Research Proposal for Impact of Digital Technology on Business Activities

Submission Format:
1. Tutor approved research proposal which should have the following format:-
 research title
 research project description (brief overview of nature of project)
 research aim and objectives (hypothesis)
 reasons for choosing this research project
 literature review (critical review of key references)
 research approach and methodologies
 activities and timescales
 references
Completed research proposal and research ethics forms must be approved
by your tutor before you can continue to Activities 2, 3 and 4.
A research proposal form & research ethics approval form are given in the appendices.
2. A Business Research Project Report including a personal reflective statement:-
Your business research project report should include the following:-
Research Title (cover page)
Abstract, Acknowledgements
Contents page
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Research Proposal
(i) Research project description (brief overview of nature of project)
(ii) Research aim and objectives
(iii) Reasons for choosing this research project
(iv) Activities and timescales
Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Literature review
Chapter 3: Methodology
3.1 Research Approach
3.2 Methodologies:
(i) Sampling - Data collection (description of how data would be collected)
(ii) Data analysis (description of how data would be presented and analysed)
(iii) Cost, access and ethical considerations
Chapter 4 Data Collection and Analysis
4.1 Data collection
4.2 Data presentation, analysis and discussion
Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations
5.1 Conclusions
5.2 Recommendations
Chapter 6: Personal Reflective Statement
6.1 Areas for further research (or consideration)
References
Appendices

Referencing
Sources must be properly referenced using the Harvard system.
Plagiarism
Your business research report will not be assessed without submission to Turnitin.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. It arises when a student is suspected of presenting work
undertaken by other people as if it were their own. A student is liable to be found guilty of plagiarism if
any work presented for individual assessment is found to contain the unacknowledged work of some
other person or persons. If this involves deliberate misrepresentation of material as the student’s own
in an attempt to deceive the examiners then the offence is very grave indeed.
All sources should be cited and all quotations from the works of other authors clearly identified as such
using the Harvard system of referencing. If a student’s work is found to contain verbatim (or near
verbatim) quotation from the work of other authors (including other students past or present) without
clear acknowledgement, then plagiarism has been committed whether or not the student intended to
deceive.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are the only person who possesses your assignment material
– never save anything on the hard drive of the college computers.
Unit Learning Outcomes:
LO1 Conduct appropriate research methodology which integrates knowledge into the research
process.
LO2 Conduct and analyze research relevant to a chosen business research project.
LO3 Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders.
LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts.
Assignment Brief and Guidance:
Scenario
Consider that you have recently been appointed as a researcher. You have been given a number of
assignment activities to be carried out and presented to the senior management team of your
organisation. You are required to fulfil the following activities in a research report format which also
includes a personal reflective statement. The assignment requires that you undertake a research
project related to the impact of digital technology on business activity in your chosen UK
organisation. The chosen area of business activity must be related to your specialist pathway of study
(human resources, marketing, operations or finance) unless you are studying a general business
pathway. The unit addresses the elements that make up formal research including the research
proposal, literature review, a variety of research methodologies, action planning, ethical consideration,
carrying out the research itself and presenting the findings.
To complete the unit satisfactorily, you will be required to identify a specific problem or issue related to
your area of business activity and write a research proposal outlining the issues as a problem
statement - identifying the research aim and objectives (and/or hypothesis, if any) necessary to
address your research question. Your research proposal will need to include a relevant literature
review which supports and justifies your research objectives. The aim of the research project is to plan,
collect and analyse relevant data related to the problem identified using appropriate sources (primary
and secondary) before presenting the findings in a research report and personal reflective statement.

You must carry out and conduct the whole research project yourself to show your independent enquiry
and critical analysis throughout. You must seek approval from your tutor before starting your research
project.
Activity 1 - LO1: Conduct appropriate research methodology which
integrates knowledge into the research process.
Based upon the impact of digital technology on business activity identified in your chosen UK
organisation, produce a research proposal outlining the specific aim and objectives (and/or hypothesis)
that needs to be addressed to answer a specific research question.
Activity 2 - LO2: Conduct and analyze research relevant to
a chosen business research project.
Based on the methodology you described in your research proposal (Activity 1), conduct primary and
secondary research using appropriate methods for your business research project that consider
costs, access and ethical issues.
Collect and record the data based on the research question.
Apply appropriate analytical tools to data and research findings.
Activity 3 – LO3: Communicate the outcomes of a research
project to identified stakeholders.
Based on the research proposal (Activity 1) and the research and analysis conducted (Activity 2),
communicate research outcomes in an appropriate manner for the intended audience.
Your completed business research project should now be presented to the senior management team in
a report format.
Activity 4 – LO4: Reflect on the application of research methodologies and
concepts.
Based on your research proposal (Activity 1) and your analysis (Activity 2) and your research
conclusions and recommendations (Activity 3) reflect on the effectiveness of research methods
applied for meeting the objectives of your business research project.
Consider alternative research methodologies and lessons learnt in view of the outcomes.
Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
Learning Outcome Pass Merit Distinction
LO1 (Activity 1)
Conduct appropriate
research methodology
which integrates
knowledge into the
research process.
To achieve P1 you will
produce a research
proposal that clearly
defines a research
question or hypothesis,
supported by a literature
review.
To achieve M1 you will be
required to use the research
onion in the evaluation of
different approaches to
research and to justify your
choice of research methods.
To achieve D1 you should
justify the design of the
methods and techniques of
data analysis.
To achieve P2 you will
examine appropriate
research methods and
conduct primary and
secondary research.

LO2 (Activity 2)
Conduct and analyze
research relevant to a
chosen business
research project.
To achieve P3 you will
conduct primary and
secondary research using
appropriate methods for
a business research
project that consider
costs, access and ethical
issues.
To achieve M2 you should
justify the design of the
methods and techniques of
data collection.
To achieve P4 you will
apply appropriate
analytical tools to analyse
research findings and
data.
LO3 (Activity 3)
Communicate the
outcomes of a
research project to
identified
stakeholders.
To achieve P5 you will
communicate research
outcomes in an appropriate
manner for the intended
audience.
To achieve M3 you will need
to demonstrate how your
research outcomes have
met your research
objectives in answering your
research question.
To achieve D2 you need to
demonstrate critical
analysis of research
outcomes to make valid and
justified recommendations.
LO4 (Activity 4)
Reflect on the
application of research
methodologies and
concepts.
To achieve P6 you will
reflect on the effectiveness
of research methods
applied for meeting
objectives of the business
research project.
To achieve M4 your
personal critical reflective
statement should provide
recommended actions for
improvements and future
research considerations.
To achieve D3 your personal
critical reflective statement
should demonstrate
reflection and
engagement in the
resource process leading
to recommended actions
for future improvement.
To achieve P7 you will
consider alternative
research methodologies
and lessons learnt in view
of the outcomes.