Observation of a Coffee Shop - Case Study Example

? Observation Study of a Coffee Shop OBSERVATION STUDY OF A COFFEE SHOP Observation This observational study is focused on the behavior of patrons in at a Starbucks coffee shop. One of the reasons for the study of this location is that I have a passion for coffee, as well as the coffee experience. The second reason had to do with the practicality of the study; behavior of students in a coffee shop near a school can be observed easily and readily. This also occurs in a short time interval as people normally take coffee for ten to fifteen minutes, which was especially important because the observation was only to last for thirty minutes. For these reasons, the observation study was viable. In addition, the coffee shop has a diverse collection of clients, which will allow for a more representative sample. Since the coffee shop is, unquestionably, the leader in the specialized coffee sector, the behaviors and layout of the stores were set out as the focus of the study. The Starbuck’s coffee shop had jazz music and warm lighting, which was the first thing I noticed even before entering the building. This particular branch, the Katipunan, has very many student clients and is quite close to the National Book Store, is right by the road side, and is also located close to a road overpass. Because of this, the coffee shop has many clients due to the heavy traffic right outside its door. As I walked past the National Book Store, I was immediately drawn to the coffee shop’s stylistic wall. The wall had a top made of glass on one side with the lower part constructed of wood and painted in a bright red color. It is actually possible for one to see through the glass part of the wall, giving one an idea of the activities taking place within the coffee shop. The two lamps that were fastened to the ceiling were also bright red and quite fascinating with their flower-bud shape. On gaining access into the coffee shop, there were three medium-sized plants placed just inside the door. However, there is no real door at Starbucks, which is meant to make it feel more welcoming and allow people to walk out and in more easily. To the right, on entry, there was a table that was laden with drinks and food, while another table just behind the cashier’s counter was full of various electronics. A refrigerator that served ice was placed between the food table and the counter. It was difficult not to be drawn to the appealing and delicious-looking muffins, bread, and donuts. The coffee shop’s menu was located just above this table and was impossible to miss. Apart from the area with the drinks and food, another area was set with couches, chairs, and tables. A leather couch was positioned along the glass wall with other smaller couches positioned at the corners of this area. The tables in the coffee shop were of different shapes with rectangular and round ones being the most common. Next to these couches and tables were baskets made of bamboo that held coffee-related snacks. Looking around, the walls with no glass panes, instead, were decorated with attractive paintings. Finally, before I took my seat, I noticed that the mixture of different music from their speakers and the filtered light attached to the ceilings gave the shop an artistic appeal. As usual, this particular Starbucks was very busy in the early morning hours, and there were long lines of clients awaiting their turns to be served. Most of the people in the shop looked to be in high spirits and were chatting away to their friends, while others were simply having a look around. There were clients of diverse ethnic groups, races, and age, most of who had come to buy coffee, while others were just seated. I found it interesting that the majority of the clients who had come in to buy coffee looked in a rush to leave, while those who were simply seated and talking or tapping at their phones did not look like they were buying anything. The clients who had sequestered themselves on the couches were carrying out varying tasks. Either some were in groups or alone working on school projects, while some just looked to be deep in thought. Other clients were at the shop with their partners; they were conversing in intimate tones and manner, while others were eating as they looked blankly ahead of them or just sleeping in the corner quietly. The majority of those who were actively engaged in conversations spoke loudly and seemed oblivious to the loud music from the speakers. Technology had a major role to play within the coffee shop. Most of the people seated at the tables had placed their phones on these tables, while some were using them, talking, and sipping their coffee at the same time. Others seated on the couches were working on their tablets and laptops, while there was a group of girls seated on one of the couches with one earpiece from their iPods hanging from their ear as they completed what looked like a class paper. The cashiers, whom I noticed were very polite to all the customers, including the loud ones, went about inquiring from the clients what they wanted. Even when the questions were repeated more than once, they answered politely with a smile on their face. Although they communicated with each other, the cashiers rarely broke their step and seemed to be always on the move. What I found most interesting was that most of those who were seated on the couches seemed to leave together. Ten minutes after I took my seat, almost half of them took their leave, which I suppose was to attend mid-morning classes. As they walked out, even more people walked in and joined the queue and I noticed most had school bags or folders. They also hurriedly left the coffee shop soon after they had finished their coffee. I joined one such group on my way out and saw them head towards the University. Correlation of Observation to the Roles of Bias, Context, and the Researcher Bias can affect the reliability and validity of the observations in qualitative research (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011). On top of distorting the truth, it also skews and slants the observations. However, it is inevitable as far as qualitative research is concerned. For this reason, it is important to recognize its presence and act to reduce it. In this observation study, there were three potential sources of bias, including biased reporting, biased samples, and moderator bias. Because qualitative research places a lot of emphasis on the human condition and reality, it entails the garnering of some truths about the group being observed. However, in this case, rather than collecting the truth, the observation at Starbucks sought to collect information so as gain some knowledge about the subjects. Acquisition of this knowledge and information occurs in context, rather than in a vacuum (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011). Because of this, the observations made were a result of situational factors. As the moderator, I had a significant impact on the observation study’s report quality. Style of language, dress code, tone, body language, and facial expressions among the group under observation may have led to the introduction of bias (Polkinghorne, 2005). In addition, bias may have been introduced by gender, race, social status, and age. In addition, some of the clients at Starbucks that may also have noticed some of my physical attributes, which could have changed the way they were acting, especially those seated close to me. Some of these include the fact that I was seated alone, seemed to be very interested in those around me, and did not talk to anyone. To counter this, it is important to be as “invisible” as possible in the location where the observation was taking place in terms of body language, and dress (Polkinghorne, 2005). In addition, it is important not to give any opinion and to observe simply what one can. Biased sample is another problem that may have arisen. The sample for an observation study may not include the particular group of interest (Ritchie, 2006). For this reason, some of the clients who were presumed to be students may not have been students. Since this was an observation without consent, it was impossible to recruit and screen participants, which may have led to biased sampling. The lack of randomization, therefore, made the study suffers from bias. I as an observer in an experiment that is not controlled, it was possible to record potential factors to determine the effects from the factors. The factors recorded may not be a direct cause of output differences (Ritchie, 2006). In addition, some of the important factors may miss out during reporting, despite their causality. In addition, some of the unrecorded and recorded factors could be correlated, which may lead to incorrect conclusions. One way to reduce this bias is by ensuring that the subjects required frequent the place being used for observation. Finally, biased reporting may also be a cause of bias in the study report. It is difficult to keep an open mind always, and during the observation study, personality, error, reference, mind state, views, culture, attitudes, wishes, feelings, and beliefs may lead to reporting and analysis bias (Gobo, Gubrium & Seale 2004). Because the researcher is human first and foremost, the conscious and sub-conscious are both at work, which could lead to the interpretation of observations under bias. The best way to counter this is through keeping an open mind and striving for as much objectivity as possible. In addition, having more than one analyst will be of much help. In that, there will be different perspectives about similar observations. Another analyst may spot a sub-consciously skewed observation report (Gobo, Gubrium & Seale 2004). For this observation study, the context was a cultural one. In order to conduct an effective observational study, it was important to live within the study’s context in order to facilitate meaningful and prolonged engagement (Ponterotto, 2005). This helps to increase trustworthiness among the observed population and in the results. The observation result will be more trustworthy if, as a researcher, it is possible to show that considerable time was spent getting to know the setting, in this case Starbucks. This interaction with clients at Starbucks will enable the researcher to be more observant and participatory in various activities over different times when observations may be different (Ponterotto, 2005). In this case, however, the period lived in the study’s context was almost non-existent, and it was not possible to get to know various routines. If it were possible to visit this Starbucks culture several times, the findings may have been more accurate. Living the Starbucks’ student culture will enable a researcher to learn the everyday activities of the place. Through activities like this where the researcher immerses themselves into the culture, it will also be possible to access members of this culture who could explain what some actions mean, as well as use conversations with them for data elucidation (Ponterotto, 2005). As a researcher in this setting, there were several roles played. The first role was as an ethnographer where I was immersed in the functioning of the culture at Starbucks, this is an enquiry from the inside (Michell, 2008). The role of the historian was also played, as there was retrospective examination of data from previous Starbucks research studies, which is an enquiry from the outside. Finally, I also played the role of instrument by being in the middle of information gathering. As a researcher, I was the instrument for information collection through observation. However, this role exposes the observation and information recorded to bias (Michell, 2008). References Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011): The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Gobo, G., Gubrium, J. F., & Seale, C. (2004): Qualitative research practice. London [u.a.: SAGE. Michell, J. (2008). The place of qualitative research in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology , 1 (4), 307-319. Polkinghorne, D.E. (2005). Language and meaning: Data collection in qualitative research. Journal of Counseling Psychology , 52 (2), 137-145. Ponterotto, J.G. (2005). Qualitative research in counseling psychology: A primer on research paradigms and philosophy of science. Journal of Counseling Psychology , 52 (2), 126-136. Ritchie, J. (2006). Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. London [u.a] Sage Publishers Read More