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[REPLACE WITH YOUR DISSERTATION TITLE]
A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of [Business Administration, Management, or Computer Science]
By
[Replace with your Name]
Colorado Technical University
[Replace with Month, Year of Completion]
Committee
[Research Supervisor name], [Degree], Chair
[Committee Name], [Degree], Committee Member
[Committee Name], [Degree], Committee Member
Date Approved
© [Replace with your name], [Replace with Year of Completion]
i
Abstract
[Replace with your Abstract. An abstract is a single paragraph, without indentation, that
summarizes the key points of the manuscript in 150 to 250 words. The purpose of the abstract is
to provide the reader with a brief overview of the paper.]
ii
Dedication[Add a Dedication, if desired]
iii
Acknowledgements[Add Acknowledgements]
iv
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................iv
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................v
List of Tables................................................................................................................viii
List of Figures.................................................................................................................ix
Chapter One.........................................................................................................................1
Topic Overview/Background...........................................................................................1
Problem Opportunity Statement......................................................................................1
Purpose Statement...........................................................................................................2
Research Question(s).......................................................................................................2
Hypotheses/Propositions..................................................................................................2
Theoretical Perspectives/Conceptual Framework...........................................................3
Assumptions/Biases.........................................................................................................3
Significance of the Study.................................................................................................3
Delimitations....................................................................................................................3
Limitations.......................................................................................................................3
Definition of Terms.........................................................................................................4
General Overview of the Research Design......................................................................4
Summary of Chapter One................................................................................................4
Organization of Dissertation (or Proposal)......................................................................4
v
Chapter Two........................................................................................................................5
Review and Discussion of the Literature (the exact headings will depend on the
content)........................................................................................................................................5
Conceptual Framework....................................................................................................6
Summary of Literature Review.......................................................................................6
Chapter Three......................................................................................................................7
Research Tradition(s).......................................................................................................7
Research Questions, Propositions, and/or Hypotheses (as appropriate)..........................7
Research Design..............................................................................................................7
Population and Sample....................................................................................................8
Sampling Procedure.........................................................................................................8
Instrumentation................................................................................................................8
Validity............................................................................................................................9
Reliability........................................................................................................................9
Data Collection................................................................................................................9
Data Analysis...................................................................................................................9
Ethical Considerations.....................................................................................................9
Summary of Chapter Three...........................................................................................10
Chapter Four......................................................................................................................11
Participant Demographics (if appropriate)....................................................................11
vi
Presentation of the Data.................................................................................................11
Presentation and Discussion of Findings.......................................................................12
Summary of Chapter Four.............................................................................................12
Chapter Five.......................................................................................................................13
Findings and Conclusions..............................................................................................13
Limitations of the Study................................................................................................13
Implications for Practice................................................................................................13
Implications of Study and Recommendations for Future Research..............................13
Reflections (as desired and authorized by the committee)............................................14
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................14
References..........................................................................................................................15
Appendix............................................................................................................................16
vii
List of Tables
Table 1: [Table Name Here]…………………………………………………………………….#
Table 2: [Table Name Here]…………………………………………………………………….#
viii
List of Figures
Figure 1: [Table Name Here]…………………………………………………………………….#
Figure 2: [Table Name Here]…………………………………………………………………….#
ix
CHAPTER ONE
[Chapter One provides an overview of the study, including the statement of the problem,
a rationale for the study, research question(s), a discussion of the research design, and limitations
that could impact the research results. Add an Introduction here. There is no heading used for the
Introduction in the manuscript. The introduction to Chapter One tells the reader what the
proposal or dissertation is to be about, how the whole proposal or dissertation will be organized,
and, in particular, how chapter 1 will be organized. According to APA sixth edition, this section
should not have a heading.]
Topic Overview/Background
[Every dissertation begins somewhere. Doctoral students at CTU are expected to pursue
research that reflects the emphasis of their program, their concentration within the program, and
their personal interests. This section provides an opportunity for the student to share a bit about
their particular interest in pursuing this study and the background that will provide the reader
with some context for what follows. Do not use first person. You should include citations to the
most relevant references that support the topic you will be studying.]
Problem Opportunity Statement
[All doctoral research should be aimed at addressing a gap in the body of knowledge, as
observed in the literature that surrounds the topic of choice. Once this is identified, the doctoral
researcher translates it into a discussion inserted here so that the reader is clear about the
direction of the research. Not only does doctoral research at CTU address gaps in the body of
knowledge, it often seeks to contribute to practical knowledge that can be applied in the field.
Provide citations that support your topic.]
1
Purpose Statement
[Following on from the problem or opportunity discussion, the purpose statement
explains why the research is being pursued. It serves as a beacon for both the researcher and the
reader, stating the focus of the research and rationale for its pursuit. Provide sufficient citations
from relevant reference sources to justify the topic of study.]
Research Question(s)
[As a result of the explorations detailed in the sections above, the researcher must shape
his or her research intention into the form of one or more concise questions. The research
question explicitly illuminates the variables (also referred to as concepts or categories in
qualitative research) that will be under study. Near the conclusion of the research, final
discussions highlight the specifics of, and the extent to which, the research question or questions
were addressed. At times a central question is posed and followed by several sub questions.]
Hypotheses/Propositions
[Hypotheses are assumptions about a phenomenon that the research will seek to prove or
disprove. Hypotheses are stated in two forms: the null hypothesis and the alternate hypothesis.
The null hypothesis is proved or disproved by the research. If the null hypothesis were
disproved, there would be no relationship between the variables being examined. The alternate
hypothesis is examined when there is a relationship between the variables. Hypothesis testing is
commonly found in research, typically accompanying quantitative research. Propositions are
similar to hypotheses; however, when a proposition is stated, the relationship between the
variables will not be proved or disproved by experiment within the context of the research
proposed. Propositions help direct the focus of research such that ultimately testable hypotheses
can be developed. Propositions typically accompany qualitative research.]
2
Theoretical Perspectives/Conceptual Framework
[The theoretical framework presents the logic you have developed, supported by the
literature that informs the development of your research design. The theoretical perspectives
assist the reader in understanding and following the design of your study. Frameworks and
theoretical perspectives or models are most often found in foundational research related to your
topic of study. Note: also see the Conceptual Framework section in Chapter 2 for additional
help.]
Assumptions/Biases
[All research is accompanied by assumptions held by the researcher. It is extremely
important to explore and state these assumptions as they are related to your study. The
assumptions may arise from past experience or previous knowledge. The assumptions may also
be based in existing theory.]
Significance of the Study
[In this section, the researcher explains how the study will benefit the stakeholders of the
study. Stakeholders can be defined as persons or groups that may have a vested interest in the
subjects explored in the study, as well as the research question itself. This section provides an
explanation of the value your research will have on the body of knowledge related to your topic.]
Delimitations
[Delimitations represent the boundaries of the study as determined by the researcher.]
Limitations
[The limitations of the study are aspects of the research that cannot be controlled by the
researcher. Limitations may be identified prior to the implementation of the research and/or may
emerge during the process of doing the research.]
3
Definition of Terms
[The definition of terms includes a list of terms used throughout the study and is critical
to the understanding of the study and its documentation. The terms in this list can be defined
both by the researcher and the literature, resulting in an operational definition for the term. Note:
The definition of terms should not be a laundry list of all the technical terms that can be found in
the study. When a term is mentioned infrequently in a study, however important it may be, the
definition should appear where the term is mentioned in the study, not in the definition of terms.
The list here should be those terms unique to the topic or field that are necessary for the reader to
understand.]
General Overview of the Research Design
[Although the research design will be covered in depth in Chapter 3 of the dissertation, it
is helpful to present a summary of the design in Chapter One so that the reader has a complete
picture of the proposed research. Obviously, this summary cannot be introduced until Chapter 3
is completed.]
Summary of Chapter One
[As you conclude Chapter One, there should be a short summary of the contents of topics
mentioned above. This serves as a transition into the next section.]
Organization of Dissertation (or Proposal)
[Concluding Chapter One requires a brief discussion telling the reader how the
dissertation or proposal is organized, chapter-by-chapter. Each sentence or paragraph regarding a
chapter should be short and succinct.]
4
CHAPTER TWO
[Of the five (or six) chapters of a CTU dissertation, the structure of Chapter Two is the
most variable. The heading in Chapter Two will be specific to the content of the chapter, as it is
related to the research topic and proposed study. However, the following elements should be
included in Chapter Two, regardless of the sections.
Chapter Two is a presentation of a review of the literature. The researcher accomplishes
three things during the process of developing Chapter Two: a) the researcher develops subject
matter expertise in the topics relating to his/her research, b) the researcher identifies and
substantiates a gap in the body of knowledge (your topic) that will be addressed by the study, and
c) the researcher develops a conceptual framework which informs the research design. THIS
DESCRIPTION SHOULD BE REMOVED BEFORE SUBMITTING THE MANUSCRIPT]
[Chapter Two shall contain the following content (although headings may vary):]
[The introduction to Chapter Two tells the reader what the chapter is to be about, and
tells the reader how the chapter will be organized. According to APA sixth edition, this section
should not have a heading.]
Review and Discussion of the Literature (the exact headings will depend on the content)
[The researcher presents and discusses key literature related to his/her topic and makes
the connection between these and his/her research topic. The sections in the Review and
Discussion of the Literature should demonstrate the researcher’s mastery of the literature in
his/her area(s) of study. The sections throughout Chapter 2 should be descriptive of the material
being shared. Each major section should use CTU Level 1 style.]
[A synthesis of the literature should also be included. The synthesis is a purposeful
organization of information that reflects the researcher’s critical thinking that supports the
direction that this specific research takes. The synthesis provides the foundation for the
5
conceptual framework which is a narrative (and visual, if desired) picture of how the literature
examination and subsequent critical thinking combine to form a “whole” which represents the
researcher’s intellectual approach to the study. As a result, it is clear to both the researcher and
readers how the topics discussed are seen in relationship to each other from the unique
perspective of the researcher, and supported by the literature. This synthesis may be presented in
a variety of ways, but often is topological or chronological, or both.]
Conceptual Framework
[This section should discuss, in narrative form, how the researcher sees the relationships
between, and orientation of, the theories, models, constructs, contexts, researcher assumptions,
etc. explored during the literature review and how these fit together in the researcher’s thinking.
This provides the researcher with an opportunity to craft his/her own unique approach to the
research or to confirm that their proposed research matches existing research by presenting a
coherent logic for the proposed research. It is highly recommended that a graphic representation
accompany the narrative in this section. If using another author’s conceptual framework (because
it completely matches yours) please attribute the framework. If using a graphic from another
author that completely matches yours you must have written permission from the copyright
holder to reprint their material (Please see the Dissertation Toolbox for more information on
Conceptual Frameworks).]
Summary of Literature Review
The researcher provides a summary of the key elements of Chapter Two and provides a
brief transition to Chapter 3.
6
CHAPTER THREE
[Chapter Three presents the methods used in the research as well as supporting
information. This Chapter should contain sufficient information for replication of the study by
other researchers. The introduction (No heading in actual document per APA 6th edition) to
Chapter Three tells the reader what the chapter is to be about, and how the chapter will be
organized. According to APA sixth edition, this section should not have a heading.]
Research Tradition(s)
Both the quantitative and qualitative subjects are included in this project. The existing
project is a social research, thus, the quantitative approach makes it more feasible to be
explained. The advantage of the quantitative data is that it supports the figurative format, which
benefits readers to effectively grasp the research issue (Bowman, 2014). Questionnaire survey
has been used in this process, which helped the researcher in saving some time and money as
well. The usage of quantified data has helped in collecting varied and substantial responses,
which helped in meeting the framed objectives. The quantitative interpretations thus helped in
knowing the impact of workplace diversity in maintaining the best culture within the
organization.
Qualitative method is not quantified in nature, thus, it focuses more on quality. The
qualitative respondents were interviewed in details to gather internal corporate knowledge of
Deloitte in terms of building best culture besides diversity. The importance of interview
approach is that it helps the researcher in gaining deeper insight into the context. Hence, it is
possible to gather internal industrial information through this approach than a survey. Therefore,
with the support of this approach in-depth information was received to justify the objectives.
7
Research Questions, Propositions, and/or Hypotheses (as appropriate)
In the 21st century organizations have cultures that dictate the way employees interact in
the work place. Can that culture lead to a stronger organization that embodies all departments?
How does an organization bring about the desired effect? The proposition here is to show that an
organization can be more successful if the culture is brought about in an effective way that
allows for executives and management to make decisions with the employees of that
organization. How does an organization build and maintain the desired culture that allowed them
to be successful
Research Design
The research design may be construed to be of three different kinds namely, exploratory,
explanatory and descriptive. In the opinion of Xu and Bao (2011), exploratory research design
leads to explore the factors responsible for the research issue. It can be stated that exploratory
research tends to explore the research questions, however, fails to offer conclusive solutions to
the existing issue. This kind of research is typically conducted to examine an issue that has not
been evidently defined yet. In addition, descriptive research design tends to explain the factors in
details that are discovered by the exploratory design. Therefore, it can be stated that both
exploratory and explanatory research designs complement each other.
On the other hand, the descriptive research design deals with both the background and
current facts, which facilitates a study to determine both the past and present context of the
matter before arriving at a definite conclusion. Therefore, emphasizing the nature of descriptive
research design, the researcher has selected it over the other two designs for the present study. It
has helped the researcher to assess on both the merits and demerits of the research matter and
identify the function of workplace diversity in maintaining a strong corporate culture in the case
study company.
8
Moreover, Popping (2012) stated that descriptive research design supports both the
quantitative and qualitative approach, which helps projects to gather suitable primary feedbacks
against the research matter to derive suitable understandings. The collected data and secondary
information have thus benefited the author in meeting the framed objectives besides suggesting a
strategic alternative to surmount the recognized gaps in the organizational culture of the chosen
brand. Thus, it can be stated that the descriptive research design has helped the study to satisfy
the objectives.
Population and Sample
Popping (2012) determined that quantitative research is the procedure of evaluating
numeric data. The major advantage of this approach is its objective nature, which keeps it biased
free. The samples that are considered in this project are 60 employees from the case study
company. Herein, simple random sampling process has been chosen by the author to select the
samples arbitrarily. As per Lim and Ting (2013), simple random sampling process benefits
researcher to evade partiality and permit each respondent to receive fair opportunity to talk free
concerning the questions and partake in survey session without ant interruptions.
Linked with the objectives, the researcher has formulated closes ended questionnaire to
demeanor the survey approach. It would have been a time-consuming procedure if the author
would choose to personally visit the organization for collecting feedbacks. Therefore, getting
their email Ids of employees from the social media platform had been the most effective choice
to demeanor the procedure within the short time span. 60 samples have been a decent size to get
the adequate information against the framed questionnaire. Hence, the quantitative sample size
has been restricted to 60.
For this study, the qualitative sample size has been 6 HR managers from Deloitte. As
discussed in the previous section the qualitative subject is vivid in nature, therefore, it is
9
significant for the author to obtain the feedbacks of the respondents in fine points to gain an in-
depth knowledge of the context. Therefore, along with convenience sampling technique, the non-
probability method has also been used. The preferred processes have benefited the author in
saving necessary time in its data collection process.
The consideration of the accurate data collection procedure is important to derive an
authentic research finding. Consequently, the author of this study has opted for the interview
approach to collect the responses of the managers with regards importance of building strong
workplace culture alongside workplace diversity. As per Maistrenko (2015), interview approach
can be categorized into dissimilar forms, for example, straight, telephonic, private, etc. Although
the direct interview method helps both interviewers and interviewees relate to each other and
have a thorough conversation.
Yet, it is a complicated and time-consuming process, where it is difficult to get the
appointments of the managers due to their busy schedules. Therefore, the author of this project
has chosen direct interview session in a focused group format, where all the managers were
placed in the same room to answer all the questions. Since, the discussion was conducted using
descriptive format, thus, interviewing 6 HR managers has been adequate to gather required
details regarding workplace diversity and importance of keeping healthy culture within the
organization.
Sampling Procedure
Popping (2012) determined that quantitative research is the procedure of evaluating
numeric data. The major advantage of this approach is its objective nature, which keeps it biased
free. The samples that are considered in this project are 60 employees from the case study
company. Herein, simple random sampling process has been chosen by the author to select the
samples arbitrarily. As per Lim and Ting (2013), simple random sampling process benefits
10
researcher to evade partiality and permit each respondent to receive fair opportunity to talk free
concerning the questions and partake in survey session without ant interruptions.
Linked with the objectives, the researcher has formulated closes ended questionnaire to
demeanor the survey approach. It would have been a time-consuming procedure if the author
would choose to personally visit the organization for collecting feedbacks. Therefore, getting
their email Ids of employees from the social media platform had been the most effective choice
to demeanor the procedure within the short time span. 60 samples have been a decent size to get
the adequate information against the framed questionnaire. Hence, the quantitative sample size
has been restricted to 60.
For this study, the qualitative sample size has been 6 HR managers from Deloitte. As
discussed in the previous section the qualitative subject is vivid in nature, therefore, it is
significant for the author to obtain the feedbacks of the respondents in fine points to gain an in-
depth knowledge of the context. Therefore, along with convenience sampling technique, the non-
probability method has also been used. The preferred processes have benefited the author in
saving necessary time in its data collection process.
The consideration of the accurate data collection procedure is important to derive an
authentic research finding. Consequently, the author of this study has opted for the interview
approach to collect the responses of the managers with regards importance of building strong
workplace culture alongside workplace diversity. As per Maistrenko (2015), interview approach
can be categorized into dissimilar forms, for example, straight, telephonic, private, etc. Although
direct interview method helps both interviewers and interviewees to related with each other and
held a thorough conversation.
11
Yet, it is a complicated and time-consuming process, where it is difficult to get the
appointments of the managers due to their busy schedules. Therefore, the author of this project
has chosen direct interview session in a focused group format, where all the managers were
placed in the same room to answer all the questions. Since, the discussion was conducted using
descriptive format, thus, interviewing 6 HR managers has been adequate to gather required
details regarding workplace diversity and importance of keeping healthy culture within the
organization.
Instrumentation
The research approach is of two different types, inductive and deductive. As per the
consideration of Foss (2009), inductive research approach is also referred as inductive reasoning,
which begins with effective observations and suitable frameworks are proposed at the end of
the research procedure as a final outcome of observations. The inductive approach also starts
with the detailed interpretation of the world, which leads towards further conceptual
generalizations and thoughts. In this approach, no hypotheses can be established at the very
initial phases of the research and the researcher also remains unsure regarding the nature and
character of the research findings until the project arrived at a definite conclusion.
On the other hand, Bowman (2014) stated that deductive approach can be determined
through the resources of hypotheses that are derived from the intentions of chosen or discussed
theories. In other words, it can also be stated that deductive approach is more related to
deducting conclusions on the grounds of suitable propositions or premises. Moreover, deduction
of a concept starts with an expected pattern like testing against observations; however, induction
itself starts with observations and intends to find suitable outline within them.
It can be stated that inductive approach can be stated as theory building approach,
whereas; deductive one is the theory testing approach. Due to the nature of theory testing, the
12
same has been regarded as Waterfall model. The current study demands an approach that can test
the suitability of applied frameworks and theories.
Therefore, the deductive approach has been applied, which can help to test the feasibility
of applied theories and identify the significance of maintaining workplace diversity to build a
strong workplace culture at my case study company. The project does not require building any
fresh theories or hypothesis, thus, inductive is inapt to suit the essence of the context. The
selection of the deductive approach has facilitated the researcher in evaluating and examining the
subjects that justify the framed objectives. The existing theories are tested and verified using the
chosen approach, which helped the study to understand the significance of workplace diversity in
maintaining the best culture at the organization. Thus, the study has been able to satisfy the
objectives and derive an authentic conclusion.
Validity
The research strategy benefits every researcher to answers effectively the research
questions or the straightforward queries which outlines the entire flow and structure of the
project. Consequently, the requirement of evaluating a research strategy is conducted on the
basis of aims and research objectives of the project. The research strategy is comprised of four
determinants, experiment, survey, case study and grounded theory. The experiment was initial
useful natural science applied with a purpose of studying informal links. In other words, it is also
considered to study whether the transformation in independent variable brings any change in the
dependent variable or not. In this strategy, the number of independent variables can vary from
one another. In terms of a classic experiment, two or more teams can be established, where each
group can be denoted as the experimental group.
Moreover, survey research strategy is linked with the deductive approach. Most of the
projects are concerned with business and management to follow the particular strategy. Survey
13
strategy facilitates researcher to gather a huge quantity of primary data from a sizeable
population. The data can be evaluated using both the inferential and descriptive analytical tools.
Case study strategy includes an empirical examination of a project and involves
contemporary phenomenon using numerous sources of data (Brian’s et al. 2010). The case study
strategy is opposite to experimental strategy thus, is not limited to any of the contexts. The
application of the strategy is most suited when a researcher needs to gain an in-depth knowledge
regarding the subject matter of the research. According to Silverman (2016), grounded theory
been considered as the best example of mixed approach where the focus is on theory
development. This policy is followed to forecast and describe performance. In this strategy, the
research commences with the progress of theoretical framework. Fresh theories are formed on
the ground of effective framework.
Considering the nature of all the above strategies, it can be stated that the researcher has
followed the survey strategy, where the employees of the case study company have been
surveyed to collect the primary feedbacks against framed questionnaire. The feedbacks of the
employees will help the researcher to understand the efforts to be made in an organization to
maintain a good workplace culture. On the other hand, the project has collected secondary
information as well from credible sources like journals, books, and articles. Thus, besides survey
strategy, the researcher has also followed a case study approach.
Reliability
Data types include two forms, primary and secondary. Primary data is raw in nature,
which is collected from direct sources. The data is collected from first-hand sources through the
means of survey, observations, and experimentations and it is also not subjected to any forms of
manipulation or processing. Flick (2015) determined that it is significant to prepare a tabulation
plan and design the questionnaire accordingly to ensure that no tables and graphs are left out.
14
There has been evidence in which tables are produced ineffectively since questionnaires were
designed without any structures tabulation plan. Primary data can take a quantitative or statistical
form where evaluations are framed on the basis of tables, graphs, charts, diagrams, etc. In this
situation, the researchers frame a close-ended questionnaire and collect the feedbacks of sizable
respondents through survey session. Moreover, Hox et al. (2017) explained that primary data can
also be qualitative in nature, where the researcher follows the process but conduct a narrative
approach with limited sample size. The respondents are asked to answers the questions in detail
through interviews. The particular data type has helped the research to satisfy the research
questions and relate the importance of workplace diversity with maintaining a good corporate
culture within the organization.
On the other hand, secondary data are considered to be the proven facts that are collected
from the credible sources like journals, books, internet articles, government websites, etc.
(Ledford and Gast, 2018). The information discussed as secondary data are processed in nature
that is already developed by experts and cross-verified by other critics. Therefore, the secondary
information can be trusted more than the primary data. By the election of the secondary
information, the researcher has been able to collect some of the background as well as updated
information to identify the importance of maintaining best workplace culture and the function of
workplace diversity in that.
However, Bryman and Bell (2015) denoted that primary data cannot be trusted entirely,
as it is collected from the direct sources, thus nature of the data can be biased. Hence, for the
sake of data authenticity, the primary data have been triangulated with the secondary details
discussed in the literature review section. This has helped the researcher to increase the
15
reliability of the analyzed data and understand the context of workplace diversity and importance
of maintaining the good culture at organizations.
Data Collection
In this project, the researcher has followed both the primary and the secondary data
collection process. Lewis (2015) stated that data collection process needs to initiate considering
the timeframe. The primary data has been collected following both the quantitative and
qualitative approaches. The quantitative data is collected from the employees of the case studied
company. The researcher has framed a close-ended questionnaire aligned to the framed
objectives. Since personally visiting organization to get employees' feedbacks would have been a
time-consuming process.
Therefore, to get the responses within the short time span, the researcher has collected the
employees’ mail IDs from the social networking sites. Some of the employees have responded
best to the researcher’s approach and showed interest to participate in the survey session.
Besides forwarding the questionnaire on their mail IDs, the researcher has also posted on the
home page of popular social networking sites to reach greater respondents. The interested
samples have reacted positively to the questionnaire and returned it within the specified time
period. Thus, the quantitative data has been collected through survey session.
On the other hand, the qualitative data has been collected from the HRM managers who
are responsible to maintain workplace culture and maintain diversity effectively. The managers
were repeatedly approached to find out some time for the direct interview session. However, all
had individual works and were busy with different schedules. Therefore, to save adequate time
for data analysis section, the researcher has the plan to conduct the interview session in the
focused group, where all were asked similar questions at a time.
16
Fortunately, the managers managed to take out some time from their busy schedules for
this focused group interview session and replied all the questions at a time. This data collection
process has helped the researcher to save some quality time that was wasted in the follow-ups.
The primary data has been collected in the above-discussed processes.
On the other hand, the secondary data, as stated earlier, has been gathered from journals,
books, magazines, internet articles, etc. As per Popping (2012), the journal is considered to be
the most reliable secondary source to provide authentic information. However, in this case, the
researcher did not get much help from journals. The study demands latest secondary information
to understand the importance of workplace diversity in maintaining best workplace culture, yet,
the information available in the journal were all backdated. It thus did not satisfy the framework
objectives.
However, internet served to be a potent source to back up with the latest information on
the chosen subject. The internet articles and corporate websites have provided adequate latest
secondary information that meets the essence of the study and helped in identifying the efforts
need to be taken to maintain the best culture at the workplace and the importance of introducing
workplace diversity in it.
Data Analysis
The data analysis plan has been initiated keeping in mind the data types. Silverman
(2016) mentioned that it is much easier to measure quantitative data that qualitative details in
descriptive format. The opinions of the employees are collected in the MS-Excel and had been
calculated in the similar sheet. The feedbacks were measured using percentage format. Later on,
each of the findings was further illustrated using tables and graphs. Such illustration has been
effectively helpful for the readers to derive the possible conclusion.
17
The researcher has followed a Likert scale process in which for each question multiple
options are given to the respondents to select as per own understandings. Moreover, a pilot
testing approach has also been conducted to scrutinize the feasibility of the qualitative feedback.
Furthermore, the data has also been triangulated with the secondary subjects discussed in the
literature review section for the sake of data authenticity.
On the contrary, the qualitative details have not been manipulated in any format it has
been kept as has been collected from the managers. As per the claim of Popping (2012),
qualitative data evaluation is subjective in nature and explicitly investigates non-numeric data.
Consequently, it benefits author in accomplishing in-depth knowledge allied to the research
subject. The researcher has used a narrative format to collect the feedbacks of the managers.
Furthermore, content validity testing has also been considered in this project to authenticate the
validity of the feedbacks, as the managers would not prefer sharing any foul information
statement against the organization. Hence, their opinions can be biased in terms of nature.
Therefore, data triangulation has been used to retain the data genuineness.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical consideration creates a thin line of demarcation and distinction between the
acceptable and not acceptable behaviors in the community (Bowman, 2014). In the projects, the
researcher has ensured a free a fair data collection process, where none of the samples was
manipulated or forced to respond following any definite format. Each of the samples was
provided with an equal opportunity and platform to respond freely to all the questions as per own
convenience.
The email ids and the personal data of the employees have been kept confidential with
restricted measures. None of the data has been revealed in public. Moreover, the corporate
information received from the managers has not been disclosed before any third party. The
18
corporate information is exclusively used for the project purpose, which is being planned to be
destroyed soon after the completion. For security reasons, the actual identities of the managers
and the employees were also kept secret and not used in the project as well. Lastly, the entire
project has been initiated keeping in mind the sentiment of the community. No such works or
instances are used that can hurt the emotions of any community.
Summary of Chapter Three
This chapter discussed the research parameters the researcher has chosen to collect
suitable data. The researcher has come across few limitations and accessibility issues. It may be
construed that the secondary information has been the foremost limitation of this dissertation.
The projects need genuine and latest information connected to the importance of building the
best culture in organizations and the role diversity plays in it. Conversely, the content accessible
in the books and journals is imperfect to meet the study requirement. Furthermore, the study has
focused only on a particular company, which restricted the areas of research. If more companies
could have been added to the research work, the overall industrial information in respect
workplace diversity would have been gathered. However, the latest secondary information
gathered from internet articles and the corporate site has helped to overcome the given
limitations to a certain extent.
The time frame has been the accessibility issue in the project as every activity was
restricted within the specified duration. It thus prohibited researcher from gathering considerable
and comprehensive information related to the research issue. The HR managers were hesitant to
assign dates for the interview session as they were excessively busy to find time for the
interview. The employees claimed the survey session to be excessively long to return it's within
the specified time period. Hence, the overall process got delayed, which impacted negatively on
the data analysis section, which had to be completed within the less limited time span. Thus, the
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derived conclusion could not have been dependable, if the data triangulation process has not
been implemented.
This chapter has discussed the research parameters used for the data collection purpose.
The data traditions and design has been discussed initially to highlight the essence of the chapter
in brief. The sampling size and procedure has also been discussed, followed by the data
collection methods. Data reliability and validity are also detailed herein.
Going into Chapter Four, the research will focus on information that will be derived
from interviews and actual studies of what building a diverse culture looks like.
Because this may entail real subjects and companies, the focus may be on the reliability
of the research as well as the answers.
[Note: In some DCS research, software, equipment, and other tools are developed. In
the tradition of computer science, it is permissible that the development, testing, validity, and
reliability of these may be placed in a separate chapter. If this is the case, the additional chapter
will be Chapter Four. The dissertation will then be comprised of six chapters.]
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CHAPTER FOUR
[The introduction of Chapter Four (no heading is used) includes a brief discussion of
what will be found in the chapter and how the chapter is organized.]
Participant Demographics (if appropriate)
[Often, the presentation of data is preceded by information about the participants who
took part in the study. This section often contains tables, which should always be accompanied
by a narrative. The reader should not be expected to interpret tables in the absence of a narrative.
Remove the reference in parenthesis in the section heading before publication.]
Presentation of the Data
Table 1. Sample Table with Correct Formatting
Column 1 Column 2
Longer
Column 3 Column 4 Column 5
Row 1 1.0 0.2 -3 4
Row 2 5 6 7 8
Row 3 9 8 9 10
Row 4 -9 -1 13 289
Row 5 5 4 3 2
Note: table notes are located below the table. See APA Manual sections 5.07-5.19 for
more information about table formatting and many examples.
[The reader should get a sense of the data that was collected, without being bombarded
with the data in its entirety (data may be placed in an appendix as appropriate). Representative
selections of data may be interspersed within a discussion of the data. Tables may also be
common in this section. Again, tables should always be accompanied by narrative. Tables must
21
be numbered. See the Use of Tables and Figures in the Dissertation Guide. In qualitative studies,
this section will introduce each theme that emerged from the study and provide appropriate
quotations from participants that is representative of the theme.]
Presentation and Discussion of Findings
[A recap of the data analysis process appears here, and the findings emerge in the course
of a narrative where the findings are explained. Once the reader has seen representatives of the
data and a discussion of the findings, the researcher applies the findings to the research question.
A discussion follows.]
Summary of Chapter Four
[The researcher provides summary of the key elements of Chapter Four and describes the
upcoming Chapter 5.]
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Figure 1. Sample figure with correct formatting. See the APA Manual section 5.20-5.25 for
more information about figure formatting and many examples.
CHAPTER FIVE
[Introduction (no heading) The introduction of Chapter Five includes a brief discussion
of what will be found in the chapter and how the chapter is organized. As with other chapters, the
introduction does not need a section heading]
Findings and Conclusions
[A summary of the findings should be presented here. This section should include further
interpretation of the findings as related to the research question(s), propositions, and/or
hypotheses. This section should provide your interpretation of the results, based on your subject
matter expertise in the topic, now that you have shown your research capabilities. Begin this
section with a very brief summary of the topic, the population under study, and methodology
used for the study.]
Limitations of the Study
[Although limitations may have been discussed before the research was executed, as the
research was enacted it is likely that further limitations emerged. These should be added to the
discussion of Limitations.]
Implications for Practice
[The study and its results may be relevant for practitioners in the field. The research
should be discussed from this standpoint.]
Implications of Study and Recommendations for Future Research
[The researcher is now thoroughly steeped in his/her topic and research. As a result of the
research the researcher must provide guidance for researchers to come and posit research that
could be the next step in continuing to contribute to the body of knowledge, following on from
the research presented in the dissertation.]
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Reflections (as desired and authorized by the committee)
[If desired, the researcher may briefly add personal reflections relevant to the conduct and
evaluation of the study and topics discussed in Chapter Five. Remove the reference in
parenthesis in the section heading before publication.]
Conclusion
[The author briefly summarizes the study, findings, and conclusions.]
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REFERENCES
[Add references here (Template is programmed for style CTU Reference). The format is: All references must by cited in APA 6th edition format other than the following: SINGLE spaced, with a carriage return (space) between each reference entry. All entries must use the hanging indent Refer to the APA Publication Manual for proper presentation.]
[The reference must contain only references to citations used in the paper. Do not include references that have not been cited in the text. In addition, there must be a citation found in the Reference section for any cited material in the text. There can be no orphaned references or citations.]
25
APPENDIX
[Appendices are optional. You use an appendix section as needed, to provide
supplemental information necessary to convey additional information. In general, the material in
the appendix supplements the main paper. Items that may be helpful to the reader would include
large datasets, listings, software code, large tables, or other representative data that supports
analysis or interpretation of your study results. In addition, information that would help in
replicating the study can be added to the appendix. Use an additional appendix section for each
major grouping of additional information. If only one appendix element is needed, do not Letter
identify each section, but use the heading APPENDIX. If more than one section is required,
Letter each new section. Start with APPENDIX A, APPENDIX B, and so on. Each new
Appendix section will start on a new page (use Page Break).
Examples of items that, in general, should not be included in the Appendix:
Informed Consent: It is assumed you have followed IRB requirements
Survey Instruments: If the survey instrument(s) is copyrighted it should not be included.
If the survey instrument is new, that is you have developed the questionnaire for the research,
you may need to publish it in the appendix to allow for future replication.
Personal CV: This is not a normal document necessary for a dissertation. If you are asked
to publish your CV, you should remove personally identifiable information from the document.
IRB CTU application: The IRB information is far too lengthy for the publication. In
addition, certain information in the document may be protected.]
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