THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Common Courses (Management School)

Postgraduate Course: Methods of Research in HRM (CMSE11211)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits15 ECTS Credits7.5
SummaryThis course is divided into three parts: 'research design', 'quantitative analysis' and 'qualitative analysis'. These are designed to provide students with an overview of the conventions on research in Social Sciences in general, and Human Resource Management in particular, and the role of qualitative and quantitative studies in such research. It is assessed by a report carried out over the duration of the semester, as well as by two formative multiple choice tests.
Course description Aims, Nature, Context

This course has three objectives. First, to help students understand the research process in the field of Human Resource Management. Second, to provide students with practical insight into the research process via individually conducted research projects over the course of the semester. Third, to assist them in understanding how to read and evaluate research in the field of Human Resource Management.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements For Business School PG students only, or by special permission of the School. Please contact the course secretary.
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 150 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Formative Assessment Hours 30, Summative Assessment Hours 65, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 3, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 27 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework (100%)
-Report 80%
-2 Multiple Choice Test 10% each
Feedback Multiple choice test feedback will be provided within less than 15 working days of submissions to be of use for the subsequent report. Report feedback (summatively assessed work) will be provided within 15 working days of submission. Summative marks will be returned on a published timetable, which has been made clear to students at the start of the academic year.

Students may ask questions in, before and after lectures to assess their knowledge.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Explain the principles of research in Social Sciences and Human Resource Management
  2. Choose an appropriate research design for a Human Resource Management research question
  3. Identify and critically evaluate literature in the field of Human Resource Management
  4. Evaluate, select, justify and apply appropriate qualitative or quantitative data collection, presentation and analysis methods to their chosen area of research, in order to ensure that the evidence generated, its analysis and the conclusions drawn from it are valid and reliable
  5. Use such knowledge to construct an original piece of research of their own, and develop further independent research skills as well as the skills for presenting the findings of their research in a professional manner.
Reading List
Core reading Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2016). Research methods for business students (7th ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson.

Recommended reading (an equally helpful textbook): Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2011). Business research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills After completing this course, students should be able to:
1. Develop research questions and objectives in a chosen research area;
2. Critically evaluate both relevant literature and different research design and data collection/analysis methods;
3. Develop thinking to enable production of a sound research proposal;
4. Recognise qualitative and quantitative techniques appropriate to the analysis of some particular circumstances, understand their strengths and limitations, and choose between them.
KeywordsHRM-MOR
Contacts
Course organiserMs Emily Yarrow
Tel:
Email: Emily.Yarrow@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Peter Newcombe
Tel: (0131 6)51 3013
Email: Peter.Newcombe@ed.ac.uk
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