IA: Research

Project
 Purpose of
the IA
It enables students to demonstrate the
application of their skills and
knowledge and to pursue their personal
interests.

Students are expected to produce a

business research project about a real
issue or problem facing a particular
1800 words organization using a conceptual lens.
 Select a real business issue or problem
for their business research project that
Requirements relates to any part of the syllabus

Refer directly to a single business and

provide a research question for the
business research project

Base their research on primary and/or

secondary research, selected for its
suitability, depth and breadth (3-5 docs)

Fully reference all supporting

documents and additional sources and
include them in a bibliography.
Points to consider
Choose your
1 organization 2 Apply BM theories

Choose a company you're very

Business management
interested in and asking a question
theories and techniques in a
you're interested in.
real-world setting.
Review your interests and the
Your question must be
relation with an specific issue in the
related to a key concept
firm.
Key concept
The business research
project must use only one
Creativity Sustainability of the four key concepts as
a lens through which to
analyse the IA.

students must make

explicit the conceptual
lens they are applying to
Ethics Change
their work.
 A good RQ
Is the right Can you see Will you have Is this question
scope? which course the related to a key
concepts information? concept ?
Make your
question as (tools) you'll
to the
Have access Ideally the research
focused (small) as use? secondary you do here will
possible. information you'll help you to show a

The Mission is to need to answer deep understanding
Evidence a causal show off how much your question of the key concept
link between the you understand the
you’ve chosen.
variables ideas taught in Be able to do the
class. primary research
required
Forward Must ensure that the question
will enable to analyse and

looking evaluate rather than simply

describe what happened.

Question can enable students to

search for conflicting sources to
arrive at a well-supported
argument and conclusion.

The Research Question can be

either forward looking or
backward looking.
RQ - 5S model
Specific = purposefully focused on a real-
world contemporary issue
Syllabus = tools and theories (such as
product strategy and diversification
strategies as part of Ansoff's matrix)
Supporting documents = to answer the RQ,
there is a need for relevant and
contemporary supporting documents
Systematic = manageable / methodical
Substantiated = requires a justified
conclusion.
Questions

What strategies has Samsung used to gain market

share in smartphone industry?

To what extent has product diversification

contributed to Samsung’s current market leadership
position in the global smartphone industry?
 Questions

To what extent marketing strategies of Proton

can help the company to remain competitive in
Egypt?

To what extent can Proton increase its market

share in Egypt by using through-the-line
promotional strategies?
 Questions

How effective has IKEA´s sustainability

practices been in improving itssupply chain
practices?

To what extent is IKEA’s local and global

supply chain practices aligned with the
company's sustainability goals for 2030?
Questions

How Toyota'snew launch of electric vehicles is the

most appropriate strategy for the company's growth
plans in the UK's industry?

To what extent will Toyota’s plan to launch a range

of 15 new electric vehicles by 2025 improve its low
market share in the UK’s EV industry?
 To what extent will Toyota’s plan to launch a range of 15
Research question: new electric vehicles by 2025 improve its low market
share in the UK’s EV industry?

Key concept: Sustainability

Name of organization: Toyota

Sustainability and the triple bottom line (featured in the

(including the Business Management TSM)Business Management Toolkit: Ansoff's matrixUnit
Toolkit): 1.5 Growth and evolutionUnit 5.8 Research &
Development (HL Only)

https://mag.toyota.co.uk/tohttps://www.whatcar.com/new
s/toyota-and-lexus-unveil-15-new-electric-concept-
cars/n23918https://www.statista.com/statistics/541390/
Links to the guide (including the
global-sales-of-plug-in-electric-vehicle-
Business Management Toolkit):
manufacturers/https://heycar.co.uk/blog/electric-cars-
statistics-and-projectionsCNBC - Is Toyota late to EVs?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeXpY-p5NsM
Questions

What motivates certain businesses to implement

philanthropy programmes?

How ethical has McDonald’s in Oregon, USA, been in

its recruitment practices during the COVID-19
pandemic?
 How ethical has McDonald’s in Oregon, USA, been in its
Research question:
recruitment practices during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Key concept: Ethics

Name of organization: McDonald’s

Unit 2.1 Internal and external factors that influence HR

planningUnit 2.1 Human resource strategies for
Links to the guide (including the Business
reducing the impact of change and resistance to
Management Toolkit):
change2.4 Motivation and demotivationBusiness
Management Toolkit: STEEPLE analysis (aspects of)

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-
58414597https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/11/labor-
shortage-gives-retail-and-restaurant-workers-the-
upper-hand.htmlhttps://hbr.org/2021/06/attracting-
Links to resources (supporting documents):
talent-during-a-worker-
shortagehttps://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/busines
s/2021/09/01/oregon-mcdonalds-banner-asks-14-
year-old-teens-apply/5678479001/
3 to 5 supporting document
You'll want to choose sources which will
5 pages or shorter - Each source should
allow you to complete 3 or 4 Business
be five normal A4 pages or less.
Tools. The majority of your information
(Business Guide, P.55)
comes from this documents

Recent - They must have been published

Highlighted - Highlight the aspects of
within a maximum of 3 years prior to the
each document that relate to your
submission of your IA. Your sources can’t
project
be older than April 2021.

Diverse - Altogether your sources must Detailed - Be sufficiently in depth that

cover a range of views and ideas. This you can share and explore details. They
could mean different perspectives, should include a variety of data you can
opinions, or focusing on different types of link to your key concept and use in 1 or 2
information. of your tools.
3 to 5 supporting document
Traceable - You'll need to include the
Primary and/or secondary. They can all
source details as a citation, so keep track of
be primary sources (i.e. an interview, a
where you got it from.
questionnaire), all be secondary sources
(i.e. news articles, business accounts, or
company website pages) or some
Possibly a Video or Audio file - If you use a
combination of both.
(reliable) video or audio file, include a
transcript with the essential points of the
video or audio that you refer to in the IA
Attached to the end of your document -
You'll have to your 3-5 supporting
Translated (if applicable) - If your
documents. You are able to use additional
document is in a different language, all
sources, for extra information, but your IA
of the highlighted aspects of the
will rely on your 3-5 supporting documents
document (the points you relied on for
for the majority of the information.
your project) need to be translated.
Supporting Documents

1 Secondary sources 2 Primary sources

Market research Students must plan any

Academic reports primary research well so
Industry analyses that it yields genuinely
Company reports and data. additional and significant
Government statics insights.
 Three main parts
Introduction Main Body Conclusion
Present the Should integrate Answer the
business (context, findings with Research Question
firm's information) relevant business explicity
RQ State the issue management

or problem under theories, tools and Refer to your key

investigation and techniques including concept, showing
how it links to your integrating the key how your insights
chosen key concept. concept. relate to the key
Methodology
concept

200 words 1350 words 250 words

Use in-text citations as necessary in the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections
Plan your
writing
Heading 1: Title

Divide your IA in
chapters
Heading 2: Title

Minimum 2 chapters
Maximum 3 chapters
Heading 3: Title

Provide a section to the IA,

with appropriate informative
headings.

Use in-text citations as necessary in the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections
 Introduction
What organization(s) you’re researching and what
these companies do.
What you’ll be exploring and how (very briefly).
Provide some context for your question. Tell us
the situation that the question comes from.

Write your research question again and explain

why it is important to answer.
Explain why this research is interesting and
valuable to your audience.

200 words

Use in-text citations as necessary in the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections
 Methodology
Describe each of your major sources of primary
and secondary research.
Convince us that you chose your sources
thoughtfully and that they give a range of
viewpoints/perspectives, which will aid your
analysis.

Explain the tools you’re going to use (very briefly)

and why (the purpose of each tool). Also tell us
about some weaknesses or limitations of each of
the tools you are going to use
200 words

Use in-text citations as necessary in the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections
 Main Body
Analysis, discussion and evaluation
.
1. Use of Tools. This is where you show off that
you understand how to do the stuff you’ve been
taught in Business Management class.
2. Us of extra research that you’ve done, which
goes beyond what is taught in the course.

Every single paragraph of the body needs to relate (in a very obvious way) to the research
question. *Don’t include tools or research which don’t help you answer your question*

1350 words
Use in-text citations as necessary in the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections
 Main Body
Analysis, discussion and evaluation
Include 4 or 5 tools which help you answer
your RQ Qualitative tools help set the scene and
Link with the key concepts: creativity, provide context for the financials.
sustainability, ethics, change

Present the findings and analysis from

I recommend you include least one your supporting documents. Review
financial tool, if is possible two. several related theories and concepts,
more extensively than the course does.

Make sure this section is analytical,

Put your qualitative tools (such as SWOT
rather than descriptive. Review that all of
and PEST) before the quantitative ones
your theories in this section are really
(like ratio analysis and decision trees).
helping you answer your RQ.

Use in-text citations as necessary in the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections 1350 words
 A good IA will demonstrate the
appropriate use of analytical tools,
often supported by numerical data
Analytical tools to assist the discussion and
evaluation.

• Ansoff Matrix • Fishbone diagram

• BCG Matrix • Force field analysis
• Break-even analysis • Position maps
• Decision tree • Stakeholders analysis
• Financial statements • STEEPLE analysis
and ratio analysis • SWOT analysis
• Descrpitive statics • Circular business
models

The key is determining which of the

tools and theories are going to help
you answer your question and then
using those ones well.
 Analysing the data
1 Use of theory
Integrate relevant business
management theories, tools and
techniques with the evidence
obtained by the research
throughout the essay.
A business management essay
must be written in an objective
style without personal bias
2 Critical thinking
A critical approach, in which
students display the skills of
analysis and evaluation, is
essential.
Students should indicate
unresolved questions, or new
questions that have arisen from
their study, in their conclusions.
 Any graphs, charts, images or
tables from literature sources
Critical thinking: included in essays must be
carefully selected and labelled

Present and analyse business The sources collected by the

data and sources. student should be relevant to the
research question and applied
Evaluate the insights and appropriately.
significance of these for
addressing the research An argument can be formed and
question. a conclusion(s) reached.

Use in-text citations as necessary in the Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections
 JUSTIFY
Why do you need to use this tool to answer
your Research Question.
Sometimes this step reveals to you that there actually
isn't a great justification for using this tool, so you'll
need to either switch your tool to one that's more
useful

ANALYSIS
JAM Fill in your model. What does the tool (SWOT, Break-
even or Ratio Analysis) say?

STRUCTURE Work it out. What are the organizations' Strengths,

Weaknesses, stakeholders perspectives.

MINI-CONCLUSION
What conclusions can be drawn in general and most
importantly, what does this model tell us about the answer to
the Research Question?

Connect your mini-conclusion for this model to the mini-

Show your thinking and
mention why the tool or
model is appropriate and
then to also observe what
the analysis has revealed.
conclusions you have made from your other models. If you
keep doing this by the time you actually get to your final
conclusion.
Connecting your mini-conclusions, making
comparisons as you go, synthesizing and making
sense of it as you go.
 Conclusion
Answer your research question explicitly
Refer to your key concept several times, showing how
your insights relate to the key concept
Share your insights into what main themes emerge from
your analysis and how these relate to your question.
Clearly refer back to the insights from each tool and
theory you have used (mini-conclusions) and show how
these insights support your conclusion.
Don’t introduce new facts or arguments
Share some implications of your insights
Share which aspects of the research question that
might need further investigation in order to be judged
more effectively.
500 words
Supporting documents
Include your sources (i.e. articles, transcripts) after
your bibliography. This can be done using embedded
pictures of each page. However do ensure that all
words are all clearly readable and that the
highlighting can also be seen.

Label each supporting document clearly, such as

“Supporting document 1”, “Supporting document 2”,
and so on.
 A: Integration of a key concept -
5 marks

Criteria B: Supporting documents -

4 marks
Assesment
C: Selectionand application of
tools and theories - 4 marks

D: Analysis and evaluation - 5

marks

E: Conclusion - 3 marks

E: Structure - 2 marks
F: Presentation - 2 marks
Now you know how to write an outstanding
Internal Assesment

Bravo!
Write your own!