Management Research: Methods, Theory & Critical Analysis

1. A researcher is examining the effect of board functional diversity (X) on board performance (Y) among multinational banks in Ghana. In estimating a regression model:

a) What will you consider as critical control variables to include in this study?

b) Why do you think the inclusion of control variables is important in this study and how do you avoid the issues of omitted variable bias in research?

2. A researcher is contemplating which theory to use in investigating the impact of strategic agility and firm performance.

a) State one (1) theory that can be used in this study

b) What are the assumptions of the theory

c) How can the assumptions of the chosen theory help explain the logic behind a positive relationship between strategic agility and firm performance?

Hint: Strategic agility refers to the ability of firms to rapidly reconfigure its resources and processes during crises

3. A researcher is interested in the ability of servant leadership to affect employee creativity through employee work engagement in a reputable private sector organization.

a) Draw a conceptual framework to illustrate the researcher’s intention.

b) Propose two possible hypotheses the researcher might test from the model.

c) Indicate the independent, mediator and dependent variables in the model

d) Suggest two possible confounding variables that the researcher should consider in his/her model.

e) Explain why those confounding variables are justified.

4. Common method bias is a major concern in management research.

a) What is a common method bias

b) What are the potential consequences of common method bias

c) Discuss the ex-ante and post-ante measures you put in place to deal with Common method bias?

5. The abstract of a paper published in Human Resource Management (a Wiley publication) reads:

“Human resource (HR) practices are potent in shaping workplace social relationships, which play a crucial role in employees’ well-being. While the role of formal relationships (i.e., relationships based on prescribed work roles) has received relatively more research attention, little is known about the nexus between HR practices, informal relationships at work and employee well-being. Drawing on social interdependence theory, we conducted two studies to investigate how high commitment work systems (HCWS) affect employee well-being through workplace friendship beyond the effects of formal interpersonal relationships. In Study 1, using time-lagged data from a sample of 253 full-time employees, we found that workplace friendship, a type of informal relationship at work, mediated the relationship between HCWS and employee well-being. In addition, task interdependence strengthened the relationship between HCWS and workplace friendship and the indirect effect of HCWS on employee well-being. In Study 2, we replicated these findings and extended them to multiple forms of well-being using multilevel data collected from 310 employees in 61 organizations at three points. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings, as well as future research directions, are discussed.”

Source: Zhang et al., 2021.

Use the abstract above to answer the following questions:

1. Suggest a suitable title for this study?
2. State three key objectives the researchers investigated in the study.
3. State two hypotheses that were tested in the study.
4. Identify the research approach used to answer the proposed research hypotheses in the study.
5. Explain why the identified research design in (d) is justified
6. Identify the salient gap the researchers investigated
7. State and explain any two (2) ethical issues that should be considered in such research.
8. Identify a sampling technique you would have employed in study 2 to select the participants for this study. Justify why that sampling technique is appropriate.

Struggling with assignment questions? Get AI-Free assignment answers at an affordable price by our subject-matter experts. Casestudyhelp.com delivers the best assignment writing services for students. We offer top-notch assignment help online with plagiarism-free work, timely delivery, 24/7 live support and much more. Our team of academic writers assists you with high-quality assignment support online. Achieve academic success with us!