bba3042 business research project i class session one

BBA3042 Business Research Project I

Class Session One

BBA3042 Business Research Project I: Introduction of Your Facilitating Instructor

Ron BolenderGraduated from:

Anderson High School--Cincinnati, Ohio Mount Vernon Nazarene University University of Cincinnati Nova Southeastern University--Fort

Lauderdale, Florida


Work Experience Universal Computer Services in

Houston, Texas--Auto IndustryInventory ControlPayrollAccountingService ManagementTrainingConversion


Small Business SpecialistFlorida, Maryland, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia

Executive Director of EXCELLPlanned and developed the Polaris CampusAdded technology to the BBA programDeveloped and implemented a marketing

strategy to increase EXCELL by eight-fold within a 3 year period

Taught Business Research Project I, II, and III courses since 1996


Home telephone number 740-397-5757

Alternative work telephone number (also voice mail) 740-392-6868 extension 3701

www.bolender.com

http://www.bolender.com/

BBA3042 Business Research Project I: Student Information

Name E-mail address Home telephone number (include area code) Business telephone number (include area code) Date of birth (month and date only--year not needed) List one or two hobbies or areas of interests List one or two favorite type of restaurants

Please Print!Please Print!

Devotions

AttitudeAttitude

ReferencesTracy, B. (n. d.). Creative job search.

Solana Beach, CA: Brian Tracy International.

The Facilitating Instructor and Student Relationship

What is a facilitating facilitating instructorinstructor?


The Business Research Project sequence is designed to allow each student to be an active/self-directed learner.

The role of the instructor is to facilitate active/self-directed learning within each student while playing the role of judge to insure the fulfillment of minimum course standards.

This concept gives each student a wide range of flexibility within each project--but active/self-directed learning requires greater responsibility from the student.


An 18- month relationship (more or less) Beginning with BBA3042--ending with

BBA4082The facilitating instructor will serve

as a research adviser between BBA3042 and BBA4002--and between BBA4002 and BBA4082

Business Research Project Sequence: BBA3042, BBA4002, and BBA4082

Two TracksTwo Tracks within the Business Research Project Sequence

Track One:Track One: Post BBA Career GoalPost BBA Career Goal Review Appendix D (Student Study Guide): Step by Step

Guide of the Post BBA Career Goal Proposal and Report Process Including the Working and Showcase Portfolios

Track Two:Track Two: Work Related ProblemWork Related Problem Review Appendix E (Student Study Guide): Step by Step

Guide of the Work Related Problem Proposal andReport Process


BBA3042 Business Research Project I Track One: Post BBA Career GoalTrack One: Post BBA Career Goal

Post BBA Career Goal Proposal and Report Track Two: Work Related ProblemTrack Two: Work Related Problem

Work Related Problem Worksheet and Work Related Problem Prospectus

BBA4002 Business Research Project II Track One: Post BBA Career GoalTrack One: Post BBA Career Goal

Working Portfolio Track Two: Work Related ProblemTrack Two: Work Related Problem

Work Related Problem Proposal and Presentation

BBA4082 Business Research Project III Track One: Post BBA Career GoalTrack One: Post BBA Career Goal

Showcase Portfolio Track Two: Work Related ProblemTrack Two: Work Related Problem

Work Related Problem Report (including Product for Development Methodology) and Presentation

Track One: Post BBA Career Goal:Career Development Strategy

Career Development Strategy During Business Research Project, not only is a post BBA

career goal identifiedidentified, but a strategystrategy will be created to develop the post BBA career goal.

The career development strategy is a plan for preparing yourself for the post BBA career goal. This will include the following: Identifying past and current experiences, abilities, skills, traits,

certifications, training, degrees that are connected to your post BBA career goal.

Developing a network of "experts" and connections that will assist you toward fulfilling your post BBA career goal.

Finding connections between the BBA program (coursework and learning activities) and the post BBA career goal.

Identifying and planning for learning opportunities BEYOND the BBA program that will prepare you for the post BBA career goal.


Important Note:If you plan to remain at your current

organization AND remain in your current career, the post BBA career goal and career development strategy will focus on preparing for future changes in your current field. All components of related assignments are required for every student.


Identifying past and current experiences, abilities, skills, traits, certifications, training, degrees that are connected to your post BBA career goal.

This is the foundation for your post BBA career goal.


Developing a network of "experts" and connections will assist you toward fulfilling your post BBA career goal.


Networking and the Three C’sNetworking and the Three C’sThere are three basic C’s to getting the kind of career/position you

want and earning the kind of money you want to earn. These three C’s stay constant throughout your career (Tracy, n . d.).

ContactsContacts—the more contacts you have in the marketplace, the more likely it is you will find the job that you want. The more people that you know, and who know you, the more likely it is you will uncover the 85 percent or more of job openings that are never listed anywhere. It is very important for you to network. Join clubs and associations. Ask

people for referrals and references. Tell your friends, relatives, and associates that you are in the market for a new career/position. Make sure that everyone you know, knows you are available, and that they have this information at their fingertips should they run across an opportunity.

Nothing is more important than your circle of contacts. The great majority of jobs that are filled in the “hidden job market” are filled because of someone who knows someone elsesomeone who knows someone else. You can expand your range of contacts just by telling people that you are available and asking for their help and their advice.


CredibilityCredibility—how you are known to others, your reputation, your character, is the most important single thing about you in terms of getting recommendations and referrals from your contacts. Make sure that everything you do is consistent with the highest ethical standards and that you never say or do anything that could be misconstrued by anyone to be anything other than excellent conduct and behavior. Remember, people will only recommend you for a job opening if they are completely confident that they will not end up looking foolish as a result of mistakes you make or things you do.

CompetenceCompetence—in the final analysis, it is how good you are and how good you have been in your previous careers/positions that will determine, in the mind of the employer, how good you can be at the career/position under consideration. Next to your character, your level of competence will be the most

single important thing about you in determining your success in your career. Your must be continually working to maintain and upgrade your levels of competence through personal study and personal development, every single day, throughout your working career.


Now, let us review a video to see how these networking

concepts work in a variety of situations.


Networking Video

Networking Your Way to Success


Does anyone have a networking example to share with the class?

How has this helped your current career?


How does networking apply to your post BBA career goal and career development strategy?

Side note: How can networking enhance your work related problem project?


Finding connections between the BBA program (coursework and learning activities) and the post BBA career goal.

What “specific” connection does the BBA program have with your post BBA career goal? This question goes beyond the simple answer, a “four-year college degree.” For example, if your post BBA career goal is to become

a manager for a music retail store, how does the BBA program qualify you for that career? Think of specific courses and learning activities.

Or, you desire to become a branch executive director for the YMCA, how does the BBA program qualify you? Think of specific courses and learning activities.


Identifying and planning for learning opportunities BEYOND the BBA program that will prepare you for the post BBA career goal.

These opportunities/activities can be fulfilled either while in the BBA program or after completing the BBA program.

Possible opportunities/activities: Seminars Additional courses (beyond the BBA program) Books and/or journal articles Licenses Certifications Volunteer experiences


Seven Basic Principles of Career Change Firings, lay-offs, unexpected terminations,

companies shutting down, obsolescence in products and services are normal. They are not unusual situations that happen on rare occasions.

Job changes and career changes will happen repeatedly, both now and in the future. Job changing is, and will be, as normal as inhaling and exhaling. Few are able to avoid this phenomenon.


Good news! Some people are never unemployed, except by choice. In every market, there are some who always have a job…or have so little time between jobs that it appears they are constantly employed. While your “lifestyle choices” might keep you

from achieving this level of stable employment, the point is that it is “possible” to never be unemployed. Those who work two jobs or have very active networks can avoid unemployment. Better yet, they are not afraid of taking the “risk” to voluntarily change careers.


Unexpected job loss, which happens to the majority of people at one time or another, should be viewed as an opportunity to reorganize yourself and your life for the future. Many successful Americans, in private research studies, admitted

that all of their success was due to unexpectedly losing a job. They looked back and realized that if they had stayed where they were, they would never have achieved their current level of success.

Obviously, we do not “hope” for you to lose your current job…however, for many of you, to move on to your post BBA career goal, there is some risk involved.

The mark of the superior person is that he/she continually looks for the good in every situation, for the opportunity in every problem, and for the possibilities that open up to him/her when his/her career changes.

The bottom line is this: you should be thankful with both unexpected job loss and career dissatisfaction. These situations precede great success in life.


Success in the job market can be predicted. Success is not an accident. Nothing happens by chance. Everything happens for a reason. People are successful in competitive job markets because they do certain things in a certain way, over and over again. Creating a high quality career development strategy is

one way to help you be successful. Even if you are thinking, “Oh, I know someone who has a

really good job/career and they did not earn it…they “inherited” it from their father/mother or in-laws.”

Well, right or wrong, they had a really good “network” to make that happen in their life. They did not “magically” get the job/career from “thin-air.”


The most important and powerful law in all of human history was first developed by Socrates more than 400 years before Christ. It was called the Law of CausalityLaw of Causality, or the Socratic Law. We call it the Law of Cause and EffectLaw of Cause and Effect. It simply says that, “for every effect in your life, there is a specific cause.” What is the “effect” that you want in your career?

Or, what is your post BBA career goal? What are the “causes” that can enhance your possibility

toward that “effect?” Or, what is the “strategy” that can enhance your possibility

toward achieving your post BBA career goal?


It is not what happens to you, but what you do about what happens to you, that counts. It is your responses to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines your future and your success. Being in the process of a career change or

losing a job unexpectedly is simply a fact. It just is. Everything that happens from this moment forward will be determined by you, and by what you do about it.


Wait a minute….time-out….clarify…Wait a minute….time-out….clarify…

What does the post BBA career goal What does the post BBA career goal and career development strategy and career development strategy

have to do with Business Research have to do with Business Research Project I, II, and III…and how is it Project I, II, and III…and how is it

related to the work related problem?related to the work related problem?

I am confused!I am confused!


The post BBA career goal and career development strategy uses some of the same techniques/components that are used in solving the work related problem. Literature review Networking (experts, formative and

summative committees) Using an extended period of time to

create a solution/strategy to a problem


To clarify…For most students, the work related

problem and the post BBA career goal will not have any directnot have any direct

connectionconnection…however, the techniques and

components are similar (but not identical).


The next few slides will highlight one area of similarity between the post BBA career goal (and career development strategy) and the work related problem…a proactive proactive approachapproach toward solving problems and adding value to both your current career (such as solving the work related problem) and your post BBA career goal.


Develop a Clear Sense of DirectionDevelop a Clear Sense of Direction “If you do not know where you are going, any road will take

you there.” The greatest weakness that most people have is that they

are unclear and unsure about who they are and where they are going.

Develop a post BBA career goal. You should know where you want to be and what you want to be doing, and you should know the steps that you will have to take to get from wherever you are to wherever you want to go.

Develop a written plan to achieve your post BBA career goal. Develop a clear description of your ideal job. Identify the people who’s help you will require. Identify the additional knowledge and skill you will need. Identify the obstacles you will have to overcome.


Commit to ExcellenceCommit to Excellence This is one of the most important commitments that you will ever make. In

general, excellent rewardsexcellent rewards go to excellent people, average rewardsaverage rewards go to average people, and below-average rewardsbelow-average rewards go to below-average people. Important Note: This is not about the “worth” of a person, in the sense in the

eyes of God, but rather the output, the commitment one puts toward their work. Perhaps the most important consideration in business and industry today

is the question of qualityquality. With regard to yourself, there is nothing that will have a greater impact on your career and your success than the reputation you have for the quality of the work that you do.

One of the most important decisions you will ever make is the decision to pay the price, spendspend the time to become absolutely excellent in your chosen field. It will lead you to the top faster than anything else you can do.

Once you get the career you want, resolve to become indispensableindispensable. Do everything you can think of to make yourself invaluable. Volunteer for difficult assignments that will enable you to move ahead of others. Become so good at what you do that the company would really suffer if it were to lose you.


Accept 100 Percent ResponsibilityAccept 100 Percent Responsibility This is one of the most important decisions that you will ever make in

the course of your working lifetime. Accept total responsibility for your career and for everything that you do. Accept that you are in the “driver’s seat.” You are in charge of what happens to your career.

Refuse to make excusesexcuses when things go wrong. Refuse to blameblame other people when you experience disappointments in your work. Refuse to complain if things do not turn out the way you expect them to.

The hallmark of the superior person is that he or she continually says, “I am responsible.” The superior person, when accepting a position, accepts the fact the he or she is accountable for getting the “job” done, no matter what happens.

There are very few things that will bring you to the attention of your superiors fasterfaster than an attitude of complete self-responsibility.

When in doubt, repeat these words to yourself, “If it is to be, it is “If it is to be, it is up to me.”up to me.” This has been the called the shortest motivational speech in the world, and it is certainly true.


Act as Though You Own the CompanyAct as Though You Own the Company Treat the entire company as though it belonged to you

personally. The top people in most organizations have a sense of

ownership. They act as if they owned the place. They treat the company as through they were the president of the company and they owned 100 percent of the stock.

They use words such as, “we,” “our,” “my,” and “us.” They avoid words such as “them,” “they,” “the company,” or “it is not my job.”

Always do more than expected. Go the extra mile. Always put in more than you take out. Always treat the company as if it were something special.

This attitude of ownership is one of the rarest qualities in the world of work and it will help you more than you can imagine.


Set PrioritiesSet Priorities Develop a sense of urgencysense of urgency for your tasks. This is an

important quality to get onto the fast track in one’s career. Remember the “80/20 rule.” The most valuable use of your

time is to work on the 20 percent of tasks that account for 80 percent of your results.

In a study involving 104 Chief Executive Officers, they were asked what qualities would most put a person onto the fast track in their companies. Eighty-six percent of them agreed that the ability to separate the relevant from the irrelevant, and the ability to get on with the job fastfast, were the two most important qualities in an organization.

Always be asking yourself, “What is the most valuablevaluable use of my time right now?” And then make a habit of always working on the most important thing you could possibly be doing.


Learn Something New EverydayLearn Something New Everyday We live in a knowledge-based society. Everything you do is determined by

the quality and the quantity of your knowledge. Some of your current knowledge is becoming obsolete everyday, so you must constantly be replenishing your supply. You must constantly be engaged in self-renewal and in self-development.

Beyond the course requirements in the BBA program, you should be regularly reading in your chosen profession/career. Read the most current books in your field. Read the trade magazines and special newspapers. Read newsletters and other publications relevant to your profession/career. If you develop the habit of constantly reading, you will not only stay current, you can be at the top of your profession/career.

Take additional courses and seminars that are available to you. Seek out additional learning experiences. Take seminars from experts in your field.

If you company offers you additional training seminars, take advantage of them.

Even if your company has limited training opportunities, you are Even if your company has limited training opportunities, you are still 100 percent responsible for continuing to upgrade your still 100 percent responsible for continuing to upgrade your knowledge on a regular basis.knowledge on a regular basis.


Work Harder than Anyone ElseWork Harder than Anyone Else There is nothing that will bring you to the attention of your superiors faster,

according to executive interviews, than developing a reputation as a hard worker. Most people at work waste a good deal of time. It has been said that the average

person could not do a full day’s work if his/her life depended on it. In fact, the average person works less than 50 percent of capacity.

Obviously, this is not true for every job/position/career. However, this is true for many individuals.

Your job must be to work all the time your work. Do not waste your time in extended socializing or spending your time on the telephone on personal business. Do not drop-off your dry cleaning, pick-up your laundry or do your grocery shopping on company time.

Work all the time your work! Make a decision that, from the time you begin until the time you finish, you will work, al the time.

The wonderful thing is that the harder you work, the luckier you get. The harder you work, the more you accomplish. The harder you work, the more energy you have. The harder you work, the more likely you will be promoted and the more likely you will be paid.

Abraham Lincoln said, “The only security a person can ever have is the ability to do a job uncommonly well.”


For those of you who will treat the activities within Business Research Project I, II, and III as more than “busy-work” and/or “do what it takes to get by,” you have an opportunity to proactively take-charge in your work life.

My hope is that you will take fullfull advantage of these opportunities (since you have to do them as graduation requirements) and intentionallyintentionally develop yourself as a professional.

Scientific Inquiry

Break TimeBreak Time15 Minutes

Literature Review

What is it?

Literature Review

The concept of a literature review will be explored during Class Session Two. However, a brief understanding of it is necessary to complete HWA 2-3 for Class Session Two.

See www.bolender.com for career links.

Review use of online sources as related to post BBA career goal.


ICA 1-1:Review of HWA 1-6 Post BBA Career Goal Worksheet

Break up into pairs of two Each person evaluates the other’s HWA 1-6 assignment Use space at bottom of worksheet page to write in

suggestions and changes Suggest sources for the literature review Review the list of possible experts to be interviewed--also

suggest sources for finding additional experts (such as the sources listed in www.bolender.com) At least one expert must be located over 100 miles away

from your current employer and at least one expert must be from outside your current organization (even for those who plan to remain within their existing organization)



MethodologiesThe Work Related Problem requires the

selection of a “method of research” to be determined by Class Session One of BBA4002. Here are the three to choose from: Development Methodology Evaluation Methodology Research (quasi-experimental) Methodology

ICA 1-2:Review of HWA 1-7 Work Related Problem Worksheet

Break up into pairs of two Each person evaluates the other’s HWA 1-7 assignment Use space at bottom of worksheet page to write in

suggestions and changes Review the merit of each possible work related problem

Would the successful implementation of the solution of this problem make a positive economic impact on the organization?

Is the problem dealing with a “structural” issue(s)--or is it limited to the “personality” of one or two employees within the organization?

Is the problem “worthy” of a multiple month study? What type of literature review would be conducted? What areas

(technical and non-technical) would be reviewed?

Download Mock Files for BBA342 and BBA402

Download the following mock files from www.bolender.com

BBA3042 HWA 2-3BBA3042 HWA 2-4BBA3042 HWA 4-4BBA4002 HWA 2-1 (Development)BBA4002 HWA 2-1 (Evaluation/Research)BBA4002 HWA 2-3

HWA 2-3 and HWA 2-4

Review next Review next week’s week’s

assignments.assignments.

HWA 2-3 and HWA 2-4

Citations and Sources Citations within the body of the paper Only list sources in References that have

been cited within the body of the paperFont

Courier New Size 12Binding pages of the papers

Use paper clips, do not staple

HWA 2-3 and HWA 2-4

Use Three Heading Levels Format

Centered, With Initial Caps

Flush Left, Underlined, With Initial Caps

Indented, underlined, with lowercase words, flush left and single-spaced when going to a succeeding line, and ending with a period.

bba3042 business research project i class session one

Documents