Overview
This guide’s purpose is to give the researcher an overview of how to develop effective Problem Statements that will get them moving quickly and in the right direction for their Ph.D. dissertation.
The Problem Statement can be thought of as the cornerstone of the research proposal. It is responsible for establishing broadly what area will be studied.
The Problem Statement also provides clear and direct support from the current literature that demonstrates that the problem does exist and how the research will add to the body of knowledge.
The Ph.D. dissertation is an academic research process which is intended to pursue theoretical knowledge or practical knowledge with the overarching goal of adding to the body of knowledge or fill a gap in the body of knowledge.
The construction of the problem statement begins by knowing which type of knowledge one is seeking. We can think of Theoretical Knowledge as knowledge about a ‘thing.’
One might make statements such as “I know about it”, “I understand it”, or “I know what it is”. Practical Knowledge on the other hand can be thought of as knowledge of how to use a ‘thing’.
Here one might make statements such as “I know how to use it”, “I know how to apply it”, or I know how to do it”.
As an example, it is clear from this discussion that an individual can have deep theoretical knowledge about transformational leadership theory.
This person can fully describe the benefits to followers of idealized influence and how that impacts organizational performance.
However, that same person might have no idea how to actually deliver idealized influence in a meaningful way for a follower in a leader-follower situation because they lack the practical knowledge that comes with application.
Similarly, a leader may have the practical knowledge necessary to provide meaningful idealized influence for a follower in such a way that it positively impacts organizational performance but might not have any idea regarding how the theoretical construct of idealized influence functions.
Both types of knowledge have great benefit to the body of knowledge. Theoretical knowledge provides a framework for understanding complex topics and developing theories about how persons and organizations are impacted by them.
That knowledge can then be applied in various environments allowing practical knowledge to be developed.
The task of developing a problem statement for theoretical research and practical research share the same two basic steps.
First, the researcher must frame the problem, and second, the researcher must describe the importance of understanding the problem.
All good research begins with a clearly articulated and focused Problem Statement.
Edward M. Moore, Ph.D.
Step One, Frame the Problem
Theoretical research problems
The goal is to gain a theoretical understanding about a ‘thing’. It could be a new trend, it could be a change in environmental conditions, it could be a change in work or business circumstances.
It is useful to ask yourself some questions to help clarify what you are trying to understand. Some questions you might ask are:
- What is the problem?
- What are the circumstances / environments of the problem?
- What knowledge already exists about the problem?
- How is the problem currently described in the literature?
Below is an example of this type of theoretical problem framing:
The problem to be addressed is the generational shift in attitudes regarding the importance of work-life balance.
While Gen-X and older workers feel that work can and should take priority over life when required by the organization, younger workers starting with Millennials, feel that life is equally important and that work priorities should not push aside life priorities.
Research has focused on the reasons that younger workers give for making these life priority choices, but there has been little research on the effect those choices have on career development.
The first sentence clearly states what the problem is which in this case is a generational shift in attitudes regarding work-life balance.
The second sentence gives insight into the circumstances surrounding the problem and the environment within which the problem is occurring.
The third sentence provides a brief overview of what the literature currently tells us about the problem and what it does not currently tell us about the problem, which is identifying a gap in the literature.
Of course, when framing an actual research problem, you would include multiple current (less than five years) citations from the literature to support the factual assertions being made.
Practical research problems
The goal here is to gain practical understanding about a ‘thing’. It could be a leadership or management technique, it could be a human resource development effort, or it could be a toxic leadership intervention technique.
It is useful to ask clarifying questions here as well. Some questions you might ask are:
- What is the problem?
- What are the circumstances/environments of the problem?
- Who / what is impacted by the problem?
- What has already been attempted to solve the problem? Below is an example of this type of practical problem framing:
The problem to be addressed is the steady decline in employee engagement in the service sector over the past five years when compared to other sectors.
Research shows that employee engagement is lowest among Millennial and younger workers despite on-going programs intended to improve engagement. This same group of workers has higher levels of employee engagement in the tech sector where similar engagement programs are in place.
The first sentence clearly states what the problem is which in this case is a decline in employee engagement and provides details about the circumstances and environment where the problem is occurring.
The second sentence gives further clarity by highlighting that engagement is lower among younger workers despite intervention efforts.
The final sentence explains that this same group has higher levels of engagement in a different environment, and why this is different is a gap in the literature.
Once again, when framing an actual research problem, you would include multiple current (less than five years) citations from the literature to support the factual assertions being made.
Step Two, Describe the Importance of Understanding the Problem
Theoretical research problems
The goal is to gain theoretical understanding about a ‘thing’. Asking questions about the importance of understanding the problem can help clarify what you hope to find out as a result of the study.
Some questions you might ask are:
- How will addressing the problem add understanding to the body of knowledge?
- How will addressing the problem aid future research?
- Does the problem have consequences for the field of study?
Below is an example of this type of theoretical problem framing:
The literature characterizes this focus on work-life balance in some cases as a ‘heroic choice’ demonstrating the importance of home life, and in some cases as an ‘egocentric disregard’ for organizational work priorities. It is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the career development consequences of maintaining work-life balance and the level of awareness that employees have regarding those consequences.
This research can help develop better theories regarding differences in generational attitudes, perception, and the practice of work-life balance, and how these factors are shaped by the market sector.
The first sentence gives more insight into what the body of knowledge currently tells us about this issue.
The second sentence explains what you hope to understand better which in this case is the career impact to an individual that maintains strong work-life balance and their understanding of that impact.
The final sentence provides insight into where this new understanding will ‘fit’ into the body of knowledge.
When addressing the importance of understanding an actual research problem, you would include multiple current (less than five years) citations from the literature to support the factual assertions being made.
Practical research problems
The goal here is to gain practical understanding about a ‘thing’. Once again, asking questions about the importance of understanding the problem can help clarify what you hope to find out as a result of the study.
Some questions you might ask are:
- How will addressing the problem add understanding to the body of knowledge?
- What are the consequences if the problem is not addressed?
- Does the problem exist in other circumstances / environments?
Below is an example of this type of practical problem framing:
Low levels of employee engagement in the service industry have been shown to reduce operational effectiveness and customer satisfaction. The long-term effects are erosion of revenue, market share, and profitability which can lead to organizational failure. Addressing this problem will have practical benefit to the service sector by increasing our understanding of the problem in this environment compared to the tech sector and add to the overall understanding of this issue.
The first two sentences provide an overview of the consequences of this problem in the service sector.
The third sentence discusses how addressing the problem will add understanding to the body of knowledge of how this problem presents itself in different environments.
Once again, when addressing the importance of understanding an actual research problem, you would include multiple current (less than five years) citations from the literature to support the factual assertions being made.
Putting it Together and Moving Forward
Theoretical Research Problem
The problem to be addressed is the generational shift in attitudes regarding the importance of work-life balance.
While Gen-X and older workers feel that work can and should take priority over life when required by the organization, younger workers starting with Millennials feel that life is equally important and that work priorities should not push aside life priorities.
Research has focused on the reasons that younger workers give for making these life priority choices, but there has been little research on the effect those choices have on career development.
The literature characterizes this focus on work-life balance in some cases as a ‘heroic choice’ demonstrating the importance of home life, and in some cases as an ‘egocentric disregard’ for organizational work priorities.
It is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the career development consequences of maintaining a work-life balance and the level of awareness that employees have regarding those consequences.
This research can help develop better theories regarding differences in generational attitudes, perception, and the practice of work-life balance and how these factors are shaped by the market sector.
Practical Research Problem
The problem to be addressed is the steady decline in employee engagement in the service sector over the past five years compared to other sectors.
Research shows that employee engagement is lowest among Millennial and younger workers despite on-going programs intended to improve engagement.
This same group of workers has higher levels of employee engagement in the tech sector where similar engagement programs are in place.
Low levels of employee engagement in the service industry have been shown to reduce operational effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
The long-term effects are erosion of revenue, market share, and profitability which can lead to organizational failure.
Addressing this problem will have practical benefit to the service sector by increasing our understanding of the problem in this environment compared to the tech sector and add to the overall understanding of this issue.
Moving Forward
Problem statements for gaining theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge are acceptable pursuits for the Ph.D. in Organization and Management.
A common analogy is thinking of the body of knowledge as a road. The dissertation should either add a new section of road (theoretical knowledge) or fill a missing spot in the existing road (practical knowledge).
In both cases, the doctoral candidate must ensure that the problem being proposed is within the scope of Organization and Management and/or their cognate.
With a well-developed problem statement such as the two above, the tasks of developing the purpose statement and the research questions are very straightforward.
In its simplest form, the research’s purpose is to add to the body of knowledge regarding the problem and its context.
When answered, the research questions must address all areas of the problem statement and fulfill the promise of the purpose statement of adding to the body of knowledge.
Summary
As stated earlier, all good research begins with a clearly articulated and focused Problem Statement.
Keep in mind that the goal here is not to develop a literary masterpiece; instead, the goal is to establish a clearly stated foundation upon which the rest of the research project can be built.
It is only with the Problem Statement in place, that it is possible to develop research questions, the conceptual / theoretical framework, the methodology, and a topical outline for the literature review.
The critical nature of this first step in the research journey cannot be overstated. It is essential that the researcher take the necessary time here to get this right or the research project will flounder or not develop at all.
Credits ( Edward M. Moore, Ph.D. )
