MBA in Sustainable Business MARYLHURST UNIVERSITY Accelerated Online Program 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43) P.O. Box 261 Marylhurst, OR 97036-0261 Phone: 503.534.4008 Toll free: 800.634.9982 www.marylhurst.edu Instructor: Kathleen Gygi, Ph.D, Contact: kgygi@marylhurst.edu Phone: 505-231-7616 Course Syllabus Course Title: Research Methods for Sustainable Business Course Number:SUS 525 Term and Dates: Summer 2 2016, July 25 - August 28 COURSE DESCRIPTION Effective sustainable business management requires students to acquire strong research skills and gain full acquaintance with quantitative research methods. Such skills will serve as a foundation for the advanced modeling and project managing skills also fostered in the program. Importance will be attached to quantitative skills, including descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will be expected to grasp and make critical use of quantitative data to research, analyze, and decide on critical questions related to sustainable business management. Credits: 4
Prerequisite: Admitted MBA student or program permission PROGRAM OUTCOMES Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of current trends and interrelations in key business areas, including: accounting, finance, law, organizational behavior, marketing, statistics, and strategy. Demonstrate critical thinking, quantitative analysis, writing, presentation, and collaboration skills appropriate for business leadership and graduate-level coursework. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES This course has both theoretical and practical objectives. Though you won t be developing skills in the use of statistical research methods, you will be introduced to the relevant concepts and will learn to evaluate conclusions made by researchers who use those methods. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to: Explain the steps in the research process, and differentiate primary and secondary data collection. Discuss ways managers can effectively use the research process to make decisions. Identify scope and focus for Capstone research. Demonstrate a foundational level of understanding of common statistical concepts. Evaluate the use of data to determine the relationships among variables. Assess the value and credibility of sources. Begin to construct a literature review. Evaluate the application of statistical methods to make informed managerial decisions. Differentiate qualitative and quantitative approaches, and discuss the implications of each for academic and business research goals. Explore ethical considerations in research. Understand Marylhurst s policies on human subjects research. Explain the importance of validity and reliability, and discuss their implications for determining the utility of research findings. Evaluate ways that data collection strategies can effectively be applied in the capstone project and business applications. Assess the use of quantitative and qualitative data analysis to add value to the capstone project. Discuss effectiveness of visual displays of data. Course Materials Required texts: Polonsky, M. and Waller, D. (2015). Designing and Managing a Research Project(3 rd ed). California: SAGE.
Polonsky & Waller text additional materials can be accessed at the student site (Includes links to YouTube videos, documents about methods, and other resources.): https://study.sagepub.com/polonsky3e. American Psychological Association (2010), Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6 th edition. APA Publications: Washington, D.C. [ISBN: 9781557987914] Other readings and resources are available online in the Course Materials folder. Teaching philosophy and methodology Teaching and learning in the Accelerated Online Programs at Marylhurst focuses on knowledge or content areas which are current and relevant, on interaction among instructors and students, and on feedback and evaluation to affirm and challenge students to further understanding. This approach generally comes out of a belief that learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through personal experience and reflecting on those experiences. As learners encounter new information and experiences, they must reconcile them with past understandings. Sometimes that reconciliation involves changing what was believed or even discarding the new information as irrelevant or out of sync. All of us as learners must ask questions, explore, assess what we know, and actively reflect on our learning. In this view, learners are not the empty containers to be filled with new knowledge, but rather participants who must be actively engaged in the process to maximize learning. This course is planned to provide access to new knowledge and experience, and a safe environment in which to think, share, change, and reassess current knowledge. Critical thinking skills and the ability to express thoughts and questions are central, as are respectful listening and sharing to all involved in the course discussions. Assessment and evaluation Discussion Board Expectations and Assessment: The discussion boards are our virtual classroom. They also serve as evidence of your attendance and participation. Throughout this class and the Marylhurst MBA program, you are expected to treat each other (and your instructor) with respect. Everyone will be given an opportunity to take compelling positions on issues and topics, persuade others with appropriate rationale, and identify alternative perspectives while maintaining a positive, productive, and professional discussion environment. These are key skills for lifelong business success. Your discussion board postings will be evaluated in the areas of timeliness, quantity, quality and visibility as detailed in this document. These criteria show the minimum standards for receiving a passing grade of C. Please refer to your instructor for clarification of A level expectations.
Evaluation Criteria for Discussion Board Participation: Quality: Postings should reflect a strong understanding of the topic and should include substantive ideas supported by c readings, personal experience or additional research. Posts should extend or deepen discussion in a relevant way. Timeliness: Initial responses to the DQ are made early in the discussion period. Replies to fellow students are presente timely manner to allow for robust discussion and reflection. Must meet deadlines to receive credit. Visibility: Actively involved 4-5 days per week. Quantity: Post a first response to the DQ plus a minimum of 3 additional discussion responses in each discussion for a grade. Responses must be posted over several days. Readability: Posts are visually attractive and understandable to your readers, e.g. break text into paragraphs, space betw paragraphs. Clarity: Ideas are communicated in clear, grammatical English. Goal of post writing is business writing that is clear, co direct and professional. Due Dates and Deadlines: Refer to specific assignment directions for deadline information. Papers or projects must be submitted by midnight Pacific time. See Late Policy below. If you know you will be offline the day an assignment is due, please make sure to post it early. Any time you feel you might be falling behind in the course, it's best to contact the instructor to discuss your situation. Please don t let time pass. All assignments should include your name and date submitted on the first page and/or cover page for the assignment. Your last name should also appear in the filename of all uploaded documents. Please add page numbers for all papers of over one page. Points will be deducted if this information is missing. When emergencies arise, contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss options. Extensions and alternatives are given at the instructor s discretion. Late Policy for AOP Courses Late assignments will be deducted 10% for each day late (10% of total assignment credit). No assignments can be accepted 3 days or more past the due date (i.e. If an assignment is due on Sunday at midnight, 10% will be deducted if it is submitted after 12:01 on Monday, and the work will not be accepted after midnight Tuesday.) No assignments can be accepted after the last day of class. Discussion posts: Initial responses during the course week posted after the first post by date can receive partial credit. Posts made after the course week receive no credit. It is not possible to make up missed discussions.
At the discretion of the instructor, exceptions may be made for extraordinary circumstances. Prior approvalfrom the instructor is needed. No extra credit, resubmission of work for re-grading, or make-up work is allowed. Your final grade will be determined using the Marylhurst University Grading Scale: Grade Points Grade Points A 950 to 1000 C+ 775 to 799 A- 900 to 949 C 725 to 774 B+ 875 to 899 C- 700 to 724 B 825 to 874 D 600 to 699 B- 800 to 824 F 0 to 599 Your total points will be determined with the following components: Grading Components Week Due Possible Points Discussion Assignments: 2 graded DQs per week @30 points each All Weeks 300 Assignment: Project Statement & Project Scope Week 1 125 Assignment: Annotated Bibliography & Research Question Week 2 125 Assignment: Literature Review & Research question Week 3 125
Assignment: Validity, Reliability & Ethics in Research Week 4 125 Assignment: Final Project Outline Week 5 200 TOTAL 1000 COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & SCHEDULE Assignments Week 1 Project Statement & Project Scope (125 pts) In this assignment, you will identify the problem or opportunity that will be the focus of your Capstone Project, and begin to present the questions you will ask and the research process you will use to address that problem/opportunity. Your paper will be a maximum of 3 pages in length (not including References Page). The first of those pages must be the completed Project Statement Form (found in Course Materials). The remainder of your paper will be a brief narrative discussion of your project (i.e. NOT a bulleted list), including identified problem/opportunity, research questions, variables, descriptive statistics, scope, and audience. Your paper should begin to clarify the following components of your capstone project: Purpose Research questions you will ask to achieve that purpose Audience of project: target and strategies to foster buy-in Variables - the factors/actions you will include in your project, such as trends, attitudes, specific actions Descriptive statistics to explain background and reason your project is worthwhile- trends and numbers that help characterize an issue (i.e. globally, x billion people do not have access to clean water every day). Be sure to use APA format for your citations and include the references in your references page. Geographical scope of your project Important Notes: Adherence to APA guidelines is required. All sources of information and ideas must be cited. Use Project Statement form (in the Course Materials) as the cover page of your paper, and limit subsequent discussion of scope to 2 pages.
It is not expected, at this point in the Capstone process, that you be fully able to explain all facets of your project. This week s submission should evidence critical thinking, meet SMART goal criteria, and should demonstrate that you have considered the opportunities and the challenges in completing your project. Review the Capstone Guidelines and FAQs before submitting. Week 2 Annotated Bibliography & Research Question (125 pts) Submit 5 articles in annotated bibliography format. This is different from the literature review that will be used in your Capstone paper, but it will help you develop skill in evaluating articles, in terms of their methodology and credibility, as well as in terms of the relevance of the information available to you and ways it might impact your project idea. Use this format for each source: List the article using APA Reference format. In about 2/3 page, summarize the content of the article plus: The methods the author(s) used to gather and analyze data (i.e. interviews, surveys, experiment, for data gathering and description, summary, or various statistical methods for analysis, etc.) If the article seems dubious or would be a weak reference, explain the problem. A summary statement describing how the article informs your capstone project and/or which elements of the article you will use (i.e. as a model, data, references, charts, tables) (DO NOT cut and paste from the article abstracts it constitutes plagiarism). Look for peer-reviewed journal articles, both this week and next week. A good second choice is government reports or industry white papers from established industry organizations. Limit 5 pages of text, using APA format. Week 3 Literature Review & Revised Research Question (125 pts) This assignment will enable you to progress from your annotated bibliography to a narrative literature review. Review the material in our text, as well as the information and links in Ventura, The Literature Review (in Course Materials) for guidance in developing your paper. Note: a literature review is not just a summary and evaluation of sources, but is a narrative integration and analysis of sources that are relevant for YOUR project. The beginning section of many articles includes a literature review (for example, see the Introduction section of our Chen, et al article or the sample papers in the APA Manual.) Write a literature review of 7-10 articles. Review should clearly summarize the key points of the sources and demonstrate justification for inclusion of those sources to support your Capstone Project statement. Your discussion of those sources in a literature review should be focused on the relevance of those sources for your research. Conclusion of paper should persuasively explain the ways the literature informs your research question. 5-7 pages of text, APA format Week 4 Validity, Reliability & Ethics in Research (125 pts) Reflect on your literature search, class readings, and class discussions. How have your work to date, our readings and our discussions impacted your thoughts about the implications of the concepts of validity,
reliability and ethics for your project? How have the articles you have reviewed dealt with these concepts? What similarities or differences are there between their methodologies and the approach you will take for your capstone project? Submit a 2-3 page (maximum, not including Title or References pages) narrative summarizing this discussion. APA format required. Papers exceeding the length requirement will be penalized. Week 5 Final Project (200 pts) The SUS 525 Final Project is a document of 4-6 pages (double-spaced) of text that substantively lays out your key Capstone Project components and their relationships, presents your detailed plan for gathering necessary information and completing your project, and discusses your Capstone Project learning goals. Please include: Your refined statement of the problem, gap or opportunity your project will address. Be sure to state the project type (i.e. feasibility study, sustainability report) and client organization in this paragraph. A narrative literature review using a preliminary set of 5 references, at least two of which should be from peer-reviewed journals. Be sure to present a narrative literature review that is organized by major themes or topics within your research question (i.e. NOT an annotated bibliography). Use the guidance in the Course Materials document written by Paul Ventura on literature reviews, as well as the links he provided, for examples and methods to write a strong literature review. A discussion of the secondary research data you plan to collect, including where and how you intend to gather the data. Explain how this secondary research will add to your project. Next steps explain how your project statement has changed during the term or might change before the next class, perhaps after a conversation with your client or after the literature search or data gathering. How has this class informed your approach to your client, the project development process, and your hopes for the impact of the project? Explain what additional issues are unresolved so far in your research process and foresee the decisions you will need to make if your remaining data gathering turns out differently than you hope. A brief objective for personal learning that is, what would you like to learn as a result of your project? What personal skill or capacity would you like to enhance? About 1-2 sentences in a paragraph Detailed paper (with clear section headings) should be 4-6 pages in length. APA format required. Course Schedule SUS 525 Research and Quantitative Methods
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Week 1 to DQ 1 to DQ 2 Assignme Week 2 to DQ 1 to DQ 2 Assignme Week 3 to DQ 1 to DQ 2 Assignme Week 4 to DQ 1 to DQ 2 Assignme Week 5 to DQ 1 to DQ 2 Assignme Marylhurst Writing Standards: Writing is one of the central activities through which students learn, communicate, and demonstrate learning. Academic writing differs from other forms of writing in that it usually: is appropriately narrow in focus, presents an argument based on sound critical thinking, draws upon and properly acknowledges the work of others, and presents new understanding in an organized fashion.
Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor, all writing in Marylhurst University classes, from electronic bulletin boards, to personal essays, to formal research papers, will be evaluated on the basis of Standard American English, quality, creativity, effectiveness of argumentation and reasoning, and accuracy of information. In addition, academic writing will be evaluated on the selection and use of appropriate supporting material. Documentation Style: APA is the recommended format of Marylhurst University School of Business. All of your assignments should be written in APA format unless otherwise specified. Preventing Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty that occurs when a student uses information or material from outside sources without proper citation. Plagiarism is grounds for disciplinary action at Marylhurst. It is a student's responsibility to understand plagiarism and its consequences. Students should consult their instructor, their department chair, the Writing Center, or staff at Shoen Library if they have any questions about preventing plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs if: 1. The student doesn t cite quotations and/or attribute borrowed ideas. 2. The student fails to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks. 3. The student doesn t write summaries and paraphrases in his/her own words and/or doesn t document his/her source. 4. The student turns in work created by another person (e.g., another student, downloaded from the internet, etc.). Students who submit or use their own prior work for a current course or work from one current course in another course without express permission from their professors may also be guilty of academic dishonesty. Consequences: If it is determined that a student has plagiarized or engaged in other forms of academic dishonesty, the student will likely fail the assignment and possibly the course, despite points earned through other work. Acts of academic dishonesty are reviewed for disciplinary action by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Engaging in plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty can result in dismissal from the University. For additional information, see Academic Honesty in the current Marylhurst Catalog and Conduct Code in the Student Handbook. Writing Resources: Marylhurst s undergraduate and graduate programs have adopted a writing handbook, Diana Hacker s A Writer s Reference, 8th Edition, to help students develop their writing skills. Writing help is also available through SmarThinking, a 24/7 tutoring service available for all AOP students at no charge. You can access SmarThinking by logging into MyMarylhurst, https://my.marylhurst.edu/ics/ (Links to an external site.), with your Student account and selecting the link in the navigation area. The first time you log in you ll be asked to create your own account. Student Rights and Responsibilities: All members of the Marylhurst community are expected to act in ways that foster the university s primary function of education. Conduct that interferes with this educational responsibility will be dealt with directly. Please refer to the Marylhurst University Student Handbook, for specific information about student rights and responsibilities, as well as the policies and procedures. The Handbook is available online at: www.marylhurst.edu/studenthandbook (Links to an external site.) For further information contact the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at 503.534.4023 or deanofstudents@marylhurst.edu
Need for Accommodations: If you have a physical or learning disability and you need accommodation, please be certain you are registered with the Director of Student Services at 503.534.4073. - IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING ACADEMIC POLICIES - Course Completion Students are expected to complete all courses for which they register. Dropping a Course: Students may drop a course without penalty until the published add/drop deadline. Withdrawal from a Course: Students who encounter unexpected difficulties after the add/drop deadline may officially withdraw from the course through the Office of the Registrar through the last scheduled class meeting (or last class date for online courses) as per the Schedule of Courses. Incomplete: An Incomplete (I) grade may be granted at the discretion of the instructor when: 1. No more formal instruction is needed; 2. At least 75% of the coursework (e.g., assignments, class participation) has been completed; and 3. The quality of work has been satisfactory; but 4. Some coursework cannot be completed before the grading deadline due to illness or unexpected circumstances beyond the student s control. The Incomplete is granted for a period of one academic term. For more information on course completion and other academic policies, see www.marylhurst.edu/registrar/policies.php (Links to an external site.) or the Marylhurst University Catalog. Updated 7-24-16