Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:

Overall Purpose for the Final Research Paper:

For this paper, you are to pick one issue.  Some examples are: sexual harassment, high-turnover, outdated processes, fraud, unsafe work environment, ineffective communication, misuse of social media, etc., that is taking place in your own organization, or an organization of your choosing (i.e., Enron, Walmart, Volkswagen, Yahoo, etc.).

You will then choose 2 of the 3 concepts (organizational culture, leadership, ethics) to examine your central issue with. In other words, you are analyzing how the 2 components you chose, negatively impact and perpetuate your central issue.

Once the issue is examined, you will then discuss recommendations that could help decrease your central issue, as well as help the culture, leadership and/ or ethical climate (depending on which 2 concepts you chose).

Before completing this paper, please review the Expectations for the Final Research Paper document. This document further elaborates on the instructions below.

Please follow the instructions below-

Criteria for Final Research Paper:

This paper must be 6 to 7 pages in length (not including the cover page or reference page) and completed in APA format (6th edition). You must utilize 6 scholarly resources for this paper.  Additionally, please provide a heading for each section.  For example: "Introduction"; "Purpose Statement;" and so forth.  The paper must be in Word format. 

Components That Must Be in the Paper:

Cover page (in APA format)

Introduction:

The introduction section of this paper is intended to provide the background information that is essential for the reader to understand the nature and scope of the problem you have selected.  The introduction helps the reader better understand the focus of your research paper.

For this section, you want to make sure it is clear to the reader the central issue being examined, as well as the 2 components (i.e. organizational culture, leadership, ethics) that impact your chosen issue. Additionally, it should be clear to the reader where the issue is taking place (i.e. in what organization). Maximum: 3 paragraphs.

Purpose Statement:

The purpose statement should be clear, definitive, unambiguous, and readily understood by anyone who reads it.  The purpose statement should include your central issue, and the 2 components that are impacting the issue (i.e. culture, leadership, ethics). Additionally, you also want to note for the reader that you will be examining recommendations as well.  Minimum: 2 to 3 sentences. Maximum: 1 paragraph.

Analysis

In the analysis section you need to critically analyze your chosen issue as it is impacted by two, of the three components (i.e.  organizational culture, leadership, ethics).

You must address the below questions (depending on which 2 components you chose) when writing your analysis:

Organizational Culture: How is your chosen issue negatively impacted by the workplace culture? What behaviors in the workplace culture exacerbate your issue?
Leadership: How do you think leadership negatively impacts your chosen issue? What leadership style or characteristics further contribute to perpetuating your issue?
Ethics:  How does the ethical climate of the organization negatively contribute to this issue? What unethical behaviors further perpetuate the issue?
You must incorporate theories/concepts from other resources to help validate your statements and further support your examples. Examples should be specific and not vague.  Remember, do not focus on what "should" occur in this section, you want to focus on establishing your issue, and why it is occurring.  Minimum: 4 pages. Maximum: 5 pages.

Solutions/Recommendations

In this section you will discuss recommendations that could potentially decrease your central issue, as it relates to the 2 components you chose (i.e. culture, leadership, ethical climate). It is not enough to just merely list your recommendations; your recommendations must tie back to specific examples that you examined in the analysis section.  Maximum: one page in length.

Conclusion

The conclusion must be succinct and concise, and wrap up the central theme (s) of the paper. Maximum: 2 paragraphs in length.

Reference page

Please review rubric for the final research paper located in the Rubrics tab.