Assignment Brief

STUDENT NAME AND ID

NUMBER

Qualification Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in

Business

Academic Year 2020-2021

Unit Number & Name Unit 11: Research Project Business (Pearson Set)
Unit Leader Mr. Ali Usman
Unit Lecturer Mr. Mostain Belal; Dr. Shalini Srivastava; Dr. Chika
Ugoji; Mr. Ali Usman; Dr. Pavlos Stavrakakis; Dr. Isaack
Okwaro; Husam Helmi.
Assignment Title Research Proposal and Research project towards
completing the Research Report for the chosen theme
“Talent Management Practices in Organizations”
Type of Assignment Part A: Research Proposal and Ethics Form.
PART B: Research Project: Dissertation addressing the
chosen theme as specified above.
Weighting 100%
Issue Date Week Commencing 25/01/2021
Formative Submission Date PART A (Research Proposal): 12/02/2021 (12th
February at 14:00 using Formative submission link on
Moodle). This is during BLOCK 4 delivery.
PART B (Research Project – Report): 12/03/2021 (12th
March at 14:00 using Formative submission link on
Moodle). This is during BLOCK 5 delivery.
Summative Submission Date PART A (Research Proposal): 26/02/2021 (26th
February at 14:00 using Summative submission link on
Moodle). This is during BLOCK 4 delivery.
PART B (Research Project – Report): 26/03/2021 (26th
March at 14:00 using Summative submission link on
Moodle). This is during BLOCK 5 delivery.
Assessor Mr. Mostain Belal; Dr. Shalini Srivastava; Dr. Chika
Ugoji; Mr. Ali Usman; Dr. Pavlos Stavrakakis; Dr. Isaack
Okwaro; Mr. Husam Helmi.
IV Dr. Emmanuel Wanki

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Student Declaration
This is to confirm that this submission is my own work, produced without any external help
except acceptable support from my lecturer. It has not been copied from any other person’s
work (published or unpublished) and has not previously been submitted for assessment
either at GBS or elsewhere. I confirm that I have read and understood the ‘GBS Academic
Good Practice and Academic Misconduct: Policy and Procedure’ available on Moodle.

I confirm I have read and understood the above Student Declaration.

Student Name (print)

Signature

Date

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Learning Outcomes

LO1 Examine appropriate research methodologies and approaches as part of the

research process.
LO2 Conduct and analyse research relevant to a business research project.
LO3 Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders.
LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts.

ASSIGNMENT BRIEF AND GUIDANCE

The Pearson-set theme for use with Level 5 Unit 11: Research Project is “Talent
Management”

Talent management (TM) is the process by which businesses and organisations recognise
and develop talented people who can have a positive impact on their organisations and their
productivity. It not only has become a key component of human resource management but
also the responsibility of leaders and managers at all levels to manage talent within the
business, with TM strategies being developed in line with the particular needs and structure
of the business and industry.

Staff retention, training and morale are key in any industry where talented motivated
employees can help differentiate one organisation from another and influence business
success. An increasing number of businesses are rethinking ways to get the most from their
staff. Rising costs, recruitment difficulties and changing employee attitudes mean that, for
many employers, the traditional approaches to recruiting, training and retaining staff are
being revisited to harness and develop talent and ultimately drive competitive advantage.

Scenario
Talent Management has been identified in recent years as a key component of Human
Resource Management and organisations are allowing their Talent Management Strategy to
align with their business objectives. You are working as a Research Assistant with a Business
Research firm and have been asked to conduct research under the theme “Talent
Management” for perspective client.
In order to carry out the research, the range of topics to be investigated could cover the
following:

➢ Talent management as a strategic priority

➢ The role of talent management in organisational performance

➢ Talent management and leadership

➢ Role of HR in talent management

➢ Talent management for entrepreneurs and small businesses

➢ Best practices in global talent management within multinationals

You have been tasked to select one of the topics listed above or a topic relevant to the theme
for the purpose of the research.

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Assignment Submission Format

This assignment asks you to submit your work in two separate parts at
different intervals:

1. PART A: RESEARCH PROPOSAL & ETHICS FORM (submission date: 26/02/2021)

(1,500 WORDS) Note: Please ensure to enclose the Research Proposal form agreed and
signed by you and your tutor and the ethics approval form along with your research
proposal.

2. PART B: RESEARCH PROJECT IN THE FORM OF DISSERTATION (submission

date: 26/03/2021) (4,500 WORDS) addressing the chosen theme as specified by Pearson
“Talent Management”.

Submission is in the form of an academic report. This should be written in a concise,

formal business style using 1.5 spacing and font size 12. You are required to make use of
headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate and all work must be referenced
with research intext citations in accordance with Harvard referencing system. A
references list and bibliography should be provided using the Harvard referencing
system. The recommended length is 1,500 words for Proposal and 4,500 words towards
dissertation, but you will not be penalised for exceeding this. The Proposal should be
submitted along with the ethical check list as specified below.

You must ensure you support the written report with a range of graphical illustrations
and appropriate appendices.
Note: Your submission will be word-processed, written work with clear indication of the
unit number and title, the relevant task being addressed, your name and registration
number.

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Part 1 – Research Proposal (1,500 words)

To ensure that the topic and set aims and objectives are fit for purpose, the chosen topic
will have to be approved by your supervisor. As part of the approval process and as
prelude to execution of the research project, you are to Produce a Research Proposal of
1,500 words (+/- 10%) that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis supported
by a literature review.

Guidelines For Proposal

A Research Proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research. Your
research proposal should set out the central issues or questions that you intend to address.
It should outline the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to
the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic, as well as demonstrate
the originality of your proposed research.
Strong research projects are those with clear, well-focused and defined aims and
objectives. A central skill in selecting a research objective is the ability to select a suitable
and focused research objective. One of the best ways to do this is to put it in the form of
a question. You are encouraged as a business research trainee to look into and discuss a
variety of topics related to the theme to generate ideas for a good research objective.
The research proposal of 1,500 words (+/- 10%) should evidence sources of literature,
timelines for the research, the proposed methodologies to be used as well as the ethical
considerations for the research. The following are key considerations for the development
of the research proposal:

➢ Define your research problem or question. This can be stated as a research question,
objectives or hypothesis. Identify appropriate aims and objectives

➢ Provide a literature review giving the background and conceptualization of your

proposed area of study. This would provide existing knowledge and benchmarks by
which your data can be judged.

➢ Consider and define your research methodology and research process. Demonstrate
understanding of the pitfalls and limitations of the methods chosen and ethical issues
that might arise as well as timelines

▪ A research proposal template and ethical forms has been attached to the
brief for your use and must be submitted
▪ Students should get the tutor’s approval for any topic chosen for the
research under the theme of “Talent Management” before carrying out the
full research.

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Part 2 – The Research Project (4,500 words)

Upon acceptance of proposal from your supervisor you have to write a research report of
4,500 words by adopting the following report format given below:

Format of Research Report

A. Title Page – It is important that you state clearly, at the beginning of the assignment,
what its title is, which module it applies to and your name as the author.

B. Executive Summary – A summary should be provided, so that people can see at a

glance what the report is about. You should mention your key findings, conclusions
and recommendations.

C. Contents Page – Page numbers as well as section/chapter titles should be included,

also if the report incorporates some appendices, their titles should be listed.

D. Introduction – It offers the background to the study and has two main roles: to
expand the material summarised in the executive summary and to signpost the
content of the rest of the project. The introduction also includes clearly, the research
topic, research aims & objectives, rationale for the research and research questions.

E. Literature Review – The purpose of the literature review is to evidence your

awareness of where your own piece of research fits into the overall context of research
in your field. The review allows you to describe the current trends of research of your
topic and areas that you can refer to in your research. Please provide a sufficiently
adequate amount of secondary research with genuine references which is related to
your topic of research. Fake/false citations and references will be treated as Academic
Misconduct.

F. Methodology and Data Collection – Include a discussion of research philosophy,

approaches, evaluation of quantitative and qualitative methods used, use of primary
and secondary sources, sampling methods and the questionnaires used for the
survey. While discussing your research methods, you need to justify why these
research methods are appropriate from the standpoint of costs, access and ethical
issues as well as timelines.

G. Data analysis and interpretations – Analyse your primary data using appropriate
tools – if you have used a questionnaire, use an excel spreadsheet and show
appropriate charts and diagrams. If you have used qualitative research, use
appropriate methods such as thematic analysis to analyse the responses. Provide an
interpretation to the findings of your research. A good way of interpretation is to link
the findings of your research to the findings of other authors that you have reviewed
in your secondary research in the literature review section. A copy of your

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Questionnaire must be embedded in the appendix of the research project - including

data sheet you have created from your questionnaire/interview analysis.

H. Research Outcomes – Report a summary of research findings to Stakeholders

including the organisation you are researching. Your report should include
PowerPoint presentation (7-8 slides). Research outcomes generally include research
findings, conclusions and recommendation for the organisation if any. As a
guidance, your slides could include a slide each for title, aim and objectives; research
questions; major approaches and methodologies adopted; major findings from the
research; conclusion and recommendations.

I. Conclusion and Recommendations – These act as a summary of your entire research

project.

J. Reflection & Recommendation of alternative research methodology – Write a

reflection on the effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting objectives of
the business research project as well as a brief consideration of alternative research
methodologies and lessons learnt in view of the outcomes.

K. Bibliography – Note that your research must provide in-text citation in the body of
your research and the list of References as per the Harvard Referencing System.

L. Appendices - All detailed statistical tabulations, graphs, lists, questionnaires etc.,

should be organised into separate appendices. Note that:
• Research proposal must also be attached as an appendix with the ethics
form.

Research Report Guidelines

▪ You should read this information before starting to define and work through your
research brief. You should refer to these instructions as you complete the work for
this unit.
▪ Consider the development of a methodical and valid research proposal as the
foundation for the project.
▪ Choose a topic of personal interest in the field of talent management. The topic chosen
should allow a sufficient and suitable degree of research through the existence of
adequate background materials.
▪ A good project proposal title should meet the following criteria:
▪ The proposal is one that has an existing body of literature or source material that can
be reviewed.
▪ The proposal extends a current line of learning that will lend itself to further rigorous
exploration.

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▪ Decide on appropriate research methods and select an appropriate sample.

▪ Ensure that your proposal is ethical, reliable and valid. An ethics form must be
submitted prior to completion of research as part of the research proposal.
▪ Agree your research proposal with your tutor before beginning your research.
▪ Conduct your research as outlined in the proposal agreed with your tutor.
▪ Carry out your research, analyse your research findings and draw conclusions. Apply
both qualitative and quantitative research methods to evaluate data collected from
primary research.
▪ Communicate your research outcomes in a manner appropriate to your audience by
making 7-8 slides.
▪ You will be asked to reflect on the success of your research project and evaluate the
problems/ issues encountered.
▪ You must complete the research project in order to complete your work for this unit.
▪ You will need to reflect on the success of your research project and your performance
at the end of the project with the inclusion of a project evaluation and
recommendations.

Assignment Submission Format (Report Structure)

✓ Use a cover page, Title Page, Contents page, Student Declaration for the

report.

✓ The main body of the report should be concise, formal business report.

✓ Use at least 1.5 spacing and Times New Roman/ Arial font size 12.

✓ Use headings, paragraphs, and subsections as appropriate.

✓ Across the report you are required to provide various examples to enhance

the credibility, currency and depth of the answer.

✓ Provide Conclusion, evaluation, and recommendation.

✓ Use Appendices (if any).

✓ Use the Harvard Referencing Style for intext citation and reference list.

✓ Provide a references list using the Harvard referencing system.

✓ Respect the word limit of 4,500 words for the section (+/- 10%) excluding the

cover page, contents page, student declaration, list of references and

appendices.

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Note: Your submission will be word-processed, written work with clear

indication of the unit number and title, the relevant task being addressed, your
name and registration number.

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Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Examine appropriate research methodologies and
approaches as part of the research process

P1 Produce a research M1 Evaluate different research LO1 and LO2

proposal that clearly defines
a research question or
hypothesis supported by a
literature review.
P2 Examine appropriate
research methods and
approaches to primary and
secondary research.
approaches and methodology
and make
justifications for the choice of
methods selected based on
philosophical/ theoretical
frameworks.
D1 Critically evaluate research
methodologies and processes in
application to a business research
project to justify chosen research
methods and analysis.

LO2 Conduct and analyse research relevant for a business

research project

P3 Conduct primary and M2 Discuss merits, limitations

secondary research using and pitfalls of approaches to
appropriate methods for a data collection and analysis.
business research project
that consider costs, access
and ethical issues.

P4 Apply appropriate
analytical tools, analyse
research findings and data.

LO3 Communicate the outcomes of a research project to

identified stakeholders

P5 Communicate research M3 Communicate coherently D2 Communicate critical analysis of

outcomes in an appropriate outcomes to the intended the outcomes and make valid,
manner for the intended audience demonstrating how justified recommendations.
audience. outcomes meet set research
objectives.

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Pass Merit Distinction

LO4 Reflect on the application of research methodologies and

concepts

P6 Reflect on the M4 Demonstrate reflection and D3 Demonstrate critical reflection

effectiveness of research engagement in the resource and insight that results in
methods applied for meeting process leading to recommended
objectives of the business recommended actions for actions for improvements and
research project. future improvement. future research considerations.
P7 Consider alternative
research methodologies and
lessons learnt in view of the
outcomes.

Academic Integrity (Note to avoid Plagiarism)

Academic integrity is a fundamental expectation for all college/university students and while
it is acknowledged that mitigating circumstances might be raised as factors in student
behaviour, cheating cannot be disregarded. GBS definition of plagiarism, as contained in
GBS Academic Good Practice and Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedure, has been
expanded to make explicit that copying from texts or web sources and copying work from
other students constitutes plagiarism.

“Plagiarism is the act of taking or copying someone else’s work, including another student’s,
and presenting it as if it were your own. Plagiarism is said to occur when ideas, texts,
theories, data, created artistic artefacts or other material are presented without
acknowledgement so that the person considering this work is given the impression that what
they have before them is the student’s own original work when it is not. Plagiarism also
occurs where a student’s own work is re-presented without being properly referenced.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating and is a disciplinary offence.”

Plagiarism is easy to avoid by making sure you reference all of the sources of material that
you use in the completion of your work. Pearson has developed Guidelines on Harvard
Referencing which are available in Academic Support Area for Students on Moodle (VLE)
as well as on respective unit pages.

If you are concerned about referencing techniques, please draw the matter to your Unit
Lecturer or Academic Support Team on academicsupport@globalbanking.ac.uk so that
you may receive extra advice.

Group coursework may be designed so that the contribution of each student is identifiable
but inclusion of plagiarised material is still the responsibility of the whole group. All members
of the group should exercise vigilance to ensure that work is properly referenced; in group-
work, students have a shared responsibility for the assignment.

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Recommended Resources

Core Textbooks

COSTLEY, C., ELLIOT, G. and GIBBS, P. (2010) Doing Work Based Research: Approaches to Enquiry for
Insider-researchers. London: SAGE.
FLICK, U. (2011) Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to Doing a Research
Project. London: SAGE.
GRAY, D. (2009) Doing Research in the Real World. 2nd Ed. London: SAGE.

SAUNDERS, M., LEWIS, P. and THORNHILL, A. (2012) Research methods for Business Students. 6th
Ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Journals
International Journal of Quantitative and Qualitative Research.
Qualitative Research Journal.

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