Research competencies and skills are essential for the effective conduct and understanding of research and ultimately for evidence-based decision-making, whether in business, government or civil society. The development of research competencies is particularly relevant for junior academics whose career is increasingly dependent on their research output. When embarking on a DBA program, students also need to have a solid understanding of what constitutes good research, how to design and execute empirical studies and how to present and discuss research results in a convincing and effective manner.

CILO-1: Describe the processes of research. CILO-2: Critically review published material in academic and professional journals. CILO-3: Identify the skills required to prepare a DBA thesis. CILO-4: Formulate relevant research objectives for research problems, issues and opportunities in business research. CILO-5: Reference literature and earlier research findings that are appropriate both to the methodology and the selected problem, and assess their quality. CILO-6: Critically evaluate alternative research designs in relation to a particular problem or issue. CILO-7: Evaluate the suitability of secondary data to a selected research topic, assess the appropriateness of alternative data collection methods and data analysis techniques to research needs and data characteristics. CILO-8: Be aware of ethical issues involved in research. CILO-9: Develop a comprehensive and credible research idea or proposal for business research. This knowledge will enhance in final year thesis.