San Diego State University The Components of A Research Proposal

  

This is your final assignment for which a sample format is provided in the blackboard (Week 13 course materials). You have to refine your draft proposal and submit the same as per the given sample format. Adherence to the format is necessary. This final research proposal must contain all the stages and processes involved in a typical research proposal. Read the Chapter 16 of your textbook to have a clarity on writing a report or proposal.

directions:

This assignment is an individual assignment.

Support your submission with course material concepts, principles, and theories from the textbook along with few scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles.

Use APA style guidelines, citing references as appropriate.

Submit your findings in a 7-8 page document, excluding the title page, abstract and required reference page, which are never a part of the minimum content requirements, in the Assignment Dropbox.

please use the information in file ” sample_questionnaire1 ” & ” research_proposal.2 ” in your work because it’s related to this question.

Chapter 16
STAGE 5: RESEARCH REPORTS:
SUPPORTED INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
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16-1
Learning Objectives
Understand . . .
ï‚— How changes in business and technology are
changing research reporting.
ï‚— How to plan an audience-centric report using
audience analysis.
ï‚— Different report structures and why each is
used.
ï‚— The types and specifications of various types
of reports.
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Learning Objectives (cont.)
Understand . . .
ï‚— The organizational frameworks for reports.
ï‚— Visualization and how to effectively use
different support materials.
ï‚— The role of compilation, practice, and
delivery to achieving audience effect.
ï‚— The ethical considerations in reporting
research results.
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Reports and
the Research
Process
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Relationship of Data to Insights
By Brent Dykes, Director of Data Strategy at Domo
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AudienceCentric Report
Planning
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Audience Analysis
Audience Composition
Research Question Knowledge
Research Predispositions
Recommendation Effects
Desired Audience Effect
Supplemental Purposes
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Sample
Audience
Profile
The audience is branch bank managers with between 5
and 15 years of experience; half are women. Most have
at least some experience with at least two banks. Most
have backgrounds in finance or customer service; none
have experience in conducting or analyzing research.
They perceive themselves as “number people” but are
not schooled in statistical analysis.
They know a research project is in progress, but they
have not been consulted or kept informed. There is
strong concern among the audience that branches are
going to be closed. They don’t know the closure decision
process but fear that the research is the only factor that
will be considered in the decision process. They fear they
might lose their job.
The desired audience effect is to bring the branch
managers into the information loop and put the research
findings into a positive perspective. We want to alleviate
concerns that closure decisions are imminent, and to
encourage them to see the insights and
recommendations as a means to strengthen their branch
effectiveness among their customers.
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Research Predispositions
Attitudes and Beliefs
Selective Perception
Agreement/Disagreement
Clarity/Confusion
Experience
Openness to change
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Audience Biases
Confirmation Bias
Anchoring Bias
Conformity Bias
Survivorship Bias
Loss-aversion Bias
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Sample
Audience
Profile
The audience is branch bank managers with between 5
and 15 years of experience; half are women. Most have
at least some experience with at least two banks. Most
have backgrounds in finance or customer service; none
have experience in conducting or analyzing research.
They perceive themselves as “number people” but are
not schooled in statistical analysis.
They know a research project is in progress, but they
have not been consulted or kept informed. There is
strong concern among the audience that branches are
going to be closed. They don’t know the closure decision
process but fear that the research is the only factor that
will be considered in the decision process. They fear they
might lose their job.
The desired audience effect is to bring the branch
managers into the information loop and put the research
findings into a positive perspective. We want to alleviate
concerns that closure decisions are imminent, and to
encourage them to see the insights and
recommendations as a means to strengthen their branch
effectiveness among their customers.
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16-11
Report Structure
Oral only
Written Only
Oral-plus-Written
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Shareable
Reports in the
form of
Infographics
are increasing
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Shareable
Reports in the
form of
Infographics
are increasing
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Shareable
Reports in the
form of
Infographics
are increasing
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Content and
Style:
Organize
Research Report
Sections
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Report Titles
Descriptive
Study
• Training and Worker Productivity
in Branch X.
Correlation
Study
• The Relationship between Relative National
Inflation Rates and Household Purchases of
Brand X in International Markets.
Causal
Study
• The Effect of Various Motivation Methods
on Retail Sales Associates’
Attitudes and Performance.
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Content and Style: Organize
Research Report Decision Tree
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Content and Style: Organize
Factors Influencing Order
Relevance to Resolving
Management Question
Relevance to Understanding an
Insight or Recommendation
Perceived Importance
Primacy
Early
Recency
Perceptible Difference
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16-19
Content and Style: Organize
Frameworks of Organization
Research Brief
Past/Present/Future
Topical
Cause/Effect/Solution
Narrative
Pros/Cons/Recommendations
Classification
Spatial
Motivated Sequence
Problem/Solution
Climax Order
Chronological
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16-20
Facts
Content
and Style:
Visualize
Analogy
Support
Materials
Statistics
Metaphor
Testimony
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Desired
Audience
Effect
Story
Demonstration
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Content and Style: Visualize
Support Material Checklist
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Content and Style: Visualize
Types of Learners
Visual
Auditory
Kinesthetic
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Content and Style: Visualize
Match Learners to Support Materials
Visual
Images
Graphs
Models
Auditory
Stories
Examples
Kinesthetic
Demonstrations
Engagement activities
Duplicate research
experiences
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Content and Style: Visualize
Report must Convince Audience…
Researcher is credible
Findings are credible
Insights are credible & sound
Recommendations are supported
Audience should act
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16-25
Content and Style: Visualize
Aristotle’s Proofs & Persuasion
Ethos
Pathos
Logos
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Content and Style: Visualize
Artistotle’s Proofs & Support Materials
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Content and Style: Visualize
Presenting Findings
Words or Text
Tables
Graphs
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Presenting Findings: Words/Text
Walmart is the second largest
business in the Fortune 500 with
revenues up by 6 percent but with
profits down by 4.2 percent.
Statistics get buried in the prose
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Presenting Findings: Words/Text
Walmart is the second largest
business in the Fortune 500 with
revenues up by 6 percent but with
profits down by 4.2
percent.
Emphasize with Color or Size
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Presenting Findings: Tables
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Presenting Findings: Graphs
Implies greater importance
Easier Comparison
Increases audience retention
Emphasis on data clarity &
ease of interpretation
Emphasis on
Audience familiarity
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Graph Options
for Oral and
Written
Research
Reports
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Line Graph
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Line Graph: Altering Axis
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Line Graph: Altering Scale
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Area & Pie Graphs
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Bar Graphs
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Simplifying Visuals
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Pictograph
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Geograph
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3-D Graphs
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Visualization in the Oral Report
Pictures = memorability
Audio/Video clips
enhance understanding
Audio/Video clips
enhance persuasiveness
Flow aids enhance transitions
between topics
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Oral Visualization: Data Clarity Enhancers
Whitespace
Reducing Clutter
Large type size
Motion
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Content &
Style:
Visualize
Audience
Focus
Appropriate
Language
Passionate
Delivery
Researcher
Actions
Strong
Story
Effective
Pauses
Central Point
Participant
Examples
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Appropriate
Visualization
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Content and Style: Compile
Jargon
Language Level
Tone
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Content and
Style: Compile
Sample
Findings Page
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Content and Style: Compile
Sample Report Slide
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Content and Style: Practice
Distinguishes the oral report
from the written report
Determine time to explain insights
Experiment with audience
engagement activities.
Stage the presentation environment.
Construct audience interpretation.
Reduce performance anxiety
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Content and Style: Practice
Alleviate Anxiety
Performance anxiety:
Public speaking is a top fear.
Prepare your speech:
mentally, physically, logistically.
Memorize opening and closing to
cement audience rapport.
The more you practice,
the greater your credibility.
Know and meet your audience.
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16-50
Content and Style: Deliver
The Oral Report
Physical Venue:
Audience Present
Web-based Platform:
Remote Audience
Combination
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Content and Style: Practice
Oral Report Tips
For emphasis, vary volume,
inflection, pitch and rhythm.
Pause before something important.
Reading a script diminishes audience
connection and researcher credibility.
Go professional with clothing,
body movements, stance.
Maintain eye contact to judge reception
of insights/recommendations.
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Content and Style: Deliver
The Written Report
In Person
Via Mail or Delivery Courier
Via Email Attachment.
Via Download: Intranet/Internet.
Precede oral
Time of oral
Follow oral
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Ethical Issues
Right to quality
Appropriate visualizations
Minimize false conclusions
No unnecessary materials
Absence of coercion
Falsify visualizations
Omit findings/insights
Beyond research scope
Violate confidentiality
Findings nondisclosure
Data
Reports & Support Materials
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Ethical Issues & Their Solutions
Educate audience
Purpose of research
Research Scope
Define Researcher’s Role
Fact finding
Interpret facts
Avoid distortions
Nondisclosure
Data & report security
Confidentiality
Prior consent
Anonymous descriptors
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Speaker Behaviors to Avoid
Vocal
Physical
• Speak too softly
• Rock back and forth
• Speak too rapidly
• Pace without purpose
• Fail to vary volume,
• Fiddle with things, hair,
tone, and rate of
speaking
• Fill pauses with you
know, um, ah
jewelry, clothing
• Stare into space
• Fail to make eye contact
• Move cursor without
purpose.
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Key Terms
ï‚— 3-D graph
ï‚— Data
ï‚— Actionable insights
ï‚— Data-centric planning
ï‚— Analogy
ï‚— Data clarity
ï‚— Anchoring bias
ï‚— Demonstration
ï‚— Area graph
ï‚— Desired audience effect
ï‚— Audience analysis
ï‚— ethos
ï‚— Audience-centric planning
ï‚— Executive summary
ï‚— auditory learners
ï‚— Facts
ï‚— Bar graph
ï‚— Findings nondisclosure
ï‚— Confirmation bias
ï‚— Geograph
ï‚— Conformity bias
ï‚— Graph
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Key Terms
ï‚— Infographic
ï‚— Performance anxiety
ï‚— Information
ï‚— Pictograph
ï‚— Insight
ï‚— Pie Graph
ï‚— Jargon
ï‚— Predispositions
ï‚— Language level
ï‚— Report framework
ï‚— Kinesthetic learners
ï‚— Report Structure
ï‚— Logos
ï‚— Right to Quality
ï‚— Loss-aversion bias
ï‚— Scope
ï‚— Management report
ï‚— Statistics
ï‚— Metaphor
ï‚— Story
ï‚— Pathos
ï‚— Survivorship bias
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Key Terms
ï‚— Table
ï‚— Technical Report
ï‚— Testimony/expert opinion
ï‚— Tone
ï‚— Visualize
ï‚— Visual Learners
ï‚— Whitespace
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Appendix
BETTER REPORTS
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Design
Principles
Checklist for
Oral Support
Materials
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Presentation Aids: Key Word Prompts
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Checklist for
Oral
Web-delivered
Reports
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Checklist for
In-Person
Delivered
Oral Report
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Outline Formats
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Checklist for Written Report
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Visual Design Principles
Visual Conceptualization
Flow Markers
Visibility
Whitespace
Picture Supremacy
Photographic Framing
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Design Flow Aids
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Visual Design Principles
Contrast
Relationship
Simplicity
Clarity
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Rx for Better Slides
Low Word Count
Avoid Slideuments
Keep it Simple
10-20-30 Rule
Large Font Size
Bullets in Moderation
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Regulations:
✓ This assignment is an individual assignment.
✓ Support your submission with course material concepts, principles, and theories from the
textbook along with few scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles.
✓ Use APA style guidelines, citing references as appropriate.
✓ Submit your findings in a 7-8 page document, excluding the title page, abstract and
required reference page, which are never a part of the minimum content requirements, in
the Assignment Dropbox.
Assignment-VI: Final research proposal
This is your final assignment for which a sample format is provided in the
blackboard (Week 13 materials). You have to refine your draft proposal and
submit the same as per the given sample format. Adherence to the format is
necessary. This final research proposal must contain all the stages and processes
involved in a typical research proposal. Read the Chapter 16 of your textbook to
have a clarity on writing a report or proposal.
Answers
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
On
INSERT TITLE HERE
By
[Your Full Name Here]
Enrolment No. xxxxxxx
[Insert Degree Name]
[Insert Department Name]
[Insert Name of College]
[Insert Course Code: xxxxx]
[Insert Branch Name]
Date of Submission: DD MM 20YY
Supervisor Name:
Dr. Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1 General Introduction
1.2 Research Questions
1.3 Research Objectives
1.4 Significance of the Study
Chapter 2. Literature Review
2.1 Heading 1
2.2 Heading 2
2.3 Heading 3
2.4 Hypotheses (If any)
Chapter 3. Methodology Adopted
3.1 Research Approach
3.2 Research Design
Chapter 4. Proposed Data Analysis
Chapter 5. Implementation Plan
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
Page No.
References
Appendices (Questionnaire)
1
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. General Introduction
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
We, human beings, are continuously evolving as indispensable thinking creatures of the universe.
The man has come a very long way and has rightly made great strides in almost every conceivable
field of achievement. Scientific breakthroughs and technological advancements have enhanced our
confidence in understanding or even conquering the nature at large. The man is regarded to be in
the midst of best of times, the world have ever witnessed. Some fifty years back, no one could
have imagined the level of the technological feat or the extent of global integration of countries
which we are experiencing now. Considering the increasing share of emerging economies in the
global growth, there have been substantial improvements in enriching the lives of millions of
people around the globe.
1.2. Research Questions
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
The research questions is one of the most important parts of your research project, thesis or
dissertation. It’s important to spend some time assessing and refining your question before you get
started. The exact form of your question will depend on the length of your project, the type of
research, the topic, and the research problem. But all research questions should be focused,
specific, appropriately complex, and relevant to a social or scholarly issue.
The research questions for this study are:
1) What are the skills & resources required for the success of social enterprises & what are
those skills where the enterprise can invest in?
2) What are the input factors for implementing the social enterprise evaluation process?
1.3. Research Objectives
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
Formulating research objectives in an appropriate manner is one of the most important aspects of
your thesis. This is because research aim and objectives determine the scope, depth and the overall
direction of the research. Research question is the central question of the study that has to be
answered on the basis of research findings. The objectives of a sample thesis are given under:
2
Hence, the research, “Title of your research’’ has been formulated with the following primary
objective:
1) To get a deeper understanding of the critical success factors of social enterprises operating
in different social settings in India in terms of their influence in social entrepreneurship
success.
Depending upon the nature of your study, you can divide the main objective into sub-objectives
also. However, this is optional. You can have only main objective or you can divide it into the
required number of sub-objectives depending upon the nature of your study. For example, the
above mentioned main objective can be divided into following sub-objectives.
Thus, in accordance with the above-mentioned primary objective, the study was acknowledged
with the set of following set of sub-objectives in order to conduct the research in a more
comprehensive way:
✓ To determine the importance and criticality of individual-level factors of leadership,
entrepreneurship orientation, networking, business planning skills and their constituent
attributes in social enterprise success.
✓ To determine the importance and criticality of organizational-level factors of innovative
financing, triple bottom line planning, social enterprise marketing, community
engagement, organizational culture, social impact evaluation, frugal innovation, human
capital and their constituent attributes in social enterprise success.
✓ To determine the importance and criticality of institutional-level factors of Government
support and its constituent attributes in social enterprise success.
1.4. Significance of the Study
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
It provides details to the reader on how the study will contribute such as what the study will
contribute and who will benefit from it. It also includes an explanation of the work’s importance as
well as its potential benefits. For example the above mentioned example, the significance can be
written in the following way
The research makes important contributions to existing literature on the critical factors determining
the success of social enterprises from both managerial and academic point of view:
3
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
In this chapter, all the literature available on the different approaches to the concept of your
research is explicitly reviewed. Here you can write the outline or plan of your review like in how
many sections and what you are discussing in each section.
2.1. Sample Main Heading
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
Social entrepreneurship in common parlance refers to entrepreneurial activity with an embedded
social purpose. Although, entrepreneurial activities with a social concern can be traced back in the
history but the social entrepreneurship as an innovative model for social problem solving has
recently emerged (Robinson et al., 2009; Mair & Marti, 2006; Peredo & McLean, 2006; Dees et
al., 2002; Chell, 2007). Thus, social entrepreneurship mainly stands for endeavors which primarily
focus over social value creation and thus social mission remains central to every social
entrepreneurship activity.
The social entrepreneurship has become a global phenomenon, impacting societies by catalyzing
social transformations for societal wellbeing. The phenomenon mainly addresses the basic needs
of human society which were neglected in the race for mainstream development. As such, the
phenomenon can occur in any society and often such local social entrepreneurship initiatives have
the potential for scale up and replication at the global level. E-g: Microfinance of Bangladesh.
2.2. Sample Main Heading 2
As described above, the idea of social enterprise is certainly not new as businesses with social
missions can be traced back in the nineteenth century. Thus, the practice of social enterprise may
well be ahead of the theory as in other areas of social action (Sarah et al., 2002).
2.3. Sample Main Heading 3
As described above, the idea of social enterprise is certainly not new as businesses with social
missions can be traced back in the nineteenth century. Thus, the practice of social enterprise may
well be ahead of the theory as in other areas of social action (Sarah et al., 2002).
2.4. Hypotheses (if any)
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
4
Write here the hypothesis of your study. It can be only one or it can be even more than one as per
your choice and nature of study. For example, for the sample example provided in chapter one, the
hypothesis can be like follows.
For achieving the objectives of the study, few hypotheses were presumed. These were formed on
the basis of previous and current studies on the topic of critical success factors of social enterprises;
the hypotheses are described as follows:
Hypothesis -1
H1a: The possession of strong business planning skills in key individuals of social enterprises is
significantly associated with the success of social enterprises.
Hypothesis -2
H2a: Having a strong entrepreneurship orientation in social entrepreneurs is significantly
associated with the success of social enterprises.
3. THE METHODOLOGY
In this chapter, the research process of your thesis is to be well-defined and described sequentially.
Starting with (1) research preparation, research approach; process of the survey, concerning
research design, participants/respondents, sampling procedure and survey design, sample plan,
research instrument, method of analysis and the limitations are discussed in detail.
3.1. Research Approach
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
Research approach is a plan and procedure that consists of the steps of broad assumptions to
detailed method of data collection, analysis and interpretation. It is therefore, based on the nature
of the research problem being addressed. The researcher’s choice of a particular research approach
is governed by the nature of the research problems he/she wants to solve (Yin 1994; Merriam
1998).
3.2. Research Design
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
Research design represents the overall functional plan or blueprint (Babbie & Mouton, 2008) for
the research project. Whereas research methodology refers to the standard set of tools, techniques,
and approaches used for the purpose of collecting, analyzing and interpreting data by the
researcher, the research design is the purposeful way in which such methods are linked together to
5
address the research questions or reach conclusions. Tempering an appropriate research design is
critical for the attainment of specified goals or objectives outlined for the research project.
Therefore, the research design is ought to be trustworthy and reliable while being scientifically
grounded (Cooper & Schindler, 2006; Churchill & Iacobucci, 2002). The research design refers to
the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent
and logical way, thereby, ensuring you will effectively address the research problem; it constitutes
the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data.
3.2.1. Target Population (Sampling Technique and Sample Size)
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
The target population is the total group of individuals from which the sample might be drawn. A
sample is the group of people who take part in the investigation. The target population is the total
group of individuals from which the sample might be drawn. A sample is the group of people who
take part in the investigation. The people who take part are referred to as “participants”.
Please provide a description of your target population. Also indicate your expected sample size as
well as what type of sampling will be used and why.
3.2.2. Data Collection Approach
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
Data collection is a process of collecting information from all the relevant sources to find answers
to the research problem, test the hypothesis and evaluate the outcomes. Data collection methods
can be divided into two categories: secondary methods of data collection and primary methods of
data collection. You need to write here the types of data you will be using and also how you
collected those sources of data.
4. PROPOSED DATA ANALYSIS
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
This chapter analyses and interprets the data collected. The chapter discusses the results of the
study. You can divide the chapter into the desired number of sections and sub-sections. Analysis is
still a method or a tool being used to break down your findings.
6
5. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (ASSUMED)
Indicate in the form of a Gantt chart, the expected research start date, the duration of some
important phases/activities and also indicate the tentative project end date and total duration of the
project.
Time Frame (Gantt-Chart)
(Assume that you will undertake a full research of four to six months)
This is a sample. Replace with your own.
Activities
Duration
(Days)
Time
( Month)
Introduction
Literature
Review
Data
collection
Report
writing
Submission
of final
Report
7
Time
( Month)
References (Sample)
1) Acs, Z. J., & Audretsch, D. B. (2005). Entrepreneurship, innovation and technological
change. Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurship, 1(4), 1–65.
2) Adams, C. (2015). Understanding integrated reporting: The concise guide to integrated
thinking and the future of corporate reporting. Do Sustainability.
3) Adler, P., & Kwon, S. (2002). Social capital: Prospects for a new concept. Academy of
Management Review 27(1) 17-40.
Appendices (Questionnaire)
8
Running Head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
1
Research Proposal
Student’s Name
Institution
Date
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
2
Abstract
A research proposal is a reflection of what researchers need to show in his/her subject chosen to
research on, and it indicates the knowledge a researcher has in the field of specialization. It also
shows the summary of the question which it is researched. Moreover, it shows the method used
to arrive at the conclusions. A research proposal must have the following components;
background of the study, statement of the problem, literature review, specific objectives,
proposed research design, proposed data collection, proposed analysis plan of the results and
findings (Smith et al., 2006).
Background of the study
The researcher begins by stating the general overview of the research aim of what the research is
expected to do or achieve. Secondly, he/she states some of the past problems which have
occurred, and the research proposal will be likely expected to handle. The variables in the topic
that is the dependent and independent variable are discussed further. The independent variable,
which is key in the research, is well elaborated and be clearly shown how the dependent variable
is affected by it.
To better understand the background of the study, the researcher needs to do a preamble about
the independent variable in the local area, regional area, and then in the entire world.
Statement of the problem
The researcher now needs to explain the need vividly for doing the research. It shows the
arguments for doing the research. Backup by statistics and citations is needed. Any cited work
should not be older than five years. The researcher needs to figure out what is already known
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
3
about the topic, the available gaps from the previous studies already done about the topic. What
needs to be done concerning the gaps and its significance will be to the readers.
Objectives
The purpose of the research is stated. A general objective is derived from the title of the research,
for example, the impact of price changes on demand for products. Specific objectives are then
derived from breaking down the independent variable. For the case of price fluctuations on
demand, we can have an impact on the price increase on demand. Second the impact of a price
decrease on demand for the product. After developing research objectives then on need to
formulate the research questions (smith et al 2006).
The objectives set should be smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, and also timely.
The scope of the study is then developed. The scope indicates where the research will take place,
the means by which the data to be collected during the study will be collected. There are
different methods, including; use of questionnaires, interviews, surveys, focus groups. The
respondents of the ways of collecting data are indicated; they can either be professionals, public,
political leaders. The duration of the study is shown.
Justification of the study enables the readers to gain an understanding of how the research will be
helpful to the third party—for example, government, public, investors, and commercial banks.
Finally, the research proposal must highlight the limitations likely to be encountered as well as
the means of curbing such limitations. Some of the limitations are; lack of cooperation from the
respondents as they may not avail themselves to be interviewed or not responding to the
questionnaires brought to them because they might be busy. The researcher can mitigate this by
informing the respondent earlier about the forthcoming data collection method.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
4
Secondly, the researcher may be unable to understand and interpret correctly some of the
information and responses represented as “I don’t know” responses. To counter this, the
researcher needs to formulate clear, straightforward questions. To add on, lack of feeling
emotions can be countered by having “I slightly agree” to “strongly agree” phrases. After that,
the researcher needs to define technical terms.
Literature review
This is the most critical part of the research paper. It comprises of theoretical review, empirical
review, and conceptual framework. The theoretical review highlights the theories that are
relevant to the subject of study. Researchers need to mention who discovered the theory, when,
and what it states. Similarly, the connection between the theory to the area of specialization and
study area should be shown. Some of the common theories analyzed include; grant theory, whitecollar crime theory.
The empirical review entails the starring part of the research since many instructors question
their students a lot in this field compared to other sectors. A researcher is expected to show the
past already done researches related to the same field under research. The peer-reviewed journals
should include the title, author(s), the year of publication, a brief description of the background
of the study, a summary of the statement of the problem, the scope of the study, the theories
used, the variables in the conceptual framework, the research design adopted, target population,
the sampling design and size, data collection and analysis, summary of the findings, conclusion
and the recommendations to further studies. Your study should highlight why it is different from
other researches (Elliott et al., 2012)
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
5
The conceptual framework shows in a diagrammatic form the summary of the whole research.
The independent variable, dependent variable, and other moderating factors, such as government
intervention, should be shown.
Proposed research design
The research design indicates how the researcher will go about conducting the research.
Depending on the research topic and the aim of the research, one has to determine whether to use
qualitative, quantitative, explanatory, experimental designs, whether to use case studies or
surveys. To determine if data to be collected is longitudinal or cross-sectional. The researcher
needs to ensure a proper link between the literatures reviewed (Creswell et al., 2017)
The proposed data collection technique
The selection of the target population should be cleared done as it ensures correct, adequate, and
factual data is collected. Wrong target population selection leads to poor and misleading data,
thus overall failure to achieve the desired goal. A good target population should specify the unit
of analysis so that analysis can be easily done without ambiguity.
Since doing a study on a whole population is difficult, the researcher needs to have a sampling
design to ensure that the whole population is well represented in the sample. Doing a study on
the whole population is costly; it consumes a lot of time. It’s tedious; thus, the chances of errors
occurring are high. The sampling method may be either based on probability or nonprobabilistic. Researchers need to use probabilistic methods since they are free of biasness.
The sample size should be having at least 30 items in order to achieve a normal curve. Good
sample size should ensure a good representation of all parameters in the population. Data
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
6
collection follows after getting the sample size. The method of data collection, either the primary
or secondary source, should be considered. A sample of a questionnaire;
Title of the study
Request for the respondent to cooperate in the answering of the questionnaire and inform them
how the data and information collected will be useful in accomplishing the project objectives.
Section A (social and demographic details)
a. Name
b. Email address
c. Gender
d. Contact
e. Age
f. qualification
Section B (Dichotomous questions)
i)
Do customers like cheap products? Yes/No
ii)
Can price increase affect the purchasing power of customers? Yes/No
iii)
Can customer satisfaction influence buying of a certain product? Yes/No
iv)
Is the availability of product to consumers affect their purchasing behavior? Yes/No
Section C (Multichotomous questions MCQ)
1. What do customers check on the product before purchasing?
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
a) Price b) durability c) personal preferences d) branding.
2. What drives consumers to use a certain brand of product?
a) Peer pressure b) reliability c) tasted d) relevance
3. How many times do customers purchase a certain product?
a) Once b) twice c) more d) none
4. What do customers like about the manufacturer?
a) Honest b) advertising c) taste d) brand
Section D (checklist) (mark as options as possible)
a) What favorite features do consumers like in tangible products?
i)
Colour
ii)
Size
iii)
Smell
iv)
Weight
v)
Design
b) What favorite do consumers prefer in intangible products?
i)
Price
ii)
Usability
iii)
Accessibility
iv)
Consistence
v)
Durability
Section E (Ranking)
1. Rank the following from 1-5
7
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
8
a) Colour———-b) Size————c) Smell———–d) Weight———e) Design———-2. Rank the following attributes from 1-5
i)
Price ——-
ii)
Usability——
iii)
Accessibility—–
iv)
Consistency——
v)
Durability ———
Section F (Rating scale)
{Indicate 1_strongly disagree, 2_disagree, 3_neither agree nor disagree, 4_agree, 5_strongly
agree, N/A_not applicable}
1
Does the product price influence
N/A
5
4
3
2
1
N/A
5
4
3
2
1
N/A
5
4
3
2
1
N/A
5
4
3
2
1
purchasing
2
Consumer taste and preference affect the
buying of a certain product
3
Durability and accessibility of product
has an impact on its demand
4
Is one satisfied by purchasing a product
they like in terms of color, smell
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
5
Do consumers have a tendency to buy
9
N/A
5
4
3
2
from a specific brand of a certain
manufacturer
Section G (open-ended questions)
1. In your own opinion, suggest what the manufacturers should include in the product to
increase its demand———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————2. Explain why consumers like a certain product compared to others—————————————————————————————————————————————3. What would you recommend to a friend and family members to look at while purchasing
a product———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
The use of primary ensures first-hand information is obtained, and it’s more reliable. If to obtain
data from secondary sources, the researcher has to ensure the reliability and validity of the
information to avoid misleading (Heath & Tynan, 2010). The reliability and validity of the
instrument used to collect data should be transparent and clear and produce good results.
1
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
10
Proposed data analysis plan
Once the researcher has shown how to collect data, he/she is required to show how to analyze it.
Crucial ways include descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics entails mean,
mode, median, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis. Inferential statistics include; Karl
Pearson and spear man’s correlation, simple and multiple regression, and analysis of variance.
The hypothesis stated must be tested either using z test, t-test, F test and Chi-square tests (Chan
et al., 2013)
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
11
References
Chan, Z. C., Fung, Y. L., & Chien, W. T. (2013). Bracketing in phenomenology: Only undertaken
in the data collection and analysis process. The qualitative report, 18(30), 1-9.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods
approach. Sage publications.
Elliott, N., & Higgins, A. (2012). Surviving Grounded Theory Research Method in an Academic
World:
Proposal
Writing
and
Theoretical
Frameworks. Grounded Theory
Review, 11(2).
Heath, M., & Tynan, C. (2010). Crafting a research proposal. The Marketing Review, 10(2), 147168.
Smith, G. W., Mykhalovskiy, E., & Weatherbee, D. (2006). A research proposal. Institutional
ethnography as practice, 165-180.
Title of the Study
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–Dear Respondent,
This survey through the attached booklet (questionnaire) is carried out as a part
of our project work related to the project titled “————————————————————” undertaken as a part of MBA program of University, , KSA.
The study aims at assessing three aspects: a) ———————————-; b) —————————————-; c) ——————————————.
This survey is a critical part of the study. We are requesting your cooperation by
answering the questions in this booklet. Kindly mark your responses as per the
relevant scales specified. We assure you that the information will only be used
for academic purpose and your response will be kept confidential. We also assure
that no individual will be specifically mentioned in this project report.
Your cooperation and assistance is highly appreciated.
Yours truly,
————————————————–Copyright: Dr
Section A
(Demographic and socio-economic details)
1. Name:
2. Email ID:
3. Contact No (optional):
4. Gender:
5. Age:
6. Highest Qualification:
(add/ delete as per study)
Section B (Yes/ No questions) (min. 4)
1. Past: Have you used e learning before Covid-19?
Yes/ No
2. Present: Are you using e learning mode during Covid-19? Yes/ No
3. Future: Are you inclined to use e learning mode once Covid-19 crisis
goes away?
Yes/ No
(sample questions, replace with yours)
Section C (MCQ) (min. 4)
1. Which platform/ tool/ software do you use for e learning?
A. BB
B. Canvas
C. Captivate
D. Moodle
E. others (specify)
2. Was it force or choice for you to adapt to e-learning mode?
A. Force
B. Choice
C. Mixed
D. not sure
3. How much time do you spend on the platforms daily?
1. 1 hour
B. 2 Hours
C. 3 hours
D. more
than 3 hours
(sample questions, replace with yours)
Section D (check list) (min.2) (tick as many options you like)
1. Which features do you like in an LMS?
A. Live class
B. Assignments
C. Tests
D. Surveys
E. My grades
F. Mails
G. ———-H. ————-I. ————(sample questions, replace with yours)
Section-E (ranking) (min.2)
1. Rank the options from 1 to 5.
A.
Live class
————–
B.
Assignments
————–
C.
Tests
————-
D.
Surveys
————-
E.
Mails
—————
(sample questions, replace with yours)
Section-F (min. 5 questions)
Rating scale
[Strongly Disagree -1, Disagree -2, Neither Agree nor Disagree-3, Agree -4,
Strongly Agree -5, N.A.-Not Applicable]. Please mark your response by
rounding off the number.
1
Company/product’s brand name affects me while
1 2 3 4 5 N.A.
2
buying a policy
The features and options of a policy influences my 1 2 3 4 5 N.A.
3
choice
The policy is useful to me as per my needs
1 2 3 4 5 N.A.
4
The policy is flexible as per my requirements
1 2 3 4 5 N.A.
It is a better investment option than other
1 2 3 4 5 N.A.
5
opportunities
(sample questions, replace with yours)
Section-G (open ended questions) (min.2)
1. Please provide suggestions, if any.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-(sample questions, replace with yours)

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