Project is 25 Pages APA FORMAT (HEAVILY CITED THROUGHOUT THE PAPER) MUST PARAPHRASE OTHERS IDEAS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES AND PUT THEM IN YOUR OWN WORDS.( BE SURE TO CITE) 20 references 10 scholarly 10 reputable sources

APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT 1

APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT

STUDENT SYLLABUS—MGNT 4800

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course, which culminates the entire student experience in the BSM program, allows students to identify a current management issue and to find solutions to the issue by applying the key concepts they have learned from the BSM program experience.

COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of the Applied Management Project, each student will be able to:

Identify a specific current management issue.

Develop a problem or issue statement

Develop a reference list related to your proposed research topic and problem/issue statement.

Develop introductory background information relative to the specific management issue.

Discuss the specific management issue and identify related organizational implications.

Establish appropriate procedures for conducting the review of relevant published information to resolve the issue.

Develop alternatives for resolving the issue and analyzing these in terms of feasibility or appropriateness for the particular situation.

Recommend a specific course of action to resolve the management issue.

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COURSE OUTCOMES The following outcomes are expected of each student for Applied Management Project:

Through exploration and, identify a current management issue, develop problem/issue statement, conduct the appropriate research to further the understanding of the problem or issue develop and analyze alternatives, and make a specific recommendation for resolving the issue.

Through a written report, integrate appropriate information, analyze and synthesize this information, and develop a written report of their findings and recommendations.

Through oral presentations, demonstrate a mastery of chosen topic of research and present results from the projects.

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INTRODUCTORY NOTES TO STUDENTS Applied Management Project is different from other BSM courses due to the following four aspects:

Students work independently during the 10 weeks. The learning teams take on a supportive role of encouraging, reviewing, generating ideas, and helping to solve problems for each other.

The paper should be written using APA (6

th ed) guidelines, which can be

found in the APA Publication Manual, published by the American Psychological Association. Summaries of APA guidelines may be found on the Internet (e.g., "APA Style Sheet").

This course does not have the same instructor-student interaction as

other BSM courses. However, students are expected to meet with the instructor at least twice during the ten week period. The first meeting is to ensure that the student has chosen an acceptable management topic and has prepared an adequate problem statement (or research question(s)). The second meeting is to provide the instructor with an update regarding the status of the project and to clarify any additional questions. The instructor is a mentor for each student, facilitating the student's understanding of course expectations and outcomes. The student is responsible for the creation of a project, unique to his or her project objectives. Some students may need more guidance than others. The responsibility for receiving mentor assistance lies with the student.

Students are expected to attend each class that is scheduled by the instructor. Individual students should actively communicate with the instructor through e-mail, phone, and face-to-face meetings. All students will be required to submit a weekly action plan outlining the activities for the week; this plan should show progression throughout the course of the project, and identify any issues or concerns noted during the research process. Students must work on the Applied Management Project (AMP) report individually, as this is the premier opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in the BSM program. Students must conduct all research and write all project drafts, including the final draft. A preliminary draft is due to the instructor by week five, and the final draft is due during week ten. All papers are to be submitted via Moodle at a time designated by the instructor. Students are encouraged to seek counsel from the instructor or writing lab; students may seek counsel from family, co-workers, professionals, the Writing Center and others who can assist them in completing a successful Applied Management Project. This assignment is governed by Shorter University’s Honor Code All students must do an oral presentation about the results of their project. Presentations should be a 15 to 30 maximum minutes (depending on the instructor and the class size), followed by a brief question-and-answer session. This presentation will be made before fellow students and the instructor (as well as possible outside evaluators). The presentation will be formally evaluated by the instructor or by an evaluation team including the instructor. (Note: See the Presentation Rubric included in the Materials Inventory section of this course guide.) Review the MGNT 3370 textbook for guidelines on the preparation of quality business presentations.

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

SUGGESTED GRADING Final Written Project 80% Oral Presentation of Final Project 20%

Total 100%

ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

TOPIC SELECTION The following guidelines should be considered by the instructor and the student in selecting a topic for the Applied Management Project reports:

The project should address a significant current management- or organizational-related issue..

The project may involve solving a significant organizational problem, improving organizational efficiency or effectiveness, making an important organizational decision, creating a new organizational structure, or addressing other similar management issues.

Generally, the issue should be one related to the student's current place of employment (or most recent employer if the student is not currently employed). However, students may choose an issue with another organization (e.g., a non-profit with which the student is actively involved), provided that a very specific issue can be identified and that enough information can be gathered to develop adequate situational information and appropriate alternatives.

The project must be one that can be completed during the 10-week period of the course.

Chosen topic must be approved by the instructor PRIOR to beginning the research process.

Applied Management Project reports should be qualitative in nature, using secondary research sources (published written information). The curriculum does not prepare them for survey development and analysis –

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An appropriate company official should approve any project that investigates and/or reveals sensitive company data and/or trade information; a signature on the Request for Applied Management Project Approval form designates approval; securing the appropriate signature is the student's responsibility. Most projects will not require access to such sensitive information, and, therefore, will not require an official's signature; however, when in doubt, be safe and secure approval.

Tips for Choosing a Topic Approval from the instructor is required. As you begin the process of identifying a current management or organizational issue or problem for the project, ask yourself the following questions:

What am I interested in? Is there a particular job-related issue that I can address? The project will be much easier if it relates to something of interest to you or if it is of particular relevance to you at the time.

Can the subject be properly developed? Will I have access to the necessary data or information that will be needed to develop the project? Do some preliminary research to determine that adequate literature exists that is relevant to the topic. Ensure that any necessary organizational data will be accessible.

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SECTIONS FOR APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT Your project must have all of the following sections (Note: Each section should have a centered title and start on a new page. Subtitles are encouraged, when appropriate, but they should be left-justified and not start a new page to distinguish themselves from titles.):

Title Page

Abstract This is a very brief summary of your completed paper (no more than three paragraphs

and generally no more than 120 words); therefore, it should be written after the

paper has been completed. Include the following elements:

o Clear statement of problem or issue

o Methods or procedures summarized

o Results summarized

o Conclusions and/or recommendations summarized

Table of Contents

List of Tables (if applicable)

List of Figures (if applicable)

Section 1: Introduction

It is recommended that each of the following sections start with a subtitle:

Background/Situation (summary of relevant facts and situational description)

Problem/Issue (statement or description of specific issue): Be sure to be clear in this section and state: " The problem is that …"

Evidence to Justify the Study: Why is this topic deserving of thorough research, analysis, and recommendations? What are the potential benefits of this project?

Research Questions (clearly and concisely stated) - This section is optional.

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Definition of Terms (ones not likely known by readers of the report): this section is optional and necessary only if the project will involve numerous acronyms and/or technical terms.

Summary (briefly tie Section 1 together)

Section 2: Relevant Published Information

You must have a minimum of 20 appropriate published sources. (At least ten of these should be scholarly. The remaining sources may be from the current trade or business press.) Sources should be as current as possible: articles should generally have been published within the past 5 years; books/texts within the past 10 years.

You can access published sources via Internet resources such as Galileo; at least 50% of all published sources should be obtained electronically.

You can cite different findings from the same article or other published work, but the article or other published work will count only as one source.

This section must demonstrate a thorough investigation and understanding of the problem or issue identified in Section 1.

You should summarize in your own words the relevant information from

each source, generally in one paragraph. Actual quotations should be

rarely used.

Do not apply the source information to your topic in this section—that should be done in the following sections.

You may also use internal company documents, but they should not be included in this section unless they have been published.

You may use information from credible internet Web sites, but this information should not be included in this section unless it has been published.

You should complete this section with a summary that explains the relationship between the literature review and the issues or problems identified in Section 1 and transitions to the next section.

All citations must be in appropriate APA (6

th ed.) format throughout the text of the report

and in the list of references, which provides information only about sources that are directly utilized in the report.

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DEVELOPING THE RELEVANT PUBLISHED INFORMATION

As you begin the process of developing the literature review, the following guidelines may be helpful:

Identify concepts or theories related to your issue or problem. It is doubtful that you will find material that relates directly to your specific issue or problem—particularly if your issue is very narrowly defined. However, most likely, you will be able to find ample material if you consider a broader perspective.

Find two or three scholarly articles that are current and closely related to our topic. To find additional scholarly articles, a good approach is to review the reference sections from these two or three articles to find sources that the article author(s) used.

Organize the articles based on topic. It may be helpful to use a three-ringed, tabbed binder.

Scan the articles for major topical or subject areas. It may be helpful to highlight major areas as you scan the articles.

Read the articles for content and build a topical or subject outline. This will help you organize your findings so that you can develop a well-organized literature review.

Section 3: Analysis This section provides detailed information and a thorough discussion of the situation and the specific problem or issue and proposed alternatives. The following are specific items that should be covered:

Relevant facts about the organization. (If there is an issue related to confidentiality, anonymous information and/or pseudonyms can be substituted.)

Detailed information about the specific issue or problem. (This may be either qualitative or quantitative in nature; quantitative information should be summarized with any lengthy or detailed data provided in an appendix.)

Analysis of the causes of the situation/problem/issue, including an explanation or description of why the problem or issue exists; who the major players are; what the opposing perspectives are of those involved in the problem/issue; etc.

APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT 9

Identification and brief analysis of alternatives or possible solutions. Generally, you will have multiple alternatives or possible solutions. Briefly review the pros and cons of each one.

Be sure to apply your research sources (summarized in the previous section) throughout this analysis section.

Section 4: Recommendations and Conclusion In this section, the student will select from the possible solutions which ones she recommends for the resolution of the problem or issue (therefore, there should be more alternatives than actual recommendations). Be specific in answering what, why, how, and by whom for each recommendation. Finally, wrap up the paper with a conclusion that summarizes how the recommendations will resolve the project's problem/issue.

References

Includes all sources cited in the text of the report. Ensure that the citations noted within the text match the references listed on the reference page.

Must be in APA (6 th ed.) format.

APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT 10

Appendices

Materials included as appendices are relevant but tangential to the content of the report.

Materials included as appendices should be in the order they appear in the report and labeled/numbered so they can be referenced in the text.

Any survey instruments or interview scripts used in the research process should be included as an appendix.

Every report must include at least one appendix—the Request for Applied Management Project Approval form. Additional appendices are optional.

APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT COURSE REQUIREMENTS The following activities are required for the Applied Management Project:

Submit a project proposal to the instructor for approval, using the Request for Applied Management Project Approval form contained in the Supplemental Materials section.

Attend class meetings or individual sessions as arranged by the instructor (see Student Schedule attached).

Maintain regular contact with the instructor—this is crucial. Your instructor is available to guide you through this project, but it is up to you to request guidance and keep your instructor informed of your progress.

Deliver all assigned drafts of project reports as scheduled by the instructor.

Submit a final, written AMP report (either electronically or in hard copy depending upon your instructor's requirement) by the designated date.

Make a 15-minute oral presentation of the highlights of the project, followed by a question-and-answer session about the project.

Attend all student presentations. Final Report Guidelines Here are general guidelines to help in the preparation of the final report:

APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT 11

Bind the final written report in the manner the instructor requests. A three- ring binder is helpful in organizing your project as you work on it, and many instructors will accept this as a binder for your final report.

Order the pages as described in the project outline.

The appropriate title page should be prepared.

Use only white paper to print the report.

Use one-inch margins.

Print text in black ink.

Limit use of color in the final report.

Use APA (6 th ed.) guidelines for spacing headings and sub-headings.

Text must be double spaced.

Use only Times New Roman font.

Use a 12-point font size for text.

The main title may be a larger font size.

Tables and figures must be properly numbered and labeled (see APA Publication Manual).

Pages should be numbered at the top right corner of pages (see APA Publication Manual).

Copies of any survey instruments used must be included as appendices.

Include a copy of the completed Request for Applied Management Project Approval form as your first Appendix.

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MATERIALS INVENTORY

SUGGESTED RESOURCES:

Creswell, J.W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3

rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. ISBN 978-1-4129-

6557-6 Pan, M.L. (2008). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (3

rd ed.). Pyrczak Publishing. ISBN 1-884585-76-0.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) (ISBN 13:

978-1-4338-0561-5; ISBN 10: 1-4338-0561-8)

Mastering APA Style: Instructor's Resource Guide (ISBN: 1557988900)

Mastering APA Style: Student's Workbook and Training Guide (ISBN: 143380557X)

Presenting Your Findings: A Practical Guide for Creating Tables (ISBN: 143380705X)

Displaying Your Findings: A Practical Guide for Creating Figures, Posters, and

Presentations (ISBN: 1433807076X)

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Sample Title Page

IMPROVING EMPLOYEE RETENTION AT ABC COMPANY

Prepared for: Dr. Jan S. Jones

Shorter University

Submitted by: Jane Doe

January 2, 2008

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REQUEST FOR APPLIED MANAGEMENT PROJECT APPROVAL

Student Name

Cohort Number Date

Preliminary Project Title

Problem/Issue What problem or issue do you want to address with your study?

Proposed Approach Describe your proposed project plan.

*Organization Approval Signature

Date

Shorter University Instructor signature

Date

* Optional when approval required.

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Appendix A ACTION PLAN AND SCHEDULE

MGNT 4800 – Applied Management Project

STUDENT NAME AND COHORT NUMBER:

INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL AND DATE:

This action plan and schedule begins with the second week of MGNT 4800 and ends with the last week of MGNT 4800, unless otherwise directed by the instructor to submit additional weekly reports. The action plan and schedule should be created in weekly increments and referenced, by week, on your weekly progress report.

Week Scheduled Activity Status

Planned

Completion

Date

Actual

Completion

Date

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Appendix B

MGNT 4800 Applied Research Project

Weekly Progress Report

Students are required to submit weekly progress reports to their MGNT 4800 Instructor until week nine of this course.

Student Name and Cohort Number

Week of:

Accomplishments

Issues or Problems and Proposed Solutions

NOTE: If you are not up-to-date with your action plan, provide reason(s) and describe actions to get back on schedule.

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Appendix C

DAILY RESEARCH SCHEDULE – OPTIONAL

Project Title:___________________________

Due Date:____________________________

Week of________________

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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Appendix D

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Appendix E

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Appendix F

TIPS FOR THE 15 MINUTE SLIDE PRESENTATIONS

The audience should focus on listening to you, not reading and understanding the slides. Therefore, a slide should have no more than 4 or maximum 5 bullets, or a simple uncongested diagram.

The audience should be able to digest the slide in 5 seconds or so. This means you must articulate the items below, not write the points, and point for point, on the slides. All you need on the slides are the highlights in bullet or graphical form.

Don't make the slide content such that the audience has to think to deduce things; you need them to focus on what you are saying, not think.

Make the title of each slide the conclusion you want the audience to reach from the slide content and your pitch for that slide.

Make sure you use 24 point fonts or larger whenever possible, and make sure the text or graphic is a sharply contrasting color to the slide background.

Avoid animation unless you really need to enhance understanding of, say, a graphic. If you use it, do it in moderation and make sure you are really well rehearsed.

LASTLY, PUT THE SLIDE NUMBER ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF EACH SLIDE. You can do this in a PowerPoint template so each slide automatically has the number. This really helps someone assisting you in reviewing your presentation