Business Research for Decision Making

Unit 1 IP - Managerial Decision Making + Research Design, Part 1

Individual Research Project - Preliminary Research Design
Click here to view the Sekaran diagram on the research process.
This assignment has two parts:
Part 1
The term "formal research" traditionally refers to conducting an experiment under controlled conditions in order to discover, demonstrate or test a hypothesis. On the other hand, a "business proposal" is considered the systematic gathering of information with the intent of arriving at an optimal solution for a given problem or situation. Each one has its application and value in the business setting, yet there are also attributes that are unique to each one.
For the first part of this assignment, compare and contrast the theoretical and practical differences between "formal research" and "business proposals". What are some commonalities? What are some differences? What are the capabilities of one in contrast with the capabilities of the other? Use sources available on the web, the library from the textbook to support your arguments and remember to include these sources in the references section of your paper.
While you are working on the assignment, read the article "The Disconnect Between the Science and the Practice of Management" for additional assistance on the subject.
Part 2
For this second part, search one of the five 'testable statements' (hypothesis) listed below and conduct a survey of the literature using one of the article collections (databases) in the Library. Based upon the elements of how to construct a literature review suggested in the Sekaran textbook and additional sources, prepare an actual 3-4 page Literature Review (Step 2 of the Sekaran process) that address the most relevant findings reported in research articles which address, support, or refute your chosen hypothesis. Pick one of the following hypotheses to compose your Literature Review:
H1: There is no relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty.
H2: A significant relationship exists between the age of the workforce and increased levels of job satisfaction.
H3: There is a statistically significant relationship between the emotional quotient (as measured by the emotional intelligence scale) and the age of business administration students.
H4: There is no relationship between a sense of employee empowerment and productivity.
H5: Education level is positively related to the levels of stress in the job.
Please note that this assignment will be a building block for week 2 IP.
Using the Library, the Internet, and your course materials, write a 5-7 page document using MS Word 2007 that addresses the questions in each part of the assignment.
NOTE: Part 2 will be used for your research report in Unit 2 and Unit 4.
Your report MUST include a reference list in correct APA format. Please note that all the sources used in your Literature Review also need to be listed in your references section. All research should be cited in the body of the paper. Reports without citations may not earn any higher grade than a 'C' letter grade.
NOTE: Scholarly article collections may be accessed in the Library. Suggestions are:
? ABI Inform Global
? Academic Search Premier
? Business Source Premier
Source:
Buckley, M. R., Ferris, G. R., Bernardin, J., & Harvey, M. G. (1998). The disconnect between the science and practice of management. Business Horizons, 41(2), 31-38. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from the Business Source Premier database.
Please submit your assignment as an MS Word document in APA Style format.

Objective: The Objective of the Unit 1 IP Assignment will involve the following the Course Outcomes and Grading Criteria with their respective percentages for the Grading Rubric:
? Compare reflective and expedient decision making. (70%)
? Apply the standard of APA Style to all research and writing tasks. (10%)
? Apply critical thinking skills to analyze business situations. (20%)
Unit 2 DB
Deliverable Length: 5-7 paragraphs

Important Course Information
Course Overview
Throughout this course you will be responsible to apply APA Style writing for all of your assignments. Please review the AIU APA Guide for a better understanding of what is expected on all assignments in this class. (Click here to view the AIU APA Guide). These documents will provide you guidance on how to demonstrate your understanding of proper APA Style writing.
Think about a recent business decision you have made that was either a success or a failure. Your supervisor asked you to email him/her a self-evaluation of this decision as part of your yearly evaluation (please note: post your evaluation within the Unit 1 DB thread, not an actual e-mail to your instructor). You are to be as objective and open minded as possible. Analyze your decision using Bazerman & Moore's six steps as a guide: define the problem, identify the criteria, weigh the criteria, generate alternatives, rate each alternative on each criterion, compute the optimal decision. Make sure your email addresses the following issues:
1. Were there any discrepancies between the calculated "optimal" decision and your actual (or favored) decision? (Make sure to show your calculations.) If so, what might account for the discrepancies?
2. What problems did you encounter when completing the steps? (For example, what were the challenges of computing the optimal decision?)
3. What were weaknesses in the "fully rational" model of decision-making?
Use the Library or other Web resources to support your argument. Be sure to cite your sources using APA Style guidelines.
Source:
Bazerman, M. H., & Moore, D. A. (2009). Judgment in managerial decision making (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Your work MUST include a reference list. All research should be cited in the body of the paper. Reports without citations may not earn any higher grade than a 'C' letter grade. Your report should contain a short introduction and conclusion in addition to the body of the paper. Please note that if you have a source in your reference section, you need to cite it in the body of the paper per APA guidelines and vice-versa.

Objective: The Objective of the Unit 1 DB Assignment will involve the following the Course Outcomes and Grading Criteria with their respective percentages for the Grading Rubric:
? Summarize the role of decision making in business. (30%)
? Discuss common biases in decision making. (20%)
? Compare reflective and expedient decision making. (10%)
? Apply the standard of APA Style to all research and writing tasks. (10%)
? Apply critical thinking skills to analyze business situations. (10%)
? The remaining 20% of the grading will be based on your in-depth interactions with your colleagues.