HI6007: Research Proposal - Business Research - Assessment Answer

Business Research Proposal Assignment

Assignment Task

Introduction:

The taken up research will be dealing with the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the workplace of BHP Billiton, Australia. This research work will provide a detailed analysis of the CSR on the employees working in the organisation of BHP Billiton, Australia. This research proposal will contain the research methodologies that will be used by the researcher in order to perform the research study.

1. Significance of business research topic

This topic is ideal for this research work since in recent times most of the organisations are marked with decision-making problems that create a positive as well as negative impact on the employees. In words of Gond et al. (2010, p.370), a sudden change in organisational decision creates a positive impact if the employees at bottom line are observed to be adjustable to the decision. While the negative impact is created when the employees fail to adjust the working levels for the changed decision. Certain problems were marked with the change in CSR in BHP Billiton organisation and therefore the researcher for the research selects this topic.

2. Defining research question for identified problems

According to Glavas and Kelley (2014, p.187), the CSR of an organisation aims at maintaining the decisions that lead the organisation to reach high levels of success for their performance. The maintaining of CSR starts with influencing the bottom line employees in the workplace as it is their work performance that takes the organisation at high success levels. Korschun et al. (2014, p.27) have argued that the employees fail to increase their work efficiency if the authorities if an organisation changes the decisions very frequently for the betterment of the organisational performance. The employees are also influenced by the changed decision since in most of the organisations the employees are quite flexible regarding changes in the workplace.

Most of the researchers have failed to provide the proper link regarding the impact of CSR on the employees that hampers the workplace greatly (Glavas and Godwin, 2013, p.20). In this research project, the establishing of the proper link between the impact of CSR on the workplace will be focused on by the researcher.

Problem statement: The implementation of new business practices that creates an impact on the employees of an organisation.

Based on this problem statement the research question for this particular research proposal can be developed. The research question for this research topic is as follows:

• How does CSR influence working environment in a mining industry?

This particular research question will measure the degree of error in the workplace that takes place due to a sudden implementation of new business practices in an organisation. Moreover, the problem needs to be simplified in order to understand and gather a better view of the impact of CSR programme on the workplace of an organisation. Hence, the research question for the identified problem is stated effectively.

3. Selecting of appropriate research methodologies and techniques

Coleman and Ringrose (2013, p.49) have stated that there are certain methods and techniques that are taken up by a researcher for performing a research study. In order to perform this particular research, the researcher will be using positivism research paradigm, deductive research approach and descriptive research design. The positivism research paradigm will be appropriate since this research paradigm will allow the researcher to carry out the specific investigation on the topic. Secondly, the deductive research approach will be helpful for the researcher in order to obtain the objectives that are set for the research. Lastly, the researcher will be following descriptive research design since the taken up data will be described with their findings and analysis. The qualitative and quantitative research techniques will be appropriate for this research work since the researcher will be taking up primary as well as secondary data for this particular research study.

4. Describing the research process

In this particular research work, a definite sample size will be selected on whom the survey or the research work will be conducted. The respondents or the sample size of this research will be 50 employees of the organisation and 4 managers of the organisation. The employees will be able to provide the information about the problems that are faced by them in the organisation while the managers will be able to provide the detailed information required for the research topic. On the other hand, the research process would be surveyed through which the data for the research topic will be collected by the researcher. The survey will be conducted on the respondents and the managers and in this process; the researcher will collect the data for the research work.

5. Describing methods of data collection and analysis

Data would be collected in both primary and secondary form. The data collection process will involve the use of certain research tools, which will be helpful for the researcher to gather data from the respondents. The tools such as survey questionnaire, interview questions, graphs and tables will be used for analysing the data that will be collected by the researcher (Ramsey and Schafer, 2012, p.36). The SPSS software is another tool that will be used by the researcher so that the accuracy of the collected data is analysed and the data is free from any charges of falsifications. The researcher will also use the recorders in order to record the information while interviewing the managers of the organisation.

Sampling process

Sampling is evident in a system, where collection of primary data is utmost necessary. It provides a chance to collect primary data in efficient and systematic manner. For this research, probability simple random sampling method will be used to conduct survey of 50 employees in BHP Billiton. On the other hand, convenience sampling would be used to gain data from management through interview of 4 managers.

6. Describing expected research outcomes

For this particular research study, the expected research outcome is positive since implementing new business practices might influence the employees and allow them to perform better. When this is the expected outcome of the research then, it can be stated that the research work will be a successful one. Moreover, the recommendation can be made for this research work. The researcher has to be very specific regarding the tools that are being used for collecting data and analysing them. It will help the researcher to collect the data accurately.