RESEARCH PROPOSAL 1 Florida International University Research Proposal Jesus Cotto Zayas 5601270 Causes of low employee morale Introduction The modern workplace recognizes the input employees bring into an organization. There is a connection between employee productivity and organizational performance. A highly productive employee is a highly motivated employee. Statement of the Problem Employees are a vital component of an organization because the quality of the products or services produced by the organization lies in the hands of the employees who perform various duties in the production lines or customer service. Therefore, sustainable employee productivity is only achievable when employees are motivated. Companies that experience poor performance may be grappling with low employee morale. Low employee morale may arise out of many factors such as closed communication, career stagnation, lack of job training, lack of recognition among others. Proposed solutions Businesses, business leaders, and HR professionals must rethink the work environment such that the work process and hr practices embody employee motivation. Additionally the organizational culture must support employee motivation. Some of the solutions applicable to business across industries are · Open communication · Personal and skills development/empowerment (training) · Career development (promotions) · Merit based reward system (commensurate pay for work done) Scope 1. What are the causes of low employee morale? 2. How has the workplace changed over the years in terms of employee involvement? 3. What are successful businesses doing right to curb low employee morale? (examples of the best practices) 4. What are the examples of successful companies in employee motivation? 5. What are the benefits of a motivated workforce? 6. What are the various methods of employee motivation? 7. How is effective is open communication towards employee motivation? 8. Is employee training a good motivator? 9. How can promotion be used as a tool for employee motivation? 10. How effective is a merit based reward system to employee motivation? Methodology This analysis will be conducted through literature review of authoritative journal articles in the field of organizational behavior. Additionally, the research will also utilize online resources especially when looking for best practices in employee motivation and job satisfaction as indexed by Fortune 100 magazine or others . A good example that will come handy in this research is Google, which has topped Fortune 100 best list of companies to work for over a number of years in the past. My qualifications As an aspiring business leader and management consultant, I have a strong interest in the topic of employee motivation because of its implication in organizational performance. Conclusion Low employee morale is an impediment to organization performance. On the other hand, motivated employees are highly productive. This ...

1. RESEARCH PROPOSAL 1
Florida International University
Research Proposal
Jesus Cotto Zayas
5601270
Causes of low employee morale
Introduction
The modern workplace recognizes the input employees bring
into an organization. There is a connection between employee
productivity and organizational performance. A highly
productive employee is a highly motivated employee.
Statement of the Problem
Employees are a vital component of an organization because the
quality of the products or services produced by the organization
lies in the hands of the employees who perform various duties
in the production lines or customer service. Therefore,
sustainable employee productivity is only achievable when
employees are motivated. Companies that experience poor
performance may be grappling with low employee morale. Low
employee morale may arise out of many factors such as closed
communication, career stagnation, lack of job training, lack of
recognition among others.

2. Proposed solutions
Businesses, business leaders, and HR professionals must rethink
the work environment such that the work process and hr
practices embody employee motivation. Additionally the
organizational culture must support employee motivation. Some
of the solutions applicable to business across industries are
· Open communication
· Personal and skills development/empowerment (training)
· Career development (promotions)
· Merit based reward system (commensurate pay for work done)
Scope
1. What are the causes of low employee morale?
2. How has the workplace changed over the years in terms of
employee involvement?
3. What are successful businesses doing right to curb low
employee morale? (examples of the best practices)
4. What are the examples of successful companies in employee
motivation?
5. What are the benefits of a motivated workforce?
6. What are the various methods of employee motivation?
7. How is effective is open communication towards employee
motivation?
8. Is employee training a good motivator?
9. How can promotion be used as a tool for employee
motivation?
10. How effective is a merit based reward system to employee
motivation?
Methodology
This analysis will be conducted through literature review of
authoritative journal articles in the field of organizational
behavior. Additionally, the research will also utilize online
resources especially when looking for best practices in
employee motivation and job satisfaction as indexed by Fortune
100 magazine or others . A good example that will come handy
in this research is Google, which has topped Fortune 100 best
list of companies to work for over a number of years in the past.

3. My qualifications
As an aspiring business leader and management consultant, I
have a strong interest in the topic of employee motivation
because of its implication in organizational performance.
Conclusion
Low employee morale is an impediment to organization
performance. On the other hand, motivated employees are
highly productive. This means that employee motivation should
be an integral part of the organization strategy through the
implementation of HR practices that support employee
motivation. This research will present some of the strategies
business leaders and HR managers can deploy to ensure that
employees within their workforce are motivated.
Sources to use Majamumder, S., ().Employee Motivation: The
Google Way! Retrieved from
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/employee-motivation-google-
way-sampurna-majumder/ Ramlall, S. (2004). A review of
employee motivation theories and their implications for
employee retention within organizations. Journal of American
Academy of Business, 5(1/2), 52-63.Samuel, M. O., &
Chipunza, C. (2009). Employee retention and turnover: Using
motivational variables as a panacea. African journal of business
management, 3(9), 410.
Dutta, S. O. N. A. M., & Kant, K. R. I. S. H. A. N. (2015).
Employee motivation and organizational performance. Kaav
International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Business
Management,[Online], 2(2), 140-150.
Burton, K. (2012). A study of motivation: How to get your
employees moving. Management, 3(2), 232-234.
Rahman, M. A., & ul Alam, M. M. (2016). Non Financial
Factors Affecting Employee Motivation: A Survey among
Managers of Private Organizations. Management, 30(1&2).
Audience and Purpose
Primary Audience: Any interested reader

4. Secondary Audience: Professor Diane
Mooney
Relationship with audience: Interested student
Purpose of document: Research and analysis
Audience and purpose: This paper investigates cause of
low employee morale and ways that businesses can boost
employee morale through motivation.
Intended use of the document: To propose the best
methods to boost employee motivation and morale
Information needs: Information on employee satisfaction
and its connection to firm profitability.
Technical background: General knowledge
Cultural consideration: organizational culture and values
Probable questions: why is a motivated workforce
important to an organization?
Must motivation strategies be monetary?
Probable reaction: Approval
The Final Report Project
Steps 1-4
Final Report
Learning Objective: Write an effective four- part business
document that includes information gathered from primary and
secondary research with cited sources.

5. Final Report Project
Final Report
Progress Report
Research Proposal
Blog Post
The Final Report Project
This is a 4-part process:
Research Proposal Memo
Progress Report
Blog post
Final Report

6. Research Proposal Memo.
First you will submit the research memo and audience profile
(see p. 30), requesting approval for your final report topic.
This memo should include an introduction, the statement of the
problem, proposed solutions, the scope (your research
questions), and the methods (interview experts, do a survey,
use a questionnaire, research newspapers, books, journals and
other publications.
An example of this research memo can be found on p. 543-544.
How to Submit the Research Proposal
Put both the proposal and the audience profile in one document
and submit as a Word attachment to the assignment dropbox by
the due date (see syllabus for date).
Conferences

7. We will have individual conferences to discuss your proposal.
The first draft of your proposal memo as well as your audience
profile is due before the conference.
Conferences are scheduled for 15 minutes but usually don’t take
that long.
You will then have the opportunity to revise your proposal if
necessary and submit the final draft.
Audience Profile
You need to complete the Audience profile on p. 30 for your
research proposal.
Your primary audience should be whoever has the power to
implement your recommendations.
I am your secondary audience.
Final Draft of Research Proposal
After our conference you will then have the opportunity to
revise your proposal if necessary and submit the final draft.
Conferences are not optional.

8. The Progress Report
The progress report is due a few weeks after the final draft of
the research proposal. (See syllabus for exact date.)
This report lets me know how far along you are in the work for
your final report. Have you completed most of your research?
Completed your interviews, if you are using interviews as a
source ? Have your completed your survey, if you are doing a
survey?
An example of a progress report can be found on p. 476. Use
this format when writing your report.
Blog Post
You will post a summary of your final report to the class blog.
(See syllabus for exact date.)
You are require to comment on at least 5 other blog posts.
The Final Report

9. Step four is the final report.
Check syllabus for due date.
The Purpose of the Final Report
The purpose of the final report is NOT to write an informative
report.
It is NOT to write a “should or should not” argument essay.
Its purpose is to present a problem, and write a Causal Analysis
(Why does X happen?), a Comparative Analysis (Is X or Y
better?), or a Feasibility Analysis (Is this a good idea?).
The goal of analysis is to reach valid conclusion and make
recommendations.
The Final Report MUST include:
Title page (does not count for page count)
Letter of transmittal (see. P. 515. Example on p. 519.)
Table of Contents

10. Executive Abstract (Summary) (see p. 178-179)
Body- must be at least 6 pages single-spaced.
Works Cited –All sources listed in works cited must be cited in
your report. You must also use in-text citations.
Appendix or Glossary if needed
The Final Report Is an Analytical Report
You will be writing an analytical report. In the analytical
report, you have a problem for which you analyze several
solutions and make recommendations.
Read Chap. 21 in Technical Communication carefully to be sure
you understand the analytical report.
The Analytical Report Format
For analytical reports, identify your focus (examine, evaluate,
and compare).
Clearly and briefly explain the problem.
Analyze your possible solutions in depth.
You must make recommendations!

11. An outline for an analytical report appears on p. 503.
An example of an analytical report can be found on pp. 519-
530.
Sources
Use balanced, varied, and reputable sources.
Have a works cited page.
Follow APA guidelines for your report and your Works Cited
page.
Address Counterargument
Include counter arguments. Be sure to address the other side.
Why might people disagree with your findings?
How would you answer their concerns, especially concerns
about cost and feasibility?

12. Visuals
Use appropriate visuals such as graphs, charts, or diagrams.
Be sure to cite your visuals.
Visual don’t count towards the 6 page body minimum.
Final Report Rubric
The written report is 15% of your final grade.
The Problem is significant and clearly stated. Recommendations
are detailed and well-documented.
Audience has been carefully considered and the report is
tailored to their level of technicality
Information is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs
and subheadings.
All sources (information and graphics) are accurately
documented in APA format.
Report includes letter of transmittal, complete table of contents,
executive abstract, a minimum of 6 body pages, APA-formatted
Works Cited Page and appendices if appropriate.
Few to no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. Format
is 12 pt type. Body is single-spaced.

13. To recycle or not to Recycle?
Students sometimes try to recycle a paper written for another
class.
Recycling or slightly modifying a paper written for another
class might save you time but it will not fit the final report
format.
Any recycled papers, i.e. essays written for other classes, will
receive a grade of “F”.
Don’t Miss the Final Report
Without it your grade is “D” or less, depending on your grade
on other assignments.