BUS707 Applied Business Research T123 All information in the Subject Outline is correct at the time of approval. KOI reserves the right to make changes to the Subject Outline if they become necessary. Any changes require the approval of the KOI Academic Board and will be formally advised to those students who may be affected by email and via Moodle. Information contained within this Subject Outline applies to students enrolled in the trimester as indicated 1. General Information 1.1 Administrative Details

Associated HE Award(s)	Duration	Level	Subject Coordinator
G.Dip. Bus; M.Acc; MPA	1 trimester	Postgraduate	Dr Evi Lanasier evi.lanasier@koi.edu.au
L: Level 1, 545 Kent St. Consultation: via Moodle or by appointment

2.5 Core / Elective This is a core subject for the above courses. 1.3 Subject Weighting Indicated below is the weighting of this subject and the total course points.

Subject Credit Points	Total Course Credit Points
4	G. Dip Bus 32; MAcc 48; MPA 64

1.4 Student Workload Indicated below is the expected student workload per week for this subject

No. Timetabled Hours/Week*	No. Personal Study Hours/Week**	Total Workload Hours/Week***
3 hours/week plus supplementary online material	7 hours/week	10 hours/week

* Total time spent per week at lectures and tutorials ** Total time students are expected to spend per week in studying, completing assignments, etc. *** Combination of timetable hours and personal study. 1.5 Mode of Delivery Classes will be face-to-face or hybrid. Certain classes will be online (e.g., special arrangements). 1.6 Pre-requisites Nil 2.5 General Study and Resource Requirements o Students are expected to attend classes with the weekly worksheets and subject support material provided in Moodle. Students should read this material before coming to class to improve their ability to participate in the weekly activities. o Students will require access to the internet and their KOI email and should have basic skills in word processing software such as MS Word, spreadsheet software such as MS Excel and visual presentation software such as MS PowerPoint. o Computers and WIFI facilities are extensively available for student use throughout KOI. Students are encouraged to make use of the campus Library for reference materials. BUS707 APPLIED BUSINESS RESESARCH T123 PAGE 1 OF 20 *AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT PTY LTD ABN: 72 132 629 979 CRICOS 03171A Resource requirements specific to this subject: Specific resources will be identified in discussions with your lecturer. Prescribed readings and research examples will be posted to Moodle for additional guidance and recommended readings listed at section 2.9 will provide useful background reading. 2 Academic Details 2.1 Overview of the Subject BUS707 Applied Business Research provides students with a thorough understanding of the research process and concepts and designs appropriate for applied research problems in their area of study, and builds an awareness and appreciation for ethical issues involved in research. An examination of different methodologies will enable students to select and justify their choice from a range of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies for their research proposal. When undertaken by MPA students, the subject is designed to allow them to develop a research topic and design for their Research Project (BUS710 Research Project). 2.2 Graduate Attributes for Postgraduate Courses Graduates of Postgraduate courses from Kings Own Institute will achieve the graduate attributes expected from successful completion of a Masters degree under the Australian Qualifications Framework (2^nd edition, January 2013). Graduates at this level will be able to apply an advanced body of knowledge from their major area of study in a range of contexts for professional practice or scholarship and as a pathway for further learning. Kings Own Institutes generic graduate attributes for a masters level degree are summarised below :

	KOI Master Degree Graduate Attributes	Detailed Description
	Knowledge	Current, comprehensive and coherent knowledge, including recent developments and applied research methods
	Critical Thinking	Critical thinking skills to identify and analyse current theories and developments and emerging trends in professional practice
	Communication	Communication and technical skills to analyse and theorise, contribute to professional practice or scholarship, and present ideas to a variety of audiences
	Research and Information Literacy	Cognitive and technical skills to access and evaluate information resources, justify research approaches and interpret theoretical propositions
	Creative Problem Solving Skills	Cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, concepts and theories, solve complex problems and apply established theories to situations in professional practice
	Ethical and Cultural Sensitivity	Appreciation and accountability for ethical principles, cultural sensitivity and social responsibility, both personally and professionally
	Leadership and Strategy	Initiative, leadership skills and ability to work professionally and collaboratively to achieve team objectives across a range of team roles Expertise in strategic thinking, developing and implementing business plans and decision making under uncertainty
	Professional Skills	High level personal autonomy, judgement, decision-making and accountability required to begin professional practice

2.3 Subject Learning Outcomes Listed below, are key knowledge and skills students are expected to attain by successfully completing this subject:

Subject Learning Outcomes	Contribution to Graduate Attributes
Apply knowledge of research principles and methods and evaluate their appropriateness to various research problems in business
Integrate independent research skills through a literature review
Justify the key considerations for ethics and integrity that relate to an area of business research practice
Construct and justify a proposal for conducting independent research.

2.4 Subject Content and Structure Below are details of the subject content and how it is structured, including specific topics covered in lectures and tutorials. Reading refers to the text unless otherwise indicated. Weekly Planner:

Week (beginning)	Topic Covered in Each Weeks Lecture	Reading(s)	Expected work as listed in Moodle
1 6 March	Introducing business research and understanding research philosophy	Zikmund et al, Chapter 1 and 4	Assessment brief Tutorial activity: Knowing about applied business research
2 13 March	Developing research skills	Saunders and Lewis, Chapter 1	Tutorial activity: Choosing and justifying research topic
3 20 March	Choosing research topics	Zikmund et al, Chapter 2	Tutorial activity: Developing research question Research objectives
4 27 March	Understanding research ethics	Zikmund et al, Chapter 3	Tutorial activity: Acting ethically
5 3 April	The role of theory and literature review	Zikmund et al, Chapter 5 and 6	Tutorial activity: Using internet for background research Evaluating sources Assessment 2 due: Week 5 Sunday 11.59 pm
6 10 April	Research design: quantitative and qualitative research	Zikmund et al, Chapter 7 and Chapter 8	Tutorial activity: Using multiple and mixed approach
7 17 April	Research methodology and design	Zikmund et al, Chapter 9 and Chapter 10	Tutorial activity: Defending methodology
8 24 April	Fieldwork : qualitative data collection	Zikmund et al, Chapter 12, 13, 14	Tutorial activity: Running a focus group. Assessment 3 due Week 8 Sunday 11.59pm
9 1 May	Fieldwork: quantitative data collection	Zikmund et al, Chapter 15	Tutorial activity: Constructing Questionnaire

10 8 May	Data analysis: qualitative and quantitative data analysis	Zikmund et al, Chapter 18 and 19	Tutorial activity: Presenting to lay audiences Assessment 4 due Week 10 Sunday 11.59pm
11 15 May	Writing Research Proposal	Zikmund et al, Chapter 11	Presentation Batch 1
12 22 May	Completing and presenting the research	Zikmund et al, Chapter 20	Presentation Batch 2
13 29 May	Study Review Week
14 5 June	There is no Final Exam for this subject
15 12 June	Student Vacation begins New students - enrolments for T123 open
16 19 June	Results Released Review of Grade Day for T322 see Sections 2.6 and 3.2 below for relevant information. Certification of Grades NOTE: More information about the dates will be provided at a later date through Moodle/KOI email.
T223 3 July 2023
1 3 July	Week 1 of classes for T223

2.5 Public Holiday Amendments Please note: KOI is closed on all scheduled NSW Public Holidays. T123 has four (4) public holidays that occur during this trimester. Classes scheduled for these public holidays (Calendar Class Dates) will be rescheduled as per the table below. This applies to ALL subjects taught in T123. Please see the table below and adjust your class timing as required. Please make sure you have arrangements in place to attend the rescheduled classes if applicable to your T123 enrolment. Classes will be conducted at the same time and in the same location as your normally scheduled class except these classes will be held on the date shown below.

Calendar Class Date	Rescheduled Class Date
Friday 07 April 2023 Saturday 08 April 2023 Monday 10 April 2023 Tuesday 25 April 2023	Monday 29 May 2023 Tuesday 30 May 2023 Wednesday 31 May 2023

2.6 Review of Grade, Deferred Exams & Supplementary Exams/Assessments Review of Grade: There may be instances when you believe that your final grade in a subject does not accurately reflect your performance against the marking criteria. Section 8 of the Assessment and Assessment Appeals Policy (www.koi.edu.au) describes the grounds on which you may apply for a Review of Grade. If you have a concern about your marks and you are unable to resolve it with the Academic staff concerned, then you can apply for a formal Review of Grade as explained in section 3.2(e) Appeals Process below. Please note the time limits for requesting a review. Please ensure you read the Review of Grade information before submitting an application. Review of Grade Day: Final exam scripts will not normally be returned to students. Students can obtain feedback on their exam performance and their results for the whole subject at the Review of Grade Day. KOI will hold the Review of Grade Day for all subjects studied in T123. The ROG day will be in Week 16, the date will be announced at a later date and the students will be notified through Moodle/KOI email. Only final exams and whole subject results will be discussed as all other assessments should have been reviewed during the trimester. Further information about Review of Grade Day will be available through Moodle. If you fail one or more subjects and you wish to consider applying for a Review of Grade you are STRONGLY ADVISED to attend the Review of Grade Day. You will have the chance to discuss your final exam and subject result with your lecturer, and will be advised if you have valid reasons for applying for a Review of Grade (see Section 3.2 below and the Assessment and Assessment Appeals Policy). A formal request for a review of grade may not be considered unless you first contact the subject coordinator to discuss the result. Deferred Exams: If you wish to apply for a deferred exam because you are unable to attend the scheduled exam, you should submit the Assignment Extension / Exam Deferment Form available by contacting academic@koi.edu.au as soon as possible, but no later than three (3) working days of the assessment due date. If you miss your mid-trimester or final exam there is no guarantee you will be offered a deferred exam. You must apply within the stated timeframe and satisfy the conditions for approval to be offered a deferred exam (see Section 8.1 of the Assessment and Assessment Appeals Policy and the Application for Assignment Extension or Deferred Exam Forms). In assessing your request for a deferred exam, KOI will take into account the information you provide, the severity of the event or circumstance, your performance on other items of assessment in the subject, class attendance and your history of previous applications for special consideration. Deferred mid-trimester exams will be held before the end of week 9. Deferred final exams will be held on two days during week 1 or 2 in the next trimester. You will not normally be granted a deferred exam on the grounds that you mistook the time, date or place of an examination, or that you have made arrangements to be elsewhere at that time; for example, have booked plane tickets. If you are offered a deferred exam, but do not attend you will be awarded 0 marks for the exam. This may mean it becomes difficult for you to pass the subject. If you apply for a deferred exam within the required time frame and satisfy the conditions you will be advised by email (to your KOI student email address) of the time and date for the deferred exam. Please ensure that you are available to take the exam at this time. Marks awarded for the deferred exam will be the marks awarded for that item of assessment towards your final mark in the subject. Supplementary Assessments (Exams and Assessments): A supplementary assessment may be offered to students to provide a final opportunity to demonstrate successful achievement of the learning outcomes of a subject. Supplementary assessments are only offered at the discretion of the Board of Examiners. In considering whether or not to offer a supplementary assessment, KOI will take into account your performance on all the major assessment items in the subject, your attendance, participation and your history of any previous special considerations. If you are offered a supplementary assessment, you will be advised by email to your KOI student email address of the time and due date for the supplementary assessment supplementary exams will normally be held at the same time as deferred final exams during week 1 or week 2 of the next trimester. You must pass the supplementary assessment to pass the subject. The maximum grade you can achieve in a subject based on a supplementary assessment is a PASS grade. If you: o are offered a supplementary assessment, but fail it; o are offered a supplementary exam, but do not attend; or o are offered a supplementary assessment but do not submit by the due date; you will receive a FAIL grade for the subject. Students are also eligible for a supplementary assessment for their final subject in a course where they fail the subject but have successfully completed all other subjects in the course. You must have completed all major assessment tasks for the subject and obtained a passing mark on at least one of the major assessment tasks to be eligible for a supplementary assessment. If you believe you meet the criteria for a supplementary assessment for the final subject in your course, but have not received an offer, complete the Complaint, Grievance, Appeal Form and send your form to reception@koi.edu.au. The deadline for applying for supplementary assessment is the Friday of the first week of classes in the next trimester. 2.7 Teaching Methods/Strategies Briefly described below are the teaching methods/strategies used in this subject:

o Lectures (1 hour/week) are conducted in seminar style and address the subject content, provide motivation and context and draw on the students experience and preparatory reading. o Tutorials (2 hours/week) include class discussion of case studies and research papers, practice sets and problem-solving and syndicate work on group projects. Tutorials often include group exercises and so contribute to the development of teamwork skills and cultural understanding. Tutorial participation is an essential component of the subject and contributes to the development of many of the graduate attributes (see section 2.2 above). Tutorial participation contributes towards the assessment in many subjects (see details in Section 3.1 for this subject). Supplementary tutorial material such as case studies, recommended readings, review questions etc. will be made available each week in Moodle. o Online teaching resources include class materials, readings, model answers to assignments and exercises and discussion boards. All online materials for this subject as provided by KOI will be found in the Moodle page for this subject. Students should access Moodle regularly as material may be updated at any time during the trimester o Other contact - academic staff may also contact students either via Moodle messaging, or via email to the email address provided to KOI on enrolment.

2.8 Student Assessment Provided below is a schedule of formal assessment tasks and major examinations for the subject.

Assessment Type	When Assessed	Weighting	Learning Outcomes Assessed
Assessment 1: Tutorial participation	Weekly	10%	a, b, c, d
Assessment 2 (Individual): Research plan (1,000 words, template provided).	Week 5	15%	a, c, d
Assessment 3 (Individual) Literature Review (2000 words)	Week 8	25%	a, b, c
Assessment 4 (Individual): Methodology Plan & Ethical Consideration Individual assessment (3000 words) and Presentation (5 minutes) (presentation mark is individual mark)	Plan Week 10 Presentations Week 11 or 12	Written report 40% Presentation 10% Total of 50%	a, b, c, d

Requirements to Pass the Subject: To gain a pass or better in this subject, students must gain a minimum of 50% of the total available subject marks. 2.9 Prescribed and Recommended Readings Provided below, in formal reference format, is a list of the prescribed and recommended readings.

Prescribed Text: Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B.J., Carr, J.C., Griffin, M., and Quinlan, C., 2019. Business Research Methods. 2nd ed. Cengage. Recommended Reading: Alshharari, N.M and As-Shboul, M. 2019. Evaluating Qualitative Research in Management Accounting using the Criteria of Convincing. Pacific Accounting Review. Vol 31 (1) Bebbington. J.m and Unerman, J. 2020. Advancing Research into Accounting and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal. Vol 33 (7) Collin, S. 2020. Skills for Accounting Research. 4^th Ed. Cambridge Business Publisher. ISBN 9781618533159 Creswell, J.W, and Creswell, J.D. 2018. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method. 5^th Ed. SAGE Publishing. ISBN 9781506386706 Dyckman, T.R, and Zeff, S.A. 2019. Important Issue in Statistical Testing and Recommended Improvement in Accounting Research. Econometrics Vol 9 (2). Flick,U. 2019. An Introduction to Qualitative Research. 6^th Ed. SAGE Publishing. ISBN

9781526445650 Hair, J.F., Page, M. and Brunsvel, Niek. 2019. Essentials of Business Research Methods. ^4th Ed. Routledge. ISBN 9780367196189 Hennink, M., Hutter,I. and Bailey,A. 2020. Qualitative Research Methods. ^2nd Ed. SAGE Publishing. ISBN 9781473903906 Hesse, A., Glenna, L. and Hinrichs, Cl. 2018. Qualitative Research Ethics in the Big Data Era. American Behavioural Scientist. Vol. 63 (3) Mohajan, H.K. 2018. Qualitative Research Methodology in Social Science and Related Subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People. Vol 7 (1). Sekaran, U., and Bougie, R. 2019. Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach. 8th Ed. Wiley. ISBN 9781119561224 Smith, M. 2019. Research Methods in Accounting. ^5th Ed. SAGE Publishing. ISBN 9781526490674 Taylor, L.C. 2018. Reassessing and Refining Theory in Qualitative Accounting Research : An Illustrative Account of Theorising. Qualitative Research in Accounting and Management. Vol 15 (4). Weirich, T.R, Pearson T.C and Churyk, N.T. 2017. Accounting and Auditing research: Tools and Strategies. ^9th Ed. Wiley. ISBN 9781119373742 Williams, M. and Moser, T. 2019. The Art of Coding and Thematic Exploration in Qualitative Research. International Management Review. Vo. 15 (1) Useful Websites The following websites are useful sources covering a range of information useful for this subject. However, most are not considered to be sources of Academic Peer Reviewed theory and research. If your assessments require academic peer reviewed journal articles as sources, you need to access such sources using the Library database, Ebscohost, or Google Scholar. Please ask in the Library if you are unsure how to access Ebscohost. Instructions can also be found in Moodle.

• Australian Bureau of Statistics Understanding Statistics website.The Understanding Statistics pages are here to support your statistical literacy development and assist you understand, evaluate and communicate statistical data and information. http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/a3121120.nsf/home/understanding%20statistics
• A Policymakers Primer on Education Research Understanding Statistics Tutorial The USA based Education Commission of the States (ECS) and Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) have developed this website, aimed primarily at education research, but it provides good explanations of elements of the subjects content. http://www.ecs.org/html/educationissues/research/primer/understandingtutorial.asp

• BBC Six-Part Primer on Understanding Statistics in the News In 2008, the BBC ran a six-part primer by Michael Blastland on understanding statistics in the news. Blastland takes on the medias handling L of surveys/polls, counting, percentages, averages, causation and doubt. Wouldn't it be good, Blastland said to have the mental agility to separate the wheat from the chaff? He then proceeds, in six weekly articles, to point out the obvious vs. the correct ways to interpret the data. Follow the links on this page to the BBC web site to read Michael Blastlands six-part primer on understanding statistics in the news. http://www.amstat.org/news/blastland_bbcprimer.cfm
• Electronic Journal of Business Research http://www.ejbrm.com/main.html
• Explorable.com a website explaining many things relating to research. As the website explains about the authors: https://explorable.com/
• Free Management Library Basic Business Research Methods http://managementhelp.org/businessresearch/index.htm?PHPSESSID=5d461796f95ec637100f7f212e b8

o Wallace, M., & Sheldon, N., (2012). Research ethics in business: a participant observer perspective. In 2nd Annual Australasian Business Ethics Network (ABEN) Conference. There are several authors writing articles for the website. We are not well-renowned researchers, nor do we wish to profile the website as authoritative. We aim to provide content which is easy to understand and accurate. 3. Assessment Details 3.1 Details of Each Assessment Item The assessments for this subject are described below. The description includes the type of assessment, its purpose, weighting, due date and submission requirements, the topic of the assessment, details of the task and detailed marking criteria, including a marking rubric for essays, reports and presentations. Supplementary assessment information and assistance can be found in Moodle. KOI expects students to submit their own original work in both assignments and exams, or the original work of their group in the case of group assignments. Note: Other than in exceptional circumstances, Assessment 2 will form the first part of Assessment 3 of this subject. PRIOR to its inclusion in Assessment 3 Research Design and Presentation of the Proposal, students will be expected to make appropriate adjustments if recommended in feedback. Other than in exceptional circumstances, Assessment 3 of this subject is intended to form the basis of the students Research Project in BUS703 Research Project, following appropriate adjustments recommended in feedback. Given the importance of relevance to Accounting in BUS707, please note that the research topics must be accounting-based topics. Some of the initial suggestions for the topics are:

1. Analysis of significant project in the students work experiences, such as:

o Accounting standards. o Accounting regulation in Australia. o Accounting and/or Auditing ethics. o Use of financial rations in corporate accounting. o Multidimensional performance assessment, for example, using the balanced scorecard to evaluate performance on financial and non-financial bases.

1. The effect of accounting information and auditing on the design of organisation, and on the ensuing behaviour of individuals and groups.
2. Accountants and/or auditors responsibilities and contributions toward corporate governance.
3. Application of accounting and economic research to a specific business problem i.e sustainability

initiative.

1. Forensic Accounting.
2. Technology implementation in accounting and finance.
3. Innovation in accounting and its impact to business.
4. Impact of organisational culture on the procedure and technique of accounting.
5. Research based on cases reported by the courts, ASIC, APRA, ASC.

Note: Topics may also be identified from the suggestion for further research from articles published in relevant journal articles. The list of topics above, are only initial suggestions and will be refined and expanded in discussion with tutors/research supervisors. Assessment 1 Assessment Type: Tutorial Participation Individual Purpose: This assessment is designed to reinforce the subject content taught each week and give students experience in solving problems and issues relating to the development of research questions and proposals. This contributes to learning outcomes a, b, c and d. Value: 10% Due Date: Weekly from Week 2 to Week 10, as per the timetable. Topic: Class Participation Task Details: Task details will be advised in class Marking: The students are required to participate actively in tutorial activities, the class participation will be assessed by tutors. Quality of the comments will be valued more over quantity. Therefore, considering the importance of the tutorial activities and the fact that the tutorial participation is evaluated, attendance at tutorials is very important. Student contribution to each tutorial activity will be marked on 0 4 scale:

Condition during tutorial	Point awarded
Absent OR present but say nothing	0
Present but say little	1
Present but only able to demonstrate basic concepts of facts/topics	2
Present and able to demonstrate basic concepts of facts/topics and elaborate them	3
Present and provide good insight of facts/topics	4

The class participation will be assessed in 10 weeks (Week 2 to 11) with total achievable mark of 40 marks (scaled down to 10 marks). Please note: simply attending the tutorial without any contribution does not count as participate. Assessment 2 Assessment type: Proposal Individual. 1,000 words report (+ 10%). Purpose: The purpose of this assessment is designed to allow students to develop the expertise necessary to formulate practical and usable research questions to resolve business problems and add to business knowledge. This assessment relates to learning outcomes a, c and d. Value: 15% Due Date: Week 6 11:59 pm Saturday of Week 6. Submission: Upload a soft copy of the report- Word Document (.doc or .docx format) to Turnitin on Moodle. Do not submit PDF documents. Topic: Development of Research Plan. Task Details: This research plan will set a basis for Research proposal in Assessment 4. Following consultation with the lecturer, you should identify problem which may answered by the research. You will be guided towards a suitable research problem/research question in the workshops during week 2 to week 5 (inclusive). Given the importance of relevance to Accounting in BUS707, please note that the research topics must be accounting-based topics. Some of the initial suggestions for the topics are: o Analysis of significant project in the students work experiences, such as: -Accounting standards -Accounting regulation in Australia -Accounting and/or Auditing ethics -Use of financial rations in corporate accounting -Multidimensional performance assessment, for example, using the balanced scorecard to evaluate performance on financial and non-financial bases o The effect of accounting information and auditing on the design of organisation, and on the ensuing behaviour of individuals and groups. o Accountants and/or auditors responsibilities and contributions toward corporate governance

Attachments:

BUS707-APPLIE....pdf