DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 1 Discussion
Strategies for Time Management
Pursuing a doctoral program requires commitment.
Identify one challenge doctoral students have while purposing this advanced degree and how do you plan to overcome it.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 2 Discussion
Finding Reliable Sources
First, watch this video about Credible Sources:
https://youtu.be/PLTOVoHbH5c
After watching the video tutorials on how to use the Trident Online Library, identify ONE empirical study related to your topic of interest and share the reference using APA style.
In addition, provide ONE example of a software tool that can help using APA style appropriately. Example: Refworks (please use other examples).
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 3 Discussion
Research Questions and Triangulation
How can a research question in business research be better formulated?
Provide an example of a research question.
Comment on the popularity and relevancy of the research questions of your classmates.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 4 Discussion
Primary and Secondary Data
Review the presentation on Primary vs. Secondary data:
https://www.slideshare.net/parabprathamesh/primary-sec
Provide one example of primary data and one example of secondary data.
Briefly describe where can this data be found and how it can be used. For example: Primary data could be a survey about job satisfaction collected by the researcher using SurveyMonkey.
Examples of secondary data can be found in this website:
http://www.secondarydata.com/secdata/gov.asp
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 5 Discussion
Ethical Considerations Conducting Applied Research
Share the link to your video recorded in SLP 5.
Discuss an ethical consideration for the data collection procedure and how you will address this issue.
Comment on the videos of at least two classmates by adding additional questions that could be answered in their proposals.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 6 Discussion
Integration and Reflection
Reflect on the concepts covered in the course. Discuss and explain how they could serve your journey in the D.B.A. program and the completion of your Doctoral Study Project.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 1 Case
D.B.A. PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND RESOURCES
Assignment Overview
In this assignment we will discuss the similarities and differences between Doctor of Philosophy program in Business Administration and the Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) which is the program you are pursuing.
In order to complete this assignment review this video on comparing and contrasting.
Here you have an example adapted from Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2012) “Research Methods for Business Students” 6th edition, Pearson Education Limited.
Fundamental/Theoretical research Applied research
Purpose
Expand knowledge of phenomena related to business and management.
Results in universal principles relating to the process and its relationship to outcomes.
Findings of significance and value to society in general.
Improve understanding of particular business or management problem.
Results in solution to problem.
New knowledge limited to problem.
Findings of practical relevance and value to manager(s) in organization(s).
Context
Undertaken by people based in universities.
Choice of topic and objectives determined by the researcher.
Flexible time scales.
Undertaken by people based in a variety of settings including organizations and universities.
Objectives negotiated with originator.
Tight time scales.
Sample table: Differences between fundamental and applied research
Case Assignment
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 5-7 page paper discussing the topic:
Applied Research in Business
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
Compare and contrast theoretical (fundamental) research and applied research.
Discuss in more detail the characteristics of Applied Research in the context of a D.B.A. program.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 1 SLP
D.B.A. PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND RESOURCES
In the Module 1 SLP, we will discuss the characteristics of well written papers at the doctoral level.
Review the required readings listed in the Background material. You have three resources developed for Trident University students at different levels (undergraduate and graduate). You have probably seen some of these resources in the Doctoral Student Orientation course.
Make sure you review the material developed at Trident as well as the Videos in the section Tips and Tools from http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/.
For example, the following video covers the topic of Understanding Assignments
https://youtu.be/Oc6kyGkMVzY
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 3-4 page paper (without counting the cover page and the page with references) discussing the topic:
The characteristics of academic writing at the doctoral level.
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
What are 10 steps you think students should follow to write a paper at doctoral level at Trident University?
How do you plan to ensure your papers are well written?
What kind of tools or resources will you use to improve academic writing?
What are the characteristics of a well written paper at the doctoral level?
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 3-4 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 2 Case
BUSINESS RESEARCH PROCESS
Assignment Overview
In this Case Assignment, we will begin exploring empirical research in its basic form. The purpose of this assignment is to get you acquainted with what empirical research is and what it looks like.
An empirical research article is an article which reports research based on actual observations or experiments. The researcher may have used quantitative methods, which generate numerical data and seek to establish causal relationships between two or more variables, or the researcher may have used qualitative methods, which objectively and critically analyze behaviors, beliefs, feelings, or values with few or no numerical data available for analysis.
You will also discuss the process of identification of a research topic and use this knowledge to practice this important task. This module will give you the opportunity to explore potential topics of study.
Case Assignment
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a paper discussing the topic:
Selecting a Suitable Topic in Business Research
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
What is empirical research and how it is related to applied research?
Describe two topics of your interest and using the information of the book chapter, justify why those two topics could be suitable for your own research. (Remember that this is just an exercise and you do not have to use these topics for your DSP at the end of the program).
Using the material from Bhattacherjee (2012), describe in detail the sources you are using to identify these two topics and also the criteria for topic selection that you are considering.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 2 SLP
BUSINESS RESEARCH PROCESS
To complete this SLP, review the following material:
Murray, N. (2008). Writing up your university assignments and research projects: A practical handbook Open University Press. Chapter 6: What are the different components of a research project?
Ong, W., Lee, D., Ye, A., Wu, C. and Liao, S. (2015). IKEA Case Study. Created with Wix.com http://wjong7.wixsite.com/ikeacasestudies
Chapter 6 of Murray (2008) book provides a description of what a research project should look like with a list of each of the components. This structure is very similar to the structure of the Doctoral Study Project required at the end of this program. For this exercise, review this chapter as an illustration.
Next, review the IKEA case study presented in a website (not a paper) with a nice description of the organizational case study.
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 3-4 page paper (without counting the cover page and the page with references) discussing the topic:
Compare and contrast business report and academic research project writing
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
How can the IKEA Case Study become an academic research project report?
What did you like/dislike from the IKEA Case Study?
What are the pros and cons of using the traditional academic research project structure?
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 3-4 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 3 Case
OVERVIEW OF THEORY IN BUSINESS RESEARCH
Case Assignment
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 5- to 7-page paper discussing the topic:
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative research in business research.
Discuss three examples of quantitative data sets used in business research.
Evaluate three examples of quantitative data collection tools and data analysis tools used in business research.
Evaluate three examples of qualitative data collection tools and data analysis tools used in business research.
Explain the pros and cons of mixed methods.
Discuss in more detail the characteristics of qualitative research.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 3 SLP
OVERVIEW OF THEORY IN BUSINESS RESEARCH
The background material for this module introduced you to some journals where scholars and practitioners share their insights. For this assignment we will test our ability to understand and differentiate between scholarly and practitioner journals.
Examples of scholarly/academic journals would be the Academy of Management Journal, Management Science, and Academy of Management Review.
Examples of a practitioner journals would be Academy of Management Perspectives, Sloan Management Review, and Harvard Business Review.
You are expected to know how to use both types of materials as references for your future efforts. This initial learning task should be the beginning of an effort to increase your ability to search for information sources for whatever topics you are pursuing toward your doctoral research.
In this assignment you are expected to:
Discuss 5 best practices for conducting a literature review.
Find two theoretical studies as well as two applied research studies related to your area of research interest and include an annotated bibliography of these articles in APA style (http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/annotated-bibliographies/).
Discuss how you might use both as part of background material.
Make sure you use reliable and updated material.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 3-4 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 4 Case
OVERVIEW OF METHODS IN BUSINESS RESEARCH
Assignment Overview
In this assignment we will evaluate qualitative research methods in more depth. In the previous case assignment, you were expected to compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative methodologies, as well as mixed method. In this Case Assignment, you will evaluate in more detail the purpose, distinctive features, advantages, and disadvantages of two out of the four qualitative research methods in business research and sample populations described in the Module Overview.
Case Assignment
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 5- to 7-page paper discussing the topic:
Qualitative Research Methods and Data Collection Techniques
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
Explain the purpose, features, advantages, disadvantages, sample populations, and examples in business research of TWO of the four qualitative research methods used in business research.
Explain TWO data collection techniques of your choice. Examples of data collection techniques or source of evidence are interviews, participant observation and fieldwork, direct observations, using documents or archival records.
If you were to conduct research, which qualitative research method and which data collection technique would you prefer to use and why?
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 4 SLP
OVERVIEW OF METHODS IN BUSINESS RESEARCH
As you address the components of the mini-proposal outlined below, pretend you are writing this document for committee members of your doctoral project. Provide enough detail to indicate that you have given each step of the research process serious consideration. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation of your mini-proposal with the following components:
Title: Provide a title for your proposal.
Rationale: Identify the topic and describe why this study is needed for a given organization (include a justification of the importance of your topic either from empirical evidence or literature).
Research Question(s): Identify one or two research questions based on the rationale.
Literature Review: What topics would have to be covered in your literature review? (Just list the topics.) List business theories that would be relevant to this study. Explain why they would be relevant.
Methodology: Discuss the research design (e.g., qualitative case study, quantitative survey, action/evaluation research) that would be appropriate to answer your research question(s). Who would be the participants? What would be the procedures for data collection and analysis?
Significance: Discuss how your research would help the organization and who would benefit.
Reference list
Upload your presentation into the SLP4 dropbox.
Please note that for SLP 5 you will be asked to record a 5- to 8-minute (no more than 8 minutes) video presentation using these slides with Blackboard Collaborate. Then you will share the link to your presentation in the Module 5 Discussion.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The PowerPoint presentation should have 7 to 12 slides.
Organization: Slide titles should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 5 Case
ETHICS AND IRB
Assignment Overview
In this assignment you will discuss Research Ethics, the ethical principles of scientific research, the purpose of the institutional review board and professional code of ethics.
Read carefully Chapter 16 of this book:
Bhattacherjee, Anol, "Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices" (2012). Textbooks Collection. 3. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3. Chapter 16. pp. 137-142
Case Assignment
Use the information provided in the readings to write a 5- to 7-page paper that discusses the ethical considerations for quantitative, qualitative, and action/evaluation research designs.
Explain the purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB). In your own words, describe the steps of the IRB process at Trident and provide a summary of the components required in the IRB application at Trident.
Finally, describe one professional code of ethics from an area of your choice.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
DOC600 Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Research Methods in Business
Module 5 SLP
ETHICS AND IRB
As discussed in SLP 4, you were asked to prepare a PowerPoint presentation of your mini-proposal with the following components:
Title: Provide a title for your proposal.
Rationale: Identify the topic and describe why this study is needed for a given organization (include a justification of the importance of your topic either from empirical evidence or literature)
Research Question(s): Identify one or two research questions based on the rationale
Literature Review: What topics would have to be covered in your literature review? (Just list the topics.) List business theories that would be relevant to this study. Explain why they would be relevant.
Methodology: Discuss the research design (e.g., qualitative case study, quantitative survey, action/evaluation research) that would be appropriate to answer your research question(s). Who would be the participants? What would be the procedures for data collection and analysis?
Significance: Discuss how your research would help the organization and who would benefit.
Reference list
In this SLP 5 you will record a short 5-minute video where YOU briefly discuss your potential area of research and share the link to your presentation in the Module 5 Discussion. You can use any technology you feel comfortable with as long as you share only the LINK to your video with your class and we can hear you and see you talking about your research.
You can use an improved version of the PowerPoint slides you created for SLP4 or any other material you find useful for this assignment. You are welcome to use any material as long as you record yourself talking about your potential research topic. We encourage you to use any creative approach. The only conditions are that you should share a LINK only with the class that is no longer than five minutes and that we can hear you (better if we can also see you) talking about your research ideas.
Note that your research discussion is NOT a formal commitment to the topic because this is just your first class in the DBA program. In this class, we want you to discuss potential areas of research to brainstorm and locate yourself within a specific area. You will also start using your research skills which will continue to improve as you continue taking courses in the program.
This is a nice opportunity for you to verbally discuss your research interest, reflect on that, then receive and provide feedback during the discussion.
Below is a list of potential ways to record your presentation but you are welcome to use others:
Screencast-O-Matic (recommended): a fast recording app to create a video file and then share on YouTube. Easy to use. Use your screen and camera from your computer to record you and your screen at the same time.
Blackboard collaborate in MyTLC.
Use your cellphone and upload your recording into YouTube or any other social network.
Products similar to Screencast-O-Matic such as SimpleScreenRecorder, Jing, or others described at the following website: https://alternativeto.net/software/screencast-o-matic/
After you record the video share the link in the discussion, watch your own video and write a short paper telling us the following:
What tool did you use to record your video? Include the link to your video.
What was the most difficult task to accomplish this assignment?
What can you do to improve future short research presentations?
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 2-3 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
