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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY'S BUSI 710, THE DISCUSSION THREAD: PROBLEM
STATEMENT DEVELOPMENT EXAM PREP 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
Part I: Problem Statement Fundamentals (Questions 1–25)
1. According to BUSI 710 course requirements, the primary function of a doctoral-
level problem statement is to do which of the following?
A. Provide a comprehensive review of all existing literature on a topic.
B. Articulate a specific, researchable issue that justifies the need for a study.
C. Present the researcher's personal opinion about an organizational challenge.
D. Summarize the entire dissertation in a single paragraph.
Rationale: The problem statement must identify a researchable issue and provide
justification for the study, not serve as a literature review or opinion piece.
2. In the BUSI 710 template, the problem statement must demonstrate a gap
between existing literature and what other element?
A. The researcher's personal experience.
B. Effective business practice.
C. Government regulations.
D. Competitors' financial performance.
Rationale: The background section must demonstrate a gap between the existing
literature in the cognate field and effective business practice.
3. A well-constructed problem statement in BUSI 710 should be presented in
which format?
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A. A bulleted list of research questions.
B. A single paragraph of less than 250 words.
C. A multi-page narrative with extensive citations.
D. A table comparing multiple organizations.
Rationale: The problem statement must be clear, concise, and presented in a
single paragraph with less than 250 words.
4. Which of the following best distinguishes a general problem from a specific
problem in the BUSI 710 framework?
A. The general problem is narrow and local; the specific problem is broad and
global.
B. The general problem is broad and affects many organizations; the specific
problem narrows the focus to a particular population.
C. Both problems must address the same population and scope.
D. The specific problem is optional and may be omitted.
Rationale: The general problem is overarching and proven by multiple sources,
while the specific problem is a narrowly focused, practical subset.
5. Why does the BUSI 710 template require the specific problem to be a subset of
the general problem?
A. To ensure the study remains broad and unmanageable.
B. To make the study practical within the constraints of the program.
C. To eliminate the need for scholarly support.
D. To avoid aligning the problem with the research questions.
Rationale: The specific problem must be practical to study within program
constraints.
6. What is the primary role of consequences in the general problem sentence?
A. To list every possible outcome without evidence.
B. To provide a broad but clear statement of negative outcomes resulting from
the problem.
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C. To replace the need for scholarly citations.
D. To introduce the researcher's hypothesis.
Rationale: The consequences clause must clearly state the negative outcomes
that result from the general problem.
7. Which of the following is a required characteristic of the problem statement's
scholarly foundation?
A. It may rely on secondary sources and textbooks.
B. It must use only primary scholarly sources published within five years.
C. It should prioritize older seminal works over recent research.
D. It can include blog posts and industry reports.
Rationale: Only primary scholarly sources published within five years may be used
in the problem statement section.
8. The problem statement in BUSI 710 must logically lead into which subsequent
component?
A. The reference list.
B. The purpose statement and research questions.
C. The appendices.
D. The biblical integration section only.
Rationale: The problem statement provides the foundation for the purpose
statement and research questions, which must align with it.
9. A problem statement that describes a broad industry challenge but fails to
identify a local population is deficient because it does which of the following?
A. It includes too many scholarly citations.
B. It lacks a specific problem that is practical to study.
C. It focuses too narrowly on a single organization.
D. It integrates biblical principles prematurely.
Rationale: The specific problem must narrow the focus to a particular population,
making the study feasible.
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10. Which of the following best describes the relationship between the problem
statement and the background of the problem?
A. The background replaces the need for a problem statement.
B. The background contextualizes the problem and demonstrates its
significance.
C. The problem statement must be written before the background is considered.
D. They are identical sections with different headings.
Rationale: The background provides context and demonstrates that the study
addresses a significant applied business problem.
11. In the BUSI 710 template, the problem statement must begin with which exact
phrase?
A. "This study will investigate..."
B. "The general problem to be addressed is..."
C. "The purpose of this research is to..."
D. "Existing literature suggests that..."
Rationale: The first sentence must begin with the mandated phrase "The general
problem to be addressed is...".
12. The problem statement must end with which exact phrase?
A. "...and this concludes the problem statement."
B. "The specific problem to be addressed is the potential... possibly resulting
in..."
C. "...which will be explored in the research questions."
D. "...as demonstrated by the following citations."
Rationale: The problem statement must end with the specified closing phrase that
introduces the specific problem.
13. Why is the phrase "possibly resulting in" used in the specific problem
sentence?
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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY'S BUSI 710, THE DISCUSSION THREAD: PROBLEM
STATEMENT DEVELOPMENT EXAM PREP 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
Part I: Problem Statement Fundamentals (Questions 1–25)
1. According to BUSI 710 course requirements, the primary function of a doctoral-
level problem statement is to do which of the following?
A. Provide a comprehensive review of all existing literature on a topic.
B. Articulate a specific, researchable issue that justifies the need for a study.
C. Present the researcher's personal opinion about an organizational challenge.
D. Summarize the entire dissertation in a single paragraph.
Rationale: The problem statement must identify a researchable issue and provide
justification for the study, not serve as a literature review or opinion piece.
2. In the BUSI 710 template, the problem statement must demonstrate a gap
between existing literature and what other element?
A. The researcher's personal experience.
B. Effective business practice.
C. Government regulations.
D. Competitors' financial performance.
Rationale: The background section must demonstrate a gap between the existing
literature in the cognate field and effective business practice.
3. A well-constructed problem statement in BUSI 710 should be presented in
which format?
1|Page
,Page 2 of 73
A. A bulleted list of research questions.
B. A single paragraph of less than 250 words.
C. A multi-page narrative with extensive citations.
D. A table comparing multiple organizations.
Rationale: The problem statement must be clear, concise, and presented in a
single paragraph with less than 250 words.
4. Which of the following best distinguishes a general problem from a specific
problem in the BUSI 710 framework?
A. The general problem is narrow and local; the specific problem is broad and
global.
B. The general problem is broad and affects many organizations; the specific
problem narrows the focus to a particular population.
C. Both problems must address the same population and scope.
D. The specific problem is optional and may be omitted.
Rationale: The general problem is overarching and proven by multiple sources,
while the specific problem is a narrowly focused, practical subset.
5. Why does the BUSI 710 template require the specific problem to be a subset of
the general problem?
A. To ensure the study remains broad and unmanageable.
B. To make the study practical within the constraints of the program.
C. To eliminate the need for scholarly support.
D. To avoid aligning the problem with the research questions.
Rationale: The specific problem must be practical to study within program
constraints.
6. What is the primary role of consequences in the general problem sentence?
A. To list every possible outcome without evidence.
B. To provide a broad but clear statement of negative outcomes resulting from
the problem.
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,Page 3 of 73
C. To replace the need for scholarly citations.
D. To introduce the researcher's hypothesis.
Rationale: The consequences clause must clearly state the negative outcomes
that result from the general problem.
7. Which of the following is a required characteristic of the problem statement's
scholarly foundation?
A. It may rely on secondary sources and textbooks.
B. It must use only primary scholarly sources published within five years.
C. It should prioritize older seminal works over recent research.
D. It can include blog posts and industry reports.
Rationale: Only primary scholarly sources published within five years may be used
in the problem statement section.
8. The problem statement in BUSI 710 must logically lead into which subsequent
component?
A. The reference list.
B. The purpose statement and research questions.
C. The appendices.
D. The biblical integration section only.
Rationale: The problem statement provides the foundation for the purpose
statement and research questions, which must align with it.
9. A problem statement that describes a broad industry challenge but fails to
identify a local population is deficient because it does which of the following?
A. It includes too many scholarly citations.
B. It lacks a specific problem that is practical to study.
C. It focuses too narrowly on a single organization.
D. It integrates biblical principles prematurely.
Rationale: The specific problem must narrow the focus to a particular population,
making the study feasible.
3|Page
, Page 4 of 73
10. Which of the following best describes the relationship between the problem
statement and the background of the problem?
A. The background replaces the need for a problem statement.
B. The background contextualizes the problem and demonstrates its
significance.
C. The problem statement must be written before the background is considered.
D. They are identical sections with different headings.
Rationale: The background provides context and demonstrates that the study
addresses a significant applied business problem.
11. In the BUSI 710 template, the problem statement must begin with which exact
phrase?
A. "This study will investigate..."
B. "The general problem to be addressed is..."
C. "The purpose of this research is to..."
D. "Existing literature suggests that..."
Rationale: The first sentence must begin with the mandated phrase "The general
problem to be addressed is...".
12. The problem statement must end with which exact phrase?
A. "...and this concludes the problem statement."
B. "The specific problem to be addressed is the potential... possibly resulting
in..."
C. "...which will be explored in the research questions."
D. "...as demonstrated by the following citations."
Rationale: The problem statement must end with the specified closing phrase that
introduces the specific problem.
13. Why is the phrase "possibly resulting in" used in the specific problem
sentence?
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