Assignment Theme: Business recovery
Assignment Topic: Please choose your own research project based on the above theme provided
by Pearson
Aim of the unit
The aim of this unit is to offer students the opportunity to
...
Assignment Theme: Business recovery
Assignment Topic: Please choose your own research project based on the above theme provided
by Pearson
Aim of the unit
The aim of this unit is to offer students the opportunity to engage in sustained research in a specific
field of study. The unit enables students to demonstrate the capacity and ability to identify a
research theme, to develop a research aim and objectives and to present the outcomes of such
research in both written and verbal formats. he unit also encourages students to reflect on their
engagement in the research process, during which recommendations for future, personal
development are key learning points.
Introduction to theme
In the long term, businesses need to be prepared to face the unexpected, many fail because they
are unable to recover from unexpected events such as political disruption, natural disasters, and
pandemics. Business continuity planning allows businesses to maintain or quickly resume functions
in the event of a major disruption. Essentially, business continuity is like having a back-up plan that
outlines procedures and instructions for staff members in the event of a disaster.
The recent COVID-19 global pandemic dramatically impacted industry across all sectors, inevitably
affecting disproportionately those businesses that exist to support social interactions and placing
strains on both supply and demand. As the pandemic continues to affect industry: lock-down
periods, and international and local restrictions on movement have led to a huge drop in revenues
and a situation of emergency due to financial difficulties:
• Dramatically lower revenues
• Operational and financial challenges, including issues with liquidity, debt repayments or how
to develop “smart capex” on assets to maintain tariffs and/or competitive advantage.
• Uncertainty about the timing and speed of the recovery depending on the arrival of
treatments for the virus in order to return to “normal”.
To meet the challenges posed by unexpected events and disasters, businesses around the world
need to react in agile and decisive ways. This involves businesses identifying capabilities and needs
to strengthen, refactor, reopen, rehire, re-budget, resupply, by creating long term plans that allow for
scaling up. An “after-action review” to collect data and insights on lessons learned, and then using
these to prioritise actions to enhance business value today, businesses will build strategic resilience
for tomorrow. Businesses that take these steps now will be well-placed to capitalise more effectively3
on the opportunities during business recovery, and to continue winning in their marketplaces as
greater certainty and stability return.
Scenario and activity
You are working as a business consultant for in organisation of your choice (and your own place of
work if appropriate). The Board of Directors of your organisation have approached you to conduct
research into a key area of business and you have been provided with a theme (Business
recovery) which will be the focus of the research. In addition to giving possible areas of study
indicated below, the Board of Directors has left it to you to decide what would be appropriate to
investigate in this area of business and for you to choose the research topic.
The range of topics discussed could cover the following:
• Testing business continuity or crisis management plans
• Integrated response and recovery initiatives
• Examples of disaster recovery planning models
• Developing a business recovery roadmap to rebuild opportunity after a natural disaster, a
global pandemic, or political disruption.
• Building a resilient organization through resilient leadership and resilient teams
• Developing recovery strategies
• The importance of shifting focus from recovery to resilience
Once you have identified your research topic and objectives you will conduct literature review
(secondary research), develop a project proposal for researching the research objectives identified,
carry out independent primary research and write a report that provides valid and justified
recommendations based on the analysis of the results of research. Finally, you should critically
reflect on how you have conducted the project, the lessons learnt and alternatives you would
consider in the future with recommendations for actions to be taken forward. This will be presented
in the form of a research report.
You should identify a specific problem or issue related to the theme (Business recovery) and write
a research proposal outlining the issues as a problem statement - identifying the research objectives
necessary to address your research question. The research proposal should include a relevant
literature review which supports and justifies your research objectives. If your proposal involves
expenditure, you must supply a cost benefit evaluation to show what it costs and what
management will get from it. This will form the basis of your research project. When you have
completed the research proposal, you should complete an ethics form and get this approved by
your tutor.
You must carry out and conduct the whole research project yourself to show your independent
enquiry and critical analysis throughout. You must submit as evidence project findings, research
proposal and ethics form, and scanned copies of all research instruments (e.g., completed
questionnaires, interview guide, etc.). Nothing should be included that is not referred to in the report.
If you use a questionnaire, the respondents should not be more than 20. You must attach all
completed questionnaires in the Appendix. If you use interviews the respondents should not be
more than 10, and the interview guide should be attached as an Appendix. If you fail to attach either
the completed questionnaires or the interview guide, your submitted assignment will not be
assessed and will be awarded a Referral grade.
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