The world of work is becoming ever more complex and involves rapid changes. Human Resource Management and Work and Organisational Psychology/Behaviour practitioners have a key role in bridging and bringing knowledge about employment, people, and organisations in their workplaces and providing key decision-makers with evidence-based knowledge to make better decisions. Therefore, it is critical that Human Resource Management and Work and Organisational Psychology/Behaviour practitioners have an understanding of research and evidence, ability to critique what others are claiming to be knowledge, and ability to discover new "knowledge" for themselves. Therefore, the two key objectives of this module are to develop students as "educated consumers of research", and to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and insights necessary to conduct empirical research for the dissertation component of their MSc programme, and conduct applied research to provide evidence for high quality decision-making about people and employment in organisations.

The module will provide students with relevant knowledge and competencies in research in Work and Organisational Psychology/Organisational Behaviour/Human Resource Management and prepare them for research-related tasks in their studies and future roles. The module will cover the basics of evidence-based management and its principles as key for effective decision-making in organisations. The module will provide introduction to research and the research process, discussing key steps in the research process and general research skills such as searching the literature, critical reading of the literature, and writing of literature reviews. Key to the module is equipping students with understanding of research ethics and their responsibility to the welfare of research participants when conducting research of any kind. The module will explore both qualitative and quantitative methods in Work and Organisational Psychology/Organisational Behaviour/Human Resource Management, beginning with a deep understanding of the underlying assumptions of each approach and the differences between them, preparing students to make an informed decision when designing research. For each approach, the module will provide an extensive discussion of research design, data collection, and analysis methods. 

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:  1) Demonstrate knowledge of key methodological approaches to conduct research in Work and Organisational Psychology/Organisational Behaviour/Human Resource Management. 2)Critically assess evidence to generate insights on work related problems. 3) Apply a range of empirical methodological approaches to address work-related issues across a variety of societal and organizational contexts. 4) Apply effective research competencies (such as critical thinking, planning, writing and analytical skills) to generate insights on work related problems. 5) Adopt principles of ethical decision-making in research.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 6) Express an appreciation the value of research and evidence in their role as practitioners in contributing to organisational decision-making.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: N/A

The module will be delivered using a combination of research-led lectures and practical exercises. Given the importance of developing research skills for the Master dissertation and for future organisational research, students will be encouraged to actively engage with both the theoretical and practical aspects of research. Through this module, students will develop the following graduate attributes. First, they will develop their curiosity through developing their critical thinking and consuming of research and they will engage in critical thinking and become more knowledgeable about research and the field, they will develop as inquisitive and problem-solving practitioners through individual and group work in class (by engaging in research critique and design and by developing their research proposal). They will develop as responsible graduates by discussing and applying principles of ethical research to their work and developing an understanding of their responsibility as researchers and practitioners engaged in research. Finally, they will develop as courageous graduates by engaging in innovative thinking about research to develop key insights about their fields.