Differences Between a Business Proposal and Formal Research - Essay Example

?Part One major difference between formal research and a business proposal is that while formal research caters to the purpose of “knowledge generation” irrespective of its practical implications, a business proposal tries to address practical problems in a real time business situation (Buckley et al., 31-32). But the major similarity is that both try to find out certain interrelationships and causes of a given social situation. The potential of formal research is in that it “contributes to the theory and body of knowledge generated in the science of management” and also might “facilitate practitioners understanding of organzations and result in improved practices” (Buckley et al., 33). In this way, it can have a theoretical and practical side. But a business proposal is only about utility and faces the question, “how to manage?” (Buckley et al., 33). The potential of formal research is in that it can generate pure generalizable “theoretical”, information, supported by data which is generated through scientific tools and methods (Buckley et al., 33). On the contrary, the strength of a business proposal is in that it is focused on practical solutions, anchored in logic, and is “guided by case examples and common sense” which are used as data so that a practitioner can assimilate and make use of it easily (Buckley et al., 33-34). The formal research helps preparing study material for the future practitioners but a business proposal has a contextual value alone and is rarely generalizable (Buckley et al., 34). But a business proposal points to the real issues that need further introspection and correction while formal research might linger on some topic that satisfies an academic fancy. A business proposal can be written in a wide variety of formats and styles while a formal research paper needs to follow a particular writing and citation style like APA, MLA and so on (prismleadership, n.d.). A business proposal starts with an executive summary while the research paper will begin with an abstract (prismleadership.com, n.d.). But both an abstract and an executive summary serve almost the same purpose of giving the findings and discussion in the paper in a capsule form. A business proposal aims at decision making in a particular business context while a research paper looks forward to “careful framing of the area of concern as a potential contribution to scholarly research” (prismleadership.com, n.d.). In a business proposal, the research question will be like a direct inquiry about “the best possible solution to a business problem” whereas a research frames its research questions in such a way that they “can be proven as an experiment: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods” (prismleadership.com). The design of a business proposal will be about including all possible alternatives to a particular question of concern but a research paper deals with only specific number of chosen methodologies (prismleadership.com, n.d.). Last but not least, a business paper will be reviewing only “proprietary and industry-specific literature” while a research paper will review “recent and reputable scholarly sources” (prismleadership.com). A business proposal usually contain an introduction, executive summary, “background information, the proposal, staffing requirements, a budget and an autherization request” (Guffey, Rogin and Rhodes, 340). But a formal research comprise of: General observation...preliminary data gathering...literature review...theoretical framework...hypotheses...scientific research design...collect(ion) (of) data analysis and interpretation...deduction...report writing...report presentation...(and)...managerial decision making (Sekaran, 2009). Part-2 H3: Can organizational learning be considered a predictor of effective strategic management? Literature review Organisational learning is a process by which “whole organizations or their components adapt to changing environments by generating and selectively adopting organizational routines” (Argyris, 8). The concepts about organizational learning converge various processes within an organization and present them as an “interplay between the actions and interactions of individuals and the actions and interactions of higher-level organizational entities such as departments, divisions, or groups of managers” (Argyris, 8). Effective strategic management has a key role to play in organizational learning according to majority of researchers in this field (Argyris, 26; Burgelman, 240). Burgelman has cited the failure of strategic management as the reason behind the failure in organizational learning which led the company to exit from its dynamic random access memory (DRAM) business (55-56). Argyris has also discussed the need “for managers to make a visible commitment to the generation and the genelarilaztion of organizational learning by incorporating it in strategic intent” (Argyris, 1). From this line of thinking, it naturally follows that the best and effective way to facilitate organizational learning is by incorporating it into the strategic management goals. On reverse reasoning, it can be assumed that good organizational learning in an organization can be viewed as a reflection of sound strategic management. Strategic management involves both reflective and expedient decision making but favors reflective decision making more (Hoch Kunreuther and Gunther 106, 107). Reflective decision making is the prerogative of a “calm mind”, with a “balanced vision” and an eye for “long-term” effects (Hoch and Kunreuther, 106). As compared to this, expedient decision making is characterized by “short-term” vision, emotional responses and an ideological base that “speed” is “virtue” (Hoch, Kunreuther and Gunther, 106). The learning paradigm of strategic management views strategic management as a flexible process that bases itself on constant organizational learning and in such an approach, both reflective and expedient decision making has an equal value (Smit, 6). In this way. Organisational learning and strategic management are found to engage with each other in a mutually beneficial relationship. Definition of the problem Though it is clear that strategic management keeps evolving based on organization learning, it is difficult to conclude that effective strategic management will manifest itself as a presence of, or the quality of organizational learning. In more simple words, the question is whether organizational learning is a constant presence under effective strategic management. Success of a company rests in how effectively that company and its components have learned to cope with its environments and good strategic planning involves sustaining this learning process and thus ensuring success. This is why the hypothesis, 'can organizational learning be considered a predictor of effective strategic management?', can be accepted as a sound research question worth investigating. Research question This study will address the research questions, 1. What is the relationship between organizational learning and strategic management? 2. Will there be organizational learning in organizations which have effective strategic management? 3. Will there be better organizational learning in organizations which have effective strategic management ? Works Cited Argyris, Chris, “On Organizational Learning”, London: Wiley & Blackwell, 1999. Print. Buckley et al., “Disconnect Between Science and Practice Management”, Business Horizons, March/April 1998. Print. Burgelman, Robert.A., “Fading Memories: A Process Theory of Strategic Business Exit in Dynamic Environments”, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol.39, No.1, March 1994. Print. Hoch, Stephen.J. Kunreuther, Howard.C. and Gunther, Robert.E., “Wharton on Making Decisions”, London: John Wiley & Sons. Print. Guffey, Mary.Ellen., Rogin, Patricia and Rhodes, Kathleen, “Business Communication: Process and Product”, London: Cengage Learning. Print. Prismleadership, “Comparative Table: Differences Between a Business Proposal and Formal Research”, n.d. Web. 25 July 2011, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:tHmCD7MZC1QJ:www.prismleadership.com/600/compare.htm+compare+formal+research+and+business+proposal&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com Sekaran, “Sekaran (2003) Research Process and MGT600 Roadmap”, American Intercontinental University Online, 2009. web. July 24 2011, https://mycampus.aiu-online.com/courses/MGT600/Assignment_Assets/Sekaran.pdf Smit, P.J. “Strategic Planning: Readings”, Landsdown: Juta and Company Ltd., 2000. Print. Read More