The Design - Research Paper Example

METHODOLOGY The methodology for this dissertation has been based on a mixed method – qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. As per this, there are two kinds of surveys. While the first one will test and analyze the critical thinking skills, the second one will test and analyze decision making abilities. Before that let us understand the research design that has been followed. Research Design The part of the methodology will follow the pattern of defining the research problem, the research area and the going on to defining epistemology and ontology in context of the research area, which is showing a correlation between critical thinking and decision making. For this it will be follow an analytical bent in order to find, through examples, the suitability of ontology as compared to that of epistemology. At this point it is imperative to say that this part of the paper pitches epistemology against ontology with an argument against the former. This is due to the fact that the nature of the research area demands a field of study like ontology for the research design. In the course of this paper, the various research problems will be discussed with a focus on the elements of the research area. These elements will provide the examples for the use of ontology instead of epistemology. Therefore, it may be said that this paper has been written on the assumption that ontology is better suited than epistemology for the research design. To begin with, let us define the concepts of epistemology and ontology, individually. Epistemology: This is a field of study that is closely related to philosophy. Epistemology, through the definition of theories and concepts, seeks to study a body of knowledge by applying the relevant definitions. It is a field of study that uses tools like analysis and interpretation. For the application of epistemology, it is important to have a body of ready to use or analyze factual data. This field combines the study of data with the application of philosophical tools, so as to garner broad generalizations. These generalizations adhere to various truths and beliefs, as may be depicted in the overall perception of the philosophical dimensions of the knowledge being studied. There is a strong scope for the use of logic and reasoning in this area. Justification of findings through various mathematical and statistical modes is also an important part of the field of epistemology. (Davies et al, 2003) Ontology: Ontology is a vast field of study. Its scope is greater than that of epistemology. This can be demonstrated by the fact that epistemology simply seeks to derive various findings through a study of the facts. Ontology on the other, seeks to find all the relevant knowledge that can contribute to a more systematic study of facts for more accurate findings. In the field of ontology, there is a focus on the defining of various parameters from varied perspectives. This helps the researcher reach certain generalizations so as to arrive on the common features of the parameter being studied. These common features can be summarized to form an accurate depiction of the issue at hand. (Lango, 1972) At this point, it is imperative to describe the research area. The research area is the factors that co relate critical thinking and decision making. This part of the chapter will contain the reasons throughout the conception of the area, as to why epistemology is less suitable than ontology for this particular research design. Specifically, the proposed study based on the launch of Swiss Time, a jewelry store will be answering the following questions: 1. What is the current knowledge management design, tools and implementation process in entry point strategy for this company in terms of brand management and advertising as well as pricing? 2. What is the prevailing culture within the departments and across the industries as far as the relationship between critical thinking and decision making is concerned? 3. What is the relationship between the success of knowledge management design, tools and implementation with critical thinking as far as identifying and understanding competitors is concerned? Basic Research Design: Ontology versus Epistemology In lieu of the above mentioned criteria, it is important to realize that the study of operational areas and knowledge management is relevant to the research design. Therefore, it is imperative for the research design to be one that will be based on gathering, interpretation and appropriate presentation of the facts. This is a concept supported by ontology, as epistemology simply seeks to study the existing data. (Lango, 1972) Ontology is a field that is capable of delivering a wider knowledge base as compared to epistemology. The researcher’s preference for ontology is one that springs from the fact that ontology will be better able to integrate and prioritise the data into a coherent whole. This is in lieu of the fact that knowledge management is a growing field with an ever increasing body of knowledge. In order to specifically study how this can affect the critical thinking in the decision making context, one needs to define a plethora of areas in terms of operational context within the organisation. These areas have been defined in the following chapters so as to demonstrate the utility of ontology as compared to epistemology. (Lango, 1972) The definition of the research areas is supported by the use ontology owing to the fact that the data needs to customised in order to suit and have context to the specific area of work culture and knowledge as far as critical thinking and subsequent decision making is concerned. Owing to the various set parameters, it is imperative to use a research design that will help garner various perspectives. This can be done most effectively by ontology. (Davies et al, 2003) Epistemology is not the best course of action to take as regards the research design owing to the fact that it needs the existence of data that will be presented along the lines of the research areas. Epistemology offers less scope to study and analyse various perspectives. Thus, with the use of epistemology, there will be a less wholesome appeal to the final conclusions of the research. Assumptions: This is a brand new company. It will start out in the field of high street retail. It will thrive on exclusivity. Decision making and critical thinking will commence in the areas of brand management, advertising and pricing. Data Collection The data collection was carried out on a face to face basis with the prospective customers of Swiss Time, two of its owners and the general administration/secretary as well as three suppliers related with Swiss Time. Since this research followed a mixed method combining qualitative and quantitative, there were two sets of face to face questionnaires and interviews so as to study the following two aspects of research that apply to supply chain management as well as brand management: Critical Thinking Decision Making Basis of Sampling and Instrumentation for Relationship Marketing In this regard, the statistical inferences were drawn from critical disclosure as well as conversation analysis. Questionnaire: 1. Which is your favorite jewelry brand? 2. Why do you prefer this brand? 3. What would you like to see in a new brand? 4. What kind of jewelry do you like? 5. In this advertising, would you see the jewelry first or the model first? 6. Do you like wearing exclusive brands? 7. Why do you prefer exclusivity? 8. How many times a year do you buy jewelry for yourself? 9. Do you buy jewelry to gift to people? How often? 10. Do you prefer jewelry as a foremost investment? 11. If not, list your preferred investment choice (s). 12. How often do you travel? 13. Are you a member of a country club? 14. Are you a member of a holiday club? 15. What are your favorite stores to shop in? 16. Which are your favorite brands? 17. How many cars do you own? 18. Do you hold a membership or card in any other jewelry store? 19. Are you bored with the jewelry currently in the market – why? 20. What does jewelry mean to you? These questions will then be analyzed according to the following two portions of the quantitative and qualitative research so as to find out the best decisions that the management can take as regards the entry point strategy and how it may be applied to the launch of this company. Quantitative Research: Part 1 Critical Thinking Skills Leadership is the application of critical thinking skills as well as the self esteem to apply those skills to decision making. Thus, this part of the research makes use of the LAWSEQ questionnaires for survey which depend of self esteem. Self esteem is an important quality that has been a source of interest for many researchers. The study of self esteem is one that requires the existence of various elements that can contribute to the study of nuances of human behavior. Every kind of reaction or action ultimately points towards the level of self esteem of a person. The interest in this subject arises due to the fact that it can be applied to any person in any walk of life. (Branden, 1995) So far, self esteem has been an aspect of study in the corporate or philosophical aspect. There is a need to bridge certain gaps in the social arena where individuals interact. This social arena includes a wide variety of people in terms of age, ethnicity, social level of operations and other such elements. The study of the human resource in an organization, for example, will also include the study of interactions with elements outside the organization like suppliers, customers and other such parties. Therefore, it is important, in the study of human behavior or any aspect of the same, to broaden one’s outlook and reach into the yet to be explored aspects of studying the same phenomena. In this regard, the need to study self esteem for critical thinking and subsequent decision making is an important one due to various reasons. Self esteem is a quality that helps a person define his or her area of ability, interest and finally, social relations. With students, it is of special importance due to the fact that at an impressionable age, it is interesting to see how a person’s psyche develops. This in turn, has a large bearing on the way the individual conducts various aspects of the rest of his or her life. In this context, self esteem plays a large role in deciding what a person determines will hold importance for his or her outlook in life. Basis of Sampling and Instrumentation The critical thinking process requires a person to inculcate the following qualities: Brand Management Retaining Exclusivity Using the Entry Point Strategy to enter the market (Dominique et al, 2001) The level of self esteem has to be high in a high pressure industry as well as within the critical thinking process. The decision makers in this field need to be guided purely by instinct and more importantly, this instinct needs to be honed in a way that will trust it blindly as they garner increased exposure and experience in the field. Self esteem plays a large role in lieu of such functions among the decision makers. (Branden, 1995) LAWSEQ Questionnaire The LAWSEQ Questionnaire is the best form for the study of self esteem among decision makers. It has been in use for a long time and yields fairly accurate results. This questionnaire will be broadly associated with the following aspects: Critical thinking programs and motivational measures The elements of the study of self esteem as a part of the body of knowledge called behavioral sciences. The applicability in terms of position and work culture of the employees being studied. (Dominique et al, 2001) Sampling The LAWSEQ Questionnaire will be formulated in order to cover a period of three months, where the thirty respondents from the high income group between ages 25 and 45, as well as the three supplier parties will answer the questionnaires once a week following the implementation of changes for the modification of behavior, that take place due to the overall scores enjoyed by these questionnaires. Most of these questions are closed end and require answers through the list of options. Also, the questionnaires have a combination of positive as well as negative ended answers. (Dominique et al, 2001) Quantitative Analysis Part 2: Decision Making Process Proposed Theoretical Model Decisions in relationship marketing can be of the following types: Programmed Decisions Non Programmed Decisions Semi Programmed Decisions (Gupta et al, 2001) On this basis, much of the present information sharing and critical thinking trends have evolved as research and development in the last forty years. The majority of these trends have culminated as system changes in the past decade with a stronger focus on the role of theoretical models that support the research and development in this field (Divate et al, 2002) The theoretical base for studying decision aids will be based on the studies proposed by Harton and Hix regarding the usability of the these aids in the star life cycle process. (Costabile, 2000) In this regard, the use of the decision aids has to be based on a user friendly or user centered design for knowledge management and critical thinking. Thus, the contextual framework for studying the usability of critical thinking for furthering the decision making process was the quality factor. Through a focus on this, Harton and Hix have managed to center their star life cycle process on the usability processes and methods that operate within the decision life cycle. This has been adaptive in nature which is why it is relevant for the study of decision aids. (Gupta et al, 2001) Instrumentation and Reliability: Usability Model The usability process in case of decision aids can be studied through the framework of market mechanisms and business models. (Palmer et al, 2003). In this context, the area of knowledge management has been defined in the usability of decision aids as an arena that is based on the skills required for appropriate business and resource allocation strategies. (Gupta et al, 2001) This will further help in the development of decision making behavior through empirical investigations into the issue. In this regard, this investigation will demonstrate the chief motivators through the evaluation based on the following two elements: Thinking aloud methods: The thinking aloud evaluation will be based on the theoretical approach of finding out what a group of users thought and said as they worked according to a certain user interface within the knowledge management system depending on the design and design process of the interface. (Gupta et al, 2001) This was then applied to the critical thinking process for a variety of businesses in terms of the positioning of the vital user information on the screen so as to study the appropriateness of the placement and the decision aids in general. In this regard, the thinking aloud model is a direct statement of what is required and what is not. (Cho et al, 2000) It has also helped in finding out the exact responses in terms of expressions and tonal quality of voice when describing the actual aids and how they contribute to the actual information system on which the decisions are based. The thinking aloud model provides an insight into the philosophical and psychological elements of the user interface. (Nemetz, 2002) These elements are scanned for similarities on the basis of which decision aids and chosen and made use of to suit particular organizations, goals as well as work cultures. (Smith, 2004) Evaluation methods: these methods are based on the evaluation of various user interface models within the knowledge management system through a focus on the goal and decision life cycle. In this regard, the evaluation models are concerned with the use of various statistical tools that study the approaches of the model of the usability process of decision making in context of critical analysis. (Gupta et al, 2001) The evaluation method focuses on the analysis of the primary data that will be gathered through questionnaires and surveys for studying the effects of decision aids. (Nemetz, 2002) These will then be studied on various scales of statistical means and other matrixes that adhere to the decision aids. The major motivating factors that were found in the thinking aloud method will be tested for validity and reliability in the evaluation method through a focus on finding the causes for the existing motivational factors including critical thinking. In this case, the paper by Carl Adams and Qu Ying Su, titled Will B2C E-commerce Developed in One Cultural Environment be Suitable for Another Culture: A Cross-Cultural Study between amazon.co.uk (UK) and dangdang.com (China), demonstrates the actual nuances and tools on the basis of which such models may be based for further evaluation. In this regard, as asserted in the above chapters, the significance of decision aids lies in their ability to convince a person to take a decision defying cultural and geographical barriers. (Su et al, 2004) In this context, based on the two methodologies discussed above, the evaluation will be an investigative one based primarily on the study and analysis of data in terms of qualitative research that will help derive information that will fit wide ranging business portals. Research Function: Qualitative analysis is based on the above considerations that will support theory constructions which in turn, will give rise to the scope for experimental research within which the theories may be tested. This section deals with the surveys and questionnaires apart from the basic statistical tools that will help in measuring the appropriateness of the various decision aids. Matuso et al, have proposed a group decision making system based on buyers’ preferences which has been demonstrated in terms of a utility function that studies a buyer’s basic preference. According to the authors, a utility function consists of multiple independent attributes based on MAUT (Multi Attribute Utility Theory). In general, MAUT handles problems in which outcomes are characterized by two or more attributes. (Matsuo et al, 2003) For example, it has been assumed that purchasing a new car requires consideration of the price, the shape, the color, the type, etc. This will be applied to decisions taken within the organizations at the operational level and managerial level. According to Matuso, “In MAUT, for an alternative Ci, there exist the attributes X1, X2, ..., Xn and their values x1(Ci), x2(Ci), ...,xn(Ci). We can represent the utility u(Ci) for the attribute Ci as u(Ci) = f(f1(x1(Ci)), ..., fn(xn(Ci))), where f is a certain function.” One can select several options with respect to f according to the application area. In this system, one select the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method for calculating a decision’s utility. Thus each agent has a preference based on the above utility of the decision aids. (Matsuo et al, 2003) The various agents will be studied in the next chapter. According to von Neumann-Morgenstern, the authors have defined an agent’s preference as follows: “Ci _ Cj ⇐⇒ u(Ci) > u(Cj) and Ci ⇒ Cj ⇐⇒u(Ci) = u(Cj). Ci _ Cj means that the agent prefers Ci to Cj , whereas Ci ⇒ Cj means that the agent has no preference for Ci or Cj. A user’s preference is quantified into a multi attribute utility by using MAUT.” (Matsuo et al, 2003) According to the MAUT, the authors have proposed a novel support system for group decisions which in turn, enhances the decision making process. A successful manager is decided by an agent’s utility based on AHP. (Matsuo et al, 2003) Rationale and Presentation In this case, there will be a focus on the use of questionnaires and survey to break the entire process of quantitative research into steps that will be more manageable in its various phases. With the use of SPSS, the results of this survey will be applied to statistical analysis of the various aspects that decision aids for carrying out relationship marketing are meant to cater to in terms of Pearson’s correlation as well as multiple regression. Thus, there will be a focus on establishing the relationship between the frequency of decisions and the decision aids that supported the same. These questionnaires and surveys will revolve around the following open ended questions: 1. How often do you make decisions in one week? 2. How long do you take to make decisions? 3. What kinds or categories of decisions do you take? 4. Location when normally taking a decision? 5. How many people do you interact with on an average before taking decisions? The answers to these questions will decide the tools to be used for the thinking aloud and evaluation methods along statistical lines. These questions are meant to bring out the relationship between critical thinking and decision making in quantitative terms so as to justify the parameters used for qualitative analysis. Qualitative Analysis The qualitative analysis model will depend on the variables that dictate the decision maker’s behavior towards a certain decision aid based on the results of the above two surveys. This can be replicated to look like the following diagram: Independent Variable The above diagram shows the theoretical framework that must be adopted for the various direct and indirect decision aids for qualitative analysis in terms of the frequency of decisions. This will then be studied on the basis of multiple regressions which entail the identification of predictable values of the independent and dependent variables through an equation. Presentation The findings adhering to the primary and secondary data will be presented with the use of tables as well as graphs and charts. The tables will be drawn in accordance with the function defined in the above chapter. The points will be then accordingly be organized to show the following features of relationship marketing: Supply Chain Management and QFD New Product Development Entrepreneurial Control for Competitive Advantage Brand Management with a focus on Entry Point Strategy for the Marketing Mix Interest level in various aspects of knowledge and critical thinking. These will be then divided into chapters so as to chart out an appropriate model that will be presented in the recommendation section. These chapters will be a part of the analysis and interpretation section so as to arrive at form conclusions and recommendations. The first two chapters of the research will deal with a review of the literature used and the methodology adopted, in order to demonstrate the use of scientific rigor. The second chapter is of great importance as it will be a combination of the guiding principles of the research as well as the assumptions underscoring the same. These will then be highlighted through the actual analysis in the next chapter. (Galbraith et al, 2005) The analysis chapter will merely outline the findings and how these were arrived at through the application of the methodology described in the previous section. It will not contain any opinion on the findings. This will be contained in the conclusion section which will simply describe the findings in terms of the current reality surrounding the critical thinking process and its correlation with decision making. This section will merely provide the necessary inputs for the next section which will be the chapter on recommendations. The conclusion chapter, therefore, will merely be an appreciation of the situation which will lay the groundwork for the recommendations. (Foley, 1991) The recommendations chapter will be constructed upon a model for the improvement of the relationship between critical thinking and decision making depending on the findings arrived at in the conclusions chapter. The conclusions will show the gaps in the motivational factors, existing programs and a complete SWOT analysis based on the research function outlined in the above chapter. These findings will be used to separate various elements depending on priority in terms of use and applicability. This categorization will help come to a conclusion regarding the elements of the model that is to be applied. (Galbraith et al, 2005) In the recommendations chapter, there will be a strict focus on the critical thinking process as well as the overall levels of performance of the decision makers. This will help choose elements that will cater to the decisions as well as the critical thinking side of things so as to find gaps in the planning and implementation of both areas in the lives of the individuals within the operational sphere of Swiss Time. (Foley, 1991) References Porter, Michael E (1990). “The Competitive Advantage of Nations.” Free Press. Su, Q Y; Adams, C (2005) ‘Will B2C E-commerce Developed in One Cultural Environment be Suitable for Another Culture: A Cross-Cultural Study between amazon.co.uk (UK) and dangdang.com (China).’ ICEC Smith, D K (July – October, 2004). ‘Online Investing and the Online Consumer: State and Decentered Regulatory Responses.’ Law and Policy. Divate, V; Saengpongpaew, P (2002). ‘An Online Integrated Operational Decision Support System with pre defined knowledge base for semi conductor industry.’ IEEE – IEMC Costbile, M (2002). ‘The Usability Process of Life Cycle Software.’ Portal – the guide to computer literature. Palmer, J M; Linderman, M A (2003) ‘Business Models and Market Mechanisms: Evaluating Efficiencies in Consumer Electronic Markets’. The Databases of Advances in Information Systems (Vol 34, no 2) Pp 23 – 38. Matsuo, T; ITO, T (2003). ‘A Decision Support System for Group Buying based on Buyers’ Preferences in Electronic Commerce’. The Center for Knowledge Science. Nemetz, F (2002). ‘The Missing Link: Multimedia and E-Commerce; Conference on human factors in computing.’ ACM Digital Library. Pp 65 – 66 Cho, B; Kim, D J; Raghav, Rao H (2000) ‘Effects of Consumer Lifestyles on purchasing behavior on the Internet: A conceptual framework and empirical validation’. The Digital ACM. Pp 688 – 695 Aaker, David A (1991). ‘Managing Brand Equity.’ New York, NY: The Free Press. Bacon F. T. ( 1979). "Credibility of repeated statements: Memory for trivia". Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 5 ( 3), 241-252. Baldinger, Allan L. and Rubinson, Joel, "Brand Loyalty: The Link between Attitude and Behavior," Journal of Advertising Research 36, no. 6 (1996), Davies, John; Fensel, Dieter; Harmelen; Frank V (2003). “Towards the Semantic Web: Ontology Driven Knowledge Management.” Wiley Publishers. Dominique (ETD) Foray, John R. De La Mothe (2001). “Knowledge Management in the Innovative Process”. Springer. Lattal, Kennon A; Perone, Michael (1998). “Handbook of Research Methods in Human Operant behavior”. Springer. Foley, R A (1991). “The origins of Human Behavior.” The Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge. Galbraith, A. & Alexander, J (2005). “Literacy, self-esteem and locus of control”. Support for Learning, vol. 20 (1), 28-34. Schunk, D.H (2003). “Self-efficacy for reading and writing: Influence of modeling, goal setting and self-evaluation”. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 19, no. 2, 159-172. Lango, John W (1972). “Whitehead’s Ontology”. SUNY Press. Read More