BMS (HL) IA GuideFor the May 2013 examination

IntroductionThe HL IA allows you to demonstrate the application of skills and knowledge to a real issue or problem. You must select a real business organisation that is facing a key decision, issue or problem. You will then collect data, mainly using primary sources, which you will then analyse. Following your analysis you will arrive at conclusions and recommendations for the organisation. Your final written report should have real value to the management of the organisation in question. The IA contributes 25% of your final mark.

Requirements

• You must first identify an organisation that is facing a specific decision, issue or problem.

• Then you need to devise a suitable research question (RQ) that will guide your work.

• Once you have a suitable RQ you must then produce a research proposal and action plan.

• After conducting your research you will then produce a written report of less than 2000 words. This limit does not include a title page, executive summary, diagrams, figures, tables, references and appendices.

• The executive summary is a concise, clear and explicit summary (100-200 words) of the written report, including conclusions and recommendations.

• Additional material can be included in a appendices, but this should only contain information/data that is required in support of the text, and should be referred to at relevant points.

Required format for the BMS (HL) IA - Research Proposal & Action PlanThe research proposal & action plan are your two planning documents. They are intended to guide you through your research and towards your written report. They are working documents.

The Research Proposal

1. The Research Question

The most important part of your IA is the Research Question (RQ). The success of your IA depends on how well you formulate this question.

A good RQ includes the following elements;

It looks to the future.It addresses a specific issue or problem facing an organisation.It requires primary and secondary research from a range of sources to be conducted.It is achievable within the limits of the IA (2000 words).It encourages the integration of theories and tools learned on the course.It invites the student to make recommendations for further action.It is simply worded.

Bad RQ - How did Apple become so successful?

Good RQ - How can Masala Kitchen change its promotional strategy to increase sales?

2. Rationale

The rationale is the reason for conducting the research. It should relate to the problem or issue facing the organisation. It is NOT an opportunity for you to say you like marketing so thought you’d do a marketing project, nor should you say that your Dad owns the business so you thought it would be easy to do a project on it.

3. Theoretical framework

You need to show how this project links with the work that you have done on your course. You should outline the theories and tools that you intend to use, and show how they relate to the BMS guide.

4. Methodology

This is where you identify possible sources of information and data that will help you find a solution to the problem. You should outline the primary & secondary data you require and how you intend to acquire it. Include the people/organisations that you intend to approach, and justify their use. Justify any other sources that you believe will generate relevant information/data.

5. Anticipated difficulties

You need to show that you have thought about the difficulties that you may experience in conducting your research. You should refer to three or four issues specifically related to your research, and propose how you intend to deal with them. Try to avoid bland or general comments.

6. Action Plan (AP)

The action plan is a detailed time-frame for all the activities that need to be completed before your written report is finished. The AP should include both planned and actual dates for meetings, surveys, tasks etc, as well as including any amendments that are made along the way. The AP you present with your final written report should therefore include alterations/amendments where appropriate.

Required format for the BMS HL IA written report

1. Title page

To: (the person or people for whom the report has been written)

Research question: (Your research question)

From: (your name)

Date:

Word count: (The written report must be less than 2000 words, not including title page, acknowledgements, contents page and executive summary)

I confirm that this work is my own work and that it is the final version. I have also acknowledged each use of the words or ideas of another person, whether written,oral or visual.

Signed:

Name:

Submitted as a requirement of the IBO Business & Management (HL) Internal Assessment

2. Acknowledgements

A brief paragraph in which you acknowledge the people who assisted you most in the preparation of the report.

3. Contents page

A clear indication of the sections that go to make up the report. It should include the following with their respective page numbers:

•! Executive Summary•! Introduction•! Research Question•! Methodology•! Main results and findings•! Analysis & discussion•! Conclusions & recommendations•! Bibliography & references•! Appendices

4. Executive Summary (ES)

This should be on a separate page. It is a review of the written report, outlining conclusions drawn and recommendations made. Together with the title, the executive summary should provide a clear overview of the document. It should be explicit yet brief (between 100-200 words). It should include three elements:

•! the research question•! the scope of the research (including the methodology)•! the main findings, conclusions and recommendations

Include a word count (between 100 & 200 words). Note that this does not count towards your 2000 limit for the written report.

5. Introduction & research question

This is where the organisation is introduced, and the rationale behind the research is explained (ie you outline the problem facing the organisation). It is recommended that the introduction ends with the research question.

6. Methodology

Outline what information & data you needed in order to fully address the research question, and then justify the methods used to obtain them (eg sampling method for a survey). You should also refer to a number of relevant business tools/theories that you used, and justify their use.

7. Main results and findings

Present the results of your research. This can be in the form of charts, graphs, tables, images etc. Be sure to reference results and findings to the sources used to obtain them.

8. Analysis & discussion

This is where you apply your knowledge, theory and tools to gain a better understanding of the problem. You are trying to understand the nature of the problem and provide possible solutions. In this section you need to evaluate your findings and think critically about them. eg to what extent can you rely on information provided by an interview with the boss, or an old newspaper report?

You need to integrate ideas in a logical order.

9. Conclusions & recommendations

You must include both conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions must draw together information contained in the report. There needs to be some development of the points you make. Do not bring in new material.

Recommendations should be specific and realistic. They also should also relate directly to the information contained in the report. It is a good idea to cost the recommendations. No new material should be introduced at this stage.

Finally, you should identify the limitations of your report and propose future action to address these.

10. Bibliography & references

Make sure that you include every source that you use, and that you present your sources using the APA format.

11. Appendices

This section should only include information &/or data that is required in support of the text. The information/data should be referred to in the main body of the written report.

Examples of what could be included in the appendices include; transcripts of interviews, copies of questionnaires, data record sheets for primary research, copies of financial statements, news articles etc. Only include material that is referred to in the report.

BMS IA HL - Assessment Criteria

Students should consider the following checklist when completing the research report.

A Research proposal and action plan

Research proposal

It is no more than 500 words.

There is an action plan that identifies possible sources of information.

Anticipated difficulties have been noted.

The research proposal is a working and active document.

The research question looks forward and enables a recommendation to be made.

The project is realistically achievable.

The teacher and student both agree that the research question can be addressed within the word limit.

Issues of confidentiality and ethics have been discussed.

Action plan

Contact individuals within the organization are identified.

There is a clear structure in the action plan.

B Use of theoretical concepts, sources and data (written report)

There is sufficient primary research.

There is sufficient secondary research.

Sources of data have been clearly identified.

Relevant theory is applied to the organization under investigation.

C Analysis and evaluation (written report)

The ideas are coherent and consistent.

There is evidence of critical, reflective thinking.

Judgments are made.

There is evidence to back up the analysis and evaluation.

D Conclusions and recommendations (written report)

There are both conclusions and recommendations.

They refer to the research question.

They refer to previous discussions.

They refer to findings.

There are no inconsistencies with previous discussions, that is, new ideas not previously discussed.

Recommendations have been substantiated and are realistic.

Unanswered questions have been acknowledged.

E Value to management (written report)

The report is within the word limit.

There is an executive summary.

Subject-specific terminology has been used throughout the report.

There is a bibliography.

The bibliography and references follow a consistent format.

There are appendices that are relevant and have been referred to in the main body of the text.

There is no superfluous material.

The word count is provided on the report.

The research question has been answered.