question archive CONCEPTUALIZING A SOCIAL PROBLEM INTO A RESEARCH PROBLEM A social problem involves an issue that affects a specific population/discipline
Subject:WritingPrice:12.86 Bought3
A social problem involves an issue that affects a specific population/discipline. It is the issue that students see “on the ground” so to speak. The social problem is often what prompts students to think about a topic of interest drives their dissertation topic. Usually such a topic is one that students identify with, sometimes having personally experienced some aspect of the problem as it exists in the world. All too often, students want to solve a specific social, organizational, clinical, or practical problem rather than explore a research problem.
A research problem is a focused topic of concern, a condition to be improved upon, or troubling question that is supported in scholarly literature or theory that you study to understand in more detail, and that can lead to recommendations for resolutions. It is the research problem that drives the rest of the dissertation: the purpose, the research questions, and the methodology. It is the research problem that is identified in the Problem Section of the Prospectus Form.
Current Research Topic: 4-Day Work Weeks to Improve Work-Life Balance in Nonprofit Organizations to Decrease Employee Turnover
Social Problem: Non-Profit Organizations have high turnover rates due to the employees having poor work-life balance and burning out quickly.
A Research Problem
The social problem, in this case, is that non-profit organizations have high turnover rates due to employees having a poor work-life balance and hence burn out quickly. There are different steps that will be involved in turning this issue into a research problem. Firstly, it is conducting research into the background of this problem. To illustrate, what factors have led to the emergence of this issue, for example, there could be inadequate staff in the organization. Such background information will go into creating the thesis.
Secondly, it is looking into the literature that has previously explored this issue (Center for Research Quality, 2016). In assessing the literature, one will be able to identify gaps that exist in addressing the problem. By pointing out the areas that need further study, it will provide a starting point for the current research efforts. Apart from the gaps, assessing the literature will aid in determining which areas of the topic have not been explored yet. Additionally, assessing existing literature will also assist in determining the impact of the research process. Besides that, conducting an in-depth review of the existing literature will bring forth different debates on the issue. The opinion of various parties will help add information needed to create a research problem. To give an example, people might have different views of how the non-profit organization can lower burnout to reduce the level of employee turnover. Beyond the opinions, it is essential to explore the history of the topic. How has the issue under consideration changed over time? Are there any laws put in place to regulate this matter?
Thirdly, it is critical to study the social problem’s context (Center for Research Quality, 2016). Are there researchers that have explored topics that are related to the issue at hand? For instance, there might be other people that have investigated the relationship between employee motivation and the turnover rate. What have they said about the problem at hand? That will help in determining how current research will approach the problem. Lastly, it is assessing what solutions can help deal with the matter. After that, it is critical to find ways of applying the solutions. In the current case, one solution is to have four day work weeks in the non-profit organization. Consequently, the research problem will be, “4-Day Work Weeks to Improve Work-Life Balance in Nonprofit Organizations to Decrease Employee Turnover.”