Management Research Proposal Proforma Order Instructions: Please follow the following instructions exactly and try to modify what the instructor feedback:

1. Just for the first part! it needs to be really clear in your opening chapter, EXACTLY what it is you are going to be researching, and you have not yet focused down enough, or made clear, what this is. For example, there is existing literature about staff motivation. A common example is the work of Frederick Herzberg. Are you, for example, going to examine his work (which was mostly conducted amongst junior management and first line supervisors, in 1960s white America, at a time when America dominated world production), and compare his motivators and hygiene factors with the results of a similar survey amongst ex-pats or Qatari workers in Qatar? Or what, exactly? Sort out the issues.

2. Please answer all the instructor questions, thoughts and amendments. Have a look at these and fix them.

3. Please read the paper and correct all the mistakes.

4. All the references MUST be in Harvard style.

5. Please make sure that the total word does not exceed 3500 words.

Management Research Proposal Proforma SAMPLE ANSWER

MANAGEMENT DISSERTATION PROPOSAL PROFORMA

Chapter One:

Aim, objectives, and feasibility of the dissertation

1.0 Background Information:

Among the Gulf Cooperation Council members (GCC), Qatar is considered to have weathered the reduction in the global demand for petroleum products following the market glut. However, the 70 percent decline in global oil prices in 2015 has shaken the economy of the nation (Milmo, 2016, pp.38). This has resulted in the state running below its budget threshold into a budget deficit of close to $13 billion, a figure that is equivalent to 0.8% of the economy’s GDP.

For a developed economy such as that of Qatar, a relative dependence on oil and its products as inputs in the state’s industries are likely to result in the deplete in these prices, an aspect that would equally decrease the related input costs of this product (Milmo, 2016, pp.39). Qatar is considered to be a developed country, Although it has vast wealth due to its oil abundance, the economy is not widely diversified like that of developed nations, and on the Gini Index (The Gini coefficient is a number between 0 and 1, where 0 corresponds with perfect equality (where everyone has the same income) and 1 corresponds with perfect inequality (where one person has all the income—and everyone else has zero income) it has a score of 0.41, whereas developed countries tend to be around 0.3, so it still has a long way to go in getting the income of its population more equal (Byun, & Hollander, 2015, pp.156).

Apart from oil it lacks natural resources and has a climate that makes developing industry very difficult. Alternatively, the input costs are also likely to decrease thus decreasing the cost of production and unemployment rates of this state. Although the QR should have been vastly lowered following the slump in oil process, it is the ruling family’s and the Bank’s policy to peg the QR against the US Dollar at a rate of around 3.5 to the US$ – this means that imported goods for the oil industry will not fall in price, nor will the pay of expats, an aspect that will affect see the flooding of the product in the market (Oglend, et.al.pp.267).   As a result of the development of energy efficient policies for the last decades, the tendency towards the world has changed into the consumption of greener technology, an aspect that has decreased the consumption of oil. Production output has additionally decreased as Saudi Arabia is trying to make the US move to shale oil gas uneconomic. According to Jaffe, & Elass, 2015:

Saudi Arabia’s efforts are aimed at buying oil in large quantities from OPEC, but this has so far not worked and none of the other OPEC members have lowered their production output. Jaffe estimates that there are economies around the world that have the equivalent amount of oil to meet that country’s demand for three years out of its average reserves.  This hardly indicates that we are decreasing demand – and mainly fuelled by SE Asia, demand is still expected to rise well into the 2020s (pp.17)

According to existing literature, more focus has initially been turned towards the relationship between internal and external factors that affect the performance of employees within oil and gas companies in well-developed states such as Qatar, especially in the wake of price drops, a factor that this research study aims to establish. This study is of interest primarily because it seeks to establish some of the challenges faced by employees within the oil dependent economies, an aspect that would determine approaches of solving such issues (Oglend, et.al.pp.267). The insights gained from this study will, therefore, be employed in management with the aim of enhancing the managerial practices directed towards enhancing the performance of employees.

The study is significantly tied to the concept of human resource management and the theory of employee performance is critically studied to contract their relevance to the functions of an organization amidst oil and gas price drops. These theories will address the essence of HRM functions and their need in enhancing the performance of employees within the oil and gas industries in Qatar.

Aims of the Study

It is essential to determine that the performance of employees within an organization departmental, managerial and leadership levels impact the goals of such organizations positively or negatively. In this case, the performance of employees can be affected by several elements in a work environment. This study therefore aims at drawing focus on some of the internal and external challenges the employees working in oil and gas company experience especially when the deplete in oil prices hit an economy such as Qatar. The study will alternatively detail some of the variables affecting the performance of employees both internally and externally.

Management Research Proposal Proforma Research Question

1. What are the internal factors that affect the performance of employees within oil and gas companies within well-developed states such as Qatar in the rise of oil price drops?
2. What are the external factors that affect the performance of employees within oil and gas companies undeveloped states as a result of the rise of oil price drops?
3. What are the approaches that can be employed in solving the internal and external factors that affect the performance of employees in these companies as a result of drops in oil prices?

Research Objectives

The primary objectives of this study include:

1. Establish the internal and external factors that impact employee performance in oil and gas companies in the state of Qatar following the drop in oil prices.
2. Establish appropriate recommendations and conclusions that identify approaches of solving the negative impacts of these factors on the performance of employees within organizations in Qatar.

The Feasibility of the Study

In meeting the objective of this study, a culmination of the necessary resources required has been achieved. The study will gain access to the requisite data by collecting information from other research respondents through a survey and questionnaire that will be distributed to 200 respondents that have worked in the gas and oil industries in Qatar.

The survey and questionnaire will be distributed online to enhance the process of data collection. A consent letter has been granted from our organization that permits this study with a similar developed to provide to the respondents in getting their consent to conduct this study. The respondents of this study have shown a willingness by accepting to engage in the study that will be conducted within a timeframe of 7 months.

Management Research Proposal Proforma Literature Review

After the decision of GCC in 2014 not to cut the production of oil following the drop in oil prices, the cost of a barrel of oil has significantly fallen to its lowest since 2015. According to Malmo (2016), the drop in oil prices in this case affects the economy of this state since the stock markets around the world are significantly affected by these drops (pp.38). The decrease in oil prices in Qatar was brought about by several factors that include: GCC’s changing policy objectives, the increasing decline in global oil product demands, and an increase in oil production among other economies. Additionally, the decrease in GCC’s geopolitical concerns that appertain to supply disruptions in other countries that depend on oil from Qatar is also another challenge that result attributed to the drop in oil prices.

Krane (2015) on the other hand supports the views of Milmo (2016) by stating that in as much as several importing counties have immensely benefited from the drops in oil prices, the effects and impacts of these price drops may not be positive worldwide (pp.16). This can be depicted in the fact that some of the leading oil producing states such as Qatar struggle in maintaining their economy and stability as a result of declines in oil revenues(‘United Arab Emirates Oil & Gas Report’ 2015, pp.110). As a result of the destabilizing effects that result from a drop in oil prices, serious implications for companies and their workforce are considered to be immense.

Smead (2015), states that a decrease in oil prices has the capacity to significantly strengthen the dollar, a factor that would affect other corresponding currency of Qatar as a result of the state’s dependence on commodity exports (pp.85). As a result of oil drops to a state’s financial assets to oil, widespread default on companies are likely to be experienced. This is attributed to the fact that the precipitation of financial contagion may result to instabilities in such organizations.

However, Marais (2016) contrasts to the views of other authors since he alleges that Qatar significantly seems to be immune to the effects of price drops in its oil products. According to this author, the economic performance of Qatar is still strong even with the drop in oil prices, an aspect that is attributed to the state’s expansion in other entities such as the non-hydrocarbon industry (‘Qatar Oil & Gas Report’ 2015, pp.65). This industry is considered to drive the state’s economic momentum, thus propelling the spending made on investments. On the other hand, Breunig, & Tse Chern, (2015) also points to Qatar’s construction and banking industries as robust in recording the state’s economic growth (pp.114).

Webb, Jeffrey, & Schulz (2011) points out to the fact that employees are the organizations resource and need to be properly compensated in order to achieve the goals of an organization. As detailed initially, the development of the HRM approach is vitally based on approaches aimed at utilizing people and treating them as resources in order to realize an organizations objectives (pp.212). This clearly denotes the functional role of HRM within these organizations, an effort directed towards initiating high performance work systems. This aspect consequently entails linking the workforce in different departments within an organization. Thus, oil and gas companies incorporate the use of effective HRM systems to increase their competitive nature through an investment in employee development.

The concept of employee performance is on the other hand associated with the workforce’s ability to achieve quality in relation to output, the presence of employees on the job, the timeliness of the output, and the effectiveness of the work completed Fedor, & Rensvold, (2012) states that an efficient leadership style has a bearing that encourages employee performance (pp.790). On the other hand, Lin (2011) states and supports the views of this author by asserting that employee performance involves the successful completion of duties and responsibilities as developed by the supervisors of an organization (pp.895).  In this case, the performance of employees according to these authors may be considered in the perspective of three elements that enables them to perform better, with the determinacy of their performance considered as wholly dependent on their declarative knowledge, motivations and procedural knowledge. In short, it is essential to establish that efficient HR practices have a positive impact on the performance of employees within an organization.

As a result of the drops in oil prices in Qatar, Das, Smith, Hennigan, & Yeager (2013) notes that there are five internal human resource management practices that affect the performance of employees. This consequently includes organizations efforts directed towards eliminating recruitment packages and competitive compensation levels, the elimination of training and development, including personal appraisals and the layoff of staff members with the aim of stabilizing the functions of these organizations (pp.52). In this case, organizations are forced to restructure their systems and functions during such periods in order to remain competitive in the market as stated by Hu, & Kaplan, (2015):

The sharp decline in oil prices has tipped several companies into recession, an aspect that has slumped investment levels within the oil and gas industry. Several employees have been laid off as a result of this slump, thus affecting the functions of HRM within the organizations. In this journal, the author suggestively points out that the layoffs of employees within this sector, thus affecting the production of goods and services within these projects such as oil and gas ripping services, engineering and construction services (pp.125).

The crush in oil prices has seen employees in organizations in the state of Qatar experience external issues that impact their performance. Jaffe, & Elass, (2015) purports that the drop in oil prices has seen the cancellation of a series of projects within the energy companies proposals, a factor that has resulted in job cuts. Several expatriates have also left Qatar for holidays and letting their families stay at home. According to this author, these results from the outcome of these companies’ efforts aimed at establishing the right sizing of their organizations human resources (pp.125). Oil companies in this region have therefore taken steps in downsizing and cancelling their projects as an approach of cushioning the workforce on the impact of the falling oil prices. Hu, & Kaplan (2015) supports the views of this author by pointing out to several companies in Qatar denounced the renewal of their contracts with other companies such that the European energy company since these companies are not sure whether they would get enough projects to supplement the needs of its employees.

In addition to this, the depression in oil prices has also seen oilfield service companies and their sub-contractors suffer from some of the huge drop in their organizational activities, thus impacting the performance of employees. Instances of reductions in spending on staffs on pertinent activities such as training and development, motivation and empowerment have been ripped off by organizations as a result of low incomes received by these companies (Salehi, Save, Nel, & Almquist, 2015, pp.47). The drops in oil prices have also seen several employees in companies dealing in oil and gas encounter an increase in financial pressures. This results from the swelling prices of products and services within the Emirates economy of this nation, an aspect that has affected these employees immensely. As a result of the scope of staff cuts, the citizens of Qatar working in these companies have been rendered jobless, thus their survival has turned out to be challenging.

The low levels of oil prices are likely to result in a new market equilibrium that is depicted to last longer as compared to the short-term price limitations that occurred in 2008-2009. As a result of this current situation, all the net oil exporters in Qatar are predicted to face challenges in adjusting to the macro-and microeconomic factors, an element that affects several oil producing companies and their employees.

Qatar primary depends on oil for several purposes that include planting its fields, powering cars, operating some of its oil-powered irrigation systems and to be used as raw materials in the production of different products that include fabrics and medicines (Kilian, & Lewis, 2011, pp.1048). Several industries have therefore been developed that produce products that are consumed by the population in this nation, an aspect that has seen the employment of several workers from the country.

When the prices of oil are low, the production of several products in considered to decline, thus leading to a series of secondary effects such as job looses, debt defaults as a result of deflation, the loss of letters of credit that are required by exporters and the decline in oil exporters (Kilian, & Lewis, 2011, pp.1049). The low oil price makes it more challenging for drillers to repay their loans that are taken to enhance the process. These results in lower cash flows and interest rates on some of the new loans that is consequently higher thus affecting different individuals who would require loans from banks.

Once the deplete in oil prices are experienced in states such as Qatar, the prices of different commodities also fall to levels that make different products available for consumers, an element that cuts down the shares of production on different commodities(Kilian, & Vigfusson, 2011, pp.336). When the production of commodities drops and prices are fixed on the concept of affordability, an aspect that cuts back on several aspects such as housing, food, and cars, thus impacting the employees of different organizations is experienced.

Research Methodology and Methods

This study will therefore use the interpretivism approach as an epistemological stance that believed in reality as relative and multifaceted. The knowledge acquired from this study is socially constructed with the aim of developing an understanding and interpretation of the factors that affect the performance of employees in oil and gas companies rather than a generalized cause and effect. The study is consequently open to new knowledge that aims to develop it further with the help of informants.

This study will use the quantitative research method in analyzing and establishing some of the factors that affect the performance of employees in oil and gas companies in the state of Qatar following the drop in oil prices. The qualitative research method will therefore give an explanation of these phenomena through the collection of numerical data that will be analyzed through a mathematical method in particular reference to statistics (Ngulube, 2015, pp.130).

For the primary purpose of this study, the performance of employees will be gagged as a dependent variable while the factors that affect their performance viewed as independent variables.

To address the studies objective, the research will use questionnaires in the collection of data. Questionnaires are considered as the primary source that aids in obtaining data for a research endeavor.  In view of this, the research will design an efficient questionnaire that is valid, unambiguous and reliable (Ngulube, 2015, pp.130). The study will therefore make use of a series of questions that will be developed to find out the required information that will be filled by the participants. The participants will fill these questionnaires either through written forms or through an online survey that will allow the respondents to answer the research questions.

In order to improve the validity of the data that will control the respondent’s answers as detailed in the research questions and objectives, the study will make use of a high-structured questionnaire. It is essential to establish that the culture of employees in Qatar depicts the hesitation of people in expressing their views, feelings, assessments, or their advice in a straightforward manner (Ngulube, 2015, pp.130). However, through the use of questionnaires, the element of anonymity on all the respondent of the study will be considered since the information of the participants will be confidential. This will allow the respondents to feel free in giving their views honestly, an aspect that will establish the reliability of collected data.

In consideration of this research approach, the collection of relevant data will depend upon the choice of the right respondents within several organizations. The research will therefore issue 200 questionnaires to the respondents and employees of these companies within this research area (Ngulube, 2015, pp.130). Data collection will primarily be done by taking into account the organizations involved in the study, with a population of 200 employees targeted within the oil and gas industry in Qatar. On the other hand, the survey will use close-ended questionnaires that will be designed to aid data collection. The questionnaire will be designed through the formulation of close ended questions that will maximize the margins in establishing the factors that impact the performance of employees in these companies.

Key Findings of the Research Study

As detailed in the findings of this study, it has been established that employees remain of significance within the functions of an organization and need to be adequately compensated in order to achieve the goals of an organization (Das, Smith, Hennigan & Yeager, 2013, pp.54). According to the findings of this study, the HRM functions contribute to high performances within the work environment, an element that can be achieved when the functions of HRM are incorporated within an organization. In this case, oil and gas companies use HRM functions and systems with the aim of improving their competitive nature, an aspect that can be achieved when investments are made on the development of employees.

However, the drop in oil prices has been noted as significant in affecting the manner in which organizations dispense their HRM functions. The study established that some of the internal factors that affect the performances of employees within oil and gas industries. These factors include the efforts of these organizations to eliminate recruitment packages and competitive compensations, training and development, job cuts and personal appraisals with the aim of right sizing organizations (Das, et.al.pp.54, 2013). Organizations are in this case forced to structure their functions by limiting the activities of HRM in order to stabilize during such economic period.

On the other hand, the study established that there are external factors that also affect the performance of employees within oil and gas industries in Qatar. The drop in oil prices has resulted in the cancellation of several projects within energy industries, an aspect that has resulted in heavy job cuts thus affecting different employees and their families(Das, Smith, et.al.pp.54, 2013). Efforts of companies to downsize their employees have resulted in unemployment, an aspect that has affected the economy of this state. On the other hand, a huge drop in the activities of organizations has been experienced as a result of these price drops, an aspect that has ripped off the element of motivation and empowerment of employees due to the low income levels achieved.

Recommendations and Conclusions

Qatar is considered to have weathered the reduction of the global demand for petroleum products following the markets glut. For a developed economy such as that of Qatar, a relative dependence on oil and its products as inputs in the state’s industries are likely to result in the reduction of oil product prices, an aspect that would equally decrease the related input costs of this product. It is therefore significant for the emirate economy to consider diverting its attention to other industries such as the infrastructural development industry and the construction industry in stemming the impact of price fluctuations in the oil industry. On the other hand, organizations and companies operating within the oil and gas industry need to establish the need to invest in other activities and markets, also taking into consideration the essence of HRM practices in elevating the performance of employees.

4.     Timing mileposts

 Management Research Proposal Proforma References

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