Implementation of ERP in Public Sector in Oman - Essay Example

Data collection methods in conducting research of ‘implementation of ERP in public sector in Oman’ Program: Supervisor: April 28, 2014. Data collection methods in conducting research of ‘implementation of ERP in public sector in Oman’ Data collection method and procedure The proposed study seeks to investigate implementation of enterprise resource planning in the public system in Oman. Telephone interviews will be used to collect data from the study’s participants. The data collection method involves making telephone contacts with the sampled participants and asking them questions on the study’s interest. The questions acts as stimuli to respondents and therefore facilitate responses that are the collected data. The method is not very popular in research but Kothari (2004) explains that it is instrumental in implementing survey designs and that the design is particularly applicable in developed regions such as urban centers. A survey in the contemporary environment in which technology identifies modernism therefore identifies suitability of the data collection approach for the proposed study. In addition, management of public sector is centralized with regional headquarters in areas that are considered urban centers. This therefore means that reasonable sample size can be recruited from Oman’s urban centers for implementing the study on the public sector’s application of enterprise resource planning. Implementing the data collection method will involve allocation of research assistants to districts, each research assistant per district. The research assistant will then conduct interview with regional administrators, at their respective districts. The interviews will further target each office in the public sector, such as educational office, health office, agricultural office, among other administrative offices that exist in the assistants’ respective districts. Rationale for the data collection method One of the reasons for selection of telephone interviews for data collection is its suitability for the scope of the study that target offices at districts’ major centers in Oman. Consequently, the method will be feasible because of availability of necessary communication facilities. Advantages that the data collection instrument has also support its choice for application in the study. A telephone interview is more flexible that other data collection methods such as mailed questionnaires that may be restricted by schedules and reliability levels of mailing agencies. The flexibility also ensures a mutual time that conveniences both the researcher and the research participants. This further has the advantages of a facilitated response rate and quality of responses because research participants will be more ready and willing to participate in a study that does not inconvenience them. Telephone interview is also preferred because of its speed over other data collection methods. Unlike direct interviews, for example, which requires travels to respondents’ locations, telephone interviews saves such travel times and ensures instant availability of data. Telephone interview is also preferred because of the high number of participants that may make physical presence of the researcher at the participants’ locations time consuming. At a centralized location, which may even be a single data collection center for the entire study, all participants can be contacted, in succession. This therefore identifies convenience to the researcher and involved research assistants in the study. Minimized physical movements during data collection also identify low costs of implementing telephone surveys for data collection. Consequently, the method ensures feasibility and even allows for application of a large sample size that ensures reliability concerns. Costs of making telephone calls are also low, especially for domestic calls. Like direct interviews, telephone interviews establish interpersonal links between the researcher and research participants and therefore ensure a high response rate. In addition, the researcher has an opportunity to explain any arising need from interview questions and this ensures accuracy in responses. The data collection method also requires limited fieldwork and facilitates access to research participants who could not be accessed easily with other data collection methods such as direct interviews and observations (Kothari, 2004). Telephone interview however has limitations but these can be managed for the study. Interview period are normally limited and this may not ensure sufficient time for research participants to offer comprehensive information on research questions. The approach may also not be suitable for studies that are intensive. In addition, the geographical barrier restricts non-verbal communication and therefore limits the researcher’s ability to verify offered information through reading respondents’ non verbal communication applications. Measures will however be taken to manage possible effects of the challenges (Kothari, 2004). Potential issues that could occur Participants’ bias is a possible issue with the data collection method. Research participants, being members of the target offices may want to convey a positive image of their offices and therefore frame responses to portray this and the distance barrier may not allow the researcher to verify the offered information. Another issue that may arise in the data collection process is breach of research participants’ autonomy. This defines applications in the data collection process that contravene participants’ will. Failure to obtain informed consent is one of the causes of breach of autonomy and involves using a person in a research against his or her will or without her knowledge. Failure to honor a participants’ person or opinion in the research process is another concern towards autonomy concerns and may occur in the data collection process. Beneficence, non-malfeasance, and anonymity are other ethical issues that may arise in the study’s data collection process. Being a public sector and with the research conducted at district levels, bureaucratic rules may exist that regulate disclosure of information from the target offices. Collected data may also expose research participants o harsh treatment by their superiors should they disclose information that does not favor the superior. Disclosure of participants’ identifiable information, especially information that can associate them with their responses, is therefore an issue that may contravene anonymity, beneficence, and non-malfeasance to cause harm to research participants (Terry, 2011). Plans for dealing with the issue In order to manage the potential bias from research participants, semi structured interviews will be used to allow for verification of research participants’ responses. In cases of suspected bias, more than one interview will be conducted from an office. Replication will be done with the same responded or with a different respondent, to verify offered information. A review of ethical principles will however ensure prevention of occurrence of the ethical concerns. Informed consent will be obtained before sampling and random codes used for identifying research participants (Terry, 2011). References Kothari, C. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Delhi: New Age International. Terry, A. (2011). Clinical research for the Doctor of Nursing practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Read More