Introduction to OBU RAP Topics
This section is devoted to choosing the appropriate topic among the 15 available OBU RAP Topics, understanding the structure of the critical OBU RAP topics, and suggested models for essential research report topic. please check other articles If you desire a complete step on how to write a successful ACCA OBU research report, or you desire information about the critical changes to the information pack and important dates
ACCA students who intend to submit a Research and Analysis Project (RAP) to Oxford Brookes University are required to choose one (1) of twenty (15) approved Acca OBU RAP Topics List. No student is allowed to submit any RAP that deviates from the approved ACCA OBU degree topics.
It is advisable to choose a topic based on your passion, work experience, and ability to generate enough information/data to achieve the full requirements of any ACCA Obu RAP Topic. While many of the OBU RAP topics require some form of a primary source of information such as questionnaires or interviews, a few ones can be completed with information that is readily available online and other published sources. Examples of such Acca OBU RAP topics include Topic 4,Topic 5, Topic 8, Topic 13 and Topic 14. resubmitting or writing the research report newly, you should discuss it with an experienced mentor. Please read a useful article from the ACCA on how to choose a topic
Here is a video by john playle on How to choose a research and analysis project ACCA Applied Accounting BSc
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ACCA OBU RAP Topic 8, OBU RAP Topic 4 and
OBU RAP Topic 5 – Business and financial analysis suggested approach
These are interesting topic out of the twenty OBU RAP Topics. OBU Topic 8, OBU Topic 4 and OBU topic 5 title deals with the analysis and evaluation of the business and financial performance of an organization for over three years. Critical changes were made to these topics recently in the newly released information pack 2021/2022 which completely change the topic title for topic 4 and 5 and adjusted topic 8
These set of topics are the most popular of twenty OBU RAP topics. However, to achieve success, the industry and organization chosen for the research must have adequate secondary information to support the requirement of the topic.
OBU RAP Topic 4 – Analyse and evaluate the business and financial performance of an organization which has performed exceptionally poorly over a three-year period with a critical analysis of the reasons for its difficulties.
OBU RAP Topic 5– Analyse and evaluate the business and financial performance of an organisation which has performed exceptionally well over a three-year period with a critical analysis of the reasons for its success.
OBU RAP Topic 8 -Analyse and evaluate the business and financial performance over a three-year period of an organisation operating in a sector that has faced strategic and operational challenges with an emphasis on how management have addressed these challenges
These set of ACCA OBU RAP Topics has two major requirements
1 Analysis and evaluation of the business performance of a company
2. Research and evaluation of the financial performance of a company
You should give equal priority to both the business analysis and the financial analysis sections of the topic. Suggested models are SWOT and PEST. Students should try to avoid repetition when using business models. The most crucial factor here is synchronization, which means you should explain changes/movements in your financial ratios with external and internal business factors gathered from a wide range of sources. On the other hand, the business factors explained under the financial section should be well described within the business analysis section based on the models chosen by a student. All major economic variables, such as interest rate, exchange rate, inflation, and critical policies within the industry, must be utilized during the analysis. Please go through detailed explanation from the examiners on the Research report changes
Note : the organisation chosen will depend on the specific requirement of the topics and management action to address critical challenges must be included to ACCA OBU RAP topic 8
Please read examiner’s feedback comments for this topics in the OBU RAP topics Feedback comments
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OBU RAP Topic 6 – Motivation of employees suggested approach
This is also a popular topic out of the twenty OBU RAP Topics. The full topi is ‘A critical review of key factors or indicators in the motivation of employees in an organization’ OBU RAP Topic 6 is also a popular topic out of the twenty OBU RAP topics and has a reasonable pass rate. Success on the topic depends and the listed factors below:
1. Sound understanding of relevant motivational models.
2. Well-structured research objectives and project questions which is consistent with the models and topic title.
3. Well-structured questionnaire from those applicable motivational models that is also consistent with the research objectives and question
4. Questionnaire summary in tables and grafts.
5. good analysis and evaluation of the questionnaire that is consistent with the logical flow of the research objectives
6. The extensive use of other primary sources of information to support analysis, for example, employee handbook, HR policies e.g., conditions, pay, and training provision.
7. The use of other external secondary information to enrich the analysis of the questionnaire each questionnaire
OBU RAP Topic 6 – Information Gathering And Referencing
Students need to understand that this topic involves both primary and secondary research. When you get the appropriate secondary information, your analysis becomes robust.
You may also find yourself in this muddle when you pick a company that won’t grant you access to their primary information. Apart from your questionnaire, other internal sources such as employee handbook, Bonuses, training, and remuneration policy are also needed. Besides, secondary sources of information in the relevant section is also critical for robust analysis. You have to be careful when you choose your case-study company.
OBU RAP Topic 6 – Understanding Of Accountancy/Business Models
You cannot use a model you do not understand, as this will affect the quality of your RAP. The first thing, a mentee needs to do is to pick motivational models and understand them thoroughly. Because understanding them will help the mentee structure the questionnaire towards a comprehensive analysis as wrong questionnaire questions will invalidate any form of research and conclusion, leading to a failed grade.
Students should use about (3) motivational models, not just one or two. Suggested models include Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Motivation, McGregor Theory X and Theory Y and Vroom expectancy Theory, Lock goal theory.
Clear, unambiguous questions are the starting point for any reliable research questionnaire. This is why we always request students to ask clear and specific questions in their questionnaire. Also, students need to go personal when asking questions from the respondents.
OBU RAP Topic 6 – Evaluation Of Information, Analysis, And Conclusions
This has to do with making sense of all the information you have gathered from primary and secondary sources and drawing conclusions from them. The mistake students make here is when they start drawing conclusions that are not based on data provided. They just assume with no evidence. They make assertive statements; however, they have offered little or no information on the subject matter to support their statements.
Two factors are critical to your analysis, proving or disproving your model during your research, and the usage of other sources of information such as the Employee handbook to give the required quality to each of your analysis.
Your presentation has to be structured and arranged. Students sometimes present their findings in ways that do not connect to the research objectives/questions. We always suggest mentees to highlight their research questions one after the other and place the analysis that answers each underneath the questions. If you are not careful about this, the output will not make sense, and irrelevancies will be in your work. When we return projects based on this, mentees have to remove irrelevant analysis or restructure the research report to answer their research questions.
Please read examiner’s feedback comments for this topic in the OBU RAP topics Feedback comments
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OBU RAP Topic 7 – Restructuring suggested approach
There are two requirements here
1. Evaluation of the restructuring of an organization’s operational activities
2. Evaluation of the effect of restructuring on the organization’s financial performance
OBU RAP Topic 7 – Overall Concept Of Restructuring/ Business Combination or new business growth
Part of meeting the requirements of this topic is for you to clearly state your research objectives and research questions and ensure it is not only consistent with the topic title and applicable models and techniques, but it also relates to what is in chapter 3 section of the research report
ACCA OBU RAP TOPIC 7 – Recommended Approach
Suggested Business models to meet the first requirement of this topic includes SWOT and Force-field analysis to analyze the restructuring of an organization’s operational activities critically. Your models from the options listed above should be applied appropriately to meet the requirements of the topic.
Industry focus Financial ratios can then be used to meet the second requirement of the topic. The focus here is evaluating and analyzing the per-restructuring and post-restructuring periods while synchronizing information between the business analysis and financial analysis is key to success.
Please read examiner’s feedback comments for this topic in the OBU RAP topics Feedback comments
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OBU RAP Topic 15: Marketing strategy suggested approach
A review of the marketing strategy of an organization and its effectiveness.
ACCA OBU RAP Topic 15 title focuses on two major aspects
1. Evaluation of the marketing strategies of the choosing organization
2. Evaluation of the effectiveness of such marketing strategies.
The suggested models to evaluation of the marketing strategies of the choosing organization are 4/7 Ps of marketing, Ansoff, Boston Consulting Group Matrix. However, the application will depend on the organization chosen. You should then explore possible approaches to segmentation, targeting, and positioning before analyzing the marketing mix (7 Ps or 4 Ps) of your selected organization for OBU RAP Topic 18. Good benchmarking is suggested during the marketing mix and analyzing marketing effectiveness
The second requirement of the ACCA OBU RAP Topic 18 focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of the organization’s marketing strategy. Marketing specific ratios are recommended.
The trend in marketing spend to revenue over a period of time
The proportion of marketing costs to sales should be stable or show a slight downward trend (if they are continually rising then it tends to indicate that the company is having to increase promotional costs just to maintain its current level of sales or maintain market share
Market share per segment and Market share in total
Increasing market share or maintain market share if the main competitors’ parts are decreasing is another indicator of success
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