The Evaluation of the Current State of Knowledge in the Field of Retail Management (Term Paper Sample)

Epistemological Assumptions
Name
Institution
Outline
Specific purpose: the main purpose of the final paper is to establish the epistemological assumptions of each main text the researcher used in the essay.
Introduction:
* In retail management, the time has come the change from a management style is now becoming more of a leadership style when it comes to training associate
Thesis: The evaluation of the current state of knowledge in the field of retail management
Description:
* This section of the essay will briefly describe the field of retail management, also identify, and summarize three scholarly texts in business and leadership, which are associated with retail business. The following are the three texts to be summarized and examined for epistemological assumptions.
* "Governance and Management of Horizontal Business Networks: Analysis of Retail Networks in Germany" by Wegner and Paula, examines significant elements in the growth and the success of horizontal business networks and their management and governance structures in Germany. The journal presents case studies f three different networks, which include Inters port (sports equipment), Expert (electronics and related industries), and ANWR (retail footwear, sporting goods and bicycles). The journal finally discusses the results of the findings, drawing conclusions on the governance and management structures on the retail networks also providing recommendations of the changes that should be made to ensure effective management in a retail business.
* "Retail Managers: Laissez-Faire Leadership Is Synonymous with Unsuccessful Conflict Management Styles," a journal by Etta and Arthur, where the researchers examined retail managers with an aim of understanding and determining their leadership styles in relation to conflict management in a retail business. Journal compares the transformational and Laissez Faire leadership styles among the participants, thus drawing conclusion of the study that managers that had Laissez Faire leadership styles showed significant and positive conflict management skills in their businesses. To ensure the results were good enough for the research, they used Multi Leadership Questioner (MLQ) and Conflict Management Styles (CMS) tools, which are the best in measuring leadership styles.
* "Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: the Road Ahead" by Bruce and Francis, describes the various types of leadership styles among them transformational, charismatic, and transactional leadership styles among retail managers. The journal also discusses the various components of the leadership styles; also, how the retail managers use them in a problematic business and in social context. Finally, the journal discusses leadership strategies and approaches for achieving positive results, and the implications for future research.
Analysis Part 1
* This section of the final paper will identify the epistemological approaches and assumptions of each above texts. In this case, the assumptions in each text will include operative paradigms and management practice, also determining whether the texts provided above are consistent with each other.
* The first journal above article portray pragmatic paradigm, where the researcher is free to study the field that interest them using different and appropriate methods.
* The second journal represents a post-positivity paradigm, where the positivists recognizes the paradigm that the theories, the background knowledge, and the hypothesis held by the researcher can strongly influence what is observed.
* The third journal is a perfect reflection of constructivist paradigm, where the researcher and the participant are involved in an interactive process as a mode of data collection.
* Therefore, this section will provide the characteristics of each journal paradigm and their epistemological assumptions.
Analysis Part 2:
* This section of the final paper will identify the weaknesses and the counterarguments to each journal. The analysis part 2 will also discuss the critics of each journal, also, what the critics object.
Synthesis:
* Finally, on the synthesis section, the paper will highlight which argument among the three journals is the most compelling and fully discusses its research in terms of retail management. In this case, the journal that will be discussed in the section will be "Retail Managers: Laissez-Faire Leadership Is Synonymous with Unsuccessful Conflict Management Styles.”
Conclusion
* On the conclusion, the paper will highlight how the leadership behavior affects the management of a retail business, and their ability to make decisions for the business. Still on the conclusion, there will be a highlight the various perceptions and preferences that mangers should undertake to ensure a management and governance structure that work for a business.
Annotated Bibliography
Kuhn, T. S. (2012). The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Kuhn is a science historian who revisits a past epoch in the history of science that it is to the sciences as they are practiced presently. He has properly developed the structure of scientific revolutions clearly with a normal science paradigm. The author develops the revolution of research to the present paradigms that researchers uses to develop their research; that is why the book will be essential in identifying the paradigm used in the journals identified in the final paper.
Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap…and others don’t. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
This book by Collins identifies the characteristics that destroy several common assumptions about what it takes to make a company be on top. In the book, the author argues that, the right people, in this case, the dedicated, innovative, and willing to push forwards are the people who will make a business successful. The book also demonstrates how companies tend to instill a soft-spoken and reserved leadership with professional skills since they get the job done than having a leader with macho leadership style. In his conclusions, his says that new technology, acquisitions, mergers, overpaid executive, or corporate restructuring does not make a business transition good to great but it is through good leadership that gets job done.