Using Qualitative Technique To Investigate A Problem At Work - Assignment Example

Using Qualitative Technique To Investigate A Problem At Work Problem at Work The problem that I have at work is misunderstanding about the performance of duties within the department. The organization has put the employees into groups, and they are all tasked with completing specific duties that are influential in meeting the objectives and demands of the firm. However, the challenge is that there are often certain confusions as to the relevant tasks a person is supposed to complete. As a result, it is often difficult to agree on the responsibilities everyone is supposed to take within the establishment.

Misunderstanding about the responsibilities has sometimes led to less productivity and output. Qualitative technique to research on the issue Observation and interviews The qualitative technique that will be employed to research the issue is observation. Participant or direct observation involves data collection on natural occurrences of behavior within a particular setting. Observation is crucial because it provides an opportunity to observe specific features and conditions that are manifest in a particular place.

Observations provide an opportunity to view the undertakings in a particular area and make appropriate conclusions based on the data collected. Observation captures unusual, unexpected or unsaid information. Corbin and Strauss (2014) intimates that observation helps in capturing data that can easily be put into context. Consequently, observation enables the researcher to counter-check the information based on actions and the verbal propensities. Tracy (2013) reinforces the argument by (Hennink et al., 2011) that observation is crucial in the assessment of the relationship between different variables being studied.

Additionally, observation helps a researcher gain insight into certain issues that cannot be revealed by interviews. Reason for selecting the technique The technique was chosen because it is significant in dealing with practical situations that require a proper understanding of behavior. Consequently, observation is influential in determining the meaning as well as the context over which an issue occurs. Misunderstanding about the responsibilities is a behavioral issue that can only be understood by analyzing the behavior of other people (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2008).

Another rationale for choosing the technique is that I wish to determine the reasons why other employees cannot fulfill their duties as stipulated by the firm. Sometimes I find myself performing most of the tasks because the other employees consciously or unconsciously fail to undertake their duties. Essentially, the objective is to analyze and evaluate the situation through observations before employing other measures that can aid in solving the impasse. Observation avoids direct contact with the target group yet retrieves vital information (Tracy, 2013).

How the technique will be used to investigate the issue The issue under investigation is a misunderstanding about the responsibilities. Each of the members of the department will be observed against the duties they perform. After the responsibilities are assigned to the group, I will observe what each person does and the amount of time taken to complete a particular task. Consequently, documenting the people who have done their work will provide a perspective on the genesis of the problem. The observation will also focus on those directly involved and the ones who are dormant or focusing on other functions different from the duties assigned to them.

References Corbin, J. & Strauss, A. (2014). Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. SAGE Publications. Eriksson, P. & Kovalainen, A. (2008). Qualitative Methods in Business Research. SAGE. Hennink, Monique M, Inge Hutter, and Ajay Bailey. (2011) Qualitative Research Methods. London: SAGE. Print. Tracy, Sarah J. Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis, Communicating Impact. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.

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