Course Project Brief Proposal of Research (Due this week) Submit a written Brief Proposal of Research containing the following (copied from Course Home/Course Project content item): 1. a brief overview of the chosen organization and your role in it; 2. a brief narrative description of the organizational problem that you would like to research and resolve; 3. a preliminary problem statement in the form of a researchable question; and 4. which TCO or textbook topic your problem is related to. MGMT 591 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior Course Project Proposal Guidelines A Proposal: precisely defines your research topic and the need for studying itwhat is the organizational issue and OB topical area that requires attention and further study provides a research question to summarize the problem statement, however tentative it may be explains the sources critical to your proposed research, demonstrating that they are adequate for your project Proposal Organization: Your project proposal must include the following THREE labeled sections: Organization. Give the name of the organization and very briefly describe it. If you are focusing on one department in the organization - tell which one and describe it briefly. Be sure to include a description of your role in the organization. Set the context for the problem statement (why is this an issue worthy of study?). (15 POINTS) Problem Statement. Identify and clearly state the problemthe leadership / management issue1 in which an element of the identified organization is not meeting expectations. The problem statement is usually phrased in terms of questions considerably more focused than the subject of the paper. End this section by stating the problem in the form of a question. For example, if a work group is not performing effectively, an effective problem statement might be, "How can group performance be improved in Department X?" rather than simply "Poor group performance." (10 POINTS) Caution: Solving symptoms only masks the real problem. 1 The focus of your paper must be on a topic related to the course. No exceptions. With which Terminal Course Objective domain does your problem reside? 1 TCO. Which TCO or textbook topic is the central focus of your study. (5 POINTS) A well-formed problem statement has four main characteristics: 1. Unity - the problem statement articulates a single controlling idea. The idea may be complex and have several parts, but it should be one idea nevertheless. 2. Focus - the problem should be restricted and specific enough for the reader to gain a clear idea of the OB topical area and the direction of your study and research. 3. Structure - if the problem statement is sufficiently focused, it will provide a basis for decisions about which information to include and which to exclude from the paper. 4. Interest - the problem statement should sharpen the reader's interest in the OB topical area of deeper study. Here are some questions to help you frame your problem correctly: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. What are your assumptions? What problem are you solving?" Pretend you don't know, even if you think you do. What are you trying to achieve? What does life look like if this problem is solved? What will you be doing when this problem goes away? (Focus on behaviors.) What makes you think you have a problem? It helps to ask, "Why," five times. (Sakichi Toyoda's 5 Whys technique"2) Note: No deviation from the project topic without instructor approval once the proposal is approved. Students who submit a final paper on a topic different from that which was approved in Week 3 will receive a zero for the assignment. Proposal Deadline: The proposal is due at the end of Week 3. Earlier submissions encouraged! TOPIC IDEAS These are only suggestions. The best project is one focused on improving conditions in one's own organization. Focusing on an employee productivity problem. Investigating employee turnover in a department or division. Determining why employee job satisfaction is low. Applying job design theory to improving the motivating potential score in a functional or work process area. Evaluating reward systems and their impact on performance. 2 For more see http://asq.org/healthcare-use/why-quality/five-whys.html 2 Assess diversity in an organization and how it affects performance. Appraising a manager's motivation methods and how they influence performance. Assess the decision-making process in organizations. Concentrate on the communication process and how it affects the organization to achieve its goals. Look at how power and politics is impacting an organizational unit in terms of achieving the firm's goals. Evaluate a leader's leadership style and implications for performance and satisfaction. Evaluate organizational group conflicts that inhibit achievement of important objectives. Analyze a change effort in the organization. What went well? What went wrong? What should they have done? Determine the best organizational culture-style (in the context of the OCI) to optimize corporate objectives. Creating High Performance Organizations Assessing an individual employee performance issue Evaluating an organization's design and structure and how it supports or does not support the firm's strategy Analyzing a team's dynamics for the purpose of improving team performance How to create a high performing team INSURANCE. We have it for many things: for our lives, for our cars, for our home, for our health, for our identities, for our cell phones (!) and much more. We are purchasing this insurance as a safety net against something bad happening. While different people have different risk tolerances, and differing abilities to pay, generally speaking, we agree that insurance, at least in some cases, is a good idea. Your insurance policy (safety net) for this course project is the grading rubric I provide for each part of the class project deliverables. If you review the rubric before every submission, there is a high probability you will earn full credit for the assignment. 3 Running head: DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY TITLE: COURSE: COURSE CODE: STUDENT'S NAME: INSTRUCTOR'S NAME: DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 2 Abstract The main objective of the study was to establish the reason employee turnover is escalating in the US Army. The employee turnover has the following negative impacts they include; it is costly to train new army personnel, the productivity levels within the army tend to decrease and finally the army becomes in capable of fulfilling its objectives which lowers its reputation. The research will employ the cross-sectional design. The study will target a total of 119 army employees who are working in the army and 25 who left employment on their own volition. The study will utilize primary data were the respondents will be provided with questionnaires. The quantitative data that will be derived from the questionnaires will be analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0).The study aims to come up with conclusive findings that will determine the factors affecting employee turnover within the US army. DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 3 Overview of the organization I work as the Team chief within the USA armed forces. The armed force has been experiencing an increment in employee turnover in the recent past with the numbers reaching a percentage of 45% in 2009 alone (Lytell and Drasgow,2009). The problem has been affecting the achievement of the various activities that the forces are required to take part in. The recruitment of new personnel and their training is costly for the forces. Additionally, the new trained armed personnel lack the experience required for them to survive in the field. The problem has necessitated the management to ask me as the team chief to conduct an in depth inquiry into the problem and come up with recommendations to resolve the labour turnover issue. Introduction Employee turnover is a problem that has been escalating not only in the US army but in other governmental and non-governmental organizations. According to Steel (2002), employee turnover refers to the rate that organizations lose their employees from the place of work. Employee turnover is often divided into two major divisions they are voluntary and involuntary turnover. The two types of turnover are common in the USA army. The involuntary turnover has been on the rise in the recent past where the employees decide to leave their work due to failure to master ways to cope with the stress and pressure. Disciplinary actions have also contributed to the increase rate of labour turnover in the army. On the voluntary aspect, the employees often decide to leave their jobs due to military tenure, lack of organizational commitment and job withdrawal. According to Roberts and Judge, (2015), there are four factors that affect employee turnover they include: issues within the organization, personal issues, work environment and finally job related. The research will DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 4 focus on answering the following research question what are the factors affecting employee turnover in the USA Army? The research objectives that will be the focus of the study are )To determine the factors that affect employee turnover,2) To investigate the relationship that does exist between the five factor model of personality and employee turnover rate in the USA Army. Research problem The USA Army is experiencing an increment in the employee turnover rates in the recent past. The experienced employees in the force often leave their employment contributing to the escalating problem in the force. On the other hand, the new recruitment has not helped much since the first term soldiers also leave their positions after the first 8 months of their employment (Lytell and Drasgow, 2009).The USA Army is the backbone of the military wing of the USA and the increase in the brain drain of their experts does place the nation in a precarious situation Research design The research will use the cross sectional survey design this refers of a research that is conducted within a specified time frame. In this research time is of essence since this is an academic report that has to be turned in for the fulfilment of the course. Primary data will be used in the collection of the data with the aid of a closed questionnaire. Expected results The research expects to establish the reason the US Army is experiencing an increase in labour turnover. Additionally, the research expects to establish the relationship that does exist between the five factor model of personality and employee turnover rate in the US Army. DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 5 Finally, the research will formulate conclusive recommendations that will be employed by the management to tackle the problem. REFERENCES Lytell, M. C., & Drasgow, F. (2009). \"Timely\" methods: Examining turnover rates in the US Military. Military Psychology, 21(3), 334. Roberts, S. & Judge, T. (2016). Organizational behaviour (16th ed.). San Diego: Pearson. Steel, R.P. (2002).Turnover theory at the empirical interface: Problem of fit and function.Academy of Management journal.41(5),511-525. Running head: DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY TITLE: COURSE: COURSE CODE: STUDENT'S NAME: INSTRUCTOR'S NAME: DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 2 Abstract The main objective of the study was to establish the reason employee turnover is escalating in the US Army. The employee turnover has the following negative impacts they include; it is costly to train new army personnel, the productivity levels within the army tend to decrease and finally the army becomes in capable of fulfilling its objectives which lowers its reputation. The research will employ the cross-sectional design. The study will target a total of 119 army employees who are working in the army and 25 who left employment on their own volition. The study will utilize primary data were the respondents will be provided with questionnaires. The quantitative data that will be derived from the questionnaires will be analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0).The study aims to come up with conclusive findings that will determine the factors affecting employee turnover within the US army. DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 3 Overview of the organization I work as the Team chief within the USA armed forces. The armed force has been experiencing an increment in employee turnover in the recent past with the numbers reaching a percentage of 45% in 2009 alone (Lytell and Drasgow,2009). The problem has been affecting the achievement of the various activities that the forces are required to take part in. The recruitment of new personnel and their training is costly for the forces. Additionally, the new trained armed personnel lack the experience required for them to survive in the field. The problem has necessitated the management to ask me as the team chief to conduct an in depth inquiry into the problem and come up with recommendations to resolve the labour turnover issue. Introduction Employee turnover is a problem that has been escalating not only in the US army but in other governmental and non-governmental organizations. According to Steel (2002), employee turnover refers to the rate that organizations lose their employees from the place of work. Employee turnover is often divided into two major divisions they are voluntary and involuntary turnover. The two types of turnover are common in the USA army. The involuntary turnover has been on the rise in the recent past where the employees decide to leave their work due to failure to master ways to cope with the stress and pressure. Disciplinary actions have also contributed to the increase rate of labour turnover in the army. On the voluntary aspect, the employees often decide to leave their jobs due to military tenure, lack of organizational commitment and job withdrawal. According to Roberts and Judge, (2015), there are four factors that affect employee turnover they include: issues within the organization, personal issues, work environment and finally job related. The research will DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 4 focus on answering the following research question what are the factors affecting employee turnover in the USA Army? The research objectives that will be the focus of the study are )To determine the factors that affect employee turnover,2) To investigate the relationship that does exist between the five factor model of personality and employee turnover rate in the USA Army. Research problem The USA Army is experiencing an increment in the employee turnover rates in the recent past. The experienced employees in the force often leave their employment contributing to the escalating problem in the force. On the other hand, the new recruitment has not helped much since the first term soldiers also leave their positions after the first 8 months of their employment (Lytell and Drasgow, 2009).The USA Army is the backbone of the military wing of the USA and the increase in the brain drain of their experts does place the nation in a precarious situation Research design The research will use the cross sectional survey design this refers of a research that is conducted within a specified time frame. In this research time is of essence since this is an academic report that has to be turned in for the fulfilment of the course. Primary data will be used in the collection of the data with the aid of a closed questionnaire. Expected results The research expects to establish the reason the US Army is experiencing an increase in labour turnover. Additionally, the research expects to establish the relationship that does exist between the five factor model of personality and employee turnover rate in the US Army. DETERMINING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE USA ARMY 5 Finally, the research will formulate conclusive recommendations that will be employed by the management to tackle the problem. REFERENCES Lytell, M. C., & Drasgow, F. (2009). \"Timely\" methods: Examining turnover rates in the US Military. Military Psychology, 21(3), 334. Roberts, S. & Judge, T. (2016). Organizational behaviour (16th ed.). San Diego: Pearson. Steel, R.P. (2002).Turnover theory at the empirical interface: Problem of fit and function.Academy of Management journal.41(5),511-525