Assessment 3 Instructions: Business Project Idea: Developing a Business Study

For this assessment, you will write a 3-5 page preliminary project topic proposal that is grounded in a business problem related to strategic digital transformation using the topic scenario you selected for the previous assessment.

By now you should understand that leading digital transformation can create challenges and opportunities for leaders and businesses. The digital ecosystem is large and complex, and often it can be difficult to conceptualize the nature of a business problem. For this assessment, you will write a preliminary project topic proposal grounded in a business problem related to leading digital transformation using the topic scenario you selected for Assessment 2: Harvard Business Review Article Proposal. This assessment is an opportunity to hone skills needed to create proposals for work projects or to drive improvements in your organization.

Note: Assessments in this course are designed to be completed in the order they are presented in the courseroom. Please make sure you are completing them in order.

Overview

The editor of the Harvard Business Review (HBR) is interested in having you write a business thought-leader article. HBR would like your article to be based on original research related to a current business problem. For this assessment, you will develop a proposal for a business study based on the leading digital transformation topic chosen used in the previous assessment.

For this assessment, you will submit a business proposal related to leading digital transformation and your updated literature matrix. Refer to the Industry Problem Scenarios as needed.

Instructions

Write a 3–5 page business proposal grounded in a business problem related to leading digital transformation, using the following six headings to organize your proposal.

INTRODUCTION

Include interesting facts, statistics, or statements relevant to your topic and project to catch the attention of your reader. Cite the scholarly, peer-reviewed, empirical, or practitioner sources of your information.  Ensure a thesis sentence exists in which you clearly identify the topic and the specific focus of your project. Make a strong case for your project topic and focus. (One paragraph)

PROBLEM OF PRACTICE

?????State a general problem introduced by “The general problem is…” Describe the general problem in a few sentences using citations and support. (One paragraph)

State a specific problem introduced by “The specific problem is…” Describe the general problem in a few sentences using citations and support. (One paragraph)

Describe how the is problem manifesting: what adversity is being experienced?  The specific problem is not the gap in practice; what is happening because of the gap in practice is the specific problem. Gaps exist when practitioners are not doing everything they could, are not doing things correctly, could improve what they are doing, do not know something, do not know how to do something, do not have methods or strategies, or are not doing something in their practice. (One paragraph)

GAP IN PRACTICE

Identify and discuss the gap in practice, explicitly stating “The gap in practice is…” or “…is the gap in practice.”  Describe the difference between the current state of the problem and the desired state as the gap in practice as it relates to the problem. Cite scholarly, peer-reviewed, empirical, or practitioner sources that support your assertions of the gap as part of the problem. Clearly identify the gap in practice and include your gap analysis.  (1–2 paragraphs)

PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT AND PROJECT QUESTIONS

Write a purpose statement for your proposed study based on the specific business problem you identified and the gap in practice you seek to address. This section will include two parts, the first of which is the purpose of the project: what you plan to do to study this problem. The purpose statement must include the potential project technique as outlined in the course materials.

The second part includes the project questions aligned with the purpose statement. Develop two potential project questions informed by your specific problem and the identified gap in practice you seek to address. While the purpose is a declaration of intent, project questions are formulated as interrogatives that express the knowledge you are seeking to obtain through conducting your project.  The project questions must be open-ended and formatted to align with a project technique as outlined in the course materials.

PRELIMINARY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Define three important terms to help your reader understand the specific use of those terms in the context of your project proposal.

PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

Describe the reason for the project, its need, and evidence to support the need for the project. (2–3 paragraphs)

Address these key elements as you justify the need for your project:

• Describe who in the practitioner or scholarly literature says this project within your topic is needed.
• Describe why your project questions need to be answered.
• Describe why your project is important.
• Describe business practitioners for whom your project outcome will be significant, and why.

AUTHOR NOTE: REFLECTION ON ALIGNMENT

Reflect on the alignment for the main elements of your proposal, meaning that each key sentence in the foundation sections (problem, gap in practice, purpose, project questions) are focused on the same issue and are consistent and congruent. (one paragraph)

Develop a figure (graphical representation) in an APA format that shows how the general problem, specific problem, gap in practice, purpose, and project questions are aligned, highlighting the areas of alignment.

DBA Capstone Literature Matrix

Update your literature with at least 5 additional articles supporting your project proposal related to problem, purpose, gap in practice, project question, and justification. Submit the DBA Capstone Literature Matrix Template Excel file with your assessment.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Write abbreviated project proposals to conceptualize ideas, which are valid and meaningful to leadership professionals.
  • Write an introduction that clearly states the topic and focus of the project, includes a thesis statement, and is supported by relevant cited evidence.
  • Define three terms to aid reader understanding of the specific use of terms in a project proposal.
  • Articulate meaning relevant to the main topic, scope, and purpose of the project.
  • Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.
• Competency 2: Evaluate the integration of scientific information and scholarly frameworks into the standards and processes for publications and conferences relevant to project interests.
  • Update the literature matrix, documenting and justifying the scholarly and professional resources used to support the project proposal.
• Competency 5: Synthesize trends in field of leadership to envision scenarios encompassing emerging problems and gaps in practice.
  • State a general and specific problem, identifying the problem, who is experiencing the problem, where the problem exists, and the adversity being experienced. Cite evidence to support the problem.
  • Describe a gap in practice that addresses the current state and desired state of the problem and includes a gap analysis and cited evidence as support.
• Competency 6: Evaluate the alignment of the purpose of project problems with the agendas of societies, foundations, research organizations, grant providing entities, or associations within the field of leadership.
  • Write a purpose statement that includes the project plans to study the problem and the potential project technique, and that is aligned to the topic, specific problem, and gap in practice.
  • Create two project questions aligned to the purpose statement, topic, problem, and gap in practice.
  • Describe the need for the project and the rationale for conducting it within the context of the problem, purpose, and gap in practice. Cite evidence to support the need and rationale.
  • Reflect on the alignment of the main elements of the proposal and provide a figure to illustrate the alignment of elements.