NOVEMBER 2020 MAIN EXAMINATION

TAKE HOME ASSESSMENT QUESTION PAPER

PROGRAMME POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT

MODULE BUSINESS RESEARCH

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1. This is an official assessment of REGENT Business School and only bona-fide students are entitled to write the
assessment for the modules they are registered for.
2. Students are required to type in the answers in the answer booklet.
3. No handwritten submissions will be processed.
4. The completed assessment must be submitted within the stipulated timeframe.
5. Students are reminded to submit their work as their own – no group work is permitted.
6. Students are reminded to convert their completed assessment to PDF before uploading onto the student portal.
7. Candidates are required to answer ALL questions.
8. This is an open book examination.

DATE: 13 November 2020 TIME: 08h00 – 13h00

DURATION: 5 hours MARKS: 100

EXAMINER: D Marimuthu MODERATOR: S Singh

This question paper consists of one (1) typed page excluding the cover page
QUESTION ONE [60]
Read the scenario below and answer the questions that follow:

As a head of department, with a staff compliment of 700, you need to determine

“what are the factors that increase productivity within your department”. Being an
employee yourself, you have a hypothesis, however you would like to prove your
assumptions to generate a credible report to present to senior management

1.1 Distinguish between the three (3) different Research Purposes (9)
1.2 Critically discuss which Research Purpose would be most suitable for this study and why.
(5)
1.3 Compare the two (2) Research Philosophies. (10)
1.4 Identify which Philosophy would be most suited for this study and why. (5)
1.5 Evaluate the various Research Strategies. (18)
1.6 Relate which Research Strategy will be most suited for this study and why. (5)
1.7 Summarise the importance of sampling a population, in the above scenario. (8)

QUESTION TWO [19]

2.1 Differentiate between the following terms using examples to explain them.
2.1.1 Inductive and Deductive (3)
2.1.2 Dependant Variable and Independent Variable (3)
2.1.3 Basic Research and Applied Research (3)

2.2 Critically evaluate the objectives for writing a research report. (10)

QUESTION THREE [21]

Develop a questionnaire of ten (10) questions, to determine employee perceptions regarding
‘working from home’. (Additional mark awarded for presentation of the questionnaire).

END OF QUESTION PAPER