When I first learned about the research competency requirement of MNSU’s honors program, I was worried. Up to that point, all my experiences with research were science related; a subject I do not favor. As a business major, I felt this competency would be very difficult for me to complete, let alone enjoy. However, throughout my time in the honors program, I have learned that research is not just conducting science experiments. People conduct research informally each day in their own lives, and research is used to explore every aspect of life, not just science. Not only have I learned how to evaluate business-related research, but I have conducted business-related research of my own. It was the honors program that pushed me to explore this part of my major, and I am grateful it did.

              Despite having taken only two science courses at MNSU, I have completed several research papers in my business courses. One paper that stands out to me was from my leadership class where I defined the differences between leaders and managers. While collecting sources for this paper, I got a glimpse into how much research has been conducted on leadership in the business field. Scholars have been studying the characteristics of leaders for hundreds of years. There are many theories related to leadership, such as how to lead or when to lead, and all these theories are backed by research conducted by scientists as well as business professionals. In my paper, I combed through these different perspectives and stated what I believed a leader was based on my findings. As a business professional, I need to know how to find reliable sources of information and then make the best decision based on my findings. While I knew before the honors program that this would be an important aspect of managing, I never knew that this was technically research.

              Even though I completed these research papers, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to conduct a traditional research study related to business. In Spring 2022, I was accepted into MNSU’s undergraduate research apprenticeship program (RAP). This program allows students with no research experience to be paired with a professor to begin their journey into conducting research. Through this program, I developed research questions, distributed a survey, evaluated my survey findings, and then presented at a professional conference. I also thoroughly enjoyed the project since the topic was generational differences in the workplace. This experience was a true turning point in my relationship with research. I learned that research can be interesting and important in the business world.

              Although my time with the honors program is done, my experiences with research will not end. As I have progressed in my major, the importance of research in human resources has only been stressed more. HR professionals conduct research often, from training needs assessments, to job analyses, to finding trending recruitment methods. I know that I will be able to use the research skills I have gained to conduct this HR research, which will be a career advantage.