MBA Capstone Project: Create a 15–20 page capstone paper

Create a 15–20 page capstone paper that analyzes a business topic and provides recommendations and is supported with credible resources that demonstrate evidence-based thinking.

Introduction
Throughout your MBA program, you have worked to develop as a business professional and prepare to meet future challenges as a business leader. Your program culminates in the capstone project, which forms the primary focus of this course, the final course you will take in the program. The capstone project is intended to provide for you the opportunity to demonstrate your MBA program outcomes in these ways:

Planning and executing the strategic and tactical elements of a comprehensive project.
Integrating and demonstrating the business leadership skills and techniques you have learned throughout the MBA program and your own growth as a business leader.
Communicating your analysis and recommendations for a real organization both in written form and in a formal presentation.
Completing your MBA program with an experience that reinforces what you have learned throughout your MBA program.
Instructions
For complete details, refer to the MBA Capstone Project Description [PDF] and scoring guide. Your capstone project should address these expectations:

Apply foundational knowledge and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
Integrate information across disciplines from differing perspectives.
Develop logical, well-supported, evidence-based solutions to business challenges and opportunities.
Apply innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning.
Apply leadership and collaboration principles and strategies for virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
Integrate principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions.
Communicate clearly and effectively in a business environment.
Additional Expectations
Include an executive summary following your cover page.
Include various body sections that contain the analysis and recommendations.
Include a conclusion that summarizes main points of the paper.
As an MBA student, you have access to a free subscription to the Wall Street Journal. Take advantage of that subscription, and do some of your research in the Wall Street Journal. Try to include at least one source from the Wall Street Journal in your final draft.

Submission Requirements
Your assessment should also meet the following requirements:

Style: Your paper should follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines (available in the MBA Program Resources), including single-spaced paragraphs. Use a professional writing style.
Communication: Ensure written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message and quality.
APA guidelines: Format your citations according to current APA style.
Resources: Use at least six citations from credible sources.
Length: Your paper should be 15–20 pages, not including front and back matter (cover page, executive summary, table of contents, references, appendices). Papers that do not meet this minimum will be immediately returned for revision.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

Competency 1: Apply foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
Apply foundational knowledge and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
Competency 2: Integrate information across disciplines and from differing perspectives.
Integrate most relevant supportive and conflicting information (data, insights, best practices) across disciplines from differing primary functional perspectives individually and holistically.
Competency 3: Think critically and analytically to provide evidence-based solutions to business challenges and opportunities.
Develop logical, well-supported solutions based on relevant, sound, logical, and credible evidence (data, insights, analyses, best practices) to solve business challenges and opportunities.
Competency 4: Apply innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning.
Apply innovative, strategic, and sustainable (long-term) approaches to business practice and planning.
Competency 5: Lead and collaborate in virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
Apply leadership and collaboration principles and strategies for virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
Competency 6: Integrate principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions.
Integrate principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions by assessing ethical implications and resolving ethical conflicts and dilemmas.
Competency 7: Communicate clearly and effectively in a business environment.
Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a business professional.

Scoring Guide
Use the scoring guide to understand how your assessment will be evaluated.

Criterion 1
Apply foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
Distinguished
Applies a balance of theoretical and practical foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and an in-depth understanding of a full range of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines. Justifies approach to integrating foundational knowledge, business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.

Criterion 2
Integrate most relevant supportive and conflicting information (data, insights, best practices) across disciplines from differing primary functional perspectives individually and holistically.
Distinguished
Evaluates supportive and conflicting information (data, insights, best practices) integrating insights across disciplines from multiple diverse functional and strategic perspectives individually and holistically.

Criterion 3
Develop logical, well-supported solutions based on relevant, sound, logical, and credible evidence (data, insights, analyses, best practices) to solve business challenges and opportunities.
Distinguished
Develops logical, well-supported solutions based on relevant, sound, logical, and credible evidence (data, insights, analyses, best practices) to systematically solve business challenges and opportunities relevant to all applicable stakeholders and cross-functional departments.

Criterion 4
Apply innovative, strategic, and sustainable (long-term) approaches to business practice and planning.
Distinguished
Integrates and justifies innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning that appropriately challenge the status quo while recognizing change management implications.

Criterion 5
Apply leadership and collaboration principles and strategies for virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
Distinguished
Assesses leadership and collaboration principles, strategies, and opportunities in virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments and integrates flexible perspectives and collaborative approaches in business.

Criterion 6
Integrate principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions by assessing ethical implications and resolving ethical conflicts and dilemmas.
Distinguished
Integrates principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions by assessing ethical implications, resolving ethical conflicts and dilemmas, and making right and just decisions for the organization and the larger business community.

Criterion 7
Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a business professional.
Distinguished
Writes coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a business professional; writing is free from errors and formatted appropriately for the purpose or audience.