorous investigation;

MNM3G014 MRC Research Skills 2, MBA Stage 3

Stage 3 applies learning from the previous stages to develop and undertake an investigation. Delivery in this stage comprises mainly independent study, submission of a project proposal and workshops and clinics. Once a proposal is submitted, students are allocated a supervisor. The objectives in this stage are to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the literature review to inform the question, investigative approaches and the ability to select and justify the chosen approach.
• Prepare and submit a 1,000-word proposal outlining their plan for the investigation

Summative assessment is through the formal submission of a 15,000-word report which includes discussion of the topic, analysis, conclusion and recommendations and personal reflection. Students may choose between two types of Management Research Challenge:

Applied Project option:

This takes an applied, problem solving approach which considers issues within business and management in an integrated way. The research question in an applied project will be driven by a real topic, issue, problem or phenomenon within an organisation or an industry. It recognises that problems and opportunities in practice have multiple drivers and factors that influence the way they both manifest and impact. Wider reading of relevant theory and practitioner literature offers an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding from different perspectives around the problem or opportunity and support overall analysis of fieldwork data to make informed decisions and recommendations.

Applied projects may take two forms. In most locations, students may select an individual business project (IBP) or a group project (Capstone).

Additional learning outcomes

Students will demonstrate mastery through:

• integrating the investigation through the appropriate selection subject perspectives and current thinking in industry and management/practice; 
• presenting and justifying informed and effective decisions and recommendations based on the research;
• Group option) - evidence of cohesion and collaboration in preparation and execution of the project and reflection on process.

The dissertation option:

This gives students the opportunity to develop an investigation which is more academic. It is a theory driven approach which will require students to demonstrate that they can define the topic clearly in order to develop a deep analysis of related theory and academic literature in order to build arguments and justification for the research question through the engagement with the literature. Typically, the outcomes from an analysis of the literature are used to form a foundation for their empirical research in an appropriate business or management setting. Recommendations in a dissertation are also intended to be practical and relevant to management practice, but are made in terms of a contribution to knowledge.

Additional learning outcomes (dissertation)

Students will demonstrate mastery through:

• critical reviewing the current academic thinking that informs and underpins the choice of topic, the empirical investigation and the analysis.
• presenting conclusions and recommendations that are grounded in the theory and appropriate evidence from the fieldwork.
• Reflection of learning from engagement with the theory as well as the practice of the MRC.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Pre-workshop on-line support material is made available via Canvas. The content is delivered through 3 days of taught sessions, supported by key reading from texts and other sources, practical activities for each topic with group and cohort discussion and self-reflection to identify development needs. Guest speakers may be included in order to provide examples from their own previous Management Research Challenges. Students are supported by a supervisor who provides guidance throughout the whole Management Research Challenge process. There are established check-in points consisting of interactions between the students and the supervisors to provide feedback and discuss current work. There is an additional optional MRC Clinic (one-day workshop) for any remaining questions with the module team.

Study hours

At least 21 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

50% pass mark - Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

This module is subject to the Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes policy, which can be found at:

https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf

The Module Convenor will apply the following penalties to work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted up to one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark; 
• where the piece of work is submitted more than one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

The proposal is formatively assessed and is a pass /resubmit format.  Formative assessment is undertaken during the development of the project in the form of responses to questions, and key check-in points with the supervisor when the student receives feedback from the supervisor on MRC chapters.  

Reassessment

Additional costs