Research Paper Description
S. Kaminski
MBA 655
Spring 2002
The
purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your ability to apply the theories
of organizational behavior and leadership to an organization or group with
which you work. In other words, you should use what you've learned in this
class to better understand and influence a group that you work with. Consider
this to be a case study.
Week 4: Précis due. The précis
should be a 1-2 page typewritten document including a brief description of the
group or organization you have chosen, a statement of the problem or research
question, and reasons why your analysis is a worthwhile academic question.
Week 8-9: Oral Presentation of
Research Paper. Each student will present a 10-15 minute oral presentation of
the findings of his or her research paper. This presentation should cover the
essential components of the written paper, but should be adapted for an oral
presentation. Model this report after an effective report to management in a business
situation.
Week 9: Final Written Research
Paper due.
Length: 10-20 pages, although the
length is not as important as a good reasons to support the paper’s
conclusions.
Format: The paper should follow
the APA or MLA style manual.
Mechanics: Papers with major
grammatical errors will receive a grade reduced by a minimum of 10 percentage
points. Major grammatical errors include but are not limited to subject-verb
agreement errors, sentence fragments, run-on sentences and comma-splices.
Spelling errors and minor grammatical errors will
receive lower reductions.
Papers should have clear structure, appropriate
style, and should follow accepted standards for citing sources.
The
paper may be arranged in several different ways; however, it should reflect
good arguments and should contain the following components in some way:
- Statement of the
problem or research question. You should have a specific focus in your
research instead of simply giving a rambling description of what is
interesting about the group with which you work. Aim for a specific
question or problem to study. For example:
- What can management do
to persuade my co-workers to pursue additional training?
- What are the
components of team effectiveness for the team I work with and how can I
influence the team to be more effective?
- Why are people leaving
my company and what can management realistically do to slow down the
trend?
- Why is my group
successful and what can I do to preserve the success?
- Discussion of
applicable theories. Talk about the theories or ideas that you have learned in class
that you believe apply to the problem or question you have chosen. Again,
be selective; you can't deal with everything. Select those theories that
have the greatest heuristic potential for your research question. You may
want to supplement what you have read in your text with additional
research in the library.
- Application of the
theories.
Describe the behavior of your group relative you to the theories you have
selected. If you are focusing on a particular theory of motivation, for
example, explain how that theory operates in your group. Give specific
examples. You may want to defend your choice of theories by showing how
the theories you have chosen offer the best explanation of your
group's behavior from among several alternatives.
- Recommendations for
action.
Given the application of the theories to your group, what can you or your
managers do to influence group behavior in a productive way? Again, be
specific. In effect, you are designing an action plan that you or other
managers could execute. Give good reasons for the actions you choose.
- Appendices. If you use any
instruments or record any observations, you should include them with your
paper. These are not part of the total number of pages.
The
paper will be graded based on:
- Mechanics: spelling,
grammar, sentence structure
- Content: the
thoroughness of the analysis and the strength of the argument
- Application of
class-room learning: the degree to which the argument reflects an
understanding and application of the material we discuss in class
- Papers submitted after
the due date will be reduced one full letter grade.
