MSINGM99: Research Project

Aims

The module gives students an opportunity to investigate a business issue on an
individual basis or in collaboration with another student. For example, students may
design a new fund for an investment firm or help an entrepreneur to bring a fashion
product to the market. Any industry, public or private, can become part of the project.
Students will gain knowledge and experience in the following areas:

  •  project design and plan,
  •  data collection,
  •  data analysis,
  •  synthesis and
  •  communication and reporting, both oral and written.

Students are expected to develop and implement a project plan in order to examine
and develop solutions to an issue identified by a client company. The project
therefore involves a period of work for a client. Each student will also write up a
reflective account of their experience of the project. An oral presentation is given in
the end of the year to other students and academic staff in order to share results and
learning. The project is facilitated by a team of supervisors.
MSINGM99: Research Project Course Outline 2010/11
MSINGM99 / Page 2

Outcomes

By successful completion of the module, students should be able to

  •  Apply appropriate techniques to carry out research into business and management issues
  •  Collect and analyse data including the evaluation of relevance and validity of research results
  •  Synthesise a range of information for the development and interpretation of knowledge in business and management
  •  Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
  •  Be an effective member of a team and take leadership roles whenappropriate.

Project selection
The research project has been designed with a view to give each student an
opportunity to attempt a career or industry they find interesting. With this in mind,
students are free to find their own client companies for the project, but they can also
sign up for one of the projects that are part of the HELO (Higher Education London
Outreach) programme managed by Essi Niittymaki for UCL Advances
(e.niittymaki@ucl.ac.uk).
Examples of HELO projects include:

  •  Product and market analysis, especially in positioning and product lines including recommendations on which product lines to pursue with and which to divest in; a cards and prints company.
  •  Business and financial analysis, competitor, customer and market analysis, recommendations on market positioning and target markets, pricing strategy and development of design; an Africa related current affairs journal. In order to find a project, students will sign up for industry specific groups that will then have a meeting with the HELO manager. In this meeting, available projects are described and, potentially, allocated. The HELO manager will then arrange an initial meeting with the client to introduce the students and discuss the project in more detail. After this, the students are responsible for the project. If you prefer to find your own project client, this should be done by November 1st, 2010. Please use the attached sheet to describe it; the sheet should be submitted to Nina Seppala at n.seppala@ucl.ac.uk by email.