The aim of the proposal

You are required to complete a 3,000-word research proposal to demonstrate your ability to identify, analyze a research problem related to business and management, and set out a plan for a research project to investigate that problem. The aim of this assessment is to enable you to develop and demonstrate your ability to: (a) diagnose a problem in business and management, (b) formulate research questions, determine how to answer these questions by drawing on the academic literature, identify and assess the potential of appropriate research methods and (e) plan a small-scale research project.

This report is among the most challenging assignments set during your M.Sc. program. You should note that it is quite different from and more challenging than, writing a conventional coursework essay-style paper. You are being asked to anticipate the issues that you will have to overcome in planning, conducting, and reporting a small research project. The best research proposals are usually those produced by those students who have devoted considerable thought to the assignment before even beginning to write the proposal. It is not an assignment that can be left to the last minute.

To pass the assignment you must include all these key elements.

However, you do not have to devote an equal number of words to each of them. In particular, the statement of the problem is very likely to be shorter than the other elements.

What you should NOT do (these reflect the failings of past research proposals)

•  Do not write an essay about a general topic.
•  Do not just describe the application of a particular management technique
  or method (e.g. TQM, a project management technique), you must analyze
  the underlying problem and indicate how you would critically evaluate the
•  alternative ‘solutions’

What makes for a good topic for the report?
(Further guidance will be given in the lecture and seminar classes)
1. Are you interested in the topic? You are going to spend a lot of time researching the topic, and if you are not interested it will become a struggle to motivate yourself.
2. Is the topic relevant and timely? A good way of finding a topic is to find out what issues are of current concern in the academic and professional literature and look at recent issues, particularly in the professional press (Management Today, People Management, Harvard Business Review). Another way is to consult your former or present employers.
3. Is the topic-specific enough? Most students start with too broad a topic. Usually, the more successful research proposals (and dissertations) have very specific, clearly defined problems and research questions. A dissertation that goes deeply into a narrow topic is usually much better than one that touches the surface of a broad topic.

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