Dissertation Handbook

WESTMINSTER BUSINESS SCHOOL

HRM PROJECT MODULE HANDBOOK 2012-2013(BHRM703)

MA HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTMA INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Valid for all MAHRM/MAIHRM students submitting their dissertations after September 2013

Kieran WilliamsModule [email protected]

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We advise you to read this Guide several times to familiarise yourself with its contents.

Keep it safe as you will need to refer to it from time to time during the year.

This should help you to avoid making errors of procedure and interpretation which may later prove inconvenient or costly.

Please consult this guide when you have questions about the Project. Most of the answers should be in here. Try not to contact tutorial and/or administrative staff for answers, which are easily available here.

Remember that all HRM Projects must include a reflective statement in line with the requirements of the CIPD. A template for this reflective statement is included as Appendix C.

In addition, students who intend to apply for membership of the CIPD on the basis of their MAHRM are required to undertake an organisation-based Project, which must include a cost-effective implementation plan - or at least an indication of priorities if a conventional action plan is not appropriate. If you are in any doubt about the eligibility of your proposed research, please check with your supervisor before proceeding.

There is an administrator for postgraduate Projects in WBS, based in Registry, who can deal with any administrative queries – but please read the handbook carefully as you may find that the answers to most questions can be found here.

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Contents

Section 1. What is a Project? Page 4

Section 2. Getting started Page 5

Section 3. Definitions and Decisions Page 8

Section 4. Supervision Page 11

Section 5. Submission Procedure and Presentation Convention Page 13

Section 6. Project Dos and Don’ts Page 15

Section 7. Results, Referrals and Retakes Page 17

Section 8. Appendix AMarking Sheet for MAHRM and MA IHRM Projects Page 19

Section 9. Appendix B Page 20Project Syllabus and Booklist

Section 10. Appendix C Page 24Template for Reflective Statement

Section 11. Appendix D Page 25Assessment of Learning Outcomes

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1. WHAT IS AN MAHRM PROJECT ?

In simple terms, the Project is an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are capable of applying what you have learned in your chosen Masters programme to either:a) the study of a real organisational situationorb) the further study of some aspect of HRM about which you feel that some meaningful re-thinking is long overdue.

MAHRM Projects are about examining things, discussing them, connecting them, pondering the nature of the possible relationships between them, and conducting a systematic evaluation of the whole process.

The MAHRM Project can be up to 10,000 words long (excluding appendices, footnotes and references).

In academic language, the Project is designed to provide an opportunity to translate both conceptual and practitioner knowledge acquired during the course to the analysis of a specific HRM situation or of a contemporary, established and focussed area of academic/practitioner enquiry in the field of HRM.

In either case, the topic and area of study will be of your own choosing.

The aim should be to add to the existing body of knowledge.

The HRM Project will normally be conducted upon the basis of empirical (fieldwork) research in a specific organisation in which the student is or has been employed – or to which the student has full access. On the basis of the findings the Project will, where appropriate, make practical, cost-effective recommendations for management action and/or a contribution to current HRM knowledge based upon a synthesis and critique of existing theory and practice in the selected subject area. Whether based on fieldwork or not, it is important that the Project should be informed by demonstrable analytic rigour appropriate to Masters’ level research.

Students who intend to apply for CIPD membership should note that it is a CIPD requirement that the Project be fieldwork-based with an organisational focus and must include recommendations with a costed implementation plan (or a clear indication of priorities if detailed costings are not available). Where it is not practicable to base the research in the student’s workplace, the CIPD recommend that the issue is tackled through a study at industry level or across a number of different organisations.

Bear in mind that your Project is worth 30 credits which is 50% more than the credit value of most other modules. This means, among other things, that the module will be challenging, that you cannot expect to conduct a small survey and simply write up the results market-research style - you will need to read and to think, so as to understand and apply what you read rather than simply reproduce it with minor variations.

Projects are hard work and will require your commitment throughout the year.

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2. GETTING STARTED

The hardest work of all is usually getting started.

Your first ideas may be the ones you end up pursuing but many students find that their first ideas are too broad and too trivial. Getting something down on paper may allow you to see the weaknesses and you can then re-think and re-draft.

Before doing the Project Module, students will normally have passed at least two core modules of their Master degree and MUST have attempted the Research Methods module.

(o) Sample Project themes

Note that Project themes rarely pop into existence fully formed and ready to go. The initial idea may make sense but often needs a great deal of thought and attention to turn it into reality.

Examples of where re-thinking could result in a successful subject:

Researching organisational power/culture/conflict/motivation in an organisation (This raises methodological problems. Think about it – Does one really investigate issues around these things by asking people about them ?)

Evaluations (of training schemes, TNAs, appraisal schemes, various practices and policies). (Avoid the temptation of slipping into fact-finding market-research - the work will need to be informed by the academic literature)

Concepts such as “The Learning Organisation”(Better to address the operationalisation of concepts ? – or problems associated with nominal concepts ?)

Organisational Rhetoric vs Organisational Reality (We’re all familiar with this. But does it matter and if so why and for whom? How will it be measured and from which points of view ?)

Functional analyses (Looking at the functions of particular policies/practices will be of much more strategic value than judging or evaluating them)

Employee Engagement, Absence, Retention, Recruitment, Stress, Motivation etc(These themes are popular, but do you have anything interesting and original to say or explore about them ?)

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(i) Preliminary questions to ask yourself about your initial ideas and/or proposal…

Having attended the “Research Methods and Project Preparation” module, and undertaken some relevant reading.

* Is my proposal as it stands too vague? too general? too ambitious?* Would I benefit from having more of a focus?* Does the proposal need to be more modest in scope?* Is the proposal too narrowly defined?* Could I have completed this Project without having undertaken the modules on my

course i.e. is it just common sense or a magazine article - with no academic relevance ?* Is it just market research? A tour of the relevant literature?

(ii) The need for a LOGICAL structure

A logical structure provides progression, a sense of development. All HRM Projects need one. In a Project narrative you show how the examination of a particular issue – stress at work, say – might be usefully elaborated within a particular academic and practitioner literature, and then perhaps reconceptualised or reframed as a result of that elaboration. There needs to be development throughout. If there isn’t, the Project stands to read like a series of set pieces, possibly good in themselves but with little or no overall coherence.

Here is what a Project’s structure might look like:

1. What is the real issue/theme/problem ?

2. What does the academic/practitioner literature say about it that could lead to development and/or reframing of same ?

3. On the basis of the 1 & 2 above, what exactly am I going to research? What research questions will I ask (or, in some cases, what hypotheses am I going to test) ? What models or themes am I going to explore ?

4. In order to answer these research questions (or test this hypotheses), what data will I need to collect ?

5. This should result in the development of a methodological standpoint and a conceptual framework that will drive the Project.

6. On the basis of the above, how am I going to conduct the investigation? If it is a fieldwork-based Project, what research methods am I going to use and why? If it is a non-field work Project, how will I identify, sort, prioritise relevant data ? Many students make the mistake of starting by thinking about methods – it is essential

7. Data analysis next – using the conceptual framework which underpinned your research design. What does the data show (in qualitative terms ? or quantitative ones ?) What patterns/differences have I found ? What is it telling me ?

8. How does the data analysis relate back to my research questions (or, in some cases, my hypotheses) ? What does it all tell us which wasn’t evident at the outset ? Is there now an explanation where there was none ?

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9. In the light of 7 and 8, what are (a) my conclusions and b) my recommendations [if appropriate]? Has the research identified any areas which have not been followed up in the present work for reasons of space/time/access/resources but which could form the basis of further investigative work ? How could the organisation act on my findings to bring about improvements in HRM practice ?

Overall, the main body of your Project should identify what the research issue or problem is about, sketch in relevant background; discuss the academic and other literature in the context of which it is going to be developed, explain the methodological framework, justify the method or methods by which the investigation is to proceed, conduct a detailed analysis and interpretation of any data collected in the investigation, state and explain conclusions and recommendations arising from the work, and include a list identifying all texts and other sources actually consulted/referenced in the writing of the work. The final task is a self-reflection to identify your learning from the process.

This is the basic structure of most Projects, theses and research articles which can be followed up in any one of a number of books on research methods in the social sciences, management and business studies.

(iii) Finding out more about undertaking Projects

1. Study the present documentation on the subject

2. Read a reasonable selection of research methods texts

3. Think about possible areas of research and make notes

4. Attend and Pass the “Research methods and Project Preparation” module

5. On the basis of 1 – 4 above use supervisory time effectively by having something of value to say in sessions

From January, 2012, all HRM Projects must include a reflective statement in line with the requirements of the CIPD. A template for this reflective statement is included as Appendix C.

In addition, students who intend to apply for membership of the CIPD are required to undertake an organisational-based fieldwork Project, which must include a cost-effective implementation plan - or at least an indication of priorities if a conventional action plan is not appropriate. This is a requirement of the CIPD.

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3. DISTINCTIONS & DECISIONS

What is the difference between fieldwork projects and non-fieldwork projects?

Empirical work is where fieldwork such as interviewing, observation, questionnaire-distribution and the like is carried out in order to obtain primary data i.e. data that is new.

Non-empirical work is where it isn’t. Non-empirical work might take place at a desk or in a library where secondary data (i.e. data collected previously by others) is presented in books, journal articles and electronically.

Fieldwork-based projects can be groundbreaking – e.g link between smoking and lung-cancer, for example, was first detected by gathering primary data about smokers and mortality rates – but it can also be mind-numbingly trivial: e.g., 37% of people said this, 9 out of 10 cats preferred that, etc.

Non-fieldwork-based projects can also be groundbreaking – much of Einstein’s early work on relativity drew on the published work of other physicists– but it, too, can be trivial – e.g., work which reviews ‘theories of leadership’ and concludes that there are many theories of leadership and probably a bit of truth in all of them

So…fieldwork or non-fieldwork?

You will need to decide at an early stage whether your Project is going to be a fieldwork-based one or a non-fieldwork-based one.

Fieldwork or empirical Projects are those which involve you in gathering and processing data from the real world in the elaboration of a particular research question you are investigating.

Non-fieldwork or conceptual Projects are those which involve you in library/desk work. They do not involve you in gathering real-world data, although you may well use such data in the elaboration of your chosen research question.

You can undertake either type of Project, but see the Project syllabus, which is attached as an appendix for further information which may help you to decide.

The CIPD will only accept fieldwork projects as evidence of the “knowledge” requirements for membership so it is essential that you select a fieldwork project if you are seeking CIPD membership.

What is the difference between ‘methods’ and ‘methodology’?

Methodology involves raising and responding to how the project-writer, as well as perhaps other writers referred to in the work, view the nature of the organisational parameters which are bound to be involved in the investigation – e.g., are they ‘hard’ and measurable like profitability, productivity, etc., or ‘soft’ and unmeasurable, like motivation, cultural/organisational change, job satisfaction, effectiveness, success, and the like. It relates to the philosophical underpinnings of the research. Only after methodological questions have been considered should questions about research methods be properly

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and meaningfully raised. Research Methods refer more to the research techniques used in the research.

But note that a conceptual and non-fieldwork Project could be based in its entirety on methodological considerations – e.g., how might we ‘measure’ organisational power, culture, commitment, learning, satisfaction, effectiveness, success etc - given that (i) they aren’t things like rainfall, electricity or mass, and consequently (ii) there is no standard operational definition for such nominal terms, and consequently (iii) they can mean different things to different people, and consequently…etc.

Methods or Research Methods involves primary data-collection and analysis practices such as questionnaires, interviews, rating scales, participant and non-participant observation, statistical quantitative analysis and so on. It also refers to secondary data collection and analysis.

Choosing Appropriate Data Collection Methods

In planning your data collection, your research questions should be your starting point. Ask yourself three questions:

i) What questions does my research need to answer for my objectives to be achieved?

ii) What data or information do I need in order to answer each of these questions?iii) What is the most appropriate way to collect the data?

Use these questions as the headings for three columns on a sheet of paper:

Research Questions Information needed How to collect

i) for research question i) data for i)

ii) for research question ii) data for ii)

iii) for research question iii) data for iii)

etc. etc. etc.

Then think carefully and complete the columns, starting with ‘research questions’, rather than, as is the temptation, ‘information needed’.

This thinking process is an essential step. Do it before you jump to conclusions. Early reading around your topic will help you to think clearly about your eventual data collection. Reading should help you to identify key issues in the area that need to be investigated and may describe ways in which others have researched the area.

NEVER start with the data collection methods (e.g. I’m going to do interviews), ALWAYS start with the research questions. Until these are clear, you cannot be sure of what information you will need to answer them. It is only at this point that you should consider HOW to collect that information. Your initial idea (e.g. interviews) may not be the best way to collect this data.

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When you have thought through these questions you will have established the basic framework of your data collection.

In some cases, thinking through these questions will lead you to conclude that some data will not be available. You will then have to think about alternative sources, about the importance of the data to your research questions (whether you can do without it) and, possibly, about the need to amend your objectives.

What about secondary data?

Most projects begin with a search of secondary data sources before departing into primary research. Indeed, some projects consist totally of secondary analyses. Secondary data consists of sources of information collected by others and archived in some form. These include government reports, industry statistics, surveys, publications, records etc. The computer and the internet have added greatly to the capacity of individuals and institutions to both store and retrieve such information. It is essential, however, that the researcher takes a critical approach to all such data and avoids, under any circumstance, reproducing the work of others.

An investigation of secondary sources provides an opportunity to learn about what is already known, and what remains to be learned, about a particular topic. It is often possible to combine information from several sources to reach conclusions that are not suggested by any one source. Indeed, theory-building often takes the form of integrating the findings of multiple theoretical and/empirical studies within a single general framework.

Secondary research differs from primary research in that the collection of empirical information is not the responsibility of the analyst. In secondary research, the analyst enters the picture after the data collection effort is over. (In primary research, the analyst is responsible for the design of the research, the collection of the data, and the analysis and summary of the information.)

The quality of secondary data cannot be evaluated without knowledge of the methodology employed. Information concerning the size and nature of samples, response rates, questionnaires and methods of analysis should be available in sufficient detail to allow a knowledgeable critique of the research procedure.

For those students who do not currently have access to an organisation in which to collect primary data, secondary data analysis can form the entire body of their Project.

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4. SUPERVISION

Availability of Supervision

A tutor will be allocated to you and will be a resource for you to use but will not be responsible for managing your project. The responsibility for making contact, for managing the work and for producing a high quality Project is yours. This will work best if you approach your relationship with your tutor in a professional manner. In the first meeting, which you will have initiated, you should agree with your tutor the objectives and pattern of future meetings. Both parties should be clear about the timetabling and submission date.

Supervision meetings will be most productive if their purpose is agreed and clear. Where your tutor has asked you to produce written material for discussion, this should be provided for her/him to read not less than a week before the meeting. Your tutor will provide feedback on your progress, but the subsequent action is your responsibility.

You should bear in mind that supervision over the published University vacation periods – particularly in July and August - should not be expected. During these periods supervisors may take holidays, attend conferences, undertake scholarly activity or consultancy, or simply wish to be left undisturbed.

Consequently, consultations with supervisors during these periods should not be expected on the same basis as during term-time and there may be lengthy delays in response to emails or telephone messages. The bulk of consultations with academic staff must be completed within the three terms of the academic year. If you anticipate the need for brief one-off consultation outside of term-time you can attempt to arrange this in advance with your supervisor. But do bear in mind that they might well be unable or unwilling to accommodate you given that you have, or have had, the entire academic year in which to consult with them. Postgraduate students are expected to show a level of maturity and self-organisation in their studies sufficient to avoid placing both themselves and their supervisors in difficult situations. Genuine emergencies will be dealt with sympathetically where feasible and within the limitations identified above.

Project Supervision: What to expect and what not to

You can expect:

to be assigned a Project supervisor with general knowledge of the research area concerned. It is your responsibility to establish contact with your supervisor (unless they have contacted you first) and arrange for a preliminary discussion, which should include feedback on your proposal and the start of the planning process.

to ascertain the availability of your supervisor and to agree how and when Project tutorials might be conducted. Project “tutorials” can, by mutual agreement, take place in face-to-face meetings, by telephone, by e-mail, ordinary mail or by a combination of these modes. It is usual to plan for around four “tutorials” during the year – each of about 30 minutes.

to discuss with your supervisor your ideas about how the research topic might be approached and structured, what texts you might consult, what models, theories,

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hypotheses and the like you might examine or test, the nature and method of data collection, and so forth.

your supervisor to read and comment on excerpts from your work-in-progress

that your submitted Project will normally be assessed by two staff including your supervisor and in some instances an External Examiner.

that if you fail the Project, your supervisor will be able to provide you (through the feedback form) an evaluation of strengths, if any, and weaknesses, together with a rationale of how and why the weaknesses outweighed any strengths in order that, where allowable, the process of re-submission can begin.

Do not expect:

to be allowed to change your supervisor because you don’t like them, because you think they don’t like you, because they are dismissive of your initial ideas, or give you a hard time in some other academically legitimate way. They may actually be doing you a service.

your supervisor to translate a vague proposal into a specific researchable one. They may well suggest ideas, but it is up to you to develop them in discussion and/or writing.

your supervisor to assist with your written English; this is not part of the supervisory role1.

your supervisor to be available for intensive consultation in a narrow time period, or in the period immediately preceding Project submission.

your supervisor to provide assurance that your work will pass or gain a high mark. They cannot. They might, however, be able to suggest things which could be done by you to make the work better. Or they might not be able to do so if the nature of the work is such that it is inherently capable of only limited development.

your supervisor to check each and every change to the work based upon their discussions with you – or to check drafts and re-drafts.

your supervisor to read complete or near complete drafts of your work prior to formal submission. Think of the later drafts as a necessary commitment to the assessment process and you will hopefully understand why they should be drafted unassisted.

1 If appropriate you might consider seeking paid or unpaid proof-reading assistance. But it must not be from your supervisor, and it should only be assistance with your English alone . Essentially the finished Project will be marked on the basis of the achievement of learning criteria such as those identified in the Project syllabus, but if the ideas and the learning are not reasonably clear then it can sometimes be difficult to find marks to award to them.

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your supervisor to arrange for extensions to deadlines for you. They cannot, so do not ask. The eligibility and procedure for applying for extensions is clearly laid out in the WBS Postgraduate Handbook of General Information under ‘Mitigating Circumstances’.

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5. SUBMISSION PROCEDURE & PRESENTATION CONVENTIONS

Presentation Conventions

Projects should:

Be a maximum of 10,000 words excluding appendices, footnotes or endnotes, and references.

Presented in a plain 12-point font with 1.5 or 2 line spacing

Have a title page format which conforms to the following specification:

PROJECT

.......................................................... ..........................................................

(Title of Project)

a conceptual / fieldwork-based* Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts in Human Resource Management/International Human

Resource Management*

at the Westminster Business School of the University of Westminster, by

…..........................................(Full name)

….......................................... (Date of submission)

* Delete one or the other as appropriate

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Following the title page, a full contents page detailing sections and/or chapter headings including references and any appendices.

Following the contents page an Abstract, titled as such, of not more than 200 words summarizing the major themes, findings, and conclusions/recommendations of the investigation

At the end of the work, a list of references, set out in full using the Harvard system. References should be in Harvard referencing style throughout the Project. For guidance on this, please visit the library’s referencing guide on http://www.westminster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/107629/2011_Referencing_your_work_booklet_e-version.pdf

Quotation conventions

Short quotations from textual sources should be placed in inverted commas with source acknowledgement added in order to clearly distinguish quoted text from your own.Extended quotations need not be placed in inverted commas but they must be clearly

indented like this in a visibly smaller font-size for the same reason and there must be source acknowledgment as above. Extended quotations should normallybe used sparingly, e.g., when you wish to comment in some depth on another writer’s observations (and source-acknowledgement goes here)

In other words, extended quotation must earn its place; there have to be very sound and readily apparent reasons why a particular quotation is being used.

Also: avoid paraphrasing that is too close to an original text as you may end up drifting too close to plagiarism. Similarly do not think that simply appending quotation marks and acknowledgements to large sections of your work constitutes referencing. Technically, it does – but then so too does transcribing someone else’s work in its entirety, enclosing it all in quotation marks, and appending the original source. However, it should be staggeringly obvious that – in every other sense and, in particular, in a scholastic one - it constitutes merely transferring text from one place to another. This is potential assessment offence territory – don’t go there.

You need to develop the art of expressing things in your own words or you may end up learning very little of real value.

Double-Counting

Re-using work already submitted for another assignment is not permitted unless the re-used work runs to no more than a few lines of text and, even though it is your own previous work, is fully credited. Otherwise, as above, this is potential assessment offence territory

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Project Submission: Requirements

1. You are required to submit all coursework for this module electronically through the Blackboard site for module BHRM703.

2. The purpose of electronic submission is in order that all coursework might be scanned through a text matching system. This is designed to check for possible plagiarism, thereby protecting the value of your qualification.

3. DO NOT attach a CA1 form or any other form of cover sheet.

4. YOU MUST include your name and student ID on the first page of your assignment.

Project Submission - Instructions:

1. Log on to Blackboard at http://learning.westminster.ac.uk

2. Go to the relevant module Blackboard site, checking the module code (BHRM703)

3. Click on the “Submit Coursework” link in the Navigation menu on the left-hand side

4. Click on the link for the Project submission.

5. Follow the instructions.

6. PROJECT DOs & DON’Ts

Do:

start work on your Project as early in the year as you can.

follow the procedures for Project presentation conventions in the following section.

follow the guidelines for Project content and Learning Outcomes in the Project Module syllabus below.

attend the ‘Research methods and project preparation’ module and/or academic Project/essay writing seminars arranged by the WBS

consult published texts on how to conduct organisational research.

take note that some Project module members may be required to attend a viva before a decision on their work is reached.

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retain all of your fieldwork notes – interview schedules, questionnaires, and similar material not normally included as part of your completed submission – as you may be asked to produce them at any time after formally submitting your Project. Take care not to lose or destroy such notes since, if they are requested for viewing and cannot be produced, your Project may be deemed invalid.

resist the temptation to retrospectively blame others - e.g. your supervisor - if your Project has not attracted the level of mark you think it deserves. Remember that he or she can only guide and suggest, and that the manner in which they do so may not always match your expectations. It is you who must risk yourself in the insecurity of assessed argumentation and debate and who must bear ultimate responsibility for the work whatever the evaluation of it turns out to be .

Do not:

go to supervision meetings empty-handed, that is, without having prepared for them even a little, without having read in advance or thought about some of the issues you intend to raise.

expect your supervisor to think for you. S/he can only offer thoughts and suggestions which you must then appraise as to their value for your work.

take any notice of rumours about certain supervisors being ‘soft touches’ or demanding and hard-to-please. All supervisors work to the same rigorous standards and their final judgement on your work is always subject to the scrutiny of others.

select and pursue Project topics which are too vague, too slight, too obvious or too ambitious.

select and pursue Project topics where organisational/library access and/or data-collection look like being a problem.

freight your Project with unnecessary appendices and/or effusive acknowledgements.

forget that all writing has its moments of difficulty, doubt and despair, and that if it were all easy it would probably not be worth doing in the first place.

plagiarise i.e. lift data from elsewhere, pass off as your own, or have work custom-written for you.

expect any leniency or sympathy from the University authorities if you do and get caught. Cheating is fraud and, particularly in the Project, it could cost you your degree. Don’t go there.

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7. RESULTS, REFERRALS AND RETAKES

Results

Results are normally published a week or so after the meeting of the HRM Subject Boards at which MA HRM Projects are considered. These dates are published in the academic calendar: see http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/current-students/resources/university-calendar. No results are available prior to the Board meeting so PLEASE do not ask your supervisors to contravene these regulations

Checking results is your responsibility. Check on the SRS system (not on Blackboard) after the relevant Subject Board has taken place

For the purposes of the regulations in following section, Project marks are described by these three categories:

50% and above : Pass40% - 49% : Marginal Fail 39% and below : Fail

Referrals And Retakes

Students achieving a mark within the marginal fail range at the first attempt are offered a choice of either ‘referral’ or ‘retake’. Students achieving a mark within the Fail range at the first attempt are required to ‘retake’

Referral means that:

no fee is payable for supervision/resubmission.

you will be entitled to only limited additional supervision (usually one meeting), normally with your original supervisor.

you will, of course, also receive markers’ comments on your original submission.

the mark on your resubmitted Project will be capped at 50 %.

you will not be entitled to attend any Research Methods workshops run by the School.

the resubmission period will be short, relative to the ‘retake’ option – a maximum of 5 months.

your resubmission will not count towards maximum number of credit attempts allowed.

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. Retake means that :

a fee for supervision/resubmission is payable (for current fee, enquire of the Course Administrator in the Postgraduate Office).

you will be entitled to full supervision with either your original supervisor or a new one, plus of course to receive markers’ comments on your original submission.

the mark on your resubmitted Project will be capped at 50 %.

you will be entitled to attend any Research Methods workshops run by the School.

the resubmission period will be longer than the ‘retake’ option – normally up to a maximum of 12 months.

your resubmission will count towards the maximum number of credit attempts allowed.

you must register for retakes and pay the appropriate retake fee.

Note: Under either retake or referral only one re-assessment of the Project is allowed.

For full details of the regulations, please refer to your course handbook and the Intranet

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APPENDIX A: MARKING SHEET FOR MAHRM and MAIHRM PROJECTS

Student Name_________________ Marker_____________________

Project Title_______________________________ Date__________

Structure & Presentation (approximately 10%)

1. Clear Executive Summary/Abstract 2. Clear introduction with background, aims, objectives3. Chapters have clear titles, logical flow between chapters, well structured 4. References are cited and listed correctly (Harvard style)5. Documentation standard (word processing, structure, logical flow, use of English) 6. Appendices used appropriately

Literature Review (approximately 25%)

1. Range of relevant background reading2. Reference to texts and contemporary academic journals3. Thoughtful critical analysis4. Clear line between literature review and research questions

Research (approximately 25%)

1. Research questions are suitable, clear and achievable2. Methodological approach is clearly justified 3. Sources of data are wide and appropriate 4. Research methods are applied appropriately 5. Samples obtained for primary research (if used) are realistic and fully described

Analysis (approximately 25%)

1. Clear framework for analysis2. Development of critical argument 3. Application of knowledge gained from more than one subject area 4. Analysis is appropriate and thorough, demonstrating independent thought, supported by theory from

taught modules

Conclusions (approximately 15%)

1. Conclusions are relevant and well formulated 2. Clear connection to original aims & objectives 3. Clear links made with literature review and analysis 4. Appropriate recommendations, including cost-effective implementation plan (where appropriate)5. Includes reflective statement demonstrating student’s learning

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APPENDIX B: MA HRM PROJECT SYLLABUS & BOOKLIST

Full Module Title: MA (HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT) PROJECT

Short Module Title: MA HRM Project

Module Code: BHRM703

Module Level: M

Academic credit weighting: 30

School: Westminster Business School

Department: Human Resource Management

Length: Normally up to 2 semesters

Module Leader: Kieran Williams

Site: Marylebone Road

Host course: MA in HRM

Status: Core

Relevant course titles/pathways: The various attendance modes of the MA HRM

Subject Board: MA.HRM

Pre-requisites: Students must have attempted the Research Methods module

Co-requisites: minimum of two specialist elective modules

Assessment: 10,000 word Project

Summary of Module content:

The Project content may come under one or more of the following general headings:

Problem-solving, or evaluation of a human resource management policy or strategy, associated with a real or projected situation in a commercial, industrial or public organisation

Evaluation, elaboration or critical synthesis of an existing systematic body of academic and practitioner knowledge in a specific area of HRM such as to comprise a contribution to the development of that knowledge

Application of established or suitably modified theoretical models to an organisational problem, practice, policy or opportunity, or development and elaboration of hypotheses/models/theories that explain the issue under investigation.

Action research within the employing organisation

Projects must be relevant to one or more of the core and elective modules followed on the course.

Module Aims To enable students to develop or evaluate, on the basis of fieldwork-based or conceptual

research and analytic rigour, a specific human resources area of knowledge or, within that area, a specific human resources problem, practice, policy or opportunity

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On the basis of the research conducted, and where appropriate, to make practical recommendations for management action and/or a contribution to existing HRM knowledge based upon a synthesis and critique of existing theory and practice in the selected area of knowledge

To provide students with the opportunity to reflect upon and critically evaluate their own Project work by deploying skills of evaluation and critique similar to those encountered in published academic HRM texts and learned journal articles

Additional Information on Fieldwork-based vs Non-Fieldwork-Based Projects

Students may freely choose whether to undertake an empirical Project (that is, a fieldwork-based, partly conceptual one) or a wholly conceptual Project (that is, a non-fieldwork-based one) according to their individual preferences and the opportunities available to them at the time of undertaking the work.

Students considering applying for higher levels of CIPD membership should bear in mind that only empirical or fieldwork-based Projects, as opposed to wholly conceptual or non-fieldwork-based ones, are eligible to be counted as an accredited CIPD module.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the Project, the student will have developed and demonstrated specific skills and competence in the research area through having:

selected and identified an appropriate Project topic together with a clear statement of the research objectives and the scope of the investigation;

investigated the existing academic literature and/or other documentary sources bearing upon the research topic;

clearly stated, elaborated or adapted an analytic framework from which the research topic might be approached.

identified and applied, where appropriate, a suitable methodology and/or set of research methods

analysed the collected empirical and/or conceptual data in the context of the selected analytic framework; and drawn conclusions which follow uniquely from the investigation

made practical recommendations for action, where appropriate, which flow logically from the data analysis

made analytic/conceptual contributions, where appropriate, to the body of HRM knowledge investigated and identified how such contributions might inform existing and/or future practice

developed analytic and practical skills in the evaluation and application of empirical and/or conceptual investigations undertaken by others in the field

developed the ability to write an extended piece of academic work in a manner which is both clear and coherent and, as befits the title of Project and where appropriate, non-derivative

Teaching and Learning Methods

Individual Project supervision building on the pre-requisite module in Research Methods

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Assessment rationale

The assessment rationale is in line with the overall assessment strategy of the MAHRM in general and with the learning outcomes for the Project module in particular as follows.

Students are required to:

translate both conceptual and practitioner knowledge acquired during the course to the analysis of a specific HRM situation or of a contemporary, established and focussed area of academic/practitioner enquiry in the HRM literature.

demonstrate analytic rigour appropriate to Masters’ level research. apply or test an area of existing HRM knowledge in a new situation, and/or

synthesise such knowledge so as to conceptually develop or reframe it make, on the basis of the research conducted, practical recommendations for

management action where appropriate and/or a contribution to existing HRM knowledge based upon a synthesis and critique of existing theory and practice in the selected area of enquiry

show a facility with the language of academic argumentation and debate, critique and evaluation in reflecting upon their own work

Assessment criteria

A Pass in this module requires a minimum of 50%.Projects achieving a mark within the range 40% - 50% fall within the ‘marginal fail’ category. Students achieving a mark in this category at the first attempt are offered a choice of either ‘referral’ or ‘retake’*.Projects achieving a mark within the range 0% - 39% fall within the ‘fail’ category. Students achieving a mark in this category at the first attempt are required to retake the module

Assessment Method & weighting

100% courseworkViva if requiredPass mark: 50%

Reading Sources

Anderson, V. Research Methods in Human Resource Management 2 nd Ed

CIPD Publishing 2009

Bryman, A Social Research Methods OUP 2012

Cameron, S. & Price, D

Business Research Methods: A Practical Approach

CIPD Publishing 2009

*

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Clough, P. & Nutbrown, C.

A Student’s Guide to Methodology 2 nd Ed

Sage, 2007

Coghlan, D. & Brannick, T.

Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization 3 rd Ed

Sage, 2010

Gray, D. Doing Research in the Real World 2 nd Ed

Sage, 2009

Hart, C. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination

Sage, 1998

Marshall, C and Rossman, G

Designing Qualitative Research 5 th Ed

Sage, 2011

Osborne, J. W. Best Practices in Quantitative Methods

Sage 2008

Partington, D (Ed) Essential Skills for Management Research

Sage,2002

Riley, M. et. al. Researching and Writing Projects in Business and Management

Thomson, 2000

Saunders, M. et. al. Research Methods for Business Students 5 th Ed

Pearson, 2009

Thietart, R-A, Doing Management Research: A Comprehensive Guide

Sage, 2001

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APPENDIX C: TEMPLATE FOR REFLECTIVE STATEMENT

MAHRM PROJECT:

REFLECTIVE STATEMENT

1. What is the focus of your completed Project ?  Why do you feel that, from both an academic and practitioner perspective, this has been an area worthy of investigation ?  

2. In what ways did your critical review of the relevant literature modify or otherwise develop your first thoughts about the topic - and perhaps your overall research strategy ?

3. What methodological issues have arisen in your Project and how have you addressed them – or how would you address them now ?

4. How did your answers to Question 2 and 3 influence:a) your choice of research methodsb) your data analysisc) the conclusions drawn from your analysis

5. What have you learned from undertaking this research and how will you apply this to your future work in HRM ?

6. If you were to undertake this Project again what, if anything, might you do differently and why ?

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APPENDIX D: MA HRM PROJECT - EVALUATION OF LEARNING OUTCOMES

LEARNING OUTCOMES PROJECT

selected and identified an appropriate Project topic together with a clear statement of the research objectives and the scope of the investigation;

x

investigated the existing academic literature and/or other documentary sources bearing upon the research topic;

x

clearly stated, elaborated or adapted an analytic framework from which the research topic might be approached.

x

identified and applied, where appropriate, a suitable methodology and/or set of research methods

x

analysed the collected empirical and/or conceptual data in the context of the selected analytic framework; and drawn conclusions which follow uniquely from the investigation

x

made practical recommendations for action, where appropriate, which flow logically from the data analysis

x

made analytic/conceptual contributions, where appropriate, to the body of HRM knowledge investigated and identified how such contributions might inform existing and/or future practice

x

developed analytic and practical skills in the evaluation and application of empirical and/or conceptual investigations undertaken by others in the field

x

developed the ability to write an extended piece of academic work in a manner which is both clear and coherent and, as befits the title of Project and where appropriate, non-derivative

x

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