Running Head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
Research Proposal Title
[Your Name]
Trevecca Nazarene University
MOL 5800: Special Topics in Organizational Leadership
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
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Introduction
The introduction should be a one paragraph narrative that concisely explains the purpose
of the study that you are proposing. It should address: What is the organization and problem
being studied; What is the specific “sticking point” to be studied; How you will research the
problem (literature review and interviews); and Why the research is important to your
organization.
Note: The entire paper (not counting Title Page or References Page) should be 12-15 pages in
length.
Background and Significance
In this section of your proposal you will expand upon the introduction. You should not
assume that anyone reading the report will have knowledge of the generational issues involved
in the study. You will want to give some background of the organization that you are studying
and the reason that you have chosen this specific “sticking point” for your study. Explain the
goals of your study and why it is relevant and worth doing. Discuss the major problem to be
studied and what barriers (or opposition) exist to conducting the study. Establish the “scope” of
your study in order to ensure that the proposal remain focused. Explain how you plan on
conducting the research and interviews for the proposal.
Review
The literature review starts here. This section of the proposal comprises the major part of your
paper and should be 5-7 pages in length. This section will provide the background for your study
and will identify the major topics involved regarding the inter-generational issues related to your
“sticking point.” You will identify the prior scholarly studies related to your topic through a review
of scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles accessed through the Waggoner Library online
databases.
(Note: Harvard Review DOES NOT count as a scholarly source).
To accomplish this task, it will be necessary for you to consider the findings and questions raised in
these studies. When reviewing the studies, think critically. What have they missed or failed to take
into account in their article? How does their article relate to what you are studying?
The literature review should NOT BE a continuous listing of one research article after the other
with no overall organization or structure. The reviews should be organized into logical themes that
group similar studies together (see sub-headings below that provide for this structure. Also see
example literature review in the weekly resources).
Keep in mind the “five C’s” of the literature review:
1. Cite – Keep the focus upon the literature related to your topic (the sticking point).
2. Compare – the arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings – what do they agree
upon?
RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
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3. Contrast – the arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings – what they disagree
upon?
4. Critique – Which arguments are most persuasive and why?
5. Connect – how does your research (interviews) on the “sticking point” relate to the
research articles you located on the topic? Where do they agree or disagree?
Review Sub-heading 1
There should be a minimum of three subheadings under which you will review the
significant literature related to your topic.
Review Sub-heading 2
There should be a minimum of three subheadings under which you will review the
significant literature related to your topic.
Review Sub-heading 3
There should be a minimum of three subheadings under which you will review the
significant literature related to your topic.
Preliminary Interview Findings
Interview at least one individual from each generation in your organization
(Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennialists)and summarize those interviews in this
section.
1. Ask each individual their perception of what (if any) differences they see in how the four
generations approach their work.
2. In the interview, you should have the individual discuss with you their view of the specific
“sticking point” chosen for your study as it relates to the organization you are studying.
3. Provide the individual with a listing of the 12 “sticking points” and ask the interviewee to rank
the three (3) that create the most challenge and the three (3) that do not create any problems.
4. Subsequent to the interviews, provide a reflection on your findings indicating how they were
either consistent or inconsistent with Shaw’s description of the generational “sticking points.”
Five Point Action Plan
Discuss how you would use the “5 Action Points” plan proposed by Haydn Shaw to address this
particular “sticking point” in your organization.
1. Acknowledge
2. Appreciate
3. Flex
4. Leverage
5. Resolve
RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
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Proposed Research Design and Methods
How would you propose that the research on your topic be designed and conducted. This section
should be a DETAILED description on the methods that you would use (quantitative, qualitative, or
both) to conduct the research on your topic and why. This section should be approximately 1-2
pages in length.
Preliminary Suppositions and Implications
Based on your readings and interviews, this section is your initial reflection upon what you
discovered and how they related to your interviews with the four generational representatives. In
this section, you should answer these questions in a NARRATIVE format:
What conclusions have you reached?
What do these conclusions mean for your organization?
What implications does this research have for future generations or other organizations?
How could your organization utilize this research?
What recommendations do you have for future research on this topic?
References
APA formatted references to all works cited in your paper.
Running Head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL TEMPLATE
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