Demonstrate understanding of the research process and the interrelationship between philosophy, design and methods

MBA Dissertation Proposal ( 2000 words approximately) – General field / topic: Merger in UK higher education – Specific context / topic: Examination/ exploratory study of the impact of 2012-2014 restructuring and merging on admin staff of school of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC) at the University of Manchester. – Specific goals to narrow this down to examine the impact of merger on the development of professional skills and duties, psychological and wellbeing impact. – Total number of words 12500 for the dissertation – Assessment type: MBA Dissertation Chapter 1: Introduction – Research question and goals – Rationale – Theoretical framework: Community of practice with some elements of Activity Theory where the focus is on tension, conflict, expansion cycle of leaning, nesting (CoP) Chapter 2: Literature review – An historical overview of merger and restructuring in UK higher education – Terms and definitions of – Socio-economic and political factors causing merger – Theories of and views on merger and restructuring Chapter 3&4: Methodology – The MBA dissertation will act as a pilot study t inform a wider PhD research project in the future. – Data collection: an online survey will be used: multiple choices questions. The no. of question in this survey will be 15 questions, 5 on skills, 5 on acquired knowledge and 5 efficiency – I am considering using Community of Practice with some elements of Activity Theory as my theoretical framework with social network analysis. – Analytical framework: thematic analysis informed by CoP and grounded theory – Ethical issues and confidentiality – Limitations – Context: description of the context of the study i.e. School Arts, Languages and Cultures at the University of Manchester. Approximately 20 non-senior admin staff from language-based subject area will be surveyed. This area includes the departments of Middle Eastern Studies, Spanish and Portuguese Studies, Japanese Studies, French Studies, Italian studies and Chinese Studies. Chapter 5: – Findings – Analysis and discussion Chapter 6 – Recommendations – Conclusion The proposal must include appendices to show: – Timescale of the work – A sample of the survey – Poster Important Factors that must be considered Knowledge and Understanding Outcomes On completion of this module students will: 1. Demonstrate understanding of the research process and the interrelationship between philosophy, design and methods 2. Demonstrate their knowledge of the literature, adopting a critical perspective 3. Demonstrate an understanding of planning and its contribution to research Ability Outcomes On completion of this module students will be able to: 4 To produce a critical and evaluative research proposal which is achievable within a planned timescale 5 Analyse given situations and research areas 6 Communicate in a simple visual form complex ideas regarding methodology, philosophy and design methods Assessment tasks (including assessment weightings) Assessment is by means of a 2000 word proposal which addresses learning outcomes1,2,3,4,5, weighted at 70%.(Final assessment), (tutor referral available). A research poster depicting and illustrating the proposal and methodology which addresses learning outcomes 1, 3, 4, 6, weighted at 30%.This is the final piece of assessment. Tutor reassessment is available for this module and assessment is marked anonymously. References must be included in this proposal: Indicative Reading (Latest Editions) Saunders, M. et al, Research Methods for Business Students, F.T. Easterly-Smith, M. et al, Management Research: An Introduction, Sage. Punch, K. F., Developing Effective Research Proposals, Sage. Rudestam, K. E. and Newton, R. R., Surviving Your Dissertation, Sage. Johnson, P. and Duholy, J., Understanding Management Research, Sage. Further literature will depend on the approach taken and the methods which are planned.