weeks2 response 2
State your expected research method (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods) and explain your rationale for choosing this method for your DSP.
As of this moment, my preference is to conduct qualitative research using surveys, questionnaires, and focus groups. I don’t see the utility in mixed methods due to the lack of publicly available information specific to the agency I work in within the Department of Defense. Quantitative is of little use as well since I am not conducting experiments and I am more focused on why the phenomenon I am studying is occurring as opposed to the number of times it occurs to conduct statistical analysis.
Discuss how this method will allow you to collect data that addresses your business research problem.
This method will allow me to probe the minds of the participants for information that they have based upon experience in the work environment. This is important because I am trying to determine how the technical skills of employees are matched to specific position requirements within aviation organizations to maximize productivity, performance, and retention. I also desire to understand the job characteristics and attributes that make technical positions desirable or less desirable for skilled employees to be hired into those positions. Both research questions are not black and white. They require in-depth analysis using a real-world application in the environment of my organization. As it is, some technical jobs now require candidate employees to hold a 4-year degree. However, not all types of technical positions require this arbitrary requirement to perform in the position with success. This belief was supported by Meroni and Vera-Toscano (2017) with their claim that there is little evidence that demonstrates a direct correlation between education and skills for technical positions.
How will you ensure integrity and credibility of your data using this research method?
Bhattacherjee (2012) teaches us, ethical competence needs to be purposeful and deliberate to ensure participants are protected and to ensure the research maintains credibility. Participants in my study will be informed of the purpose of the study and their consent will be requested. They will be informed the study will be designed not to place them in a situation where they are subject to retaliation or repercussions due to taking part. I already am an established member of the organization who is trusted. I do not foresee issues with the participants trusting me. The integrity of the data collected will be accomplished using a traceable chain of evidence in a database and spreadsheets. The data will be correlated directly back to the sources as they are developed, and the results are analyzed.
Discuss how you have employed your expected research method either in your educational pursuits or on the job.
To date, I have not employed any research methods for my case study as I have not attained written approval from the institution review board. I also have never conducted qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method research. This is a new one for me. The only "research" I have ever conducted has been when I search the Internet before making a purchase, plan a vacation, or look up things that I find interesting. I do not plan on making research a career. This is a one-time super good deal for this G.I. However, I have employed the practice of classifying and archiving data for projects I work on. I have a file system that is arranged by the product support elements of my job functions. This enables me to keep things organized for easy retrieval when the need arises.
References:
Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Introduction to Research, Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices (pp. 137-142). USF Tampa Bay Open Access Textbooks Collection. Book 3.
Meroni, E. C., & Vera-Toscano, E. (2017). The persistence of overeducation among recent graduates. Labour Economics, 48(October), 120-143. https://doi:10.1016/j.labeco.2017.07.002