1. What are the research objectives for your selected topic?
1. What is the purpose of the research?
The purpose of my research is to see if I can find a common ground between operations and sales & marketing to make work process flow better.
2. What information is being sought?
I the information I am trying to find is turnaround times from the customers, how to please customers in a timely manner to ensure high quality, how to increase sales by lowering operational cost, and how to market our products.
3. How will the information be used?
I will present this information to upper management and all the department heads to see if my research is helpful, and could it be implemented to make our operations a success.
2. Give a clear problem statement for your topic.
Although a thriving and successful manufacturing need operations and sales & marketing to build their success it’s always conflict between the two. Marketing focuses on top-line revenue and, accordingly, seeks product variety (available on short notice) from well-stocked inventory pools. Operations worries about cost, looking for efficiencies in manufacturing and the supply chain.
3. What are the main benefits of the research topic?
The main benefits of my topic are to inform and bring forward a solution on how to manage conflict between operation sales & marketing.
4. What is the main research question?
How to resolve conflict between operations, sales & marketing in a manufacturing environment?
5. List five theories as foundation for your research.
1. Organizational Learning theory
Organizational learning theory states that, in order to be competitive in a changing environment, organizations must change their goals and actions to reach those goals. In order for learning to occur, however, the firm must make a conscious decision to change actions in response to a change in circumstances, must consciously link action to outcome, and must remember the outcome. Organizational learning has many similarities to psychology and cognitive research because the initial learning takes place at the individual level: however, it does not become organizational learning until the information is shared, stored in organizational memory in such a way that it may be transmitted and accessed, and used for organizational goals.
2. Social learning theory
Social learning theory states, learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction, even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct reinforcement. Also the observation of behavior, learning also occurs through the observation of rewards and punishments, a process known as vicarious reinforcement. The theory expands on traditional behavioral theories, in which behavior is governed solely by reinforcements, by placing emphasis on the important roles of various internal processes in the learning individual.
3. The theory of reasoned action
A model for the prediction of behavioral intention, spanning predictions of attitude and predictions of behavior. The subsequent separation of behavioral intention from behavior allows for explanation of limiting factors on attitudinal influence. The Theory of Reasoned Action was developed by Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen (1975, 1980), derived from previous research that started out as the theory of attitude, which led to the study of attitude and behavior. The theory was "born largely out of frustration with traditional attitude–behavior research, much of which found weak correlations between attitude measures and performance of volitional behaviors".
4. Self-efficacy theory
The extent or strength of one's belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals. Psychologists have studied self-efficacy from several perspectives, noting various paths in the development of self-efficacy; the dynamics of self-efficacy, and lack thereof, in many different settings; interactions between self-efficacy and self-concept; and habits of attribution that contribute to, or detract from, self-efficacy.
5. Behavioral decision theory
The decision-making evaluation which emphasize individuals’ subjective expected utilities, personal utility functions, and personal probability analyses. Behavior decision theory as pioneered by Edwards (1954) provides a systematic approach for describing how individual decision makers’ values and beliefs are incorporated into their decisions as well as for prescribing courses of action which reflect closely the values and beliefs of decision makers. Explicit in the theoretical approach is the view that decision makers are able to express preferences given alternatives, where such preferences are able to be systematically evaluated with consideration of subjective expected utilities.