The Business and Management Research Training Programme

PGR Induction September 2015

Original Thinking Applied

The details...

• Core courses• Choosing electives• Additional research training needs• How much time should you spend on research

training• Practicalities

Core Courses

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• Compulsory Courses for MSM division:– Research Process– Qualitative Research Methods– Quantitative Research Methods

• Compulsory Courses for PMO and IMP divisions:– Research Process

• And two from:– Qualitative Research Methods– Quantitative Research Methods– Comparative International Business– Science Technology and Innovation Studies– Epistemology– Critical Research Methods for People Management and Organization– The Craft of Fieldwork: Method, Text and Writing

• Optionally supervisors from IMP may specify Epistemology as compulsory.

Research Process

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• Taught in Semester 1 by Prof. Paul Irwing, Laszlo Czaban, Eljee Javier, Ian Fairweather, Ian Pople, Mark Healy

• Aim: To provide an overall framework for the conduct of research including the production of doctoral theses, conference papers and posters, and journal articles

• Not a single course but:– Induction– Epistemology – Research Design & Measurement– Research Ethics

All above have been timetabled

Research Process

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• Humanities Researcher Development Programme: – Writing your Literature Review:(Eljee Javier) – Planning your Research: (Ian Fairweather) – Academic Writing: (Ian Pople)

• The above courses you must bookMY TRAININGResearcher DevelopmentUniversities Training Catalogue

Assessment: A research proposal for the first study to be included in the doctoral thesis: To be marked by the supervisor (3000 words)

Quantitative Research Methods

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• Semester 1 – Prof. Paul Irwing and Dr. Charles Cui

• Aims: – To provide an overall framework for the conduct of

quantitative research – To introduce students to basic statistical methods and

hypothesis testing – To introduce students to quantitative research

methods, – To provide a grounding in multiple regression and

factor analysis

Quantitative Research Methods

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• Teaching method: Lecture, groupwork, practical computing sessions

• Assessment: Report based on quantitative study consisting of a literature review, results from factor analysis, multiple regression, and a discussion (4,500 words)

Qualitative Methods

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• Semester 1 – Prof. Trevor Wood-Harper and Dr. Mostafa Mohamad

• Aims:– To understand the coherence and plausibility of a

qualitative research project. – To apply appropriate methods, analysis of data, research

evaluation, and research assessment. – To help students develop a justification audit for their

major decisions and assertions, including methods of data collection, analysis, and dissemination

– Provide students with the tools available to enable the appropriate choice of data collection technique(s) and analysis for a given research issue.

Qualitative Methods

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• Teaching and learning methods: Lectures, group presentations with student led discussion/critiques and self-study of particular methods, data analysis techniques and dissemination & evaluation.

• Assessment: Presentation of your qualitative proposal including justification audit. 15-20 slides 70/30%

Epistemology (Knowledge production & justification in business and management studies)

• Semester 1 – Dr. Laszlo Czaban• Aim: to familiarise doctoral students with the major philosophical

and methodological issues involved in the production of valid knowledge in business and management studies. It focuses on the particular nature of business and management research in the context of general theories of scientific knowledge, such as logical positivism, critical rationalism and realism, and considers how the social and management sciences differ from the physical and biological sciences.

• Introductory lecture in week 1, then students work in groups and make presentations, followed by class discussion

• You will be assigned to a group: each group makes two presentations during the semester

• Reading required in advance of session• Assessment: group presentations 20%; essay 80%

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Critical Research Methods for People Management &

Organizations

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• Semester 1 – Dr. Damian O’Doherty

• Aims:– To introduce a set of methods appropriate to the study of

People Management and Organizations for students intending to conduct primary qualitative fieldwork using documentary, case study methods, interviews, or ethnographic style research.

– Designed specifically for students primarily interested in human resource management, industrial relations, organization studies, and organization development.

– Contributes alternative perspectives in the study of general business and management studies including leadership, motivation, creativity, and fairness at work.

Critical Research Methods for People Management and

Organizations

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• Teaching Methods: Weekly workshops combining lecture and seminar discussions around key readings and case studies

• Assessment: Essay (2000 words)

Critical Research Methods for People Management and

Organizations

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• Teaching Methods: Weekly workshops combining lecture and seminar discussions around key readings and case studies

• Assessment: Essay (2000 words)

The Craft of Fieldwork: Method, Text, and Writing

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• Semester 1 : Prof. Leo McCann

• Aims: advanced exploration of the craft of qualitative research and writing.

• Designed with students of organizational and workplace research in mind, focusing mainly on organization studies and sociology of work literatures, paying particular attention to the interpretation and discussion of contemporary published qualitative texts.

The Craft of Fieldwork: Method, Text, and Writing

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• Intended primarily for students whose theses relate to sociology of work, organization and management, as well as to themes of gender, occupational and group culture, and individual identity construction.

• Teaching: 5 fortnightly sessions – lecture and group discussion

• Assessment: 4,000 word reflective report.

Critical Perspectives on International Business

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• Semester 1 & Semester 2 -- Prof Rudolf Sinkovics, Prof Mo Yamin, Dr. Stefan Zagelmeyer and Dr Noemi Sinkovics

• Aim – To provide an overview of critical perspectives on the IB literature, in an attempt to delineate the boundaries of IB as a research field– Drawing on literature from political economy perspectives,

highlighting new developments within our field, linking to comparative business systems.

Combination of lectures and seminars/discussion sessions. Assessment: Critique paper 20%; Literature paper 80%

Methods and Concepts in Science, Technology and

Innovation Studies• Semester 1 & Semester 2 Prof Philippe Laredo, Dr. John Rigby and

Dr. Kate Barker

• Aim: to consolidate the research training in Research Process and Epistemology by focusing upon the underlying concepts and methods used in the field of science, technology and innovation studies; to ensure that doctoral students acquire adequate critical and analytical capabilities for developing high quality PhD theses and to ensure a balanced introduction both to research methods and to theories and concepts critical for PhD theses in this field by examining methods in use.

• Combination of lectures, discussion and student presentations• Assessment: Group presentation 90%; Participation 50%

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Research Methods Workshops (Electives)

• You may choose to spread the electives over years 1 and 2, select workshops that meet your training needs.

• Usually one day (or two half days) per workshop.

• Calendar of workshops between early October and early May

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Research methods workshops: choices

• Large choice of workshops taught by many staff from across the School

• Some courses are clearly qualitative or quantitative; others are mixed methods

• Some courses provide an introduction to specific methods or techniques (e.g. Case Studies, Structural Equation Modelling, Social Network Analysis)

• Make appropriate choices e.g. Don’t chose introductory stats if you are already very familiar with

statistics Try to include some quantitative and qualitative methods Choose electives that cover techniques you expect to use Choose electives that will broaden your knowledge and may help in

developing your own detailed research design

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Electives: Any number from:

• Action Research• Actor Network Theory• Advanced Qualitative Analysis

with NViVO*• Advanced Survey Design• Bibliometrics • Case Study Research• Comparative Case Study

Analysis• Critical Thinking for Scientific

Research• Elite Interviewing with Senior

Managers

• Diary Studies• Mixed Methods • Introduction to Qualitative

Analysis with NViVO* • Scenario Methods in

Research*• Social Network Analysis• Social Studies of Technology,

Innovation and Organising• Structural Equation Modelling• Longitudinal data analysis• Multi-level modeling• Meta-analysis

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Note: *These units may not run this year but may be taken next year.

Bespoke Program

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Optionally:• Students and supervisors have the option to

develop a bespoke programme of research training to be approved by the RTP director

• To do so fill in the Course Unit Selection Form, adding lines as necessary

• Provide a justification

Additional Training needs• North West Doctoral Training

Centre: allows you to take courses offered at Lancaster and Liverpool

• Specialist MSc course units within MBS

• Look at what’s available; you may want to audit a course; discuss with your supervisor; you will need to register to access Blackboard

• But, don’t overload yourself

• All kinds of seminars, workshops and other training opportunities around the University and in the North-West Methods@Manchester; Arts@ Manchester; Cathy Marsh Centre for Census

and Survey Research Northern Advanced Training

Initiative - workshops Doctoral colloquia linked to

conferences Postgraduate Statistics Centre:

University of Lancaster

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Additional Training Needs

• Nationally and Internationally:– Summer School in Social

Science Data Analysis – University of Essex

– Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research – University of Michigan

• Read the PGR newsletter, talk with your supervisor

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A few points to bear in mind (1)

• Do spend some time thinking through your training needs and discuss with your supervisorconsider whether you take electives this year or

later. • As far as possible, we are flexible about course

changes, where you have a good reason, and when you are in good time

• You cannot change your core courses for assessment after you have submitted work!!

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A few points to bear in mind (2)

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• Part time students need to consider how to spread the RTP over years 1 and 2Bear in mind your other commitmentsAim to complete more than half in year 1

(allowing more time in year 2 to prepare end of first year report)

Core courses in semester 1 ideal for year 1; Feel free to discuss with Stuart or Paul Greenham

So, how much time should you expect to spend on the RTP

during year 1? (1)• The core courses are each equivalent to about

150 hours work – e.g. three hours of classes for 10 weeks plus 120 hours of preparation, follow up and writing assessmentsBut, all of the work for Research Process is to design

your first major study• The electives are equivalent to about 20 hours

work at most, including preparation, and classes• As far as possible, the RTP is aligned with the

introductory stages of the PhD, not a distraction from it, or in competition with it

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So, how much time should you expect to spend on the RTP

during year 1? (2)• Let’s assume:

3 x 150 hours for the core courses8 x 20 hours for the electives you audit

• Total of around 600 hours between October and May (including completing the assessments)

• Leaving you plenty of time to make progress on your supervised research (especially if you bear in mind that some of the work above is directly related to your own developing topic)

• Of course, the RTP workload is lumpy and you will need to plan your time, but you should not be spending all of your time on these courses.

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Practicalities• Specialist MSc course units start in week

beginning 28th September, RTP course start week after [check the timetable!!!]

• For submission deadlines see Postgraduate Research Handbook or Blackboard for specific course.

• Some of you may have opportunities to attend specialised training outside MBS; in some cases it may be possible to gain exemptions from the MBS RTP but only if the nature, amount and level of work is appropriate; please discuss with Stuart or Paul Greenham as early as possible

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Course Unit Selection Form

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• Complete with supervisor and hand in 29th September.

MY TRAININGB & M PathwayResearch training Program