Research Paper

MAN 3025 Research Paper Instructions
Overview
You will prepare and submit a Draft Paper and a Final Paper. The draft will cover the entire contents of
the paper (no missing sections) so that the instructor can provide feedback to you. That will allow you to
revise and polish your effort before a final submission. The draft and final papers must adhere to
plagiarism policies as explained in the submittal instructions. You will have a chance to preview your
plagiarism report prior to your draft submission to assist you in complying with the originality
requirements. You will upload the draft paper by the dates shown on the course calendar and/or
Blackboard schedule.
General description
Select an organization (your work, school, or other organization to which you have access) and describe
the four managerial functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. You may reference
your text in describing the styles, types, and categories you observe. Read ahead in your text if necessary
to review these topics as you prepare your draft.
• Your description of planning will include how the business sets goals and defines the actions
necessary to carry out plans. A description of annual goal-setting or planning meetings may be
included for this purpose. Explain the strategic plans, including a brief description of their
corporate-level, industry-level, and firm-level strategies. Finally, include a brief description of
their primary positioning strategy (cost leadership, differentiation, focus, etc.). Refer to
information in chapters 1 & 5-8.
• Your description of leadership in the organization will include management styles, the manager’s
knowledge of individual and group behavior, and ability to motivate and communicate. Limit this
discussion to one or two specific managers in the organization and briefly describe their leadership
styles while leading the organization. Refer to chapters 1 & 13-15 for information.
• A discussion of organizing will include what type of tasks must be accomplished (in broad terms)
and who is assigned to perform and manage them. In other words, what types of jobs does the
business have and how are they managed. Describe the organizational culture and type of
organization by determining the number of levels in the hierarchy and developing a simplified
organizational chart. Refer to chapters 1 & 9-12 for information.
• In discussing the controlling function, include the methods for monitoring the performance of the
organization plus techniques for identifying and correcting deviations between planned and actual
results. Specifically, discuss methods for performance appraisals and the budgeting process. Refer
to chapters 1, 11, & 16 for information.
As you progress through the course, you will gain further insight into how these four components relate as
a whole. You will also receive feedback from your instructor offering suggestions for improving your
draft. You will then revise and polish your paper for a final submission near the end of the course.
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Requirements
The paper must be well written with proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and references. This
Research Paper will be a minimum of 6 to 7 typed pages plus a cover page and a References page,
bringing the total to 8 or 9 pages. An abstract is optional unless your instructor states otherwise. The
paper will be double-spaced using 12-point “Times New Roman” font and standard one-inch margins.
This equates to approximately 1500 to 1800 words. The paper must be correctly formatted and
documented using the APA style.
Specific description
How to assemble and format the paper with required headings
The paper will consist of the following sections:
Introduction – Establish “Section I – Introduction” as a Level 1 heading. Describe the purpose of the
paper by identifying your organization and clearly stating your thesis. The thesis will address your
organization’s managerial competency. It may be refined after the draft is submitted and prior to the final
submission. The thesis presents principles you intend to demonstrate or prove about the organization. A
thesis might include a statement such as “The XYZ Corporation is a well-managed organization that is
prepared for profitability (or other measureable form of success) in the future.” You might also state,
“The XYZ Corporation exhibits several management flaws that will limit profitability (or other
measureable business elements such as market share, customer service, long-term financial success, etc.)
in the future.” Note that your analysis section will provide support for this thesis (or opinion) and your
conclusion will describe how you proved your position. Size: About one page total.
Background – Establish “Section II – Background” as a Level 1 heading. Provide some historical
perspective for the organization as well as its culture. You will also describe current managerial issues or
problems the company is facing due to the changing business environment. You will research and cite
scholarly articles and other sources that provide this background information. Size: About one page total.
Analysis – Establish “Section III – Analysis” as a Level 1 heading. Your discussion of each of the four
managerial functions is included in this section. Four additional Level 2 headings will be included under
this Analysis section as follows:
• Planning
• Leading
• Organizing
• Controlling
You will describe these four managerial elements in your selected organization and then follow-up your
discussions with expert evaluations for the situations you describe. Specifically, you must cite academic
research that supports or refutes your opinions, personal observations, or personal experiences. You will
then give credit to the experts (research scholars) via in-text citations and by including appropriate
references at the end of your paper.
To emphasize the objective, understand that this is a scholarly research paper so avoid writing a
“memoir” simply describing your personal experiences and opinions. Furthermore, if you include the
opinions of interviewed managers, you must examine them for validity when compared to academic
research on these topics. You may express your personal opinions in the conclusion but limit the body of
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your research report to examining how the researchers have assessed the functional area you are
observing and describing.
Content/Size –The analysis section is the main body of your research paper so prepare about one page
each for the four functions, four pages total.
Conclusion – Establish “Section IV – Conclusion” as a Level 1 heading. The conclusion recalls the thesis
and offers an opinion on the company’s managerial competency consistent with the student’s research.
Discuss how your thesis was proved or demonstrated and provide the lessons learned from the subject.
Size: About one page.
References – Cite and include at least five (5) sources in a references page complying with APA format.
Important notice— read before submitting: The references are often identified by the SafeAssign system
as copied (plagiarized) material. Your instructor may permit you to remove the reference page and submit
it by Blackboard email before uploading to SafeAssign so that the originality report is not distorted.
Please check with your instructor for her/his policy in this regard.
You may include your text as one of the references. Do not include encyclopedias or dictionaries,
although these sources may be used in addition to the others. At least one source from an academic
journal is required. Consider using a reference like the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of
Management Review, or Academy of Management Perspectives. Many approved sources are available in
the library databases. Other sources may include books, articles from major publications and newspapers,
and appropriate Internet sites. Remember that you must paraphrase or summarize the information cited
from other sources rather than copying and pasting it. If you include expert documentation (personal
interviews) in your paper, review the section entitled Citing Interviews (Personal Communication)
found later in this document.
The Draft In online or web-component classes you will submit a Draft of your research paper to the
“preview” site in Step 2 and then to Step 3 after correcting any originality problems. Please review the
detailed Draft Paper Expectations provided on page 5 of these instructions.
Due Dates and Schedules – Refer to the BlackBoard or Instructor’s syllabus calendar for the due dates
established for selecting the organization, submitting your draft, and submitting the final paper.
Formatting help – APA Formatting and Style Guides—as well as help composing APA citations— are
available online through PBSC Library websites (Lib-Guides). The Bachelor’s Degree Librarians can help
you find information on this subject and assist you with proper formatting.
Grading – Your draft and final papers will be graded on originality and compliance with BAS plagiarism
rules. Proper grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation is expected. The paper will be of adequate length
to cover all aspects of the assignment. Instructors will also require properly formatted section headings
and accurate APA formatting for quotations, in-text citations and reference pages. Your instructors may
use the Grading Scale found on page 6 or will advise you if they adjust scores in a different manner.
Feedback – Your instructor may choose to provide feedback via code numbers as shown in the Feedback
table on page 6. Please confirm your instructor’s preference in this regard. In any event, review the table
for typical problems or errors students might experience so that you may avoid them in your draft.
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Submittal Instructions
Submit your paper on the proper dates through Steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in your Blackboard course. Your papers are
automatically submitted to the SafeAssign system in Steps 2, 3, and 4 when you submit to each assignment step.
Step 1: Submit Organization Name and briefly explain the major roles that managers perform in the
company.
Submit the name of an organization you will research. Include a brief explanation of the major roles that
managers perform in the company (approximately one page, APA format). To submit your selection,
click on the link “Step 1: Submit Organization Name”. Follow the assignment’s directions carefully before
submitting your organization selection.
Step 2 (non-graded): Preview Draft Paper to observe and correct SafeAssign Matching Index
percentage
Your paper is automatically submitted to SafeAssign to permit you to observe and correct your SafeAssign
Matching Percentage as you preview your draft paper. You are permitted one ungraded submittal to SafeAssign
to preview your initial Percentage. This preview SafeAssign site will open on the same date as the official draft
submittal opening date. If your preview score exceeds 15%, check the report to confirm where copied words and
phrases are causing you to exceed the value. Then, correct your original document by summarizing or
paraphrasing these words/phrases into your own words. Work with the Student Learning Center (SLC) or
Writing Lab if you need assistance. This will reduce the copied material and the Matching Percentage prior to
the official submittal in your research paper draft assignment. When completed, proceed to Step 3 and submit
your corrected/updated draft before the due date. Again, your official submittal MUST NOT exceed the 15%
score to receive credit for your work. To submit your ungraded submittal to SafeAssign, click on the link “Step
2: Preview Draft Paper”. Follow SafeAssign instructions carefully to submit your paper.
Step 3: Submit Draft Paper (after eliminating excessive copied content identified in Step 2)
After eliminating excessive copied content identified in Step 2, SafeAssign will again be used to check for
originality when you submit the draft of your research paper. The draft should represent about 80% of the final
paper. Material for all sections must be addressed. To submit your draft, click on the link “Step 3: Submit Draft
Paper”. Follow instructions carefully to submit your paper.
Step 4: Submit Final Paper (revised and polished based on instructor’s feedback on Step 3’s Draft)
You will revise and polish your previously submitted draft based on your instructor’s feedback on Step 3.
SafeAssign will be used to check for originality when you submit your Final Research Paper. Material for all
sections must be addressed. To submit your final paper, click on the link “Step 4: Submit Final Research Paper”.
Follow SafeAssign instructions carefully to submit your paper.
Step 5: Submit a video of your narrated PowerPoint presenting a brief overview of your research
Prepare a PowerPoint file to present the major items you analyzed for your research paper. Provide one slide for
background, one slide each for planning, leading, organizing, and controlling, and one slide for conclusion. You will
submit a recording of your narrated presentation using the Kaltura screen capture tool.
To submit your video presentation, click on the link “Step 5: Submit Presentation.” You will then follow the link
entitled Instructions for submitting your Presentation Video via Kaltura in Step 5.
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Draft Paper expectations and suggestions to avoid submittal problems
A. The draft in this course is not simply an outline. Use paragraphs and complete sentences. Do not place a
heading with content that merely says, “to be filled in later” or equivalent. The draft must include about 80% of
the material you will submit in the final paper. It is identified as a draft because it shows your first attempt to
prepare a final paper but it has to have enough thought and content for the instructor to grade. Your finished
paper will be between 1500 and 2000 words. Therefore, 80% of that for a draft will be in the 1200-1400-word
range. The draft paper is written like any formal research paper, including APA Level 1 and Level 2 headings
as in the final version. Grammar, spelling, and content must be accurate.
B. Do not re-interpret the rules for how you have previously defined a “draft” in the past. This is not “just a rough
draft.” It must meet the plagiarism rules and all other formatting instructions. Furthermore, the grade you
receive on the draft contributes to the final paper grade.
C. Your research papers and drafts are NOT simply “reports” on your company, nor are they autobiographical
novels about your experiences within that business. Students have a tendency to write about their experiences
and about what they know to be true in their industry—thus, a type of autobiographical novel. That is NOT a
research paper. What was true for you may not be typical of other business.
D. You can select small family businesses but an honest assessment of leadership or management skills might
require negative comments so this could deter you from writing honestly about the situation. All of your facts
and opinions must also be supported by scholarly/academic research. For example, if you state what was
learned or observed during a leadership experience in your company, you also need to find research that
supports that learning experience or even research that refutes that experience. Online journals such as the
Academy of Management Journal (and many others) always have articles on the various business functions you
can apply to your business.
E. References for your draft are required since you are providing about 80% of the material the final paper would
include. All of your facts and opinions must be supported by proper research. You will need both in-text
citations and a reference list explaining where you located the citations. A good research paper has one or more
citations for every fact in every paragraph and instructors will look for that in your draft. Note that you may not
find specific information on the company or problem you are discussing. Instead, you will be describing your
company or problem and then finding scholarly support for how a similar problem was resolved in other
companies.
F. Please confirm your instructor’s policy on this following procedure: Before submitting to Step 2 (Preview) or
Step 3 (Draft), you should remove the reference list (not the citations) from your paper and submit the paper
without it. Then, submit the reference list separately to the instructor via Blackboard email. This can save you a
few percentage points because SafeAssign often identifies references as copied material.
G. Instructions indicate that the draft paper needs to meet the 15% SafeAssign rule. That is why you have Step 2 to
preview before Step 3. You are to first submit to Step 2, review the percentage, correct any material exceeding
15% (paraphrase, summarize, re-word, or eliminate), and then submit to Step 3. You will need as much as 24
hours or more between the Step 2 and Step 3 submittal to view the SafeAssign originality report so schedule
accordingly.
H. Remember that the SafeAssign system considers words between quote marks as copied material. This means
that you must carefully limit the amount of directly quoted material (even between quotation marks) in order to
meet the overall 15% rule. Of course, you must use quote marks for any quoted or copied material; however,
you can easily exceed our SafeAssign limits even when using proper quotation marks. Students who do not
meet the plagiarism requirements will earn grades in accordance with the Grading Scale Rubric and are subject
to academic dishonesty rules.
I. You CANNOT re-submit a paper or portion of a paper you previously submitted for a grade to another class—
even if it is your own words. Re-using portions of a paper you previously submitted or re-submitting an entire
paper will be detected in SafeAssign as plagiarism. This applies even if you are re-taking this class and re-using
a PORTION of a paper or an ENTIRE paper you submitted in your previous course. This is not only plagiarism
(SafeAssign will show up to 100% plagiarism) but it is also a violation of the Academic Honesty rules which
state that it is an act of dishonesty if you re-use a paper (or portions thereof) previously submitted for a grade.
Papers exceeding the 15% SafeAssign rule are graded in accordance with the Grading Table (Rubric) included
in these instructions. You may also be subject to formal plagiarism consequences.
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Research Paper Grading Scale
Rubric for Step 1 [Organization name and major manager roles] Criteria Fully
Achieved
Not
Achieved Comments
Student demonstrates scholarly effort in
describing the managerial roles; length of
submission and level of research are appropriate
50 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students failing to meet these standards may
be asked to consult a librarian specialist for
assistance with research methodology
Student demonstrates proficient writing skills
(Grammar/Spelling/ Syntax/Punctuation)
30 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students failing to meet these standards may
be asked to consult a writing tutor for
assistance
Student demonstrates proper APA style for the
heading and in-text citation format in this
submission
20 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students failing to meet these standards may
be asked to consult a librarian specialist and
a writing tutor for APA style and research
paper format assistance
Rubric for Steps 2, 3, & 4
Note: To qualify for grading, papers must meet a SafeAssign Matching Index Percentage of 15% or less. The ungraded
Preview stage (Step 2) permits the student to review and remove excessive copied material prior to submitting to Step 3 for
grading. Papers exceeding 15% in Step 3 receive a grade of zero and students may be required to rewrite the paper and submit
with a late penalty of 15 points.
Criteria Fully
Achieved
Not
Achieved Comments
Student demonstrates scholarly effort for content,
length, and thorough research
50 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students failing to meet these standards may
be asked to consult a librarian specialist for
assistance with research methodology
Student demonstrates proficient writing skills
(Grammar/Spelling/ Syntax/Punctuation)
30 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students failing to meet these standards may
be asked to consult a writing tutor for
assistance
Student demonstrates proper APA format for
headings, quotations, in-text citations, reference
list, and overall format per the research paper’s
detailed instructions
20 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students failing to meet these standards may
be asked to consult a librarian specialist and
a writing tutor for APA style and research
paper format assistance
Rubric for Step 5 [Narrated PowerPoint Video] Criteria Fully
Achieved
Not
Achieved Comments
Student demonstrates scholarly effort for research.
Meets the instructions for minimum number of
slides and content on each.
50 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students should consult a librarian specialist
for assistance with research methodology if
appropriate.
Student demonstrates proficient writing skills
(Grammar/Spelling/ Syntax/Punctuation) on all
slides with knowledgeable narration
30 Points
Maximum 0 Points Students should consult a writing specialist
for assistance if appropriate.
Student demonstrates proficiency with technical
aspects of the presentation, offers well-formatted
slides, properly bulleted items, and narration audio
is properly recorded, clear and concise.
20 Points
Maximum 0 Points
Students should carefully prepare and
practice narration before attempting the final
recording
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Problem
Number
Feedback table
Your instructor may choose to use this—check for her/his policies
0 Did not submit
1 Exceeds SafeAssign 15%- Grades between 0-59. Lower grades reflect higher copy
percent
2 Needs proofreading to correct the grammar and/or syntax. Visit SLC or Writing lab.
If grammar problems remain in Final submission grade will be lower
3 Lacking content – too brief or sections incomplete
4 Nice report for some OTHER class—this does not comply with your instructions
5 Paper appears to be an autobiography, discussing student’s experience. A RESEARCH
paper explores what researchers say about a subject—study the experts and write about
that.
6 Written as if answering questions in a questionnaire under the headings –write
paragraphs not quick responses under the subheadings
7 Many facts but not enough in-text citations to support them. Expect 3 or 4 citations
per paragraph – any time you present a fact show where you found it
8 Weak hypothesis, did not use measurable business terms, or prof cannot locate
hypothesis
9 Weak thesis, did not use measurable business terms, or prof cannot locate thesis
10 In-text citations format incorrect (APA format, punctuation, etc.) Please consult BAS
librarian for APA help
11 References format incorrect (active blue hyperlinks or other formatting problems).
Please consult librarian for APA help
12 Section Headings and subheadings (as required in your instructions) are missing
13 Lacking sufficient research – need scholarly journals, more references
RT On the Right Track—Good paper so far
Some common APA format problems you can avoid:
• Do not include retrieval dates on your web links. This is not required in APA
• Do not use the title “Bibliography” or “Works Cited” at the end as the title for your “References”.
• Show correct in-text citations—a name and date are required, or you must use the proper website (http)
citation. The Bachelor’s Degree Librarians are here to help you format these correctly.
• Do not include active hyperlinks (blue-underlined web-links) in your citations or references. In MS Word,
click “Remove Hyperlink” in the drop-down menu for active hyperlinks before submittal. The Bachelor’s
Degree Librarians are here to help you format these correctly.
• Be careful with punctuation of sentences that include citations at the end—-the sentence period goes
AFTER the final parenthesis of the citation. See the Bachelor’s Degree Librarians for a final check on these
format issues.
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Item CHECK LIST Yes No
Does the draft meet Safe
Assign Matching Index Score
Requirements?
Safe Assign Matching Index Score
15% or less
Have you included references
to scholarly journals?
Your professor does not expect a “book report” on your business… you must
demonstrate your ability to conduct academic research
Is your research and writing
original?
Do not submit a direct “re-hash” of research papers you submitted in previous
courses.
You are permitted to consult with writing tutors but do not submit papers
extensively prepared by “ghost-writers”!
Do NOT offer your personal observations or opinions UNLESS you provide
scholarly research facts about all of them. For example, you may discuss the
leadership or planning in your organization but IF you offer opinions (“My boss
is a poor leader…”) you must also document scholarly research to support your
observation.
Have you provided four Level
1 section headings plus a
references page as required in
the instructions? Have you
provided Level 2 subheadings
for Planning-LeadingOrganizing-Controlling?
Provide a Level 1 heading for the 4 main sections: Introduction, Background,
Analysis, & Conclusion. In the Analysis section, show Level 2 subheadings for
Planning, Leadership, Organization, and Control. Suggestion: print it and circle
each element and/or subheadings on the corresponding section of your paper. If
your instructor cannot easily locate and understand each topic, you have not
formatted the paper properly.
Have you prepared and Your instructor expects you to check this before submitting the paper. Your
submitted an accurately professor may not provide detailed feedback for improperly formatted reference
formatted, comprehensive lists but grades are reduced accordingly. Check each reference with the help of
reference list for your the Bachelor’s Degree Librarians—they are there to assist you in this
citations? Did you email it assignment. Confirm your professor’s policy on submitting or removing the
separately as suggested? reference list prior to submitting to the SafeAssign site.
Is your APA style accurate for
your in-text citations
Check each in-text citation with the help of the Bachelor’s Degree Librarians—
they are there to assist you in this assignment. Reminder: make sure you place
quote marks at the beginning and end of ANY sentence, phrase, or section
containing material copied or taken from another source. Be careful of
punctuation before and after your parenthetical citation. For example, the period
must be placed AFTER the final parenthesis of the citation (NOT at the end of
the sentence).
Citing Interviews (Personal Communication)
These quotes are from the APA Manual, 6th ed. (2010)
1. “Personal communications may be letters, memos…electronic communications…personal interviews…(etc.) Because
they do not provide recoverable data, personal communications are not included in the reference list. Cite personal
communications in text only.”
Sect 6.20, Personal Communications (p. 179)
Example:
T.K Lutes (personal communication, April 18, 2001)
(V.G. Nguyen, personal communication, September 28, 1998)
2. Use of “Anonymous” shown in APA Manual Sect 6.15, p. 177
Sample: In a recent interview, one IBM software engineer (requesting to remain anonymous) described the organization as
“very large” (Anonymous, personal communication, September 28, 1998).
OR: Sources report the company is large (Anonymous, 1998).
“In the reference list, an anonymous work is alphabetized by the word Anonymous” (p.177)
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