Unit VIII Assignment

Prospectus Form

Student to complete this document and submit to chairperson to fulfill requirements of concept paper/prospectus.

Student Name:

Chairperson:

Submission Date:

1. What is the proposed title of Doctoral Research Study/Dissertation? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: Make sure your title is communicating both the topic and the focus of your research. It also needs to include your research approach and the success factors (outcomes) of your research. Make sure it is clear, focused, formatted correctly and unique. Your title should be 12 words or less.

Identify a title that you might use for this study. This can be revised later as the study progresses.

2. What is the problem statement ? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: In the problem statement section, there should be an easily identifiable problem. There should be a strong sentence that starts like this: The problem for this study is….”

Describe an issue or problem within a business area. Think about the relevance of the problem (because the study has never been done before does not demonstrate relevancy).

The problem for this study is…….

3. What is the purpose o f doing this study? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: Usually, for purpose statements, we see terms such as ‘explore’ or ‘identify’ or ‘relationship’, ‘association’, or ‘prediction’ or ‘between-group mean difference’ or ‘impact’ or ‘effect.’ There should be supportable reasoning for why this problem is happening and needs further research. Example: The purpose of this (qualitative, quantitative) (correlational, causal-comparative, multiple case, phenomenological, etc.) study is to (explore, examine) (a phenomenon or variables) for some participants in some industry and/or in some geographic location. ***Note: We usually see the word “explore” in relation to qualitative studies. Quantitative studies usually use ‘examine’

Identification of why the study needs to be done.

The purpose of this (Qual/Quan), (DESIGN) study is to (explore/examine) factors/etc…..

4. What is the background literature that supports/justifies a current and relevant problem that will be studied in this study? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: What is the background literature that supports/justifies a current and relevant problem that will be studied in this study? You will need a minimum of 10 sources in this section. You must be clear and through in your discussion of how each article fits within and supports your study.

Identify 10 research studies using the template below. Consult with your chairperson for an example of scholarly research articles that qualify as background literature.

#1

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#2

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#3

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#4

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#5

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#6

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#7

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#8

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#9

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

#10

Source
Summary of Article
How it Fits
What it will do for study

5. Identify and explain the theory or model are you using for your framework? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: In quantitative studies, the theory or model used for the theoretical framework is likely a direct match with the independent variables. Example: If you are examining job satisfaction, Spector’s Job Satisfaction theory would be mentioned as it is the underlying theory for his Job Satisfaction Survey instrument. Example: If you are researching leadership style, the theory which aligns with this topic might be the Full Range of Transformational Leadership Model; which is the underlying theory for the MLQ 5X survey instrument. ***In a qualitative study, finding a theory or model for the conceptual framework is more difficult. Look at what makes sense based on the study phenomenon. For example, if the study is about the implementation of business policies and strategies, the theory would not likely be a leadership theory or a job satisfaction theory, but it might be related to management theories, business theories, economic theories etc. Optimally, you will find the perfect theory or model while researching your topic/subject area in the literature. If you cannot or want more options, you can find many theories below: IS/IT theories (some will work for Business): Theorizeit – https://is.theorizeit.org/wiki/Main_Page Management theories - https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/types-of-management-theories Business Theories – https://simplicable.com/new/business-theory Communication, Advertising, Marketing, etc. Theories - https://www.communicationtheory.org/list-of-theories/ Innovation theories - https://www.ideatovalue.com/inno/nickskillicorn/2017/07/15-most-important-innovation-theories-your-company-should-be-using/ Business Strategy Theories and Frameworks - http://www.gaebler.com/Business-Strategy-Theories-and-Frameworks.htm Economics Theories - https://dmarron.com/2009/08/17/the-50-most-important-economic-theories/

Describe how you would use this theory/model to support your study. Minimum length: 2

paragraphs.

6. What is the gap in the literature? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: What are the missing pieces in research literature on your topic? What area has not been explored or has been under explored? This could be a population or sample ignored, it could be a size, type or location ignored or even using a specific research method, data collection method, analysis or research variables or conditions underrepresented.

Identify a gap in the literature or an area that has not been studied or not fully studied. Minimum length: 3 paragraphs.

7. How does this study relate to business ? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: Remember, you are in a DBA program, so make sure you can relate your topic back to business. Think about how this study will be applicable to an industry, a type of business, a specific business. How will this change/broaden business perspective? How does your study balance business practice with business theory?

Explain how this study will inter-relate and impact business operations. Minimum length: 3 paragraphs.

8. What are the research questions and corresponding hypotheses (if applicable)? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: Research questions should not be confused with interview (qualitative) or survey (quantitative) questions. In a quantitative study, if you break a main research question down into multiple components, you will have multiple research questions and hypothesis. In a qualitative study, if you break down the main research question into smaller sections, they are sub-questions. Each interview (qualitative) or survey (quantitative) question must align with your research question. Research questions need to make logical sense and be in alignment with the problem statement and purpose statement. When you read the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions back-to-back….they should be obvious in their connection. A good research question will be: Focused on a single problem or issue Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints Specific enough to answer thoroughly Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly Example of a research question which is too broad: What effect does social media have on people? Example of a research question which is on a similar topic and is measurable: What effect does daily use of TikTok have on the attention span of 14–16-year-old teenagers in the Madison, Wisconsin area? Make sure your research questions are NOT a yes or no question. In Quantitative studies you will have hypothesis (you will not have these in qualitative studies). Your H10 (null hypothesis) should state there is no significant relationship Your H1A (alternative hypothesis) should state there is a significant relationship If your study is confirmed, you will reject the null. A hypothesis in qualitative research is in the form of a clear statement concerning the problem to be investigated. Qualitative research often gathers data using conversations, discussions, observations, and participation. In qualitative research, the hypothesis is a proposition to explore a phenomenon.

Identify clear and focused questions that are analytical in nature. Typically, this includes one research question and 2-8 hypothesis’.

STOP! Review your problem statement, the purpose statement, and the research questions (and hypotheses, if applicable). All 3 statements need to be in alignment and the connection between them should be obvious.

9. What is the methodology and research design ? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: Methodology example: Quantitative or Qualitative would be the methodology. Research design: Correlational would be an example of a quantitative design. Case study would be an example of a qualitative research design. Data gathering vehicle for a quant study might be a survey. The data gathering vehicle for a qual study might be interviews and document review.

Work with your chair to determine the best method to conduct research and how you will gather the data. Include your rationale for using this methodology and research design. Minimum length: 4-6 paragraphs.

10. Who is the target population for the study? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: The target population is the total group of individuals from which the sample might be drawn. A sample is the group of people who take part in the study. Generalizability refers to the extent to which you can apply the findings of your research to the target population you are interested in. For quantitative studies, G-power is used to determine your target sample size for your study. **Note: There is a video in the DWRC which does a great job of explaining this. For qualitative studies the goal is “attainment of saturation.” Saturation occurs when adding more participants to the study does not result in additional perspective/information.

This represents the population that you intend to examine with your study. Describe the individuals that will ask to complete your survey. Minimum Length: 1 paragraph.

11. How do you expect to get cooperation from the target population ? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: If you are targeting coworkers, contact HR and/or your supervisor and find out what you need to do to get permission to access your coworkers. **Get this in writing (email is fine) and save a copy. You will need this when you get to IRB. If you are using social media, make sure you have a social media account which contains your sample (i.e., LinkedIn). If the human subjects you want to gather data from are members of an organization, you are required to get permission from the organization before you can contact the potential subjects. If you want to use a site to conduct your interviews, you may need permission to use the site for research purposes. ***Note: You will not contact any potential subjects until after you have an approved proposal (chapters 1-3) and have obtained IRB approval. You do need to set the ground work early on in your study though to ensure you will be able to access the subjects when you get to that point.

Describe a connection you may have with the target population and/or whether permissions are necessary to contact the individuals you would like to survey.

12. What are the challenges that might be encountered with this study?

Think about challenges associated with developing the topic, conducting the research, ensuring you have selected the right methodology, finding research subjects, data analysis, etc. Minimum length: 3 paragraphs.

13. What is the significance of this study? Comment by Jodine M. Burchell: The significance of the study describes what contribution your study will make to the broad literature or set of broad business problems upon completion. In other words, what is the point? How will your research benefit others and/or how will readers benefit or learn from your study? Consider the following when drafting your significance of study: What is the contribution that your study will make to the existing literature on the problem or broad problem areas of business? How, specifically, will you extend the current literature on this topic? Who benefits from the study? How will the audience benefit from your findings? What contribution will your study make to the literature or to the field? How will this dissertation contribute to efforts in business practice? What do you hope others will learn from your study?

Explain the importance of your study and how it will be beneficial to science, business and society. Minimum length: 1 paragraph.