research designs[s]; research designs[s]; research designs[s]

1. research designs[s]research designs[s]
sanjay bagali, phd I hr professor I brand ambassador I asian HR board India I jain university

2. importance of research design
methodology for design construction
best design
agendaagenda

3. an outline
provide a tentative sequence
or timetable for the thesis work
strong test of researchers arguments
philosophy

4. master plan
a set of advance decisions that make up the
master plan
specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information

5. premises
developing a new theory or body of knowledge
testing the old knowledge
is it theoretical paper
empirical paper

6. 1. Research purposes and goals
2. Problems identified / defined
3. Objectives identified
4. Research Question developed
5. Hypothesis
6. Sampling design
7. Data collection style
8. Data managed & analyzed
9. Results interpreted
10. Presentation of results
11. Conclusions / recommendations
12. Chapterisation
the methodology
approach

7. data collection style
Pilot study
Qualitative
Ethnographic
Exploratory
Longitudinal
50 Clinical Case Studies
In-depth interviews, weekly email bursts
Psychological Instruments
Action Research
Hypothesis testing
Focused group

8. sampling style
Surveys
Census
Observation
Questionnaire
Schedule
Participative
Action / Experimentation
Case
Interview
Quantitative
Qualitative
Complete Universe
Mixed Method
Cluster

9. address at each stage
clarity of address of design at each stage
data collection …. stage wise
recommendations ….. stage wise

10. 4 broad design problem
1, Mismatch between research question and design
2. Measurement and operational issues
3. Inappropriate model specification
4. Analytical tools to be used

11. Design for the study on
Employee Empowerment

12. Step 1
Statement of the Problem

13. Step 2
Research Design
The focus of the study is to understand why and what makes top performing companies
different and what are the innovative and unique strategies adopted in creating a global
standard organisation. It was therefore, decided to use explorative and descriptive
design, which befits into the pattern of investigation. The study also understood and
fleshed out to explain the technical and commercial context within which the firm
operated in terms of environmental certainty-uncertainty, stability and resource
munificence. The study also looked at the timeline described for the change process that
the firm went through( if that is what occurred), or was the firm set-up to be empowered
from the beginning. It was also to understand what things changed early, what things
changed later and how well did they triangulate? The current practices of developing and
managing human resources were explored and a description of all these practices was
analyzed through appropriate questionnaire and schedule, including verbatim recording
of the responses, per se.

14. Step 3
Objectives of the Study
The investigation is an empirical research work undertaken to understand how a model
company can be created with innovative workplace programme and policies. It was also
intended to understand the impact of such innovative practices on empowerment and
how such processes could change the very face of the organisation and help it remain at
the top of the business. An effort was made to understand all that contributed to
empowerment--the systems, practices, policy or the leadership. The study also tried to
differentiate between the various human resource strategies adopted in empowering
employees and how these strategies differed from other management practices. An effort
was also made to see how these management practices impacted upon employee
behavior.
With these core objectives, the study also proposes to understand the issue like: Do we
really need empowered people? Is empowerment something that can be done to some
one or something a person must choose? Are employees, leader or all, creating
empowerment climate in the organisation? With these supporting objectives, the genesis
of empowerment is probed at length.

15. Step 4
Hypothesis of the Study
Ha1 Individual and organisational achievements can be gained through the sense of
belonging;
Ha2 A sense of Organisational life through climate shapes behavior and moulds
positive attitude towards organisational growth and development leading to employee
empowerment;
Ha3 Access to information about the mission, value, goals and objectives of an
organisation is positively related to empowerment;
Ha4 If an organisation aspires for fundamental changes, it must change the
fundamentals; and
Ha5 Empowerment at workplace makes leaders redundant.

16. Step 5
Study Scope
There is always a big gap between performing organisation and other. The reasons could
be several, but an empowered work culture is what makes significant difference. The
present study tries to focus at these levels and is it the policy, people or workplace
practices that makes an empowered organisation and work force is what is been probed
at length. The focus of study restricts to HLL, an food processing based organisation
established in the year 1981, situated at the industrial sector of Dharwad district, in
Karnataka State, India
The organisation has been known for its empowering way of developing and managing
human resources and employee ownership culture been widely instituted in the
organisation. All the employees including the CEO/MD forms the respondent group.

17. Step 6
Sampling Style / One Unit
Studying empowerment is a holistic approach and needs to be studied from all the angles
involving everyone in the organisation. The sample and Human Resources information in
PPL is put forth:
Table No. 01: Showing the Manpower Responses
Level Total Employees Responded
CEO 1 1
Managers 7 6
Engineers 6 6
Software Expert 2 2
Administration 9 6
Supportive 4 2
Highly Skilled 5 5
Skilled 18 16
Semi skilled 19 16
Unskilled 2 0
Trainee 1 1
Total 73(1) 60(1)

18. Step 7
Data collection
Data Collection of Employees
The model of data collection adopted for employee category includes six stages.
Observed the
System
Pooling all
the
responses
Questionnaire
Administered
Discussion
with CEO
Case-by-
Case
discussion
Pilot Study
Fig No 2.1: The mode of Data collection of employees
2 .7

19. Step 8
Data collection from CEO
Observed the
system
Discussion
with CEO
System/
Practices
interface
Case by case
discussion
Back to
CEO
Pooling all
responses in
presence of all
The mode of Data collection of CEO / MDThe mode of Data collection of CEO / MD

20. Step 9
Mode of Data Collection
Personal discussions, interviews with each respondents, group discussions and several
meetings with the concerned employees personally at various places like work-place
(temple of ethics), recreational hall (temple of health), yoga center (temple of peace), R
and D section, canteen, rest rooms was extensively undertaken. The study injected case-
by-case method for collecting the required information. Frequent and series of visits to
each employee was undertaken phase by phase to illicit opinions on the system and
practices. It was, at one instance, the employee, the manager and the CEO put together,
were allowed to express opinions on the system in presence of each other.
The intentions, however, was not for cross-examining the opinions in presence of one
another or verify who is or was true, but, it was only to know the exact picture from all the
angles and thus, "blaming" somebody is ruled-out. As has been already put forth, a
holistic approach is what makes empowerment work and hence this was the final path
followed for final data collection. At each stage, care was taken to see that, all relevant
facts on the practices were elicited.

21. Step 10
Angles of Enquiry:
Very many empowerment angles were identified and factors such as understanding the
system of accountability within the organisation, attitude development processes, mode
adopted for career planning, communication process adopted, decision making process,
delegation and shared responsibility, transparent behavior, ethical standards, feed-back
system adopted, methods for information sharing, leadership development at all spheres,
management and organisational ethos practiced, power distribution, climate of politics,
degree of trust and loyalty, team working, employee participation etc were put to test. As
many as fifty core areas with more than 125 enquires were put for examining at length.
The focus of enquiry was on the workplace empowerment practices and the relevance of
the system in the growth and development of the organisation. Similar areas were also
focused at the level of CEO.

22. Step 11
Areas like:
Sources of data collection
Analysis
Period of Study

23. Three Types of Research
Designs
• Exploratory
• Descriptive
• Causal
• Please note that research does not
necessarily follow the order (1)
exploratory, (2) descriptive, and (3)
causal designs.

24. flow

26. Define the Information NeededDefine the Information Needed
Design the Exploratory, Descriptive, and/or Causal
Phases of the Research
Design the Exploratory, Descriptive, and/or Causal
Phases of the Research
Specify the Measurement and Scaling ProceduresSpecify the Measurement and Scaling Procedures
Construct a QuestionnaireConstruct a Questionnaire
Specify the Sampling Process and the Sample SizeSpecify the Sampling Process and the Sample Size
Develop a Plan of Data AnalysisDevelop a Plan of Data Analysis
Tasks Involved in a Research Design

27. Classification of Research Designs
Research
Design
Research
Design
Exploratory
Research
Exploratory
Research
Descriptive
Research
Descriptive
Research
Primary /
Secondary
Data
Focused
Surveys
Pilot Studies Case Studies
Census
Survey
Cross-
sectional
Study
Longitudinal
Study
Experiment
Observation
Participative

28. Exploratory
Research
is unstructured, informal research undertaken to gain background
information about the general nature of the research problem
Uses of exploratory research include:
1. Background information
2. Define terms
3. Clarify problems and hypotheses
4. Establish research priorities

29. Methods of Conducting
Exploratory Research
• Secondary data analysis. e.g., census data, articles in journals,
newspapers, etc
• Experience (Expert) surveys. Gathering info from those thought to be
knowledgeable on the issues relevant to the problem (i.e., ask experts).
• Case Analysis. Uses past situations that are similar to the present
research problem
• Focus groups. Involves small (8-12) groups of people brought together
and guided by a moderator through unstructured, spontaneous
discussion

30. Specifying Constructs &
Operational Definitions
• Construct: A specific type of concept that exists at a higher level of
abstraction
• Constitutive Definition: A statement of the meaning of the central
idea or concept under study, establishing its boundaries; also known
as a theoretical, or conceptual, definition
• Operational Definition: A statement of precisely which observable
characteristics will be measured and the process for assigning a
value to the concept.

31. Conclusive Research
• Provide specific information that aids the decision maker in evaluating
alternative courses of action
• Sound statistical methods & formal research methodologies are used
to increase the reliability of the information
• Also more structured & formal than exploratory data

32. Types of Conclusive
Research
• Descriptive Research
– Describes attitudes, perceptions, characteristics, activities and
situations
– Examines who, what, when, where, why, & how questions
• Causal Research
– Provides evidence that a cause-and-effect relationship exists or
does not exist.
– Premise is that something (and independent variable) directly
influences the behavior of something else (the dependent variable).

33. Example
A research design to study innovation

34. • HR Systems : HPWS / HPWP /
• CEO Style
• HR practices
• Culture Study
• Workplace practices
• Spending on R/D
• Patients
• Copyrights
Design focused in

35. COMPANY INNOVATION
SYSTEM
• Company strategy
• Collection of innovation impulses
• Setting of priorities
• Looking for innovation ideas and their discussion
• Decision about project preparation
• Project preparation
• Project implementation
• Monitoring of innovation performance

36. Comparison of Research Designs
Exploratory Descriptive Causal
Purpose ID problems, gain
insights
Describe things Determine cause-
and-effect
relationships
Assumed
background
knowledge
Minimal Considerable Considerable
Degree of
structure
Very little High High
Flexibility High Some Little
Sample Non-representative Representative Representative
Research
environment
Relaxed Formal Highly controlled
Cost Low Medium High
Findings Preliminary Conclusive Conclusive

37. Which is the “Best” Research
Design & Method?
• “You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.”
– Publilius Syrus
• It depends on the
– problem of interest
– level of information needed
– resources
– researcher’s experience, etc.

38. What are “Things” Marketing
Researchers Typically Measure?
• Customer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction
• Loyalty
• Attitudes Toward Product, Company
• Knowledge of product, service, features
• Importance of Attributes
• Intentions to Purchase
• Demographics

39. What are “Things” HR
Researchers Typically Measure?
Virtual Organization : Challenges and Issues
Employer Branding as Strategic Tool
Leadership
Cross Cultural coaching
Executive coaching
Mergers and Acquisitions
Competency Mapping and Management
Workforce Productivity
Competency Model for Education Sector

40. • End Note
• Match design to your questions
• Match construct definition with operationalization
• Choose sample and procedure
•

41. sanjay bagali, phd
professor of strategic HRM,
Brand Ambassador, Asian HR Board, India
sanbag@rediffmail.com / sanbagsanbag@rediffmail.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mmbagali
Jain University, Research program. All rights Reserved
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