The document outlines a proposed study on the influence of dispute resolution on employee retention. It discusses the problem statement, purpose statement, and nature of the study. The study aims to establish the relationship between follower characteristics, leader characteristics, interpersonal relationships, and employee retention outcomes like role conflict and turnover intentions. It will employ a quantitative methodology to study employees at UnitedHealth Group. The goal is to develop an effective dispute resolution framework to improve employee satisfaction and retention.

1. Running Head: DOCTORAL STUDY PROSPECTUS
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DOCTORAL STUDY PROSPECTUS
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Draft: Doctoral Study Prospectus
Draft: Doctoral Study Prospectus
Employee retention is the dream of a human resource manager,
especially if these individuals are self-motivated and competent.
Replacement and retraining of a new workforce is always
expensive and destabilizing, and the organization might lose
opportunities as it concentrates on remaining staffed (De
Clercq, Mohammad Rahman, & Belausteguigoitia, 2017). James
(2016) has identified unresolved disputes as one of the main
reasons why the turnover rate is still significantly high. The
proposed study is the ‘influence of dispute resolution on
employee retention’, and it will have a positive impact not just
on the business community but also the society in general.
· Problem Statement
The average employee turnover rate in the US is over 15% and
over 20% in Canada. At least 63% of these leave upon
resignation, and another 30% are fired. In most of these cases,
the drastic measures are direct consequences of unresolved
disputes. According to Santos, Uitdewilligen, & Passos (2015),
there is yet another significant number of workers who are
demoralized to the extent of being underproductive. Therefore,
the organization is still losing as a result of escalated disputes
even if the employees choose to stay. Effective dispute
resolution mechanisms would not only motivate but also
dissuade the workers from opting to resign. Based on the

2. statistics, an appropriate dispute resolution framework is
lacking (Santos et al., 2015; Torchia, Calabrò, & Morner, 2015).
The proposed study is geared towards establishing the steps
which the management would take to ensure that a positive
work environment is maintained, and hence reduce the turnover
rate.
· Purpose Statement
The research will be deductive since the goal is to arrive at an
objective dispute resolution framework. The idea is to predict
an appropriate intervention, and hence hypotheses to be tested
will be established to gain the understanding of the phenomenon
being investigated. The study will employ rating scales and also
rank items. This is because it will be predominantly quantitative
in nature. Nonetheless, the mixed methods are preferable for
arriving at an exhaustive conclusion (Tong et al., 2018).
The study seeks to establish the correction between such
follower characteristics as agreeableness, competence,
openness, and focus of control; leader characteristics like
agreeableness, extraversion, contingent reward behavior, and
transformational leadership; as well as interpersonal
relationship factors like self-promotion, assertiveness,
perceived similarity, leader’s trust with the consequences. The
consequences in this case is role conflict, role ambiguity,
affective commitment, and turnover intentions. This is a
quantitative study of UnitedHealth Group Inc. which is a
Minnetonka-based firm with over 270,000 employees spread
across thousands of locations in the country. The study has both
business and social benefits. Comfortable employees are happy
parents, relatives, and community members (James, 2016;
Torchia et al., 2015).
· Nature of the Study
The mixed method of research facilitates a much broader

3. understanding of the issue at hand. Business research will
certainly make conclusions recommending focus of attention
and investment towards a certain direction. Therefore, it ought
to be in-depth, and mixed methods provides this. Besides, there
is enhanced involvement of stakeholders as opposed to merely
treating them as statistics. The study is correlational, and it is
hoped to reveal reliable relationships. Since the pattern of
behavior will be uncovered, it will be possible to make
predictions (Presbitero, Roxas, & Chadee, 2016).
There is also the chance to show how one kind of behavior
could happen in presence of another. For instance, Oleksiiovych
(2018) notes that once an employee has resolved to leave, they
will still go in a few months’ time, even if their grievances are
addressed. This is because threating to resign is the mark of
serious desperation. The goal is to address grievances way
before such kind of desperation has emerged. Papenhausen &
Parayitam (2015) opines that most employees will turn a blind
eye during the first few instances of disagreements, and only get
concerned if it becomes a persistent pattern. The study is meant
to come up with a framework which would help solve problems
before it escalates and cause bitter separation either through
firing or resignation.
Central Research Question and Hypotheses
The research questions are about the three categories of factors
with the most significant influence on employee retention. The
hypotheses are based on the research question. The hypotheses
state the relationship between variables precisely.
The Research Questions
a. In what way do the follower characteristics increase
employee retention?
b. To what extent do the leader characteristics solidify
employee rate of retention?

4. c. How do interpersonal relationships facilitate employee
retention?
The Research Hypothesis
i. If the follower characteristics are improved, then the rate of
employee retention would rise.
ii. If the leader embraces the right characteristics, then
employee retention would be increased.
iii. If accurate interpersonal relationships are put in place, then
the rate of employee retention could improve.
Conceptual/ Theoretical Framework
Conflict management refers to the practice of identifying and
handling conflicts in a fair, sensible, and efficient manner. An
organization has to have people who understand and know how
to deal with conflicts. According to K.W. Thomas and R.H.
Kilmann, there are five main styles of responding to and
resolving conflicts. The management must start with situational
analysis in order to understand the most appropriate one in
regards to ascertaining the employees’ success (Papenhausen &
Parayitam, 2015). In essence, the leaders and followers’
characteristics as well as the interpersonal relationships would
inform if accommodating, competing, avoiding, collaboration,
and/or compromising is the best approach. The envisioned
framework will help understand how stakeholders can engage
while focusing on events and behaviors, identify the areas of
disagreement and agreement, and prioritize on the areas of the
conflict. It is basically a development of the plan to work on
every aspect of the conflict (Camelo-Ordaz, García-Cruz, &
Sousa-Ginel, 2015).Significance of the Study
The choice to either remain with the organization or quit is
based on how satisfied one is with their place of work. This
happiness is significantly influenced by how disagreements and

5. are handled; and, indeed, a significant number of employees
would be loyal to their employers in spite a couple of hiccups,
as long as they can preserve a brighter future (Matitz &
Chaerki, 2018).Contribution to Business Practice
Organizations stand to gain if their workforces stabilize.
Frequent turnover means that the cost of retraining goes up, and
there is also the challenge of orientation and keeping the new
employees motivated. Any employee who joins an organization
which is infamous for a high employee turnover would be
worried. They would not optimize on their potential, since they
would always be searching for much better opportunities than
the ones they possess. Such organizations cannot attain and/or
maintain their leverage (Knights & McCabe, 2016). Therefore,
finding an effective way of keeping these employees with their
employer would be invaluable to the business community. This
is the goal of the proposed study.
Implication for Social Change
If the employees have a comfortable working environment, they
would be satisfied. They would go home having the joy of
having accomplished their responsibilities in the best manner
possible, and also feeling supported. Such happy employees
would become happy fathers, relatives, members of their
community, and the citizens. As a consequence, a lot of
conflicts at home and with friends would be mitigated (Matitz &
Chaerki, 2018). Therefore, the proposed research has the
advantage of influencing social change positively.Review of
Literature
According to Matitz & Chaerki (2018), conflicts are always
expensive. This is because instead of concentrating on work, the
employees participate, try to avoid, and/or seek to manage
pointless disagreements with their peers. Papenhausen &
Parayitam (2015) opines that Americans are spending 2.1 hours
per week (or a day in a month) dealing with conflicts. This

6. translated to over 385 million work days, or a loss of about
$359 billion annually.
Torchia et al. (2015) notes that conflicts in the workplace are to
blame for over 25% of the reported cases of absenteeism and
sickness. In addition, 9% of project failures are attributed to
conflicts, and Presbitero et al. (2016) argue that 33% of the
employees are quitting or getting fired as a consequence of
unresolved conflicts. According to Tong et al. (2018), other
costs include disorienting the clients who witness the conflicts.
These clients can decide to source their goods and services
elsewhere.
In regards to the turnover rate Presbitero et al. (2016) highlight,
it is imperative to recognize that the cost of replacement is
high. It disorients the organization significantly, and the sales
lost during such instances of turbulence are irreplaceable.
Consequently, it is imperative to not only recognize the conflict
but also the need to have it addressed. De Clercq et al. (2017)
insists that management must find the ways and means of
rallying the workers behind a common objective. As they do so,
they also need to convince these workers of the need to consider
the views of one another (De Clercq et al., 2017; Presbitero et
al., 2016).
Camelo-Ordaz et al., (2015) argue that some conflicts are
caused by incompetence, and hence the need to consider making
enhanced hiring decisions. For instance, an organization can
engage the services of a consultant who conducts personality
together with competence tests. It is also important to consider
calling the references indicated (Oleksiiovych, 2018). Valuable
information could be revealed if such decisions are made.
According to Knights & McCabe (2016), a culture of training is
also motivating. It makes the employees feel that the
organization is planning for a long term relationship with them.
The training must include the strategies towards handing
conflicts.
Conclusion

7. Once the appropriate framework is established, it must become
a central pillar of the organization’s handbook. The handbook
might need to highlight the unacceptable behaviors; and these
include bullying, respect, privacy, and gossip. In essence, the
system for dealing with the conflict must be clearly outlined,
and the stakeholders must embrace a proactive approach in
handling disagreements when they arise (De Clercq et al., 2017;
Knights & McCabe, 2016).References
Camelo-Ordaz, C., García-Cruz, J., & Sousa-Ginel, E. (2015).
The influence of top management team conflict on firm
innovativeness. Group Decision & Negotiation, 24(6), 957–980.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-014-9424-4
De Clercq, D., Mohammad Rahman, Z., & Belausteguigoitia, I.
(2017). Task conflict and employee creativity: the critical roles
of learning orientation and goal congruence. Human Resource
Management, 56(1), 93–109. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21761
James, A.R. (2016). Because arbitration can be beneficial, it
should never have to be mandatory: Making a case against
compelled arbitration based upon pre-dispute agreements to
arbitrate in consumer and employee adhesion contracts. Loyola
Law Review, 62(2), 531–576
Knights, D., & McCabe, D. (2016). The “missing masses” of
resistance: An ethnographic understanding of a workplace
dispute. British Journal of Management, 27(3), 534–549.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12170
Matitz, Q.R.S., & Chaerki, K.F. (2018). Process philosophy’s
potential contributions to innovation process research within
organization studies. Revista de Administração e Inovação -
RAI, 15(4), 386–393. https://doi.org/10.1108/INMR-08-2018-
0062

8. Oleksiiovych, L.Y. (2018). Modeling of socio-economic
relations in scientific research processes. Economy of AIC, (2),
5–13
Papenhausen, C., & Parayitam, S. (2015). Conflict management
strategies as moderators in the antecedents to affective conflict
and its influence on team effectiveness. Journal of Business &
Management, 21(1), 101–119
Presbitero, A., Roxas, B., & Chadee, D. (2016). Looking beyond
HRM practices in enhancing employee retention in BPOs: Focus
on employee–organization value fit. International Journal of
Human Resource Management, 27(6), 635–652.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1035306
Santos, C.M., Uitdewilligen, S., & Passos, A.M. (2015). Why is
your team more creative than mine? the influence of shared
mental models on intra-group conflict, team creativity and
effectiveness. Creativity & Innovation Management, 24(4),
645–658. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12129
Tong, S.F., Ng, C.J., Lee, V.K.M., Lee, P.Y., Ismail, I.Z.,
Khoo, E.M., … Abdullah, A. (2018). Decision making process
and factors contributing to research participation among general
practitioners: A grounded theory study. PLoS ONE, 13(4), 1–17.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196379
Torchia, M., Calabrò, A., & Morner, M. (2015). Board of
directors’ diversity, creativity, and cognitive conflict.
International Studies of Management & Organization, 45(1), 6–
24. https://doi.org/10.1080/00208825.2015.1005992

9. 4/1/2019 Project - CIS 118C04 Intro PC Application
Assignments ) Module 4 Capstone Project
Module 4 Capstone Project
Instructions
Overview
Ms. Chavez would like to track sales information in a database,
rather than relying on Excel spreadsheets. She
heard it was easier and would cut down on data redundancy.
Objectives
1. Create, edit, and save a database
2. Create and run a Query
3. Apply basic formatting to a database
4. Create, modify and manipulate Tables in a database
5. Maintain a Database
6. Create, use and modify Forms in a database
Instructions
• Using the same information from Module 3 Capstone Project
and in the Discussion for Module 4
(copied below), create a database to track the data, using the
Tables and Fields created for the

10. Discussion.
• Create at least 2 related Tables.
• Create a Query showing all sales that occurred in Aurora.
Name it City Sales Query.
• Create a Report based on the City Sales Query.
• Create a Form, using the Form Wizard to enter the information
for each Realtor.
• Upload your completed Database to the assignment folder,
naming it Move NOW! Sales Database.
HINTS: Start by creating the related Tables. If you changed
your mind on how the Tables should be related or
the fields that should be in the Tables, based on the Discussion,
you may change them here - they do not have
to be the same as you may have originally posted. You may use
the Wizards to create the Form, Queries and
Reports.
Murray - Sold 8 houses in the cities shown at the prices below:
• Denver - 105,000
• Brighton - 352,000
1/4

11. 4/1/2019 f'.AC iiilr."� Project- CIS118C04 Intro PC
Applications
• Lafayette - 785,000
• Lone Tree - 674,000
• Broomfield - 426,000
Gu led - Sold 4 houses at the following prices:
• Louisville - 738,000
• Broomfield - 123,800
• Aurora - 342,000
• Thornton - 569,000
Jones - Sold 5 houses at the following prices:
• Aurora - 1,782,072
• Denver - 922,000
• Broomfield - 728,200
• Lakewood - 255,000
• Thornt on - 499,000
• Hide Rubrics
Rubric Name: Module 4 Capstone Rubric
Criteria

12. Tables
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Proficient - 10 points
Created 2 Tables with correct Fields
Table Relationships
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Proficient - 10 po ints
Created Table Relationships Correctly
[ Submit Cancel
Satisfactory
Satisfactory
Incomplete
Incomplete
https://ccco .desire2Iearn.com/d21/lms/dropbox/user/folder _
submit_files.d2I?db=1662277
&grpid=0&isprv=0&bp=0&ou=2311504
I 10
>
/ 10
)
2/4

14. 4/1/2019 Module 4 Capstone Project- CIS118C04 Intro PC
App�ations
�-------------
[
Proficient Satisfactory
Proficient - 10 points
Created City Sales Query correctly
City Sales Report
[ Proficient Satisfactory
Proficient - 10 points
Created City Sales Report based on City Sales Query
Form
Proficient Satisfactory
Proficient - 10 points
Created the Form to enter Realtor information correctly
Total
Overall Score
Level 3
14 points minimum
Level2

15. 9 points minimum
Level 1
0 points minimum
Incomplete
Incomplete
Incomplete
/ 10
>
/ 10
>
I 10
>
I 50
3/4