Comprehensive business plan (CBP)

A Written Research Proposal – (This essay’s structure please follow the sample which I give to you. Part of Reference need use Harvard style and more than 20THANKS) For this individual essay you are expected to write the research proposal for your MSc Dissertation or Business Plan. The latter can be a comprehensive business plan (CBP) international marketing plan (IMP) or international business plan (IBP). The research proposal is a projection of or idea of what you intend to pursue later at the dissertation stage (after the examinations). You can choose a topic following your interests however the topic chosen should relate directly to your programme of studies. For example if you study on the MSc International Marketing and Entrepreneurship the topic emphasized should be on an international marketing and/or entrepreneurship issue although you will be able to use knowledge from other areas such as on logistics and supply chain management international business and other disciplines as appropriate for your topic. The individual essay must be submitted electronically to FASER by the 25th February 2021 noon time (see FASER). Please note that lecturers and students are not allowed to negotiate individual extensions. Length: 2000 words (max. 2200 and min. 1800 words. This excludes references and tables/figures). The coursework counts for 100% and there is no exam. Use A4 paper including cover page table of contents tables/figures/graphs references etc. Please use 12pt font size Times New Roman with 2.5cm margins all around and double spaced. Tables/figures/graphs may be single spaced with a 10pt font size. Word limit is non-negotiable and essays that exceed the set limit will not be marked. Deviations from the set formatting guidelines will affect your grade regardless of the content. This is to ensure optimal length consistency and fairness for all submitted student essays. The coursework will be anonymous so you should ensure that only your registration number is included in the cover page and the header. Appendixes 1 and 2 outline the detailed structure needed in your proposal for dissertation students and business plan students respectively together with a brief explanation of content needed (or indicative answers). In your proposal make sure to cover all applicable points in the template. You should also think of what valuable outcomes of your research might be. LEARNING OUTCOMES The research proposal serves to successfully complete a Masters level dissertation or a business/marketing plan.

You will also: 1 Appendix

1: Coursework Template for Dissertation Students Title

1. Introduction (about 150 words)

2. Rational for the research (about 200 words)

3. The objectives and scope of the research (about 150 words) If necessary provide additional information to define the scope. For example the context of the study is the UK or this study only considers the perspective of consumers and excludes other stakeholders etc.

4. Literature review (theories concepts definitions the most relevant studies on your chosen topic and their key findings) (about 800 words)

5. Methodology Describe your methodology data collection procedures data analysis methods (about 400 words) and justify each of them briefly. The justification should be related to the nature of your research and your research questions/objectives. – 5.1. Research philosophy approaches and design

1. Research philosophy (positivism critical realism interpretivism …)

2. Approach to theory development (Induction deduction or abduction. Not applicable to an applied research project.)

3. Methodological choice (Qualitative quantitative or mixed methods)

4. Research strategy (Survey case study grounded theory action research …)

5. Time horizon (cross-sectional or longitudinal) 2 – 5.2. Main data collection and analysis techniques Describe how you will collect and analyse data. You should explain if you will use primary or secondary data or both.

6. Expected outcomes/contributions (about 150 words) ‘Wrap up’ as to how all aspects above fit together and will be relevant. It should link back to the introduction by saying e.g. ‘this study is innovative; this study will generate new knowledge on…; this study will solve an important practical issue faced by …’ etc. Expected outcomes: e.g. empirical data that can help to understand:

7. Timeline for completion (about 150 words) Draw a Gannt chart or something similar considering the following: References (excluded from the wordcount) Biography information of the references cited in the main text presented in the Harvard or APA 7th edition referencing style but not a mixture of both.

Note that plagiarism is a serious offence. https://www1.essex.ac.uk/students/study-resources/tdc/research/referencing.aspx

Requirements: | .doc file | Thesis Paper | 8 pages Double spaced

Understand different methods of investigation data collection and statistical analysis Identify appropriate secondary sources of information and access several publicly available databases Critique the research methodology of published papers Select appropriate methods for the design collection and analysis of statistical data The title should not be too long It should reflect the topic chosen (e.g. three key words in the title) The title is posed as a statement not as a question The topic should fit your master’s degree The topic should not be too wide/general in scope You will link your topic briefly to your master’s programme The focus of your study and how it is placed in a research context in terms of your discipline. (E.g. international marketing – customer relationships – branding – India to China – service sector) Justification for the dissertation research: Given what is already known on the specific topic what is the knowledge gap that deserves a study? For an applied research project that does not address a knowledge gap in the literature please establish the strategic importance of the concerned practical problem to an organisation or a population. Significance of the study: Why do you believe the proposed study is important? (e.g. the research problem is of strategic importance to an organisation or potential impact on the society) Research aim: Overarching statement on what the study aims to achieve in one or two sentences• Research questions: What is the research question or questions? The research question or questions should directly address the identified knowledge gap or practical problem.• Research objectives: List at least two or three specific objectives. E.g. to find out what enables or hinders a circular economy etc. In relation to your disciplinary area in general (e.g. consumer behaviour supply chain management etc.)In relation to your chosen topic more specifically (e.g. brand management)What others have studied on the most relevant topics in a same context or different contexts and what are their key findings? A short paragraph at the end of this section to summarise the knowledge gap on your chosen topic which will be addressed by your proposed study. For an applied research project please summarise the potential solutions to your practical problem. In relation to your chosen topic more specifically (e.g. brand management) What others have studied on the most relevant topics in a same context or different contexts and what are their key findings? A short paragraph at the end of this section to summarise the knowledge gap on your chosen topic which will be addressed by your proposed study. For an applied research project please summarise the potential solutions to your practical problem. Quantitative: e.g. questionnaire survey + correlation analysis Qualitative: e.g. interviews + thematic analysis Mixed methods: e.g. questionnaire survey and interviews The what (variables; experiences; perceptions attitudes behaviours; actions) The how (processes practices systems etc.) The why (internal and external conditions causation correlations etc.) These should be in relation to your research questions(s)/objectives:e.g. the link between networking behaviour of Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs and their business chances in the town of Southend;e.g. a robust NHS staff scheduling heuristic to cope with the unpredictable demand in the COVID-19 pandemic. Potential contributions: e.g. to support policymaking; a model or framework to improve environmental sustainability; to improve operational efficiency of an organisation. Most research works will be done in the Summer Ethical approval is required before primary data collection Including the deadline for submitting the draft to the supervisor! Set a time for your fieldwork (in the UK or abroad of about 2-3 weeks in July on average) Set a time for your analysis and write up after the fieldwork Practical issues: assess likely contingencies; calculate the time of any potential holiday breaks or other commitments (this must be subtracted from any activity in the plan to make it viable. Contingency plan: You should also highlight potential challenges which may prevent you from carrying out the proposed study and your contingency plan.