2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

LUBS3321 International Business Dissertation

40 creditsClass Size: 150

Module manager: Emma Liu
Email: E.Y.Liu@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

In order to study this module:
- Students who completed level 2 in 2014/15 must have studied LUBS2875.
- Students who completed level 2 in 2015/16 must have completed LUBS2415.

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

You will formulate, design, execute and analyse an independent research project. Through the project, you combine and showcase your comprehension of international business theories and your application. LUBS2875 Research Methods for International Business is a pre-requisite for this module.

Objectives

This module provides students with opportunities to firstly, apply international business theories and concepts learned throughout the programme and develop these in greater detail and secondly, to develop a complete research-based dissertation from the initial idea through to a final written report.

As an important part of the Undergraduate programme it contributes 40 credits based on self-directed study. Depending on the student’s choice, this can be a company-based cases study, a survey or interview-based investigation or secondary data analysis.

The dissertation helps students to develop the kind of transferable skills they will need for working in a variety of careers, as well as to develop their ability to research and analyse a specific area of scholarly interest in the international business realm.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to assess and evaluate:
- initiating, structuring, and executing a research project
- development, writing and formatting a long report (here in the format of a dissertation)
- synthesising academic and non-academic literature critically and assess their value
- the latest academic discourse of their chosen dissertation topic
- communication ideas and concepts convincingly in writing and verbally
- the application of research ethics

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
- collect and analyse appropriate qualitative/quantitative data and relate it critically to the discourse

Skills outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
Subject specific
- design, advocate and justify an appropriate internationalisation plan taking into account the political, economic, social and legal conditions of countries
- demonstrate the analytical, critical thinking and intellectual skills required to solve international business problems
- engage critically with current literature in the field of international business studies to analyse issues in the global economy and their implications for management practice
- critically evaluate the potential of international business activities to deliver positive and negative social and environmental outcomes
- define, design, execute and present a significant and extended piece of independent research on an international business topic
- produce professional-quality international business reports and documents
- deliver professional-quality presentations on international business issues using appropriate technology

Transferable
- demonstrate professionalism appropriate for managers
- exercise initiative and personal responsibility
- deploy decision making skills in complex and unpredictable situations
- communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions in a variety of ways to a variety of audiences
- undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature
- undertake a research project in a chosen area relating to international business, making appropriate choices concerning research method and approach
- time-manage work in groups, communicate, plan, be commercially aware, apply creative problem solving and leadership

Syllabus

The syllabus for this module builds upon LUBS2875 Research Methods and covers the stages of how to develop and monitor a research project. The application of this will vary depending on the nature of the research project agreed between the student and the supervisor. The stages will typically include a selection from the following:

- Project definition
- Literature review
- Project plan
- Identification of a conceptual framework
- Development of hypotheses/research questions
- Desk/secondary research
- Data collection
- Research ethics considerations
- Analysis of results
- Development of conclusions
- Suggestions for future research
- Writing up the project

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Library Session	1	2.00	2.00
Drop-in Session	2	2.00	2.00
Lecture	4	2.00	8.00
Private study hours			388.00
Total Contact hours			12.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			400.00

Private study

388 hours of private study to conduct the research project.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Monitoring will be done via the supervision discussions and the evaluation of written work submitted in advance of the final document.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Literature Review	1,500 words	10.00
Essay or Dissertation	10,000 words	90.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

The resit for this module will be 100% by coursework.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 20/12/2017

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD