Hypothesis Identification Article Analysis - Essay Example

Hypothesis Identification Article Analysis The article under analysis "Women's Experience of the Workers Compensation System" by Jo Calvey and JanisJansz describes the problem of workers compensation systems in relation to workplace injuries and diseases. This article is based on literature analysis and the research study provided in 2003, Queensland, Australia. The research takes into account the role of WorkCover program in workers compensation system, and its role in effective compensation of workplace injuries and diseases for women.

The hypothesis is that a current compensation system is ineffective depriving many women a chance to return to work, and if organizations improve the compensation system more women would be able to return to work and work full-time. The researchers examine and evaluate current literature and come to conclusion that the question of women compensation at work and safety issues is not examined yet. There is no substantial analysis of this system and its impact on organizational performance and women employees.

The researchers claim that the current system of compensation is ineffective and does not benefit employees and employers. To verify their hypothesis, Calvey and Jansz use a phenomenological research approach. They explain that "the purpose of phenomenological reflection is to try to grasp the essential meaning of something Insight into the essence of a phenomenon involves a process of reflectively appropriating, of clarifying, and of making explicit the structure of meaning of the lived experience" (Van Manen, 1990: 77-78, cited Calvey, Jansz, 2005, p. 285). The hypothesis statement helps the researchers to identify the area of research and construct it in accordance with their hypothesis.

Also, the hypothesis statement helps to avoid ambiguity during analysis of the results. In this article, the hypothesis statement is used to predict the conditions of compensation system and outcomes are most likely to occur. To some extent, the hypothesis statement is a direction to the researchers which determines their plan of actions. This research is based on the analysis of previous experimental data, and the hypothesis statement is used as a core of the research. Calvey and Jansz made their predictions based on the hypothesis, and carried out the experiments (interviews) in order to support or refute their predictions.

In this article, the hypothesis statement can be described as a summary of information gathered during the assessment phase. The research is based on three interviews. The participants are women from twenty-five to sixty-five. Taking into account the hypothesis, the researchers construct a series of open-ended questions for the first interview which covers the topic under investigation. The second and third interviews are aimed "to check for accuracy, to clear up any misperceptions and to complete any missing data" (Calvey, Jansz, 2005, p. 25). Taking into account the hypothesis statement and results, Calvey and Jansz develop six themes (models of behavior patterns).

Also, "The overriding theme that emerged from the data was the positive versus negative nature of the women's experiences of the workers compensation process" (Calvey, Jansz, 2005, p. 285). This research study has two primary objectives: firstly, to build new knowledge, and secondly, to disseminate that knowledge and raise awareness of its potential applications. Knowledge created but not shared has no value. Ultimately, academic research based on hypothesis statement leads to practical outcomes that are useful to the profession and society at large.

At the end of the research, the findings are compared with the hypothesis. Calvey and Jansz support their predictions and prove that their hypothesis is right. Lack of effective compensation system for women lead to negative outcomes for both employees and employers. "The women in this research study have indicated that the current state of workers compensation service delivery creates disincentives to claiming workers compensation" (Calvey, Jansz, 2005, p. 285). Also, the hypothesis helps the researchers to identify new areas of importance and questions which are not covered by this research study.

References1. Calvey, J., Jansz, J. (2005). Women's Experience of the Workers Compensation System. Australian Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 40, p. 285.