Workshop 1: Research proposal write-ups for BSc in Employment and Economic studies.
Learning outcome.
At the end of this workshop, students will be able to
- Successfully write a research proposal for an undergraduate programme
Synopsis
What is a research proposal in the context of academia?
A research proposal is a document outlining a research project for a specific programme of study at a given period- mainly in the final year. Academic research proposals are often structured in the following subsection sections
- Project title
- Research aims and objectives
- Research questions
- Research methods and methodology
- Philosophical approach (if required)
- Theoretical framework
- A preliminary survey of the existing literature on the topic (mini lit review)
- Ethical consideration
- Research timescale (in the form of a Gantt chart)
- References
To ensure the workshop is as practical and theory-free as possible, I want to create a real-world scenario where I will put forward a model proposal for the final project for BSc in Employment and Economic Studies. Please note this is a made-up degree created for this workshop)
The proposal
This proposal is submitted for approval to undertake a final research project for the degree of BSc in Employment and Economic studies in July- 2022.
Project title: An exploration of the impact of remote working on staff productivities:
Can remote working hinder or help staff productivity? What is the impact of remote working on productivity?
Research Aims and Objectives
Since the beginning of the COVID 19 Pandemic, organisations large and small have been forced to embrace the ‘New Ways of Working,’ i.e., shifting all or some of their employees to remote working. However, the new paradigm dawns on new challenges, and chief among these challenges is the question of staff productivity.
This project aims to explore the impact of remote working on staff productivity. The project’s aim will be realised through a literature review, surveying the existing literature about remote working and staff productivities and collecting primary data through interviews with line managers.
Research questions
The following two key questions will be used to guide the project
- What is the impact of remote working on staff productivity?
- Can remote working hinder or help staff productivity?
Research methods and Methodologies
The project will use a qualitative methodology approach and interviews as data collection methods.
Theoretical framework
The project will draw on Hertzberg’s two-factor theory, which measures workers’ positive and negative feelings regarding their work. And Hawthorne effect, which theorises the impact of physical conditions on employees’ productivities.
Philosophical approach
This section deals with the philosophical questions such as Ontology, which is concerned with the nature of reality and epistemology, which deals with the nature of knowledge and how to go about. There is no philosophical requirement for this project.
A preliminary survey of the existing literature on the topic (mini lit review)
The following are preliminary literature review on the project topic undertaken for the proposal. Upon approval, the researcher will conduct a complete literature review surveying the existing literature on the topic under study.
· Working from home during the COVID 19 outbreak: The impact on employees’ remote working productivity. Available on https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8247534/
· Does remote work improve or impair firm labour productivity? Available on https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3507262
· Rationalising remote working concept and its implications on employees’ productivities. Available on https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Revenio-Jalagat/publication/332171842_RATIONALIZING_REMOTE_WORKING_CONCEPT_AND_ITS_IMPLICATIONS_ON_EMPLOYEE_PRODUCTIVITY/links/5d163da4458515c11c006214/RATIONALIZING-REMOTE-WORKING-CONCEPT-AND-ITS-IMPLICATIONS-ON-EMPLOYEE-PRODUCTIVITY.pdf
· Social isolation and stress as predictors of productivity perception and remote work. Available on https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/23/9804
