Course: Human Resource Management Module: Research Methods Word Count: 12,000-15,000 Investigating the relationship between performance appraisals and employee satisfaction with a specific focus on a UK Company (please can you decide what company as I am indecisive at the moment. I was thinking potentially the NHS but that’s up to you). I was thinking that the research could be quantitive, such as: Surveys (questionnaires, interviews based on a structured/well-defined instrument) Observation and recording of well-defined events/cases (in numerical data) Secondary data analysis (eg. financial data for a number of firms) Task: Write a research paper that reports on a research study you undertook. Assessment Criteria * Overview: Context and Framing o Context, research question, problem, aims and objectives * Review of Literature o Sources, arguments, theories, coherence, gaps, strengths * Methods o Research design, philosophy, data collection, analysis, ethics etc * Findings and Implications o Credibility, validity, trustworthiness, process, impact, usefulness * Overall Academic Discipline o Referencing, arguments, communication, planning, coherence This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes: * Students’ ability to define a researchable topic * The ability to design and undertake empirical research * Awareness of the need to identify and evaluate research methodology and approaches and select appropriate methods for the particular research topic * Students’ understanding of how to synthesise and integrate appropriate theoretical concepts at a suitable level within the study * Competence in skills of critical analysis, reflection, evaluation and appraisal * A capacity for effective independent and self-managed learning Traditional Structure: Abstract Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature Review Chapter 3: Research Methodology Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion (may be separate chapters) Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations •Personal Reflection (Optional) •Reference list •Appendices
