DevelopingResearchProposalsHandout

PreparedbyTedZorn,UniversityofWaikato
ThisisahandoutIoftengivetostudentswhenIexpectthemtoprovidearesearchproposalfor
acourseproject.Thatis,itsintendedforfairlybriefproposals,notaprospectusforamastersor
doctoralthesis.
ItgivesstudentsanexampleofthesortofthingIwant,plussomecommentary(initalics)about
whatImexpectingineachsection.Isometimeschangetheparticularexamplegiven,inorder
toencouragethemtothinkaboutparticularkindsofprojects.Forinstance,theexample
providedherewasusedinaLeadershipCommunicationcourse.Iveusedthesameformat,but
adifferentresearchprojectexample,foracourseonOrganisationalCommunication
Technology.
Feelfreetoadaptittoyourpurposes.

ResearchProposal(Example)
(Note:Thisissinglespacedtosavepaper;yoursshouldbedoublespaced)
To: TedZorn
From: ChrisStudent
Date: 1April2003
Subject:Researchproposal
ProposedResearchTopic:implementingleanprocessesininternallogistics/studyand
analysisofprocesscapabilityatanautomotiveassemblyline
Purposes:Alvesson(1996)claimsthatasituationalapproachenablesleadershiptobeviewed
andstudiedasapracticalaccomplishment(p.476)ratherthanstartingwitha
conceptualisationofleadershipaswhatevertheappointedleaderdoes.Thisapproachseems
particularlywellsuitedtoselfmanagingteams(SMTs),inwhichleadershipispresumably
shared.Inthisproject,Iwillexplorehowmembersofaselfmanagingteamenactleadershipin
theirregularteammeetings.Inparticular,IwillfocusonhowSMTmembersinfluencethe
directionoftheteamaswellastherelationshipsandidentitiesofindividualmembersandthe
identityoftheteamasaunit,andhowtheirinteractionisenabledandconstrainedbysocialand
culturalinfluences(eg,organisationalculture,national/ethnicculture,andgender).Sucha
studyshouldgiveinsightsintotheworkingsofSMTs,anorganisationalformthatisrapidly
gaininginpopularityandacceptance.Also,thestudywilltesttheusefulnessofaperspective
(thesituationalapproach)thatisunderdevelopedintheleadershipliterature.
[Expandonthetopic/questionbydescribingwhatyouhopetoaccomplish,andthedesired
outcomes(especiallythepracticalortheoreticalbenefitstobegained)]
Background:IwillconductmystudyinateamthatiswithintheRoadworksDivisionwithin
theHamiltonCityCouncil.Roadworkshas12SMTs,eachofwhichisresponsiblefor
maintenanceofroadswithinonegeographicalsectionofHamilton.Thisparticularteam
includesfourmenandawoman.Threeofthemenareintheirthirtiesandoneinhisearly50s;
thewomanisinherthirties.TheyareassignedtoanareaaroundChartwell.Theystarteach
daywithabrief(1545minutemeeting)onanagreeduponsite,oftenjustgatheringaroundthe
backofatruckfortheirmeeting.Iwillattendthesethreemorningsaweekforfourweeks,and
willstayontoobservetheirworkforapproximately20hoursduringthefourweekperiod.My
primaryfocuswillbeontheirinteractioninmeetings,althoughIwillalsoobserve(andperhaps
enquiresabout)interactionsduringtheirotherwork.
[Describethecontextoftheproposedresearch,makingitclearhowthiscontextwillallowyou
toaccomplishyourstatedpurposes]
Scope:Iwillengageinparticipantobservationoverasixweekperiod,from8Aprilto22May
forapproximatelyfourhoursperweek.Iwilltypicallyobservethemorningmeetingsandstay
foranhourorsotoobservetheirotherwork.OnsomedaysImaycomeatothertimesofthe
dayforcomparison.Iwillnotschedulestructuredinterviews,butwillinterviewteammembers
informally,asneededtoclarifyandprovideinsightintospecificconversations.[Describesuch
thingsasthetimeyouwillinvest,whenthefieldworkwilltakeplace,thenumberof
participants,andthenumberofinterviewsyouwillconduct]

Theoreticalframework:Iwillbeguidedmostgenerallybytheinterpretiveperspective,and
morespecificallybyAlvessons(1996)situationalapproach.Theinterpretiveperspective
placesthefocusoninterpretingthemeaningsandperspectivesofculturalmembers,andhow
thesemeaningsarenegotiated(Trujillo,1992).Iamexploringthemeaningsthesalesstaffand
customershaveforthemselvesasindividualsandfortheirrelationships,aswellasthemeanings
salesstaffhavefortheorganisation,group,andprofessionofwhichtheyaremembers.The
situationalapproachdirectsmetochooseoneorafewspecificinteractionstoexploreindepth.
Thus,anappropriatemeansofinvestigatingthetopicfromthisperspectiveisobservationof
conversation,plusinterviewingtheinteractantstounderstandthemeaningstheyhavefortheir
symbolicinteractions.[Brieflyidentifyandexplainthetheoreticalframeworkyouwilluseto
guideyourinvestigation,howitfitsyourpurposeanditsimplicationsfortheresearch
methods]
Method:
1.ConductaliteraturereviewonleadershipandcommunicationinSMTs.
2.Observethegroupfourhoursperweekforsixweeks,focusingmostlyonconversationsat
teammeetings,especiallythoseconversationsinwhichthegroupaddresseschangestotheir
workprocessesandissuesofteamrelationshipsandidentity(ies).
3.Interviewteammemberstoclarifyandprovideinsightintoconversations.Iwillattemptto
conducttheseinterviewsshortlyafterconversationsofinterest.Whiletheinterviewswillnot
beformalorstructured,thekindsofquestionsIwillaskincludethefollowing.Thegeneral
strategyfortheinterviewsistostartoffwithbroadquestionsandfollowuponthe
intervieweesresponses,tocaptureherorhismeaningsandtoavoidimposingmymeanings
ontheinterviewee.
a.TellmeabouttheconversationyoujusthadwithX.
b.Whatwereyouthinkingduringtheconversation?
c.Whatdoyouthinkshe/hewasthinking?
d.Whatdoyouthinkshe/hewastryingtodo(oraccomplish)intheconversation?
e.Whatdidyoumeanwhenyousaid,......?
f.Whatwereyouthinkingwhenyousaidthat?
g.Whatdoyouthinkshemeantwhenshesaid......?
h.Whenyouthinkaboutwhatyoudidandsaidinthatconversation,howwouldyou
describeyourself?
4.Undertakeasituationalanalysisofthefieldnotesandinterviewnotes,guidedbyAlvessons
theory.
5.Writearesearchreportthatcombinesmyunderstandingoftherelevanttheoryandprevious
researchwiththeresultsofmyempiricalresearch.
[Describeindetailthestepsyouwilltakeinattemptingtoansweryourresearchquestion]
Timetable:
Prepareproposalby
1April
Completeliteraturereviewby15April
Completefieldworkby
22May
Completeanalysisby
29May
Givepresentationon
3June
Completefinalreportby
16June
Limitations:Timeconstraintsofthesemesterrequirelesstimethanmaybeidealforan
ethnographicstudy.Bybeingintheorganisationforonlyfourhoursaweekforfiveweeks,

thereareboundtobeaspectsofleadershippractice,organisationalcultureandteam
communicationthatwillnotberevealedduringmyobservations.Beinganoutsidermayalso
limitwhatisrevealedtome.Theteammembersmaybeguardedintheirconversationsaround
me,especiallyinmyinitialobservations.[Describeconditionsbeyondyourcontrolthatplace
restrictionsonwhatyoucandoandtheconclusionsyoumaybeabletodraw]
Delimitations:Iamchoosingnottoobservemultipleteams,eventhoughsuchcomparisons
mightbevaluable,inordertoallowmoredepthofunderstandingregardingthegrouponwhich
Iwillfocus.Additionally,Iwillnotusestructuredinterviewsinordertominimisemy
obtrusivenessandmyinfluenceontheteammembers.[Describetheboundariesofthestudy
thatyoudetermine]
References
[Listallreferencescitedthatarenotonthecoursereadinglist]