Dedicated to Furthering the Ever-Growing

¶ … dedicated to furthering the ever-growing compendium of academic knowledge and personally compelling to the researcher based on experience and future trajectories. After such a selection is made by the graduate candidate, developing a clear and organized plan for answering the identified research question(s) is the next essential step, and then this plan must be submitted for approval in the form of a dissertation proposal (White 2000, pp. 72). In the development of a clear proposal, however -- one that is more likely to lead to effective and valid research, and also one that is more likely to be approved -- a great deal fo preliminary research must be conducted, and preliminary knowledge acquired, to ensure the success of both the research proposal and ultimately the proposed research itself (White 200).

A large part of the knowledge used in an initial dissertation proposal, of course, comes form the knowledge acquired during class modules. In my particular case, the class modules in corporate strategy and managing people were especially enlightening and interesting, and certain areas of knowledge that were a focus primarily in these modules will be foundational in my dissertation proposal. Specifically, the complex yet discernible interrelationships that exist between organizational cultures and the ability for organizations to effectively implement certain strategies and goals is a topic on which abundant information exists, yet which is still rapidly developing as the business world changes.

The knowledge I have gained from personal experience also enters into my decision to undertake further research in this area, and will be brought to bear on the dissertation proposal created prior to the approval of this research project. My work in financial institutions has shown me first-hand how the general culture -- that is the values and attitudes that are apparent in management and employees within a given organization -- can have on both the day-to-day activities of the institution or organization and the long-term goals and success in meeting them that this institution/organization possesses. Developing an empirical and more certain understanding of certain of the principles governing such interactions would be an ideal research area for me given my background knowledge and interests, and it is also supported by the knowledge I gained in the course modules.

Several key pieces of knowledge are obtained through literature reviews as well, which both build on knowledge from personal experience and class modules and expand the boundaries of the knowledge areas of which the researcher is aware (White 2000). Literature reviews are necessary to ensure that the proposed research to be undertaken in the dissertation does not simply repeat already-existing information, but rather attempts to expand upon it or test it in a new manner and from a different perspective (White 2000). Such reviews can also help to illuminate specific knowledge gaps or points of controversy in the current knowledge regarding a specific issue, allowing for a more focused and thus a more efficient and more likely effective dissertation and proposal (White 2000, pp. 81-3).

All of this preliminary research is necessary simply to develop and deliver an effective research proposal, and though it is essential for this purpose and for providing background information on the primary research to be undertaken upon approval of the proposal, it cannot provide the level of detail and explicit applicability that the primary data collected through direct research methods can. New knowledge will be generated via an examination of situations from new perspectives, with new and different questions asked and with more specific and narrowly-focused data. In addition to providing new data, the successful completion of the research dissertation will result in an expanded pool of knowledge that includes an awareness of new topics and suggests avenues for further research to clarify and expand upon the issues identified in the dissertation even further.