Unit information: Research Methods in Global Operations and Supply Chain Management in 2022/23

Unit name	Research Methods in Global Operations and Supply Chain Management
Unit code	EFIMM0071
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Luo
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	Nil
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	Nil
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	School of Management - Business School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

The unit aims to enable students to gain an understanding of qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methods appropriate to address the issues encountered in academia and practice. It provides evidence to inform management decision-making and academic study within the operations, supply chain and logistics management fields. It is designed to provide students with knowledge and skills to collect, critically evaluate, interpret and present relevant research. During the delivery of the unit students will:

• Be encouraged to engage with a variety of academic perspectives that inform management research and decision-making in operations, supply chain management and logistics contexts.
• Use methods to address research problems with an emphasis on appropriate quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches.
• Learn and apply knowledge and understanding in response to technological and societal changes and the consideration of the future of organisations and their external environment.

Your learning on this unit

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Critically analyse a range of academic perspectives with reference to their role in the creation and use of different types of knowledge;
2. Demonstrate an appreciation of the contextual relevance of such perspectives in research design and in the selection of appropriate analytical techniques;
3. Discuss how culture and the values of the researcher, and others with an interest in the outcome of research, affect the research process and how data are gathered and used;
4. Evaluate the role of research-based knowledge and evidence in complex managerial decision-making and policy formation;
5. Make informed decisions about appropriate methodologies, commonly-used methods and any particular challenges of undertaking management research in a global context;
6. Appraise the ethical and practical issues arising in carrying out research, and take account of these issues when developing a research proposal.

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions including lectures, seminars, drop-in sessions, discussion boards and other online learning opportunities

How you will be assessed

100% research proposal 3000 words (+/- 10% )

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIMM0071).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.