Each research project is different, and because this outline is general, reviewers often ask to include additional information in your prospectus. For example, feasibility is one criterion for evaluating your prospectus, and if you are considering a unique sample group, your committee may ask you to explore that aspect in more detail before moving forward.

The DBA Doctoral Study Prospectus will follow APA 6th edition guidelines and formatted as .doc or. docx file. As you work on the document, also review the tools available on the CRQ website, the Doctoral Capstone Research Guide, DDBA Doctoral Study Template, and Doctoral Study Rubric. Appendices A, B and C contain an annotated outline, sample “quantitative” prospectus, and Prospectus Rubric, respectively.
Appendix D is a graphical depiction of a three-step formula for “qualitative” business problem alignment.

Submitting the Prospectus

Students will work with their chair in DDBA 8100, Doctoral Study Mentoring, to complete the prospectus. You will use the example Prospectus (Appendix A) as a guide and template; there is no other official Prospectus template. Students should aim to have an approved Prospectus by the end of their 3^rd DDBA 8100 course. As is the case for the proposal and doctoral study, for which you will receive feedback on working drafts, prospectus development is an iterative process. Committee members will use the Prospectus Rubric (Appendix C) to evaluate the Prospectus. Follow the submission guidelines identified in the course submission instructions.

Appendix A – Annotated Outline

Title Page

The recommended title of the business study should not exceed 12 words to include the topic, the variables and relationship between them (quantitative studies), and the most critical keywords. Double-space the title if over one line of type and center it under the word Prospectus.

Include your name, your program of study (and specialization if applicable) and Banner ID Number, double-spaced and centered under the title.

Title

Include the title as it appears on the title page. Double-space if over one line of type and centered at the top of the page. The title follows the word Prospectus and a colon.

Problem Statement

Provide a one-paragraph statement (150 words max) that is the result of a review of research findings, appropriate peer-reviewed/government sources, and current practice and that contains the following information:

1. Hook: (a WOW statement supported with a peer reviewed citation no older than five years from anticipated date CAO will sign.)

2. Anchor (includes a number supported with a peer reviewed/government citation no older than 5 years from your anticipated CAO signature)

3. The general business problem is XXXX

4. The specific business problem is some (identify who has the specific business problem) has limited information on XXX

Review the Problem Statement Video tutorial to aid you in completing the Problem Statement. The video tutorial is located at: http://youtu.be/IYWzCYyrgpo

Purpose Statement

Provide a one-paragraph Purpose Statement (200 words max) and that contains the following information:

Quantitative Study: (a) methodology, (b) design, (c) research variables (independent and dependent), (d) specific population, (e) geographical location, and (f) social change statement.

Note: A correlation study must examine the relationship between “more than” two variables. In other words, a simple bivariate correlation analysis is not substantive for a doctoral study. As a minimum, a multiple linear regression, using at least two predictor (independent) variables, is required.

Qualitative Study: (a) methodology, (b) design, (c) specific population, (d) geographical location, and (e) social change statement.

Please review the Purpose Statement Video tutorial to aid you in completing the Purpose Statement. Located the video tutorial at: http://youtu.be/pLP4r0mfT9A.

Nature of the Study

The Nature of the Study component serves two purposes. The first purpose is describing and justifying the methodology (i.e. quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method). The second purpose is describing and justifying the design (i.e. case study, phenomenological, correlation). Therefore, a well-crafted Nature of the Study can be presented in two paragraphs but not exceed one page.

The first paragraph is to describe and justify the methodology. State why you selected a specific method and why other methods were not appropriate. The second paragraph is to describe and justify the design. State why you selected a specific design and why other designs were not appropriate. Map to the rubric and only include the required content!

Research Question(s)/Hypotheses

List the research question that will lead to the development of the requirements in the study and steps for accomplishing the requirements. A research question informs the research design by providing a foundation for:

• Generation of hypotheses in quantitative studies,
• Questions necessary to build the design structure for qualitative studies (i.e. interview questions),
• Process by which different methods will work together in mixed studies.

Interview Questions (Qualitative)

The interview questions are to be informed by the conceptual framework. Please see the Theoretical/Conceptual Framework video tutorial at: http://youtu.be/P-01xVTIVC8.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

In one paragraph, describe the theoretical base or conceptual framework from the scholarly literature that will ground the study (providing citations). Base this description on the problem, purpose, and background of your study. Specifically, identify and describe:

(a) theory: theoretical base or conceptual framework,

(b) author of the theoretical base or conceptual framework (if applicable),

(c) date of the theoretical base or conceptual framework (if applicable),

(d) key tenets, propositions, constructs, variables, hypotheses, etc., and

(e) how the theoretical base or conceptual framework is applicable and fits to the study.

Review the Theoretical/Conceptual Framework video tutorial at: http://youtu.be/P-01xVTIVC8 to aid in completing Theoretical/Conceptual Framework section.

Significance of the Study

Provide one to two paragraphs, informed by the topic in the problem statement, which describe(s):

1. The value to the business/social impact.

2. Contribution to effective practice of business

3. Potential contribution to positive social change and improvement of business practice.

References

Include references formatted in the correct style (APA 6th edition, modeled at the end of this guide) for all citations within the Doctoral Study Prospectus.

Student and Committee Information

Note: Type in the applicable information.

Appendix B

Prospectus

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Employee Turnover Intentions

by

Alpha B. Gamma

Doctor of Business Administration Prospectus – Name of DBA Specialization

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

of

Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University

Student ID: A00000000

Month Year[1]

Prospectus: Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Employee Turnover Intentions

Problem Statement

Losing highly skilled technical employees disrupts organizational functioning, service delivery, and administration (Bothma & Roodt, 2012). From a financial perspective, employee turnover can cost employers between 90 and 200 % of annual pay (Hom, Mitchell, Lee, & Griffeth, 2102). The general business problem is that employee intent to leave is a major antecedent of actual employee turnover (Siddiqi, 2013). The specific business problem is that some information technology (IT) small business owners do not know the [2]relationship between IT employee perceptions of their leaders’ transformation leadership characteristics and employee turnover intention.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this quantitative correlation study is to examine the relationship between IT employee perceptions of their leaders’ transformation leadership characteristics and employee turnover intention. The targeted population consists of IT business leaders located in Orlando, Florida. The independent variables are employee perceptions of their leaders’ (a) idealized attributes, (b) idealized behaviors, (c) intellectual stimulation, (d) inspirational motivation, and (e) individualized consideration. The dependent variable is employee turnover intention[3]. The implications for social change include the potential to (include social change implications).

Nature of the Study[4]

Quantitative methodology is the foundation of the postpositivist worldview. The researcher uses descriptive and inferential statistics, by-products of the quantitative methodology, to describe the population and infer the sample results to the broader population (Orcher, 2014). The justification of the quantitative method results from the need to test the efficacy of transformational leaderships constructs in predicting employee turnover intentions. Conversely, researchers employing qualitative methodology seek to explore (seeking how or why answers), rather than explain a phenomenon or outcome (Yin, 2014). Therefore, the qualitative method is not appropriate for this study.

Researchers employing correlation designs do not seek cause and effect (Pallant, 2013). A key focus of correlation designs is tracing the distribution of the dependent variable or some characteristic of the distribution (such as its mean) as a function of one or more predictor variable (Pallant, 2013). Researchers employing experimental and quasi-experimental designs seek cause and effect relationships (Orcher, 2014). However, the purpose of this study is not to seek cause and effect; thus, the experimental and quasi-experimental designs are not appropriate for this study.

Quantitative Research Question[5]

What is the relationship between employee perception of their leaders’ (a) idealized attributes, (b) idealized behaviors, (c) intellectual stimulation, (d) inspirational motivation, (e) individualized consideration, and employee turnover intention?

Hypotheses

Null Hypothesis (H₀): There is no statistically significant relationship between employee perception of their leaders’ (a) idealized attributes, (b) idealized behaviors, (c) intellectual stimulation, (d) inspirational motivation, (e) individualized consideration, and employee turnover intention?

Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): There is a statistically significant relationship between employee perception of their leaders’ (a) idealized attributes, (b) idealized behaviors, (c) intellectual stimulation, (d) inspirational motivation, (e) individualized consideration, and employee turnover intention?

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

Burns (1978) developed the transformational leadership. Burns used the theory to offer an explanation for leadership based upon the premise that leaders are able to inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations to work toward common goals. Burns identified the following key constructs underlying the theory (a) idealized attributes, (b) idealized behaviors, (c) intellectual stimulation, (d) inspirational motivation, and (e) individualized consideration. As applied to this study, the transformational leadership theory holds that I would expect the independent variables (transformational leadership constructs), measured by the Multifaceted Leadership Questionnaire, to predict employee turnover intention because (provide a rationale based upon the logic of the theory and extant literature). Figure 1 is a graphical depiction of the transformational leadership theory as it applies to examining turnover intentions.

Figure 1. Graphical model of transformational leadership theory as it applies to examining turnover intentions.

Significance of the Study

Organizational leaders are faced with maximizing profitability. Therefore organizational leaders seek to minimize employee turnover to maximize profitability and maintain critical knowledge capital within their organizations. This study is significant to business practice in that it may provide a practical model for understanding better the relationship between transformational leadership characteristics and employee turnover intentions. A significant predictive model can aid and support leaders in predicting turnover intentions, and more important, employing interventions to mitigate employee turnover intentions. The implications for positive social change include to potential provide significant knowledge to organizational leaders conducive to minimizing turnover and maximizing profitability.

References[6]

Bothma, C. F., & Roodt, G. (2012). Work-based identity and work engagement as potential antecedents of task performance and turnover intention: Unravelling a complex relationship. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 38, 27-44. doi:10.4102/sajip.v38i1.893

Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper

Hom, P. W., Mitchell, T. R., & Lee, T. W., & Griffeth,  (2012). Reviewing employee turnover: Focusing on proximal withdrawal states and an expanded criterion. Psychological Bulletin, 138, 831-858. doi:10.1037/a0027983.

Orcher, L. T. (2014). Conducting research: social and behavioral methods (2^nd ed.). Glendale, CA:  Pyrczak Publishing.

Pallant, J. (2013). SPSS survivor manual: A step-by-step guide to data analysis using SPSS for Windows (5^th ed.). Berkshire, England: Open University Press.

Siddiqi, M. A. (2013). Examining work engagement as a precursor to turnover intentions of service employees. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 5(4), 118-132. Retrieved from http://ijibm.elitehall.com

Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5^th ed.). London: SAGE Publications.

[1] Anticipated CAO Signature Date

[2] Note the alignment (bold underlined text) between the last sentence of the Problem Statement, first sentence of the Purpose Statement, and Research Question.

[3] The independent and dependent variables are the same variables identified in the research question.

[4] The first paragraph addresses the methodology only. The second paragraph addresses the design only.

[5] The “specific” variables identified in the research question and are the same variables identified in the Purpose Statement.

[6] Note: At least 85% of the references are to be within five years of the anticipated CAO signature date. Therefore, it is imperative to identify a “realistic” CAO signature date.