Choose resources wisely as they must be appropriate for academic research.
GBA 440 – Research Paper Guidelines and Topic Approval Process
This document contains the following information:
Guidelines for writing the Research Paper due in Module 7
A list of possible Research Paper topics
Guidelines for submitting your Research Paper Proposal (due as Assignment 2 in Module 3)
Grading rubric for the paper (on separate page at the end of the document)
Research Paper Guidelines
1. The paper is to be approximately 10 pages long as follows:
a. Page 1: Cover sheet
b. Page 2: Table of Contents (the listings on this page are to be used as the headings throughout
the paper)
c. Page 3: Abstract
d. Pages 4 through 9: Body of the paper (which includes an introduction with a clearly stated thesis
and a conclusion at the end of the paper)
e. Page 10: Resources
2. The paper is to be submitted to the Dropbox by the conclusion of Module 7. (This Dropbox basket is
linked to Turnitin.)
3. The paper is to be formatted per APA style; in general, this includes the following:
a. Text is to be double-spaced; do not add an extra space between paragraphs.
b. One-inch margins
c. 12-point, Times New Roman font
d. Page numbers (required)
e. Sources must be cited properly using APA style including a references page and intext/parenthetical citations throughout the paper.
f. Material borrowed verbatim (word-for-word) from resources must appear in quotation marks or in
an APA-style block quotation format.
Note: Per APA Guidelines, both quoted material and paraphrased ideas must be cited using a
reference to the author (or title of the article if the author is not identified) in the text (and/or
parenthetically) in the body of the paper. All sources referenced in the paper must appear on the
References page, and all sources listed on the References page must be referenced specifically
in the paper. Material borrowed verbatim must appear inside quotations marks, as necessary.
4. A minimum of five (5) different resources must be used in writing the paper. Research resources will
be limited to those available on the Internet (no Internet accessible books) and may be no more than
five (5) years old. This is to ensure that a topic relevant today is being addressed from a current
perspective. Avoid Internet subscriber services (such as material available only to AOL members or
e-magazine subscribers) and material with restricted access (such as material that may only be
accessed from systems running on some .mil or .gov domains).
5. Personal experience may be referenced sparingly in the paper, but must be supported by cited
research. One of the important aspects of this assignment is to use resource material properly.
Choose resources wisely as they must be appropriate for academic research. Blogs, Wikipedia, and
travel websites do not meet these criteria.
6. Avoid the use of “I” and “you.” (Avoid writing from the first person perspective.)
7. Saint Leo’s standard Academic Honesty policy applies.
8. The topic must be approved by the instructor and specifically related to international business and the
core values of community and/or personal development. Details of the approval process are included
below.
Possible Research Paper Topics
The list below contains possible topics. You can choose one of these as it is written, choose one and
modify it, or develop a topic of your own.
1. The cultural aspects of doing business in a specific foreign country. Identify and discuss business
management issues pertaining to business culture, business social situations, and business customs.
Subtopics might include meeting and greeting, the impact of religion, negotiations, gift-giving, dining
etiquette, private space, body language, and so forth.
2. Managing political risk in international business
3. International human resource management. You may want to choose a specific country or a specific
issue (e.g., women in business) on which to focus.
4. Management styles in international business
5. Select a company that conducts international business. Identify the company, provide a brief history
of the company with a focus on global business interests, explain the current global business
activities of the organization, and provide commentary on the operation. Possibilities include Infosys,
Nestlé, Wal-Mart, and IKEA. See the Name/Company index in the back of the textbook or search for
“Global 500 Fortune Magazine” on the Internet for ideas. Corporate websites and annual reports often
contain a plethora of relevant information.
6. NAFTA
7. European Union (EU)
8. Offshore production (e.g., in China) or offshore services (e.g., IT or customer call centers in India or
the Philippines)
Note: See below for the format to be used for the topic approval process. Read the document in its
entirety before submitting your proposal.
Research Paper Topic Approval Process
The topic approval process is intended to bring the student and instructor to a place of understanding as
to the topic approved and the requirements for the paper. The steps are as follows:
1. Identify a topic that interests you.
2. Perform some preliminary research to familiarize yourself with the topic and available sources.
3. Submit a proposal containing the information in the format below. This is due as Assignment 2 in
Module 3.
a. Topic
b. A brief description (three-to-four sentences) of what you anticipate writing about in your paper
c. Description of the relationship between your topic and the core values of community and/or
personal development
d. A list of five possible subtopics
e. A list of five sources you plan to use. You do not need a complete APA-style reference entry for
the topic approval process, though you will for the paper. Provide the title of the article and date
(if available) and the URL for the specific article (not the URL for the home page or an index
page). Limited use of the textbook is permitted; however, it should not be the primary source.
4. Grading will be based on the following:
a. Completeness of the proposal
b. Clarity of the writing
c. Appropriateness of the topic, subtopics, and resources
Proposal Format
Copy and paste the template below into a Word document and complete.
Student name:
Proposed topic:
Description of the topic (3-4 sentences):
Description of the relationship between your topic and the core values of community and/or personal
development
Proposed subtopic 1 and brief description:
Proposed subtopic 2 and brief description:
Proposed subtopic 3 and brief description:
Proposed subtopic 4 and brief description:
Proposed subtopic 5 and brief description:
(Note: The various subtopics are to be labeled in the paper; this will help keep the paper organized.)
Source 1
Title of article:
Date of publication (if available; use n.d. if not available):
Source 1 URL (must link directly to the article or show the path):
Source 2
Title of article:
Date of publication (if available; use n.d. if not available):
Source 2 URL (must link directly to the article or show the path):
Source 3
Title of article:
Date of publication (if available; use n.d. if not available):
Source 3 URL (must link directly to the article or show the path):
Source 4
Title of article:
Date of publication (if available; use n.d. if not available):
Source 4 URL (must link directly to the article or show the path):
Source 5
Title of article:
Date of publication (if available; use n.d. if not available):
Source 4 URL (must link directly to the article or show the path):
Respond to the following questions:
Have you used Turnitin for previous class assignments?
Are you familiar with Saint Leo’s Academic Honesty policy? (If not, see the syllabus.)
Research Paper Grading Rubric
Ratings:
Exceptional corresponds to an A (90-100). Performance is outstanding; significantly above the usual expectations.
Proficient corresponds to a grade of B- to B+ (80-89%). Skills are at the level of expectation.
Basic corresponds to a C to C+ (70-79%). Skills are acceptable but improvements are needed to meet expectations well.
Novice corresponds to a D to C- (60-69%). Performance is weak; the skills are not sufficiently demonstrated at this time.
0 This criterion is missing or not in evidence.
Competency Ratings and Points
0 Novice Basic Proficient Exceptional
1. Proficiency,
Knowledge, and
Research Depth
(20% of total score)
0-11
Does not use research
sources to support
premises.
12-13
Alludes to the research
sources to support
premises.
14-15
Refers to specific
examples from the
research sources to
support premises.
16-17
Supports premises with
specific examples from a
diverse source of
readings and research
sources.
18-20
2. Synthesis, Analysis,
and Comprehension
(20% of total score)
0-11
Does not integrate
personal observations or
knowledge.
12-13
Integrates personal
observations and
knowledge in a cursory
manner.
14-15
Integrates personal
observations and
knowledge in an accurate
way.
16-17
Integrates personal
observations and
knowledge in an accurate
and highly insightful way.
18-20
3. Demonstration of
Theory Knowledge and
Usage
(25% of total score)
0-14
Theoretical terminology is
not used.
15-16
Terminology is used in
some parts of the paper
but not in others. Some
statements may be
inaccurate.
17-19
Terminology is used
throughout the paper.
Statements are generally
accurate
20-22
Terminology is
consistently used
throughout the paper. All
statements are accurate.
23-25
4. Organization,
Formulation, Logic,
and Identification of
Key Points
(15% of total score)
0-8
Content is disorganized,
points of response are
not distinct, and
information is not logically
sequenced.
9
Content is somewhat
disorganized, points of
response are distinct, but
information is not logically
sequenced.
10-11
Content is organized,
points of response are
distinct, and information
is logically sequenced.
12-13
Content is organized,
points of response are
distinct, and information
is logically sequenced;
key points are made
obvious.
14-15
5. Grammar,
Composition, Word
Choice, Sentence
Structure, and
Terminology
(10% of total score)
0-5
Word choice and
sentence structure are
not suitable for universitylevel work. Regular
grammar and
composition errors.
6
Word choice and
sentence structure are
not suitable for universitylevel work. Periodic
grammar and
composition errors.
7
Word choice and
sentence structure are
suitable for universitylevel work. Minimal
grammar and
composition errors.
8
Word choice and
sentence structure are
suitable for universitylevel work. Grammar and
composition errors are
rare.
9-10
6. Formatting, Layout,
& APA Style
(10% of total score) 0-5
Regular APA errors.
6
Periodic APA errors.
7
Minimal APA errors.
8
APA errors are rare.
9-10
Total 100
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