Study Guide

Objective

This course is an essential part in the overall learning process during Master studies. The main objective of this course is to introduce the main concepts and methods of business research and development activities. These include the most practical terms and ideas applied in Master studies as well as in the Master thesis process. Students get practical knowledge and skills on selecting and defining the business development problem in the case company.

Main competences on the course: operating in a workplace, learning to learn, ethics

Content

- Key concepts of business research
- Research approaches and methods
- Structure of Research Design

Location and time

Wed 8.1.2025 17:30 - 20:30

Wed 29.1.2025 17:30 - 20:30

Wed 19.2.2025 17:30 - 20:30

Wed 26.2.2025 17:30 - 20:30

Materials

Yin. R.K. 2016. Qualitative research from start to finish. 2nd ed. New York. The Guilford Press.

Beverland M. and Lindgreen A. 2021. What makes a good case study? A positivist review of qualitative case research published in Industrial Marketing Management, 1971-2006. Industrial Marketing Management, 39, pp. 56-63.

Additional literature consists of relevant scientific publications and books recommend by the teacher or suggested by the students in their assignments.

Teaching methods

This course is an essential part in the overall learning process during Master's studies. The main objective of this course is to introduce the main concepts and methods of business research and development activities. These include the most practical terms and ideas applied in Master's studies as well as in the Master thesis process.

The student knows how to evaluate and produce information about working life development methods, taking into account the perspectives of different fields. The student knows how to analyze different methods of development work and their suitability for the development of working life. They know how to justify the choices of their development methods in various working life research and development contexts, also using peer-reviewed journal articles. The student knows how to take initiative in creating a multidisciplinary development network and plan different working life development projects that take into account the goals of their degree programme. The student knows how to apply the conceptual knowledge and skills of his field in solving development problems in working life.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

1-2: The student
- understands mostly correctly the main concepts of business research and a Master thesis scope.
- is able to propose a relevant idea for thesis project and to complete the research proposal answering all the questions. By this, this completed research proposal has a room for further development although it doesn't include any serious methodological mistakes.
- knows basic information on the research methods, data collection and analysis techniques and is able to select them for own thesis proposal.
There is no indication of the use of literature on business research or the subject topic. The thesis ideas proposed by the student, although mostly correct, need further development and refinement.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

3-4: The student
- understands well the main concepts of business research and a Master thesis scope.
- has some knowledge in philosophical paradigms used in business research and is able to apply them mostly correctly.
- is able to select a theoretically and practically relevant topic for MSc thesis project and to elaborate on this topic completing the research proposal answering fully all the questions in there. Nevertheless, the thesis ideas might be developed on a more detailed level or these include some small methodological flaws.
- has good knowledge of the research methods and data collection and analysis techniques and is able to plan their usage in thesis project.
- is able to motivate and explain the methodological choices s/he made and uses correct academic and scientific writing practices most of time presenting own ideas in the text.
- has read some relevant literature on business research methods and the subject topic, which shows in the text of the proposal.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

5: The student
- understands excellently the main concepts of business research and a Master thesis scope; philosophical paradigms used in business research and is able to apply them correctly in own research proposal.
- is able to select a theoretically and practically relevant topic for MSc thesis project and elaborate on this topic completing the research proposal answering fully all the questions in there.
- has very good knowledge of the research methods and data collection and analysis techniques and is able to plan their usage in thesis project. - is able to motivate and explain the methodological choices s/he made and uses correct academic and scientific writing practices presenting own ideas.
- the student has read the relevant literature on business research methods and the subject topic and is able to apply that knowledge practically.