Discussion2-Jaideep Praibhu

Jaideep Praibhu (cited in Lee & Greenley, 2010) observes that we need both rigour and relevance in our business management practice. Rigour without relevance equates to confirmed residence in the ivory tower of academia; and relevance without rigour is, as Praibhu notes, somewhat akin to selling miracle drugs from the back of a horse-drawn caravan. To assist in reconciling these two poles, Praibhu sets out the conditions for good research through these valuable indicators:
a situation that is important to business
a set of appropriate questions
a hypothesis (possible solution)
a method for testing the possible solution
analysis and discussion of findings
identification of both academic and practical application
If you can achieve this in your doctoral programme, you will have gone a considerable way down the track of bridging the academia?practitioner gap; and you will have done so through the creation of the ?doctoral practitioner? discussed during The Doctoral Practitioner module.
As one ?expert? notes in the Hughes et al article, ?silver bullets? do not actually exist. If there is a dichotomy between rigour and relevance, might there also be a continuum, between complexity of environment and simplicity of response? If so, how can we show this?
One option is a central spine of strategy, quite possibly based on something well established and accepted, such as the business planning model of X & Y. Consider Values/Vision/Mission/Goals/Objectives/Strategies/ Tactics/Risk/Measurement, but presented in a variety of ways with due appreciation of the audience at which each is aimed. For example, the author works with medium-sized firms in a consultancy model that identifies four layers of employee in a typical small business, and five essential topic areas that are integral to the growth and development of the business. This method suggests the creation of a 5×4 matrix, noted below, in which the labels used for each cell reflect a differing presentation of what each topic might mean for each employee level.
Employee/Topic Owner-Manager Supervisor Senior Technician Junior Technician
Managing Future
Managing Self
Managing Finances
Managing Staff
Managing Customers
With these thoughts in mind, choose any ONE column of seniority, and explain how people of that seniority level might use the principles of Critical Action Learning to improve their capability in managing their future, self, finances, staff, and customers. Post your responses to the Discussion Board by Saturday.
In your follow-on response, reply to a colleague. Your follow-on response should provide evidence that you have critically reflected on the material by questioning assumptions, revealing new personal insights, and probing and/or posing questions for further investigation.
Remember to cite and reference examples from the readings and journal articles for this week. Please submit your initial response through the Turnitin submission link below in addition to posting it to the Discussion Board thread.
How to Respond to Discussion Questions
The participation component will assess the students? contribution to the class discussions in the seminar. In particular it will assess the extent to which students:
contribute original views
build creatively on the views of others
show intelligent critique of theory or practice
add an international or cultural aspect to the class
show originality in the application of theory
clarify the theory being studied
encourage the effective contribution of other members of the class.
The ?Participation? component has two elements, attendance and contribution:
Attendance is evidenced by making a substantial posting to a discussion thread on a minimum of 3 days in the week, not including initial DQ responses. ?Substantial? postings will normally be in the order of 2 ? 3 paragraphs and 3 ? 5 postings per week, not including the initial DQ responses, or those responses required by other assignments.
Contribution is evidenced by value of the postings to the learning of the class
Instructors will evaluate participation based on both of these criteria (attendance and contribution). Note that, for minimum passing grade, participation posts must be balanced during the week and not posted primarily in the last day or two of the seminar.
Remember to cite and reference examples from the readings and journal articles for this week.
Please submit your initial response through the Turnitin submission link below in addition to simultaneously posting it to the Discussion Board thread. Once the initial response has been submitted to Turnitin, you cannot request that it be deleted to accommodate a revised submission.
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