12Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation Manuscript

12
Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation Manuscript
Template and Guide
This cover page and template instructional content should be
removed before drafting chapters. Keep the template
instructions in a separate location for ongoing reference as you
develop chapter content within the manuscript format.
Instructions for how to use this template and guide:
· Type directly into the template at “Begin writing here...” or
“Text…”
. Doing so should help to ensure the document is
properly formatted.
· Use reminders in the comments relating to formatting as well
as helpful tips for guidance purposes. Additionally, in each
main section, use the checklist relating to content so you know
what to include before you begin to organize your thoughts.
Refer to the checklist continuously as you develop each section.
As you self-evaluate each section, you can actually check off
each box by clicking on it to ensure you have met all the
requirements. Please note these lists are resources and not
meant to be exhaustive, as it is impossible to cover the details
of every method and design.
· The length of a section can vary
, unless a guideline is provided.

· Once you have developed each section, refer to the comments
and checklists one last time to be sure the section matches them
as discussed with your Chair, then delete them.
· To delete a comment, right click on the comment, then select
“Delete Comment.”
. For additional strategies and guidance, click
here.
Version: October 2020
© Northcentral University, 2020
Comment by Northcentral University: Ensure every section in
the document meets the following requirements:
☐ Use 12-point and Times New Roman font.
☐ Write in the future tense when referencing the proposed study
in the dissertation proposal. Write in the past tense when
referencing the completed study in the dissertation manuscript.
☐ Use economy of expression to present information as
succinctly as possible without oversimplifying or losing the
meaning.
☐ Avoid personal opinions and claims.
☐ Support all claims in the document with recent, scholarly,
peer-reviewed sources published within 5 years of when the
dissertation will be completed, unless they are seminal sources
or no other literature exists. For additional information and
guidance relating to scholarly and peer-reviewed sources, click
here.
☐ Avoid anthropomorphism (i.e., giving human qualities to
inanimate objects) such as “The article claims…”, “The study

found…,”, or “The research explored…”.
☐ Clearly and precisely define key words upon their first use
only.
Title of the DissertationComment by Northcentral University:
With the exception of articles and prepositions, the first letter
of each word should be capitalized. The title should be two
single spaces (one double space) from the top of the page. In
10-15 words, it should indicate the contents of the study. The
title should be bold.
The title page should include no page number, so please recheck
pagination once the template cover page has been removed.
Dissertation XXXComment by Northcentral University: Insert
either “Proposal” or “Manuscript.”.
Submitted to Northcentral University
School of XXXComment by Northcentral University: Indicate
your school name here. Do not include the specialization.
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF
XXXComment by Northcentral University: Insert your
degree program in all capital letters (e.g., DOCTOR OF

EDUCATION, DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, DOCTOR OF
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION).
by
NAMEComment by Northcentral University: Insert your name
in all capital letters (i.e., FIRST MIDDLE LAST).
La Jolla, California
Month YearComment by Northcentral University: Insert the
current month and year. There should be no comma separating
them.
AbstractComment by Northcentral University: The abstract
should be included in the dissertation manuscript only. It should
not be included in the dissertation proposal.

The word Abstract should be centered, bolded, and begin on its
own page.
Begin writing here…Comment by Northcentral University: The
text should be left-justified (not indented) and double-spaced
with no breaks.
Checklist:
☐ Briefly introduce the study topic, state the research problem,
and describe who or what is impacted by this problem.
☐ Clearly articulate the study purpose and guiding theoretical
or conceptual framework of the study.
☐ Provide details about the research methodology, participants,
questions, design, procedures, and analysis.
☐ Clearly present the results in relation to the research
questions.
☐ State the conclusions to include both the potential
implications of the results on and the recommendations for
future research and practice.
☐ Do
not include citations and abbreviations or acronyms,
except those noted as exceptions by the American Psychological
Association (APA).
☐ Do
not exceed 350 words. Strive for one page.
AcknowledgementsComment by Northcentral University: You
may include an optional acknowledgements page in normal
paragraph format in the dissertation manuscript. Do not include
such a page in the dissertation proposal.
The word Acknowledgements should be centered, bolded, and
begin on its own page.

Begin writing here…
Table of ContentsComment by Northcentral University: Use the
Table of Contents feature in Word. For additional information
on creating a table of contents, click here.
For information on updating the table of contents, click here,
and for video resources from the Academic Success Center on
formatting the table of contents, click here.
Do not manually add headings into the Table of Contents. The
headings in the table of contents are populated from the Styles
gallery using the APA Level 1 and Heading 2 styles.
Only include APA heading levels 1 and 2 in the table of
contents. Use the Heading 2 style from the Styles gallery to add
level two headings in the document. Update the table of
contents to reflect any new level 2 headings added to document.
Comment by Northcentral University: For Academic Success
Center resources on formatting the table of contents, click here.
For assistance, use the videos in the Tables and Headers tab and
handouts in the Format tab.Comment by Northcentral
University: Ensure the headings in the table of contents match
those in the document. Please note the place holders are
included in this table of contents:
“XXX” under Chapter 2 must be replaced with the themes
generated from the integrative critical review of the literature.
If your study is qualitative, “Operational Definitions of
Variables” under Chapter 3 must be deleted.
“XXX” under Chapter 4 must be replaced with
“Trustworthiness” for a qualitative study, “Validity and
Reliability” for a quantitative study, and
“Trustworthiness/Validity and Reliability” for a mixed methods
study.

The number of research questions listed under Chapter 4 must
align with the number of research questions in your study.
Under Appendices, each “XXX” must be replaced with the titles
of the appendix.
Chapter 1: Introduction1
Statement of the Problem2
Purpose of the Study2
Introduction to Theoretical or Conceptual Framework 3
Introduction to Research Methodology and Design4
Research Questions4
Hypotheses4
Significance of the Study5
Definitions of Key Terms6
Summary6
Chapter 2: Literature Review7
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework 7
Subtopic8
Summary8
Chapter 3: Research Method10
Research Methodology and Design10
Population and Sample10
Materials or Instrumentation11
Operational Definitions of Variables 12
Study Procedures13
Data Analysis13
Assumptions 14
Limitations14
Delimitations14
Ethical Assurances15
Summary15
Chapter 4: Findings16
XXX of the Data16
Results17

Evaluation of the Findings18
Summary18
Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions19
Implications19
Recommendations for Practice20
Recommendations for Future Research20
Conclusions20
References22
Appendix A XXX23
Appendix B XXX24
List of TablesComment by Northcentral University: The words
List of Tables should be centered, bolded, and begin on its own
page
Use the Table of Figures feature in Word and select “Table” as
the caption label. For additional information and guidance, click
here.
Tip: For formatting the caption for tables, table headings should
be double spaced and placed above the table. The word “Table”
and the number should be bolded. The table title is in title case
and italics.
Comment by Northcentral University: Click here to review a
video from the Academic Success Center on creating the List of
Tables.
Begin list of tables here…
List of FiguresComment by Northcentral University: The words
List of Figures should be centered, bolded, and begin on its own
page
Use the Table of Figures feature in Word and select “Figure” as
the caption label. For additional information and guidance, click
here.

Tip: For formatting the caption for figures, figure headings
should be double spaced and placed above the figure. The word
“Figure” and the number should be bolded. The figure title is in
title case and italics.
Comment by Northcentral University: Click here to review a
video on creating the List of Figures.
Begin list of figures here…
1
1Chapter 1: IntroductionComment by Northcentral University:
When preparing pagination, lowercase Roman numerals are used
for the front matter pages prior to the first page of Chapter 1.
The Roman numerals need to be centered and placed in the
footer of each front matter page.
Starting in Chapter 1, page numbers need to be placed at the
upper right of each page header.
Chapter headings are formatted as Level 1. Review a formatting
APA headings video in the Academic Success Center here.
APA Style recommends one space between sentences.
Checklist:
☐ Begin with an overview of the general topic to establish the

context of the study and orient the reader to the field. Do not
overstate the topic as you will address the topic more fully in
Chapter 2.
☐ Describe the larger context in which the problem exists.
☐ Present an overview of why this research topic is relevant and
warranted.
☐ Briefly explain what research has been done on the topic and
why the topic is important practically and empirically (applied
and PhD) as well as theoretically (PhD).
☐ Clearly lead the reader to the problem statement to follow.
The reader should not be surprised by the problem described
later in the document.
☐ Do
not explicitly state the study problem, purpose, or
methodology, as they are discussed in subsequent sections.
☐ Devote approximately 2 to 4 pages to this section.
☐ Write in the future tense when referencing the proposed study
in the dissertation proposal. Write in the past tense when
referencing the completed study in the dissertation manuscript.
☐ There are no personal opinions in the dissertation. All work
must come from cited sources.
Statement of the ProblemComment by Northcentral University:
Tip: Applied dissertations should be practice-based. The
documented problem might be a practical problem or issue in
the profession or study context for which there is not already an
acceptable solution. When defining the problem, a clear
distinction must be drawn between what exists currently and
what is desired. An applied study does not necessarily require
generalizable results beyond the study site; however, it must
address a problem relevant and exists outside of the study site.
Similarly, a PhD dissertation must focus on a problem relevant
and exists outside of the study site. Additionally, the study must

make a substantive, scholarly contribution to both the resear ch
and theory.
Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Review the
limitations and calls for future research in the relevant scholarly
literature for guidance in identifying a problem.Comment by
Northcentral University: Tip: There are a couple of group
sessions in the Academic Success Center per week in which
students can engage with a live academic coach as well as other
students who share the goal of enhancing their problem
statement development skills. Learn more about this session and
find the link to register here.
Checklist:
☐ Begin with “The problem to be addressed in this study is…”
This statement should logically flow from the introduction and
clearly identify the problem to be addressed by the study
(current citations needed).
☐ Succinctly discuss the problem and provide evidence of its
existence. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: A lack of
research alone is not inherently problematic. An inability to
find research on your topic might indicate a need to broaden
your search. It might be helpful to review the resources in the
Northcentral University Library, including the Searching 101
Workshop, or schedule a research consultation.
☐ Identify who is impacted by the problem (e.g., individuals,
organizations, industries, or society), what is not known that
should be known about it, and what the potential negative
consequences could be if the problem is not addressed in this
study.
☐ Ensure the concepts presented are exactly the same as those
mentioned in the Purpose Statement section.
☐ Do
not exceed 250-300 words.
Purpose of the StudyComment by Northcentral University:

Tip: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session
on Purpose Statements. Learn more about this session and find
the link to register here.
Checklist:
Begin with a succinct purpose statement that identifies the
study method, design, and overarching goal. The recommended
language to use is: “The purpose of this [identify research
methodology] [identify research design] study is to [identify the
goal of the dissertation that
directly reflects and encompasses the research questions
to follow].”
☐ Indicate how the study is a logical, explicit research response
to the stated problem and the research questions to follow.
☐ Continue with a brief but clear step-by-step overview of how
the study will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) conducted.
☐ Identify the variables/constructs, materials/instrumentation,
and analysis.
☐ For the proposal (DP) identify the target population and
sample size needed. For the manuscript (DM), edit and list
sample size obtained.
☐ Identify the site(s) where the research will be (proposal) or
was (manuscript) conducted using general geographic terms to
avoid identifying the specific location. To avoid compromising
participants’ confidentiality or anonymity, use pseudonyms.
☐ Do
not exceed one paragraph or one page.
Introduction to Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
Comment by Northcentral University: Select the heading that
reflects whether you are using a theoretical or conceptual
framework, but do not keep both words in the title. For PhD -
Theoretical Framework, for applied doctorate Conceptual
Framework.

Checklist:
☐ Identify the guiding framework. Present the key concepts,
briefly explain how they are related, and present the
propositions relevant to this study. Comment by Northcentral
University: Tip: The Academic Success Center has a weekly
group session on Theoretical and Conceptual Framework. Learn
more about this session and find the link to register here.
☐ Explain how the framework guided the research decisions,
including the development of the problem statement, purpose
statement, and research questions.
☐ If more than one framework is guiding the study, integrate
them, rather than describing them independently. Do
not select a separate framework for each
variable/construct under examination.
☐ Do
not exceed two pages. A more thorough discussion of
the theoretical/conceptual framework will be included in
Chapter 2.
Introduction to Research Methodology and Design
Checklist:
☐ Provide a brief discussion of the methodology and design to
include a description of the data collection procedure and
analysis. Do
not include specific details regarding why the
methodology and design were selected over others. More
detailed information will be included in Chapter 3.
☐ Cite the seminal works related to the selected methodology
and design.
☐ Indicate why the selected research methodology and design
are the best choices for the study by explaining how they align

with the problem and purpose statements as well as the research
questions. Do
not simply list and describe various research
methodologies and designs.
☐ Devote approximately one to two pages to this
section.Research QuestionsComment by Northcentral
University: Tip: Research questions beginning with “To what
extent…” or “Under what conditions…” yield more meaningful
data than questions that generate yes/no responses such as “Is
Variable 1 significantly related to Variable 2?”
Begin writing here...
RQ1 Comment by Northcentral University: Sub questions are
allowed if you want to examine more in-depth research
questions. For example, if the first research question has two
sub questions, they would be denoted as RQ1a and RQ1b.
Use APA level 3 headings for each research question. The level
3 heading is flush left, title case, bolded, and italicized. The
text begins as a new paragraph. Apply level 3 headings using
the Heading 3 style under the Styles gallery.
Review Section 2.27 in the APA 7th edition manual, and locate
more information on APA headings here.
Text…
RQ2Comment by Northcentral University: Repeat this
process for each research question.
Text…
Hypotheses
Comment by Northcentral University: Hypotheses are
only listed in quantitative and mixed methods studies.Comment
by Northcentral University: The hypotheses must align with the

research questions so RQ1 matches H1, etc.
H10
Text…H1a
Text…H20
Text…
H2aComment by Northcentral University: Repeat this process
for each hypothesis.
Maintain Level 3 heading formatting for each hypothesis.
Text…
Checklist:
☐ Present research questions directly answerable, specific, and
testable within the given timeframe and location identified in
the problem and purpose statements.
☐ Include the exact same variables/constructs, participants, and
location mentioned in the problem and purpose statements.
No new variables/constructs should be introduced.
Significance of the StudyComment by Northcentral
University: Tip: Consider the professional and academic
audiences who might be interested in the study results and why.
Checklist:
Describe why the study is important and how it can contribute
to the field of study.
☐ For applied studies, explain how the results might both be
significant to leaders and practitioners in the field and
contribute to the literature. For PhD studies, explain how the
results advance the guiding framework and contribute to the
literature.
☐ Describe the benefits of addressing the study problem,
achieving the study purpose, and answering the research
questions. Whereas the problem statement should articulate the
negative consequences of not conducting the study, this section
should highlight the positive consequences of completing the

study.
☐ Do
not exceed one page.
Definitions of Key Terms
Term 1 Comment by Northcentral University: Replace
“Term 1” with the first term and provide the definition and
citation(s). Repeat this process for all the key terms.
Text…Comment by Northcentral University: Maintain Level 3
heading formatting for each term.
Term 2
Text…
Checklist:
☐ Alphabetize and bold terms directly related to the dissertation
topic and not commonly used or understood.
☐ Paraphrase the definitions of the terms using complete
sentences and provide a citation for each one.
☐ Do
notdefine theories, conceptual frameworks, statistical
analyses, methodological terms, or the variables/constructs
under examination.
Summary
Checklist:
☐ Briefly restate the key points discussed in the chapter.
Review the headings and/or table of contents to ensure all key
points are covered.
Chapter 2: Literature ReviewComment by Northcentral
University: Tip: Think of Chapter 2 as a funnel and lead the
reader from the broad context of the study to an explanation of
why this specific study is needed.Comment by Northcentral
University: Tip: To ensure your study is relevant and current,
continue to expand and update the literature review through the
final dissertation manuscript draft.Comment by Northcentral

University: Tip: For exemplars on what synthesis and critical
analysis look like, try searching for published literature using
the following terms “critical review of the literature [school]”,
inserting the name of your school.
Comment by Northcentral University: The Academic Success
Center has a weekly group session on Synthesis and Analysis.
Learn more about this session and find the link to register here.
Checklist:
☐ Begin with the first sentence of the purpose statement and
problem statement that leads to a brief explanation of the
organization of the literature review. Do
not simply cut and paste the Purpose Statement section
from Chapter 1.
☐ Provide an overview of the sub-headings in the literature that
will be discussed.
☐ At the end of this section, indicate the databases accessed and
the search engines used. Discuss all the search parameters,
including the search terms and their combinations (with more
detailed search terms located in an appendix, if appropriate),
range of years, and types of literature.
☐ Devote approximately
30 to 60 pages to this chapter to include citations to at
least 50 relevant sources.Comment by Northcentral University:
Chapter 2 includes the statement that it is to have 30-60 pages.
Depending on the topic this can be shorter. Refer to your Chair
for guidance.
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Comment by
Northcentral University: Select the heading that reflects
whether you are using a theoretical or conceptual framework,
but do not keep both words in the title. For PhD - Theoretical
Framework, for applied doctorate Conceptual Framework.

Checklist:
☐ Describe the guiding theoretical/conceptual framework of the
study, including the definitions of all the concepts, an
explanation of the relationships among the concepts, and a
presentation of all the assumptions and propositions.
☐ Explain the origin and development of the framework.
Demonstrate detailed knowledge of and familiarity with both
the historical and the current literature on the framework.
☐ Identify existing research studies that used this framework in
a similar way. Mention alternative frameworks, with a
justification of why the selected framework was chosen.
☐ Describe how and why the selected framework relates to the
present study and how it guided the development of the problem
statement, purpose statement, and research questions. Subtopic
Comment by Northcentral University: Replace “Subtopic” with
an idea from the integrative critical review of the literature.
Repeat this process until each idea is included.
Begin writing here…Level 3 HeadingComment by Northcentral
University: The level 3 heading is flush left, bolded, and
italicized. The title should be in tile case, and the text begins as
a new paragraph after the heading. Apply additional level 3
headings using the Heading 3 style options under the Styles
gallery. Use APA’s Headings guide to assist with proper header
formatting. Comment by Northcentral University: If additional
subheadings are needed, use this format per APA guidelines.
Text...
Level 4 Heading. Text... Comment by Northcentral University:
The level 4 heading is indented and bolded. The title should be
in tile case, and the title ends with a period. The text begins
directly after the heading in normal paragraph format. Apply
additional level 4 headings using the Heading 4 style option in
the Styles gallery. Use APA’s Headings guide to assist with
proper header formatting.
Checklist:
☐ Critically analyze (i.e., note the strengths and weaknesses)

and synthesize (i.e., integrate) the existing research. Rather than
reporting on each study independently, describe everything
known on the topic by reviewing the entire body of work.
☐ Present a balanced integrative critical review of the
literature, ensuring all points of view are included. Cover all the
important issues with a discussion of areas of convergence (i.e.,
agreement) and divergence (i.e., disagreement). Provide
potential explanations for areas of divergence. Comment by
Northcentral University: Tip: Use the Academic Success
Center’s Synthesis and Analysis guide that has several
resources, including a synthesis matrix to assist with this
section.
☐ Address issues of authority, audience, and/or bias/point of
view in the sources used.
SummaryComment by Northcentral University: Tip: In essence,
the summary is the “take-home” message of the integrative
critical review of the literature with a specific emphasis on how
the literature supports the need for your study.
Checklist:
☐ Briefly restate the key points discussed in the chapter.
Review the headings and/or table of contents to ensure all key
points are covered.
☐ Highlight areas of convergence and divergence as well as
gaps in the literature that support the need for the study. This
discussion should logically lead to Chapter 3, where the
research methodology and design will be discussed.
Chapter 3: Research Method
Checklist:
☐ Begin with an introduction and restatement of the problem
and purpose sentences verbatim. Comment by Northcentr al

University: You can copy and paste from your Chapter 1.
☐ Provide a brief overview of the contents of this chapter,
including a statement that identifies the research methodology
and design.Research Methodology and DesignComment by
Northcentral University: Tip: The Academic Success Center has
a weekly group session on Writing Research Design. Learn
more about this session and find the link to register here.
Checklist:
☐ Describe the research methodology and design. Elaborate
upon their appropriateness in relation to the study problem,
purpose, and research questions.
☐ Identify alternative methodologies and designs and indicate
why they were determined to be less appropriate than the ones
selected. Do
not simply list and describe research methodologies and
designs in general.
Population and SampleComment by Northcentral
University: Tip: Depending on the study design, the population
might include but not be limited to a group of people, a set of
organizations, documents, or archived data.
Checklist:
☐ Describe the population, including the estimated size and
relevant characteristics.
☐ Explain why the population is appropriate, given the study
problem, purpose, and research questions.
☐ Describe the sample that will be (proposal) or was
(manuscript) obtained.
☐ Explain why the sample is appropriate, given the study
problem, purpose, and research questions.
☐ Explain the type of sampling used and why it is appropriate
for the dissertation proposal methodology and design. For
qualitative studies, evidence must be presented that saturation

will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) reached. For quantitative
studies, a power analysis must be reported to include the
parameters (e.g., effect size, alpha, beta, and number of groups)
included, and evidence must be presented that the minimum
required sample size will be (proposal) or was (manuscript)
reached.
☐ Describe how the participants will be (proposal) or were
(manuscript) recruited (e.g., email lists from professional
organizations, flyers) and/or the data will be (proposal) or were
(manuscript) obtained (e.g., archived data, public records) with
sufficient detail so the study could be replicated.Comment by
Northcentral University: Tip: Many qualitative and mixed
methods studies require multiple sources of data. Describe how
the data will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) obtained from
each source.Materials or InstrumentationComment by
Northcentral University: Tip: In quantitative studies, the
development of a new instrument is discouraged due to the time
and skills required to create a valid and reliable instrument. A
thorough and extensive search of the literature should be done
to locate an appropriate psychometrically sound instrument.
However, if such an instrument is not located after a thorough
search, and you plan to develop a new instrument, consult
survey item and instrument development resources and plan
piloting and validation procedures. Describe the development
process in detail and provide evidence of the instrument’s
validity and reliability. Include the final instrument developed
based on those findings. The evidence of validity and reliability
should be reported in Chapter 4.
In qualitative studies, using a newly developed interview
protocol based on the literature is more common and acceptable.
Describe the development process in detail followed by the field
testing processes used and subsequent modification
made.Comment by Northcentral University: Select the heading
that reflects which of the two you will be doing.

Checklist:
☐ Describe the instruments (e.g., tests, questionnaires,
observation protocols) that will be (proposal) or were
(manuscript) used, including information on their origin and
evidence of their reliability and validity. OR as applicable,
describe the materials to be used (e.g., lesson plans for
interventions, webinars, or archived data, etc.).
☐ Describe in detail any field testing or pilot testing of
instruments to include their results and any subsequent
modifications. Comment by Northcentral University: Verify
with the IRB whether permission is needed or a pilot
application needs to be completed. Locate IRB resources here.
☐ If instruments or materials are used that were developed by
another researcher, include evidence in the appendix that
permission was granted to use the instrument(s) and/or
material(s) and refer to that fact and the appendix in this
section.Operational Definitions of Variables Comment by
Northcentral University: Include this section in
quantitative/mixed methods studies only.Comment by
Northcentral University: Operational definitions are distinct
from the conceptual definitions provided in the Definition of
Terms section. Specifically, operational definitions indicate
how the variables will be (proposal) or were (manuscript)
measured.Comment by Northcentral University: A paragraph is
not required to introduce the operational definitions; a single
sentence introducing this section is sufficient.
Begin writing here...
XXX Comment by Northcentral University: Replace “XXX”
with the first study variable. Repeat this process for all the
study variables.
Maintain Level 3 heading formatting for each variable.
Text…

Checklist:
☐ For quantitative and mixed methods studies, identify how
each variable will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) used in the
study. Use terminology appropriate for the selected statistical
test (e.g., independent/dependent, predictor/criterion, mediator,
moderator).
☐ Base the operational definitions on published research and
valid and reliable instruments.
☐ Identify the specific instrument that will be (proposal) or was
(manuscript) used to measure each variable.
☐ Describe the level of measurement of each variable (e.g.,
nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio), potential scores for each
variable (e.g., the range [0–100] or levels [low, medium, high]),
and data sources. If appropriate, identify what specific scores
(e.g., subscale scores, total scores) will be (proposal) or we re
(manuscript) included in the analysis and how they will be
(proposal) or were (manuscript) derived (e.g., calculating the
sum, difference, average). Study Procedures
Checklist:
☐ Describe the exact steps that will be (proposal) or were
(manuscript) followed to collect the data, addressing what data
as well as how, when, from where, and from whom those data
will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) collected in enough
detail the study can be replicated. Data AnalysisComment by
Northcentral University: The Academic Success Center has a
weekly group session on both Writing Quantitative and Writing
Qualitative Analysis. Learn more about these sessions and find
the link to register here.
Checklist:
☐ Describe the strategies that will be (proposal) or were
(manuscript) used to code and/or analyze the data, and any

software that will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) used.
☐ Ensure the data that will be (proposal) or were (manuscript)
analyzed can be used to answer the research questions and/or
test the hypotheses with the ultimate goal of addressing the
identified problem.
☐ Use proper terminology in association with each
design/analysis (e.g., independent variable and dependent
variable for an experimental design, predictor and criterion
variables for regression).
☐
For quantitative studies, describe the analysis that will
be (proposal) or was (manuscript) used to test each hypothesis.
Provide evidence the statistical test chosen is appropriate to test
the hypotheses and the data meet the assumptions of the
statistical tests.
☐
For qualitative studies, describe how the data will be
(proposal) or were (manuscript) processed and analyzed,
including any triangulation efforts. Explain the role of the
researcher.
☐
For mixed methods studies, include all of the above.
Assumptions Comment by Northcentral University: Tip:
Assumptions, limitations, and delimitations are related but
distinct concepts. For additional information, click here.
Checklist:
☐ Discuss the assumptions along with the corresponding
rationale underlying them. LimitationsComment by Northcentral
University: Tip: The study limitations will be revisited in
Chapter 5.

Checklist:
☐ Describe the study limitations.
☐ Discuss the measures taken to mitigate these limitations.
DelimitationsComment by Northcentral University: Tip:
Limited time and resources are not considered to be limitations
or delimitations, as all studies are limited by these factors.
Checklist:
☐ Describe the study delimitations along with the corresponding
rationale underlying them. An example of delimitations are the
conditions and parameters set intentionally by the researcher or
by selection of the population and sample.
☐ Explain how these research decisions relate to the existing
literature and theoretical/conceptual framework, problem
statement, purpose statement, and research questions. Ethical
AssurancesComment by Northcentral University: Tip: When
research involves human subjects, certain ethical issues can
occur. They include but are not limited to protection from harm,
informed consent, right to privacy, and honesty with
professional colleagues.
Checklist:
☐ Confirm in a statement the study will (proposal) or did
(manuscript) receive approval from Northcentral University’s
Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to data collection.
☐ If the risk to participants is greater than minimal, discuss the
relevant ethical issues and how they will be (proposal) or were
(manuscript) addressed. Comment by Northcentral University:
Tip: For guidance on ethical considerations in human subjects
research, click here.
☐ Describe how confidentiality or anonymity will be (proposal)
or was (manuscript) achieved.
☐ Identify how the data will be (proposal) or were (manuscript)
securely stored in accordance with IRB requirements.

☐ Describe the role of the researcher in the study. Discuss
relevant issues, including biases as well as personal and
professional experiences with the topic, problem, or context.
Present the strategies that will be (proposal) or were
(manuscript) used to prevent these biases and experiences from
influencing the analysis or findings.
☐ In the dissertation manuscript only, include the IRB approval
letter in an appendix.Summary
Checklist:
☐ Summarize the key points presented in the chapter.
☐ Logically lead the reader to the next chapter on the findings
of the study.
Chapter 4: Findings
Checklist:
and purpose sentences verbatim and the organization of the
chapter.
☐ Organize the entire chapter around the research
questions/hypotheses. Comment by Northcentral University:
Tip: Review peer-reviewed research articles to locate examples
of how to report results generated using the research design
used in your study.XXX of the DataComment by Northcentral
University: Replace “XXX” with “Trustworthiness” for a
qualitative study or “Validity and Reliability” for a quantitative
study. For mixed methods studies, replace “XXX” with
“Trustworthiness/Validity and Reliability.”.
Checklist:
☐ For qualitative studies, clearly identify the means by which
the trustworthiness of the data was established. Discuss

credibility (e.g., triangulation, member checks), transferability
(e.g., the extent to which the findings are generalizable to other
situations), dependability (e.g., an in-depth description of the
methodology and design to allow the study to be repeated), and
confirmability (e.g., the steps to ensure the data and findings
are not due to participant and/or researcher bias).
☐ For quantitative studies, explain the extent to which the data
meet the assumptions of the statistical test and identify any
potential factors that might impact the interpretation of the
findings. Provide evidence of the psycho metric soundness (i.e.,
adequate validity and reliability) of the instruments from the
literature as well as in this study (as appropriate). Do
not merely list and describe all the measures of validity
and reliability.
☐ Mixed methods studies should include discussions of the
trustworthiness of the data as well as validity and
reliability.ResultsComment by Northcentral University: Tip:
Present sufficient information so the reader can make an
independent judgment regarding the interpretation of the
findings.
Checklist:
☐ Briefly discuss the overall study. Organize the presentation
of the results by the research questions/hypotheses.
☐ Objectively report the results of the analysis without
discussion, interpretation, or speculation.
☐ Provide an overview of the demographic information
collected. It can be presented in a table. Ensure no potentially
identifying information is reported.Research Question
1/Hypothesis Comment by Northcentral University: Repeat this
process for each research question.
Text…
☐ Report all the results (without discussion) salient to the
research question/hypothesis. Identify common themes or

patterns.
☐Use tables and/or figures to report the results as appropriate.
Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Tables and figures
should not be included on the same page. If you introduce a
table or figure in the middle of the page and there is not enough
room to include the entire table or figure on the page, it must be
placed on the next page. Perform a hard right return (hold down
the shift key while hitting the return key) and begin the table on
the next page. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip:
Tables and figures should be placed with the corresponding
research question. The formatting of tables varies, depending on
the statistical test. Follow APA formatting requirements for
tables, titles, figures, and captions.Comment by Northcentral
University: Tip: Tables and figures must be referenced in the
text. Please refer to APA guidelines regarding when and how to
use tables and figures. Do not fully describe data in the text and
also present them in a table.
☐ For quantitative studies, report any additional descriptive
information as appropriate. Identify the assumptions of the
statistical test and explain how the extent to which the data met
these assumptions was tested. Report any violations and
describe how they were managed as appropriate. Make decisions
based on the results of the statistical analysis. Include relevant
test statistics,
p values, and effect sizes in accordance with APA
requirements.
☐ For qualitative studies,
describe the steps taken to analyze the data to explain
how the themes and categories were generated. Include thick
descriptions of the participants’ experiences. Provide a
comprehensive and coherent reconstruction of the information
obtained from all the participants. Comment by Northcentral
University: Tip: Review published articles that used the same
design for examples of how to present qualitative, thematic
findings.

☐ For mixed methods studies,
include all of the above.
Evaluation of the FindingsComment by Northcentral
University: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group
session on both Writing Quantitative and Writing Qualitative
Analysis. Learn more about these sessions and find the link to
register here.
Checklist:
☐ Interpret the results in light of the existing research and
theoretical or conceptual framework (as discussed in Chapters 1
and 2). Briefly indicate the extent to which the results were
consistent with existing research and theory.
☐ Organize this discussion by research question/hypothesis.
☐ Do
not draw conclusions beyond what can be interpreted
directly from the results.
☐ Devote approximately one to two pages to this
section.Summary
Checklist:
☐ Summarize the key points presented in the chapter.
Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations, and
ConclusionsComment by Northcentral University: Tip: A
common tendency is to rush through Chapter 5 and fail to
develop ideas fully. Take time to remember why the study was
important in the first place and ensure Chapter 5 demonstrates
and reflects the depth and importance of the study. Refer back
to the study problem and significance and consider what
professional and academic organizations might be interested in
your research findings. As you complete Chapter 5, seek out

avenues to present and publish your research.
Checklist:
and purpose sentences verbatim, and a brief review of
methodology, design, results, and limitations.
☐ Conclude with a brief overview of the chapter.
Implications
Checklist:
☐ Organize the discussion around each research question and
(when appropriate) hypothesis individually. Support all the
conclusions with one or more findings from the study.
☐ Discuss any factors that might have influenced the
interpretation of the results.
☐ Present the results in the context of the study by describing
the extent to which they address the study problem and purpose
and contribute to the existing literature and framework
described in Chapter 2.
☐ Describe the extent to which the results are consistent with
existing research and theory and provide potential explanations
for unexpected or divergent results.
☐ Identify the most significant implications and consequences
of the dissertation (whether positive and/or negative) to
society/desired societal outcomes and distinguish probable from
improbable implications. Research Question 1/Hypothesis
Comment by Northcentral University: Repeat this process for
each research question.
Text…Recommendations for Practice
Checklist:
☐ Discuss recommendations for how the findings of the study
can be applied to practice and/or theory. Support all the

recommendations with at least one finding from the study and
frame them in the literature from Chapter 2.
☐ Do
not overstate the applicability of the findings.
Recommendations for Future Research
Checklist:
Based on the framework, findings, and implications, explain
what future researchers might do to learn from and build upon
this study. Justify these explanations.
☐ Discuss how future researchers can improve upon this study,
given its limitations.
☐ Explain what the next logical step is in this line of research.
Conclusions
Checklist:
☐ Provide a strong, concise conclusion to include a summary of
the study, the problem addressed, and the importance of the
study.
☐ Present the “take-home message” of the entire study.
☐ Emphasize what the results of the study mean with respect to
previous research and either theory (PhD studies) or practice
(applied studies).
ReferencesComment by Northcentral University: Tip: Create
your reference list as you develop each section. As each citation
is included in the paper, insert the reference in this section.
Use the level 1 heading for the References title.
If using a citation software, ensure all information is included
and properly formatted. Although such programs can be helpful,
they are not always correct.Comment by Northcentral
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corresponding citation within the body of the text and vice
versa.
The References should be alphabetized by the last name of the
first author.
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Reference 1
Reference 2
Author, A., & Author, B. (year). Article title.
Journal title, X(X), xxx-xxx.
https://doi.org/xxxxx
Appendix A
XXXComment by Northcentral University: Each appendix
referenced in the text should appear in this section at the end of
the manuscript. Appendices should be listed in the order
referenced in the text.
Remember to include each appendix in your Table of Contents.
Apply the level 1 heading for each appendix title and the
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Insert Appendix A content here…Comment by Northcentral
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cannot identify participants or where data were specifically
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Appendix B
XXX
Insert/type Appendix n content here…
image1.jpeg
Discussion 1:
Students will apply their knowledge of the human resource
management function to the discussion question. Students will
also consider internal factors and their relationship to human
resource tasks and strategic management. Some critics claim
that corporate HR departments have outlived their usefulness
and are not there to help employees but to shield the
organization from legal problems.
· What do you think?
· What benefits are there to having a formal HRM process?
· What are the drawbacks?
· 200 words
Discussion 2:
In this assignment, you will explore job descriptions and
realistic job previews. Research your chosen career fields and
gather information on the education, skills (soft, certifications,
etc.) as well as experience necessary to obtain the job. It is a
good idea to review sites like glassdoor.com and job
descriptions.
Be sure to:

· Identify 3 positive and 3 negative aspects of the job.
· Describe work conditions.
· In other words, let the reader know what a day is like on the
job (good and bad).
· 300 words
The Qualitative Report The Qualitative Report
Volume 13 Number 4 Article 8
12-1-2008
Keeping and Using Reflective Journals in the Qualitative
Research Keeping and Using Reflective Journals in the
Qualitative Research
Process Process
Michelle Ortlipp
Charles Sturt University, [email protected]
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Part of the Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and
Historical Methodologies Commons, and the
Social Statistics Commons
Recommended APA Citation Recommended APA Citation
Ortlipp, M. (2008). Keeping and Using Reflective Journals in
the Qualitative Research Process. The
Qualitative Report, 13(4), 695-705.

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Research Process Keeping and Using Reflective Journals in the
Qualitative Research Process
Abstract Abstract
The problem of bias in qualitative research particularly is still
debated in methodology texts and there is a
lack of agreement on how much researcher influence is
acceptable, whether or not it needs to be

“controlled,” and how it might be accounted for. Denzin (1994)
refers to this as “the interpretive crisis” (p.
501). I chose to make my experiences, opinions, thoughts, and
feelings visible and an acknowledged part
of the research process through keeping reflective journals and
using them in writing up the research. The
aim of this paper is to show how reflective journals were used
in engaging with the notion of creating
transparency in the research process, and explore the impact of
critical self-reflection on research design.
Keywords Keywords
Self-reflection, Qualitative Research, and Research Journals
Creative Commons License Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Acknowledgements Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the Centre for Research and
Graduate Studies, Charles Sturt University, for
providing financial assistance that supported the writing of this
paper.
This article is available in The Qualitative Report:
https://goo.gl/u1Hmes
https://goo.gl/u1Hmes
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

The Qualitative Report Volume 13 Number 4 December 2008
695-705
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR13-4/ortlipp.pdf
Research Process
Michelle Ortlipp
Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia
The problem of bias in qualitative research particularly is still
debated in
methodology texts and there is a lack of agreement on how
much
researcher influence is acceptable, whether or not it needs to be
“controlled,” and how it might be accounted for. Denzin (1994)
refers to
this as “the interpretive crisis” (p. 501). I chose to make my
experiences,
opinions, thoughts, and feelings visible and an acknowledged
part of the
research process through keeping reflective journals and using
them in
writing up the research. The aim of this paper is to show how
reflective
journals were used in engaging with the notion of creating
transparency
in the research process, and explore the impact of critical self-
reflection
on research design. Key Words: Self-reflection, Qualitative
Research, and
Research Journals

Introduction
A reflexive approach to the research process is now widely
accepted in much
qualitative research. Researchers are urged to talk about
themselves, “their
presuppositions, choices, experiences, and actions during the
research process” (Mruck &
Breuer, 2003, p. 3). Reflective practice such as this aims to
make visible to the reader the
constructed nature of research outcomes, a construction that
“originates in the various
choices and decisions researchers undertake during the process
of researching” (Mruck &
Breuer, p. 3). Increasingly qualitative research, particularly that
which is situated within
feminist, critical, and poststructuralist paradigms is,
...presented in ways that make it clear how the researcher’s own
experiences, values, and positions of privilege in various
hierarchies have
influenced their research interests, the way they choose to do
their
research, and the ways they choose to represent their research
findings.
(Harrison, MacGibbon, & Morton, 2001, p. 325)
Rather than attempting to control researcher values through
method or by
bracketing assumptions, the aim is to consciously acknowledge

those values. Keeping
self-reflective journals is a strategy that can facilitate
reflexivity, whereby researchers use
their journal to examine “personal assumptions and goals” and
clarify “individual belief
systems and subjectivities” (Ahern as cited in Russell & Kelly,
2002, p. 2). Whilst
keeping a reflective journal is a common practice in qualitative
research, particularly
reflexive research (Etherington, 2004), there is relatively little
literature on the use of
reflective journals in the research process, and limited guidance
for novice researchers as
Michelle Ortlipp 696
to the purposes of keeping a reflective journal from a
methodological perspective and
how to use their reflections as an integral part of the research
process.
This aim of this paper is to show the reader how reflective
journals were used in
engaging with the notion of creating transparency in the
research process, and how
keeping a reflective journal can have concrete effects on the
research design. The goal is
to provide a research “trail” of gradually altering methodologies
and reshaping analysis.
My target audience is novice researchers, perhaps doctoral
students, who have been
advised to keep a research journal, but are not sure about the
purpose of keeping such a

journal or how they might use it in their research. The purpose
is to share my experiences
with, and uses of, reflective research journals so that novice
researchers can more
consciously engage in journaling and make it part of their
research from the beginning,
and also, to illustrate in a descriptive way how journals might
be written and how they
might be used.
The project in which I used reflective journals was a doctoral
research study that
explored how tertiary supervisors understand and practise
assessment of the early
childhood practicum. Participants were tertiary supervisors who
supervised and assessed
students enrolled in pre-service early childhood education
courses offered by universities
and/or institutes of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) in
Australia.
In addressing the aims of this paper I draw on examples from
two different
reflective journals. One was a reflective journal that I had kept
four years prior to the
beginning of my doctoral study, which I will refer to as my
“pre-research” journal. The
other was a research journal that I began keeping at the
beginning of my doctoral study in
which I documented the research processes and my practices as
a researcher, and
reflected critically on those processes and practi ces.
Before moving on to discuss and show how I used my reflective
journals, I
provide an overview of the personal context for the study: who I

am (or was when I
began the study), what drew me to the topic, and my personal
investment in it. The paper
then addresses the two major themes introduced in the abstract;
engaging with the idea of
transparency in the research process and the effect of critical
self-reflection on the
research design.
The Context of the Study from a Personal Perspective
As a practicum supervisor and coordinator in the Victorian
TAFE sector in the
1990’s, I experienced the introduction of competency-based
assessment (CBA) for the
practicum component in childcare courses offered through
TAFE. This was used in
conjunction with a triadic assessment process in which the field
supervisor, the student
and the institutional representative (tertiary supervisor) engaged
in a three-way discussion
of the student’s progress and achievement, and deemed the
student “competent” or “not
competent.” Initially, I welcomed this model of assessment
because I believed it would
be more consistent, objective, and easier for me as an assessor.
However, as time went
on, and I gained experience in using the method, I found myself
questioning this
approach to assessment. It was not the objective measure that I
was led to believe it
would be. There were still “grey areas,” and I discovered that I
still had to use my own

professional judgement to make decisions in novel situations for
which there were no
clear guidelines or rules. I wrote about my experiences in a
reflective journal that I was
697 The
Qualitative Report December 2008
keeping for a course of study, which related to supervision
skills for educators. As a
result of this study, particularly keeping and then analysing the
reflective journal, I found
myself wanting to find out more about practicum assessment
and the tertiary supervisor’s
role in that process. When I went I enrolled in a Masters degree
by research (which I later
converted to a PhD), tertiary supervisors’ perceptions of the
early childhood practicum
assessment process became the topic of my research.
In the beginning, I wanted to know the “best” way to assess the
practicum, and I
wanted to critique CBA. However, access to poststructuralist
perspectives early in the
study led me to rethink the possibilities and potential of the
study. I became more
interested in how my participants had come to think about or
understand practicum
assessment in the way that they did, and how they had come to
practise practicum
assessment in the ways that they described. I wanted to know
how the current process of

assessment of the early childhood practicum (competency-based
and triadic) had come to
be seen as right, appropriate, and desirable. Thus, I situated the
study within a
poststructuralist paradigm and used a theoretical conceptual
framework that drew on
poststructuralist constructs to guide the analysis of the data.
Engaging with the Idea of Transparency in the Research Process
What is important in poststructuralist research are “the
assumptions made about
the nature of, and relations between, subjects, the texts they
produce and the conceptual
tools and strategies that are used to analyze them” (Davies &
Gannon, 2003, p. 7). The
researcher cannot claim that what is described is true or valid
because particular
strategies have been put in place through method. Instead, the
aim is to make the process
of data analysis as visible and transparent as possible
(MacNaughton, 2001). Creating
transparency in the research process was thus an important
consideration, one that I
engaged with by drawing on my reflective journals at key points
in writing my thesis. My
aim was to make my decisions, and the thinking, values, and
experiences behind those
decisions visible, to both myself and to the reader. Having said
this, I acknowledge the
tensions inherent in situating research within a poststructuralist
paradigm on the one
hand, and claiming to create transparency through knowing and
exposing the self through

reflective journal writing on the other. What I did was to engage
with the idea and enact
practices that might make some degree of transparency possible.
My research project was primarily interview-based and
therefore I was the main
“instrument” of data collection. Much of my reading about the
role of the researcher was
thus in relation to the role of the researcher as interviewer. I
started out reading traditional
qualitative methodology texts that presented the research
process as linear and
unproblematic, as long as the researcher followed the rules and
paid attention to
reliability, validity, and objectivity (Glensne & Peshkin, 1992;
Patton, 1990). In relation
to interviewing, this requires the interviewer to be non-reactive
in order to increase the
reliability of the interviewee’s responses, that is, that the same
answers would be given if
the questions were asked at another time, in another place, even
by another interviewer
(Glensne & Peshkin, 1992). Given my personal and professional
investment in the project
I felt uneasy with this approach and wrote about it in my
research journal.
The Interpretive Crisis

I am a tertiary supervisor researching other tertiary supervisors.
I am a
woman, and so far all my participants are women. I am not a
neutral
participant in the research project from the outset. I have issues,
concerns
and opinions about assessment of the early childhood practicum.
I have
desires for the project and what it will achieve or discover that
are bound
up with my views on assessment of the practicum and what it
should be or
achieve, what is desirable and undesirable. I am not an
objective data-
gathering tool! If I were to take the view of the traditional
methodology
texts on interviewing, in the light of the above points, I should
be
particularly concerned about my role in the research process as
the main
instrument of data collection. (Research journal, 10/4/00)
My concerns relate to what Denzin (1994, p. 501) refers to as
“the interpretive
crisis” in qualitative research. The debate about the problem of
bias in qualitative
research remains unresolved. There is a lack of agreement on
the amount and type of
researcher influence that is acceptable, and whether and how it
needs to be “controlled”
and accounted for. In interview-based qualitative research this
is a particularly pertinent
issue, and again, there are a variety of different views on how

interviews should be
conducted and the role of the researcher as interviewer.
Scheurich (1997) proposes that
research interviewing can be reconceptualised in keeping with a
postmodern approach by
making the “baggage” we bring to the research visible.
I took up Scheurich’s proposition (1997) and drew on my
reflective journals as a
way of making my history, values, and assumptions open to
scrutiny, not as an attempt to
control bias, but to make it visible to the reader. For example,
in the introductory chapter
of my thesis I used excerpts from my pre-research journal to
make it clear what my
experiences, values, and assumptions were prior to beginning
the research.
The Researcher’s “Baggage”
The problem is the grey areas in deciding a student’s readiness
to go out
and work in the industry. Is the main thing the ability to write
good goals
for children and have the theory work completed and of a pass
standard?
Is it to be able to communicate with others, to show genuine
warmth and
interest in children? And how do you assess those things? My
idea of
warmth and care may be different from another person ... We
have clear
competencies and performance criteria set for practicum, but
there are still

grey areas, and many of the performance criteria are subjective
and open
to interpretation. If students have practical examples to offer, of
their
achievement of the criteria, and the staff member says they
haven’t seen
this, who do you believe, particularly if you have observed this
occurring
when you visit. It’s the problem of differing ideas about quality
and good
practice. It is also the dilemma of judging and assessing things
that are not
clear cut and easily observable (like putting a tyre back on a
car). I am
struggling here with the conflicts in my role as assessor,
supporter,
699 The
communicator, listener, for both the student and the service. I
can’t be
seen to negate the centre’s contribution and opinion, but I want
to be fair
to the student ... I think I am too soft and I worry about being
fair all
round. (Pre-research reflective journal, 1996, p. 14)
In the methodology chapter of my thesis I referred back to this
excerpt and

acknowledged that these experiences, feelings, and opinions had
influenced the choice of
topic and continued to influence what I focused on in selecting
the data for analysis and
the interpretation of that data.
The Effect of Critical Self-Reflection on the Research Design
One of the concrete effects of keeping and using a critically
reflective research
journal, in which I wrote about my emerging understanding of
research methodologies
and reflected on different views about gathering (or generating)
data, was that changes
were made to the research design. In some instances critical
self-reflection prompted me
to change my approach during the research process, to use
methods that I had not initially
planned to use, and to discard pre-planned ways of going about
the research that I had
included in my research proposal. In what follows, I provide
examples of the critical
reflection that led to changes being made, specifically changes
to the research design in
order to achieve a degree of reciprocity and changes to the
approach to interviewing.
For example, when I revisited my research proposal in
preparation for writing a
first draft of my methodology chapter, I reflected on what I had
written in the light of
further reading about methodology and research paradigms, and
questioned the approach

I had planned. An excerpt of my reflections about my draft
methodology read as follows.
Rethinking Validity in Light of Epistemological Perspectives
I am stuck when it comes to writing about trustworthiness and
how this
will be considered and proven. In my proposal I stated that the
study
would utilise multiple methods of data collection and
generation...
[because] different data sources can be used to cross-check and
validate
findings (Patton, 1990). However, since then I have done more
reading
about qualitative research and discovered competing views on
validity
(trustworthiness) in qualitative research. My reading indicates
that there
are some problems with the idea of trustworthiness and the
usefulness of
triangulation. I am aware of this in relation to what I initially
thought I
would do and wonder whether my original idea about validity is
still
appropriate given that I have been considering interpretivist-
constructivist
or poststructuralist frameworks for the study? (Research
journal, 17/2/00)
It became my practice to integrate theoretical material from my
reading and to use
my research journal as a place for “writing as a method of
inquiry” (Richardson, 1994, p.

516). It was through written reflections in my journal that I
clarified my research aims
and approach where I asked, explored, and answered
ontological, epistemological, and
methodological questions about what I could know, my
relationship to what could be
known, and how I might come to know it (Guba & Lincoln,
1994). I wrote in order to
learn and to understand issues around methodology so that I
could settle on a way of
conducting my research and justify my decisions. I began to see
the relevance and
suitability of this reflective writing process for the way I was
conceptualising my study
and enacting my research as an individual with particular
personal experiences, desires,
and ways of looking at the world.
Reflective journal writing enabled me to articulate my ideas
about conceptual
frameworks for analysis of the data and led me eventually to
reject an interpretivist-
constructivist framework.
Considering Conceptual Frameworks for Analysis:
Poststructuralist Possibilities
I have been thinking how the tertiary supervisors’ gender and

class may
influence their preferred assessment method. Stonehouse (1994)
talks
about the “culture of niceness” that operates in the early
childhood field
(would this be a part of the “discourse of early childhood”?) and
this may
impact on tertiary supervisors’ preferred method- how they feel
about
assessment methods (does this imply any conceptual
framework?). If this
idea of niceness- the nature of the women who are early
childhood
professionals- was used as ONE guide for analysis, would my
conceptual
framework be feminist, critical? Perhaps power also influences
how they
feel, their opinions, their preferences? This points to a
poststructuralist
framework. I could look at what assessment means to tertiary
supervisor
and their preferred method from a poststructuralist perspective -
identify
what discourses are available to the tertiary supervisors and
how their
positioning within these discourses influences how they see
assessment
and how they see themselves as assessors. (Research journal,
20/3/00)
Keeping a reflective journal helped me to identify the
theoretical lens most
appropriate for my research and also to work through the
implications of the chosen

framework. I used my research journal in a critically reflective
way to consider who
would benefit from the approach I took to my research.
Considering the Possible Effects of Taking up a
Poststructuralist Perspective
What makes me feel uncomfortable about this focus [post
structuralism] is
that I thought I’d be doing something “practical” that tertiary
supervisors
would see as useful to them and that would provide some
answers to the
problems of assessment methods. I think that is what some of
the TAFE
tertiary supervisors think- that my research will help them
understand
methods, choose the best method, make changes and
improvements. If I
take a feminist postmodern approach or a critical theory
approach will this
be an outcome? Will my research be useful? And who is to
judge the
usefulness of it? I guess I believe that it should do something
for those
who are involved, as well as for the profession in general.
(Research
journal, 4/6/00)
701 The

Reflections that led to incorporating strategies, to achieve
reciprocity in the
research feminist qualitative researchers in particular, aim for
reciprocity in and through
the methods they use. This involves the careful use of self-
disclosure in interviews and an
active, subjective role for the researcher as interviewer. It can
also involve asking the
participants to look at and comment on the researcher’s analysis
of the data that they have
played a part in generating. In this way, the researcher gives
something back to the
participants. Lather (1991) argues that it is a way of
empowering the researched.
Sensitised by my reading of the feminist research literature, and
critical reflection on my
research design in the light of this literature, I was concerned
that my interpretations of
participants’ interview data might portray them in a negative
light. Concerns about how
they would perceive my interpretations were recorded in my
research journal.
When I think about some of the poststructuralist discourse
analysis studies
I have read, I am concerned that the tertiary supervisors will
think this
takes their words and does something to them that they don’t
recognise.
This type of analysis of interviews does represent an imposition
of the
researcher’s interpretation of the text using a poststructuralist
framework.
Will the research participants appreciate me stating that such

and such a
line of text could be interpreted as the tertiary supervisor being
positioned
or positioning herself as powerful or powerless? (Research
journal, 3/7/00)
These concerns led to a change in the research design and the
instigation of a
method I had not planned to use at the outset. I sent the
participants copies of what I was
writing, including an explanation of the poststructuralist
concepts I was using for
analysis, and asked for their comments. Those who had access
to email engaged in email
conversations with me, often inserting their comments directly
into the work. Others
faxed or posted responses. Over a period of two years and four
months (March 2000 to
July 2002), seven participants made comments on early writing
on at least one occasion,
and two had comprehensive and ongoing involvement. They
used this as an opportunity
to clarify what they had meant in their interview responses and
to comment on the
approach to analysis and how the data had been interpreted.
Through this ongoing written communication, I aimed to make
the process of
analysis and the selection of data for analysis open for
reconstruction by the participants.
These strategies also enabled a degree of reciprocity (Lather,
1991) to be achieved. This
was not something that I had considered at the beginning of the
study, but it became an

issue for me as the research progressed, one that I was made
very aware of as a result of
keeping a reflective research journal.
There were unforeseen outcomes of this change to the research
design and the
employment of email conversations that suggested that sharing
interpretations with
participants could also raise consciousness and lead to change.
For example, one of the
participants told me in an email that as a result of reading what
I had sent her she had
found herself speaking out more and not silencing views as she
had done in the past. Patti
Lather (1991) refers to this as “praxis”. She proposes that “we
consciously use our
research to help participants understand and change their
situations” (p. 57).
Whilst the study was not conceived in emancipatory terms,
engaging in written
critical self-reflection had made me aware that I did want to do
something practical which
the participants would see as useful to them, and which would
provide some answers to
the problems of practicum assessment. I also sensed that the
participants thought this
research would help them understand practicum assessment,
choose the best method to
assess, and make changes and improvements; a sense that I had

recorded in my journal
(see research journal entry 4/6/00 above). At the same time, I
was fully conscious of what
had led me to the research and the subjective position in which
this placed me, as a
reflection recorded in my research journal illustrates.
I was fired up to do this topic because I disliked the
competency-based
and industry-driven approach of TAFE assessment of the
practicum. I
wanted to prove that CBA was not a suitable or acceptable way
in which
to assess the early childhood practicum. I wanted to reveal the
issues. That
was, and to some extent still is, my agenda, my bias. I imagined
that I
might get support for this from those who used the methods-
agreement
with me! Obviously this might not happen- they might love this
method.
(Research journal, 3/7/00)
Critical self-reflection is a way of considering the ethics of the
power-knowledge
relationship with participants. Recording my reflections
throughout the study allowed me
to do this. In addition, and as I have already pointed out, I drew
on this critical self-
reflection and included the above examples in my methodology
chapter in order to
demonstrate my investment in the research and my “baggage” as
researcher.

The Role of Critical Self-Reflection in the Approach Taken to
Interviewing
It was my discomfort with the modernist approach to the
researcher’s role in the
interview process and my critical reflection on this issue (see
journal entry 10/4/00
above) that prompted me to read more widely about the role of
the researcher in
qualitative, interview-based research. Initially I was worried
about how much interaction
the interviewer should have in the interview, “how much of
your non research self can be
present without contaminating or distorting the interview”
(Glensne & Peshkin, 1992, p.
83). This was evident in the reflections recorded in my research
journal after I had
conducted focus group interview 1.
I felt strange acting in the role of interviewer ... Because of my
relationship with three of the participants [who I had worked
closely with
as a TAFE employee], I knew that they knew my perspective on
assessment to some degree. I didn’t put this out in the open, and
wonder if
I should have? I felt as though it was a bit fake and not like the
equal
conversation that it could be if we just sat around and discussed
assessment issues and if I felt free to say more. I stuck to the
guidelines
according to Hurworth, in general. I did probe, and I did give

some
personal examples and opinions. I did restate and clarify,
which, at the
time I worried about (was I “contaminating” the data?). At one
point, I
played the devil’s advocate. I recall saying, “Who’s to say the
National
Competency Standards’ judgements are right?” as a follow -up to
K’s
703 The
comment about “Who’s to say that your [the tertiary
supervisor’s]
judgements are right?” I wondered at the time whether this was
okay in a
focus group interview ... The dual role of interviewer and ex-
colleague/friend was difficult. Also, having my own opinion and
experiences and wanting to join in the discussion w as an issue,
however I
did resist this. (Research journal, 29/3/00)
The degree of “closeness” to participants (Reinharz, 1992) and
my contradictory
understandings of the research interview process impacted on
my capacity to engage in
the interview process confidently. The effect of the researcher’s
“baggage” was made
abundantly clear through the process of reflection. As Scheurich

(1997) argues,
Interview interaction is fundamentally indeterminate- the
complex play of
conscious and unconscious thoughts, feelings, fears, power,
desires, and
needs on the part of both the interviewer and the interviewee
cannot be
captured and categorized. In an interview there is no stable
“reality” or
“meaning” that can be represented. (p. 73)
The play of thoughts, feelings, fears, desires, and needs, on my
part, was very
evident in my reflection. The interviewer’s thoughts, feelings,
fears, and desires impact
on the interview, but they are not visible in the data or the
transcriptions. The process of
reflection helps to bring the unconscious into consciousness and
thus open for inspection.
I used the above journal entry when writing up the final version
of my methodology
chapter, precisely for this purpose; to make my thoughts,
feelings, fears, and desires open
for the reader’s inspection. This relates back to the
consideration of creating transparency
in the research process as discussed earlier in the paper.
Exploratory and reflective journal writing allowed me to map
my growing and
changing understanding of my role as researcher, interviewer,
and interpreter of the data
generated via interviews, and to record decisions made and

theoretical justification for
the decisions. Influenced by feminist approaches (Lather, 1991;
Oakley, 1981; Reinharz,
1992) to the actual interview process I changed my approach to
interviewing. I conducted
the individual interviews well after the focus group interviews
and in these interviews I
aimed for a non-hierarchical relationship, which was achieved
by maintaining a certain
degree of personal presence in the interviews. This approach
involved revealing personal
opinions and experiences, if and when it seemed appropriate,
responding to questions
from participants, and provoking responses with the aim of
offering participants
“pertinent ways of conceptualizing issues and making
connections” (Holstein &
Gubrium, 1997, p. 125). I played an active role in the interviews
and saw this as
appropriate, given my knowledge of practicum assessment
approaches and experience in
implementing these.
Conclusion
Keeping and using reflective journals enabled me to make my
experiences,
opinions, thoughts, and feelings visible and an acknowledged
part of the research design,
data generation, analysis, and interpretation process.
Methodologically, this is an

accepted practice from constructivist, feminist, interpretivist,
and poststructuralist
perspectives (see for example, Denzin, 1994; Lather, 1991;
MacNaughton, 2001).
However, the effect of keeping and using reflective journals
went beyond achieving
methodological rigor and paradigmatic consistency. Critical
self-reflection had an effect
on the research process; changes were made to the research
design, methods used, and
approaches taken. Boden, Kenway, and Epstein (2005) point out
that inexperienced
researchers are often not made aware of the “muddle, confusion,
mistakes, obstacles, and
errors” (p. 70) that make up the research process and that this is
exacerbated when the
results of research projects are presented as “a seamless, neat
and linear process” (p. 70).
Keeping and using reflective research journals can make the
messiness of the research
process visible to the researcher who can then make it visible
for those who read the
research and thus avoid producing, reproducing, and circulating
the discourse of research
as a neat and linear process.
References
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research. London: Sage.
Davies, B., & Gannon, S. (2003, November). Researching in

postmodern contexts:
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Equity and
Innovation in Early Childhood Seminar for Postgraduate
Students, University of
Melbourne, Australia.
Denzin, N. K. (1994). The art and politics of interpretation. In
N. K. Denzin & Y. S.
Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 500-515).
Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.
Etherington, K. (2004). Becoming reflexive researchers: Using
ourselves in research.
London: Jessica Kingley.
Glensne, C., & Peshkin, A. (1992). Becoming qualitative
researchers: An introduction.
New York: Longman.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in
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K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative
research (pp. 105-
117). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Harrison, J., MacGibbon, L., & Morton, M. (2001). Regimes of
trustworthiness in
qualitative research: The rigors of reciprocity. Qualitative
Inquiry, 7(3), 323-345.
Holstein, J. A., & Gubrium, J. F. (1997). The active interview.
In D. Silverman (Ed.),
Qualitative research: Theory, method, and practice (pp. 113-

130). London: Sage.
Lather, P. (1991). Getting smart: Feminist research and
pedagogy with/in the
postmodern. New York: Routledge.
MacNaughton, G. (2001). Action research. In G. MacNaughton,
S. A. Rolfe, & I. Siraj-
Blatchford (Eds.), Doing early childhood research: International
perspectives on
theory and practice (pp. 208-223). Crows Nest NSW: Allen &
Unwin.
Mruck, K., & Breuer, F. (2003, May). Subjectivity and
reflexivity in qualitative research-
The FQS issues. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung, 4(2).
Retrieved, from
http://www.qualitative-
research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/696/1505
Oakley, A. (1981). Interviewing women: A contradiction in
terms. In H. Roberts (Ed.),
Doing feminist research (pp. 30-61). London: Routledge.
705 The
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research
methods. Newbury Park, CA:
Sage.
Reinharz, S. (1992). Feminist methods in social research. New

York: Oxford.
Richardson, L. (1994). Writing: A method of inquiry. In N.
Denzin (Ed.), Handbook of
qualitative research (pp. 516-529). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Russell, G. M., & Kelly, N. H. (2002, September). Research as
interacting dialogic
processes: Implications for reflectivity. Forum Qualitative
Sozialforschung, 3(3).
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research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/831/1807
Scheurich, J. (1997). Research method in the postmodern.
London: The Falmer Press.
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Author Note
Correspondences regarding this article should be addressed to
Dr Michelle
Ortlipp, Murray School of Education, Charles Sturt University,
Albury, 2640, Australia;
Email: [email protected]
The author would like to thank the Centre for Research and
Graduate Studies,
Charles Sturt University, for providing financial assistance that
supported the writing of

this paper.
Copyright 2008: Michelle Ortlipp and Nova Southeastern
University
Article Citation
Ortlipp, M. (2008). Keeping and using reflective journals in the
qualitative research
process. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 695-705. Retrieved from
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR13-4/ortlipp.pdf
Research ProcessRecommended APA CitationKeeping and
Using Reflective Journals in the Qualitative Research
ProcessAbstractKeywordsCreative Commons
LicenseAcknowledgementsMicrosoft Word - ortlipp.doc
Knowledge Management Strategies on the Competitive
Advantage of Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Qualitative Case
Study
Dissertation Proposal
Submitted to Northcentral University
School of Business
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

by
San Diego, California
January 2023
Abstract
This is qualitative research study on the Impact of
Organizational Culture on the Knowledge Management in
medium-sized enterprises. The focus of this research is to
determine the impact of knowledge manage ment strategies on
the competitive advantage of Medium-Sized Enterprises. The
research problem for this study was why Medium-Sized
Enterprises experience lowered competitive advantage when
faced with the inability to utilize organizational cultural
strategies that promote knowledge management. Medium-Sized
Enterprises face resource constraints in terms of human
resources, finances, and time. This inhibits their capability of
taking advantage of knowledge management benefits that give
them a competitive advantage in the market. The purpose of this
qualitative study is to examine the impact of organizational
cultural strategies that promote investment in knowledge
management within Medium-Sized Enterprises. The guiding
theoretical framework for this study is Ecological Knowledge
Management Theory that comprises of the four elements
knowledge distribution, knowledge competition, knowledge
interaction, and knowledge evolution. The research
methodology that will be applied in this research is qualitative
research. The case study will be the research design that will be
used for this research. The research instruments that will be

used in this research include interviews, observation, reading,
and document review.
Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitude to my professor Dr. Davis
who guided me throughout this dissertation. I would also like to
thank my friends and family who supported me and offered deep
insight into the study.
Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION8
Statement of the Problem10
Purpose of the Study12
Introduction to Theoretical Framework13
Introduction to Research Methodology and Design14
Research Questions15
RQ115
RQ215
Significance of the study15
Definition of key terms17
Summary17
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW19
Conceptual Framework19
The Domains of Knowledge Management20
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD25
Research Methodology and Design26
Instrumentation35
Study Procedure39
Data Analysis40
Assumption42
Ethical Assurances46
Summary47
Chapter 4: Findings49
Reliability of the Data49
Results49
Research Question 150
Research Question 250
Evaluation of the Findings51
Summary51
References52
Appendix A62
Appendix B63
Data Collection Checklist63

List of figures
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Knowledge management is crucial in developing and sustaining

organizational strategies. Knowledge management involves the
collection, analysis, classification, dissemination, and reuse of
data to bolster business activities (Jones & Shideh, 2021).
Organizations use knowledge management systems for various
reasons. Some purposes of knowledge management are
increasing revenues, expanding market shares, creating
customer-specific products, targeting messaging and
advertisements. Many large corporate organizations have
successfully installed knowledge management systems within
their operations and gained a competitive advantage within their
specialization areas (Hussain et al., 2021). On the contrary,
medium-sized enterprises continue to experience challenges of
installing knowledge management systems to gain a competitive
advantage, meet their strategies, and stay at the top of the
pyramid (Mazorodze & Buckley, 2021).
Knowledge management is fundamental to all organizations
regardless of the product or industry. These organizations rely
on the knowledge and expertise of their employees and
stakeholders for them to be successful (Mazorodze & Buckley,
2021). Knowledge is an essential asset for organizations.
Organizations need to incorporate processes that grow, store,
and share the knowledge between stakeholders to increase
effective use of knowledge and stakeholder efficiency.
According to Priya et al. (2019) an effective knowledge
management system is dependent on employees and what they
choose to share. Employees ensure a lasting benefit to the
organization by implementing efficient knowledge management
strategies. Knowledge management can present challenges to
the business if the employees are not able to adequately apply
knowledge management strategies. These challenges can be
highlighted if the search mechanisms of knowledge management
within the organization are not powerful and produce inaccurate
results or the organization does not have up to date infor mation
(Priya et al., 2019).
Medium-Sized Enterprises encounter resource challenges as
opposed to large organizations. These resource constraints

hinder medium-sized enterprises from implementing knowledge
management strategies in their business operations. Limited
finances, human resources, infrastructure, and time characterize
resource constraints for Medium-Sized Enterprises (Schropfer et
al., 2017). This generally leads to knowledge loss and
mismanagement of organizational information (Wei et al.,
2017). These outcomes generate loopholes for Medium-Sized
Enterprises and the inability to take advantage of information
retention and analysis. Failure to implement organizational
cultural norms that encourage knowledge management efficacy
for Medium-Sized Enterprises minimizes their competitive
advantage in the market (Mazorodze & Buckley, 2021).
This research topic is relevant because investment in knowledge
management is an emergent business tactic that improves the
competitive advantage of organizations in their respective
industries (Rialti et al., 2020). This research will also help
develop a detailed analysis of knowledge management, Medium-
Sized Enterprises, and organizational culture. This research will
enhance scholar knowledge on the benefits of knowledge
management in Medium-Sized Enterprises. Knowledge
management allows organizational stakeholders to stimulate
cultural changes and innovation which helps the organization to
evolve to the dynamic business need in their market.
The study of knowledge management impact on Medium-Sized
Enterprises is crucial because there is an increasing number of
Medium-Sized Enterprises embracing knowledge management
strategies in their business operations. This study will provide
information that can be used to assess the positive and negative
impact of applying certain knowledge management strategies in
Medium-Sized Enterprises. Additionally, scholars and
researchers can utilize the findings of this study as a knowledge
base for future research. This research is aimed at contributing
to the field of business and organizational leadership that can be
referenced by future scholars
There has been various research conducted on knowledge
management. A study conducted on the impact of knowledge

management in improving organizational effectiveness
determined the link between organizational effectiveness and
knowledge management and how competitive advantage is
generated in the business world (Finn, 2013). Ngulube (2019)
maps the methodological issues that arise during knowledge
management research. Researchers have conducted studies to
determine the factors that influence knowledge management in
practice. Existent research by previous researchers will help to
create a balance between individual work and collaborative
work from the scholar community. Statement of the Problem
The problem to be addressed in the study is why Medium-Sized
Enterprises experience lower competitive advantage when faced
with the inability to utilize organizational cultural strategies
that promote knowledge management (Rialti et al., 2020).
Medium-Sized Enterprises face financial and resource
constraints to invest in business strategies like knowledge
management. Few Medium-Sized Enterprises have calculated
the cost of knowledge management. Rarely have they adopted
the practices targeted at improving knowledge management
(Castagna et al., 2020). Medium-Sized Enterprises experience
knowledge loss because of financial and resource constraints
during investment in knowledge management and failure to
integrate organizational cultural strategies that foster
knowledge management. Hence, Medium-Sized Enterprises miss
out on the benefits of knowledge management in better decision
making, improved organizational agility, increased rate of
innovation, quick problem-solving, improved business
processes, employee growth and development, better
communication, and competitive advantage (Yekkeh et al.,
2021).
Organizations that apply knowledge management tactics in their
business strategies help maximize their gains in multiple ways
(Przysucha, 2017). Medium-Sized Enterprise organizational
culture is not focused on management investment, strategies,
and benefits (Chen et al., 2010). According to Hussain et al.

(2021), organizational culture is influential in promoting
behaviors fundamental to knowledge management. These
behaviors include sharing and creating knowledge and
mediating the relationships between individual knowledge and
organizational knowledge. Organizational culture shapes
employee attitude, behavior, and identity. Knowledge is a
fundamental resource for all organizations, including Medium-
Sized Enterprises (Castagna et al., 2020). The increase in
competition and advanced management strategies in companies
has heightened the need for organizations to implement
knowledge management strategies to gain a competitive edge.
Knowledge management is mostly referred to as a general
improvement practice that is used to enhance the effectiveness
of knowledge in organizations especially in intensive companies
(Peter, 2002). Medium-Sized Enterprises face risks and
problems due to immaturity of knowledge management practices
and failure to integrate knowledge management in their
organizational culture that will ensure consistent knowledge
management practices for the organization. A lack of
consistency in knowledge management practices for the
organization gradually lowers the capability of Medium-Sized
Enterprises to maintain a competitive edge in their industries. If
this problem is not addressed, Medium-Sized Enterprises face
the risk of instability and inability to foster rapid adaptation to
the changing market demands and technology in the business
environment (Peter, 2002). Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study is to
examine the impact of organizational culture norms that
promote investment in knowledge management strategies in
Medium-Sized Enterprises. The aim of this research is
systematic management of Medium-Sized Enterprise knowledge
assets to meet strategic and tactical requirements and creating
value for the organization (Jonsson, 2015). By implementing
knowledge management strategies in Medium-Sized Enterprises
enhances competitive advantage and improves organizational

success. This is possible through effective use of knowledge
resources and assets to provide the ability to respond and
innovate to changing market demands.
The target population for this research is a medium-sized
information technology company located in the northeastern
part of the United States. The organization employs at least 50
participants for it to run normally. A sample of 36 participants
(including managers and employees) will be recruited from the
target population to participate in the study because a number
slightly above half the population will yield comprehensive
results. A sample size is selected based on demographics like
physical location, availability, and reliability, (Jenkins et al.,
2020).
The research instruments that will be used to collect data from
the research participants will include individual in-person and
video-conferencing interviews. The interviews will take
approximately thirty to forty-five minutes. Interviews will be
conducted for data collection purposes. During the interviews,
the researcher will describe the purpose of the research and
inform the participants that they can voluntarily stop the
interview process at any time. The qualitative data collected for
this study will be analyzed using descriptive analysis.
Descriptive analysis is the investigation of the distribution of
complex and critical data into proper numbers and figures by
identifying the association between various numerous and data
on knowledge management in the Medium-Sized Enterprise.
The research process of this study will incorporate identifying
an ideal sample from the target population at the Medium-Sized
Enterprise, defining the sampling frame, data collection, data
analysis, and the major processes of the research and the
results. All participant information collected during thi s
research will be kept confidential and securely stored. Inductive
coding will be used to code the dataset used in this research.
Thematic analysis will be used to analyze data collected from
this research. Introduction to Theoretical Framework

The theory that will be applicable for this study is the
Ecological Knowledge Management theory. The Ecological
Knowledge Management theory deals with people, relationships,
and learning communities (Martins et al., 2019). Knowledge
management research can be traced to the 1970s where the early
work focused on sociology of knowledge around organizations
and technical work in knowledge-based expert systems.
Previous knowledge management frameworks focused on
knowledge management from a process view. This includes
activities like storage, transfer, retrieval, and application of
knowledge from one generation to another. Ecology is used to
analyze the relationship among members and how they interact
with the environment (Martins et al., 2019).
The Ecological Knowledge Management Theory is a model that
comprises knowledge interaction, knowledge distribution,
knowledge evolution, and knowledge competition. This model is
effective in determining the knowledge management strategies
and how they are applied in organizations. The theory will be
essential in explaining how the interaction of the human
resource, clients, and technology can be used to establish
knowledge management systems in organizations. The
Ecological Knowledge Management Theory applies to this study
because it consists of four elements that interact with each other
to evolve and enhance healthy knowledge ecology within
organizations (Raudeliuniene et al., 2018). The four elements
are knowledge distribution, knowledge interaction, knowledge
competition and knowledge evolution. According to Deng-Neng
et al. (2010) maintaining effective knowledge ecology in
organizations is fundamental for the success of knowledge
management within the organization. The Ecological Knowledge
Management Model will guide the researcher in identifying the
impact of knowledge management strategies in Medium-Sized
Enterprises. Introduction to Research Methodology and Design
The research methodology applied in this study is qualitative
research. Qualitative research is a social science research

method used to collect data by working with non-numerical data
and seeks to interpret meaning from the data collected. An
exploratory case study was selected for this research because it
demonstrates the significance of this study and provides factual
evidence to persuade the reader (Rhee et al., 2015). Qualitative
research methodology for this research is aimed at
understanding the impact of knowledge management in
Medium-Sized enterprises. The exploratory case study research
design is fundamental to this research because it will
demonstrate the significance of this research to the industry
(Rhee et al., 2015).
This study will be conducted on Medium-Sized Enterprises. By
implementing a qualitative research method will allow the
researcher to analyze Medium-Sized Enterprises, organizational
culture, and knowledge management amongst other major
concepts in this study. The qualitative research method is
applicable for this study because it provides the researcher with
qualitative data that will be used to analyze the impact of
knowledge management strategies on Medium-Sized
Enterprises. The data collection process will characterize the
use of research instruments like interviews, reading, and
observation. The validity of this research will be determined by
the appropriateness of the research instruments applied (Aithal,
2017).
This research will focus on how Medium-Sized Enterprises
incorporate these knowledge management strategies into their
organizational culture. Case study research design, the in-depth
study of a phenomenon method, is pertinent for this study
because it requires careful formulation, examination, and listing
of assumptions of the research in open-ended problems, (Leung,
2015). The research methodology applied in this study will help
identify the impact of knowledge management strategies on
Medium-Sized Enterprises and how it affects their competitive
capability in the industries that they operate in.Research
Questions

RQ1
How does organizational culture affect knowledge management
within the medium-Sized Enterprise?
RQ2
How does investment in knowledge management improve the
competitive advantage for the Medium-Sized
Enterprise?Significance of the study
The findings of this research will contribute to the success of
Medium-Sized Enterprises because organizational culture is an
essential component in all organizations. This study will aim to
identify how organizational culture that promotes knowledge
management in Medium-Sized Enterprises can increase
competitive advantage. This research is highly significant
because the competitive advantage is important to Medium-
Sized Enterprises. If organizations generate higher benefits,
then Medium-Sized Enterprises could help improve residual
value for the same desired value. This will increase the
competitive advantage for the enterprise (Jones et al., 2021).
The data collected in will help evaluate how the organizational
culture can be used to improve the competitive advantage of
Medium-Sized Enterprises. This study will prepare
organizational leaders in dealing with competitive advantage
issues that are brought about by an organizational culture that
does not support knowledge management in Medium-Sized
Enterprises. Also, the study will contribute to the body of
knowledge in business administration and organizational
leadership and business by investigating how the organizational
culture of Medium-Sized Enterprises can be used to increase
their competitive advantage. The findings of this study w ill
highlight the aspects of knowledge management that enhance
competitive advantage for Medium-Sized Enterprises in their

industries. The aspects of knowledge management that will be
studied include process, people, content information
technology, and strategy. The aspects of knowledge
management are vital in determining how knowledge is handled,
shared, analyzed, and used to make decisions within
organizations.
The study's purpose is to explore and address the challenges
that face Medium-sized Enterprises as they work towards
establishing knowledge management systems. Medium-sized
enterprises have failed to launch knowledge management
systems successfully and this research could be a turning point
(Hussain et al., 2021, Mazorodze & Buckley, 2021). The aim of
the study is to highlight how the problems associated with
implementing knowledge management systems could be solved
by the relevant stakeholders.
Solution
s could include government interventions or a Medium-size
Enterprise commitment to Knowledge Management Systems
(Mazorodze & Buckley, 2021). Lastly, research on this topic
could provide opportunities for future research by other
scholars in the field of organizational culture and strategic
management.
This research will also be significant to practice because it will
enhance the development of organizational leadership. This
study will foster a new understanding of knowledge
management in Medium-Sized enterprises, enhance concepts,
and add to the body of knowledge. The successful completion of

this research will provide organizational leaders in Medium-
Sized Enterprises with the knowledge management strategies
that will lead to quicker problem-solving, improved
organizational agility, better and faster decision making,
increased rate of innovation, supported employee growth and
development, improved business processes, and better
communication (Mazorodze et al., 2019). Definition of key
terms
Medium-SizedEnterprises
Medium-Sized Enterprises are enterprises that employ 250 or
fewer employees. These enterprises do not exceed an annual
turnover of $50 million (Chen, 2006).
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is the process of structuring, defining,
sharing, and retaining knowledge and employee experience
within an organization (Maier et al., 2011). Summary
This research study will focus focused on how Medium-Sized
Enterprises incorporate knowledge management in their
organizational culture. Knowledge management helps
organizations to expand their market share, increase revenues,
help with target messaging, create customer specific products,
and better organizational advertisements. The statement of the
problem for this research is why Medium-Sized Enterprises face

lower competitive advantage for their inability to utilize
organizational cultural strategies that promote knowledge
management. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the
success of Medium-Sized enterprises in their specific industries
by introducing effective knowledge management strategies in
the organizational culture of Medium-Sized enterprises. The
theoretical framework Ecological Knowledge Management
Theory will guide the development of this research. Chapter 2
of this dissertation will focus on the literature review of this
study. The next chapter will entail a discussion on the impact of
knowledge management strategies and rationale for lower
competitive advantage on medium-sized enterprises.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
In this chapter, relevant literature information related and
consistent with the objectives of the study was reviewed.
Important issues and practical problems were brought out and
critically examined so as to determine the current situation.
This section was vital as it determined the information that
links the research with past studies and what future studies
would need to explore so as to improve knowledge. Conceptual
Framework
The literature review of this study of knowledge management is
segmented into four domains: leadership, culture, technology,
and measurement. These domains are aligned with research
conducted by the American Productivity and Quality Center
(2001).
Leadership indicates the ability of the organization to align
knowledge management behaviors with organizational
strategies, identify opportunities, promote the value of
knowledge management, communicate best strategies, facilitate
organizational learning, and develop/create metrics for

assessing the impact of knowledge. Examples of the outcome of
these six processes are strategic planning, hiring knowledge
workers, and evaluating human resources. The leadership role is
pivotal because leaders convey the messages of organizational
change, and they send the signals that portray the importance of
adopting knowledge management across an organization.
Culture refers to the organizational climate or pattern of sharing
knowledge as related to organizational members’ behaviors,
perceptions, openness, and incentive. Various committees and
training development programs are examples of the culture
process. Shaping an adequate culture is the most significant and
challenging obstacle to overcome for successful knowledge
management (Davenport et al., 2008).
Technology refers to the infrastructure of devices and systems
that enhance the development and distribution of knowledge
across an organization. The literature review revealed that most
knowledge management researchers address the significant
impact of technology and its role in effective knowledge
management. However, it is notable that an overemphasis on
technology might cause conceptual confusion between
information management 24 and knowledge management. Gold,
Malhotra and Sedars (2011) stress that technology includes the
structural dimensions necessary to mobilize social capital for
the creation of new knowledge. The examples of this process
are internal web-based networks, electronic databases, and so

on.
The study is likely to identify that infrastructure, finances, time
and human resources are greater predictors of the medium-sized
enterprises adoption and implementation of knowledge
management systems. It is likely to be observed that medium-
sized enterprises that have sound organizational culture and
norms to improve knowledge management in the organizations
increase its completive advantage in the market, grew and
expanded rapidly. This may however be influenced by the
changes in management styles posed by new persons in
management position.
Finally, measurement indicates the assessment methods of
knowledge management and their relationships to organizational
performance. Skyrme and Amidon (2008) suggest that
knowledge management can be assessed in four dimensions:
customer, internal process, innovation and learning, and
financial. Although there has been skepticism regarding this
type of measurement, they attempt to measure it in a way that
includes benchmarking and allocating organizational resources.
The Domains of Knowledge Management
Leadership
The literature reviewed in this study affirms the pivotal role of
leadership in driving organizational change and adopting and
implementing knowledge management. Leadership is also

essential for knowledge management systems in matters such as
decision making, assigning tasks, and integrating and
communicating with people. Desouza and Vanapalli (2005)
assert that a leader as a knowledge champion initiates and
promotes knowledge management. Seagren, Creswell, and
Wheeler (2013) specifically stress that leaders need to address
complicated and, yet, urgent issues through strategic planning
processes that are needed to transform the institution to
successfully respond to social demands. Developing quality
leadership is critical at all levels 25 of an organization. Higher
education leaders, in particular, must pay attention to human
resources, the structure, and the cultural and political climate of
the institution. Skyrme (2009) emphasizes the roles of
leadership in knowledge management by delineating the work
tasks of “Chief Knowledge Officer.” Leadership tasks of this
role include: help the organization formulate strategy for
development and exploitation of knowledge; support
implementation by introducing knowledge management
techniques; provide coordination for knowledge specialists;
oversee the development of a knowledge infrastructure; and
facilitate and support knowledge communities.
Strategies of Leadership
The literature review suggests four key characteristics of
leadership that are vitally important to knowledge management:
vision, motivation, value of learning, and strategic planning.

Vision
Vision is a leading factor in leadership that transforms
organizations, both in terms of culture and structure. The
leadership literature provides various perspectives about the
concept and function of vision. Dierkes (2011) suggests that
organizations in an uncertain environment require visionary
leadership. In a knowledge-creating organization, Nonaka
(2011) also points out that managers with vision provide a sense
of direction that helps members of an organization create new
knowledge. This literature review portrays vision as a
characteristic that enables leaders to set a standard, facilitate
the coordination of organizational activities and systems, and
guide people to achieve goals. Visionary leaders address
uncertainties that pose threats to an organization.
Motivation
A key to the success of knowledge management is to understand
how members in an organization come to believe that they can
better perform and contribute to continuous improvement. One
of the contributing factors of visionary leadership is to motivate
people (Dierkes, 2001). In this regard, motivation is a
precondition to continuously justify the vision. Incentives
designed to encourage people to share their knowledge seem to
have a more positive relation with the cumulative nature of
knowledge (Cohen and Levinthal, 2010; Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2004). By

offering vision and incentives, leadership can promote
knowledge sharing and encourage people to participate in
creating knowledge (Nonaka, 2011; Smith, McKeen and Singh,
2016).
Value of Learning
Learning is widely recognized as critical to the successful
implementation of knowledge management strategies. Learning,
or organizational learning, described in the literature converts
individual, un-codified, irrelevant information or knowledge to
organized, codified and, therefore, sharable and relevant
knowledge (Dierkes, 2011; Nonaka and Takeuchi, 2005). Hamel
(2011) posits that core competencies of organizations reside in
collective learning. The development of technology reinforces
innovation efforts such as facilitating collaboration as well as
organizational learning (OECD, 2004).
Strategic Planning
In an uncertain environment, specific preferences for the future
are difficult to predict. Sanchez (2001) stresses the importance
of developing future scenarios and 26 preparing responses for
them. In his view, organizational learning plays a pivotal role in
identifying organizational capabilities, shaping effective
strategies, and creating valued knowledge. Long-term,
comprehensive strategic planning involves integrating
expectations and technology into a vision that enables an
organization to prepare for the future (Kermally, 2002). In

summary, a number of factors contribute to the role of
leadership in knowledge management practices. Based on this
literature review, leadership refers to the ability that enables
higher education leaders to align knowledge management
behaviors with organizational strategies, offer an opportunity
and a direction, identify and recognize best practices and
performances, and facilitate organizational learning in order to
achieve the established goals.
Culture
Based on the literature review, culture is defined as an
organizational environment and a behavioral pattern that
enables people to share their ideas and knowledge. According to
Trice and Beyer (2013), culture is reflected in values, norms,
and practices. Values are embedded, tactical in nature, and,
therefore, difficult to articulate and change. Values inspire
people to do something. Norms are formulated by values, but
more visible than values. If members in an organization believe
that sharing knowledge would benefit them, they are more likely
to support the idea of sharing their skills and knowledge.
Practices are the most tangible form of culture. These three
forms of culture influence the behaviors of members in an
organization. Organizational culture provides the context within
which organizational strategies and policies are decided. A shift
of organizational culture is a precondition to successfully
implement knowledge management. Knowledge management

must be integrated within an existing culture of an organization
(Lam, 2005). Shaping a viable culture is vital to successful
knowledge management (Davenport et al., 2018).
Chapter 3: Research Method
The problem to be addressed in this study is why medium-sized
enterprises experience lower competitive advantage when faced
with the inability to utilize organizational cultural strategies
that promote knowledge management. The current challenge is
that Medium-sized Enterprise’s experience lower competitive
advantage when faced with the inability to utilize organization
culture strategies that promote knowledge and management (Li
et al., 2022). The purpose of this study is to examine the impact
of organizational culture norms on investment in knowledge
management strategies in medium-sized enterprises. The study
is important because it seeks to unravel the organizational
factors that hinder the medium-sized enterprises from attaining
the desired competitive advantage from implementation of
knowledge management systems. This is a qualitative research
study on the influence of organizational culture on knowledge
management in mid-sized businesses. This research seeks to
evaluate how knowledge management practices influence the
competitive advantage of medium-sized businesses.
Medium-Sized Businesses are constrained in terms of people

resources, financial resources, and time (reference). This
hinders their ability to take advantage of the market-competitive
advantages provided by knowledge management benefits. This
research will investigate how Medium-Sized Businesses
integrate knowledge management into their organizational
culture. Knowledge management assists firms in expanding their
market share, increasing their revenues, creating customer-
specific products, and creating more effective marketing. This
study aims to contribute to the success of Medium-Sized firms
in their respective industries by integrating effective knowledge
management practices into their organizational cultures. This
research will be guided by the Ecological Knowledge
Management Theory theoretical framework.Comment by Dr.
Deanna Davis: Add Reference
Medium-Sized Enterprises face resource constraints in terms of
human resources, finances, and time (Mustafa & Elliott, 2019).
This inhibits their capability to take advantage of knowledge
management benefits that provide them with a competitive
advantage in the market (Golinska-Dawson et al., 2021).
Knowledge management systems form concrete foundation for
the establishment and growth of a company. Diverse systems of
knowledge management exist in the market and deploying these
systems depends on various factors existing in the environment
(Yekkeh et al., 2021). However, the effectiveness of the
deployment of these systems continues to infer mixed levels of

advantages and disadvantages to the enterprises (Asada et al.,
2020). The knowledge management systems have caused drastic
development and growth of many current large-scale
enterprises. The same could be the case if the medium-sized
enterprises completely embraced the systems (Hussain et al.,
2021).
The chapter will provide an overview of the various research
approaches, followed by a discussion of the research design for
case studies and the role they play in the investigation. The
following section provides an overview of alternative research
designs, discussing their advantages for application, as well as
their limits and the reasons why they are not suitable for the
study. The next section provides information regarding the
participants, including the target demographic, the
appropriateness of the target group, the sampling technique, and
the eligibility requirements. In the section on data collecti on,
specifics regarding the interview procedure, data gathering
methods, and the type of analysis conducted will be provided.
The final section discusses the assumptions, limitations,
delimitations, and ethical considerations. The chapter concludes
with a summary section with a discussion of the chapter's
contents.
Research Methodology and Design

The studies that investigate social aspects of the population
employ quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods to
achieve their objectives (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008). The
choice of the research methodology depends on the research
problem under investigation (Schwardt, 2007; Creswell &
Tashakkori, 2007; Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2007). Kothari (2004)
explains what constitutes a researchable problem, testable
hypotheses, and how to frame a problem in such a way that it
can be investigated using particular designs and procedures.
Teddlie and Tashakkori (2007) looked at how to select and
develop appropriate means of collecting data. Based on the
nature of the problem, it is important that after identifying an
area of interest, the researcher should identify appropriate
method(s) to approach the problem (Abbott & McKinney, 2012).
A common challenge that social scientists’ face is to choose
between qualitative and quantitative research methods for
conducting research to meet intended objectives (Goldschmidt
& Matthews, 2022). Goldschmidt and Matthews (2022) states
that research designs are developed from research questions and
purposes. The research questions and purpose of the study play
an essential role in justifying the most appropriate method and
design for the research. Cronje (2020) states that every research
methodology is good, but the design chosen must focus on the
appropriateness of the method used to investigate the problem.
An appropriate research design and method ensures that the data

collected is ideal and relevant towards answering the research
questions in place (Dina, 2012; Goldschmidt & Matthews,
2022). The determination of which research method to use and
why fundamentally depends on the research goal (Abbott &
McKinney, 2012).
To understand the impact of knowledge management strategies
on the competitive advantage of medium-sized enterprises,
qualitative research methodology was chosen. A qualitative
research methodology is appropriate because it will collect
descriptive data which include people’s opinion, experience,
and observations. Qualitative research is defined as a research
method that focuses on obtaining data through open-ended and
conversational communication (Goldschmidt & Matthews,
2022). This method is not only about what people think but also
why they think so. In qualitative research, non-numerical
information, such as text, visual, or audio, is gathered and
analyzed to understand better ideas, perspectives, or encounters
(Tomaszewski et al., 2020). Qualitative methods can be used to
gain an in-depth understanding of an issue or find innovative
investigation solutions. To gain an understanding of how people
see the world, qualitative research is conducted. Even though
there are many methods for doing qualitative research, its
defining characteristics are typically flexibility and an emphasis
on preserving rich interpretation when analyzing data.
The qualitative research design is effective in investigating the

identified themes that are linked to the purpose, problem, and
research questions derived from the same participants (Mehrad
& Zangeneh, 2019). The study may take parametric form by
analyzing numerical effect on the financial matters, or non-
parametric form by analyzing the observations, experiences and
respondents’ opinions (Goldschmidt & Matthews, 2022). In
analyzing a competitive advantage of an enterprise, aspects like
market niche, profitability, expansion, information storage and
retrieval, knowledge flow and usage, decision-making systems,
and customer satisfaction can be considered. These aspects are
non-parametric, and thus should be analyzed by collecting data
using qualitative tools like questionnaires and interviews
(Bergman et al., 2012).
A quantitative research method postulates a research hypothesis
and uses numerical data to validate or reject the hypothesis,
defines trends in the variables and predicts the future events
(Shank, 2006; Mearsheimer & Walt, 2013). Quantitative
methods encompass parametric variables that occur after a
manipulation of the environment (Maxwell, 2012). Often, a
control group is used to compare the effect of the treatment on
the sample population. In most cases, experime ntal researchers
use quantitative methods (Punch, 2013; Ormston et al., 2014).
For instance, causal-comparative research design is a
quantitative method that aims to identify cause-effect between
identified variables without manipulating the dependent

variable (Umstead & Mayton, 2018). Causal-comparative
research design utilizes the scientific method to manipulate the
independent variable to identify the outcome of the dependent
variable in a controlled environment did not apply to this study.
Quantitative research was inappropriate for this study because
variables identified will not be manipulated to investigate the
impact using numerical parameters. The current study will not
investigate the effect of knowledge management systems on the
medium-sized enterprises competitive advantage or the effect of
organizational culture on adoption of knowledge management
systems.
Qualitative research design consists of ethnography,
phenomenology, narrative inquiry, grounded theory, and case-
study research methods (Abbott & McKinney, 2012).
Therefore, it is critical to assess the nature of these methods in
order to ascertain the preference of the case study technique to
be applied in this research. An ethnographic approach requires
the researcher to experience the culture firsthand, either as an
integral role or a spectator. For that reason, to understand the IT
professionals' customs, beliefs, behaviors, and reactions to
various situations. Ethnography is a qualitative research design
whereby researchers are allowed to interact with observers or
participants who are taking part in the study in their real -life
experience (Parker & Silva, 2013). This research design
explores in detail on how complex interventions operate in the

community (Jayathilaka, 2021). Aspers and Corte (2019) also
noted that ethnography is effective because it exposes the
researcher to a high scope of data and pinpoints business needs
while making accurate predictions. The method aims at
investigating how things happen and explain why they happen
(Bergold & Thomas, 2012). In this study, the researcher is not
investigating an event but factors that inhibit adoption of
knowledge management system and impact it might cause if
implemented. The study would thereof not use ethnography
method because the study is not focused on understanding the
study participants’ customs, beliefs, behaviors, and reactions to
various situations.
The phenomenology research design focuses on the experiences
of the individuals in a population to explain particular events
observed in the population in general (Aydoğdu & Yüksel,
2019). The researcher observes the events in the natural setting
and explains them based on their understanding and information
from literature. Phenomenological study aims at establishing a
social phenomenon in the population (Aydoğdu & Yüksel,
2019). However, this study is not investigating any social
phenomenon in the medium-sized enterprises but rather the
impact of the organizational culture on knowledge systems
adoption and the systems role on enterprises competitive
advantage. Therefore, the phenomenology qualitative research
design is inappropriate for this study.

A set of systematic inductive methods for methods to perform
qualitative research aimed at theory development is referred to
as a grounded theory (Leung, 2015). The grounded theory
approach is also an effective research strategy, and it begins
with formulating a query or gathering evidence (Tomaszewski et
al., 2020). This method is made of flexible strategies that
enhance the inquiry process which aims at establishing theories
linking the data collected with applicable theories (Ormston et
al., 2014). Inductive approach does not imply disregarding
theories when formulating research questions and objectives.
This approach aims to generate meanings from the data set
collected in order to identify patterns and relationships to build
a theory (O’Kane et al., 2019). However, the inductive approach
does not prevent the researcher from using existing theory to
formulate the research question to be explored. The
methodology is less appropriate in this study because the study
plans to focus on organizational issues impacting medium-sized
enterprises to help make informed decision on employing
strategies that promote knowledge management to edge
competitive advantage. Grounded theory is inappropriate
because the study is not focused on developing a new theory to
explain a social phenomenon.
Grounded theory is inappropriate because the study is not
focused, on developing a new theory to explain a social

phenomenon.
A case study will help explore the topic's key characteristics,
meanings, and implications. The findings of this study will also
help understand the general overview of the events happening in
the entire medium-sized enterprise population due to
organizational culture and the adoption of knowledge
management systems (Aithal, 2017). An exploratory case study
research design will be used to enhance data collection
reliability. The single case exploratory study was purposively
chosen to increase study validity and reliability while reducing
sampling errors and inconveniences (Yin, 2009). This method is
appropriate for this study because it investigates the issues
organizations face while enhancing their competitive advantage
in the market based on appropriate knowledge management
strategies and the organization's culture that hinder its
implementation.
Case studies are the most applicable research designs used in
qualitative research studies (Aithal, 2017). In a case study, the
researcher focuses on the study of the complex and
contemporary phenomena of the sample population so that the
findings can be generalized on the entire population (Trochim &
Donnelly, 2008; Yin, 2009). A case study is a systematic
investigation of a particular group, community or unit to
generate an in-depth understanding of a complex issue in a real-
life context to generalize other units (Njie & Asimiran, 2014;

Leung, 2015). Case studies were one of the first types of
research to be used in the field of qualitative methodology.
Today, they account for a large proportion of the research
presented in books and articles in psychology, history,
education, and medicine (Njie & Asimiran, 2014; Rhee et al.,
2015). Much of what we know today about the empirical world
has been produced by case study research, and many of the most
treasured classics in each discipline are case studies (Flyvbjerg,
2011). Case study will helps explore key characteristics,
meanings, and implications of the topic. The findings of this
study will also help understand the general overview of the
events happening in the entire medium-sized enterprise
population due to organization culture and the adoption of
knowledge management systems (Aithal, 2017).
To enhance the reliability of data collection, an expl oratory
case study research design will be used. The single case
exploratory study was purposively chosen to increase study
validity and reliability, while reducing sampling errors and
inconveniences (Yin, 2009). This method is appropriate for this
study because it involved investigation of the issues that
organizations face while enhancing their competitive advantage
in the market based on appropriate knowledge management
strategies, and the organizations culture that hinder its
implementation. The appropriateness of a case study is based on
its ability to provide factual evidence to persuade during the

research process (Rhee et al., 2015). In addition, a case study
will enhance the understanding of the variables knowledge
management systems and organizational culture norms in
Medium-Sized Enterprise.
This research aims to establish the effect of organizational
culture on the adoption of knowledge management systems in
medium-sized enterprises and the effect of knowledge
management systems on the competitive advantage of the
enterprises. The study investigates the participants' opinions
from a similar non-manipulated setting regarding the
organization and knowledge management systems. The research
questions are developed from these objectives. Considering the
nature of the study questions, purpose, and problem, a design
that investigates a particular entity to help understand its
operations, culture, and overall effect on adopting knowledge
management systems and outcomes in competitiveness is
appropriate.Population and Sample
There are 153 medium-sized IT Companies located in the
northeastern United States. The sample population for this study
will consist of approximately 10-12 managers and employees
from three medium-sized Information Technology (IT)
companies. The researcher will purposively sample 30-36
participants from the identified 153 qualified knowledge
management workers in the target companies. The nature of the

study required a specific sample population that would generate
desired data quickly, making the type of sampling effective
(Serra et al., 2018). The sampling entailed setting aside the kind
of characteristics desired among relevant participants that
require examination associated with the topic of the research,
knowledge-based, in order to come up with only those that fully
cover the range of characteristics required (Etikan, 2016; Wu et
al., 2016).
Although it is not the only industry that propels the economy of
the Northeastern United States, the technology sector is among
the most prominent industries. The research appears to be
leaning toward choosing a state or state located in the
northeastern United States due to variables like human
resources, government subsidies, infrastructure, established IT
facilities, and web servers. The location was selected because
medium-sized information technology companies place a greater
emphasis on bachelor's degrees than they do on advanced
engineering degrees (Burke, 2018). This is perhaps a more
suitable fit with the research topic of this study, which focuses
on knowledge-management techniques. Innovations in
information and communications technology are entering the
market in the Northeast at an ever-quickening rate (Burke,
2018). This study provides a summary of the cause-and-effect
association between attributes of the three IT businesses that
were chosen for analysis. With characteristics such as

knowledge indispensability, higher growth rate, shortened life
of brands, high importance of human understanding, and process
approach, they all serve the same purpose: to generate new
concepts and innovative expertise that will foster perseverance
in an industry that is highly competitive.
The first company is regarded as a middle-sized information
technology company due to the fact that its headquarters,
located in the Northeastern region, has between 100 and 200
people (Forbes, 2022). With an industry-leading prediction
performance of even more than 99.9 percent, the second
company is the only cloud-native statistics engine that gathers
and transforms data recorded by paper documentation, including
handwriting, into information suitable for business use. The
company, which has a capacity of 32 employees, is one of the
rapidly developing IT enterprises in the Northeastern region
(Forbes, 2022). The third company is a privately held business
that has been operating in this sector for the past decade.
Despite this, its number of employees allows it to be classified
as a medium-sized IT company. The firm employs between 100
and 250 people (Forbes, 2022).
Follow-up calls must be made to verify their eligibility and
ensure that they are an appropriate match for the research study.
The participants will not be presented with any incentives to
participate in the study. Purposive sampling, also known as
judging, selective, or subjective sampling, is a non-probability

sampling method wherein researchers rely on their own
judgments to select survey participants from the community. In
a purposive sample, the researcher will choose a sample based
on their experience with the study and the population. The goal
of the sample determines the selection of participants, hence the
name. Generally, when the population size is big, the bare
minimum sample size is 30-36 persons.
In snowball sampling, study participants are used to aid
researchers in discovering other possible subjects (Yin, 2009).
Simple random sampling, in which samples are selected based
solely on chance, is one of the most successful approaches for
reducing sampling bias. This ensures that each individual has an
equal probability of getting selected as a research subject. In
qualitative research, saturation happens when recurrent
instances of the same issues are uncovered through interviewing
(or observation). As the researcher does more and more
interviews with participants, they will discover fewer and fewer
novel ideas, perspectives, themes, and patterns. When data
saturation is reached, there will be enough information to
duplicate the study, the ability to obtain additional fresh data
will be attained, and no new information will be discovered.
Instrumentation
Qualtrics will be used as the software application for designing,
distributing, and analyzing the questionnaire. Qualtrics

software will help design the questionnaires. Qualtrics tools
offers a comprehensive solution to questionnaire formulation,
which has sample validated questions with guiding instructions
that help make effective interview questions (Mehrad &
Zangeneh, 2019). This questionnaire design will help the
researcher identify consensus in response and thus use it to
draw a definite theme. The interview questions will be divided
into three sections covering general, body and conclusion
(Oprit-Maftei, 2019). Interview questionnaires are structured to
capture participants opinions and experiences (Walker, 2019).
The introductory section of the questionnaires will consist of
semi-structured questions, which sought participants’ position
in the topic under investigation. The interview questions will
be open-ended questions.
The interview questions will be divided into three sections
covering general, body and conclusion (Oprit-Maftei, 2019).
Iinterview questionnaires are structured to capture participants
opinions and experiences (Walker, 2019). The introductory
section of the questionnaires will consist of semi-structured
questions, which sought participants’ position in the topic under
investigation. The interview questions will be open-ended
questions.
Under general section, the interview will ask questions in
relation to the organizational structure and trajectory over the

last two years. This section will decipher how different
companies have been fairing and their structural set up
(Roberts, 2020). The body section covered questions in relation
to the existing knowledge management strategies and how the
enterprise has incorporated the same to its operations. This
section was critical in establishing which knowledge
management strategies different companies have put in place.
The conclusion section asked questions to establish the
participants own view of the strategy employed by the
respective enterprise (Gilbert et al., 2018). This design of the
questionnaire interview questions was ideal for capturing all the
necessary information that would help the researcher to identi fy
the perspectives of the employees working in the knowledge
management departments, the management and other systems
operating the medium-sized enterprises, on the knowledge
management systems. Again, the questionnaire interview
questions will be able to dig into the factors that enhance or
inhibit management from embracing and implementing
competitive knowledge management systems in their enterprises
for edging competitive advantage in the market. The Interview
Protocol is located in Appendix B.
Interviewing in social research is very important in promoting
adequate preparations (Mohajan, 2018). During this practice,
the researcher will identify the resources required in the actual
research study and adjustments that are necessary in the

planning process. For instance, the study will provide the
researcher with views that enable the categorization of the
constraints to adoption and implementation of the knowledge
management systems in medium-sized enterprises in America.
However, slight modification on the language and style of
asking questions is inevitable and should also be considered.
This is important in assisting the respondents to clearly
understand the question and deliver response that is both
informed and deliberate (Lichtman, 2013).
In the introductory session of the interview, the researcher will
describe the purpose of the research and informed the
participants’ voluntary participation. The ethical issues will be
addressed and benefits and expectations of the researcher study
explained. The demographic data, information on the basic
information on the strategy being used by the enterprise and the
participants understanding of the same will be asked. In the
proceeding sessions of the interview, key components of the
study will be asked to provide participants with sufficient time
to respond to each question conclusively. An interview protocol
will be used to structure the way to conduct the research
interviews (Ahmad, 2020). This will help the researcher to
know what to ask about and in what order and it ensures a
candidate experience that is the same for all applicants. The
guide will offer direction on seven elements thus ensuring

conclusiveness of the data collection process (Ahmad, 2020).
These interview elements will consist of the invitation and
briefing, setting the stage, welcoming participants, questions,
candidates’ questions, and wrap-up.
The checklist will largely be used in preparation for collection
of data on the respondents’ demographic data, enterprise’s
location, and size of the enterprise. Again, aspects of the
categories of the resource constraints should be captured in the
checklist. Sufficient journaling will be provided and will be
labeled and dated well to ensure each correspondent’s
information was distinct and separate from the others (Mehrad
& Zangeneh, 2019). In the journals, specific areas were set to
collect data on the resource’s challenges that Medium-Sized
Enterprises encountered were noted in the categories identified
as finance, time, human resource, and infrastructure. An area to
capture the nature of the challenge caused was extracted from
the participants’ opinions. The nature of the hindrances that
constraints caused were also to be recorded afterwards as the
respondents’ identified them.
The information on the enterprises organizational structure and
norms that hinder adoption and implementation of the
knowledge management systems in the Medium-Sized
Enterprises are to be recorded in the tables drawn in the
notebooks after their extraction. The format of the tabl es will be
aligned with the number of the respondents that posed them.

This is significant in detailing the percentages of the
respondents that view of the various organizational culture and
norms as key factors that influence the adoption and
implementation of the knowledge management systems in
medium-sized enterprises. These instruments will be well
formulated to ensure that all the key areas of the study will be
addressed and sufficient information was provided to
necessitate the accomplishment of the research objective. The
format will be aligned with the chosen tool and thus appropriate
for efficient and effective collection of data during the
interview, to help researcher collect reliable, relevant and
sufficient information for the making of the conclusive
conclusion.
Triangulation is a strategy for evaluating the outcomes of a
single study using multiple data collection techniques
(Mohajan, 2018). In this study, it will serve three main
purposes: to boost validity, to provide a more in-depth image of
a research issue, and to explore alternative ways of
comprehending a research challenge. Triangulation will be used
as a technique used to increase the validity and dependability of
study findings. Validity will involve to the degree to which a
study accurately portrays or evaluates the examined topic or
concepts. Typically, triangulation serves to authenticate study
findings by ensuring that multiple methodologies or witnesses
of the same event provide identical results. It This can also be

employed to investigate irregularities and data that do not align
as intended (Triangulation, 2014). How the crossover between
approaches is conceived is contingent on the research
methodology employed.
The research sample for this study will consist of both managers
and employees. Therefore, data triangulation is an appropriate
methodology to take into consideration as an option since it is
effective for multiple data subjects (Roulston, 2018). As a
result, the study will be utilizing data triangulation in order to
analyze the one-of-a-kind qualities of the two sets of data that
were collected from; 1. managers and 2. employees. Although
each dataset's results will be studied separately, it will still be
necessary to compare them to the results of the other datasets in
some way. Utilizing a variety of data and information sources is
an essential part of the data triangulation process
(Triangulation, 2014). Categorizing each group or type of
stakeholder for the program being evaluated by the research is
an important technique. Each of them will have an equal number
of representatives participate in the process. Therefore, a
minimum of six managers and six staff will be involved in the
process.Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis: Incorrect reference
Member-checking, sometimes referred to as participant or
respondent validation in this research, will determine the
precision of results. Participants are provided with data or
results to validate their veracity and congruence with their

personal experiences. High-quality qualitative research is
founded on the dependability of its findings (Mehrad &
Zangeneh, 2019). Typically, member verification is included on
lists of validation procedures. For this study, participants will
review their transcripts to ensure accuracy and credibility in
their interview responses. Study Procedure
An appropriate data collection method is important in enhancing
inclusivity of data collected, in-depth data collection, speed and
reducing the cost of collecting data (Mellinger & Hanson, 2016;
Oprit-Maftei, 2019; Ahmad, 2020). In this study, an in-depth
interview will be employed through diversified lenses for the
purposes of revealing multiple facets of the study topic. The use
of in-depth interviews is most appropriate when the researcher
is interested in obtaining concrete, contextual in-depth
awareness about a specific real-world subject (Crowe et al.,
2011; Gilbert et al., 2018). In this study, participants will be
drawn from many known medium-sized enterprises, increasing
the reliability and validity of the findings to generalize the
conclusion on the entire population. Diverse samples will help
increase diversity of the findings and reduce the bias of
information, while collecting sufficient views that can be used
to draw statistical conclusion (Rhee et al., 2015).
A list of the knowledge management personnel from the human

resource department in the target companies will be consulted to
recruit participants. All IT employees in the selected companies
will be emailed the consent form and request for participation.
Therefore, the sender's email will be used as a channel to reply
and validate their presence in this research. Those who will
reply in acknowledgement for the request, and state availability
to take part in the study will be be listed and contacted for a
face-to-face appointment on a scheduled date. On the
appointment day, the researcher will check each respondent’s
details to validated inclusion in the studywill read the consent
letter prior to conducting the interview.. Comment by Dr.
Deanna Davis: You need to discuss how you will obtain the IT
email addresses. You will first need to obtain contact
permission from Human Resources and/or senior leadership of
each company. This is your first step. Comment by Dr. Deanna
Davis: You will send an email to the senior leadership or HR
from each company.
2. Once you obtain IRB approval, you will send a recruitment
flyer or recruitment email to recruit participants.
Discuss how you will record the interviews. How long with the
interviews last?
An appropriate data collection method is important in enhancing
inclusivity of data collected, in-depth data collection, speed and
reducing the cost of collecting data (Mellinger & Hanson, 2016;

Oprit-Maftei, 2019; Ahmad, 2020). In this study, an in-depth
interview will be employed through diversified lenses for the
purposes of revealing multiple facets of the study topic. The use
of in-depth interviews is most appropriate when the researcher
is interested in obtaining concrete, contextual in-depth
awareness about a specific real-world subject (Crowe et al.,
2011; Gilbert et al., 2018). In this study, participants will be
drawn from many known medium-sized enterprises, increasing
the reliability and validity of the findings to generalize the
conclusion on the entire population. Diverse samples will help
increase diversity of the findings and reduce the bias of
information, while collecting sufficient views that can be used
to draw statistical conclusion (Rhee et al., 2015).
After all the necessary adjustment is completed, the data
collection process will commence. Data collection will be done
using checklists, tables, and note books. Observation and
Voicevoice recording is also part of the data collection
procedures. Checklists will be used to validate the partici pants’
criteria for inclusion in the study. Again, the list will help the
researcher validate and meet the sample size required (Mohajan,
2018). The checklist will be largely used in preparation to the
collection of data on the respondents’ demographic data,
enterprises location, and size of the enterprise. Again, aspects
of the categories of the resource constraints will be captured in
the checklist. Sufficient journaling will also be provided, and

they will record specific information on the resource chal lenges
that Medium-Sized Enterprises encountered will be noted in the
categories identified as finance, time, human resource, and
infrastructure. The nature of the challenge caused will be
extracted from the participants’ opinions and recorded. The
nature of the hindrances that identified constraints caused will
also be recorded afterwards (Mohajan, 2018). Again, the
information on the enterprises organizational structure and
norms that hinder adoption and implementation of the
knowledge management systems in the Medium-Sized
Enterprises will be recorded in the tables drawn in the note
books.Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis: Is the correct order?
When are you going to conduct journaling or memoing? I want
use to use either Journaling or Memoing instead of a checklist. I
do not understand a relevance of a checklist. The correct terms
are Journaling or Memoing. Please research this data collection
techniques.
When are you going to journal? What are you journaling?
https://qualpage.com/2020/12/03/reflective-journals-in-
qualitative-inquiry/
Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis: You are not conducting
observations. Data Analysis
The collected data will be checked for completeness, cleaned,

processed coded and captured into Microsoft Excel and NVivo
software for analysis. Descriptive analysis will produce tables,
frequencies, weighted mean, and percentages. These will be
used to describe the basic features of the data in a study. They
will provide simple summaries about the sample and the
measures obtained from the participants.
A descriptive data analysis will be conducted in NVivo software
which are critical in detecting the phenomenon. The analysis
will describe various themes obtained from the data set, and
percentages of the participants that populated a certain theme.
This information will be used to understand the themes and
associated frequencies of the issues that affect knowledge
management strategies in Medium-sized enterprises. Through
the software, the respondents will provide key information
about knowledge Management systems, which will be
preliminary, classified as (i) Codification and efficiency, (ii)
Efficiency and personalization, (iii) Innovation and
codification, and (iv) Innovation and personalization. In the
NVivo analysis tool, these themes will be coded and input on its
worksheet to showcase the relationship (Mohajan, 2018). The
rest of the data regarding the limitations, demographic
information and cause of the organizational reluctance in the
adoption and implementation of the knowledge manageme nt
systems will be coded on the questionnaires and imported in the
tool. Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis: Combine paragraphs

During the analysis in NVivo associated with the role of
organizational culture and norms on the adoption and
implementation of the knowledge management systems in the
medium-sized enterprises will be done. The themes derived
from the data set will be evaluated for coherence using internal
validity table. The significance of the variation in the number of
the respondents’ listing financial constraints, time constraints,
human resource constraints, and infrastructure constraints
identified in hindering the adoption and implementation of the
knowledge management systems. Coding entails locating a
certain section of text or other data item (photo, image), looking
for pertinent concepts, and linking them (Lichtman, 2013). The
researcher will apply coding to improve the quality of the data.
It will enable the researcher to divide knowledge into more
manageable chunks and then reassemble those chunks into
coherent wholes in order to provide a more thorough
explanation. Encoding data will enable the researcher to detect
more structure and significance in it. Using code, the researcher
can assess the data and uncover previously undiscovered
consequences (Mohajan, 2018). This capability will enable the
researcher to deconstruct qualitative text data and reassemble it
in a manner that makes sense for the current study utilizing a
number of approaches.Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis: Please do
not begin a sentence with It. Eliminate vague pronoun
references. A pronoun must refer to a specific word in the

sentence. "It" is a vague pronoun reference because it does not
refer to a specific word in the sentence.
Thematic analysis is an approach to qualitative data analysis
that detects, evaluates, and reports on recurrent themes (Hu &
Plonsky, 2021). While facts are provided, the selection of
regulations and development of topics will involve
interpretation. Thematic analysis will be the most efficient
method for finding the distribution of participant's experiences,
attitudes, and behaviors throughout a dataset. In contrast to
summaries or categorizations of codes, themes to be employed
in this study will be purposefully generated patterns (or
meanings) derived from a data collection that will address the
study issue. The researcher will conduct a preliminary data
collection using questionnaires structured for the purpose of
establishing the data preliminary categorizations that would
effectively collect sufficient data.
Interviewing in social research is very important in promoting
adequate preparations (Mohajan, 2018). During this practice,
the researcher will identify the resources required in the actual
research study and adjustments that are necessary in the
planning process. For instance, the study will provide the
researcher with views that enable the categorization of the
constraints to adoption and implementation of the knowledge
management systems in medium-sized enterprises in America.
However, slight modification on the language and style of

asking questions is inevitable and should also be considered.
This is important in assisting the respondents to clearly
understand the question and deliver response that is both
informed and deliberate (Lichtman, 2013). Assumption
Assumptions are concepts that researchers and peers who read
the dissertation or thesis accept as true or at least reasonable
(Hu & Plonsky, 2021). To understand the study's findings, it is
crucial to know what assumptions and restrictions will be used.
The decisions researchers make in relation to the research
methods have a direct impact on the conclusion and
recommendation made at the end of the research. By adopting
qualitative research, reality is structured and understood in a
particular way. Therefore, some sought of assumptions must be
made to achieve the research overall objectives. This research
will be based on the case qualitative research method. Always,
qualitative research methods have grey areas that must be
observed and concluded before the research begins. Unless this
is done, the study is likely to ignore important indicators of the
sources of outliers, which might be difficult to identify later.
The first assumption the study is likely to make is the
truthfulness and honest of the members. Hence, it is assumed
that all the respondents will remain truthful and honest in the
giving of the information. The data to be collected in this study
heavily relies on the premise of honesty and truthfulness on

participants. Obtaining key information from certain business
organizations is not easy. Some employees are under oath not to
give any information regarding the organization culture,
structure, finances and other aspects without consent from the
management. The study therefore may assume that the identified
participants will give true and fair views of their business
performance, challenges and future plans regarding the adoption
and implementation of knowledge management systems. On the
same note, the researcher may assume that such views cannot be
quantified or analyzed apart from just a general observation by
the researcher and see if the feedback reflects the physical
outlook of the enterprises. In some scenario, comments made by
the participants might be so diverse such that the researcher
only asks for further verbal clarification, a scenario that might
not be quantifiable.Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis: Please
include references
This assumption is very important especially when the objective
of the study is to design a strategy that will help mitigate the
negative impacts of not implementing the knowledge
management systems. In such as instance, sober and informed
observations and conclusions must be made. Otherwise, the
strategies that will be developed will be misleading and thus
result in further detrimental effects of the medium-sized
enterprises that implement knowledge management systems
based on misleading information. Such enterprises might lose

huge amount of money, experience high employee turnover,
loose customers and loose confidential information
fraudulently. The observations made therefore will consider the
assumptions made and draw conclusive inferences. When
applying the assumption techniques, the content assumed is
reasoned to be cross cutting to most of the people that would
come across the documentation. For instance, when conducting
a qualitative research, an assumption can be that people will
assume someone is a nerd if he were glasses but the reality
could be different and the person may turn out to be an average
person and not as witty as it is depicted by the way of wearing
glasses.
Limitations
Social research studies face many limitations for complete
implementations. Some significant implications will be drawn
from this research. Therefore, the limitations of the study might
hinder complete attainment of the research objective. The first
limitation are the control factors such as firm size, industry
type, process type and technology type will not be considered in
this study's initial restriction, such information might be very
important if included in the study to enrich the findings. A
second possible limitation is the complete investigation of the
influence of knowledge management and product management
on organizational performance as measured at the individual
level. This information might not be easily obtained from the

employees. However, organizations encourage their workers to
collaborate in such research practices.
It is noteworthy to ground more in the study in order to lessen
the effects of the first constraint. In order to address such a
broad body of study, the researcher needs to make the strongest
possible connections between their own research and that of
other scholars (Busso & Leonardsen, 2019). This research will
be organized based on a set of parameters that the researcher
will obtain after doing a "huge survey of the literature." As a
consequence of this, the information will be conveyed in a
manner that clarifies how the findings of this research
contribute to the existing body of literature. Finding patterns to
look for is the most important step in getting over the second
constraint. This knowledge can always provide a better
understanding of what actually took place, whether it is in the
form of an insightful comment or point taken from a qualitative
survey (Queirós et al., 2017). Therefore, after conducting
interviews with each participant individually, it is necessary to
conduct interviews with the participants as a group to obtain a
comprehensive perspective.Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis:
Please do not begin a sentence with It. Eliminate vague pronoun
references. A pronoun must refer to a specific word in the
sentence. "It" is a vague pronoun reference because it does not
refer to a specific word in the sentence. Comment by Dr.
Deanna Davis: reference

Discuss the measures taken to mitigate each limitation.
DelimitationsComment by Dr. Deanna Davis: You need to
revise this entire section and discuss what your delimitations
are for your study.
Describe the study delimitations along with the corresponding
rationale underlying them. An example of delimitations are the
conditions and parameters set intentionally by the researcher or
by selection of the population and sample.
Explain how these research decisions relate to the existing
literature and theoretical/conceptual framework, problem
statement, purpose statement, and research questions.
The study's findings may have significant ramifications for the
suggested paradigm. The link between knowledge management
and product management may not be considered in the study's
suggested model. In existing research, product managers maybe
assumed not to have access to a wealth of knowledge to be
successful (Hassan & Raziq, 2019). Organizations operating in
circumstances that demand rapid innovation will benefit greatly
from product management efforts that include knowledge
management. The product management operations are centered
upon using, creating, and managing knowledge. Researchers
have used various data gathering methods and provided

specifics on the kind of questionnaires and interview questions
they intend to utilize to ensure that any ambiguity is removed
(Theofanidis & Fountouki, 2018). The decision to concentrate
on medium-sized companies will create a substantial in-depth
into the study since more evidence will be produced.
Interviewing a minimal number of participants will facilitate the
quality of the data collected. The employment of the qualitative
research method will maximize the quantity of the data needed
for the study.Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis: I have no idea
what your delimitations are.Comment by Dr. Deanna Davis:
What does this mean?Ethical Assurances
The study will sought seek obtain approval from Northcentral
University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to data
collection. The researcher will complete the IRB application to
obtain approval of the consent letter, which details the research
objectives, participants’ voluntary participation, benefits and
incentives, expectations of the research and data collection
process. This approval is important in ensuring confidentiality
and privacy protection of data. The explanation of the study
goal will enable the participants gauge understand the nature of
the study and make informed decision to take part or not. The
participation will be voluntary, participants can skip any part of
the study that they do not wish to complete and may stop at any
time. While the participants will be adults, the researcher will

prepare the following materials for the IRB application; (i) CITI
certificate, (ii) eligibility criteria, (iii) recruitment materials,
(iv) consent letter, (v) readability report and (vi) data collection
instruments.
To participate in the interviews, each respondent will review
and acknowledge the consent letter to participate in the research
study. This also implies that the participant will understand the
objectives of the study, expectations, benefits, and security of
privacy and confidentiality of the information involved. There
will be no physical or psychological damage inflicted on the
respondents. All data will be stored in a secured file to
safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of the information for
three years. Each participant will be recorded with a pseudonym
to enhance privacy and data protection. While the data is stored
in folders, such folders will be protected in safe cabinets and
password protected storage devices for three years. in addition
to each of the files in the folder having a unique password. The
data will therefore be used in an ethical manner and any
inference will not be used for personal benefits. The
respondents will not be given any incentives to participate in
the study.Summary
This study looks at organizational culture and norms that
promote investment in knowledge management strategies in
Medium-Sized Enterprises. This research aims at developing

informed inferences about the possible systematical
management of the knowledge assets in the Medium-Sized
Enterprise to meet strategic and tactical requirements and create
value for the organization. Researchers will look at how
procedurally the enterprises managed the knowledge in the
organizations, and ease of generation of the new ideas, concepts
and informed ideas ns to help SMEs transform into successful
Multinational business enterprises.
The study will employ qualitative research, which conducts
interviews to collect data from the participants working in
medium-sized enterprises in America. The researcher will use
purposive sampling technique to attain a sample size of 30-36
participants with credible information and experience in the
medium-sized enterprises in America to accomplish the
objectives of the study. Individual in-person and video-
conferencing interviews are the main research instruments since
they will give the researcher more valid and reliable
information on the topic under study. Ethical issues and conflict
of interest will not be observed. Data will be analyzed using
Microsoft Excel and NVivo software. Both tools will allow the
research to deduce different descriptive statistics which will be
critical in making the study conclusion and recommendations as
per the results. Thematic data analysis will also be effectively
used for describing and understanding data set in relation to
knowledge management strategies in the enterprises.

The discussion of the findings, the research findings, and the
analysis of the research data will all be presented in Chapter 4.
The findings will be assessed in accordance with the aims and
methods of the research in order to guarantee that the research
questions are answered. The findings will include outcomes
relating to descriptive analysis, inferential statistics, and
demographic variables.
Chapter 4: Findings
This chapter outlines analysis of research data, research
findings and finding discussions. The findings were evaluated
according to research objectives and methodology to ensure that
research questions are answered. The findings contain results
related to demographic characteristics, descriptive analysis and
inferential statistics. The study was carried out in the three
universities based on the defined criteria in the methodology
where lecturers, students and e-learning administrators were
requested to provide their views and perception regarding
knowledge management of Medium-Sized Enterprise on e-
learning platforms.Reliability of the Data
The Knowledge management (KM) strategies were evaluated
and categorized by six criteria: KM objectives, processes,
problems, content, strategy, and type of knowledge. The

purpose was to find similarities among the sample units. Size,
industry, and background information of the company,
globalization (national, international), knowledge intensity of
the industry, products, business processes, importance of
innovation, and main audience of the KM initiative (business
unit or whole organization) were also taken into account. Thus,
the success of the knowledge management strategies was
assessed using two criteria referring to organizational impact:
i.Was the identified problem resolved by the KM initiative (i.e.
usefulness of knowledge management strategies)?
ii.Can the companies report monetary or non-monetary success
stories (i.e. business performance)? Results
The cases show that knowledge management (KM) strategies do
not necessarily apply to the whole organization. Almost half of
the cases supported business units or departments within an
organization. Thus, we considered the business strategy of the
company if the KM strategies apply to the whole company and
we considered the business strategy of the unit if the KM
initiative applies to a business unit. For example, we examined
the KM strategies in the audit department of company D. The
success of the department is based on the quality and the
number of audit reports created by the department. The
department delivers the reports directly to the executive board.
Thus, its business strategy is to deliver fast and reliable reports

to the executives and the goal is to make the audit process as
efficient as possible.
The KM strategies can be categorized into four combinations of
business strategy and KM strategy:
i.Codification and efficiency
ii.Efficiency and personalization.
iii.Innovation and codification.
iv.Innovation and personalization.Research Question 1
How does organizational culture affect knowledge management
within the Medium-Sized Enterprise?
Conversely, companies who use knowledge management in
order to improve the efficiency of operational processes use
databases and information systems to disseminate ‘‘best
practices’’ independently from the ‘‘human knowledge carrier’’.
Research Question 2
How does investment in knowledge management improve the
competitive advantage for the Medium-Sized Enterprise?
The efficiency strategy relies primarily on the re-use of existing
knowledge. It is not necessary to bring people together to share
their knowledge directly and combine that knowledge by
dialogue in order to create new knowledge. Evaluation of the
Findings

The analysis supported the relationship between business
strategy and primary KM strategy. It also showed that some
companies deploy both approaches – codification and
personalization – within the same KM initiative. This supports
propositions that codification and personalization are not two
extremes but rather dimensions that can be combined. For
example, some KM initiatives with the objective to improve
process efficiency mainly relied on the codification strategy and
also used instruments like discussions forums or newsgroups to
give their employees the opportunity to exchange knowledge
and best practices directly.
The case studies did not clearly indicate a higher level of
success for the companies that used both approaches. But it can
be assumed that a sole reliance on one strategy may be too one-
sided, e.g. a sole concentration on codification and reuse of
knowledge may not be enough to face the dynamic and
turbulence of the market. On the other side, bringing people
together does not necessarily lead to innovation if the
knowledge is not exploited. We argued that the fit between
efficiency and codification on the one side and innovation and
personalization on the other side enhances the level of success
of a KM initiative. However, it is not clear whether the
combination of efficiency and personalization or innovation and
codification necessarily lead to less performance of the
organization in the long run.Summary

The findings strongly suggest a relationship between the
success of KM in terms of improving business performance of
the organization or business unit respectively and the alignment
of KM strategy and business strategy. The findings show a
matching fit between KM strategy and business strategy. An
organization whose business strategy requires efficiency of
processes should rely primarily on a codification strategy. An
organization whose business strategy requires product or
process innovation should rely primarily on a personalization
strategy. In addition, the KM initiative should support the
objective of the business strategy. For the audit department of
Company D, it was important to improve the quality and number
of audits. It would have been less important for example to
improve the process efficiency for booking flights for the
auditors.
The KM initiative did support the strategy that added the most
value to the department. These findings can also be explained
by organizational information processing theory that explains
the need for processing information in order to reduce
uncertainty and equivocality. Uncertainty deals with the
problem of absence of information whereas equivocality means
ambiguity and the existence of multiple and conflicting
interpretations. Organizations that focus on innovations face
high equivocality and need communication channels with high

media richness such as face-to-face. Organizations with a focus
on efficiency may face less equivocality and codification of
knowledge is thus adequate for them.References
Abbott, ML. & McKinney, J. (2012).
Understanding and Applying Research Design.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Ahmad, F. (2020). Using video-conferencing for observations
and interviews: Gathering data from ‘home’ while studying in
New Zealand.
Waikato Journal Of Education,
25, 109-117.
https://doi.org/10.15663/wje.v25i0.758
Aithal, P. S. (2017). ABCD Analysis as Research Methodology
in Company Case Studies.
International Journal of Management, Technology, and
Social Sciences (IJMTS),
2(2), 40-54.
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Appendix A
Interview Protocol
Greetings, and thank you for agreeing to take part in the study.
My name is _________and my
study is on Medium-Sized Enterprises. My research study will
focus on Knowledge Management Strategies on the Competitive
Advantage of Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Qualitative Case
Study. I would like to video and audio record our conversations
today. For your information, all recordings and transcripts will
be kept confidential and will be eventually destroyed.
I have planned this interview to last no longer than 45 minutes.
During this time, I have
several questions that I would like to ask you. While they are
structured questions, please feel
free to elaborate as much as you feel necessary. After the
interviews have been transcribed, I will send you the
transcription via email for you to review. I will also be sending
you an incentive (describe incentives).
Interview Questions

Demographic Questions:
Research Question 1
1. What are the challenges of knowledge management in your
enterprise?
2. Describe the scope of your enterprise’s knowledge
management?
3. Describe your business’s knowledge management strategies
to enhance your competitive advantage.
4. How do the benefits of knowledge management improve your
firm’s competitive advantage?
5. Describe the success factors that are associated with your
firm’s knowledge management?
Research Question 2
1. Who is responsible for maintaining your venture’s knowledge
management system?
2. How does the local community affect your business’s
knowledge management and competitive advantage?
3. Describe your businesses the main goal of knowledge
management?
4. How does your business build a Knowledge Management
System?
5. What is the application of knowledge management in your
business?
Thank you again for agreeing to participate in this study. Once I

am finished transcribing all documents, I will share them with
you via email. If you can take some time (10-15 minutes) to
review these for accuracy, I would greatly appreciate it.
Appendix B
Data Collection Checklist
Step 1: Making the intent clear
Step 2: Defining the framework of the study’s data collection
Step 3: Designing the sample
Step 4: Developing the data collection tools
Step 5: Creating a flowchart that showcases the data collection
procedure

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Complete Checklist items provided in the document.
Delimitations: CHECKLIST
ITEMS
2. Correct comments on Chapter 3: Research Method. Add
References, grammar, expand on
topics as asked.
3. Follow the Dissertation TEMPLATE included.
4. Change Table of contents for page number changes as
needed.
5. ADD REFERENCES within text and in references section.
6. APA Guidelines, 7th edition

Please do not include your personal opinions and interpretations
in your dissertation. You will
need to continue to conduct research and avoid overuse of the
same authors. Cite.
Please submit a "clean" version without highlighted text, track
changes and balloon comments. it
should be a paper ready for submission as an assignment
without comments or tracks.
Thank you

12Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation Manuscript

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