General information


Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Enric Camón Luis

Trimester: First term

Credits: 4

Teaching staff: 

Teaching languages


  • English

Check the timetables for the language of the subject, although the material can be in any of the three languages.

Skills


Basic skills
  • B3_Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of ​​study), to make judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues

     

  • B4_That students can convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialized and non-specialized audiences

     

Specific skills
  • E10_Recognize and understand the mechanisms of innovation and entrepreneurship and develop entrepreneurial initiative through theoretical models that fit a business idea.

  • E11_Analyze and properly assess the scientific-technological and economic environment, both to seek innovative opportunities and to establish the necessary processes to adapt the organization to this environment.

     

  • E12_Generate strategic skills by considering the operating environment as a project and establishing long-term, large-scale guidelines

     

  • E13_Create connections between people, collaborators and companies, putting people in contact who under normal circumstances would not match.

     

  • E14_Identify emerging sectors and business innovation strategies applied in these sectors and compare them with each other.

     

  • E15_Collect and interpret significant data to make judgments that include a reflection on relevant issues in the business field and be able to prepare a document that allows the transmission of information or an innovative business proposal.

     

  • E16_Communicate properly orally and in writing in at least one third foreign language

     

  • E1_Interpret basic economic concepts and economic reasoning, as well as microeconomic and macroeconomic functioning

     

  • E2_Define company policy in international environments and permeate a global and international dimension to business

     

  • E3_Analyze and evaluate the information in the financial statements, applying legal criteria or defined by the company, evaluate the economic performance and prepare financial reports that are used for decision making

     

  • E_4Evaluate and define the personnel policies of a company or business organization, select work teams, define profiles and establish staffing needs

     

  • E5_Analyze business contexts, identify markets and customers and establish marketing strategies through the use of advanced and innovative techniques.

     

  • E6_Interpret legal regulations and institutional organization and manage business information.

     

  • E7_Elaborate projects and proposals of innovative companies establishing principles of social responsibility in the management and integrating the perspective of gender like indicators of quality and innovation.

     

  • E8_Organize the productive operations of the company

  • E9_Use mathematical tools and advanced statistical tools for decision making and contrasting various economic assumptions

     

General competencies
  • G2_Be able to innovate by developing an open attitude to change and be willing to re-evaluate old mental models that limit thinking

  • G3_Integrate the values ​​of social justice, equality between men and women, equal opportunities for all and especially for people with disabilities, so that the studies of Business Administration and Innovation Management contribute to to train citizens for a just, democratic society based on a culture of dialogue and peace

     

Transversal competences
  • T1_Communicate properly orally and in writing in the official languages ​​of Catalonia

  • T2_Show willingness to learn about new cultures, experiment with new methodologies and encourage international exchange

     

  • T3_Show entrepreneurial leadership and leadership skills that build personal confidence and reduce fear of risk

     

  • T5_Develop tasks applying, with flexibility and creativity, the knowledge acquired and adapting it to new contexts and situations

     

Description


This course aims to deepen the basics of the scientific method and provide students with the basic tools to work to design and execute a research project. On the other hand, improve your skills to use a series of instruments and tools that allow you to manage the different steps of the research process more efficiently and communicate your results more effectively: research tools and information management ; word processing and editing; organization and data processing; and presentation and communication of results.

Also, knowing and mastering the characteristics of the scientific method is of crucial importance in the business world: setting questions, carefully observing reality through the collection of data and verifiable facts, formulating and contrasting hypotheses, drawing conclusions and reformulating the problems and questions we ask ourselves is fundamental to the functioning of markets, companies, and organizations.

This subject has the following specific objectives:

  1. Provide students with a basic knowledge of the scientific method and a set of fundamental skills to apply it to their academic and professional activities.
  2. Convey the importance of the use of empirical data and databases and provide the basic tools to organize and present the information derived from this data in the form of diagrams, graphs, tables, etc. using the appropriate software.
  3. Develop useful communication skills for the presentation of the results of a research project, or any academic or professional work, from the design of the contents and materials used in a presentation, to the most effective strategies in oral communication for present ideas effectively and efficiently.

The student will be able to:

  • Turn an empirical problem into a research object and draw conclusions
  • Solve problems through scientific methods.
  • Evaluate different resources for analysis.
  • Conduct research in scientific databases and critically analyze the usefulness of research results in the context of your work question
  •  Present a synthesis of studies and information in an orderly manner and following a line of argument, so that useful conclusions can be drawn for the development of their own arguments and analysis.
  • Identify different ways of answering the research question and elaborate the design of the research based on the main methodologies and their adaptation to each type of question.
  • Understand the main decisions in the processes of data collection and analysis according to the type of research methodology.
  • Improve the communication of the results of empirical work, whether in reports, essays or research work.
  • Design and conduct oral and written presentations to convey information, ideas, problems, and solutions effectively.

Contents


Block 1. Research activity in the social sciences and sources of information

  1. Scientific research
  2. Sources of information
  3. Theoretical framework

Block 2. Written Presentation of Research Papers

  1. Scientific writing
  2. Organization of written work
  3. Editing and presentation of formal documents
  4.  Other documents

Block 3. Quantitative and qualitative information: collection and analysis

  1.  Quantitative Methodologies vs. qualitative
  2. Data collection
  3. Quantitative methodology
  4. Qualitative methodology
  5. Data collection tools: The questionnaire
  6. Write the methodology section
  7. Presentation of results

Block 4. Oral Presentation of Research Papers

  1. Elements of communication
  2. Oral communication strategies
  3. Planning, design and execution of academic and professional presentations. What to present from my written work?

Evaluation system


CONTINUOUS EVALUATION (70%)

  • Block I (12,5%). Includes individual and group activities.
  • Block II (15%).  Includes individual and group activities.
  • Block III (12,5%). Includes individual and group activities.
  • Block IV (15%). Includes individual and group activities.
  • Final work (15%). group

The average of the continuous evaluation of the course must be equal to or higher than five to make an average with the exam and choose to pass the subject.

FINAL EXAMINATION (30%)

The final exam will include the syllabus of Blocks I, II and III. It is necessary to get a grade equal to or higher than five to make an average with the continuous assessment and choose to pass the subject.

RECOVERY

Only students with a grade lower than five in either the continuous assessment or the exam will be able to retake. 

Under no circumstances may students receive help from third parties for any course evaluation activity; and in case of occurrence the student will lose all the right to continue with the evaluations that remain of the asignatura. In case of not understanding of the resolution any activity of the evaluation, will be able to quote to the student later and realize him an oral examination on that one the activity of evaluation. Those issues that cannot be justified can be penalized in the final grade.

 

 

REFERENCES


Basic

Ang, S. (2014). Research design for business & management. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781473909694

Amat Oriol and Rocafort Alfredo (2017). How to do research. Barcelona: Profit Editorial.

Lluch, G., & Nicolás, M. (2015). Academic writing: planning, documentation, writing, citation and models. Barcelona: Editorial UOC.

Turull, A., Ardanuy Baró, J., Arroyo and Amayuelas, E., & Arroyo and Amayuelas, E. (2017). Work and communication techniques: instrument for the legal and social sciences. Barcelona: Huygens Editorial

Complementary

McGregor, S. (2018). Understanding and evaluating research. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781071802656