Format: double-spaced, 12-font size, in Times New Roman, and maximum 1 page.
Prompt for memo 1:
Develop two research questions/hypotheses related to formal organizations: (a) you must include an independent and dependent variable; (b) at least one variable must be at the organizational level.
For each research question/hypothesis: State what theory is suitable to study it (no need to explain). You can use the open-systems theories from Scott (2004) (“Reflections on a Half-Century of Organizational Sociology”), which I will cover in the first week. Or you can use theories you learned from other courses, but then you must show how it is relevant to organizations.
(a) State what method you will use to study each research question/hypothesis (e.g., ethnography, archival research, experiment, questionnaire, etc.). (b) Explain why your chosen research method is a good choice (doesn’t have to be the best) for studying this topic.
Tip 1: Students usually come up with broad/vague research questions. Try to ensure that your research questions are specific and narrow.
Tip 2: For more ideas on methods, you can refer to the material you covered in a research methods course, as well as the empirical readings in the syllabus.
