Each student will identify and select an appropriate problem pertaining to his/her particular work environment and perform a systematic literature review of the issue. The topic should be approved by the instructor by the end of Week 6.
1. Required Format - Following the title page bearing the title, student’s name, course information, and date, the following are the required headings of your paper:
A. Introduction to the topic
B. Significance of the topic to the field of Leadership and Management
C. Literature Review (see breakdown below)
D. Conclusions based on the Literature Review
E. Recommendations for leaders or managers
F. References
2. Recommended length of each section
A. Introduction to the topic - about 1 – 2 paragraphs
B. Significance of the topic to the field of Leadership and Management - about 2-3 paragraphs
C. Literature Review - an expanded literature review to include at least 10-12 current sources not more than ten years old
D. Conclusions based on the Literature Review - a minimum of at least 3 conclusions drawn from the literature review; each conclusion must be clearly stated and identified in this section; about 2-3 pages
E. Recommendations for CEOs and Human Resources Managers - a minimum of at least 3 recommendations based on concepts from the textbook or literature review; each recommendation must be clearly stated and identified in this section; about 1 – 2 pages
F. References - a minimum of 10-12 current scholarly references, properly cited in APA format, double-spaced with a hanging indent
3. Other guidelines for the paper
· As a general rule, do not use wikipedia.com, answers.com, infoplease.com or similar websites for references in graduate-level research.
· Limit quotations to no more than two (brief).
· Must be submitted electronically in Word format to the instructor by midnight of the last day of class.
Breakdown of Literature Review Portion of the Paper
Required Format
A. Introduction (an introduction to the literature review of about 2-3 paragraphs)
B. Literature Review Some ideas as to what comprises a good literature review follows:
a. Introductory information about the article, book, or source, including the proper APA citation. (About one paragraph)
b. A brief description of the study that the researchers/authors conducted, including key populations or samples examined. (About one paragraph)
c. A brief description of the authors’ findings in your words, and how it pertains to your selected topic. (About one paragraph)
d. You should use this outline for each reference.
C. Reference page
· At the end of the document
· All references current and properly cited according to the APA, double-spaced with a hanging indent.
Ten Year Rule
· All references must be dated within the last ten years. Research older than five years is usually not considered current.
· Sometimes it is appropriate to cite a landmark book, article or theorist whose work was published earlier. If this applies to your study, seek approval from the instructor in advance.
· No Wikipedia, etc. o As a general rule, do not use wikipedia.com, answers.com, or infoplease.com or similar websites for references in graduate-level research. Quotations
· Students sometimes cut-and-paste long quotations or too many quotations into the literature review.
· If you properly cite your references, the reader can find the quoted text in the literature; as such, there is no need to provide extensive quotations.
· I like to read your analysis, synthesis and conclusions from the previous research, not quotations of what someone else said.