Assignment Tasks
Your assignment consists of two tasks: task one is the creation of report (worth 85% of the total
marks for the assignment), and task two is a critical self-reflective commentary on task one
(worth 15% of the total marks for the assignment). 1,500 words (with 10% plus or minus leeway)
Business Scenario
Until recently regarded as fanciful in the domain of science fiction, autonomous-car technologies
are rapidly approaching a tipping point. Self-driving cars could disrupt the auto industry, the
transportation industry (public and private), oil industry and the logistics industry through
offering an alternative form of mobility. Will the market accept them, want them and pay for
them?
You have been appointed as a research consultant by a leading British car manufacturer to
quantitatively, and optionally qualitatively, assess the attitudes amongst GSM students to self driving
cars.
Assignment Task 1: Report (85%)
Your task is to conduct a survey among st students to quantitatively, and optionally
qualitatively, assess the attitudes among st students to self-driving cars. You will submit a
report of your findings to your board of directors.
You will need to consider:
1. The aim and objectives of the research
2. Your research questions
3. The data required for your research and the sources of the data (primary and secondary)
4. How you will design the research instrument to collect the required data
5. How you will identify ways of administering the research instrument
In order to complete your report you need to:
• Create a questionnaire using appropriate software, such as Google Forms or Microsoft
Word, to collect your data. Indeed, a questionnaire is only as good as the questions it asks. You
are allowed to use combination of open ended, closed ended and probing questions. Whatever
the technique you use, your questionnaire should be precise, unambiguous, short and must be
focusing on variables i.e. attitude, belief, behavior and attribute.
• Collect at least 30 completed questionnaires from students.
• Prepare appropriate statistical analysis, charts and tabulations of your survey results, using
SPSS, Excel or similar spreadsheet software. At a minimum, you should consider
Nominal
Ordinal
Interval and/or Ratio
• Analyze your findings in a report. You are expected to use primary and secondary data to
comment on the trends identified in relation to the research objective(s). In addition, your
analysis is expected to provide key statistics such as the centre (average) of at least one of your
dataset (questions), as well as dispersions within the data set (if appropriate).
Deliverables
You must present your work in a report format. The required structure of the report is outlined
below.
How to structure the assignment report
Title Page
Assignment title, module code, full name and student code, as well as submission date.
Table of Contents
A list of all the sections headings and sub-headings should be provided. Appendices and Figures
should be provided as well as all page numbers as clearly as possible.
Introduction
Provide a clear description of the purpose of your report, including two or three clear statements
of your research questions and what the design and implementation of the questionnaire sets out
to achieve.
Methods
Provide a brief overview of the questionnaire development. It should contain a detailed
description of the steps in the development of the questionnaire; problems (issues) encountered
(identified) during the data collection and analysis process; and the results gained from using
your method.
Data presentation and analysis
Using graphs and charts present and analyse the results of your questionnaire. You are expected
to utilise appropriate charts and tabulations that capture the following data when presenting your
findings:
• Nominal
• Ordinal
• Interval and/or Ratio
You should then provide an analysis your findings. Here, you are expected to use primary and
secondary data to comment on the trends identified in relation to the research objective(s). In
addition, your analysis is expected to provide key statistics such as the centre (average) of at
least one of your dataset (questions), as well as dispersions within the data set (if appropriate).
Furthermore, you should explain how the project fits with wider issues, debates and business
challenges.
Note: In order to achieve the above, you must ensure that key questions in your questionnaire
are designed to enable you to capture these data.
Conclusion
Provide a clear conclusion that clearly addresses the assessment task. Your conclusion should
attempt to triangulate your objectives, research findings, and analysis. You should provide at
least five recommendations that are based on the outcome of your research. You must avoid
using personal opinion within the conclusion.
References
Provide a Harvard referenced list of all your external sources used in your work.
Appendices
An appendix contains supplementary information that you consider to be too long, complicated
or not quite relevant to include in the main section of the report, but is still relevant to your
reader. It should contain your questionnaire template, as well as relevant tables (such as Excel
analysis) used for your analysis. Each appendix should be referred to in your text. You should
not include something as an appendix if it is not discussed in the report.
Marking Criteria
Fail: The report would show weak understanding of facts, concepts relevant to the topic, weak
analysis and several errors and omissions. The report would also establish a few relevant points
but superficial and confused exposition of issues. No evidence of independent research and poor
understanding of class notes or no use of relevant data, sources and examples with no references.
Pass: The report would show limited research and understanding of how the project fitted with
wider business contexts. It would attempt to identify a research question that provides an idea of
what this research wants to achieve with relevant aims and objectives. The nature of the data
collected would be of minimal relevance and little attempt would have been made to evaluate the
data and to link the findings with the objectives. The report would also demonstrate limited
understanding of facts, concepts, and a limited ability to build a logical argument from the
current literature.
2:2: The report would show evidence of basic research and understanding of how the project
fitted with wider business contexts. Acceptable research questions would be provided, the aims
and objectives would be described and the nature of the data collected and used would be of
satisfactory level with a limited relevance and appropriateness. Attempt would have been made
to evaluate the data and to link the findings with the objectives. The report should demonstrate
satisfactory knowledge of facts, concepts and some degree of independent study and thinking.
2:1: The report would show evidence of a wide range of appropriate research and an awareness
of how the project fitted with wider issues, debates and business challenges. The research
questions would adequately identify idea of the research and what it hopes to address. The aims
and objectives would be clearly described, achievable but lack in precision. The nature of the
data collected and used would be relevant and appropriate. The data would have been evaluated
to link the findings with the objectives. The report would be fully referenced and would also
demonstrate adequate evidence of extensive independent study and thinking with good
knowledge of facts and concepts.
First: The report would show a critical discussion of a wide range of research covering practical
and theoretical, critical literature and an understanding of how the project fitted with wider
issues, debates and business challenges. The research questions should provide a clear idea of
what the research project is about and what it hopes to address. The aim and the objectives would
have been clearly described and be completely achievable. The nature of the data collected and
used would be highly relevant and appropriate. The data would have been critically evaluated
and findings completely linked with the objectives. The report would be fully referenced, would
demonstrate excellent and broad knowledge of facts, concepts and clear evidence of extensive
independent study and thinking.
Assignment Task 2: Self-Reflective Commentary (15%)
Your second task is to write a self-reflective commentary about your report.
Having created your report, you should write a self-reflective commentary (approx. 250-300
words) critically reflecting on your report. Your commentary should critically explore the work
you have done to produce your portfolio. You should reflect on:
1. Your research as you produced your report.
2. The decisions you made as you worked on your report.
3. Where you think you succeeded and where you think you could have room for
improvement.
4. What you would do differently if you were to attempt to do your report again and what
you would do with your report if you could develop it further.
Your commentary should show evidence of your reading and research and use Harvard
referencing. Your commentary is a chance for you to critically analyse your own work, showing
an awareness of strengths as well as identifying potential areas which could use improvement if
they were to be done again.
Deliverables
You should attach your commentary to your report document. Submit one document to Turnitin
and Portal.
Marking Criteria
Fail: Not providing any self-reflective commentary.
Pass: A Pass commentary would show limited research and understanding of how the project
fitted with wider business contexts. It would demonstrate an attempt at self-reflection. It would
be fully referenced.
2:2: A 2:2 commentary would show evidence of basic research and understanding of how the
project fitted with wider business contexts. It would show a degree of self-reflection. It would be
fully referenced and also demonstrate critical self-reflection and awareness.
2:1: A 2:1 commentary would show evidence of a wide range of appropriate research and an
awareness of how the project fitted with wider issues, debates and business challenges. It would
show a degree of self-reflection and understanding of the process of practice-research. It would
be fully referenced and also demonstrate self-reflection and awareness.
First: A First class commentary would show a critical discussion of a wide range of research
covering practical and theoretical, critical literature; critical self-reflection and an understanding
of how the project fitted with wider issues, debates and business challenges. It would be fully
referenced and also demonstrate critical self-reflection and awareness.
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