MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROJECT
1.  Research Project

Armed with the theory and principles that we discuss in this class, your job is to identify,     analyze, and solve an     organizational problem of a real organization. You will be     required to find an organization or a group within an organization to conduct research     with pertinent to the concepts discussed in class. You will conduct research to identify     best practices and feasible, actionable solutions. This research project is a five-step     process, which will culminate in a written report of your work.
Step 1: Identify a target organization
You must first choose an organization that will allow you access to observe     organizational dynamics. It can be an organization with whom you are currently     employed or with whom you have been employed, but this is not absolutely necessary.     The organization need not be a for-profit organization, but can be any group that has     been brought together to achieve an organizational goal.
Step 2: Target an organizational problem.
The problem you choose to address may be one that you have identified or one that is     identified by talking to a manager or coworker in the employing organization. The     problem that you choose must also be one that can be helped by applying the concepts     that we discuss in class. Remember that the more specific the problem is that you     identify, the more useful your recommendations will be. I prefer in-depth exploration of a     single targeted problem to general statements.
Step 3: Gather relevant information.
The next step in this project is to analyze the problem that you have chosen to address.     This step can involve, but is not limited to, any combination of: interviewing individuals     involved with the organization, observing the organization to get a firsthand view of the     situation, administering surveys and questionnaires, and reviewing any relevant     information that is available through organizational publications and communications     (i.e., annual reports), or through articles or stories found in mainstream media outlets     (i.e., TV, newspapers, magazines, Internet). The more information you gather, the more     of a complete picture you are likely to have and the better understanding you will have of     the situation. You must decide what combination of data is appropriate to the problem     you are examining, and be ready to justify your choices to me. Analyses that rely only on     one type of data will be more heavily scrutinized than those that employ balanced data     collection.
Step 4: Analyze information to diagnose problems and suggest solutions.
Your analysis should focus on what organizational, individual and interpersonal/group     level dynamics may have caused the problem, and as a consequence, how the problem     can be solved. After identifying the problem and analyzing the situation, it is up to you to     develop viable solutions for solving the problem. These solutions MUST be based on     topics covered in class. While topics are limited to those that are covered in this class,     material about these topics may come from the book, lectures, cases, class discussions,     management journals, or any other credible source. When developing solutions, think     about the strengths of each solution (i.e., why and how it will help resolve the problem)     as well as weaknesses of that solution (i.e. things that might keep that solution from being     completely successful). You will also develop an action plan that details how these     solutions will be implemented in order to solve or alleviate the organizational problem.     In summary, you will do in-depth research to identify sources of an organizational     problem, and draw on research to present a viable solution to this problem, and explain     how and why you arrived at that conclusion.
Paper:
The paper should outline the problem as you see it, the causes of the problem, and     solutions based on your research. The final paper should discuss the main points of your     project while providing enough background and detail to make it a coherent, self-    supporting document. This paper should follow the style guidelines typical of business     writing (i.e., 12-point font, 1-inch margins, double spaced, no jargon or casual language,     etc.) and may be a maximum of 10 pages. However, you may use additional pages for     appendices and references. Please see below for directions about how to properly cite     your research.  Because the organizations and problems that you are studying vary quite     widely from student to student, it is difficult to offer specific directions about how to write     up this problem analysis paper.
However, here is what I see as the main elements of the paper. I have put in page     guidelines, but again these should just serve as a rough suggestion, and you will be     responsible for figuring out how to best allocate your space to convey your work and     understanding of management theory.
A. Introduction and Historical Background
Here you will provide the background information about the organization that             you are studying. Depending     on your organization and its problem, this section             could include (but not be limited to) any number of these factors: the size of the             organization, brief history of the company, brief description of industry and             competitors, organizational system, mission, hierarchy system, division of labor.
B. Description of Problem
In this section, you will describe the problem that you are studying.
In this section, I will be looking for:
a. Have you identified a problem that is relevant to this class and have you             described it clearly and correctly?
b. Did you offer compelling arguments regarding the importance of the                 problem? In other words, as     a reader am I     convinced that caring about                 this problem is important?
C. Diagnosis of Problem
In this section, you will draw from management theories to diagnose the                 causes of the problem at hand. Your diagnoses should be augmented or                 informed by research.
In this section, I will be looking for:
a. Your ability to recognize the connections between what you’ve                     observed at your organization and the relevant management theory                 concepts.
b. Have you properly applied concepts from course lectures and                     readings to your diagnosis of     the problem? It is your responsibility                 to show to me that you know you are applying a concept. You will                     benefit from explicitly mentioning the theory and class concepts                     you are applying and from using the terminology we use in class.
c. Have you described your research methods clearly and                         succinctly?
D. Discussion of Solution
In this section, you will use management theories from the classroom lectures,             textbook, and outside research on management to come up with a solution and an             action plan for that solution that is appropriate and relevant. Solutions may also             be informed by or augmented by research collected.
I will be looking for:
a. Is your solution relevant to this class? It your solution informed by                 management theory? Again, it is your responsibility to show to me that                 you know you are applying a concept. You will benefit from explicitly                 mentioning the theory and class concepts you are applying and from using             the terminology we use in class.
b. If applicable, have you sought additional research from the textbook,                 academic journals, or other sources to help identify and evaluate your                 solution?
c. Is your solution realistic, specific, and actionable?
d. Is your action plan for implementation specific, giving step-by-step                 directions for your organization to follow? Can you include any metrics                 that management should follow to gauge whether the problem has been                 solved, diminished, or exacerbated?
d. Can you discuss possible disadvantages or negative repercussions that                 may be associated with the implementation of your chosen solution, and                 how management can minimize these effects?
G. References
You will be required to use APA format in your citations.  All information that you use from outside sources must be documented. When in doubt, cite your work! Please don’t hesitate to ask me if you are in doubt about whether or not to cite something, and how to cite.

ORGANIZATION THAT I CHOSE IS EXPEDIA TRAVEL COMPANY