8316-608 Managing Operations Research

Unit Overview

8316-608 Managing Operations Research is an essential unit within the ILM Level 6 module that focuses on improving the ability of the leader to effectively engage in research processes. Research is a critical step in creating evidence-based practice within the workplace. It is significantly important to ensure that the leader is able to conduct research that supports their managerial practice and leadership decisions. It helps the individuals to collect information from various sources and ensure that they are able to use in making decisions and support various practices they implement within the organisational context.

As such, it is critical for the leaders to understand the approaches of research that can be used within the workplace. They should master different principles and techniques that include the scientific methods and mathematical models that are applied when analysing and making conclusions on a specific issue that is faced within the organisation. operations research further involves being able to ensure that practices of managing and handling quality within the workplace are based on data that is supported by evidence based on past experienced or researched subjects.

 8316-608 Managing Operations Research is a unit that helps to improve the understanding of different principles and approaches of research that a leader can implement within the workplace. The main aim and purpose of the unit are to understand the basic principles that leaders can put in place to facilitate effective research that supports operational and managerial decisions that have been made within the workplace. The unit contributes to understanding and improving contribution towards quality operations within the workplace. The unit is taught in 10 hours of guided learning and contributes 3 credit values towards the completion of ILM Level 6 module.

Suitability of the Unit 

Research is an important practice within the organisation that enables the stakeholders to implement evidence-based practice which involves making and implementing decisions abused on evidence. The approaches of research are implemented in different contexts and areas of operation. It supports all levels of decision making, including the strategic, operational and tactical levels of decisions making within the workplace. Since it is critical for both leaders and stakeholders in different contexts to improve their contributions in the organisation theory research, 8316-608 Managing Operations Research becomes a suitable unit for stakeholders within the organisational setting. It helps them to understand different principles that they can implement in different stages of the operational stage, including the data collection, analysis and interpretation models.

The unit is designed to meet the learning needs of middle managers within the organisation. It provides them with information that they can use to make decisions and choices that are aimed at addressing completion issues. Executive managers who are tasked with the duty of making strategic choices can also use the information presented within the unit to ensure that they can improve the contribution that their research approaches and techniques have on operation within the workplace. The information helps them to develop appropriate knowledge and skills for improving the contribution in making conclusions that are effective from the strategic level of the organisation. Employees and other junior leaders within the workplace can also use the information to boost their individual and team contributions hence making the unit suitable for them.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the unit, the learner should e babel to:

• Define a research problem in their areas of responsibility that creates a need for research

• Identify the objectives of research in creating solutions to the identified problem hence contributing to organisational performance

• Identify different methods and approaches of research, including methodologies that can be sued to handle research problems

• Identify strengths and weaknesses of each method hence selecting the most effective approach for the specific research problem

• Collect, validate and analyse data using methods supported by various research theories and techniques to ensure that they contribute to decision-making within the workplace

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the research methods implemented in achieving the desired organisational goals and objectives

• make recommendations on improvements to organisational efficiency based on the outcomes of operations research

Key Learning Areas

8316-608 Managing Operations Research is a unit that focuses on improving the ability of the individuals within the workplace to effectively collect and analyse information to support organisational decision-making within the workplace. Some of the main areas of learning include:

Conducting Effective Operations Research

This area of learning helps the learners to understand the initial and basic stages of research within their areas of responsibility. It involves understanding the role that research plays within the workplace as well as the stages of data collection and tabulation. The data taught the differences between various types of research, including qualitative and quantitative research methods, that they can apply within their various areas of learning. The area of learning also guides the learner to understand different methods of data collection for each type of research, including the secondary and primary data collection methods. They are guided to effectively use tabulation of data to present collected data.

Data Analysis ad Interpretation

This area of learning involves being able to analyse and interpret the data collected to make justified conclusions and arguments. The learners are guided to use mathematical models and software such as SPSS and Matlab to identify the relationships between variables being studied within the research process. This involves understanding techniques such as regression analysis and Chi-Squared analysis which contribute to analysing research data and interpreting it to make valid arguments on the topic being studied.

Learners are also introduced to different approaches to representing data. This includes being able to represent data in diagrammatic forms that provide a summary of the findings as well as make it easy to make presentations in the recommendation process. Learners are lastly guided in understanding the process and procedure of implementing the findings of the study within their areas of responsibility to influence already established practices and approaches within t eh workplace.

Evaluation

On completing the unit, the learners are taken through the evaluation process. This involves completing a written assessment of the concepts that have been learned. The assessment tests the amatory of theoretical concepts as well as the ability to apply the learned concepts in practical settings.