This proposal is for the MA LUXURY BRAND MANAGEMENT – course : RESEARCH METHODS

I choose the overall topic counter faits in the luxury industry. this is a very broad topic so I would want you to narrow it down and formulate a research question and write a dissertation proposal on this topic. Please note that you will have to find a Title and a thesis yourself. in case you should have any questions please dont hesitate to ask me. This proposal shoud have 23 reliable sources!!

Assessment

Each student will be required to complete a Research Proposal of 3000 words as the basis for a future dissertation.

This is the ONLY assessed component and is worth 100% of the marks for the module.

In order to complete your dissertation, you will have to first establish the theoretical basis for your research, which is provided by the Review of Current Thinking (Literature Review).

You will then need to develop your Research Methodology, explaining how you plan to research the topic.

These are the purposes of this Research Proposal assignment which should be structured as follows:

Title

A working title for the dissertation or consultancy project that reflects its focus. This may be the principle research question that it seeks to answer.

Introduction and research purpose

This section should explain the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of your investigation. It should include the following:

• a clear statement of the issue, problem or research question(s) to be addressed in the dissertation,

• the aim and objectives,

• a discussion of why this issue is important, within a wider organisational and business context.

It will be useful to refer to appropriate secondary sources, in justifying the importance or topical nature of your investigation.

Review of current thinking

Here you need to explain where your investigation fits in the wider body of literature and perhaps informs a current debate in that literature. You should critically evaluate carefully selected concepts, theories and ideas which might be useful for investigating your research topic and taking it forward. You will need to discuss material from a range of relevant academic journal articles, as well as appropriate secondary research. All sources must be referenced using the Harvard system.

A key requirement here is to develop a clear argument, linking the literature to the issue, problem, or questions that you have identified in the introduction; so that we can see how your investigation is informed by current knowledge and how it might enhance that knowledge.

Note: please do not present articles one by one, as in the proposal – you must now compare and contrast, creating an argument and discussion.

Methodology

This section will explore ‘how’ you will conduct your primary research and ‘why’ you have chosen to design your research in that particular way. It needs to demonstrate how your chosen strategy and methods will help to inform the question(s), problem or issue which you identified in the introduction and it needs to build logically on findings from the literature review.

You will need to identify clearly:

1. the research philosophy

2. the research strategy

3. the primary approach

4. the sampling strategy

5. how data are to be analysed

6. Issues concerning validity, reliability

7. Generalisability

8. Limitations

You must offer a full justification for the choices you have made. This is because a good methodology chapter should explain clearly what you intend to do, how you intent to do this and why you intend to do it this way.

For example, you can reflect on why a survey, interview or mixed method approach has been chosen and what other alternatives were considered or discarded.

Appropriate references should be made to the research methods literature. You should briefly reflect on any access and ethical issues you are likely to encounter during your research and how these would be addressed.

Project Management

You should also include a Time Plan, in the form of a Gantt Chart showing the different tasks you will need to complete prior to submission of your dissertation or consultancy project. Please read the Research Proposal brief carefully and remember that you will need to plan to:

• perhaps revise and review your research question, aim and objectives based on feedback on this proposal

• complete a review of current thinking, check and revise if necessary

• develop your principal research instrument and check with supervisor

• Perhaps conduct a pilot of your primary research (e.g. an interview or feedback on sample questionnaire)

• Draft and re-draft your work

• And much more………..

You will also need to take into account that there are other assignments to be submitted along the way, working on and submitting these should also be part of your time plan.

These are the kind of things that should be taken into account in your time plan.

List of References

Your proposal should also include a list of all your references, using the Harvard system.

Note: marks will also be given for use of English, please therefore ensure you check your work carefully for spelling and grammar.

Assessment Criteria

The PROPOSAL will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Defining the research question(s) and setting in business context: 20%

• Review of current thinking: range of sources and critical evaluation 30%

• Methodology 30%

• Project management: setting a time plan and delivering against it: 10%

• Written communication: 10%