microsoftword

ResearchProposal(Example)

Subject:Researchproposal

ProposedResearchTopic:Asituationalanalysisofsharedleadershipina

self-managingteam[provideabriefdescriptionoradescriptivetitleora

researchquestion]

Purposes:Alvesson(1996)claimsthatasituationalapproachenables

leadershiptobeviewedandstudiedas“apracticalaccomplishment”(p.

476)ratherthanstartingwithaconceptualisationofleadershipas

proachseemsparticularly

wellsuitedtoself-managingteams(SMTs),inwhichleadershipis

project,Iwillexplorehowmembersofa

particular,IwillfocusonhowSMTmembersinfluencethedirectionof

theteamaswellastherelationshipsandidentitiesofindividualmembers

andtheidentityoftheteamasaunit,andhowtheirinteractionisenabled

andconstrainedbysocialandculturalinfluences(eg,organisational

culture,national/ethnicculture,andgender).Suchastudyshouldgive

insightsintotheworkingsofSMTs,anorganisationalformthatisrapidly

,thestudywilltestthe

usefulnessofaperspective(thesituationalapproach)thatis

underdevelopedintheleadershipliterature.

[Expandonthetopic/questionbydescribingwhatyouhopetoaccomplish,

andthedesiredoutcomes(especiallythepracticalortheoreticalbenefits

tobegained)]

Background:Iwillconductmystudyinateamthatiswithinthe

rkshas

12SMTs,eachofwhichisresponsibleformaintenanceofroadswithin

rticularteamincludesfour

fthemenareintheirthirtiesandoneinhis

early50s;eassignedtoanarea

arteachdaywithabrief(15-45minutemeeting)

onanagreeduponsite,oftenjustgatheringaroundthebackofatruckfor

ttendthesethreemorningsaweekforfourweeks,

andwillstayontoobservetheirworkforapproximately20hoursduring

aryfocuswillbeontheirinteractionin

meetings,althoughIwillalsoobserve(andperhapsenquiresabout)

interactionsduringtheirotherwork.

[Describethecontextoftheproposedresearch,makingitclearhowthis

contextwillallowyoutoaccomplishyourstatedpurposes]

Scope:Iwillengageinparticipant-observationoverasix-weekperiod,

typicallyobservethemorningmeetingsandstayforanhourorsoto

daysImaycomeatothertimesofthe

otschedulestructuredinterviews,butwill

interviewteammembersinformally,asneededtoclarifyandprovide

insightintospecificconversations.[Describesuchthingsasthetimeyou

willinvest,whenthefieldworkwilltakeplace,thenumberof

participants,andthenumberofinterviewsyouwillconduct]

Theoreticalframework:Iwillbeguidedmostgenerallybythe

interpretiveperspective,andmorespecificallybyAlvesson’s(1996)

erpretiveperspectiveplacesthefocuson

interpretingthemeaningsandperspectivesofculturalmembers,andhow

thesemeaningsarenegotiated(Trujillo,1992).Iamexploringthe

meaningsthesalesstaffandcustomershaveforthemselvesasindividuals

andfortheirrelationships,aswellasthemeaningssalesstaffhaveforthe

organisation,group,

situationalapproachdirectsmetochooseoneorafewspecific

,anappropriatemeansof

investigatingthetopicfromthisperspectiveisobservationof

conversation,plusinterviewingtheinteractantstounderstandthe

meaningstheyhavefortheirsymbolicinteractions.[Brieflyidentifyand

explainthetheoreticalframeworkyouwillusetoguideyourinvestigation,

howitfitsyourpurposeanditsimplicationsfortheresearchmethods]

Method:

ConductaliteraturereviewonleadershipandcommunicationinSMTs.

Observethegroupfourhoursperweekforsixweeks,focusingmostlyon

conversationsatteammeetings,especiallythoseconversationsinwhich

thegroupaddresseschangestotheirworkprocessesandissuesofteam

relationshipsandidentity(ies).

Interviewteammemberstoclarifyandprovideinsightintoconversations.

Iwillattempttoconducttheseinterviewsshortlyafterconversationsof

heinterviewswillnotbeformalorstructured,thekinds

eralstrategyforthe

interviewsistostartoffwithbroadquestionsandfollowuponthe

interviewee’sresponses,tocaptureherorhismeaningsandtoavoid

imposingmymeaningsontheinterviewee.

abouttheconversationyoujusthadwithX.

reyouthinkingduringtheconversation?

youthinkshe/hewasthinking?

youthinkshe/hewastryingtodo(oraccomplish)inthe

conversation?

dyoumeanwhenyousaid,“......”?

reyouthinkingwhenyousaidthat?

youthinkshemeantwhenshesaid“......”?

uthinkaboutwhatyoudidandsaidinthatconversation,how

wouldyoudescribeyourself?

Undertakeasituationalanalysisofthefieldnotesandinterviewnotes,

guidedbyAlvesson’stheory.

Writearesearchreportthatcombinesmyunderstandingoftherelevant

theoryandpreviousresearchwiththeresultsofmyempiricalresearch.

[Describeindetailthestepsyouwilltakeinattemptingtoansweryour

researchquestion]

Timetable:

Prepareproposalby1April

Completeliteraturereviewby15April

Completefieldworkby22May

Completeanalysisby29May

Givepresentationon3June

Completefinalreportby16June

Limitations:Timeconstraintsofthesemesterrequirelesstimethanmay

gintheorganisationforonly

fourhoursaweekforfiveweeks,thereareboundtobeaspectsof

leadershippractice,organisationalcultureandteamcommunicationthat

noutsidermayalso

mmembersmaybeguardedintheir

conversationsaroundme,especiallyinmyinitialobservations.[Describe

conditionsbeyondyourcontrolthatplacerestrictionsonwhatyoucando

andtheconclusionsyoumaybeabletodraw]

Delimitations:Iamchoosingnottoobservemultipleteams,eventhough

suchcomparisonsmightbevaluable,inordertoallowmoredepthof

onally,I

willnotusestructuredinterviewsinordertominimisemyobtrusiveness

andmyinfluenceontheteammembers.[Describetheboundariesofthe

studythatyoudetermine]

References

ResearchProposal#1

Topic:

Thisresearchproposalsuggestsresearchonhowthelevelof

self-disclosureeffectsthedegreeofrelationshipsatisfaction.

ReviewofLiterature:

Guerrero&Afifi(1995)conductedastudytoexaminetopicavoidance

undthatmales

reportedavoidingdiscussionofrelationshipissuesmorethanfemalesdid.

AsMartin&Anderson(1995)soughttoexaminethemotivesbehind

self-disclosureinfather-youngadultrelationshipsandtheresultinglevel

ofrelationshipsatisfaction,theirstudyfoundthatyoungadultsseemto

modeltheirself-disclosureaftertheirfathers's,

Shaffer,Bazzini,&Greenier(1994)examinedthegeneralityofthe

openereffecttomalesandfemalesacrossdifferentsituationalcontexts.

Theyfoundthatbothgendersdisclosedmoreandlongertohighopeners

thantolowopenersacrossthedifferentcontexts,Leaper,Carson,Baker,

Holliday,&Myers(1995)usedbothsame-andopposite-sexdyadsin

ordertoexaminetherelationshipbetweenlistenerverbalsupportand

undthatfemalestendedtobemore

responsiveandsupportivethanmalesduringdiscussionsinbothsame-

r,itwasalsofoundthatmenmade

moredisclosingcommentsthandidwomen,indicatingthatitispossible

sofoundthat

imbalancesinself-disclosureandverbalsupportarerelatedto

relationshipdissatisfaction.

Drawingonthesefindings,itcouldbepossibletoanticipatethat

individualswhohavesimilarpatternsofself-disclosurewouldhave

uedresearchmay

furtherexplorewhatotherfactorsaffectthedegreeofrelationship

satisfaction.

ResearchQuestion:

Whateffectdoesthelevelofself-disclosurehaveonthedegreeof

relationshipsatisfaction?

Hypothesis:

Individualswhoexperiencesimilarlevelsofself-disclosurewillbemore

likelytohavehigherdegreesofrelationshipsatisfaction.

Method:

IncongruencewiththepreviousstudyconductedbyMartin&Anderson

(I995),adesigninvolvingapproximately200undergraduatestudents,I

llcompletequestionnaires

consistingofmeasuresofself-disclosureandcommunicationsatisfaction.

Theywillalsobegivenaquestionnairetohavetheirsignificantothers

ipants

willbeinformedthatthisresearchstudyfocusesonself-disclosureand

levelsofrelationshipsatisfaction,participationisvoluntary,andtheir

-addressedenvelopewillbe

enclosedtoassistinconfidentiality.

ParticipantswillcompletetheSelf-DisclosureScale(SDS)andthe

CommunicationSatisfactionScale(CSS).Theirresponseswillbe

comparedwiththoseoftheirpartner'sinordertoassessthesimilarities

betweenthepair'slevelsofself-disclosuretoeachotherandtheirdegree

ofrelationshipsatisfaction.

Participantswillalsobegivenasecondquestionnaire,whichwillask

themtoassesswhattheybelievetobetheirpartners'levelof

esponses

willalsobecomparedtoexaminewhetherindividuals'self-reportsof

theirlevelsofdisclosureandsatisfactionmatchupwithwhattheir

partnersbelievetheirlevelstobe.

Predictions:

InresponsetothestudydonebyMartin&Anderson(I995),itshould

becomeclearthattheamountofself-disclosurethatoccursbetween

individualsaffectstherelationalsatisfactionthatisfeltbybothparties.

Leaperetal.(1995)foundthatimbalancesinself-disclosureandverbal

uldseemto

indicatethattheoppositewouldbetrue,,itmaybefoundthat

individualswhoexperiencesimilarlevelsofself-disclosurewillhave

higherdegreesofrelationshipsatisfaction.

Apossibleproblemusingthemethodschosenisthatself-reportmaynot

maynottruthfullyportraytheirlevelsof

r,throughtheuseof

confidentialityandthesecondquestionnairethatasksthepartnersto

assesseachother'slevels,itishopedthatthepotentialforthisproblem

maybedecreased.

References

Guerrero,L.,&Afifi,W.(Summer1995).Somethingsarebetterleft

unsaid:ication

Quarterly,43,276-296.

Leaper,C.,Carson,M.,Baker,C.,Holliday,H.,&Myers,S.(1995).

Self-disclosureandlistenerverbalsupportinsame-genderand

cross-genderfriends'es:AJournalofResearch,33.

387-405.

Martin,M.,&Anderson,M-(Spring1995).Thefather-youngadult

relationship:Interpersonalmotives,self-disclosure,andsatisfaction.

CommunicationQuarterly,43,119-130.

ResearchProposalExample–UsefulGuidePapers

Aresearchproposalexampleisadocumentthatcanhelpyouwriteyour

seitdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatyouare

helpless,whattheexamplefileintendstogiveyouisthecapacitytowrite

st,whatisaresearchproposal?

Aresearchproposalisastudydocumentthatstudentswriteastheir

cumenthasseveralpartsthatmakeupforacomplete

saneedtoinputa

questioninthethesisstatementwhichwilljumpstarttheresearchprocess.

Afterwards,theconclusionwillfinalizetheanswersbasedonthe

student’dtowritetheliteraturereview,write

methodology,haptersare

separatedfromthenormalIntroductiontoConclusiontypeofwritingin

ologychapterwritingmaybetediousbecauseyouneedto

turereview

composingcanbetroublesomeifyoucannotsummarizetheideasfrom

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