why is the problem important – when did the problem start – what is the impact of the problem – what / who caused the problem – what has been done to resolve the problem – why have previous actions failed?

ach student is to select an organization, privately held or publicly traded, in which the student has a

special interest and for which the student has access to organizational leaders or available information

for public use. The organization will be the basis of the Capstone Research Product, a paper intended to
integrate the research project with what has been learned in prior courses and with student employment 5
experience. Capstone emphasis could focus on topics such as (a) strategic organizational leadership,

(b) human services strategy, (c) organizational strategic planning, (d) strategic management of

information systems, or (e) other approved strategic topic that integrates prior coursework

The Capstone Research Paper is to have five chapters (40-50 pages of value-added written content)

plus other supporting pages as described below.
Item Pages (50) Questions to Answer
Title Page – Necessary but does NOT count toward the 40 – 50-page requirement
Approval Page – Not Necessary
Executive Summary – Necessary but does NOT count toward the 40 – 50-page requirement
Acknowledgements – Not Necessary
Table of Contents – Necessary but does NOT count toward the 40 – 50-page requirement
List of Tables – Not Necessary
List of Figures – Not Necessary

Chapter 1: Introduction 10
• Overview of the Research Project 1 • What is the paper about – in very general terms – e.g. is this about solving an marketing problem – a culture problem – a strategic problem – give some detail but do so a high level
• Organizational and Environmental Profiles 2 • Describe the organization: e.g. Mission – Vision – Markets – Shareholders – Stakeholders – Regulatory Environment – Global Presence – Society Expectations – Diversity – Maturity – et al
• Describe the unit: How does the unit fit into the organization – what are the expectations of performance for the unit – what are some of the metrics / data points relative to the unit?
• Perform a SWOT or SWEATT analysis on the organization / unit – reference this and put this document in the appendix
• Research Goals and Objectives 3 • Background of the Business Problem:
 What EXACTLY is the problem – why is the problem important – when did the problem start – what is the impact of the problem – what / who caused the problem – what has been done to resolve the problem – why have previous actions failed?
• Research Goals and Objectives 2 • Business Problem and Opportunity Statement
 What is the benefit of solving the problem – what will have to change if the problem is solved?
 How long should it take to frame and solve the problem?
 What type of measurement will be needed as the problem resolution activities are undertaken?
 How will the measurement process be developed – and sustained?
• Research Goals and Objectives 1 • Scope and Limitations:
 What Did You Not Consider – what Are the Missing Independent Variables – what Are the Threats to Validity
• Research Goals and Objectives 1 • How does the research problem, research goals, and research objectives link to the SWOT / SWEATT analysis?