Now that you have selected the company for the Company Culture Challenge, you will begin conducting research on the topic. Conducing research is an important skill to hone while in college as it will service you well in the business world. With more knowledge than ever at our fingertips with the internet, it is important to understand how to conduct research appropriately as not all information is valid, current, or helpful. In this discussion post, you will find articles and information regarding the topic your team is exploring for your Team Company Culture Challenge. You will then review the research with your team to use it in Part 1 of your assignment. Tips for Conducting Research Be aware of the date articles/content was created Older articles can give historical information, however, stats and concepts can be outdated. Articles created in the last year are usually more accurate when conducting research. However, be aware that even when an article is recent, you need to look at the date of stats presented in the article as well to ensure they are still relevant. You can use filters in Google.com to find news pieces, scholarly articles, as well as more recent pieces. Use “advanced search” as a tool when conducting research. Make sure that sites you visit are credible. .gov sites and .org sites are usually more based in fact and can be a good starting point. News sites such as Forbes. New York Times, and Business Insider are also good places to start. Make sure you verify statistics to see if they are current on various sources. Just because one person/source states a statistic does not mean it is accurate. Be cautious of opinion pieces. Use library resources to conduct research – https://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/subject-guide/281-Business (Links to an external site.) Make sure to track all of the sources you use for later reference. Questions to Consider When Conducting Research Based on the Challenge prompt: What are the statistics on this topic? Historically, what has been done to address this problem? What has worked/What hasn’t worked? What does the industry look like in Portland? What are current trends/historical trends? What policies affect this specific company culture challenge? What are the company specifics? Mission/Vision/Values Demographics Company Culture Reviews (both customer reviews and employee reviews) News articles/headlines Note – This list is not exhaustive. Consider other questions in your research as well. Directions Part 1: Initial Discussion Board Post – Step 1: Work with your team to create a list of questions/topics to be researched. Step 2: Decide as a team who will research what. Step 3: Conduct your research (including at least 5 sources) and then answer the following questions. What company are you focusing on for this challenge? What specific area of research did you focus on for this discussion board? What were you trying to find out? Be specific and detailed. What 8 things did you learn from your research? Provide details. What surprised you from your research? Provide each of your sources. (links)
