UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2023

TRINITY/ADVENT SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DEGREE

OF MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

COURSE UNIT: Business Research Methods

DATE: December 2023 TAKE HOME

GUIDELINES:
Background: The questions in this examination may be drawn from any of the course
material and content that has been presented during the semester lectures, texts and
readings, discussions, etc. Students may use any of these materials for reference, BUT
students must provide citations for any material used. Examinations measure:
} students’ knowledge of the material;
} students’ knowledge and ability to apply material taught in class.
} students’ analytical and reasoning skills.
} students’ ability to express themselves creatively and communicate
effectively.
} students’ ability to synthesize material and draw conclusions from multiple
sources.
Preparation: Students study and prepare for take-home examinations as they would
for any exam. Students may not need to memorize as much information, but they will
have to find, be familiar with, and apply content and materials from the course.
Copying information: The same rules apply to take-home examinations that apply to
academic work in general. Copying is plagiarism, and plagiarism is unacceptable. Take-
home examinations measure application and interpretation of material as well as the
student’s own description, analysis, and synthesis. Any material that is cited in answers
needs to be referenced.

INSTRUCTIONS:
a) Your Response should be typed in digital format and submitted in Portable
Document Format (pdf)
b) Use Trebuchet MS font type; Size 12; Line Spacing 1.5
c) Save your work in this format: REG NO-PROGRAM/ COURSE & YEAR-COURSE
UNIT NAME (e.g S17B05/001-MBA2-International Business-Regional and Global)
d) Submit your examination answers to the University through the Moodle e-learning
platform AND the specific email to your course/ program email:
mbaexams2021@gmail.com.

e) Access to Examination Questions and Submission of Answer Scripts.

The restricted online examinations will be accessed through the University
Moodle eLearning platform, WhatsApp, and Emails and will be done/ attempted
 for a period of 6 (SIX) uninterrupted hours the same day. Whereas, take-home
exams shall be for a period of 2(TWO) working days (9:00 am-5:00 pm).
Take-home examination papers shall be available to students at 09:00 am on the
1st Day, and answer scripts submitted by 5:00 pm on the 2nd day.

f) ALL EXAM ANSWERS WILL BE SUBJECTED TO A PLAGIARISM CHECKER

g) Uganda Christian University Integrity Covenant
h) As a student of Uganda Christian University, it is my responsibility to conduct the
whole of my academic career with unwavering integrity. I do this because I value
integrity and because the entire scholarly enterprise is balanced on the
assumption that we can trust one another. Therefore, I pledge to act with
academic integrity by;
a. Writing this examination
b. Identifying/Acknowledging the source of the ideas or words or images
that I use in my work
c. By writing this examination I accept to be bound by this covenant and
accept the consequences if I am in breach thereof.

i) By doing this examination, I understand my obligation, at this time, to keep

myself and the community around me safe from the Covid 19 Pandemic,
following the Ministry of Health SOPs.

NB: The University does not require your physical presence on any of Uganda
Christian University campuses or colleges.

I. Section A is Compulsory
II. Choose one Question from Section B

Section A- Compulsory (60 Marks)

Question One
Business executives in Uganda are facing several challenges. They need to find ways
to achieve growth, select appropriate technologies to improve efficiency, address
emerging human resource complexities, foster innovation, attract better financing,
and build organizational resilience. Additionally, several executives are finding it hard
to internationalize strategically in the face of increasing international competition.
To overcome these challenges, scientific research can provide more reliable answers.
Based on your knowledge of business research, select one area among those identified
and formulate:

a. A focused, researchable, and relevant topic within the study context (2

Marks)
b. A concise and specific statement of the problem (4 Marks)
c. Objectives of the research (5 Marks)
d. A conceptual framework and rationale behind your choice for:
i. The independent and dependent variables (including mediating or
moderating variables if considered relevant in your proposed research)
(15 Marks)
ii. A theory supporting your conceptualization (20 Marks)

NB: In justifying the choice of your independent variables and theory, indicate
an alternative independent variable (s) or theory and explain why your
proposed independent variable or theory is the most appropriate within the
study context.

e. Suggest the research approach and research design for this study, explaining
why your choices are the most appropriate for your research context. (10
Marks)
f. Explain the significance of your intended study. (4 Marks)
 Section B: Attempt One Question (40Marks)

Question Two

For the topic considered in Question One above:

a) Provide a list of 10 articles that would help with your research. The list should
follow APA 6th or 7th Edition guidelines. (20 Marks)

b) Write a one-page summary of the issues that are arising in the literature
concerning the stated objectives. (20 Marks)

Question Three
Explain the ethical issues that may arise in your proposed study identified in Question
One above and give details on how to address them following the information
presented in chapter two of this reading:
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/jibcresearchmethods/part/chapter-2-ethics-in-
research/ (40 Marks)

END