Research on Business Problems

CREATING PROBLEM STATEMENTS AND APPLICABLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

OVERVIEW
Once the problem statement is written, applicable research questions (RQs) are created. RQs are exploratory, not assumptive, and not specific to an organization. The background of the problem, problem statement, and RQs must be in alignment to ensure a reliable study will occur.

INSTRUCTIONS
After reviewing the required material stated in this week’s module, address the following in a written paper using the current APA format:

• Choose a business problem (no instructor approval needed).
• Research the literature to understand the problem.
• Write a one to two-page background of the problem, discussing how the problem started (i.e., root problem) and why the problem needs to be studied (i.e., organizational consequences.
• Create a problem statement and ensure it includes:
o A general problem sentence.
o Three supporting sentences showing that the problem currently exists. Each supporting sentence must be supported with a different peer-reviewed scholarly source no older than five (5) years.
o A specific problem sentence that includes the location of the study and organization type.
• Provide four research questions that align with the problem statement, ensuring they are exploratory, not assumptive, and not specific to an organization.

REQUIRED FORMAT
Cover Page
Abstract
Introduction
Background of the Problem
Problem Statement
Research Questions
References

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Use the provided Creating Problem Statements and Applicable Research Questions Assignment Template.

This 1000 minimum, 1500 maximum word paper needs to be written to include these guidelines:

• The required title, abstract, running head, and reference pages are not included in the required assignment word count but are required as part of your paper.
• Materials submitted to fulfill requirements in one course may not be submitted in another course. Concerns about the propriety of obtaining outside assistance and acknowledging sources should be addressed to the instructor of the course before the work commences and as necessary as the work proceeds.
• This paper must include at least seven references from peer-reviewed scholarly articles that have publication dates no older than 5 years. Do not use any books.
• All parts of the assignment must be based on peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
• In-text citations are required to support your (a) statements, (b) points, (c) assertions, (d) issues, (e) arguments, (f) concerns, (g) paragraph topic sentences, and (h) statements of fact and opinion. Refer to Section 8.1, Appropriate Level of Citation on pages 253 and 254 in the APA Manual (7th ed.).
• Do not provide any personal opinions.
• Refrain from using phrases such as, “in this paper.”
• Sources of information from Wikipedia, dictionaries, websites, blogs, and encyclopedias will not be accepted.
• A paragraph is defined in this course as being at least 4 sentences in length and structured in a cohesive manner. Consider using the MEAL approach for writing paragraphs:
o M – Main topic using peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
o E – Evidence to support the main topic using peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
o A – Analysis (e.g., for and against) of the evidence using peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
o L – Lead back to the main topic or to the main topic in the next paragraph using peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
• Avoid (a) clichés, (b) slang, (c) jargon, (d) exaggerations, (e) abbreviations, (f) figurative language, and (g) language that is too informal and too subjective.
• Submit your final document for grading with file name syntax: LastNameFirstInitial Assignment Name #. For example: SmithJ_Assignment Name.doc (no .pdfs)

GRADING METRICS

Consult the accompanying rubric for how this assignment will be graded. Also, any form of plagiarism, including copying and pasting, will result in zero points for the entire assignment. All quoted materials must be properly cited in the current APA format.

Note: The Turnitin plagiarism tool will be used to check your assignment for originality. The tool is a starting point for instructors to check overall Academic Integrity; higher scores generally indicate a higher probability of Academic Misconduct. The higher the score, the higher the probability that there are too many quotations included in the narrative, and/or there are passages that have not been properly cited.