STA630 Assignment No.1 solution-2

Effective managers always make sound and effective decisions on the basis of scientific research. Scientific research focuses on solving problems in a step by step, logical and organized manner (i.e. Identifying problem, Gathering data, analyzing it & drawing a conclusion). Scientific research conducted in a proper manner always produces repeatable and comparable research findings. Hallmarks of scientific research are as follows:
• Purposiveness
• Rigor
• Testability
• Replicability
• Precision and confidence
• Objectivity
• Generalizibility
• Parsimony

As for the given case, the research has a clear purpose (i.e. to pinpoint the problem / internal issues that are affecting the customer base).

The researchers and consultants carried out the research in a Rigorous manner (i.e. the researchers developed a theoretical base & collected relevant detailed information from a carefully picked sample of 25 employees and 100 customers).

The research mentioned in the case is Replicable and generalizable to other similar situation in same / different organizations.

The management of the company is confident to have 90% precision (which is very close to accuracy) in the research.

The research is being conducted by and independent consultants firm. Furthermore, the researches (employees and customers) are being conducted parallel to each other by independent researchers, which eliminates / reduces the chances of biasness to the minimum level.

The research is conducted in a parsimonious manner.

..............

Another:

This is not the solution you have to write points according to given case.

 

The Hallmarks of Scientific Research

 

PURPOSIVENESS:

 

: SHOULD HAVE DEFINITE AIM

 

It has to start with a definite aim or purpose.

 

The focus is on increasing employee commitment.

 

Increase employee commitment will translate into less turnover, less absenteeism and increased performance levels.

 

Thus it has a purposive focus.

 

  

REFLECT RIGOR

 

REFLECT RIGOR: SHOW CAREFULNESS, SCRUPULOUSNESS & DEGREE OF

 

EXACTITUDE IN RESEARCH INVESTIGATIONS

 

A good theoretical base and sound methodological design would add rigor to the purposive study.

 

Rigor adds carefulness, scrupulousness and the degree of exactitude in research.

 

Example:

 

A manager asks 10-12 employees how to increase the level of commitment. If solely on the basis of their responses the manager reaches several conclusions on how employee commitment can be increases, the whole approach to the investigation would be unscientific. It would lack rigor for the following reasons

 

TESTABILITY

 

TESTABILITY: CAN BE TESTED BY APPLICATION OF CERTAIN STATISTICAL

 

TESTS TO COLLECTED DATA

 

After random selection manager and researcher develops certain hypothesis on how manager employee commitment can be enhanced, then these can be tested by applying certain statistical tests to the data collected for the purpose.

  

REPLICABILITY

 

REPLICABILITY: SHOULD PROVIDE SAME RESULTS IF TESTS ARE

 

REPEATED IN OTHER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES

 

It means that it can be used again if similar circumstances prevail.

  

Example:

 

The study concludes that participation in decision making is one of the most important factors that influences the commitment, we will place more faith and credence in these finding and apply in similar situations. To the extent that this does happen, we will gain confidence in the scientific nature of our research

  

 

PRECISION AND

 

PRECISION AND CONFIDENCE: HAVE ACCEPTABLE DEGREE OF

 

ACCURACY AND PROBABILITY OF APPLICATION TO THE WHOLE

 

Precision refers to the closeness of the findings to "reality" based on a sample.

 

It reflects the degree of accuracy and exactitude of the results of the sample.

 

Example: If a supervisor estimated the number of production days lost during the year due to absenteeism at between 30 and 40, as against the actual of 35, the precision of my estimation more favorably than if he has indicated that the loss of production days was somewhere between 20 and 50.

 

 

OBJECTIVITY

 

OBJECTIVITY: BASED ON FACTS AND NOT ON SUBJECTIVE OR EMOTIONAL

 

VALUES

 

The conclusions drawn through the interpretation of the results of data analysis should be objective; that is, they should be based on the facts of the findings derived from actual data, and not on our subjective or emotional values.

 

 

Example: If we had a hypothesis that stated that greater participation in decision making will increase organizational commitment and this was not supported by the results, it makes no sense if the researcher continues to argue that increased opportunities for employee participation would still help

 

 

GENERALIZABILITY

 

GENERALIZABILITY: HAVE SCOPE OF APPLICATION TO OTHER SETTINGS

 

It refers to the scope of applicability of the research findings in one organization setting to other settings.

 

Example: If a researcher's findings that participation in decision making enhances organizational commitment are found to be true in a variety of manufacturing, industrial and service organizations, and not merely in the particular organization studied by the researcher, then the generalizability of the findings to other organizational settings in enhanced. The more generalizable the research, the greater its usefulness and value.

 

 

PARSIMONY

 

PARSIMONY: SIMPLICITY IN EXPLAINING THE PHENOMENA THAT OCCUR

 

AND IN GENERATING SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROBLEMS

 

Simplicity in explaining the phenomenon or problems that occur, and in generating solutions for the problems, is always preferred to complex research frameworks that consider an unmanageable number of factors.