Assignment Description and Instructions

For this assignment, you will submit a Practicum Proposal related to your Project Report or Research Project Practicum for a study of a workplace issue or problem that you have identified as existing in a reputable organization in the Caribbean region or internationally. The Practicum Proposal will be submitted at the end of Part 1 of MGMT 3116, prior to the commencement of the proposed project itself.
•This Practicum Proposal should explain the background, problem or issue, purpose and rationale for the study. In addition, it should pose a focused research question (or hypothesis) to be addressed that describes the perspective from which you will approach the study of the problem. •The Rationale and further breakdown of the research questions will be included, as will your literature review. You will describe what the authors of your key resources wrote that connected their research to your topic area. •The administrative structure of the institution, the principal officers with whom the learner will interact, the name, position and qualifications and experience profile of the proposed on-site mentor of the practicum experience.
•In your paper, you will also propose a research design for collecting and analysing your data (you will add more detail to this part of your project when you are preparing to carry out the actual project work in Part 2).
•Practicum Proposal Word limit: 4000 words.[Word limit is to be strictly adhered]
•This word limit does not include your title page, table of contents, diagrams, charts, tables, list of references or appendices. The course material and your Supervisors will support your learning about these different sections of the Practicum Proposals you move through the course. Note: Your Practicum Proposal must be approved before you can start your preparing your paper, please refer the ***Practicum Proposal Outline forth sections to include. NOTES ON THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL Research proposal: research proposal is just that, it is what you propose to do. Simply, your research proposal should reflect: ▪What you are going to research?
▪Why you are going to research this particular area? ▪What is the significance of researching this area? ▪How you are going to conduct the research? Various terminologies are used to mean a research proposal depending on why the research is carried out? ▪Research outline Synopsis of research Plan of research Research/project proposal Thesis plan the research proposal is: ▪a blueprint of future activities of a research project some sort of preconceived framework for starting the activities work plan, prospectus, outline, and statement of intent ahead. Research proposals tend to answer the following questions:▪What do you want to do, how much will it cost, and how much time will it take?▪How does the proposed project relate to the sponsor’s interests?▪What difference will the project make to: your university, your peers, your discipline, the state, the nation, the world, or whatever the appropriate categories are?▪What has already been done in the area of your project?▪How do you plan to do it?▪How will the results be evaluated?▪Why should you, rather than someone else, do this project? N.B.: Be mindful of these common mistakes in proposal writing: 1.Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question2.Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research3.Failure to cite landmark studies4.Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by other researchers5.Failure to stay focused on the research question writing

Practicum Proposal Outline the Proposal must contain comprehensive information on each of the following subtopics: Title This should be short, sharp, and describe what your research is about: it may also be a ‘working title’ that you will revise as your project develops. Introduction this component provides the context and a situational analysis of the research topic at hand. Ideally, this is also where the research question and hypothesis are stated. It is important to explain why the research subject was chosen, and what the relevance or rationale is for undertaking research on the subject.

1.1 Background to the Study the sufficient content to the reader so they can understand the purpose of the experiment/study, the design, and the interpretation of the results. The writer must research the background information and properly cite all sources used. The background provides a general overview of the topic of study in the first paragraph to introduce the main idea(s).

1.2 The research problem
Explain how the problem relates to business, social, or political trends by presenting data that demonstrates the scope and depth of the problem. This should be supported by the use of statistics. Try to give dramatic and concrete illustrations of the problem. After writing this section, make sure you can easily identify the single sentence that is the problem statement.

1.3The research question
Research question(s)A research question is a clear, focused, concise, complex and arguable question around which you center your research. The specific purpose stated in the form of a question. A research question is a narrow, challenging question that addresses an issue, problem or controversy that is that is answered with a conclusion based on the analysis and interpretation of the evidence. A research question Isa logical statement that progresses from what is known or believed to be true to that which is unknown and requires validation. You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely curious about. Research questions assist by providing a path through the research and writing process. Developing good research question is one of the first critical steps in the research process. The research question, when appropriately written, will guide the research project and assist in the construction of a logical argument.

1.4The research hypothesis (if applicable)
Research hypothesis is a specific, clear, and testable proposition or predictive statement about the possible outcome of a scientific research study based on a particular property of a population, such as presumed differences between groups on a particular variable or relationships between variables.

1.5 Rationale or purpose of the study
This describes the goals, and objectives that are targets and desired outcomes of work done by you to find answers to the problem or issue under investigation. The purpose often starts with a single goal or statement that explains what the study intends to accomplish. A few typical statements are: The goal of this study is to……overcome the difficulty with……discover what……understand the causes and effects of……refine our current understanding of……provide new interpretations of……understand what makes…successful or unsuccessful…It is then followed by a paragraph which describes the objectives that support the goal of the research investigation.

1.6The aims and objectives of the study
Aims: Are broad statements of desired outcomes, or the general intentions of the research, which ‘paint a picture’ of your research project Emphasize what is to be accomplished (not how it is to be accomplished)▪Address the long-term project outcomes ,i.e. they should reflect the aspirations and expectations of the research topic. Once aims have been established, the next task is to formulate the objectives. Generally, a project should have no more than two or three aims statements, while it may include a number of objectives consistent with them. Objectives are subsidiary to aims and: ▪Are the steps you are going to take to answer your research questions or specific list of tasks needed to accomplish the goals of the project. Emphasize how aims are to be accomplished. Must be highly focused and feasible. Address the more immediate project outcomes. Make accurate use of concepts. Must be sensible and precisely described. Should read as an ‘individual’ statement to convey your intentions.

1.7Significance of the research
The significance of the proposal will be evaluated to determine if it addresses an important research problem. Applications will be evaluated to determine if they are likely to lead to advancement in scientific knowledge and, specifically, to determine if they will provide evidence that is likely to lead to a change in social work policy and intervention. Your study should have a value not only to yourself but also to the management of your company, the community where the researchers conducted, the participants/respondents themselves. Furthermore, it should have an impact on your field of specialization and you should mention the sectors that will be benefited by your studies. The significance of the study answers the questions: ▪Why is your study important? ▪To whom is it important? ▪What benefit(s) will occur if your study is done?

1.8 Conclusion Complete the chapter with a brief conclusion which summarizes your main points and indicates to the readers what comes next.

2.0 Literature Review
The purpose of a literature review is to determine what the research says—and doesn’t say—about the topic. Here’s the main point about a literature review: It is not a paper on a topic. It is a paper on the research about a topic. What do researchers know? ▪What do they not know? ▪What has been researched and what has not been researched? ▪Is the research reliable and trustworthy? ▪Where are the gaps in the knowledge? When you compile all that together, you have yourself a literature review. Ensure that you conclude the chapter by summarizing the main findings of the literature review exercise and indicate to the reader what comes next.

3.0 Proposed Methodology
The Methodology section describes the data that you will use in the research, the methodology to be adopted and justify your choice of methodology Inform readers of the kinds of data going to be collected Research procedure (interviews? Observations? Questionnaires?)▪If outside organizations involved, explain how you are going to get hold of the data. Indicate why the methodology is used. If existing methodology is not to be used, explain why you need to use an adapted methodology.

3.1 Research Design
Research requires a design or a structure before data collection or analysis can commence. A research design is not just a work plan. A work plan details what has to be done to complete the project, but the work plan will flow from the project’s research design. The function of a research design is to ensure that the evidence obtained enables us to answer the initial question as unambiguously as possible. Specify that the research for the dissertation is experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, causal-comparative, quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, or anotherdesign.

3.2 Setting and Participants
In a quantitative study, describe the geographic location where the study will take place, cite recognizable landmarks such as a nearby urban city. Describe the participant pool. In a qualitative study, the decision regarding the number of participants in a study becomes a reflection the study’s purpose. Ten to twelve participants may prove sufficient in qualitative inquiries involving the understanding of experiences and perceptions of participants. A successful purposeful sample in a phenomenological study could range from 1 to 40.

3.3 Data sources/Instruments what kind of measuring instruments or questionnaires do you use? Why do you choose them? Are they valid and reliable?

3.4 Data collection techniques in both qualitative and quantitative studies, the precise method of how the data were processed and then analyzed is described.

3.6Sampling Techniques
After identifying the population, you are required to identify, and discuss the type of sampling method used, and the reason for this selecting this method. Be mindful of the specific quantitative and qualitative sampling methods.
3.7 Pretest or pilot study In a quantitative study, a survey instrument that is researcher designed needs a pilot study to validate the effectiveness of the instrument, and the value of the questions to elicit the right information to answer the primary research questions in.▪ In a scientific study, a pilot study may precede the main observation to correct any problems with the instrumentation or other elements in the data collection technique. ▪Describe the pilot study as it relates to the research design, development of the instrument, data collection procedures, or characteristics of the sample.
3.8 Definitions of key terms, concepts and variables Terms or concepts that you use should be defined and explained unless they are familiar or obvious. To be used in Semester I
I3.9Data analysis and interpretation discusses how the data will be analyzed.
3.10 Ethical considerations the procedures for the protection of human participants should be stated. Ethical concerns are important, particularly in reference to planning, conducting, and evaluating research. The study should present minimal risk to participants pertaining to experimental treatment or exposure to physical or psychological harm. Care should be taken to ensure that the participants fully understood the nature of the study and the fact that participations voluntary. A statement should be made that confidentiality of recovered data will be maintained at all times, and identification of participants will not be available during or after the study. Ethical consideration should consider the following:
3.8.1 Confidentiality
3.8.2 Informed consent3
3.8.3 Provision of debriefing, counseling and additional information.
3.11 Conclusion
4.0List of Sources/References
5.0 Appendices