Assessment Task

Please read the assignment guidelines carefully.

AIM: This assignment assesses the learning outcomes of the Research Methods for Business module.

To this end, you are asked to devise a research project, to conduct pilot research, and to analyse your results on one of the following topics:

 A study on use of information technology in improving communication in any organisation.

 A study on performance of SME’s in Oman.

 A study on job stress and its impact on employee performance in any organisation.

 Any appropriate topic agreed with your module tutor

Please note that the total word count excludes appendices. Appendices contain supporting information and for this assignment little supporting information should be needed beyond that identified in the tasks or guidelines. The recommended (approximate) number of words for each part of the assignment gives guidance on the required extent of analysis (i.e. approximates to the marks allocated to a task).

The assignment should be appropriately presented in numbered sections and sources of information must be Harvard Referenced. (You are required to provide minimum of 7 Journal references, 10 book references and 3 website references).

The assignment is to be completed individually.

Guidelines to Students:

1. Give a short introduction and the objectives of your proposed study.

2. Formulate the research problem based on your topic.

3. Undertake reviewof literature based on the topic from journals, books , e books & other secondary sources, (at most 15 related literature & studies). Summarise any theory and evidence relevant to your topic.

4. Briefly explain your research philosophy, approach and strategy. In particular, comment on what makes your research positivist, interpretive or critical. In approach, whether you have used an inductive or deductive approach. In strategy, whether you have used ethnography, grounded theory or survey strategy in inductive approach. State the reason for your choice of philosophy, approach and strategy. Provide its strengths and limitations.

5. Briefly reflect on the ethical implications of your research.

6. For your research proposal in terms of methodology and approach you need to know the appropriate: A. Research design, B. Sampling Technique used for the studyand C. Data collection method/s. which can enable you to achieve the research objective or the research questions.If the research design/method is descriptive survey

7. Analyse the literature review and provide your findings and recommendations of your study.

8. Evaluate your research in terms of the lessons learnt from the study, appropriateness of the research instrument in relation to the research strategy outlined in Task 3, the reliability and validity of your results, etc. And Conclusion.

9. You are required to provide minimum of 20 references from various sources.