List of research questions for MSc students

Possible Research Questions to share with students

This list provides a comprehensive collection of research questions for MSc students in various academic fields. These research questions are aimed at stimulating ideas for possible research projects, and they cover diverse topics such as health sciences, social sciences, engineering, and technology. The list is intended to be a starting point for MSc students who are seeking inspiration for their research, and it includes a variety of research questions that range from basic to complex. Whether you are looking for a simple or complex research question to investigate, this list offers a broad range of possibilities that may help you to identify a suitable research topic for your MSc thesis or dissertation.

	Topics relating to sustainability
1	Greenwashing - How common is it and why do companies (a) use this approach and (b) should it be made illegal?
2	How we manage money and where we invest our money can have a big impact on both sustainability, the environment, and politics. Possible areas to investigate, POLITICS Money talks – so is this a battle that consumers must take or is it about how investment funds choose their investments or is it a regulatory issue (3 possible different questions here) NB: Biggest investors in UK are pension funds, insurance companies, banks and private equity, these organisations place their funds, or employ their own, asset managers who develop their investment policies. Asset Management currently has between $8 and $9 trillion assets under management – biggest in Europe and 2nd biggest in the world. You can bring both politics and investments together by examining how much of UK funds are invested in Russian organisations and vice versa
3	Is there a viable opportunity in the UK (or any other country) to switch to electric cars and what are the consequences? NB - A lack of charging points and broken charging points is the scourge of the UK electric car business – who should fix this
4	Is there a real future for driverless cars – and what are the BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND the main obstacles.
5	27 countries now use carbon taxation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions but he US, the biggest carbon produce has not. Why not: POSSIBLE QUESTIONS HERE: Are carbon taxes effective and do they help reduce carbon emission?
6	During the pandemic home delivery of groceries grew at a spectacular rate: But prior to the Pandemic few supermarkets in the UK found home delivery profitable, they did it to maintain their market share – what is the prospect for this in the future – based on pre and post pandemic sales figures?
7	Is it reasonable to expect goods delivered to our homes to cost the same as those available in our shops or supermarkets? Weight up the relative costs
8	is the use of home delivery better or worse for the environment
9	Is the Paris Agreement, which is technically a legally enforceable agreement, viable in the context of the current energy crisis?
10	Should we leave social and environmental reporting to the accountants?
11	Could we live without plastic, and what are the alternatives? Are there alternatives
12	Should we ban take-out food which relies on plastic containers and if so what % of existing business organisations would survive? this is a fun question to a degree which is almost impossible to answer – but think about questions which relate plastic to both costs, profits and think about the alternatives. What are the alternatives – is it cardboard and does this work

	there are lots of diverse ways to look at sustainability: Current thinking sees organisational sustainability as its ability to continue to generate funds and continue to exist – so clearly diesel cars as a business will soon not be sustainable – so how might a car manufacturer ensure its future sustainability. Can existing car manufacturing companies afford this
13	Switching to electric cards requires a very specific infrastructure – few countries have this – so what can be done?
14	The US is proposing subsidising the sale of electric cars in an effort to meet its climate commitments. What impact will this have on ?
15	Is responsible management a sustainability issue or is it in fact a profit necessity?
16	Do we need legislation to ensure that business organisations follow or use social business models?
17	Is sustainability possible within the fast fashion industry in the UK? A comparison of ********** and ********* Which age groups are most likely to purchase fast fashion? What are their key purchase triggers and needs from fast fashion? Do they care about sustainability?
18	Is renewable energy coming of age? A case study of (country name) Review of adoption and growth of renewable energy within ********* Has this offered sustainable competitive advantage to (country name)? What government subsidies have been offered and has this shaped the sector? What lessons can be learned by other similar countries
	Topics relating to economic growth
19	Is economic growth dependent on population growth – an examination of growth prospects in xxxxxx country against (identify company)
20	What fuels economic growth - - what can be learned from attempts to grow the economy of (pick a country) and a company/industry sector
	Topics relating to supply chain
21	What constitutes a green supply chain and is it a viable business model?
22	What is the potential impact of supply chain disruptions
23	Why are supermarkets in the UK criticised for their poor management of food suppliers? A case study of ********
24	How does this sector commonly list and de-list suppliers? How loyal are supermarkets to their fresh grocery suppliers? What are the key drivers for taking on a new supplier in this area? Can and should this model change in light of growing CSR compliance?
25	Car production has historically used “Just in Time” to reduce inventory management and strip overheads, but at what cost in the current climate? A review on supply chain protection with ****************** car company Exploring the cost benefits of JIT to ******** motor company Detailing the current issues with global shocks (Covid, Invasion of Ukraine, global inflation etc)

	How can a company overcome these shocks and manage buffer supplies Lessons learnt and production protection suggestions
	Topics relating to Marketing
26	Can social values shape consumers preferences
27	Is the concept of responsible marketing counter intuitive?
	BIG data is one of the most important assets that marketing companies now acquire. The EU is trying to draw up legislation to limit the transfer or sale of big data to China, the US and Russia, Is this, or will this, damage marketing opportunities? Or is it designed to give the EU an edge? Other questions and research might also be around the use, distribution and collection of big data and overall privacy for the individual
28	Is it possible to regulate the influencer industry
29	THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT IS INEFFECTIVE, - CAN YOU FIND EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY
30	Stinting on customer service is one way of saving costs – at what point does it become a costly mistake
31	What are the risks and benefits of social media influencers in the 16-25 clothing market? Key risks being validity of paid influencer Influencer inappropriate behaviour Selecting the most viable influencer and conflicts created with other influencers Benefits of non-paid for endorsement Popularity and credence of the influencer
32	Are loyalty cards still working in gaining customer loyalty and advocacy?
33	Are loyalty cards and apps still relevant in a discount environment Does discounting (offers etc) devalue the brand? How do the companies get value out of the data they can grab from consumers?
34	How can streaming services use big data analytics to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty? A case study on ******** to identify best practice for the sector. How do Netflix, Amazon and others use their big data to drive content? Is this the same in all their markets? How has local market content increased membership?
35	Franchising in the fast-food sector is common, but where is the right balance of power and control between the two parties? A case study of ******** and ******* Are franchises successful in every country globally? What commonly does the franchisor control in the agreement How much freedom does the franchisee have in the agreement? What improvements would you recommend to help grow a franchise operation further
	Topics relating to CSR
36	CSR, does this have a future in profit motivated organisations?
37	Can profit and CSR survive side by side?

38	Do we need CSR regulation to ensure companies attempt to become more socially aware
39	companies are returning to the use of air freight for moving goods around, Is this a viable alternative?
40	Because of problems with a lack of drivers, together with high costs of fuel etc – is this an opportunity to find alternative supply chain systems such as more use of trains etc?
41	Is there a future in Elon Musk idea of pods which propel goods around – he suggested that these might move goods at over 600 Miles an hour
42	Do we need legislation to ensure that business organisations follow or use social business models?
43	China and other markets are finding it difficult to source the quantity of semiconductors and chips. These have become the latest scarce resource. What are the potential consequences of this situation
	Management issues which can be investigated.
44	What might the future of shopping look like? the Pandemic, technological disruptions, the growing power of the consumer are having a major impact on retailers –
45	What, if any is the balance between customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction when using call centres?
46	What are the key drivers for successful strategic alliances in the automotive sector? A case study of ********* Defining the key success factors in the strategic alliance How was the SA resourced (dedicated offices, project autonomy, full budget responsibility etc) What did the SA produce ultimately (profitability, timeline for it, award winning technology etc) How can this be replicated by other auto manufacturers
47	Is there any future for print media and does this have any social consequences - is this a problem for our society
48	From a management perspective can print news recover and become profitable again?
49	should supermarkets, like our banks close many of their outlets and instead concentrate on home delivery to increase profits?
50	Does Board ethnic Diversity Boost stock (share) prices
	Does the inclusion of a high % of women on the Board of a company boost share prices?

51	Does equal pay matter or should men be paid more than women and if so why or why not
52	What would equal opportunity across organisations look like?
53	Is HR a function for the benefit of an organisation’s employees or an arm of Management
54	What exactly is leadership and how do you recognise it
55	Is Leadership a learned skill or an innate gift?
56	There is a lot written about the need for good business ethics. Ethics with regard to pay, to the treatment of people, to respect for the planet but the overall mission of a public limited company is, and has always been, to make profit for the owners (the shareholders) Possible questions: Does Business ethics have a role in business – select any current topical issue to examine in the context of ethics. 1. Is there a contradiction in the idea of business being ethical while also aiming to make profits for owners?
57	There is clear evidence that COVID has impacted the wellbeing of workers across the range of organisations, is this a management problem or an individual problem?
5	What is collaborative overload and what can be done about it? This is the belief that overuse of collaborative, online software is eating up our days and actually reducing workload?
57	The traditional bank was always expensive to run – tellers, banks, cash, using checks and the trans fer system that supports them etc. settlement times, settlement costs, settlement delays, bouncing cheques In a survey recently 60% of banks believe that this old system will disappear and is disappearing very fast in the UK. Does this mean that banks are making more money now that they have eliminated those costs or are we the customers paying less for our banking? Will a move away from paper, coin, and cheque reduce banking costs but increase retailer and end user costs?
58	Is growth essential for an economy or has growth peaked in some 1st world countries
59	Where is there real potential for future growth in the world – what are the barriers. This can apply to a wide range of countries each with different possible scenarios. Choose one
60	Reviewing the economic performance of the UK compared with France and Germany. Is continued quantitative easing working to grow the economy? Impact of response to raising gas and electricity prices Impact of inflation on UK production compared with France and Germany What other possible policies could improve the UK inflationary figures?
61	people everywhere believe that wellness is important and there has been a massive growth in the development of alternative approaches to wellness.

	Possible questions: Can the change in attitude towards wellness bring new business opportunities for smaller providers to reach much further than their local market. – for example: offering online weekly classes in yoga and similar relaxations techniques can generate customers across the globe., growth in individual, personalised healthy eating advice. Growth in advice on how to sleep better, How to enhance your appearance., How to dress differently There is so much on offer, is this a viable business model? The prediction by McKinsey is that there is a $1.5 trillion wellness market waiting to be exploited.
62	Growth in the development of health-related apps in areas such as heart monitors, blood pressure monitors wearable devices which feedback to hospitals info on your wellbeing while pregnant wellbeing in relation to diabetes etc. how are these devices changing the nature and methodology of medicine what sort of business opportunities exist for further development and co- operation in these new markets
63	IS EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS CONNECTDED TO THEIR JOB PERFORMANCE OR TO THE QUALITEY OF MANAGEMENT – WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?
64	DO HAPPY EMPLOYEES INFLUENCE THE FEELINGS OF OTHRS AROUND THE, - WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?
65	Is “quiet Quitting” a real phenomenon in organisations (this is a new term that has appeared in the press in recent times, it depicts workers who do the bare minimum to remain employed and thus make little real contribution to the organisation)
66	Do employers really know what their employees want and if not is it possible for them to find out
67	Why are so many people leaving their jobs given the economic forecast in Europe and the US
68	Are the CEOs of UK companies too old for the new technological environment - The Majority of companies are run by middle aged men (average age 55)