Module Directory

This module seeks to bring together the knowledge and understanding you have gained during the Business Management, Management and Marketing, and Business Management and/with Modern Languages degree courses.

This module will enable you to apply and integrate your research skills and combine them with your business skills by investigating a contemporary issue in business, management or marketing and developing a problem or practice-oriented report on it.

The aims of this module are:

• To develop a deep understanding of a business, marketing, or management issue of interest.


• To analyse a range of literature, documentary evidence and/or other available primary source material.


• To demonstrate a critical understanding of the issues facing businesses and society in the world today.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Identify, plan, organise, and complete a self-directed project related to business, management, or marketing.


2. Show the ability to use various research and transferable skills to produce a clear and concise analytical report on a business or management issue.


3. Apply relevant theories and conceptual and analytical frameworks to real-life business problems.


4. Demonstrate essential skills including independent work, time management, collecting and analysing data, and effective communication of professional work through text, visuals and speech.


5. Evaluate the process and outcome of the project and suggest potential areas for further study.

Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)

By the end of this module, students should have enhanced the following key professional and transferable skills:

1. Written Communication – through the preparation of a final report.


2. Research Skills – through the retrieval, evaluation and synthesis of published academic research and commercial and professional literature.


3. Critical Thinking – through the evaluation and critique of published academic, commercial and professional literature.


4. Digital and Technical Fluency – through the use of internet and electronic database searches to obtain published academic research and commercial and professional literature; or through research into on-line communities, for example.


5. Innovation and Curiosity – through the development of a research question and awareness of the academic process.


6. Data and Analytics – through the evaluation of published research.


7. Personal Brand – through the development of all these skills to enhance your curriculum vitae.


8. Commercial Awareness – through the evaluation and critique of professional and commercial literature.

This module is a one-term project where you will critically investigate a contemporary issue in business, management or marketing. Crucially, while you will be expected to provide evidence for your findings and recommendations, there is less emphasis on data collection and analysis than on the Individual Research Project: Management and Marketing module.

This module will rely on the knowledge and skills imparted in core and compulsory modules and reinforce the research-led environment that is a hallmark of Essex graduates.

This module is delivered via:

• Independent study.
• Lectures.
• Voluntary workshops.
• Group meetings.
• Supervisory sessions.

This module is an independent study module where you decide when and how you carry out the tasks.

There are also four required one-hour lectures during the term and the same number of voluntary workshops to help you with your project.

Overall, you will have a facilitated learning activity each week for half the term to get and keep your project going. Students will also have access to a tutor who will help you with the research process and who you can turn to for support.

Lectures and meetings with your tutor will provide guidance on the work process as well as the structure and format of the coursework assignments. Key information on the module and assignments will be made available on Moodle. The module leader will also periodically email further guidance and reminders.

Your tutor is your primary contact and support during the process. Be sure to seek their advice during group meetings as well as academic support hours during term time. You, however, are ultimately responsible for the scheduling, development and completion of the project. To reiterate, this is an independent, self-directed project.

The module consists of two lectures, skills-focused workshops and two Spring Term group meetings on the processes of conducting and completing the Final Year Project. Each project is different, however, and has its own, project specific requirements. You will have two Spring Term group meetings.

Typically, meetings would be arranged for the following milestones:

• Group meeting to discuss your topic and the development of your draft.
• Group meeting to discuss the writing process and the presentation.

In addition, during the support class lectures, the Essex Sloman Library team will provide guidance on drawing upon library resources in the development of your projects.

Throughout the term you will have access to your tutor (primarily during their Academic Support Hours). The Essex Business School Learning Team is also there to help and support you in your development of your study and research skills.