128 Research Alignment: Achieving Research Alignment in the Study

Table 9.6 T he Alignment Matrix for research alignment

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

Issues (subproblems) Objectives (subpurposes) Research Questions

Issue 1: Objective 1: Research Question 1:

Issue 2: Objective 2: Research Question 2:

Issue 3: Objective 3: Research Question 3:

Table 9.7 Example: The Alignment Matrix

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

The central problem to The purpose of this study The central problem to be
be researched by the is to investigate the issues researched is the shortage
proposed study is the affecting job satisfaction in the nursing field.
shortage in the nursing by nursing faculty There are three research
field. As a basis for this members in metropolitan questions that will guide
study, the researcher New York. The researcher this research.
identified the problem to has identified three
be threefold. primary objectives as a
basis for this study.

Problem (Issues) Purpose (Objectives) Research Questions

Issue 1: The first issue Objective 1: First, the Research Question 1:
identified as a basis for objective of this study is RQ1: How do nurses
this study is the question to examine the issue of job describe their experiences
of job satisfaction as satisfaction among nursing with job satisfaction on the
experienced by nursing faculty. nursing faculty?
faculty.
 Research Alignment: Achieving Research Alignment in the Study 129

Table 9.7 (Continued)

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

Issue 2: The second issue Objective 2: Second, the Research Question 2:

identified as the basis for objective of this study is RQ2: How do nurses
this research study is the to investigate the impact of describe their experiences
impact of low wages on the low wages on the nursing with the impact of low
lived experiences of job faculty wages on nursing faculty?
satisfaction by current
nursing faculty.
Issue 3: Lastly, the third Objective 3: Lastly, the Research Question 3:
issue identified affecting objective of this study is RQ3: How do nurses
the job satisfaction of to examine the complexities describe their experiences
the nursing faculty is the of the nursing faculty role. with the complexities of the
complexities of the faculty role. faculty role (Cook, 2017)?

Example 9.1

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

The central problem The purpose of this The central

identified in this study study is to investigate problem to
involves how principals the experiences of be researched
manage job stress. The 20 urban Central involves how
issue of how principals Texas school district principals
manage stress is K–​12 principals in manage job
threefold. encountering job stress. There are
stress, coping with this three research
stress and achieving questions that
work-​life balance. will guide this
The researcher research.
has identified three
primary objectives
for this qualitative
descriptive study.
130 Research Alignment: Achieving Research Alignment in the Study

Issues (subproblems) Objectives (subpurposes) Research Questions

Issue 1: First, there is Objective 1: First, the Research

the prevailing issue objective of this study Question 1:
concerning the effect is to investigate the RQ1: How do K–​
of principals’ job effect of principals’ 12 principals and
stress level. Stressed job stress level on their
administrators
workers are more subordinates and staff. describe their
likely to be unhealthy, experiences
less productive, of job stress
unmotivated and not in an urban
safe at work. Central Texas
school district
environment?
Issue 2: Second, there Objective 2: The Research
is the prevailing issue second objective is to Question 2:
concerning the lack investigate how job RQ2: How do K–​
of research on how stress affects principals’ 12 principals and
the job stress level can ability to use coping administrators
affect the principals’ skills. describe their
ability to use coping experiences of
skills. Many authors using coping
have investigated how skills for job
principals cope with stress in an urban
stress. Central Texas
school district
environment?
Issue 3: Lastly, there Objective 3: Lastly, the Research
is a prevailing issue final purpose of the Question 3:
concerning the impact qualitative study is to RQ3: How do K–​
that job stress can have investigate the impact 12 principals and
on how principals that job stress can have administrators
balance their work and on how principals describe their
home life. balance their work and experiences of
home life. coping with
work-​life balance
and job stress
in an urban
Central Texas
school district
environment
(Beltran, 2020)?
 Research Alignment: Achieving Research Alignment in the Study 131

Example 9.2

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

The central problem The purpose of this The central problem to

to be researched study is to investigate be researched is the
in the proposed how international lack of intercultural
study is the lack and domestic competence within
of intercultural students perceive the peer mentoring
competence effectiveness, if any, between international
within peer of peer mentoring students and domestic
mentoring between on intercultural students’ relationships
international competence at a and the lack of
students and Western, private, personal accounts of
domestic students’ Christian university students’ experience
relationships and in southern in a peer-​mentoring
the lack of personal California. This study program There
accounts of has three primary are three research
students’ experience objectives. questions that will
in a peer-​mentoring guide this research.
program. As a basis
for this study, the
researcher identified
the problem to be
threefold.

Issues (subproblems) Objectives (subpurposes) Research Questions

Issue 1: First, there Objective 1: The Research
is a lack of data first objective of this Question 1:
regarding the study is to identify RQ1: What are the
cultural challenges whether there are cultural challenges
with international cultural challenges faced by students
students’ experience that students face on in Christian higher
at a Christian a Christian university education?
university in campus and what
southern New York. these challenges
entail. This study will
include 30 students.
132 Research Alignment: Achieving Research Alignment in the Study

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

Issue 2: The second Objective 2: The Research

issue is the lack second objective Question 2:
of research on of this study RQ2: Does peer
the intercultural is to examine mentoring influence
competence and and interpret the intercultural
peer mentoring peer-​mentoring competence of
skills of domestic interactions between undergraduate,
students. international international and
and domestic domestic students in
undergraduate a private Christian
students and university and, if so,
their influence how?
on intercultural
competence.
Issue 3: Lastly, the Objective 3: Lastly, Research
researcher identified the third objective Question 3:
a lack of personal of the study is to RQ3: What are
accounts from examine the actual students’ experiences
students about their lived experiences during the American
experiences with of international International
a peer-​mentoring students through Mentoring program
program. their own words (Kwapong, 2021)?
on the effectiveness
of the American
International
Mentoring program.
 Research Alignment: Achieving Research Alignment in the Study 133

Example 9.3

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

The central problem The purpose of The central problem

identified by the this study is to identified by the
researcher is the issue determine whether researcher is the issue
of organizational a relationship exists of organizational
performance, between customer performance,
leadership and market leadership
and employee focus, employee and employee
empowerment. empowerment, empowerment. There
As a basis for this leaders’ openness are three research
study, the researcher to new business questions that will
identified three key strategies and guide this research.
problems demanding organizational
this investigation. performance in
transportation
companies located
on the west side
of Puerto Rico.
The researcher
has identified three
primary objectives
as a basis for this
study.

Issues (subproblems) Objectives (subpurposes) Research Questions

Issue 1: The first Objective 1: The Research

major problem first objective of Question 1:
identified as a basis this study is to RQ1: To what extent
for this study is the determine if there does a relationship
issue regarding is a relationship exist between
customer and market between customer customer and
focus and operational and market focus market focus and
performance in and organizational organizational
air transportation performance in performance?
organizations. air transportation
organizations.
134 Research Alignment: Achieving Research Alignment in the Study

Problem Statement Purpose Statement Research Statement

Issue 2: The second Objective 2: The Research

major problem as a second objective Question 2:
basis for this study of this study is to RQ2: To what
is the concerns determine if there extent does a
with employee is a relationship relationship exist
empowerment between employee between employee
and organizational empowerment empowerment
performance in and organizational and organizational
air transportation performance in performance?
organizations. air transportation
organizations.
Issue 3: The last major Objective 3: The Research
problem identified last objective of Question 3:
as a basis for this this study is to RQ3: To what extent
study is the issue determine if there does a relationship
relating to leaders’ is a relationship exist between leaders’
openness to new between leaders’ openness to new
business strategies openness to new business strategies
and organizational business strategies and organizational
performance in and organizational performance
air transportation performance in (Morales, 2017)?
organizations. air transportation
organizations.

Summary
The concept of alignment is relatively new in the research community. The goal
of achieving research alignment is important when it comes to research. This
chapter discussed the concept of alignment. Research alignment is a necessary
task to manage the dissertation. To achieve research alignment, it is imperative
that it be taught to both novice and experienced researchers. The purpose of this
chapter is to illustrate and discuss how to achieve research alignment in studies.
This chapter provided a model and template for developing research alignment
in a study.
The chapter discussed four key components. First, the chapter discussed the
meaning and definition of alignment. Second, the chapter discussed the basic
rules for alignment. Third, the chapter introduced two tools: the Statement Grid, for
developing problem statements and purpose statements, and the Alignment Matrix,
a tool used for aligning the problem statement, purpose statement and research
questions. Last, the chapter provided examples of alignment with all three. It is