Doctor of Business Administration

This module introduces students to the nature and purpose of a professional doctorate and enables them to begin to map and plan their DBA journey. It includes reflexive activities which will support their development and progress as practitioner researchers particularly in relation to the principles which underpin the programme, ie inclusivity and responsible, sustainable management practice, and the development of creative, confident and connected professionals. They will begin to identify their own area of interest, why this is significant and the context within this area of interest sits. They will also be required to undertake self-analyses of skills and capabilities and use the knowledge gained to plan and reflect upon appropriate development activities.

Activities undertaken on this module and feedback provided will feedforward into development of the doctoral study

The module aims to help students familiarise themselves with fields of inquiry that could then inform their own DBA project choices. You will be trained in the processes of knowledge creation and knowledge application and you will learn about how to write a literature review that identifies specific research gaps worthy of exploration. The module builds on the core principles of the entire DBA programme and, therefore, focuses on a) students’ contribution to knowledge and practice, b) the examination of contemporary organisational issues, c) an agenda of sustainable and socially responsible management practice and d) students’ professional career and research skills development.

As such, the aims of the module are to support students to:

• Write in an appropriate academic style
• Develop an awareness of research paradigms in developing a literature review
• Learn the techniques needed to develop a literature review
• Understand the process of theory/knowledge creation and theory/knowledge application to practical examples in problem-solving
• Identify research gaps in academic and practitioner literature
• Gain expertise in a social science and scientific research fields by examining key debates and recent developments in terms of theory
• Understand what appropriate theory to integrate with professional practice
• Write a literature review in a subject area of their choice

Activities undertaken on this module and feedback provided will feedforward into development of the doctoral study

This module will enable students to develop awareness of what is involved in being a practitioner researcher and undertaking ethical work-based research associated with responsible and sustainable management practice in an organisational context. The concepts of positionality and reflexivity will be explored, and will support students in identifying the factors that influence the identification of the problem and the factors that influence practitioner research choices when planning ways to explore this problem. Candidates will actively consider the ethical issues that need to be taken into account when undertaking practitioner research including changing roles and identities, risk and organisational reputation.

  They will be enabled to explore their own contexts more critically and reflexively with the aim of finding sustainable solutions to key challenges in the working environment. Development of professionals with these capabilities is key to tackling the ‘wicked’ problems confronting organisations and societies

Activities undertaken on this module and feedback provided will feedforward into development of the doctoral study

This module introduces the student to the theoretical and practical foundations of empirical research design and how these may be applied to practice-based contexts. It includes core interdisciplinary principles of research design that span methodological traditions and explore contemporary methodologies relevant for the practice-based nature of a DBA research project. You will learn how the research designs that you use ultimately depend upon the nature of the research questions you are asking and the type and kinds of evidence that are available. You will learn about the strengths and weaknesses of a range of research designs and the inevitable trade-offs that occur in the research design decisions that must be made in undertaking practice-related research and learn how to evaluate research in terms of rigour and robustness. This will include reflections on the role as practitioner researcher, the complexities of practical problem-solving and inquiry and how research may inform evidence-based decision-making in practice.

Activities undertaken on this module and feedback provided will feedforward into development of the doctoral study