Controversy Analysis and Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Controversy Analysis and Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Thus, Geber states that â€Å"While the pioneers of these movements, though passionate for changes in what seemed like a redundant and hypocritical society, worked hard to bring about radical changes in cultures and religions the world over, proponents of the legalization feel that they are indeed the messiah to the Arizona population†. In this statement, figurative language is used as it combines both assonance and alliteration to express the thoughts of theses first campaigners of the legalization of Marijuana.  So, who quantifies or qualifies legalization or prohibition? The controversy is pretentious and shows a society that is not yet ready for a change. Thus, Geber states that â€Å"While the pioneers of these movements, though passionate for changes in what seemed like a redundant and hypocritical society, worked hard to bring about radical changes in cultures and religions the world over, proponents of the legalization feel that they are indeed the messiah to the Ar izona population†. In this statement, figurative language is used as it combines both assonance and alliteration to express the thoughts of theses first campaigners of the legalization of Marijuana.   Some people are of a different opinion. â€Å"For what seems to be strong political reasons, this will indeed not seem like a smart decision as it will pass for reckless policy bred out of ignorance and the indifference to the detrimental and profound effects it has on the youth and the general public safety†.

Children with HIV in the United States Research Paper

Children with HIV in the United States - Research Paper Example The advanced HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection in a human body makes the body susceptible to opportunistic infections which threaten life. That condition of a body diagnosed is the decease of AIDS which stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency syndrome. Looking back to the history of AIDS we can see that it entered to the United States in about 1969, through a virus infected immigrant from Haiti. In the early 1980s, doctors realized a new cancer found in men who had sex with men and it was called 'gay cancer' colloquially. Later on the medical community got evidences of the decease spreading among men, women and even in the new born babies. In 1982 the Centre for Decease Control and Prevention (CDC) renamed the decease as AIDS. As per the UNAIDS Statistics as of 2005, the total number of HIV affected people living in the US is 1,200,000. A dangerous fact being that nearly 21% of the affected people are unaware of their infection. The CDC estimates the total number of deaths of persons with AIDS in the United States of America ever since it began is more than 583,000 which includes 4891 children under the age 13. It is shocking to see that nearly 56300 Americans gets infected with HIV every year. African Americans make up nearly 50 % of the total HIV affected population in US also they make more than 50 % of new HIV infected population every year. A According to the latest available data from CDC, HIV infection is the seventh important reason for child death under 14 years of age, in the United States. . It is apparent that HIV and AIDS is not just a health related issue, it is a complex issue having social, economic, cultural and regional dimensions. The United States which is composed of states and other political subunits has different political, economic and welfare policies which reflects in the dealing of HIV and AIDS also. The communities which are smaller in the sub national jurisdictions are not uniform in their cultural and social behavior. So the spread, the impact and the responses to the impacts have different dimensions. When the statistics show that there are over 1 million infected people in US, the number is corresponding to that much or more lives in US suffering the blame, grief and depression due to the HIV. The effect of infection in an individual may not bring an immediate change in the society and the nati on as in his family, but an accumulation of many such cases slowly affect the society and the nation. It is a shocking fact the number of children who had lived HIV infected since 2007 from the start of this epidemic is nearly 3.8 million. As quoted by the website JAMA 'Approximately 14920 HIV-infected infants were born in the United States between 1978 and 1993. Approximately 6530 HIV-infected women gave birth in the United States in 1993; an estimated 1630 of their infants were HIV infected.' In 2007 the HIV affected children living in US is nearly 4000. According to CDC statistics as per 1998 top rates of children infected with HIV among the US cities were New York City, Miami, Florida, Newark and New Jersey. As per the statistics available with the website of UNICEF, 'In 2008, 730,000 childrenunder 15 years of age were estimated to be living with HIV and in need of treatment; 38per cent were receiving treatment'. 132 million children in the developing world have lost one or both parents. 25 million children will be

Organisational structures and cultures

Organisational structures and cultures Introduction Case study: This case study is about Mr Smiths restaurant. Mr Smith is a foreigner who has lived in the UK for many years. His family in Africa operates a chain of restaurants across the continent and he is therefore familiar with this kind of business. At present the Smith Restaurant has a central location in London, close to many attractions and is easily accessible by public transport. His restaurant is a small family business he is the founder, owner and also the Managing Director. Although he has two Assistant Managers and three Supervisors, he has a direct control over management and operational issues such as hiring of staff, marketing, sales promotion, accounting and finance department. The restaurant has fifty employees mostly made up of international students who work part time. These students are attracted by the flexible working conditions that Mr Smith offers. This allows them to work part time during term time and full time during vacation. Recently the restaurant has seen a big increase in its customers due to the popularity of its European and International cuisines. These factors have convinced Mr Smith of the wisdom of opening similar restaurants throughout the UK. Mr Smith is the one who makes all decisions and he has a direct control over management and other operational issues. The current issue at the restaurant is that Mr Smith is reluctant to recruit new staff and to cope with the increased activity in the restaurant he has reduced staff lunch time. Some staff felt that these changes should not have been introduced without their consent. When one employee complained about the situation, he was sacked. The rest of the employees are unhappy but they are afraid to voice their concerns for fear of loosing their jobs. According to Mr Smith, he pays his employees very well and therefore they will be happy with his decisions; his decisions are not for debate; managers should make the decisions and subordinates must obey. He does not believe in consulting staff when he has to make important decisions. As a result, a feeling of helplessness, alienation, and fear have developed amongst staff. The recent changes in employees working conditions have increased the levels of absenteeism and lateness. Mr Smith is now very concerned that if such trends continue, the restaurant may not be able to cope with the increased customer demand. Being one of the longest serving employees, Mr Smith asked me to consider the above issues and advise him in light of the expansion and recent developments of the business. My task is to advise him on the followings within the chain of new restaurants. Organisational structures and cultures; Approaches to management and leadership styles; Motivational theories and their application; Group behaviour, teamwork and technology TASK 1: Organisational structures and cultures within the UK restaurants Organisational structure creates a framework of order and command through which the activities of the organisation can be planned, organised, controlled, and directed towards the goals and objectives of the organisation. The structure defines tasks and responsibilities, roles, relationships and communication. Within the UK, most restaurants have entrepreneurial, functional and geographical structures. Entrepreneurial Structure: This structure is appropriate for small owner managed companies, for examples: a small restaurant, a small-scale industrial unit, or a small proprietary concern. Functional Structure: This is the most commonly used basis for grouping activities according to specialisation that is organising the business according to what each department does. Specialised skills and delegation of authority to managers are needed to look after different functional areas. Geographical structure: Activities are grouped according to location. Different services are provided by geographical boundaries according to particular needs and demands, the convenience of consumers, or for ease of administration. Advantages and disadvantages of organisational structures The UK restaurants may have hierarchical, tall or flat structure Hierarchical structure: Refers to †¢ Authority: the right to exercise powers such as hiring and firing or buying and selling on behalf of the organisation †¢ Responsibility: the allocation of tasks to individuals and groups within the organisation †¢ Accountability: the need for individuals to explain and justify any failure to fulfil their responsibilities to their superiors in the hierarchy Tall and flat hierarchical structures: In the tall structure there are narrower spans of control and more levels of command that is many managerial levels and fewer staff. In the flat structure there are broader spans of control and few levels of command that is few managerial levels and many staff. For example, the McDonalds restaurants all have a flat structure. The manager in each place of business controls the other assistants and employees. He takes all the decisions and he is in charge of the main functions like, R D, marketing, finance and human resources and the other staff do the selling. Advantages of tall and flat structures Organisational cultures Charles Handy defined it as: The way things are done around here Every business is made up of different cultures, and the cultures that are present within the business depend on the management styles and organisational structures that are used. Handys four types of cultures are: Power culture: Best suited for small entrepreneurial organisations and relies on trust, empathy and personal communication for its effectiveness. Role culture: Emphasizes on power and position within the organisation. This type of culture applies when organisations are big and inflexible. Task culture: Job-oriented or project-oriented. This works well in a matrix organisation structure. Person culture: Works around educated individuals. Examples are groups of barristers, architects, doctors or consultants. Looking at Handys four main types of organisation cultures it can be seen that most of the UK restaurants adopt the power culture. Organisational structure and culture of Mr Smiths restaurant After analysing Mr Smiths case study and the latest issues, it is clear that his restaurant is adopting an entrepreneurial and hierarchical structure, and a power culture since it is a family owned business where there is excessive reliance is on the owner-manager; Mr Smith has authority, responsibility and accountability within the organisation. The distribution of tasks, the definition of authority and responsibility, and the relationship between members of the organisation are established on a personal and informal basis. Therefore I am convinced that the management style, organisational structure and culture are influencing employees behaviour within organisation. However, with Mr Smiths plan to expand and develop new restaurants across the UK, there is need for a formal organisational structure and culture, which has to be carefully designed, so as to avoid conflict and encourage the willing participation of staff for effective organisational performance. I believe that Mr Smith business should have a flat structured along functional lines with major areas including, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting and Finance, and Purchasing Departments. With a flat structure the business will have: †¢ A wide span of control encouraging delegation and motivation through job enrichment. †¢ Lower management overhead costs. †¢ Better communications as horizontal and lateral communication is encouraged. †¢ Real and meaningful promotions. †¢ Closer contact between top management and lower levels Factors that may influence individual behaviour of Mr Smiths employees The individual: The individual is a central feature of organisational behaviour. When the needs of the individual and the demands of the organisation are incompatible, this can result in frustration and conflict. Then it the work of the management to integrate the individual and the organisation and to provide a working environment where individuals needs is satisfied as well as organisation goals are achieved. The group: Group exists in all organisations and are essential to their working and performance. People in groups influence each other in many ways and groups may develop their own hierarchies and leaders. Group pressures can have a major influence over the behaviour and performance of individual members. The organisation: Individual behaviour is affected by patterns of organisation structure, technology, styles of leadership and systems of management through which organisational processors are planned, directed and controlled. Therefore, the focus of attention is on the impact of organisation structure and design, and patterns of management, on the behaviour of people within the organisation. TASK 2: How organisational theory underpins principles and practices of management, how this would impact on the new restaurants? The study of management theory (also termed management thinking) and its application in organisations brings changes in behaviour. It helps to understand the principles underlying the process on management. It helps to understand the interrelationship between management theory, principles and practices of management, and behaviour in organisations. Managers learned about how they should behave. This will influence their attitudes towards management practice. The different approaches to management theory are: Classical approach; scientific management; Bureaucracy; Human relations approach; Systems approach; and Contingency approach. These various approaches underpin the common principles of management that organisations should practice in their business, which mean they are based on views of organisations, their purpose and responsibilities, structure, division of work, hierarchy of management, technical requirements, rules and regulations and behaviour. Fayol 14 Principles of Management: 1. Division of work: Specialisation increases output as employees become more efficient. 2. Authority: Gives managers the right to give orders. 3. Discipline: Employees must conform to respect the rules that govern the organisation and the use of penalties for breaking the rules. 4. Unity of command: Only one superior should give orders to employees. 5. Unity of direction: Organisational activities having the similar objective should be directed by one manager using one plan. 6. Subordination of individual interests to general interest: The organisation interest should dominate employees or group interests. 7. Remuneration: A fair wage for workers and their services. 8. Centralisation: The degree to which subordinates participate in decision-making. 9. Scalar chain: Communications should follow this chain. 10. Order. People and materials should be in the right place at the right time. 11. Equity. Managers should be kind and fair to their subordinates. 12. Stability of tenure. High employee turnover is inefficient. Management should provide orderly personnel planning and ensure that replacements are available to fill vacancies. 13. Initiative. Employees who are allowed to originate and carry out plans will exert high levels of effort. 14. Esprit de corps. Promoting team spirit will build harmony and unity within the organisation. Suggestion: Mr Smith should follow these principles of management. Managers will have to perform these five functions (by H Fayol): Plan and forecast; organise; command; coordinate; and control. The different approaches to management theory Classical approach: †¢ Emphasis on purpose; †¢ Formal structure; †¢ Division of work; †¢ Hierarchy of management; †¢ Technical requirements; †¢ Common principles of organisation. Scientific management and Bureaucracy are the two sub-grouping of the classical approach. Scientific management F .W Taylor (1911): †¢ Scientific selection and training of workers; †¢ Development of a true science for each element of an individuals work; †¢ Co-operation with the employees to ensure work is done as set; †¢ Division of work and responsibility between management and the employees; †¢ Improve production efficiency through work studies, tools, economic incentives. Bureaucracy Max Weber (1947): †¢ Formal hierarchical structure; †¢ Organisation by functional specialty; †¢ Rules and regulation; †¢ Impersonality; †¢ Employment based on technical qualifications. Human relations approach: †¢ Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Studies (1933) discovered that the informal organisation, social norms, acceptance, and sentiments of the group determined individual work behaviour. †¢ Maslow, McGregor, Herzberg, and many others stressed the importance of social relations in organisations, understanding workers and managers as human beings with social and emotional needs. Systems approach: Organisations are open systems that constantly interact with the external environment: Inputs (resources and information) transformation process outputs (products, services, information) feedback Contingency approach: Contingency theory does not identify or recommend any particular approach to organisation and management. Appropriate management approach depends on situational factors faced by an organisation. Suggestion: After comparing the above managerial approaches I believe that the classical approach will best suit Mr Smith restaurants. The classical approach centres on understanding the purpose of an organisation and then examining its structure. They play emphasis on the planning of work, technical requirements, principal of management and behaviour. Attention is given to the division of work, duties, responsibilities, maintaining specialisation and co-ordination, hierarchy of management and formal organisational relationships. TASK 3: Different leadership styles and their effectiveness Definition: Leadership in an organisation is to lead employees to work in a given direction to achieve its goals and objectives. The three styles of leadership are: Autocratic leadership: All authority is centred on the leader and decisions are enforced by means of rewards and the fear of punishment. Communication is one-way, from the leader to the followers. Advantage: Quick decision-making. Disadvantage: Its effect upon group morale; creates conflict. Democratic leadership: In contrast, democratic takes into account the suggestions of the members and of the leader. It is a human relations approach, in which all members of the group can participate and contribute to improve the quality of the final decision. Advantages: Increased morale and support for better decisions through shared ideas among group members. Disadvantages: Slower decision-making and diluted accountability for decisions. Laissez-faire leadership: The leader exercises very little control over group members. A member is given a goal and mostly left alone to decide how to achieve it. The leader functions mainly as a group member, providing only as much advice and direction as is requested. Advantage: Opportunity for individual development offered to group members. All persons are given the chance to express themselves and to function relatively independently. Disadvantage: Lack of group cohesion and unity toward organisational objectives. Without a leader, the group may have little direction and lack of control. The result can be inefficiency or even worse, chaos. Suggestion: Mr Smith is applying an authoritative leadership in his first restaurant because his business is small. But now that he wants to expand his business he has to adopt a different style of leadership. I would suggest that he has to adopt the democratic leadership within his new restaurant. This is because the democratic style is a human relation approach in which all staff participates and contributes in the decision-making. This will prevent conflict between staff. Different motivational theories and their application Definition: Motivation can be described as the direction and persistence of action. It is concerned with why people choose a particular course of action in preference to others. The purpose of motivational theories is to predict behaviour. The difference theories of motivation are: The hierarchy of needs are shown as a series of steps in the form of a pyramid; it implies a thinning out needs as people progress up the hierarchy. Based on Maslows theory, once the lower-level needs have been satisfied (physiological and safety needs) people advanced up the hierarchy. Therefore to provide motivation for a change in behaviour, the manager must direct attention to the next level of needs (love or social needs) that seek satisfaction. McGregor Theory X Y Theory X assumptions: People inherently dislike work. People must be supervised to do work to achieve objectives. People prefer to be directed. Theory Y assumptions: -People view work as being as natural as play and rest. -People will exercise self-direction and self-control towards achieving objectives they are committed to. -People learn to accept and seek responsibility. Herzbergs Two-factor theory McClelland theory: Need for achievement: Personal responsibility Feedback Moderate risk Need for power: Influence Competitive Need for affiliation: Acceptance and friendship Cooperative Suggestion: Mr Smith does not delegate; does not give employees responsibilities; employees are not considered part of the group; they feel insecure in the employment; they cannot voice their opinions; he imposes his rules and regulations on employees. In addition he has reduced employees lunch-time. Here Mr Smith is using McGregors Theory X; employees are unhappy and de-motivated to work as their lunch-time has been reduced but their wages have not increased. Therefore, since he wants to expand his business throughout UK, I will recommend the Maslows hierarchy of needs theory to Mr Smith. Managers will have to provide motivation for a change in behaviour by satisfying the lower-level needs so that the employees basic salary, safe working conditions (need to stay alive, have food, shelter) and job security, fringe benefits, protection against unemployment, illness are satisfied. This will encourage the willing participation of employees for effective organisational performance. The relationship between motivational theory and the practice of management The purpose of motivational theories is to predict behaviour; and behaviour of people in organisations depends on practices of management. If managers practise Fayols 14 principles of management, then employees at all levels are motivated to work. People generally respond in the manner in which they are treated. Therefore, to control human behaviour a heavy responsibility is placed on managers and the activity of management, where attention must also be given to appropriate systems of motivation, job satisfaction and rewards. Accordingly, Mr Smith must understand how good management practices will motivate staff to work. Managers should plan and forecast, organise, command, coordinate, and control appropriately in an attempt to satisfy employees needs so that they are motivated to work. This will create an organisational climate in which employees can work willingly and effectively to achieve the goals of the organisation. Managers should get the best performance from employees to attract more customers. Managers should apply this policy: The needs, wants and rights of employees to be treated fairly and with dignity. TASK 4: Nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations A group comprises two or more individuals who interact in the collective pursuit of a common goal. They share values and goals, are involved in regular activities together, and identify themselves as members of the group and are identified as such by others. (From lecture notes AJ). Another useful way of defining group is a collection of people who share most, if not all, of the following characteristics: A definable membership; Group consciousness; A sense of shared purpose; Interdependence; Interaction; Ability to act in a unitary manner. Formal groups (official groups): Created to carry out specific tasks set up by the organisation to complete assigned tasks. Formal groups may be divided into two categories: 1. Functional groups: Consist of varying size of work units, with a manager and subordinates who are responsible for a range of duties and functions within the organisation, for example: the finance department, the salaries section and the revenues section. 2. Task groups: Created for the dispatch of specific business or operations, such as a project team, management team or co-ordinating committee. Informal groups (unofficial groups): Created by the individual members for the purpose of sharing a common interest. Importance of informal groups: The spread of information through informal networks the grapevine is often much faster and more influential than through formal groups. There is the potential for conflict between roles held in formal and informal groups particularly in respect of leadership, where the informal leader may not be the same person as the formal leader. Two informal groups: 1. Interest groups: develop around the shared pursuit of a specific goal by certain employees, which may or may not be related to the organisation. 2. Friendship groups: Individuals joining together for various social activities The factors influencing Group Behaviour: Cole (1996) Size of the group Leadership and management style Group cohesiveness Motivation of group members Norms of groups Group/team roles The work environment The group task Factors leading to effective teamwork within the new business Peters and Waterman defines five factors for effective teamwork: 1. The numbers should be small: each member will then represent the interest of his or her department. 2. The team should be of limited duration: Exist only to resolve a particular task. 3. Membership should be voluntary. 4. Communication should be informal and unstructured. 5. It should be action-oriented. The team should finish with a plan for action. The influences that threaten success of teamwork The team does not work around the unreliable people. A smaller group of people does most of the work and a larger group pretends to help. Sometimes team members do not work well together and may work against each other. This may result dysfunctional teams, caused by: Lack of trust is the most common problem afflicting teams; Lack of team cohesiveness Lack of a clearly defined purpose Impact of technology on team functioning Technology: Technologies such as e-mail, mobile phones, blackberry, groupware and computers can improve and in some cases delay team functioning. To be able to function effectively, teams must be kept up-to-date with knowledge as technology changes. Communication: Successful teams communicate successfully by email, mobile phone, phone technologies such as blackberry and 3G data cards and 3GB USB dongles, groupware and personal computers. Change: Successful teams can successfully bring-up change. Teams will become less effective and efficient if they do not respond to changing internal and external factors. In contrast, responsive teams are more effective, efficient and, are able to rise to the challenges of the modern business world. Networks and virtual teams: In the modern connected world, it is easier for teams to communicate and network. It is possible to create virtual teams which never (or rarely) meet in physical locations and use a range of web tools to communicate and collaborate. Global and cross-cultural teams Task 5: Strategies for the restaurants stakeholders needs Employees: †¢ Mr has to adopt HR practices to ensure that the organisation is able to achieve success through people. †¢ Staffing the organisation: Sufficient numbers of the right people in the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost for the organisation. †¢ Reward and recognition: Creating structures that maximise recruitment, retention and motivation; obtaining the best performance from the people available. †¢ Performance improvement throughout the organisation, for individual, team and organisational effectiveness †¢ Managing behaviour ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way that allows and fosters better working relationships. Customers: Mr Smith and his area managers should monitor the changing requirements and expectations of its customers, and the quality of service they require. Conclusion and recommendations With Mr Smiths plan to expand and develop new restaurants across the UK, there is need for a formal organisational structure and culture, which has to be carefully designed to encourage the willing participation of staff for effective organisational performance. Mr Smith should follow the principles of management managers will have to perform these five functions (by H Fayol); plan and forecast; organise; command; coordinate; and control. The classical approach will suit his business as it plays emphasis on the planning of work, technical requirements, principle of management and behaviour. Alongside he has to adopt the democratic leadership in which all members of the group can participate and contribute to improve the quality of the final decision. Area managers will have to provide motivation for a change in behaviour by satisfying the employees needs through rewards. Reference Websites: 1. http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1269812 2. http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/FIS/courses/LIS1230/LIS1230sharma/history6.htm (Maslows hierarchy of needs) 3. http://www.hnc-business.co.uk/unit3.html Module Tutor Lecture notes and emails: Dhlamini S., 2009. Organisations and Behaviour (unit 3) H1, HND in Business. London: Guildhall College Bibliography Book: Mullins L J ., 2000. Essentials of Organisational Behaviour. Essex: FT/Prentice Hall

Essay on Internet Privacy :: Free Essays Online

Internet Privacy This world today seems to have no privacy on the Internet, despite the Governments effort to help the consumer regain their privacy. In 1997 the government passed the Consumer Internet Privacy Protection Act. Through this bill, the consumer has the right to all information that an Internet company has on them. The Internet Company cannot sell the information of that consumer without that consumer's written consent. The bill sounds really good doesn't it? If the bill is so great, how is it that our private information is still getting out there? Well, let's take a closer look. According to an article that I found through Yahoo!, companies are using the consumer's information as a company asset just in case the company was to go bankrupt. In the article it talks of how Amazon.com has reviewed it privacy policies and has decided to just get ready to sell anything they have on a consumer, such as; "names, shipping and billing addresses, credit card numbers, e-mail addresses, employers, gift wish lists, Social Secur i ty Numbers..." and so on and so forth. Isn't that scary, one day, a company is doing fine, getting all the information that they can on a person and saying that all information is secured, then the next day, they are going bankrupt and selling the informa t ion to whoever has the largest bid. Who would've thought that when you went to buy that thing you really wanted off the Internet, your information was being stored so it could be sold? How thoughtless of them. For me, I don't give out any information besi des my name, and who knows who has tha t. You may ask yourself, where does the Internet Privacy Act of 1997 play in this? I am wondering the same thing. Well, it obviously doesn't play a large role; Amozon.com has stopped letting their customers decline the option of letting their information be sold. Where is the government? Why aren't they stepping up? I thought that the reasoning behind this entire act was to protect consumers, I don't see any protection at all. There was a statement in the article that was previously mentioned that just took me by surprise. Patty Smith made it in regard to customer information, she said: ``We treat customer data with great care and consideration,'' she said, ``and we will continue to do so going forward.

Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches Essay

Qualitative Research Design Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Qualitative research design is an approach used in research by researchers and scientists to study the behaviour and habits of human beings in the society. According to Flick, (2009 p. 17) the research design is used in various fields such as health, social sciences, business and other social sciences to study different behaviours. In health, qualitative research may be used to study issues on health awareness, availability of health facility, and access to primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare services. The data obtained is then used as the basis for health improvement recommendations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consequently, the qualitative research design can be applied in business to study the problems affecting business and how solutions can be modelled to improve performance of the industry. According to Saunders et al., (2012 p. 6) business research is a systematic research aimed at studying problems and solutions to business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the fact that business is a wide field, the design is also adapted in specific disciplines of business such as product design, marketing, advertisement, human resource, and studying new business opportunities. For example, in product design, the designers may want to obtain data about the existing products based on consumers’ feedback and use the information to improve or design new product using interviews, focus groups or ethnographic studies. Similarly, the same approach can be used in market research to establish the demand of certain products and the product penetration in the market. The researcher prepares questions to be used in either interviews or focus group. The information obtained from the interviews is then analysed to understand the demand of a given product in the market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Example of qualitative research for product designer may include: product designers may want to study the gap in the market for a certain product for them to introduce new product that meet consumers’ tastes and preference. The designer may opt to interview several people in the targeted area and ask questions that may give information about the gap in the existing products. For example, they may obtain information about a detergent that does not work effectively to remove stains and thus design a new product that would meet consumers taste and preferences. Hence, qualitative research design forms the most efficient tool to obtain the data required to make the decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The design is also used as a lead for quantitative design. The viability of hypothesis is tested through the qualitative design and then proved using the quantitative design through mathematical analysis. Hence, the design is very important for preliminary studies where the researcher may want to gather information about the topic before embarking on detailed quantitative research.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Siegel & Olshansky, (2012 p. 53) there are several approaches used to obtain the data in qualitative design, which include: Interviews Focus groups Ethnographic research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interviews and the focus groups will be studied in details in the rest of the paper through critical evaluation and analysis to understand the application and how their cons can be improved in order to improve qualitative research design. Interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interviews involve questions and answer session between the researcher and the participants (DiCicco†Bloom, & Crabtree, 2006 p. 317). The researcher or the interviewer asks the questions while the participant responds to them based on his experience or the knowledge about the questions. The interviewer guides the respond throughout the interview until all the questions are answered comprehensively. The interview may involve individuals or groups. According to Seidman, (2013 p. 113) interviews can be carried out through various methods such as; face-to-face interactions, telephone or electronic devices such as internet-enabled computer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are different types of interviews depending on how they are carried or how the interview questions are structured. The paper will elaborate, evaluate and analysed four forms of interviews namely: Structured interview Semi-structured interviews Unstructured interviews and Iinformal interviews Types of interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The types of interviews are discussed based on Creswell, (2014 p. 189) explanations. Structured interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They are the main tool of research when the researcher has well understanding of the research topic. This is because the researcher is able to formulate all the possible research questions and get as much information from the participants as possible. The researcher may be interested in proving a theory or previous studies. Hence, interview is based on the literature reviewed or observations related to the topic during less structured interviews. The interview is developed using topic specific and close-ended questions. This is from the fact that the researcher has well understanding of the topic and scope and thus limits the information that he or she should obtain from the participants. Although the researcher is able to obtain information that is specific to his or her study, it may be hard for the respondent to answer all the questions well since he may be limited to answers. In addition, lack of knowledge about a certain question may result in incomplete interviews. Semi-Structured interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interview is used when the researcher has limited time, respondent availability is not guaranteed, and thus different people conduct the interview in the field at the same time. The interview has well explained instructions to guide the interviewers in order to provide accurate and qualitative data in addition to trainings meant for understanding the topic. The interviews are preceded by informal interviews and observations in order to help the researcher to understand the topic in order to develop the semi-structured interview. The interview questions are mainly open ended and thus the respondent has the freedom to answer the questions in his own understanding and experience. The interview becomes interesting when the respondent understands the topic and thus he or she may give as much information as possible. The additional information can be noted in a notebook to support the data during presentation. Unstructured interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They are carried out when the researchers lack enough understanding on the topic and hence have allowance for additional information from the respondent. The researcher tries to gets as much information from the respondent as possible in order for him or her to build on the existing information. The questions are open ended and the researcher has no influence on the respondents’ answers. However, the researcher has a clear understanding of the research setting. Informal interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The method is commonly used for social research and or during the early set up of the study. In this type of interview, the researcher aim is to obtain as much information from participants as possible. This is because the topic is poorly understood and there is little literature on the topic and thus information can only be obtained from primary sources to build on the existing information. Most informative interview approach are carried out for studies that are based on experience, interests, or a given culture that is not researched and so the researcher uses observations to develop more understand of the inquiry and develop a rapport. Like the structured, the interview questions are open ended as the respondent’s information is crucial towards development of the study. Pros of the interviews Accurate data   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Seidman, (2013 p. 1oo) interviews give more accurate data than other data collection methods. The researcher explains to the respondents some questions that might be difficult of him or her and thus end up getting the required information. In addition, the researcher explore the topic or questions using probe that enables him or her to get more information and details, which results in more accurate data. That is, the researcher has a chance to clarify and explain some questions that the interviewee my lack the knowledge and understanding thus getting the intended information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interview provides a rich data with details and insights about the topic. The respondent describes his or her own understanding on the topic with the help of the researcher. In addition, the researcher can create a favourable environment for the interview thus resulting in general and sensitive information that is important to the study compared to other methods of data collection such as questionnaires and focus group. For example, in focus group, the interactions of a number of respondents at the same time may hinder discussion of sensitive information due to lack of confidentiality. However, interview between the researcher and respondent only creates a favourable environment to give all types of information. Feedback   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is direct response from the interviewee and the feedback. This ensures that the information sought is obtained and in case of disparity. In addition, the researcher ensures that the information is obtained from the intended person. In other types of methods such as questionnaires, information may be obtained from unintended person. Observations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interviews can be carried out at the same time with observations to gain more understanding and information on the topic. Unlike other methods used in research, interviews allow researcher to make observations that may be important source of information. In addition, the research may compare the information from the respondents and what he or she observes and inquire for clarity when disparity is noticed. Building Rapport   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Close interactions between the researcher and interviewee creates a more relaxed environment, which results to the respondent answering questions based on his or her experience rather than giving direct answers to the topic. The researcher then use the information obtained from the researcher to build a rapport with topic. The researcher may explore additional information from the respondent that may help to develop more understanding on the topic Flexibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interviews are conducted at any time, locations, or based on the circumstances of the individual,. Thus, they are the most convenient method of data collection. For example, the researcher can conduct interviews in residential areas, trading areas, farming locations and any other place that may be convenient to the respondent. Cons of interviews   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Time-consuming: the process of scheduling, conducting, and analysing the interviews consumes a lot of time (Zikmund, 2013 p. 150). The process of visiting the respondents and carrying the interview face-to-face can be tedious and time consuming. Since huge data is obtained from interview, it becomes tedious to enter the data and a lot of time is consumed. Therefore, it is important to have a data entry and analysis plan before data collection. Costly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interviews are costly because they require the interviewers to be trained, the schedules to visit respondents to be prepared and the actual interview process. They require physical participation of respondent and the researcher. Biasness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The physical appearance of the interviewee may affect the attitude of the respondent and thus giving biased information that may affect the accuracy of the data. Other factors that may results in biased information include the respondents’: voice tone and opinion, gender and race, inadequate note taking. Biasness affects the main purpose of the study, which may produce contradicting data from the existing one. This can mislead future studies that may rely on the data. Inconsistencies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The flexibility of the interviews may result in inconsistence data during interactions due to variation in interview setting such as changing environment. For example- interruption of interviews by passersby or other factors such as rain can make the respondent to lose track and give inconsistence information Focus groups   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Focus group involves collection of data through semi-structured interview from a group of respondents who are identified based on diverse but related characteristics to form a diverse group that represent the actual population. The interview is moderated by a group leader and involves discussion of a specific topic. Fiske and Merton introduced the method during their studies that were based on audience participants (Sprenkle & Piercy, 2005 p. 87) Pros of focus group Developing research topic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Focus group give information to the researcher about a given subject, which help him or her to develop the topic and build rapport. The aim of the focus group is to obtain as much information as possible that is necessary for the study and thus it is a common method for preliminary study. Time saving   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Large amount of data from a big population can be obtained within the shortest time possible (Hesse-Biber, & Leavy, 2011 p. 164). Data is collected from groups of respondents at the same time. This is in contrary to interviews where the questions are asked to a single respondent for a given time and it may take a lot of time to cover a given number of respondents as opposed to focus groups. Accurate data:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The discussion involves the consensus among the group members. In case of diverse information, members agree on given information that giving accurate and homogeneous data The data is also specific on the researchers’ topic. Economical:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Huge data can be summarized using group consensus and thus data entry and analysis is cheap and time saving as opposed to interviews where huge amount is obtained from very large number of respondents Observations:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just like interviews, the researcher can get additional data from the participants’ behaviour, feelings and thought about the topic. In addition, focus group helps to generate information for a study that could have unobservable features. Cons of focus group Biasness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The moderator of the group or the researcher makes the final judgment and interpretation of the discussion. Subjective judgment and poor interpretation has high risk of introducing personal businesses in the discussion and thus biased data. The participants may tend to follow the initial opinions thus resulting in biased results Risk of incomplete and inaccurate data   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The planning, scheduling and contacting participants may be costly and involving and thus poor management may result to incomplete study that may affect the quality of data collected. Sensitive information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not a good method for addressing sensitive issues. This is because people may feel uneasy sharing sensitive information among their friends or enemies that might be in the group, which may have a negative contributory factor to the quality of data obtained. Addressing the interview cons Time consuming   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of alternative means of communication such as telephone and computer can decrease the time spent in scheduling and visiting the respondents. Therefore, avoiding face-to-face interviews can help to save time and making the method more economical. Time that could be spent to travel to respondent and carry physical interview is minimised. Planning should also be done prior to the study in order to avoid time wasting during the actual study. Costly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Activities such as data entry and analysis can be carried along with the interviews to ensure that no additional cost that is incurred during independent data entry. Minimised travelling through phone interviews would cut down on cost. Biasness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Presentable physical appearance should be encouraged. The physical appearance of the interviewer that would not have influence on respondents should be emphasized during training. Interviewers should be discouraged from making subjective judgments that would affect the interactions. Inconsistencies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interview should be conducted in a neutral environment that has no effect on information delivery. The researcher should spend a considerable good amount of time in looking for a natural setting for the interview conducive for the respondents (Merriam, & Merriam, 2009 p. 17). For example, interviews in closed rooms may have minimal interference, thus maintain consistence information delivery, and thus maintain high quality data. Addressing focus group cons Biasness:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to avoid biasness, the moderator of the focus group should be well trained about making subjective judgment and interpretations. Good relationship between respondents and the researcher promotes mutual understanding that contributes to accurate interpretations of the information (Marshall, & Rossman, 2011 p. 101). The moderator should not be an active part of the study and should be limited to the information on the expected result of the study. Risk of incomplete and inaccurate data:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Proper management should be done prior to the study so that all the scheduling and contacting of the participants is made in time. This will ensure that the participants are aware of the scope of the study and their roles and thus the study will be complete successfully. When participants are well-prepared psychologically, they become patient and go through the whole process thus giving complete data. Sensitive information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The moderator should inform the participants about the confidentiality of the information shared in the focus group and create a friendly environment. This will give the participants confidence and freedom to share all the information that they may have including the sensitive one and thus the quality of the data will not be compromised. Participants may feel that some issues belong to the community and that it should not be addressed to a stranger. The researcher may also involve people from the communities to help them moderate the discussion and thus creating favourable environment for discussing sensitive information that is vital to the final data. References Creswell, J. W. (2014).  Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. DiCicco†Bloom, B., & Crabtree, B. F. 2006. The qualitative research interview.Medical education,  40(4), 314-321. Flick, U. 2009. An introduction to qualitative research. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Leavy, P. (2011).  The practice of qualitative research. Los Angeles: SAGE. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2011). Designing qualitative research. Los Angeles: Sage. Merriam, S. B., & Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. 2012. Research methods for business students. Pearson Seidman, I. 2013.  Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. New York: Teachers College Press Siegel, J. S., & Olshansky, S. J. 2012.  The demography and epidemiology of human health and aging. Dordrecht: Springer. Sprenkle, D. H., & Piercy, F. P. 2005.  Research methods in family therapy. New York: Guilford Press. Zikmund, W. G. 2013.  Business research methods. Mason, OH: South-Western. Source document

Michael’s Reflective Paper Essay

* Who am I? What life experiences made me who I am today? Was it my family, my social environment where I went to school, the groups, or organizations that I belonged to, or was it certain life events that shaped me? * This paper is my attempt to show that my family and social environment, my life experiences from childhood to present influenced me to be the person that I am today and who I will be in the future. As I reflect upon my life, at the age of forty-nine, I have come to the conclusion that my family and social environment when growing up, surviving cancer in my twenties, and getting married in my thirties are the main social influences and life events that have shaped who I am today and who I want to become in the future. Every one of these experiences has given me something: learning to be independent from family attitudes; dealing with the state of uncertainty, which comes with the disease; responsibility of marriage; and the importance to find the field of expertise for effective work. All these insights can be described as building effective relationships with people and developing self-understanding on different levels. * To understand my family life, and why I feel that their negative attitudes to me shaped me to be a better person, I first have to give you some background on my family and me. The background of my family clarifies how important for me was to be independent from this alienating environment. My mother died when I was only a year old and my father raised my older brother Kevin and me by himself until he met my stepmother. My father remarried and had my two stepbrothers William and Robert. My father was a strict disciplinarian, racist, drank a lot, and worked as a machinist at a refinery plant. My stepmother was a homemaker as my father did not approve of her working and felt that she needed to be at home taking care of the children. My stepmother came from an orphanage, had polio in her left hand. She was also an alcoholic, meaning that she was nasty when drunk; in addition, she was a chain smoker. Kevin was the oldest son one and a half years older than me (and my father’s favorite one), I was the middle child, William was five years younger than me and was diagnosed at an early age as having severe attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD); Robert was the youngest. Witt and Mossler (2010) quote the longitudinal research study which has shown that the attitudes of parents towards children rather than the practices of raising children shape our personality in adulthood (Ch. 1, p. 11). It is evident that lack of my father’s attention has influenced me a lot, stimulating me to attract my parents’ attention, for better or for worse. The authors also stress on the importance of the environment of growing up, both social and physical (Witt & Mossler, 2010, Ch. 1, p. 13). We lived in a relatively low middle class white community in Beaumont, Texas next door to my father’s brother and his family. The area where we lived in was close to the outskirts of Beaumont and was nestled back in the woods, so the woods were our playground. This could create the feeling of abandonment, but it was also empowering somehow, as I learned by these circumstances to rely on myself. Palkovitz, Marks, Appleby, and Holmes (2002) treat the relationship between parents and children as a complex unit consisting of father factors, co parental factors, mother factors, child factors, and contextual factors (p. 8). It is evident that in my family, there was disintegration in a sense on all levels. It was interesting to discover that, according to the study by Palkovitz, Marks, Appleby, and Holmes (2002), my father’s attitude was shaped by his experience in romantic relationships and then projected upon children (p. 8). I had to develop independence from this painful emotional context. My relationship with my father caused me to be non-racist, disciplined, and extroverted, as my father was a strict disciplinarian, controlling, and racist man. He gave all his attention to my older brother and ignored me unless I did something that angered him. His treatment of me caused me to crave his attention and to seek to please him until I reached my teenage years and decided that I did not want to be like my father. I rebelled against his control upon me. He tried to control what I did after school, how I wore my hair, how I thought, and what I wanted to be when I graduated high school. I was deeply afraid of him when I was a child, and only when I became a young adult did I see that what he was doing to me was wrong. I started standing up for myself. I started seeking attention outside my family and I got a job after school so that I started earning my own money. That allowed me to purchase my own clothes, get my haircut how I wanted, and purchase my first car that gave me the freedom to escape from my dysfunctional family on a daily basis. My first car and earning my own money gave me the ability to distance myself from my family. However, later circumstances of my life taught me that people can also be supporting and self-reliance is not enough. When I was in my early twenties working and going to college, I developed Hodgkin’s disease that has also changed my personality. Hodgkin’s is a form of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. Like other forms of cancer, it is believed to cause the feelings of uncertainty, lack of control, anxiety, isolation, discomfort, and – last but not least – re-definition of goals and roles (Halldorsdottir & Hamrin, 1996, p. 34). On one hand, one feels that he has to re-define his place in the society; on another hand, people care about those with the disease more and help more (at least they are supposed to do so). I experienced how it was not to have the control upon my life, but also how it was to be cared for by others. Anyway, when one is ill and so evidently dependent upon the society, the natural question comes: â€Å"Did I do anything wrong? And what was it? † Often cancer is associated with suppressed anger and a desire to please other (or at least attract attention) (Broderick, 1996, p. 14), and this really could be my case. I must admit that this understanding came along with serious heart problems. Still, illness did not prevent me from shouldering responsibility in work and family life, as well as from the joys of both. I met my wife during my thirties when I was changing my careers from being a technician to a salesperson. Interestingly, psychologists nowadays view professional development of an individual as an ongoing process (not limited to certain age group), the first stage of which is exploration (Smart & Peterson, 1997, p. 59). So, I was engaged in a kind of â€Å"double exploration†, searching for new ways in professional life as well as personal, consciously or not. In addition, like a career, marriage is a serious responsibility that implies both joyful outcomes and stress together with work on oneself. This personal responsibility has changed me a lot, teaching how to meet the needs of another person with whom I have been living day by day for a long time. I find the recommendations given by Witt and Mossler (2010, Ch. 3, p. 37) helpful, though challenging sometimes. People are happy in marriage when they support each other materially and emotionally, not forgetting to be positive, share feelings, thank each other, express affection, and do certain tasks together. In prolonged perspective, my family life and work taught me how to be productive and understanding in relationships with people and how to maintain stability in the changing world around and in the situations when inner conflicts arise. That is why in my future, I want to pass on the knowledge that my occupation as a sales manager has given to me. Perhaps I will start organizing some training sessions. This may also help to deepen my competence in the field of sales and on the level of personal communication, as people may share their valuable experience with me on the trainings. As I reflect upon my life now, from quite a distance, I have concluded that several events were the strongest in making me the person I am at present. They were my family and social environment in childhood, surviving cancer in my twenties, and getting married in my thirties. My family life stimulated me to earn living independently, cancer survival was essential in understanding my own potential and the ability to help of the people around, and marriage has given me the notion of responsibility. The dark years and events turn out to be ambivalent in the sense that they have given me certain experience and understanding of myself. Those main social influences and life events that I described in this paper have shaped my present personality and my thoughts about the future.