Identify and clearly state the problem (the leadership or organizational behavior issue that you have selected to research).
The problem statement should be phrased in terms of a researchable question. For example, if a work group is not performing effectively, an effective problem statement might be “How can group performance be improved?”
A well-formed problem statement has:
- Focus – the problem should be well defined and specific enough for the reader to gain a clear idea of the OB topic area and the direction of your study and research.
- Structure – if the problem statement is sufficiently focused, it will provide a basis for decisions about which information to include and which to exclude from the paper.
Explore the problem in depth and with scholarly rigor.
Provide an identification and description of the root causes of the problem/issue. Be sure not to address only symptoms of your problem. Diagnose the problem and its origins.
A critical element of this section is to apply leadership and organization concepts and models from our text, from class discussions, and from your literature review. Discuss the concepts, ideas, or insights that are most valuable in helping you make sense of the causes of the problem. Support your analysis with reference to appropriate research material.
Identify at least three potential workable solutions to your problem and identify the pros and cons of each alternative solution and its high-level implementation steps.
Identify your preferred solution and describe exactly what should be done and how it should be done, including by whom, with whom, and in what sequence. Always explain your thinking behind your final solution set. It’s important to be clear about why a particular alternative (solution) was chosen, as opposed to others.
You must use no fewer than six library resources outside your textbook.
All references must be cited in two places: within the body of your paper and on a separate reference list. Choose references judiciously and cite them accurately. Cite all sources using APA format.
Please note: Citing an author’s work within your text documents your research, identifies the source for readers, and enables readers to locate the source of information in the alphabetical reference list at the end of the paper. To use the ideas or words of another person without crediting the source is plagiarism. Plagiarism in its purest form involves copying passages either verbatim or nearly verbatim, with no direct acknowledgment of the source. The most common form of plagiarism is to paraphrase information from your source material. Paraphrasing does not relieve you of the obligation to provide proper identification of source data. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to make sure all quotes, ideas, or conclusions not your own are given proper acknowledgment in your text.