Levene Research Project

1. Levene Research Project Introduction to the MBA 899, GBUS 900, GBUS 902 Research Paper / Practicum

2. Required or Optional? • For MBA students • You are required to complete MBA 899: Integrative Practicum prior to the completion of your degree • For MHRM and MAdmin (Leadership) students • You can opt into the project option and if you do, you must complete GBUS 900 or GBUS 902 Research Project prior to the completion of your degree

3. You are here, at least in part, because you are curious to discover new ideas, you want to stretch your mind, and / or you want to think about business problems differently or in new ways… well the research project is the finale of your program … just when you thought you couldn’t learn anymore…

4. What Students Have to Say… • Regan Seidler MAdmin Research Project • Digital Identity Women Entrepreneurs • https://www.uregina.ca/business/levene/student-testimonial.html

5. The Specifics… • MBA 899, GBUS 900, GBUS 902: 6- credit research paper / capstone project (assessed pass / fail) & presentation • Paper = 40- 80 pages (includes 30 peer-reviewed sources) written using academic writing • Presentation = 20 mins in second semester of project registration • Registered & completed toward end of program but can start earlier • You must have a supervisor in order to be registered in the course • The Levene Program Advisor must register you in the course • The Research Paper / Practicum is informed by research, but grounded in practice.

6. How We Help Prepare You • Information Sessions; Handbook guidance; On-campus sessions organized by Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research • https://www.uregina.ca/gradstudies/current-students/ProfessionalDevelopment/Index.html • Our Hill-Levene Research Website Resources • http://www2.uregina.ca/business/research/students/graduate/ • Helping to match you to an advisor • Write up an initial proposal idea (using the suggested format as outlined in your Handbook) • Submit to the program lead research (Dr. Magda Cismaru) and we help match you to an advisor (When? The semester before you want to be registered in the course) • GBUS 838: Research Methods • Elective course but strongly encourage to complete it as it will help prepare you for the research project

7. What is the Difference Between MBA 899 and GBUS 900/902? • Similarities: • All require grounding in the academic literature to inform a better understanding of a problem that has practical significance. • All are informed by a research question(s) / objectives. • All required incorporating 30 peer reviewed sources • Differences: • Theapplied (e.g., practice-based) element is more heavily weighted in the MBA 899 Practicum, while the research significant aspect (e.g., contribution to research that results from the project; more sophisticated understanding of research methods) is more heavily weighted in the GBUS 900/902. • All options require delivering a final presentation of the work. However, for MBA 899 this presentation is *not* a formal part of the pass / fail grade. It is required, however, it does not inform the final mark. For GBUS 900 and GBUS 902, students must present to the supervisor and second reader and *must satisfy both* in order to pass the course. For both options it is the student’s responsibility to request a date for the presentation. • GBUS 900 / 902 have a second reader (another faculty member) who must also review and approve your final report and presentation

8. How long will it take to complete? • It is a six-credit course that typically takes students two semesters to complete • Always build in plenty of extra time for unexpected delays (research ethics, access to participants, revisions, life complications) • Significant revisions are expected during the entire process • It is intended to stretch you intellectually – the process of moving from thinking only about how something is practically significant to how a research question can inform practice typically takes a shift in mindset that requires time to experiment and reflect. • This is substantial piece of work, representing a significant “milestone” in your career. • The quality of your research project distinguishes you from other students who went through the same program • It can provide valuable insights into an unresolved problem at your place of employment. • If you are thinking of a change in career direction your project can you give you experience in another area – if done well it can open up careers & business opportunities for you.

9. How do I start the process? • Step1. You need to write a 1 to 3 page proposal which outlines your (initial) main area of interest (see handbook for details) • What do you want to study or know more about? What is the problem you want to solve or study? • Ex. How does the use of iphones and related technology affect workplace culture? • Ex. How do owners of SMEs make strategic decisions? • Ex. What does risk mean for insurance brokers? • Ex. What is the impact of leadership training on performance? • What subject area or concepts do you want to apply in your practicum project? (include some scholarly references / works) • Ex. Organizational change in small business • Ex. The relationship between leadership, strategy and culture • Ex. Accountability and corporate reporting • Ex. Competitive advantage • What type of data will you use to answer your research question & why ? • Ex. Do you expect to do interviews? • Ex. Do you expect to do surveys? • Ex. Do you expect to look to already published documents?

10. How do I start the process? • Step 2. Contact the Program Lead Research / Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Programs) Who Will Match You With a Possible Advisor / Supervisor • Send your proposal to the Program Lead Research and request an advisor match for your topic • Depending upon the time of year, allow 2 – 4 weeks for a match to be determined • Step 3. Once a possible advisor / supervisor has been identified, contact the advisor / supervisor for a meeting • This will help determine suitability & serve as an initial discussion about your topic • Step 4. If both you and the advisor agree that this is an appropriate match, contact the Levene Program Advisor to request to be registered for the MBA 899 , GBUS 900 or GBUS 902 course • Note: The Levene Program Advisor will need to confirm with the advisor/supervisor before she will register you • NOTE: you must have a advisor/ supervisor before you can register for the course

11. What are the requirements of the Research project / Practicum? • The final submission is typically a 40-80 page (double spaced) document • Incorporates 30 peer-reviewed academic sources (e.g., journal articles) • It is written using academic writing (formal, objective, and impersonal) • You are also required to deliver a final presentation at the end of the semester on an assigned day • Note: there are differences for the MBA 899 and GBUS 900/902 courses • Helpful Advice • Break the project down into reasonable, ‘bite-size’ pieces. • With your advisor / supervisor, set up a schedule of smaller achievements (e.g., introduction, literature review, etc.) • It can be overwhelming to think of it in its entirety

12. What are the requirements of the Research Project / practicum? • The written submission contains the following sections (this is meant to be illustrative and sections may vary slightly) • Title Page • Acknowledgements • Abstract (200 – 300 word summary) • Executive Summary (optional; summary of project written for management audience, not an academic audience; 1 page max.) • Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures • Chapter 1. Introduction (e.g., background, need for study, research question & objectives, overview of research design / data, key terms, structure of rest of document) • Chapter 2. Literature Review (e.g., purpose and scope of literature review, key areas of academic work, theories, frameworks and relevance to your study, conceptual framework, summary) • Chapter 3. Methodology (e.g., purpose of chapter, overview of research design, sample, data collection, data analysis, ethical considerations) • Chapter 4. Results / Findings & Discussion. (discussion of the results of your analysis as it relates to your research question and objectives, discussion of findings as it relates to the material in the literature review) • Chapter 5. Recommendations & Conclusions (e.g., what are the implications of your study for academic research, for practice, what are you reflections on the research process) • References (APA style – should include at least 30 peer reviewed academic sources) • Appendices

13. What does ethics approval mean? • Typically a research project involves application of academic literature/ theory / frameworks to an empirical setting (e.g., an organization, an industry, etc.) • You can analyze data that is secondary (e.g., already published CRS reports) and primary (e.g., data you collect through surveys, interviews, etc.) • If you collect primary data as part of your integrated practicum project you MUST complete an ethics application and submit to the University Ethics Board BEFORE you collect any primary data • See website for information and forms https://www.uregina.ca/research/for-faculty-staff/ethics-compliance/human/index.html • Your advisor should be able to offer guidance on this but it is your responsibility to ensure you have completed the appropriate forms and received approval • This can be a daunting task if this is the first time you have done this • The completion of the application form can take some time, as can the approval process (allow for four to six weeks for this in your timeline of completion)

14. How do I decide what topic to study? • It is the responsibility of the student to identify a suitable project topic, subject to the approval of an appropriate advisor / supervisor, Program Lead Research / Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Programs) • It should be a topic of interest to you • Ex. What issue / problem in your workplace or career fascinates you? Puzzles you? • Ex. Is there an area where you want to enhance your knowledge base to open up new employment opportunities? • Ex. Does your employer have a workplace issue they want solved or studied? • Ex. What topics during the completion of your program resonate most for you? Is there a research question/ organization problem related to that area worth closer study?

15. Where do ideas come from for topics? • It is applied research… • If you have a work problem in mind … how can we re-frame that problem into a research question… • It is NOT a business plan but a business plan can be part of your project…or you can use your capstone as the building blocks of your business plan to develop later • We need to re-frame your business plan idea into a question that can be informed by existing research… • In the end this will make for a better business plan / consulting report, etc. … • Review your handbook for guideline details, etc.

16. Deciding on a topic… If where you start in the program is where you end… we have failed you! The ideas will come over time… what you are thinking about now, will likely morph, change, develop into a different or clearer idea

17. HOW DO I START? • Make a list of potential research questions • Conduct a literature review to try to answer these questions – make sure you search the academic databases • Create a table containing the article’s full reference, purpose/objectives, methodology, findings, and how the study relates to your research questions. • Expect to spend a lot of time searching and making sense of the available information.

18. Other QuestionsLevene Graduate Office Contact Information:Marjorie Murray, Academic Advisor levene.advising@uregina.caSupport Staff levene.gradschool@uregina.ca306-337-2380Dr. Magda Cismaru, Program Lead Research Magdalena.cismaru@uregina.caDr. Adrian Pitariu, Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Programs Adrian.pitariu@uregina.ca