MAR311 – BUSINESS RESEARCH

METHODS
Unit Guide

Trimester 3 2022- 2023

 MAR311-BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
TRIMESTER 3 2022-2023

About Business Research Methods (MAR311)

UNIT OVERVIEW

CONTACTS
Ho Trong Nghia
Unit Instructor
nghia.ho@isb.edu.vn
- Ms. An Nguyễn
- 279 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Ward 5, District 10, HCMC
Program Administrator
- Phone: (028) 3920 9999 - Ext: 305 (Ms. An)
- Email: bbusprogram@isb.edu.vn
This unit aims to help students understand the fundamental function of business research that is to
meet information needs in decision making process. With a hands-on approach, students will be
equipped with both theoretical understandings and practical experiences in conducting a research
project to collect relevant information needed for solving business/marketing problems.

Assessment Information

UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The table below outlines the unit learning outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. Upon completion of this
unit, students will be able to:

Acknowledge the significance of business research by providing sound information to

1.
business

2. Identify key steps of business research process and their requirements

3. Have insights of key methods that are critical to applied research

Gain sufficient knowledge, skills and experience in designing and implementing a research
4.
project

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

In line with its focus on assuring students’ skills in unit learning outcomes 1-4 above, this unit is also
responsible for introducing/developing/assuring the following program-level learning outcomes
(PLOs):

1. Knowledge & Application

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Solid understanding and competency of appropriate application of business discipline-
specific knowledge.
Communication
2. Competency in professional written and oral communication suited to multiple audiences
and contexts.
Teamwork
3.
Effective collaboration in teamwork or other tasks in organizational settings.

Critical thinking
4.
Critical thinking through appropriate observing, analysing and reasoning, etc.

Problem solving
5.
Effective and constructive problem solving.

Ethics
6. An ethical perspective, including an understanding of the ethical responsibilities of
organizations.
Cultural Diversity
A global mindset, including an understanding of the different business settings, the ability to
7.
identify foreign market potentials, to diagnose cross-cultural communication problems and
propose appropriate solutions.

ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

ASSESSMENT ITEM DUE DATE VALUE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1 Participation Mid-term On-going 10% ULO1-4 PLO1,4,6

2 Topic presentation (40%) On-going 30% ULO1-4 PLO1,4,6

3 Research project Before session 15 40% ULO1-4 PLO1,4,6

Final (60%)
4 Final exam TBA 20% ULO1-4 PLO1-7

Assessment 1 - Midterm: Participation (10%)

Each student is expected to:
• Participate in at least 80% of the sessions.
• Be punctual – grade deduction will be applied to this unprofessional behavior.
• Contribute to the sessions by raising questions / giving answers / sharing ideas that are
relevant to the topics discussed. Students who do not raise questions / give answers / share
ideas at least will receive 0 point for the session.
The final score is the average score of the participations in all the sessions of the unit.

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Assessment 2 - Midterm: Topic presentation (30%)

All the groups explore the assigned topics based on guiding questions provided by the lecturer and,
then, share what have been captured to all other students of the class. The assigned group(s) give
intensive presentations and discuss to help all class members to completely capture the key
knowledge of the topics.
Note:
- Individual grade is scaled based on the extent to which each student contributes to group
assignment.
- Group read the Assignment description document carefully to sucessfully complete this
assignment

Assessment 3 - Final: Research project (40%)

All the groups are required to conduct a marketing research project examining consumer
characteristics and preferences in a certain industry, target to a specific brand. The research project
include both exploratory and conclusive stage. After completing, every group writes a report and
gives a short presentation to share the project to all the class members.
Note:
- Individual grade is scaled based on the extent to which each student contributes to group
assignment.
- Group read the Assignment description document carefully to sucessfully complete this
assignment

Assessment 4 - Final: Final exam (20%)

All students are required to complete a final exam that include multiple-choice questions. The exam
duration is around 60 minutes that is scheduled and informed by the BBus program.

NOTE:
- Final marks and grades are subject to confirmation by the School Assessment Committees
which may scale, modify or otherwise amend the marks and grades for the unit, as may be
required by University policies.
- To successfully complete this unit, students must:
 Achieve a minimum of 50 marks;
 Complete all assessment items; and
 Attend 80 per cent of class time. See attendance requirements in the section of class
policies and rules below.
- For more details, please check the materials posted in the E-learning course of Business
Research methods and/or contact the facilitator.

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Teaching Activities
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
LEARNING RESOURCES
Textbook Malhotra NK. Marketing research: An applied orientation. 6th ed. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall Publishing; 2010.

Reference Cooper D, Schindler PS. Business Research Methods. 12th ed. New York:
books McGraw-Hill; 2014.

Other Journal of Marketing

readings
Journal of Marketing Research
Journal of Consumer Research
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Marketing Science

Assignment
Session Topic Required preparation
Due
Reading:
Introduction: The importance of business
1 - Unit materials
research
- Chapter 1 – Malhotra (2010)
Topic 1: Business research process Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010)
2 1&2
Group project: Confirm research topic Group project: Identify potential topics

3 Topic 2: Exploratory research design
Coaching session 1: Preparation for
4 -
focus group discussion
5 Topic 3: Conclusive research design
6 Conduct focus group discussion
7 Topic 4: Measurement & Scaling
8 Topic 5: Questionnaire design & sampling
Coaching session 3: Survey
9 - Finalize findings from FGD
questionnaire finalization
Topic 6:
- Frequency Distribution, Cross-
10
Tabulation, T-Test
- ANOVA & ANCOVA
Topic 7:
11 - Discriminant Analysis
- Cluster Analysis
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010) 1&2
Group project:
- Review literature
Prepare discussion guide
- Participant invitation
- Task allocations
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010) 1&2
Group project: Finalize the preparations 1&2
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010) 1&2
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010) 1&2
Group project:
- Prepare survey questionnaire
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010)
1&2
Analyzing: Sample data
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010)
1&2
Analyzing: Sample data

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Assignment
Session Topic Required preparation
Due
Topic 8:
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010)
12 - Correlation 1&2
Analyzing: Sample data
- Regression
Topic 9: 1&2
Reading: Relevant chapters of Malhotra (2010)
13 - MDS
Analyzing: Sample data
- Conjoint Analysis
Group project:
Coaching session 4: Finalizing data
14 - Analyze survey data & interpret results
analysis & interpretation
- Write research report
15 Group project sharing and evaluation Group project: Finalize written report 3

ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES

- Link: https://smartlib.ueh.edu.vn/
E-library
- Using your ISB student email to access the UEH Library.
- Contact UEH Smart Library via email askusnow@ueh.edu.vn or (028)
3856.1249 - Ext.102

E-learning Link: https://e-learning.isb.edu.vn/login/index.php

General Information & Policy

Referencing
Plagiarism
Student assignments are to contain original content created by the students. Assignments will be
rejected if they include plagiarised content or contain excessive amounts of quoted/cited material
and minimal original content. Students will receive a grade of ZERO (0%) for any assignments rejected
for this reason. Written assignments WILL BE checked by the lecturer with Turnitin.com, an online
plagiarism-checking tool.
Sources
Furthermore, your reference to support your statements must be from a reliable source, such as
textbooks, additional reading materials, and reference books. However, many websites are not
reliable sources. Examples are Wikipedia.org, about.com, and ask.com. If you are not sure if a
reference is acceptable or not, please contact the lecturer.
Referencing & Citation
The Vancouver style will serve as the primary reference materials for all students. Therefore, all
papers must be submitted in Vancouver format. The mechanics of student papers and work will be
evaluated, as well as the content. It is imperative that guidelines be reviewed before an assignment

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is begun. It is also important that the required submission format be followed in compiling the final
paper or assignment.

Submission
Assignment cover sheet
 All assignments are required to be submitted with an Assignment Cover Sheet.
 Group assignments are to be submitted with a Group Assignment Cover Sheet as well as a Peer
Evaluation Form depending on the request of unit instructor.
Non-contributing team members can sometimes be an issue with group-work structured
assessment. Individual student group work scores may be adjusted as a result of peer dissatisfaction
with a particular student’s contribution to group work assignments, as reflected in submissions of
the evaluation form.
Note:
 Assignment cover sheets and the evaluation form can be located on MyISB system
 Students are advised to keep a copy of all assignments submitted for marking.

Submission style
Assignments are expected to achieve a professional standard:
 Be typed, one and a half spaced, on A4 paper
 Use a simple clear format, suitable for a report to senior management in a commercial
organisation.

Submission method
Soft copy: submitted electronically via E-learning system by 11:55 AM on the due date (Suggested
title: Student name_Unitname_Name of Assignment).
Hard copy: submitted to ISB Submission Box at the Reception Area (17 Pham Ngoc Thach) by the due
date.

Late assignment and make-up policy

No late assignments will be accepted unless prior authorization granted by the Academic
Department based on a Special Consideration Application for assessment task extension.
Students must complete all assessments on the assigned dates including quizzes, mid-term test, and
final exam. If there are extenuating or unforeseen circumstances, students must follow the school’s
policies and procedures accordingly.

Attendance
Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of all classes (which normally 16/20 sessions).
Other cases equating to an absence:
 Arriving to class late by 15 minutes at the beginning,

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 Arriving late by 5 minutes after the break
 Leaving prior to the scheduled end time without the permission of the lecturer
If you are unable to attend any session, please let your lecturer know AND submit a request for
absence form to program administrator prior to the session.

 IMPORTANT: Students will not be allowed to sit in the final examination if violating the above
absence rule.

Electronic device use

 Cell phones will be turned off or switched to vibrate mode before class starts.
 No phone calls or text messaging are allowed inside classroom during class time.
 Portable listening and/or music devices may not be operated in the classroom.
 Headphones and/or ear buds of any type may not be worn while in the classroom whether
operating or not.
 Laptop and other electronic devices are not permitted unless specifically authorised by the
lecturer exclusively for note taking and doing class work.

 IMPORTANT: If you are in violation of these policies you will be excused from class and an
absence will be assessed.

Email etiquette
Your lecturers receive many emails each day. In order to enable them to respond to your emails
appropriately and in a timely fashion, students are asked to follow basic requirements of professional
communication.
Your emails should:
 Have a concise and descriptive title, including the class and name of the unit you are
enquiring about
 Be clear about the intention of their emails
 Use appropriate tone and language, proof-read what is written in the email before sending
it.
Students should also allow 3-4 working days for a response before following up. If the matter is
legitimately urgent, you may indicate “URGENT” in the email subject header.
Make an appointment: If your email request is complex and requires a lengthy response it may be
probably best to make an appointment with your lecturer/instructor to meet in person.

Student behaviour guidelines

Everyone must behave professionally. Students are expected to demonstrate respect for teacher and
fellow students at all times. Behaviour that is disruptive to a positive learning environment reported
to the teacher will result in a warning on the first instance; the second instance might result in a
failing grade along with expulsion from the school.
Unacceptable behaviors can be:

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 Cheating on an exam
 Collaborating with others on work to be presented, if contrary to the stated rules of the
course
 Submitting, if contrary to the rules of the course, work previously submitted in another
course
 Knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above actions, including
assistance in an arrangement whereby work, classroom performance, examination, or other
activity is submitted or performed by a person other than the student under whose name
the work is submitted or performed
 Plagiarising

 IMPORTANT:
 First violation will result in a grade ZERO (0%) for that assignment.
 Second violation will result in a failing course grade.

Disability support services

Students with disabilities are advised that accommodations and services are available at UEH-ISB. It
is the student's responsibility to contact UEH-ISB office and submit appropriate documentation prior
to receiving such services.

Additional information
This unit guide may be revised at the discretion of the Academic Department with approval from
Program Academic Director and School Academic Committee where appropriate.

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