Research Proposal

Module assessment

The main purpose of these notes is to provide basic guidelines for the preparation of your research project.

The Research Project (International Mgmt) (726N1) counts as one unit of assessment for your final degree (30 credits). It provides you the opportunity to undertake a significant independent piece of research on a topic you have chosen yourself, drawing upon the knowledge and skill you have been learned during the taught components of the M.Sc programme.

Each student is required to assess the prospects of a firm undertaking a new international venture in a foreign country, and to either:

• Explain the process of internationalization adopted taking into account factors, such as global/local competitive pressures, risk, the institutional environment, and geographical & cultural distance.

or

• Discuss key changes in the firm’s strategic priorities considering specific challenges (ethical, cultural, country risks etc.) in the foreign country. These changes could be related to ethical consideration and CSR strategies, different management and HRM practices, etc.

Research Proposal

You are advised to prepare a proposal for your research project, a project that can be undertaken over a maximum period of 3 months. 

A good Proposal should NOT be longer than 750 words and could have the following structure (only an example):

1. A title reflecting the substance of the research. The title should include the Name of the Company of assessment, the Country of entry and the Strategic focus of the project:
2. An introduction setting out the reasons why the proposed research project is likely to be interesting both academically and managerially, while showing how the proposed research links to your postgraduate degree. (150 words)
3. A brief introduction of the company of choice. Why this company is an interesting case for you personally but also for the business world. (50 words)
4. A statement of the research objective(s) and research question(s) that the proposed research project seeks to investigate or achieve. This section will need to discuss briefly the international venture process (new market entry, merger, acquisition, etc.) or the key strategic change your project will emphasise, as well as the factor(s) you are going to investigate in more detail (i.e., global/local competitive pressures, risk, the institutional environment, geographical & cultural distance). (150 words)
5. A brief literature review identifying and commenting on key theoretical ideas being used in the research and the main previous research writings. (300 words)
6. A discussion of the proposed methodology, explaining the intended design of the research and how data will be collected. (100 words)
7. A list of references to published material quoted and/or referred to in the proposal. At the proposal stage of a project, you are not expected to have undertaken a full literature review, and references to 10-15 relevant publications will be enough for most proposals (not included in the word count). Please use the Harvard or APA referencing system when citing published material.

Research Project

The essence of a good Research Project is that it is built around a logical and novel argument. It is not just an assembly of information about a topic, nor is it simply a general discussion of a question. It should put forward a specific view about a subject - advancing a particular proposition about a topic, or developing a clear answer to a particular question.

A typical structure for the Project should include the following (indicative) sections:

Abstract

1. Introduction
2. Research Objective and/or Research Question
3. Theoretical background (Or: Literature review)
4. The Case: The Investigated Company
5. Methods, data and analysis
   • The Case Study approach
   • Data Collection
   • Data Analysis
6. Results and Discussion of Results
7. Conclusion and Practical Recommendations
   • Theoretical and practical implications
   • Limitations and avenues for future research
   • Research ethics

The importance of structure in a Research Project cannot be over-stressed. It aids reader comprehension but it also allows you to see the logic of your work. It is therefore essential to prepare a clear outline of the structure before beginning to write the main text.

Abstract (100 words – not included in the word count)

A short summary of your entire project including briefly the research objectives of the project, the company under investigation, the key strategic focus, as well as main results and conclusions from the study.

Introduction (approx. 500 - 800 words)

A Research Project should always begin with an introductory section and a Research Project with an introductory chapter. This is often the most important component. It introduces the subject area covered and explains why you have concentrated on this topic. It should outline to the reader what you intend to argue, why the argument is so important, and how you intend to move methodically through this argument. It should also introduce the outline of the Research Project.

The introduction plays an important role while you are writing the Research Project. Although you will often re-write and modify it after the whole piece is completed, it is extremely valuable to write at least a summary of the introduction before embarking on the main part of the text. This serves two main purposes.

1. First, it provides a way of checking the overall outline structure. If the central argument running through that structure cannot be summarised in a few paragraphs for a draft introduction, then there is something wrong with the argument or the structure (or both). This should be sorted out before setting out to write the main text.
2. Second, together with the outline structure, a draft introduction acts as an excellent 'route map' during writing. Re-reading it at regular intervals helps to keep your eye on the intended central line of argument. It obviously does not preclude modifications, or even additions, to that line of argument as the writing proceeds. However, it does act as a prompt for explicit consideration of the modification. Is this really a necessary development that helps to achieve the main objective? Or, is this just a diversion that merely clouds the main issue, however interesting it may be in its own right?

Research Objectives (approx. 300 - 500 words)

This section should focus on the research objective(s) and research question(s) that the proposed research project seeks to investigate or achieve. This section will need to discuss in more detail either of the two:

1. the international venture (new market entry, merger, acquisition, etc.) your project will emphasise, as well as the factor(s) you are going to investigate (i.e., global/local competitive pressures, risk, the institutional environment, geographical & cultural distance etc.).
2. key changes in the firm’s strategic priorities considering specific challenges (ethical, cultural, country risks etc.) in the foreign country. These changes could be related to ethical consideration and CSR strategies, different management and HRM practices, etc.

Defining clearly your research questions is imperative for engaging with your reader and smoothly directing them into your next chapter, the theoretical background.

Theoretical Background (approx. 1500 - 2000 words)

In this section it is important to explain to your reader about the challenges of the particular international venture you are emphasising upon as identified by the current academic literature. A description of the key concepts and theories, as well as key definitions are expected here, along with a clear understanding of key gaps in the existing discourse and empirical literature.

In addition, you also need to clearly explain here the factor(s) your investigation is focused upon (i.e., global/local competitive pressures, risk, the institutional environment, geographical & cultural distance etc.) and how these are linked to the challenges of internationalization. What has the theoretical literature said about this particular links and what do we currently know from empirical studies of the past? The latter is particularly instrumental so that you can convince your reader for the significance and contribution of your research.

The Case (approx. 500 - 800 words)

An introduction of the company of choice is required here as well as a discussion why this company is an interesting case for addressing the research question(s) and aim(s) that you have explained in the previous sections.

Methodology (approx. 800 - 1000 words)

Description of the methodology used for the research project explaining the intended design of the research, including a discussion about the advantages, limitations as well as properties of a case study analysis is expected here. A detailed description of how data has been collected as well as of the different sources of information that have been used need also to be included here.

Please NOTE: If you want to collect own data, you must apply for research ethics review: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/research/governance/applyLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.

Results and Discussion (approx. 1500 words)

This should summarise the main thrust of your argument, the results you have arrived at in your analysis and their implications (e.g. for policy or company strategy). This section also discusses the findings in more detail, and reflect and contrast the own findings against previous literature. This section may include:

• a good presentation of the results from your analysis;
• a discussion of the key findings in relation to what we know from the literature;
• a summary review of what others have said on the subject, together with your critical assessment of those views;
• an evaluation of how these findings advances our understanding of the topic under investigation;
• discussion of the implications for theory and practice.

Conclusion and Practical Recommendations (approx. 800 - 1000 words)

This part can be split into three key elements:

1. a summary reminding the reader of the issue addressed, and of its importance, as well as how the research links to your postgraduate degree;
2. the key theoretical stances on the topic under investigation along with a presentation of your own views on the subject, with the necessary empirical evidence and arguments (from your results) to support those views;
3. practical recommendations for the future of the company under investigation, including key ethical issues arising from the above discussion and results.

Elements of a Good Research Project

Clarity

You should strive to keep the exposition as clear and simple as possible. Clarity is aided by making points in the shortest possible way consistent with adequate treatment. Avoid unnecessary repetition (apart from that required for logical consistency - see below) and general 'waffle' that is not making any particular point.

In part, simplicity is a matter of written expression. This is often a difficult task, especially for those writing English as a foreign language. It is generally aided by keeping sentences short. Very rough rules of thumb are that any sentence could probably be clarified by shortening if:

• it is longer than about four lines;
• it contains more than three or four commas, semi-colons, etc.;
• it includes more than one or two words such as "which" or "that" introducing subsidiary clauses;

or

• it includes several nouns in sequence, or several adjectives all describing the same noun, or if the sentence contains several adverbs.

Simplicity also means not using "jargon" or technical concepts unless they are explicitly defined, and restricting the use of theory to the minimum necessary to provide the analytical basis of the main argument (unless the research project title specifically refers to theory).

Objectivity

As noted earlier, the argument should avoid the use of unsubstantiated assertion, thereby minimising its susceptibility to criticism on the grounds of subjectivity. You should pay close attention to justifying each claim or strand of the argument through such mechanisms as giving sources, citing data, and referencing relevant literature. However, a common mistake here is to argue by weight of quotation in the erroneous belief that the greater the number of quotations and citations, the stronger the argument. This kind of crude referencing serves to detract from, not enhance, the force of an argument. Furthermore, when supporting an argument with logical justification, you should not assume that something which makes sense to you will always make sense to a reader without an extra sentence or two of explanation, illustration or evidence.

A final point here relates to one’s own personal values which usually (some would argue, inevitably) impinge in a variety of subtle ways and can often detract from the overall persuasiveness of the research project. There is obviously nothing wrong with having, or even displaying, personal values concerning an issue. However, academic readers want to see a research project that has engaged with the issues, arguments and evidence, not just a polemical tract!

Logical consistency

The research project should be written in such a way that each strand of the argument follows logically from the preceding one and leads logically to the succeeding strand. The greater the attention paid to this, the better the overall flow of the argument. One useful technique is to append a brief conclusion at the end of each main section or each chapter summarising the argument at this point and anticipating the development of the next section. Such 'sign posts' make life much easier for the reader.

However, the term 'logical consistency' also involves other aspects. In particular, it means that one part of your argument should not be contradicted by claims or evidence put forward elsewhere in your research project. It also means avoiding 'non-sequiturs' and other forms of illegitimate argument.

The features outlined above should be seen as objectives to aim at. Sometimes they may appear to contradict each other. For example, the amount of necessary detail may preclude economy of exposition. The art of good writing lies in the ability to achieve the necessary balance consistent with the overall objectives of the research project.

Presentation

Your research project should be neat, well laid out and easy to read, with correct spelling and punctuation. The presentation is very important, partly because it involves skills, which you need to develop whatever your subsequent career. In addition, sloppiness irritates the reader or examiner and is a sign of hurried or careless production and lack of attention to detail. It can also prevent the argument from being understood clearly.

By the end of the first term you should plan to be making use of a word processor. Accurate punctuation helps to clarify thought in the mind of the writer, as well as assisting the reader. Similarly, accurate spelling helps the reader understand the argument. If your spelling is weak - and even if it is not - use the spell-check facility in the word processor.

You should give special attention to the use of English grammar and spelling. A good research project will not contain abbreviations or contractions, (e.g. has not, not hasn't). You are advised to have your research project read by a fellow student or professional editor before submission to assist in clarifying expression.

Lastly, a word of warning: current word-processor packages are powerful tools. Do not go overboard using a huge variety of typefaces, font sizes, bold, italics and underlining. Any page which contains more than three or four varieties looks messy. Look at books to see how professional typesetters do it. Then choose one particular style that suits you for headings, main text, footnotes and references, and apply it consistently throughout.