Applied Research Methods teaching plan: June - Aug. 2018

Applied Research Methods (MBA) teaching plan (30 hours), 2018 : Intake 38 & 11 (Full): June to August

Briefing session (no class provided): session notes {re-used notes}

[Feb. 27]

Synopsis Form                due 11 Aug 18         

Proposal                           due 29 Sep 18

Dissertation                      due May 19     

Dissertation only             due Jan 19       

Session (3 hours each)	Topics	Readings/ activities
1.       On research proposal and research methodology O Jun 13 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Nature and skills required for formulating dissertation proposal 2.       Basic nature on research process 3.       Introduction of local university theses portals to access dissertation reports with local contents	·       Saunders et al. (2012: section 1.2: The nature of research; 1.3: business and management research; 1.4: the  research process). ·       The HKU Scholars Hub (url address: https://hub.hku.hk/advanced-search?location=thesis). Lecture 1 materials details Some advice from UK academic director
2.       Layers of management research: an introduction June 20 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       From research philosophies, to inductive/ deductive reasoning, to a range of research strategies 2.       On ontology and epistemology	·       Saunders et al. (2012: Chapter 4, primarily the “research onion”: pg. 128) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 145-148: inductive and deductive reasoning) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 130-132: ontology) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 132-134: epistemology) Lecture 2 details
3.       Quantitative vs. qualitative   research methods; inductive vs deductive reasoning June 27 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Explanation of quantitative and qualitative  research 2.       Review of dissertation report samples from local university theses portals 3.       Inductive vs deductive reasoning: an elaboration	·       Saunders et al. (2012: Chapter 12: analyzing quantitative data; chapter 13: analyzing qualitative data) ·       The HKU Scholars Hub (url address: https://hub.hku.hk/advanced-search?location=thesis). ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 145-148: inductive and deductive reasoning). Also see Facebook page on reasoning (url address: https://www.facebook.com/Literature-on-reasoning-1589559494676577/). Lecture 3 details Videos: inductive and deductive reasoning; on qualitative research.
4.       Correlation analysis; literature  review I July 4 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Correlation analysis 2.       Literature review skills: elaboration I  3.       Review of relevant academic articles on local topics related to correlation analysis and literature review	·       Saunders et al. (2012: section 12.5: examining relationships, differences and trends using statistics). ·       Saunders et al. (2012: Chapter 3: critically reviewing the literature). ·       Facebook page on correlation analysis (url address: https://www.facebook.com/literature.correlation.analysis/). Lecture 4 details
5.       Dissertation report writing   skills; literature review II; primary vs secondary data; case study research I July 18  (Monday): 7-10pm	1.       Review dissertation report writing   quality with local universities’ dissertation report samples 2.       Literature review skills – elaboration II 3.       Primary vs secondary data: nature and gathering methods 4.       Case study research I	·       The HKU Scholars Hub (url address: https://hub.hku.hk/advanced-search?location=thesis). ·       Saunders et al. (2012: Chapter 3: Critically reviewing the literature) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: Chapter 8 (using secondary data) and Chapter  9: Collecting primary data through observation) ·       Yin (1989; chapter 1: Introduction) Lecture 5 details
6.       Discuss potential local dissertation topics of interest to students; case study research II; Focus group approach; survey research July 23 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Examine local potential dissertation topics of interest to students 2.       Case study research II 3.       Focus group approach 4.       Survey research	·       Class brainstorming of dissertation topics in local contexts (1 hour 30 min). ·       Yin (1989; chapters 2-6) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 176-178: Survey) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: section 10.8: group interview and focus groups) Lecture 6 details
7.       Observational research; interview; action research July 25 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Observational research 2.       Interview 3.       Action research 4.       Discussion of how research methods can be applied in dissertation projects in local settings, with special reference  to case study research	·       Saunders et al. (2012: Chapter 9: Collecting primary data through observation) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: Chapter 10: Collecting primary data using semi-structured, in-depth and group interviews) ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 183-184: Action research) ·       Examine the local case of 759 store annual report (url address: http://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/SEHK/2015/0824/LTN20150824524.pdf) to brainstorm specific case study research design: class exercise. (1 hour 30 min.) lecture 7 details
8.       Experiment;  ethnography; experiment August 1  (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Experiment research methods (true   experiment and quasi-experiment) 2.       Ethnographic research 3.       Discussion of how research methods can be applied in dissertation projects in local settings, with special reference  to case study research	·       Saunders et al. (2012: 174-176): Experiment ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 181-182): Ethnographic research ·       Examine the local case of HKTV network Limited annual report (url address: http://ir.hktv.com.hk/pdf/announcement/E_annual_report.pdf) to brainstorm specific case study research design: class exercise. (1 hour 30 min.) Lecture 8 details
9.       Content analysis; grounded theory August 8 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Content analysis: basic techniques 2.       Grounded theory: basic ideas, including thematic analysis 3.       Discussion of how research methods can be applied in dissertation projects in local settings, with special reference  to case study research	·       Facebook page on cotent analysis (url address: https://www.facebook.com/literature.contentanalysis.documentstudy/). ·       Saunders et al. (2012: 185-187): Grounded theory. ·       Examine the local case of Esprit annual report (url address: http://www.esprit.com/investor_relations/financial_information/annual_interim_reports/ ) to brainstorm specific case study research design: class exercise. (1 hour 30 min.) Lecture 9 details
10.   Research methods quality: validity, reliability, relevance, etc.; research ethics August 15 (Wed): 7-10pm	1.       Explanation of attributes of research methods quality: validity (internal, external and ecological), reliability, relevance, etc. 2.       Discussion of how research methods can be applied in dissertation projects in local settings 3.       Basic research ethics ideas 4.       A revision on how to formulate a dissertation proposal and produce a dissertation report with a local research topic.	·       Saunders et al. (2012: 192-194): Reliability and validity. ·       Saunders et al. (2012: section 6.5; 6.6): research ethics. ·       Examine the local case of Sa Sa annual report (url address: Examine the local case of HKTV network Limited annual report (url address: http://corp.sasa.com/en/investor-relations/annual-and-interim-report) to brainstorm specific case study research design: class exercise. ) to brainstorm specific case study research design: class exercise. (1 hour 30 min.) Lecture 10 details

Total number of hours spent on case studies: 7 hours 30 min.

References

Saunders, M., P.Lewis and A. Thornhill. 2012. Research Methods for Business Students, Pearson. [textbook].

Yin, R.K. 1989. Case study research: Design and Methods, Sage.

Previous teaching e -resource: 

• http://josephkkhoworkdiary.blogspot.hk/2016/10/mba-sunderland-research-methods.html

• FB group on Research methods: https://www.facebook.com/groups/research.methods.business/
• FB group on the Agile literature review approach