| CODE | CLS5201 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Research Methods for Work and Organisational Behaviour | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for Labour Studies | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit develops the students’ familiarity with the skills, principles, and ethics of research in the social sciences, with a specific focus on their application in the field of work and organisational behaviours. It will equip them with the practical and theoretical skills necessary to conduct independent research. Students will gain a further grounding in and understanding of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches to research, as well as a solid understanding of critical perspectives and analysis in the field of work and organisational behaviour. The unit will introduce the students to more advanced variations and refinements of these research methodologies, in order to ensure that they have a stronger grasp on the range of possible approaches, enabling them to make better-informed decisions in their own research as they identify the most appropriate methods for their proposed study. The study-unit will also foreground the ethics of doing social research and the associated values. For example, the unit will help students understand the importance of obtaining ethical approval and procedures for obtaining consent. The unit will also help students develop sensitivity to the power dynamic in the researcher-researched relationship, and invest them with a sense of their own positioning as researchers. The study-unit includes a ‘traditional’ taught component and a problem-based learning component in which students will have the opportunity to focus on their own research-related challenges, allowing them to benefit and learn from personal research and formative feedback, thus helping them to gain confidence in their own ability as researchers. This professional and personal growth will be reinforced by the unit’s inclusion of a reflective element. The study-unit will also consolidate presentation and academic/critical writing skills, crucial to the writing of a dissertation, as well as to the professional work of a researcher, policy-advisor, HR specialist, health and safety professional etc. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit gives students the tools to identify, evaluate and carry out effective and ethical research strategies. It aims to bridge theory and practice, and stimulate learning through research training and critical reflection. It fosters knowledge and skills, in relation to gathering, analysing, and presenting data. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different research methodologies - Demonstrate familiarity with critical perspectives - Appreciate the challenges of the various stages of research - Comprehend relevant data analysis techniques - Take a critical and self-reflective perspective in relation to the study - Demonstrate sensitivity to the ethical implications of research 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Design their own research project, justifying their decisions - Carry out qualitative and/or quantitative data gathering - Use relevant data analysis instruments (such as SPSS or Nvivo) - Write a literature review, demonstrating awareness of key relevant debates in an area as they are represented in the literature - Present findings and discussion both orally and in written form - Be sensitive to their own positioning as researchers Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Clark, T., Foster, L., Sloan, L. & Bryman, A. (2021). Bryman's social research methods (6th Edition). Oxford University Press. (Available in library) - Field, A. (2017). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th Ed). Sage. (Available in library) - Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2020). Foundations of mixed methods research. Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral sciences (2nd ed). Sage. |
||||||||||||
| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Qualifications: Bachelor in Work and Human Resources (Honours), or Bachelor in Occupational Health and Safety (Honours), or equivalent. | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Seminar & Independent Study | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Rajpreet Sandhu-Grech Krista Bonello Rutter Giappone Anna Borg Manwel Debono Luke Anthony Fiorini Emanuel Schembri |
||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||