Select a topic of interest or business problem relevant to your degree specialism, e.g. strategy, supply chain management, international business & economics, marketing, finance, or human resources. Choose one of these topics that motivates you and that you are likely to pursue for your Dissertation or Consultancy Project (you may change your mind later, but it will be to your advantage if you stick to it, so choose carefully). This will require some preliminary research into that specific area.
Provide the following subsections and address the following tasks for the chosen business problem:

1.1 Research problem

The short explanation of the research problem and the particular question that you would want to study (about 150 words).

1.2 Selected Key Readings

An introduction that provides a brief commentary of key relevant literature. Be sure to justify your choice of these references in introducing the existing knowledge on your topic (about 500 words). Attach a full visual presentation such as a mind map, a Venn diagram, or a grandfather, father, son literature map in the report’s appendix to show the scope of your review of literature. That visual presentation will be considered when marking together with your brief commentary.

1.3 Two appropriate research methods

A detailed critique of at least two well-used research methodologies in the literature you have reviewed. Discuss a) how they are applied; b) how the methods were deployed to provide a worthwhile contribution to theory and research and c) what gaps the methods may leave that could lend the area to further analysis (and an opportunity for your own research). Discuss the pros and cons of methods in the context of the proposed research question/research problem; and demonstrate full awareness of constraints and limitations deriving from the investigation (about 1,500 words).

Section 2: Instruments and Conclusions

Provide the following subsections and address the following tasks for the chosen business problem:

2.1 Instrument

Provide the details of a proposed research instrument such as, an interview guide, survey questionnaire, or other appropriate instruments. Provide this as an appendix to your report.

Write 500 words of reflection, regarding how you have designed the instrument and why the way you did. The instrument is only for illustrative purposes and does not necessarily have to be complete.

2.2 Conclusions

Concluding evaluation of the instrument’s expected value for the research question(s) that you consider worthy of further investigation, and reflective by taking section 1 into account (about 350 words).

2.3 Bibliography (covers sections 1 and 2)

A bibliography containing a minimum of 12 references to relevant journal articles from good academic sources, including at least 6 published in the last 24 months and all cited in your analysis. Please include all references referred to in sections one and two here.
Note that the references listed in the full visual presentation (see subsection 1.2) must also be included here.

Section 3: Research Dissemination

Provide the following subsections and address the following tasks for the chosen business problem

3.1 Relevance and Audience

Briefly explain who and why may be the right audience for implementing the potential findings from the suggested research (about 200 words).

3.2 Communication of research

Reflect on what kind of summarizing, media, and design of the report would be needed to disseminate the outcomes properly and most effectively. Who could be partners in public organizations, NGOs, associations, or industry? (about 200 words).