research-proposal

DevelopingResearchProposalsHandoutPreparedbyTedZorn,UniversityofWaikatoThisisahandoutIoftengivetostudentswhenIexpectthemtoprovidearesearchproposalforacourseproject.Thatis,it’sintendedforfairlybriefproposals,notaprospectusforamastersordoctoralthesis.ItgivesstudentsanexampleofthesortofthingIwant,plussomecommentary(initalics)aboutwhatI’mexpectingineachsection.Isometimeschangetheparticularexamplegiven,inordertoencouragethemtothinkaboutparticularkindsofprojects.Forinstance,theexampleprovidedherewasusedinaLeadershipCommunicationcourse.I’veusedthesameformat,butadifferentresearchprojectexample,foracourseonOrganisationalCommunicationTechnology.Feelfreetoadaptittoyourpurposes.ResearchProposal(Example)(Note:Thisissinglespacedtosavepaper;yoursshouldbedouble-spaced)To:TedZornFrom:ChrisStudentDate:1April2003Subject:ResearchproposalProposedResearchTopic:Asituationalanalysisofsharedleadershipinaself-managingteam[provideabriefdescriptionoradescriptivetitleoraresearchquestion]Purposes:Alvesson(1996)claimsthatasituationalapproachenablesleadershiptobeviewedandstudiedas“apracticalaccomplishment”(p.476)ratherthanstartingwithaconceptualisationofleadershipaswhatevertheappointedleaderdoes.Thisapproachseemsparticularlywellsuitedtoself-managingteams(SMTs),inwhichleadershipispresumablyshared.Inthisproject,Iwillexplorehowmembersofaself-managingteamenactleadershipintheirregularteammeetings.Inparticular,IwillfocusonhowSMTmembersinfluencethedirectionoftheteamaswellastherelationshipsandidentitiesofindividualmembersandtheidentityoftheteamasaunit,andhowtheirinteractionisenabledandconstrainedbysocialandculturalinfluences(eg,organisationalculture,national/ethnicculture,andgender).SuchastudyshouldgiveinsightsintotheworkingsofSMTs,anorganisationalformthatisrapidlygaininginpopularityandacceptance.Also,thestudywilltesttheusefulnessofaperspective(thesituationalapproach)thatisunderdevelopedintheleadershipliterature.[Expandonthetopic/questionbydescribingwhatyouhopetoaccomplish,andthedesiredoutcomes(especiallythepracticalortheoreticalbenefitstobegained)]Background:IwillconductmystudyinateamthatiswithintheRoadworksDivisionwithintheHamiltonCityCouncil.Roadworkshas12SMTs,eachofwhichisresponsibleformaintenanceofroadswithinonegeographicalsectionofHamilton.Thisparticularteamincludesfourmenandawoman.Threeofthemenareintheirthirtiesandoneinhisearly50s;thewomanisinherthirties.TheyareassignedtoanareaaroundChartwell.Theystarteachdaywithabrief(15-45minutemeeting)onanagreeduponsite,oftenjustgatheringaroundthebackofatruckfortheirmeeting.Iwillattendthesethreemorningsaweekforfourweeks,andwillstayontoobservetheirworkforapproximately20hoursduringthefourweekperiod.Myprimaryfocuswillbeontheirinteractioninmeetings,althoughIwillalsoobserve(andperhapsenquiresabout)interactionsduringtheirotherwork.[Describethecontextoftheproposedresearch,makingitclearhowthiscontextwillallowyoutoaccomplishyourstatedpurposes]Scope:Iwillengageinparticipant-observationoverasix-weekperiod,from8Aprilto22Mayforapproximatelyfourhoursperweek.Iwilltypicallyobservethemorningmeetingsandstayforanhourorsotoobservetheirotherwork.OnsomedaysImaycomeatothertimesofthedayforcomparison.Iwillnotschedulestructuredinterviews,butwillinterviewteammembersinformally,asneededtoclarifyandprovideinsightintospecificconversations.[Describesuchthingsasthetimeyouwillinvest,whenthefieldworkwilltakeplace,thenumberofparticipants,andthenumberofinterviewsyouwillconduct]Theoreticalframework:Iwillbeguidedmostgenerallybytheinterpretiveperspective,andmorespecificallybyAlvesson’s(1996)situationalapproach.Theinterpretiveperspectiveplacesthefocusoninterpretingthemeaningsandperspectivesofculturalmembers,andhowthesemeaningsarenegotiated(Trujillo,1992).Iamexploringthemeaningsthesalesstaffandcustomershaveforthemselvesasindividualsandfortheirrelationships,aswellasthemeaningssalesstaffhavefortheorganisation,group,andprofessionofwhichtheyaremembers.Thesituationalapproachdirectsmetochooseoneorafewspecificinteractionstoexploreindepth.Thus,anappropriatemeansofinvestigatingthetopicfromthisperspectiveisobservationofconversation,plusinterviewingtheinteractantstounderstandthemeaningstheyhavefortheirsymbolicinteractions.[Brieflyidentifyandexplainthetheoreticalframeworkyouwillusetoguideyourinvestigation,howitfitsyourpurposeanditsimplicationsfortheresearchmethods]Method:1.ConductaliteraturereviewonleadershipandcommunicationinSMTs.2.Observethegroupfourhoursperweekforsixweeks,focusingmostlyonconversationsatteammeetings,especiallythoseconversationsinwhichthegroupaddresseschangestotheirworkprocessesandissuesofteamrelationshipsandidentity(ies).3.Interviewteammemberstoclarifyandprovideinsightintoconversations.Iwillattempttoconducttheseinterviewsshortlyafterconversationsofinterest.Whiletheinterviewswillnotbeformalorstructured,thekindsofquestionsIwillaskincludethefollowing.Thegeneralstrategyfortheinterviewsistostartoffwithbroadquestionsandfollowupontheinterviewee’sresponses,tocaptureherorhismeaningsandtoavoidimposingmymeaningsontheinterviewee.a.Tellmeabouttheconv