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Introduction
This paper will discuss the requirements for pursuing the role of academic researcher in conjunction with a managerial position. Naturally, a manager has a plethora of roles directly associated with their field of work, such as supervising the employees, setting tasks, checking their completion, and working on employee motivation, among others. However, managers can also be researchers and study the phenomena at their workplaces that allow addressing the challenges they face.
Managers Researchers
Typically, managers who acquire an MBA degree are prepared to complete tasks that require creative decision-making and entrepreneurial thinking. On the other hand, the students who complete the doctoral program in management are prepared for a role of a researcher, as studying the basics of research design and approaches to examining practical problems they face in their workplace is an integral part of this degree program. As such, the DBA students are prepared to examine the phenomenon behind a problem, develop a hypothesis, and test it using a suitable design (“DBA module 1,” n.d.). The result of these efforts is the creation of a model that helps resolve not only a single case problem but a wide range of similar issues.
A good example is the changing nature of the workplace, which is the result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), where managers have to find new ways of motivating employees. An MBA graduate would look at a single workplace situation and employ the existing models to help enhance the motivation and subsequent productivity of work for their subordinates. A DBA graduate, on the other hand, would strive to examine many examples of such issues, for instance, within one industry, such as transportation, where truck drivers are likely to be replaced by automated systems that coordinate the vehicle’s movement. The issue that the industry may face right now is that managers struggle to recruit drivers and motivate the existing ones for work since the latter understand that these jobs will be eliminated in the nearest future. Hence, a manager-researcher would examine industry reports, papers, and existing theories to create a model under which truck drivers can be recruited, for example, by offering them opportunities for learning and development considering the current conditions of the industry, as an example. Such a research-focused approach would require an examination of the underlying factors that impact people’s decision to select a certain job and the understanding of the driving forces behind these industry changes. However, the model developed using this approach could be applied by different companies and not only within a single institution where this manager works.
Considering this, it is also important to explain the difference between managers who pursue a Ph.D. degree, which also implies an enhanced understanding of research methods, and those who choose a DBA degree. The former is designed to prepare professionals to work as professors, which means that there is little practical research that these individuals will have to complete (“DBA module 1,” n.d.). Firstly, these examples show that managers incorporate a wide range of roles, from working for a company and making decisions regarding routine tasks to becoming a professor and resolving industry challenges through research and the creation of models. Secondly, this shows that managers of different levels face issues that require them to perform a study of some type, whether it is a workplace issue or an industry challenge. This shows that managers have a versatile set of tasks, responsibilities, capabilities, and roles. However, it is also important to consider how a manager can combine these different roles effectively where pursuing a research path does not affect their ability to complete their day-to-day tasks.
A DBA degree allows a manager to find the balance between the theory that all individuals pursuing a managerial degree learn and the practice since this degree allows one to develop the capability of noticing the practical issues at their workplace and applying the understanding of the research tools and methodologies to study these issues in depth. Moreover, with the enhanced emphasis on analytical skills development and systems thinking, DBA managers can really integrate what they learn into the practice setting and enhance the existing theory (“DBA module 1,” n.d.). Hence, a DBA degree allows managers to gain the competencies and skills they require to become effective managers with the capabilities of a researcher.
Next, it is important to understand what research is and what is the goal of such efforts. According to Akihito et al. (2017), research allows one to gain an understanding of an event or occurrence that they do not understand, for example, something that has no been studied before or an area where the amount of evidence is insufficient to make concrete conclusions. There are a variety of methods and types of research, such as quantitative and qualitative, each suitable for an exploration of a different phenomenon. For research to be valuable and valid, the researcher has to ensure that the design and methodology allow for eliminating any potential biases that can arise from their interpretation of the problem or from a research sample that is not diverse or representative of the population that would allow finding an answer. This requirement means that the manager has to have an advanced understanding of how research is conducted, what limitations should be considered, and what to keep in mind when completing the study. To achieve this, one has to complete a program that incorporates the development of research skills and requires one to learn about the basics of research design. Arguably, a manager without these capabilities and knowledge can complete a small-scale research study that would provide insight into a problem, but these capabilities would not be enough to work on a research study that would allow creation a model or framework for resolving a problem.
An understanding and compliance with the ethical standards for business research is another factor that is a necessity when considering the alignment between the role of a manager and that of a researcher. Mainly, there have been studies, the results of which were under criticism because of the questionable or biased design, such as the Stanford Prison Experiment. This experiment was designed in a way that prompted the violence and aggressive behavior of the guards, which means that in reality, the results of it are not very useful (Morelli & Perry, 2017). To avoid conducting a study, the researchers must understand the ways of properly staging the experiment, where the subjects are not aware of the phenomenon being studied directly, in case it affects the results, but where their safety and wellbeing are guaranteed. This can be achieved by applying business and research ethics principles and by, adhering to the standards of confidentiality and inflicting no harm on the subjects of a study.
Another factor that allows a manager to be a researcher as well as the knowledge and capabilities to interpret the collected data. For example, with quantitative studies, one has to possess sufficient analytical skills and an understanding of statistics to be able to interpret this information correctly. This includes knowledge about the different statistical elements, such as mean or median, and a comprehension of what these statistical elements may point to in a research study. While collecting data from appropriate sources and using adequate methods is important as it will directly have influence the presence of bias in the results, the ability to interpret this information is just as essential (Morelli & Perry, 2017). For this purpose, a wide range of validity and reliability tools has been created to address the potential problems and inconsistencies and to allow the researchers to identify inconsistencies in their findings. Moreover, qualitative research also requires individuals to use designated approaches to data interpretation, such as selecting keywords, finding patterns in the answers of the respondents, and other approaches (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). Without the use of these methodologies, the findings of the researcher will be limited to their personal interpretation of the issue and, therefore, biased. Hence, another capability of a manager that allows them to be a good researcher and combine the two roles is their knowledge and ability to use statistical analysis tools and methods to interpret their findings.
According to Henry Mintzberg, any manager performs a cluster of roles that allow them to work for their organization effectively (“Mintzberg’s managerial roles,” n.d.). In this regard, being a leader and entrepreneur, under Mintzberg’s classification, is helpful since such managers are interested in promoting the business and finding solutions to existing problems. However, this on its own is not enough to become a researcher since the latter requires specific knowledge and skill set. When combing the understanding of the traditional managerial roles and the specifics of the research studies, their preparation, and development, there is a set of requirements that allow one to be an effective researcher. For one, this manager has to have an excellent understanding of the theories that guide the practice of managerial work, such as the theories of motivation, leadership, organizational effectiveness, and others. In addition, there should be a sufficient comprehension of the statistics and research design methods that will allow this manager to come up with a question, create a research design, and carry out the study. Hence, in order for a manager to combine his managerial responsibilities with that of a researcher, they have to gain competence in ethics, research design, and statistics.
Creativity and systematic thinking should be mentioned as well when discussing the conjunction of an academic researcher with the role of a manager. Mainly, creativity and systematic thinking, as useful Morelli and Perry (2017) note, are the qualities that will allow a manager to spot a problem in the first place, which is the first step in developing a research study. A manager working for a company may know about a certain bottleneck in production but may be incapable of determining the systematic factors that cause this delay. In that case, this manager will be incapable of defining a research question and subsequently supporting their hypothesis with empirical evidence. In this regard, developing critical thinking skills becomes essential for such managers because this approach to reviewing issues predisposes them to be able to identify a problem and its potential causes.
In general, the plethora of factors that impact the manager’s capability of combining their role in conjunction with that of an academic researcher creates a challenge of holistic development. Mainly, such managers have to possess the qualities and knowledge from different fields, as was discussed previously. Apart from having a sufficient understanding of how research studies are designed and carried out, this manager has to be creative and think systematically to spot the problem in the first place. Hence, a holistic development approach, where a manager works on improving their knowledge in different areas, not only the ones directly linked to managerial work, is essential for creating a conjunction between the managerial and researcher roles.
Conclusion
In summary, Assessment 2 focuses on the issue of managers combining the role of a researcher and a leader in the organization who oversees task completion. Generally, most managers with an MBA degree are well-equipped to address the day-to-day challenges that arise in their organization, and they have the skills needed to find new solutions to emerging issues. However, this degree does not prepare an individual for conducting a study that would have an effect on the entire industry. A DBA graduate learns in-depth the specifics of conducting a research study, including the development of a hypothesis, choosing an appropriate methodology and design, selecting a sample, and other aspects required for trustworthy research. Hence, one way of combining the standard managerial roles with that of a researcher is by gaining competency in how to design and carry out a study and by developing critical thinking, thinking, and analytical skills. These goals can be achieved by completing a DBA program, which, unlike the Ph.D. or Master, is focused on teaching students how to notice issues in their workplace, study them, and develop models of an effective solution. A manager who develops holistically and earns competencies in fields other than management, including statistics, analysis, research design, critical thinking, and others, can combine their role with that of a researcher.
References
Akihito, T., Hiroyuki, Susumu, & Koichi. (2017). Role of managers in the fourth industrial revolution: From the viewpoint of comparing Japan and the United States (Japanese). Discussion Papers (Japanese). Web.
DBA Module 1. (n.d.). [Power Point Presentation].
Indeed Editorial team. (2021). Holistic approach in business: Definition, characteristics and benefits. Indeed. Web.
Mintzberg’s management roles. (n.d.). Web.
Morelli, J. & Perry, C. (2017). A manager/researcher can learn about professional practices in their workplace by using case research. Journal of Workplace Learning, 29(1), 49-64.
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