Description
Nature of the StudyFor Part 1 of this assignment, you will develop the Nature of the Study section. The Nature of the Study should provide a synopsis and justification of the research method and design for your study. These elements should be in line with the problem, purpose, and research questions developed earlier in this class. Remember, too, that the method is your general approach (qualitative, quantitative, mixed method), and the design (case study, phenomenology, correlational, etc.) will fall within the method you chose. Adhere to the “Doctoral Phase 2 – Precis” template found in the CDS Dissertation Guide for specific requirements for this section. Combined, these sections should be 1-3 pages long. You may use previous coursework when developing your dissertation phase deliverables. The section is located on page 6 of the submitted document. Please follow that section in its entirety.Be sure to support all aspects with peer reviewed literature and include APA formatted references. APA references would need to be effective throughout this section Format your paper according to APA guidelines.
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WORKPLACE CONFLICT AFFECTING AMAZON BUSINESSES
THIS STUDY WILL UTILIZE A QUANTITATIVE METHOD APPROACH TO
EXAMINE THE IMPACTS OF WORKPLACE CONFLICT
by
Nyya McCants
Copyright 2023
A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Business Administration
University of Phoenix
The Dissertation Committee for Nyya McCants certifies approval of the following
dissertation:
WORKPLACE CONFLICT AFFECTING AMAZON BUSINESSES
THIS STUDY WILL UTILIZE A QUANTITATIVE METHOD APPROACH TO
EXAMINE THE IMPACTS OF WORKPLACE CONFLICT
Committee:
Susan Ferebee, Chair
Dr. Ray Delaney, Committee Member
James Smith, EdD, Committee Member
_________________________
Susan Ferebee
_________________________
Dr. Ray Delaney
_________________________
_________________________
Hinrich Eylers, PhD
Vice Provost, Doctoral Studies
University of Phoenix
Date Approved: ____________
ABSTRACT
[Start text here; do not indent. Use a minimum of 150 words and a maximum 250 words.]
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DEDICATION
[To be indented and completed upon full dissertation completion]
v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
[To be indented and completed upon full dissertation completion]
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..vii
List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
List of Figures …………………………………………………………………………………………………… xi
Preface (optional) …………………………………………………………………………………………….. xiii
Chapter 1: Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Background of the Problem ………………………………………………………………………. 2
Problem Statement ………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Purpose of the Study ……………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Population and Sample ………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………………………… 5
Nature of the Study ……………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Research Questions/Hypotheses …………………………………………………………………… x
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework ………………………………………………………….. x
Definition of Terms …………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Assumptions……………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Limitations …………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
Delimitations ………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
Chapter Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Chapter 2: Literature Review ………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Title Searches and Documentation………………………………………………………………… x
Historical Content ……………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Current Content ………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
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Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Literature …………………………………………… x
Methodological Literature ……………………………………………………………………………. x
Research Design Literature ………………………………………………………………………….. x
Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………… x
Chapter Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Chapter 3: Research Methodology ……………………………………………………………………………. x
Research Method and Design Appropriateness ………………………………………………. x
Research Questions/Hypotheses …………………………………………………………………… x
Population and Sample ………………………………………………………………………………… x
Informed Consent and Confidentiality …………………………………………………………… x
Instrumentation …………………………………………………………………………………………… x
Field Test or Pilot Test ………………………………………………………………………………… x
Credibility and Transferability or Validity and Reliability ………………………………. x
Data Collection …………………………………………………………………………………………… x
Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………………… x
Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
Chapter 4: Analysis and Results……………………………………………………………………………….. x
Research Questions/Hypotheses …………………………………………………………………… x
Data Collection …………………………………………………………………………………………… x
Pilot Study ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Results ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Chapter Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………….. x
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Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations …………………………………………………………. x
Research Questions/Hypotheses ………………………………………………………………….. x
Discussion of Findings ……………………………………………………………………………….. x
Limitations ………………………………………………………………………………………………… x
Recommendations for Leaders and Practitioners …………………………………………… x
Recommendations for Future Research ………………………………………………………… x
Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………… x
References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
Appendix A: Title …………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
Appendix B: Title …………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
Appendix C: Title …………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Title …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
Table 2: Title …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
(Only list tables if there are two or more tables)
x
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Title …………………………………………………………………………………………………… x
Figure 2: Title ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. x
(Only list figues if there are two or more figures)
xi
OTHER LISTS
[start optional section text here]
xii
PREFACE
[start optional section text here]
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Chapter 1
Introduction
Workplace conflict is an inevitability across all industries and organizations. It
arises from inevitable interpersonal disputes, systemic factors enabling dysfunctional
dynamics, or broad external events introducing instability. If mismanaged, however, the
negative impacts of company-wide conflict can have resounding detrimental effects on
organizational culture, employee well-being and retention, productivity, and financial
success. This study aims to quantify the current state of workplace conflict within
American companies and elucidate the ramifications of inadequately addressing dispute
resolution on critical performance metrics.
Background of the Problem
Prior estimates suggest managers spend at least 25% of their time addressing
workplace conflicts, which equates to losses of almost $359 billion in paid hours in the
American economy. Adverse outcomes touched on in past literature encompass decreased
job satisfaction, higher employee turnover, reduced creativity and innovation, revenge
behaviors that further deteriorate organizational culture, absenteeism, ruined reputations
that stall recruitment efforts, and ultimately substantially worse financial results (Kay &
Skarlicki, 2020). While workplace conflicts have clearly marked consequences, existing
scholarship lacks large-scale, generalizable data leveraging input from diverse employees
across industries. Much of the empirical focus has rested solely on small cohorts from a
few select sectors or singular case studies of major corporate conflict debacles published
retroactively. There remains an unfulfilled need to quantify the frequency, causes, and
impacts of conflict in modern American workplaces, as well as provide actionable direction
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to mitigate disputes and foster collaborative cultures to benefit both employee wellness and
the bottom line. This proposed study strives to directly respond to these gaps through a
mixed-methods investigation of factors predicting workplace conflicts alongside their
influence on performance metrics in companies across the country. Findings aim to
catalyze structural and procedural changes that curb conflict incidence and support healthy,
ethical dispute resolution practices as instrumental for protecting worker livelihoods and
maintaining organizational success (Kerrigan, 2019).
Problem Statement
The problem is US businesses lose approximately $359 billion in paid hours due to
unresolved workplace conflict and productivity levels, resulting in higher absenteeism
and turnover to loss of engagement; leading to reduced productivity (Pollack , 2023).
The most prominent sources of conflict arise from personality clashes, stress, and
vastly differing communication styles, which are often exacerbated by remote and hybrid
work. Unresolved conflict creates distractions, fuels anxiety and burnout, and prevents
collaboration; revealing profound inadequacies in conflict management training, policies,
and resolution mechanisms adopted by a majority of US workplaces. As American
businesses struggle with talent acquisition and retention amidst the Great Resignation,
they can scarcely afford the performance decline, cynicism towards leadership, and
erosion of corporate culture brought about by unaddressed workplace disputes. While
leaders acknowledge conflict as an urgent concern in surveys, few companies have
implemented enterprise-wide strategies focused on conflict prevention and resolution
across all levels. Without targeted interventions to build conflict management
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competencies and communication goodwill between teams, conflict will continue
escalating as a primary impediment to meeting business goals (Wright & Larson, 2022).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine the relationship
between unresolved workplace conflict and productivity levels among employees at midsize technology companies in the United States.
The independent variable is the level of unresolved conflict—whether
interpersonal, team dynamics, organizational processes, values, or stress-related issues.
The dependent variable is employee productivity, measured through perceptual surveys on
a scale of 1-5 and archival data on absenteeism rates, service ticket resolution times, and
the number of projects completed under budget. Control variables will include employee
demographics like age, gender identity, department, and position seniority. Understanding
the connection between lingering conflict issues and productivity metrics will allow
business leaders to quantify losses due to unaddressed disputes, argue for conflict
mitigation measures proactively, and develop targeted interventions like mediation, dispute
systems, communication training, and team charter agreements.
The positive social change implications include reduced employee stress, increased
job satisfaction, better workplace inclusion for marginalized groups, more robust corporate
ethics, and trust in leadership over the long term. With 65% of productivity lost to conflict,
curbing disputes could regain 314 million hours per year for mid-size tech businesses
valued at $10.7 billion, based on average hourly earnings. The results will aid human
resource leaders and department managers in arguing for conflict resolution investments
that boost organizational performance, culture, and social impact simultaneously, using
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complex data on the number of conflicts correlated with the steepest productivity declines.
The intended sample population for this study includes employees spanning departments,
seniority levels, locations, and demographic groups. The geographical scope will
encompass mid-size technology companies based in 10 major US cities, with 300
participants sought to ensure statistical significance (Bozoğlu Batı & Armutlulu, 2020).
Population and Sample
The target population for this study is employees from Amazon e-commerce giant.
To qualify for participation, individuals must be current employees who actively work
for the organization. A stratified random sampling technique will be utilized to select
survey participants from the target population. Companies will be stratified based on size
and industry, and survey respondents will be randomly selected from all levels of the
organizational hierarchy, including executive leadership, middle management, and nonmanagement employees. The total target sample size for survey distribution is 1,000
participants.
In addition, a separate purposive sampling approach will be used to recruit 20
interview participants representing key roles that deal closely with workplace conflicts,
such as human resources staff, managers, employee relations specialists, in-house
mediators, and executives. The inclusion of multiple perspectives across organizational
roles will allow for data triangulation during analysis. Other data sources will supplement
the survey and interview data, including company policies/documentation related to
workplace conflict, relevant news reports of specific workplace conflict incidents, and
publicly available labor relations records. Using multiple data sources will again allow for
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data triangulation and provide a well-rounded context regarding the state of workplace
conflict across American businesses.
Significance of the Study
This study aims to provide much-needed empirical insight into unresolved
workplace conflict and productivity levels on American businesses. Workplace
conflict has been shown to negatively affect important outcomes like job satisfaction,
turnover intentions, team cohesion, productivity, and profitability (Pitafi et al., 2020).
However, only some studies have quantified the magnitude of these impacts across
industries nationally. Given the shifting workforce demographics and the modern
employment landscape, updated data is needed. By surveying employees across diverse
industries, company sizes, and organizational roles, this study will generate generalizable
findings regarding the current state, drivers, and repercussions of workplace conflict
nationwide. The in-depth interview data will also capture rich, contextualized insights into
the interpersonal dynamics and human impacts of unresolved conflict.
These findings will inform evidence-based policy changes around workplace
relations and human capital management across American companies. Identifying
significant correlations with performance/productivity metrics will motivate businesses to
invest more resources in conflict education, mitigation, and resolution initiatives.
This can simultaneously increase employee well-being and satisfaction while providing a
competitive advantage. With the average employee spending 2.8 hours per week dealing
with conflict, totaling $359 billion in paid hours lost nationally, reducing disputes promises
tremendous cost savings (Seemann & Stofkova, 2021). The annual financial impact per
organization can be calculated once the correlation strength between conflict levels and
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productivity metrics like absenteeism and turnover is established through this study’s
survey tools. This timely study aims to elucidate how workplace conflict undermines
critical individual and organizational outcomes for American companies. Findings will
catalyze much-needed strategies to foster positive workplace cultures and boost
performance through effective conflict transformation. This will provide value to workers,
managers, and executive leadership in strengthening the foundation of business success.
Nature of the Study
This section should include a description of the general means through which the
goals of the study will be achieved. In this section, you will present a synopsis and
justification of the research method and design for your study. Provide an overview
discussion of the research method (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed) and the
appropriateness of the method for addressing the purpose of the study. Additionally,
discuss why your proposal research design is more appropriate than two or three other
possible research designs. Also provide a brief overview of the proposed
instrumentation, data collection, and data analysis. This section is typically 1 to 3 pages
in length.
Research Questions/Hypotheses
This study aims to address the following research questions:
RQ1: What are the most common sources and causes of workplace conflict according to
employees?
RQ2: Is there a significant correlation between the frequency/severity of workplace.
conflicts and productivity metrics like absenteeism, turnover, patient experience scores,
and financial performance?
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H1: Interpersonal communication breakdowns will be the most commonly cited driver of
workplace disputes.
H2: Unresolved conflict significantly increases the likelihood of decreased job
satisfaction, higher turnover risk, lower productivity, and worse financial performance.
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
(One or the other—delete either theoretical or conceptual from the heading)
The framework should place the study in perspective among existing theories or
conceptual models and provide a framework related to the research topic. The discussion
should reflect the broad theoretical area under which the research falls and reflect
familiarity with germinal and current theories in the field. Remember that a theoretical
framework is typically used for a quantitative study to model the theoretical relationships
between the variables; a conceptual framework is typically used for a qualitative study
and consists of several theories that underpin the topic. The framework should only
introduce readers to the relevant theories; this discussion will be expanded in chapter 2.
Definition of Terms
This section is only required if any operational terms or words are used in a
unique way in this study. Any definitions must be supported with citations.
Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations
State any assumptions that you will be using as a basis for your study. Limitations
are issues that the researcher cannot control. In contrast, delimitations define how you are
choosing to control or scope your research. Also mention generalizability of the study
findings. Note that qualitative studies are not generalizable to the population.
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Chapter Summary
The discussion should summarize key points presented in chapter 1. Information
should be presented in a discussion context. Supporting citations should be provided for
key points. The chapter summary should end with a transition to next chapter such as
“Chapter 2 will…” or “In chapter 2…”.
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Chapter 2
Literature Review
Begin with an introduction with no section heading. Remind the reader of the
study topics and the foundational theories that drove the review of the literature.
Title Searches and Documentation
Describe the approach that you used to search for relevant documentation
including key words used to search for publications. You can opt to include a table in this
section to describe the numbers of journals, books, or other sources used for your various
topics.
Historical Content
Generally, historical content is defined as over 5 years old. Include subsections
for each of the various topics related to your study. The topic subsections should be
presented in order from the broadest topic to the narrowest topic. Include both germinal
content and content that is considered historical based on its publication date. It is crucial
that you do not develop your literature review as merely a series of annotated
bibliographies that discuss one source after another. It is crucial to synthesize the sources
by comparing and contrasting the various perspectives on each topic.
Current Content
Generally, current content is less than 5 years old. Include the same subsections
that you used in the historical content unless there is no current literature for a specific
topic. Here again it is important to synthesize the sources—compare and contrast the
various perspectives on each topic. It is important to describe all perspectives of each
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research topic including any controversial literature rather than presenting only literature
that supports your own perspective in order to create credibility.
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Literature
(One or the other; must reflect the type of framework used in Chapter 1)
The framework in chapter 1 should only have introduced readers to the relevant
theories. This section should include subsections for each of the relevant theories and
discuss supporting germinal and current literature on those theories.
Methodology Literature
Describe the various studies that have been accomplished within your topic area.
Focus on the methodologies that have been used in research and on the findings of those
studies. Key objectives are to address what has already been accomplished in previous
research and to support that your methodology will add to the body of knowledge.
Research Design Literature
In chapter 1 you briefly described your selected research design. This section
should expand on that discussion and include support from several design methodologists
including the germinal methodologists associated with the design.
Conclusions
It is important to recognize that this section is not the chapter “conclusion”; it is
“conclusions”, meaning what did you conclude from the literature? Focus on what you
derived from the literature you reviewed, and remember to cite each assertion.
Chapter Summary
The discussion should summarize key points presented in chapter 2. Information
should be presented in a discussion context. Supporting citations should be provided for
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key points. The chapter summary should end with a transition to next chapter such as
“Chapter 3 will…” or “In chapter 3…”.
Please note that chapter 2 should be expanded to 30 to 50 pages prior to submitting the
complete proposal for review.
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Chapter 3
Research Methodology
No heading for the introduction. Remind the reader of the purpose and
objectives of the study. Introduce the contents of the chapter.
Research Method and Design Appropriateness
Expand on the Chapter 1 discussion by supporting selection of the research
method and design. Provide a detailed overview discussion of the research method
(quantitative, qualitative, or mixed) and the appropriateness of the method for addressing
the purpose of the study. Additionally, include a detailed description of why your
proposal research design is more appropriate than two or three other possible research
designs within the selected method.
Research Questions/Hypotheses
This section should reiterate the research questions and any hypotheses introduced
in Chapter 1.
Population and Sample
Discuss the population for the proposed study, defined as the pool of potential
participants for the study. If the study will include a stratified sample discuss the various
population groups to be included. Follow the population discussion with a description of
the sample size and how the sample size was established. For stratified samples discuss
the sample size to be obtained from each population group. For studies that will not
include primary data use an alternate heading such as “Data Sources” and discuss the
proposed sources of the study data, such as archival data. Ensure that you collect
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demographic data from the participants, including any data relevant to the study topic
such as organizational position and experience in years, to include in Chapter 4.
Informed Consent and Confidentiality
Discuss how you will obtain informed consent from any participants and describe
any signed permissions already obtained including Permissions to Use Premises,
Permission to Use Data, Permission to Use Survey, and so forth. Describe how any
confidential data will be stored and later destroyed. Refer to appendices such as the
Informed Consent Form; for example, “See Appendix A for the Informed Consent
Form”.
Instrumentation
Describe any instrumentation to be used to collect primary data such as qualitative
questionnaires, interview protocols, or surveys. Include a table to indicate how the
instrumentation items align to the research questions or hypotheses. Refer to appendices
such as the instrumentation.
Field Test or Pilot Study
Qualitative studies require a field test on original narrative data collection
instruments. Original quantitative instruments require use of a pilot study to produce
validity and reliability data. Note that while field tests must be conducted prior to
proposal approval, pilot studies cannot be conducted prior to proposal and IRB approval.
Mixed-method studies may require both a field test and a pilot test.
Credibility and Transferability or Validity and Reliability
For qualitative studies, include a section on credibility and transferability or
trustworthiness to discuss how these attributes will be accomplished within the study.
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Include any relevant discussion regarding how the various sources will be triangulated.
For quantitative studies, include a section on validity and reliability. Quantitative
instruments that are commercially produced or have been published should have validity
and reliability data available. Original quantitative instruments require use of a pilot
study to produce validity and reliability data. Note that pilot studies cannot be conducted
prior to IRB approval. Mixed-method studies often require discussion of both credibility
and transferability, and validity and reliability.
Data Collection
This section must include a complete description of the processes to be used to
collect any primary or secondary data. Include discussion of how any participants will be
recruited for participation and describe any permissions required to collect these data. If
data will be collected in phases, such as during a Delphi study with two or more rounds, a
case study with multiple sources of data, a study with a stratified sample, a quantitative
study with more than one survey instrument, or a mixed-method study, describe each
phase of data collection process clearly.
Data Analysis
Data analysis section must include a detailed description of the processes or
statistical techniques to be used for analysis of any primary or secondary data. Proposed
data analyses techniques must clear and appropriate to the research design and a
sufficient level of detail must be provided. Qualitative analysis steps must be described
and must align with the selected design, such as the constant comparative approach for a
grounded theory study and a modified van Kaam process or Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen
process for phenomenology. When applicable, quantitative data analysis discussion must
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include information on the statistical tests to be performed, Alpha levels for hypotheses
testing, and whether the testing will be one-tailed or two-tailed.
Summary
The discussion should summarize key points presented in chapter 3. Information
should be presented in a discussion context. Supporting citations should be provided for
key points. Although Chapter 4 is not submitted as part of the proposal the chapter
summary should end with a transition to next chapter such as “Chapter 4 will…” or “In
chapter 4…”.
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Chapter 4
Analysis and Results
No heading for the introduction. Remind the reader of the purpose and objectives
of the study. Introduce the contents of the chapter. Keep in mind that Chapter 4 should
solely describe the analysis process and the study results; therefore, no citations should
be included in this chapter.
Research Questions/Hypotheses
This section should reiterate the research questions and any hypotheses. Ensure
consistency in the wording with previous chapters.
Data Collection
Provide a detailed discussion of the informed consent and data collection process
used. Additionally, if the actual data collection process differs from the proposed process
as described in Chapters 1 and 3 revise those chapters to reflect the actual process used.
Note that if data collection is performed in multiple phases, such as in a Delphi technique
or a mixed-method study, Chapter 4 should include subsections for each of these data
collection and data analysis phases.
Demographics
Describe the study participants by stating information such as gender, age range,
ethnicity, region, occupation, years of experience, or other relevant demographics. To
avoid confidentiality issues, collect and report age in ranges such as 20 to 30, 30 to 40,
and so forth. Include the demographic information as text, tables, or a combination or
text and tables. However, report the demographics individually without linking the
demographic data together or to a participant. For example, the reader should not be able
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to determine that Participant 1 was an Asian female teacher in her 30s who lives in the
North West region since this information may compromise confidentiality. For studies
that did not include primary data use an alternate heading such as “Data Sources” and
discuss the sources of the study data.
Pilot Study
(Include this section only for original quantitative instruments)
Original quantitative instruments require use of a pilot study to produce validity
and reliability data. For any research that included a pilot study report the results in this
section.
Data Analysis
Data analysis section must include a detailed description of the processes or
statistical techniques used for analysis of any primary or secondary data. If the actual data
analysis process was altered from the proposed process revise Chapters 1 and 3 to reflect
the procedures actually used. The description of data analysis steps should include a level
of detail that would allow a competent researcher to reproduce your analysis.
For narrative data analyze these data individually for each research question
rather than for each interview or questionnaire question. Similar to data collection, if the
analysis is performed in multiple phases, such as in a Delphi technique or a mixedmethod study, Chapter 4 should include subsections for each of these data analysis
phases.
