Order Description
The thesis of the paper will be the diagnosis and recommended solution of a management problem as applied to the student’s current place of work, previous place of work, or publicly traded company. Note: Hodges University may not be used as an organization for this project.
Some additional examples of management problems include: micromanagement; lack of employee training and development; workplace bullying; employee theft; and toxic organizational culture. You may choose one of these examples to research or if you choose another problem, verify with your instructor that your problem is not a symptom and you can proceed with your paper.

“Diagnosis” means to:
• identify the problem,
• give it a label, and then
• define that label using peer-reviewed literature.
“Recommended solution” means to:
• propose a solution and
• back it up using evidence of its successful implementation against the previously identified diagnosis as found in the peer-reviewed literature.

The body of the paper should contain a minimum of 10 pages and should be formatted according to the current edition of the APA Publication Manual. This does not include the Title page, Table of Contents, or Reference page. Utilization of the competencies of research ability, initiative, critical thinking, and effective communication will be required to successfully complete this project.
The paper will contain, at a minimum, a S.W.O.T. analysis of the student’s organization utilizing management theory as a basis of analysis. The student must demonstrate his or her ability to diagnose and formulate a response to a perceived organizational problem through the performance of basic research and the use of initiative and leadership to present ideas. The student will also demonstrate her or his ability to communicate effectively in written and oral format.

The paper must contain a reference list with no fewer than ten (10) sources which will be utilized in citations throughout the body of the paper. The sources must be obtained from articles, books, etc. which may be obtained from the LIBRARY and/or its online resources. All sources must come from information which is considered scholarly resources. Any paper which is not properly formatted, referenced, or does not comply with APA guidelines will not be accepted by the instructor, and a failing grade will be issued for the assignment.

Note: Please refer to your APA Manual, Hodges’ APA Library Resources, and/or the APA Formatting and Style Guide-Purdue Online Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ when preparing your research paper.

Project Outline:
1. Title Page
The title page should contain the name of the project and all other information required on a standard APA title page. The title page should be numbered “1”.
1.Title
2. Table of Contents
3. Introduction
This section of the paper must be “introduced” as a major heading (centered) entitled Introduction. Essentially, the Introduction “introduces” the project and describes the purpose of the paper and what will be accomplished through completion of the project. This section should be no more than one-half page.
4. Background
This section provides background information on the organization which is relevant to your paper and should be limited to no more than one page.
5. Problems and Opportunities (SWOT)
This section summarizes the main problems and opportunities facing the organization. Some questions to consider in this section include:
(1) What is a SWOT analysis? Provide a scholarly definition.
(2) Why is it done?
(3) What does the SWOT analysis tell you about the viability of your particular organization and industry?
Once you have completed the SWOT analysis, using critical thinking, you should provide a summary of your findings.
You may present your SWOT analysis in bullet or table format.
6. Perceived Management Problem
What is the management problem you have diagnosed at your organization? Define the problem using scholarly research. Be specific and include details.

7. Literature Review
This section provides the research data from which the student will draw new meanings and apply critical thinking. This part should be rich in relevant information from scholarly sources found in your textbook or in HU Library resources. This portion of the paper should be at least three (3) pages in length.
8. Recommended Solution*
This section provides the best recommended solution to the organizational problem and it must reflect your findings in your Literature Review. This portion of the paper should be at least two pages.
9. Summary*
This section should be the culmination of your analysis and critical thinking about the organization, the management problem that you identified, and the recommended solution to that problem.
It should be rich with your own thoughts, analysis, and interpretation.
It should endeavor to persuade the reader that you have completely analyzed the situation and recommended the best solution in order for the organization to thrive and move forward in a positive manner.
Remember, this portion fully states the case concerning why the particular situation exists and what can be done to rectify it.
This portion of the paper should be at least one page.

*Note: It is important that you include your recommended solutions as well as your opinion on your topic. Your solutions and opinion do need to be supported; however, some students make the mistake of merely reiterating the solutions and opinions of others. This practice does not demonstrate the student’s knowledge and understanding of the issue, or demonstrate critical thinking skills.

10. References
The list of all sources used in the construction of your plan. A minimum of 10 references are required. (Your textbook and Hodges University Library resources only.) Your references must be cited (at least once) in the body of your paper.

11. Appendix
This section includes any additional information or documents relevant to the paper. It may also include any graphs, charts, or other supplements.

If one should delay his or her project research until shortly before the assignment is due, he or she might be tempted to copy and incorporate portions of Web pages or entire Web articles into the research project. Plagiarism, an unforgivable offense at Hodges University, is the use of another person’s WORDS or IDEAS (either spoken or written) without citing the source. Hence, computerized copy and paste operations, as well as inclusion of rephrased statements from the Internet, book, or journals without citing author or source are both examples of plagiarism. Any paper or presentation found to contain plagiarized information will result in an (F) for the assignment and possibly the course, as well as other remedies listed under the academic honesty policy. Furthermore, each student’s research should represent his or her own thoughts. Excessive paraphrasing and/or lengthy direct quotations, although cited properly, will result in poor grades.
All of the articles used for the Research Paper must be obtained from the LIBRARY and/or its online resources. No articles or information may be obtained from the www. Copies of all articles must be kept and turned in when requested by the instructor. Books and other texts are also permitted. Please note that the text’s PowerPoints may not be used or referenced in any portion of this paper