BGA’s Research and Insight Hub provides thought leadership and understanding to the global Business School and wider business community. This includes Deans, senior Business School professionals, prospective and graduate students, employers and senior business managers.
BGA’s reach is extensive, wide-ranging and our research harnesses the perspectives of these influential thought leaders with high-quality, original and impactful research. We regularly harness their understanding and knowledge on key issues, the latest trends and future thinking within business management.
We regularly explore their understanding and knowledge on key issues, the latest trends and future thinking within business management.
BGA would utilise its dedicated communications team to ensure the study maximises its reach and impact. We could also explore further ways to project the research to target audiences.
Our research sponsors have the opportunity to add questions to existing business education research, have strong brand association with our headline reports, and work collaboratively with our research and insight team to create a bespoke and ground-breaking piece of research on an area of interest.
Key data collection steps
BGA generates research and insight through primary quantitative and qualitative research, supplemented through thorough desk research, where appropriate.
Quantitative research is useful for generating robust datasets which provides understanding on the strength of perceptions, range of experiences and views on the
past and future.
Qualitative research can provide deeper understanding, with participants offering context and explanation behind their perspective. It looks to provide insight into the ‘why’.
We would design a bespoke methodology for each research project, defined by its individual objectives.
1. Agree approach
Following an initial brief or conversation, BGA would provide a proposal document for research partners that would include a note on key research objectives, topics, methodology, timings and price. Once this document is agreed we can run a research project according to the outlined specification
2. Questionnaire design
BGA would design a high-quality questionnaire, taking question structures which have been cognitively tested to ensure they produce unbiased and unambiguous responses. AMBA & BGA’s Research and Insight functionaries, have extensive experience in producing questionnaires which deliver robust metrics across a range of measurements and topics.
3. Conducting quantitative fieldwork
BGA would send online invitations for participants (whichever audience was chosen) to conduct fieldwork. Fieldwork participation would be closely monitored and boosted throughout the period through a series of reminder emails.
Depending on the topic and nature of the research we might recommend a small participation incentive such as entry into a prize draw, a charitable donation made by BGA or a non-financial incentive such as the opportunity to write in BGA’s Business Impact hub.
4. Conducting qualitative fieldwork
Qualitative research would typically be conducted following a quantitative study. For example, online survey participants could be asked whether they would like to take part in a further discussion where we would expand on the survey themes. BGAwould design a ‘topic guide’ to form the basis of interviews. This would contain some standardised open questions, along with prompts to delve more deeply.
BGA would typically conduct the interviews within a month of the quantitative study. Interviews would normally be conducted over the telephone by BGA, recorded and would last 30-45 minutes. As with the quantitative research we may have to explore incentivising participants depending on the audience and topics.
Ways in which we can collaborate with you
There are three core ways in which research partners can collaborate on a research project with BGA.
1. Adding sections to an existing BGA research project
Should your organisation wish to conduct its own thought-leading body of research or generate some internal insight, without sponsorship, we offer the option to reserve space on an existing BGA survey.
This means that you can generate data for internal needs, or for events and thought pieces, without committing to a full research partnership.
You would be able to market the research data for your own purposes. These questions would need to be placed onto regular BGA research.
2. Sponsoring a flagship BGA research project
Each year BGAproduces a number of high profile surveys flagship annual surveys. These projects include membership, careers, employer / business / corporate, and public surveys.
Research partners would have exclusive sponsorship of the survey (on a yearly basis) and have the opportunity to contribute to some questions, but BGA would lead on topic development and use data for internal marketing and communications purposes under the direction of its charitable objectives, and membership and accreditation requirements.
3. Bespoke sponsored piece of research
This would be an exclusive piece of work between BGA and our research partner. The research partner would collaborate with BGA around the audience and topic of interest, and would have input into all the data collection materials for the project (in agreement with BGA).
The research partner would hold the sole sponsorship rights for the research project, meaning that the report and communications would include the research partner’s name and/or logo. We would also be open for the research partner to collaborate on an event presentation.
Research analysis and communication
1. Analysis
Following any quantitative and qualitative research BGA would conduct analysis of the data. An analysis document would be drafted in order to define the key themes and variables that we would want to explore in detail. Statistically significant correlations and trends over time (if applicable) would be given prominence in the analysis. As part of this analysis process a key findings data sheet and a top line results document would be produced.
2. Reporting
BGA would write up and produce a final report of the findings. The report would look to convey the results of the research in a compelling manner, through a strong and punchy narrative. The report would be produced to a publishable standard, with appropriate charts, graphics and design fed into the final document.
A full report could incorporate BGA’s research partner’s logo and some commentary on the findings should you wish. The length of the report would depend on the detail within the research and length of the study.
3. Communicating research findings
BGA would utilise its dedicated communications team to ensure the study maximises its reach and impact.
As standard, we would release and distribute the report to BGA’s key stakeholders (Deans, Directors, other Business School professionals). We would also put in place a bespoke PR strategy, which would encompass the distribution of a press kit (containing a press release, the research outputs and a fact sheet) to targeted print, online and broadcast media organisations within higher education and business sectors from across the globe.
We could also explore further ways to project the research to target audiences. This could be in the form of a roundtable with senior stakeholders, a conference presentation (BGA hosts a range through the year) or another marketing event.
Timings and working arragements
Outline of timings
Below we outline an initial indication of the timetable for a BGA project. A project specific timetable would depend on the methodology employed, the type of target audience, the length of questionnaire and the communication strategy employed. We would agree a project specific timetable in advance of conducting a new study.
Week 1: Agreeing approach with research partner
Weeks 2-3: Questionnaire design
Weeks 4-8: Quantitative fieldwork
Weeks 6-12: Qualitative fieldwork
Weeks 8-13: Analysis
Weeks 12-17: Reporting
Weeks 18-22: Communications
Working arrangements
BGA’s Research and Insight team would run and manage the study fully. This would include designing the research materials, managing survey fieldwork, writing research outputs and delivering a communication strategy. We would welcome BGA’s research partners’ input into this process and would seek your signoff on key documents.
