Based upon the research conducted for Projects 1 and 2 (my previous research listed below for projects 1 & 2), select the method that you believe would be most appropriate. Next, explain why that method is the most appropriate for your research study if that was the one you chose to pursue. The problem statements and the research question should be listed, with the chosen method following. Be sure to include the justification as to why other methods would not be appropriate. Create research questions for the problem identified. Context will need to be included (i.e. how the questions relate to the problem statements), along with the actual problem statements and corresponding context. There should be at least one research question for a quantitative study, along with a corresponding hypothesis, and at least one qualitative research question. This project must contain at least two scholarly resources integrated, written in APA format.
Project 1 Research:
General Problem in Business
The intricacies of running a business smoothly while achieving its objectives can be complicated. Therefore, it is expected for specific problems to occur during the lifetime of any venture, from its conception, daily operations, and solvency (Goldstein, 2001). Problems associated with business vary in kind and degree of urgency; some are recurring while others rarely appear. However, the need to solve these problems is common to ensure the business venture’s smooth operation. While minor issues may be easy to solve, extensive research and consultation are required to formulate a solution. In today’s world, businesses have to adapt to the ever-changing trends and preferences to maintain their relevance (Marr, 2017).
The general problem to be addressed in this paper is how businesses know that it is time to embrace change. Embracing change can be broken down into adapting to developing market forces and trends. Established companies often come across this dilemma when they face changes in their industries, whether to adapt to the changes or stick to the proven way (Marr, 2017). Changing tried and tested methods is always a challenge for long-running businesses; the act of adapting or modifying their processes often carries along with certain risks. The change may be fruitful and bring gains or drastic and accrue losses to the business.
Change can be spurred by numerous different reasons within and around the business environment. The reasons for a business adapting to various changes may be due to differences in market forces, fluctuating demand from consumers may force a business to reevaluate their services or goods. Changes associated with demand and supply can also be ancillary causes for business changes (Brennan et al., 2003). Another factor that may lead to a business embracing change is a shift in trends. Today consumers have presented diverse tastes and preferences. One example is the social and web market, which has revolutionized how businesses approach consumers. The long-standing business had to adapt to the digital marketing and shopping trend since consumers shifted their preference to online shopping compared to physical shopping (Reeves & Deimler, 2011). The reasoning behind businesses choosing to change is numerous and vast. However, this paper shall concentrate on a singular reason, competition.
The Specific problem to be addressed in the article is how a business successfully adapts to the competition. Competition is born from another firm that produces similar goods and services or close substitutes. Competition may result from a new rival business that has come into the same market, an established business deciding to venture into similar products, or the business itself venturing into a new market with already established actors (Tanwar, 2013). This research paper shall look into the particulars of competition and the different ways in which a firm can embrace, overcome, and benefit from competition.
Competition may prove to be adverse to the business objectives, or it can temper the business values and production. Competition in any field usually means that the competing entities try to outdo each other in every aspect. In business, firms try to decrease their production costs to have competitive prices; they also increase their products’ quality, trying to edge out their competitors (Brennan et al., 2003). In these situations, consumers enjoy low prices and high-quality products, but competitiveness in an actual business environment is more complicated. Firms make use of strategies such as cost leadership, differentiation, and focus on trying to emerge as the consumers’ preference. These strategies require extensive market awareness, thus market research (Tanwar, 2013). The competition allows businesses to be innovative, improve their public relations and customer relationship, which, in perspective, enhances the business and the industry at large.
References
Brennan, D. R., Turnbull, P. W., & Wilson, D. T. (2003). Dyadic adaptation in business‐to‐business markets. European Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560310495393
Goldstein, A. S. P. D. (2001). Solving Business Problems. Made Ez Products.
Marr, B. (2017). The 10 biggest challenges businesses face today (and need consultants for) – Hiscox Business Blog. Hiscox.Co.Uk; Hiscox. https://www.hiscox.co.uk/business-blog/the-10-biggest-challenges-businesses-face-today-and-need-consultants-for
Reeves, M., & Deimler, M. (2011). Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage (pp. 135-41). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2011/07/adaptability-the-new-competitive-advantage
Tanwar, R. (2013). Porter’s generic competitive strategies. Journal of business and management, 15(1), 11-17. https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/porters-generic-competitive-strategies/
Project 2 Research:
Adapting to Competition
Organizational change can be broadly defined as the shift of an organization from a particular state of affairs to another. It may involve a change in the organization’s structure, policies, procedures, strategy, technology, or culture (Stouten et al., 2018). Internal or external factors can precipitate change. Internally, it can be caused by a change in leadership or strategy. Externally, it can be brought about by changes in the business environment, such as a change in the taste and preferences of customers, new legislations, or the invention of new technologies. The business landscape has drastically changed in the 21st-century. Technological advancement and the increase of ease with which customers can shift from one seller to another has dramatically increased competition. As such, organizations must frequently make changes to cope with the competition. Past studies have shown that organizational change always faces resistance from various stakeholders. The resistance is due to the fact that change is associated with disruption of habits and uncertainty (Cinite & Duxbury, 2018). Therefore, the management should closely involve the various stakeholders to ensure that the change process succeeds. There should also be open channels of communication to ensure that all stakeholders fully understand the process and have their voices heard (Veloso-Besio et al., 2019). This paper seeks to discuss how organizations can adapt to competition and hence thrive in the modern business environment.
General Problem Statement
The general problem to be addressed in this paper is how organizations adapt to competition. The fact that the current business environment is volatile is not in doubt. However, according to research, these changes in the environment do not directly contribute to the failure of the business. Rather, an unwillingness or inability to adapt to the changes leads to failure. A Forbes study revealed that 88% of the companies in the 1955 Fortune 500 list did not make it to 2014 (Boss, 2016). Failure to adapt is among the reasons why these companies did not survive. Adapting to the changes keeps the organization relevant and valuable. To this end, adaptability can also be considered to be a competitive advantage.
Context
The modern business environment is characterized by cutthroat competition. To survive this competition and thrive in different industries, organizations must consistently adapt. They must also seek to establish adaptability as one of their competitive advantages.
Specific Problem Statement
The specific problem to be addressed in this paper is how successful organizational change can help businesses adapt to competition. Increasingly, companies are depending on organizational change to adapt to and overcome competition. However, as mentioned earlier, organizational change is a challenging process. First, it demands that the organization constantly and accurately scans the environment to detect any changes or trends that could threaten their competitiveness. Secondly, organizational change requires the participation of the entire workforce. In the same stride, the management must strive to overcome resistance from various quarters. Finally, the process must be people-centric to ensure the longevity of the targeted change. When this process is successfully implemented, the organization transforms itself into an entity capable of detecting, creating, as well as implementing changes that help maintain its position as an industry leader (Wang, 2019).
Context
Organizational change is one of the strategies that businesses can use to adapt to and overcome competition. However, for the full potential of organizational change in enhancing the competitiveness of a business to be realized, the process must be appropriately implemented. The process calls for the management to be proactive and people-centered. When well-designed and implemented, organizational change can effectively help businesses create a competitive advantage.
Qualitative Research Questions
What is the experience of businesses with organizational change?
What steps can an organization take to overcome resistance to change?
Context
As earlier mentioned, organizational change is a complex process. This notwithstanding, it is a primary determinant of organizations that thrive and those that fail. Thus, it is important to explore the experiences that various businesses have had with organizational change. The findings of this exploration can help make a correlation between organizational change and business success. Resistance is one of the major barriers faced in the implementation of organizational change. Understanding the steps that can be taken to overcome resistance, therefore, is necessary for successful organizational change.
Quantitative Research Questions
What is the relationship between organizational change and competitiveness?
How does the implementation process impact the success of organizational change?
Context
Organizational change has been cited as one of the strategies that can be used to enhance the competitiveness of an organization. Hence, it is vital to determine the association between the two variables. The success of organizational change is largely pegged on the implementation process. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the impact that the implementation process has on the organizational process. Cumulatively, these questions will help present organizational change as a potent tool in enhancing the competitiveness of an organization.
Research Hypothesis
Organizational change helps businesses adapt to and overcome competition.
The success of organizational change is entirely dependent on the implementation process.
References
Boss, J. (2016, April 26). Staying competitive requires adaptability. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2016/04/26/staying-competitive-requires-adaptability/#75c6c9557e6f
Cinite, I., & Duxbury, L. E. (2018). Measuring the behavioral properties of commitment and resistance to organizational change. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 54(2), 113-139. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0021886318757997
Stouten, J., Rousseau, D. M., & De Cremer, D. (2018). Successful organizational change: Integrating the management practice and scholarly literatures. cademy of Management Annals, 12(2), 752-788. Retrieved from https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/annals.2016.0095
Veloso-Besio, C. B., Cuadra-Peralta, A., Gil-Rodriguez, F., Ponce-Correa, F., & Sjoberg-Tapia, O. (2019). Effectiveness of training, based on positive psychology and social skills, applied to supervisors, to face resistance to organizational change. Journal of Organizational Change Management. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JOCM-04-2018-0099/full/html
Wang, C. H. (2019). How organizational green culture influences green performance and competitive advantage. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JMTM-09-2018-0314/full/html
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