Undergraduate Ethics Application Form: Roehampton Business School

This document is an Ethics Application Form submitted by an undergraduate student at Roehampton Business School for a research project investigating the role of strategic management in developing favorable organizational behavior, with a specific focus on Cadbury. The application details the project's purpose, which is to analyze how strategic management benefits the business in fostering positive organizational behavior. The project employs a mixed-methods approach, primarily utilizing quantitative research through questionnaires distributed to Cadbury managers to gather measurable data, alongside secondary data from books and journals. The application meticulously addresses ethical considerations, including participant consent, confidentiality, and the right to withdraw, ensuring adherence to ethical research guidelines. The form also outlines the recruitment process, potential benefits for participants, and emphasizes the importance of obtaining necessary permissions from organizations. The student acknowledges and addresses potential ethical issues related to participants, data privacy, and the selection of the research population, ensuring the integrity and ethical soundness of the research project. The application also includes details about the research instruments, the method of recruitment, and potential incentives for participants.

ETHICS APPLICATION FORM
Undergraduate Students
Roehampton Business School
November 2019
Introduction
An ethics application should be submitted for review and approval by anyone conducting
research at, or under the auspices of, the University of Roehampton that involves human
beings, animals or personal data relating to human beings.
The completion of this form should not be seen as an end in itself but as a vehicle to ensure that
you have gone through a process of considering the ethical implications of your research in detail
and that you are able to communicate this clearly.
Please note that you should NOT begin your project or start any data collection until your
ethics application has been given final approval by your dissertation supervisor and it is
confirmed that all conditions have been met.
If you have any queries whilst completing this form, please get in contact with your dissertation
supervisor.
SECTION 1: PERSONAL DETAILS & DECLARATION
Please complete the header with your name and Department
Name:
Student number:
UR email address:
Programme of Study:
Supervisor:
STUDENT’S SIGNATURE
I confirm that this submission accords with the University Code of Conduct and that
all information supplied on this form is correct
Student’s Signature:
Please use an electronic signature or type your name
Date:
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SECTION 1b: SUPERVISOR’S APPROVAL
Dissertation supervisors, please:
 scrutinise the Ethics Application and all participant-facing documentation
 suggest and check any changes which need making before your final approval
Please tick the box to confirm that you have approved the application as ethically sound
and the participant-facing documentation as appropriate.
SUPERVISOR’S SIGNATURE
Signature:
Please use an electronic signature or type your name
Print name:
Date:
SECTION 2: PROJECT DETAILS
Title of project:
Investigate about the role of strategic management in developing
favourable organizational behaviour. Study on Cadbury.
Proposed start date (start
date of actual data
collection):
Please note that
supervisor’s approval can
take some time. Please
submit applications in a
timely manner. Reasons
should be given for late or
retrospective
submissions.
Duration:
2.1. Purpose of the proposed investigation (300 words maximum)
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This section should include the material which concisely outlines the rationale for the project, i.e.
why this study needs to be done. This should be done in a way that is both accessible and
scholarly, i.e. have proper cited sources.
The project into actual access is based on examining the role of strategic management in developing
favourable organizational behaviour. Thus it is a wide area of investigation which provides an in-
depth analysis to the researcher and the readers about the aspect of strategic management and how it
will create benefit for the business in generating favourable business behaviour. Strategic
management is an effective ongoing planning, monitoring, evaluation and the assessment of all
necessities a business needs to meet its suitable goals and objectives. The project is mainly executed
to providing suitable significant of strategic management to Cadbury and how the operations of the
business can be enhanced effectively. The project is significant for the researcher and the reader who
are seeking for their career development within the same field as the project enhances the personal as
well as professional skills of individual. The project is valuable in nature as in this information’s are
mainly accumulated from the authentic sources like books, journals, and articles that are specific to
the selected research topic. The major intention of conducting an investigation over the selected
investigation area is that, strategic management is the most concerned topic in today’s modern
business as the project renders suitable recognition in relation to the specific area. Thus the project
also helps business in determining the ways in that strategic management can be implemented and
how to ensure that the employees get indulge within the culture of organisation by adopting more
strategic practices to management and control them. In addition to this, the project will also support
Cadbury in being able to expand a favourable culture and organisation behaviour that promote more
and more employees engagement and concentration toward accomplishment of organisational goal.
The objectives on which the entire project is based on are described as below:
 To study about the importance of strategic management within an organisation.
 To explore about the impact of organizational behaviour on productivity of employees within
Cadbury.
 To ascertain several ways in which Cadbury can use strategic management for creating
favourable organisational behaviour
2.2. Outline of the project (300 words maximum)
This section should include the details of the methods i.e. what will be done and how. Please start
by giving a brief summary (one paragraph) including how many participants there are likely to be,
where the research will take place and an indication of how long participation will take for each
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section (interviews, questionnaires etc.) and in total.
Research methodology is mainly of two types and the selection is based on either qualitative or
quantitative research methodology. Therefore qualitative study is important for executive theoretical
investigation and on the other side quantitative investigation is imported together and formation with
statistical and mathematical aspects. in the context to the present investigation work quantitative
research will be effectively considering by the researcher as it is the most valuable tool to gather
information with actual facts and figures and also ate the project in the direction to gathering
information that are measurable from the opinion analysis of the participants.
Despite from this the information accumulation is based on two major sources I.e. primary and
secondary source of Data collection. In the case of the present investigation work both primary and
secondary tools will be considering by the researcher in the manner to accumulate relevant and
authentic data. Primary research will eight in the manner together for standard specific data as in this
supportive source will be questionnaire as in this questionnaire will be developed which cover the
aim and objectives of the project and gather specific information. On the contrary side secondary
sources like books, journals, articles in published and non published manners and fast investigation
work are important to develop theoretical perspective.
Sampling is the another important consideration of the researcher and the selection of participants
are based on two major sources like probabilistic and non probability data sampling. however in the
context to the present investigation work probabilistic sampling will be considering by the researcher
as in this participants are randomly picked to gather valuable information and in this sample size will
be e10 and in this managers of Cadbury are involved to collect information as they are more
equivalent to provide authentic and specific information that are based on the operations of
Cadbury.
You should attach all the research instruments you are planning to use in your research, e.g.
interview questionnaire, online questionnaire template, etc. These should be checked by your
supervisor prior to Ethics application approval.
Please tick the boxes to confirm that
1) you have attached all research instruments you intend to use
2) you will notify your supervisor of any major changes
2.3. Ethical issues raised by the project and how these will be addressed (500 words
maximum)
Ethical issues raised by the project and how these will be addressed:
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Points that should be considered include:
 Participants and consent
 Confidentiality and anonymity
 Right to withdrawal
 Deception
 Permissions from organisations involved
 Whether any vulnerable populations are involved (including under 18s) (also see Section 6)
This section should have some comment and not left blank.
Please refer to the Ethics Guidelines for more information.
Research ethics is defined as the guidelines and assistance with our needs to be followed by the
researcher at the time of executing an investigation as it provides a suitable guidance to the
researcher to avoid any delay or misleading activities that hampers the completion of the project on
The authenticity of the project in appropriate manner. in the context of this present investigation
work primary investigation will be the major source together information and researcher is being
facing a lot issues related to participants and consent form, right to withdraw, deception, permission
through the organisation, confidentiality and anatomy and the valuable populations. Therefore these
are the major recognitions at the time of conducting an investigation and these issues are needs to be
resolved by the researcher to assist the project and right manner. in the initial stage or at the
beginning of the project it is important for the researcher to receive the permission from the
organisation as in this overall analysis is based on Cadbury and Research and needs to take a profile
from the organisation in the manner to gathering information that are specific to the organisation or
its operations. This helps the researcher in avoiding any kind of issues raised by the business or its
employees. In addition to this researcher also needs to provide consent form to the participants in
which appropriate information regarding the project is mentioned and the right to withdrawal clause
is also added which determines that participants can take their participation back from any time
without providing any prior application. For avoiding the issue of participants and consent researcher
needs to take sign from the participants over the consent form in the manner to receiving their
approval as it shows that participants are ready to provide information in relation to the project audit
aspects. aur avoiding the issue of confidentiality and anatomy research needs to ensure their
participants about maintaining confidentiality of their Private data as it is the primary consideration
of the researcher to maintain safety and security of their private information and ensuring them to not
leaking of their Private data in any form. Participants are mainly worry about the unauthorized use of
their private information so it also important for the researcher to the safety of their private
information. For avoiding the issue of deception researcher also needs to maintain authenticity in the
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information as they are also focused towards not asking any questions that hampers the emotional
stability of participants or hurts their sentiments. This issue needs to be resolved as this may lead the
project in wrong manner as the participants can provide unauthorized and irrelevant data which
create issue in completion of the project in appropriate manner. researcher also needs to keep an eye
on selecting the population as it is important for the researcher to select appropriate participants who
are not belongs from the minor category or below from the age group of 18 as people from this area
are not involved in value honorable population and are not authorised to to gather information from
the minor people.
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SECTION 3: RESEARCH INVOLVING PARTICIPANTS
 You should download the Participant Consent Form template and amend as required (you
can also find it at the end of this document).
 You should also attach any other information to be given to participants.
 You should consider carefully what information you provide to participants, e.g. scope of
study, number of participants, duration of study, risks/benefits of the project. It is
recommended that the participant has two copies of the consent form so they can retain one
for information.
 If images or anything else which might allow the identification of participants is to be publicly
accessible (e.g. on the web), further written consent must be secured. A separate section
regarding this should be included on the participant consent form.
3.1. Give details of 1) the method of recruitment and 2) potential benefits or
incentives to participants if any
Please mention whether there will be any financial benefits and give details of amounts involved.
(NB: Please remember that written permission – or in some cases ethics approval – will have to be
sought from any organisations where recruitment is carried out or posters placed (e.g. if you recruit
in GP’s surgeries you may require NHS approval)
1)
2)
Please tick the box to confirm that you have attached written permission from any organisations
where recruitment is carried out or posters placed
3.2. Under 18s and Vulnerable Participants – DBS
Students are NOT advised to carry any research that involves participants who are aged
under 18 or considered to be vulnerable.
Please tick the box to confirm that you understand that you should not carry out any research
involving participants who are aged under 18 or considered to be vulnerable
Please note that you will need to apply for DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance if you
decide to conduct research that involves participants who are aged under 18 or considered to be
vulnerable. Please seek advice from your supervisor.
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SECTION 4: HEALTH AND SAFETY
4.1. Please give a brief overview of the main risks involved in the project and what
will be done to mitigate them
Health & safety issues raised by the project, including any risks to participants and/or researcher
and sole working. Think of hazards, who can be harmed, how can someone be harmed, number of
people affected, what are the consequences, what are the existing or possible control measures.
You should clearly indicate how these H&S issues will be addressed. This section should have
some comment and not left blank.
 Please discuss these with your Supervisor
Risks and mitigation:
1)
2)
3)
4.2. Research outside the UK
Students are NOT advised to carry out any travel to conduct research outside the UK.
If your dissertation will focus on a country outside the UK and employ qualitative research methods
(e.g. interviews), you are advised to use technology to collect your data, e.g. Skype or WhatsApp.
Please tick the box to confirm that you understand that you should not carry out any travel to
conduct research outside the UK
If you decide to travel outside the UK (including your home country or the country in which you
reside), please note that you will need to:
1) refer to the relevant section of the Ethics Guidelines
2) complete the Overseas Background Information form
3) consult with the Health & Safety office
4) adhere to the University’s Travel Safety Advice
5) submit an ATO (Authority to Travel Overseas) and ensure that travel assistance and medical
cover is in place.
Please seek advice from your supervisor.
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SECTION 5: PUBLICATION AND IMPACT OF RESEARCH
The research you are conducting should only be for undergraduate dissertation purposes. You
should not seek to publicly disseminate your research findings in any other way.
Please tick the box to confirm that you have read and understood the above
SECTION 6: DATA PROTECTION
Before completing this section of the form, you should read the Data Protection and Storage
Guidance for Researchers. It is the responsibility of researchers to ensure that they comply with the
University’s policies and procedures regarding data protection.
Please confirm that you have read the Data Protection and Storage Guidance for Researchers,
including dissertation students
All research data must also be processed in line with the University’s IT Policy, which states,
“You must not, unless exempted through the University’s ethics procedures, create, download,
store or transmit unlawful material, or material that is indecent, offensive, threatening or
discriminatory or extremist. Following such approval, the University of Roehampton has
procedures to enable staff and students to access and store downloaded research materials
and data into a specially provisioned university secure safe storage area.”
6.1. Personal data processing
1. Will the research project involve collecting, storing or processing personal data relating to
research participants? ‘Personal data’ is defined as, “Any information relating to an identified or
identifiable person (a ‘data subject) or from which a person can be identified either directly or
indirectly.” Examples of personal data include:
 Name
 Age
 Address
 Job title
YES NO N/A (no human participants)
If yes, other than signed consent forms, please give details of the types of personal data to be
collected/ stored/ processed as part of the research project.
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2. Will the research project involve collecting, storing or processing special categories of personal
data or criminal convictions relating to research participants?
Special categories of personal data include the following: Racial or ethnic origin, Political opinions,
Religious or philosophical beliefs, Trade union membership, Health, Sex life, Sexual orientation,
Biometric data, Genetic data, Criminal convictions data (More information can be found in the
Guidance, section 7)
YES NO
If yes please give details
Students are expected to anonymise personal data, or where this would be impractical they are
expected to use pseudonymisation as standard practice (see Section 16 of the Guidance).
3. Will the data you collect be Anonymised Pseudonymised Neither
(Please see the Guidance for definitions)
If anonymised or pseudonymised, please explain how exactly you will anonymise/pseudonymise
personal data?
The researcher ensures the participants for maintaining the confidentiality of their private
information and not asking any personal question which hurts the emotion and sentiment of people.
If neither please give details:
Please note: If your participants do not wish to remain anonymous and thus waive their right to
anonymity you must obtain their written consent – perhaps by adding a tick box to the consent form.
Even in cases where anonymity has been waived, you must still ensure compliance with all relevant
data protection policies and legislation.
6.2. Information provided to research participants
All research participants should be provided with information about how their personal data will be
used. The Participant Consent Form template has been designed to include the necessary
information where personal data is collected directly from a research participant.
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1. Will the Participant Consent form and Data Privacy Notice be handed out as a hard copy?
(You will also find the templates at the end of this document)
YES NO
2. If no, please explain why not.
3. If your research is being conducted in any other language than English, will the Participant
Consent form and Data Privacy Notice be translated into the native language?
YES NO
4. If no, please explain why not.
6.3. Personal data transfers BY Roehampton students
Students should NOT transfer personal data to any party or organisation outside of the
University.
Please tick the box to confirm that you will NOT transfer personal data to any party or organisation
outside of the University
6.4. Record retention
1. Will the research data be stored and destroyed in line with the University’s Record Retention
Schedule (this states that data subject consent forms for trials and studies should be stored for 6
years after the completion of the project and that research data produced through the life of the
project (including audio files) should be stored for 10 years after the completion of the project.
Anonymised data can be kept indefinitely)?
YES NO
2. If no, please explain why.
6.5. Data storage and security
1. Will you be storing your research data using University IT facilities (see Section 17 of the
Guidance)?
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YES NO
2. If no, please explain why and give details of the storage medium you intend to use. Please tick
the box to confirm that data will be backed up at Roehampton .
3. Please give details of how and where data will be stored and how they will be kept secure. Please
tick the box to confirm that all electronic data will be password protected, and also encrypted if on
personal devices .
4. If using an online questionnaire/ survey, please give details of the survey platform, the
organisation hosting it and data protection implications associated with using an online survey.
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