MNM3RS: Research Skills(MRC Proposal)

Module code: MNM3RS

Module provider: Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour; Henley Business School

Credits: 0

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Ana Graca, email: ana.graca@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 28 July 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module introduces students to key concepts and tools to support their preparation for the Management Research Challenge (MRC).

The main output of the module is a Research Proposal, which represents an initial exploration of the student's chosen research topic. The Research Proposal provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate applied business research skills by:

• integrating and consolidating learning from relevant MBA subject areas and apply this to a real business problem or gap in knowledge;
• identifying a significant organisational issue, problem, or gap in management knowledge;
• composing an initial critical literature review;
• designing an appropriate methodological approach for data collection and analysis;
• planning the project management aspects of their future research project.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

• be critical, evaluative and reflective in respect of applying knowledge and understanding gained within the overall programme;
• conduct personal research around the topic, including the use of wider reading in terms of appropriate theory and appropriate practitioner/commercial literature;
• collect and use initial evidence (from reading and fieldwork) to support the investigation, in a critical and evaluative manner;
• justify research techniques and research process in undertaking the investigation and analysis;
• define personal learning objectives for the future investigation.

Module content

The module covers the following topics:

• the investigation process as a foundation for the Management Research Challenge;
• the value of evidence for management, learning and research;
• research worthy or significant problems or issues and focused questions that can be addressed through structured and rigorous investigation
• gather evidence from current thinking and literature;
• research techniques to undertake the investigation, analysis and reporting of the outcomes
• collecting and using evidence to formulate conclusions in a critical and evaluative manner.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Pre-workshop on-line support material is made available via Canvas. The content is delivered over three stages through 3.5 days of taught sessions (Stage 1: Introduction to Research Skills half-day workshop; Stage 2: Research Skills 1/Management Research Challenge one-day workshop; Stage 3: Research Skills 2/Management Research Challenge two-day workshop) supported by key reading from texts and other sources, practical activities for each topic with group and cohort discussion and self-reflection to identify development needs. Guest speakers may be included in order to provide examples from their own previous Management Research Challenges. On the last afternoon of the third workshop, we organise MRC Clinics, that are one-to-ones where tutors provide feedback on student topics.

In addition, an online workshop is provided to support students in completing the Research Proposal

Study hours

At least 26.5 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

This module is marked on a pass/fail basis

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Level 3 (i.e. foundation modules for Part 0) and Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs