The Business and Management
Research Training Programme
PGR Induction September 2015
The details...
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Core courses
Choosing electives
Additional research training needs
How much time should you spend on research
training
• Practicalities
Original Thinking Applied
Core Courses
• Compulsory Courses for MSM division:
– Research Process
– Qualitative Research Methods
– Quantitative Research Methods
• Compulsory Courses for PMO and IMP divisions:
– Research Process
• And two from:
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Qualitative Research Methods
Quantitative Research Methods
Comparative International Business
Science Technology and Innovation Studies
Epistemology
Critical Research Methods for People Management and Organization
The Craft of Fieldwork: Method, Text and Writing
Optionally supervisors from IMP may specify Epistemology as compulsory.
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Research Process
• Taught in Semester 1 by Prof. Paul Irwing, Laszlo Czaban, Eljee
Javier, Ian Fairweather, Ian Pople, Mark Healy
• Aim: To provide an overall framework for the conduct of
research including the production of doctoral theses,
conference papers and posters, and journal articles
• Not a single course but:
– Induction
– Epistemology
– Research Design & Measurement
– Research Ethics
All above have been timetabled
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Research Process
• Humanities Researcher Development Programme:
– Writing your Literature Review:(Eljee Javier)
– Planning your Research: (Ian Fairweather)
– Academic Writing: (Ian Pople)
• The above courses you must book
MY TRAINING
Researcher Development
Universities Training Catalogue
Assessment: A research proposal for the first study to be
included in the doctoral thesis: To be marked by
the supervisor (3000 words)
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Quantitative Research
Methods
• Semester 1 – Prof. Paul Irwing and Dr. Charles Cui
• Aims:
– To provide an overall framework for the conduct of
quantitative research
– To introduce students to basic statistical methods and
hypothesis testing
– To introduce students to quantitative research
methods,
– To provide a grounding in multiple regression and
factor analysis
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Quantitative Research
Methods
• Teaching method: Lecture, groupwork,
practical computing sessions
• Assessment: Report based on quantitative
study consisting of a literature review, results
from factor analysis, multiple regression, and
a discussion (4,500 words)
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Qualitative Methods
• Semester 1 – Prof. Trevor Wood-Harper and Dr.
Mostafa Mohamad
• Aims:
– To understand the coherence and plausibility of a
qualitative research project.
– To apply appropriate methods, analysis of data, research
evaluation, and research assessment.
– To help students develop a justification audit for their
major decisions and assertions, including methods of data
collection, analysis, and dissemination
– Provide students with the tools available to enable the
appropriate choice of data collection technique(s) and
analysis for a given research issue.
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Qualitative Methods
• Teaching and learning methods: Lectures,
group presentations with student led
discussion/critiques and self-study of
particular methods, data analysis techniques
and dissemination & evaluation.
• Assessment: Presentation of your qualitative
proposal including justification audit. 15-20
slides 70/30%
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Epistemology (Knowledge production &
justification in business and management studies)
• Semester 1 – Dr. Laszlo Czaban
• Aim: to familiarise doctoral students with the major philosophical
and methodological issues involved in the production of valid
knowledge in business and management studies. It focuses on the
particular nature of business and management research in the
context of general theories of scientific knowledge, such as logical
positivism, critical rationalism and realism, and considers how the
social and management sciences differ from the physical and
biological sciences.
• Introductory lecture in week 1, then students work in groups and
make presentations, followed by class discussion
• You will be assigned to a group: each group makes two
presentations during the semester
• Reading required in advance of session
• Assessment: group presentations 20%; essay 80%
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Critical Research Methods for
People Management &
Organizations
• Semester 1 – Dr. Damian O’Doherty
• Aims:
– To introduce a set of methods appropriate to the study of
People Management and Organizations for students
intending to conduct primary qualitative fieldwork using
documentary, case study methods, interviews, or
ethnographic style research.
– Designed specifically for students primarily interested in
human resource management, industrial relations,
organization studies, and organization development.
– Contributes alternative perspectives in the study of
general business and management studies including
leadership, motivation, creativity, and fairness at work.
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Critical Research Methods
for People Management and
Organizations
• Teaching Methods: Weekly workshops
combining lecture and seminar discussions
around key readings and case studies
• Assessment: Essay (2000 words)
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Critical Research Methods
for People Management and
Organizations
• Teaching Methods: Weekly workshops
combining lecture and seminar discussions
around key readings and case studies
• Assessment: Essay (2000 words)
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The Craft of Fieldwork:
Method, Text, and Writing
• Semester 1 : Prof. Leo McCann
• Aims: advanced exploration of the craft of qualitative
research and writing.
• Designed with students of organizational and
workplace research in mind, focusing mainly on
organization studies and sociology of work
literatures, paying particular attention to the
interpretation and discussion of contemporary
published qualitative texts.
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The Craft of Fieldwork:
Method, Text, and Writing
• Intended primarily for students whose theses relate
to sociology of work, organization and management,
as well as to themes of gender, occupational and
group culture, and individual identity construction.
• Teaching: 5 fortnightly sessions – lecture and group
discussion
• Assessment: 4,000 word reflective report.
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Critical Perspectives on
International Business
• Semester 1 & Semester 2 -- Prof Rudolf Sinkovics, Prof
Mo Yamin, Dr. Stefan Zagelmeyer and Dr Noemi
Sinkovics
• Aim – To provide an overview of critical perspectives
on the IB literature, in an attempt to delineate the
boundaries of IB as a research field
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– Drawing on literature from political economy perspectives,
highlighting new developments within our field, linking to
comparative business systems.
Combination of lectures and seminars/discussion sessions.
Assessment: Critique paper 20%; Literature paper 80%
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Methods and Concepts in
Science, Technology and
Innovation Studies
• Semester 1 & Semester 2 Prof Philippe Laredo, Dr. John Rigby and
Dr. Kate Barker
• Aim: to consolidate the research training in Research Process and
Epistemology by focusing upon the underlying concepts and
methods used in the field of science, technology and innovation
studies; to ensure that doctoral students acquire adequate critical
and analytical capabilities for developing high quality PhD theses
and to ensure a balanced introduction both to research methods
and to theories and concepts critical for PhD theses in this field by
examining methods in use.
• Combination of lectures, discussion and student presentations
• Assessment: Group presentation 90%; Participation 50%
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Research Methods
Workshops (Electives)
• You may choose to spread the electives over years 1 and 2,
select workshops that meet your training needs.
• Usually one day (or two half days) per workshop.
• Calendar of workshops between early October and early May
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Research methods
workshops: choices
• Large choice of workshops taught by many staff from across the
School
• Some courses are clearly qualitative or quantitative; others are
mixed methods
• Some courses provide an introduction to specific methods or
techniques (e.g. Case Studies, Structural Equation Modelling, Social
Network Analysis)
• Make appropriate choices e.g.
 Don’t chose introductory stats if you are already very familiar with
statistics
 Try to include some quantitative and qualitative methods
 Choose electives that cover techniques you expect to use
 Choose electives that will broaden your knowledge and may help in
developing your own detailed research design
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Electives: Any number from:
• Action Research
• Actor Network Theory
• Advanced Qualitative Analysis
with NViVO*
• Advanced Survey Design
• Bibliometrics
• Case Study Research
• Comparative Case Study
Analysis
• Critical Thinking for Scientific
Research
• Elite Interviewing with Senior
Managers
• Diary Studies
• Mixed Methods
• Introduction to Qualitative
Analysis with NViVO*
• Scenario Methods in
Research*
• Social Network Analysis
• Social Studies of Technology,
Innovation and Organising
• Structural Equation Modelling
• Longitudinal data analysis
• Multi-level modeling
• Meta-analysis
Note: *These units may not run this year but may be taken next year.
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Bespoke Program
Optionally:
• Students and supervisors have the option to
develop a bespoke programme of research
training to be approved by the RTP director
• To do so fill in the Course Unit Selection Form,
adding lines as necessary
• Provide a justification
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Additional Training needs
• North West Doctoral Training
Centre: allows you to take
courses offered at Lancaster
and Liverpool
• Specialist MSc course units
within MBS
• Look at what’s available; you
may want to audit a course;
discuss with your supervisor;
you will need to register to
access Blackboard
• But, don’t overload yourself
• All kinds of seminars,
workshops and other training
opportunities around the
University and in the NorthWest
 Methods@Manchester;
 Arts@ Manchester;
 Cathy Marsh Centre for Census
and Survey Research
 Northern Advanced Training
Initiative - workshops
 Doctoral colloquia linked to
conferences
 Postgraduate Statistics Centre:
University of Lancaster
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Additional Training Needs
• Nationally and
Internationally:
– Summer School in Social
Science Data Analysis –
University of Essex
– Inter-University
Consortium for Political
and Social Research –
University of Michigan
• Read the PGR
newsletter, talk with
your supervisor
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A few points to bear in
mind (1)
• Do spend some time thinking through your
training needs and discuss with your
supervisor
consider whether you take electives this year or
later.
• As far as possible, we are flexible about course
changes, where you have a good reason, and
when you are in good time
• You cannot change your core courses for
assessment after you have submitted work!!
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A few points to bear in
mind (2)
• Part time students need to consider how to
spread the RTP over years 1 and 2
Bear in mind your other commitments
Aim to complete more than half in year 1
(allowing more time in year 2 to prepare end of
first year report)
Core courses in semester 1 ideal for year 1;
Feel free to discuss with Stuart or Paul Greenham
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So, how much time should you
expect to spend on the RTP
during year 1? (1)
• The core courses are each equivalent to about
150 hours work – e.g. three hours of classes for
10 weeks plus 120 hours of preparation, follow
up and writing assessments
But, all of the work for Research Process is to design
your first major study
• The electives are equivalent to about 20 hours
work at most, including preparation, and classes
• As far as possible, the RTP is aligned with the
introductory stages of the PhD, not a distraction
from it, or in competition with it
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So, how much time should you
expect to spend on the RTP
during year 1? (2)
• Let’s assume:
 3 x 150 hours for the core courses
 8 x 20 hours for the electives you audit
• Total of around 600 hours between October and May
(including completing the assessments)
• Leaving you plenty of time to make progress on your
supervised research (especially if you bear in mind that
some of the work above is directly related to your own
developing topic)
• Of course, the RTP workload is lumpy and you will need
to plan your time, but you should not be spending all of
your time on these courses.
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Practicalities
• Specialist MSc course units start in week
beginning 28th September, RTP course start week
after [check the timetable!!!]
• For submission deadlines see Postgraduate
Research Handbook or Blackboard for specific
course.
• Some of you may have opportunities to attend
specialised training outside MBS; in some cases it
may be possible to gain exemptions from the
MBS RTP but only if the nature, amount and level
of work is appropriate; please discuss with Stuart
or Paul Greenham as early as possible
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Course Unit Selection
Form
• Complete with supervisor and hand in 29th
September.
MY TRAINING
B & M Pathway
Research training Program
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