Research Methodology for Qualitative Study on Employee Behavior in Australian Hotels

This research methodology outlines the methods used to collect and analyze data on employee behavior in Australian hotels. The study focuses on qualitative research methods such as observation, open-ended surveys, and interviews. The population and sampling techniques used are also discussed, as well as ethical considerations and research limitations. The study aims to understand the impact of work ethics on employee behavior and customer satisfaction.

Running Head: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
AURTHORS NAME
UNIVERSITY OF AFFILIATION

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Table of content
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
2.1 Research Methodology..........................................................................................................................3
2.1.1 Observation....................................................................................................................................3
2.1.2 Open-ended survey.........................................................................................................................3
2.1.3 Interview.........................................................................................................................................3
2.2 Population and sampling techniques and population sample...........................................................3
Population...........................................................................................................................................3
Sample technique................................................................................................................................3
Convenience sample........................................................................................................................3
2.4 Data analysis..........................................................................................................................................4
Conversation analysis......................................................................................................................4
Correlation.......................................................................................................................................4
Descriptive statistics........................................................................................................................4
2.5 Ethical consideration.............................................................................................................................4
2.6 Research limitation................................................................................................................................4
References...................................................................................................................................................5
Appendix......................................................................................................................................................6
Questions.............................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
Qualitative research is the social science type of research that collects the information and work
with non-numeric data. The non-numeric data seeks to elaborate the meaning of data that helps a
person have a deeper understanding of social life through the study of population targeted.
Qualitative research comprises of the following methods, immersion and observation, interviews
and content analysis of the visual and textual materials, focus groups and open-ended surveys.
(Coffey&Atkinson,2010).
Purpose of qualitative research
Qualitative research focuses on the people experience and their everyday lives. Therefore it
creates theories through the use of an inductive method that it has lent itself, which can further be
tested with research.(Denzin&Lincon,2012).
Qualitative research does an investigation on the interpretations, meaning, symbols and social
life relations. It produces a study that is descriptive, and the researcher must interpret through the
use of rigorous and methods that are systematic and analyze them.
2.0 Research Methodology
The different methodology was used to collect data for the analysis. The method used for data
collection included observation, survey, and an interview.
2.1Data Collection
2.1.1 Observation
The researcher used the direct observation method to observe the employees as they carried out
there day to day activities without any interference or participation. This type of research is
unknown to those people under study and is often conducted in public place where the people do

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not have a reasonable expectation of privacy (Merriam, 2014). A researcher can observe how
work ethics are followed in the organization. A researcher can be observant on how the hotels
increased requirements carry out their business responsibly and ethically.
2.1.2 Open-ended survey
Majority of the study is designed to generate data that is quantitative; the open poll is created to
provide qualitative data that can allow qualitative data generation (Merriam, 2010). The research
on the Australian hotel seeks to understand reasons as to why the employee behave in a certain
way, and the impacts that the employee behavior has on the consumer satisfaction.
Research instrument
Independent variable is the variable that can be controlled to test the effect of the dependent
variable. The independent variable is work ethics
List the five key features of the theory what makes this theory work
 Inputs: input comprises of all the different contribution that the employee believes they
bring to the job which includes their education, experience and loyalty.
 Outcomes: outcomes comprise of the rewards that the employee perceive they obtain
from their jobs and employers it can take a form of benefit.
 Over rewarded: suppose an employee fell over, the theory suggests that they will feel an
imbalance and will seek to restore the relationship with their employer.
 Equity: suppose the employee perceive investment, they will be motivated to contribute
continuously and act about the same level.

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 Unrewarded: employees who feel they have been unrewarded and will seek to reduce
their feelings in equity through using the same strategy type but of the same actions
specific in reverse
Questions
In the Australian hotel, daily operations how would you say that honesty is practiced
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
In your years at work, have you ever been aware of the form of misconduct being conducted by a
colleague or your employer that violate the work ethics standards of the organization?
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
What action did you take?
Which among the following is misconduct that you are aware of takes place in your
organization?
o Discrimination
o Stealing
o Biased hiring process

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o Harassment
o Fraud
o Safety violations
o Abusive behaviors
The dependent variable is the variable that is under test .Employee behavior is the dependent
variable as it can be controlled by the work ethics
List the five key features of the theory what makes this theory work
 Inputs: input comprises of all the different contribution that the employee believes they
bring to the job which includes their education, experience and loyalty.
 Outcomes: outcomes comprise of the rewards that the employee perceive they obtain
from their jobs and employers it can take a form of benefit.
 Over rewarded: suppose an employee fell over, the theory suggests that they will feel an
imbalance and will seek to restore the relationship with their employer.
 Equity: suppose the employee perceive investment, they will be motivated to contribute
continuously and act about the same level.
 Unrewarded: employees who feel they have been unrewarded and will seek to reduce
their feelings in equity through using the same strategy type but of the same actions
specific in reverse
Have you ever raised a concern with the management after realizing an inappropriate behavior?

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o Yes
o No
o Maybe
Which among the following reasons made you not to raise your interest
o Fear of jeopardizing my job
o Failure of taking appropriate actions in the past
o Never knew who to contact
o Thought someone else would raise the matter
o Fear of being rejected by my colleagues
Have you ever been under the pressure of compromising the organization ethical standards of
conduct?
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
What are the main reasons for you to act unethically?
o Peer pressure from the team
o Following orders by my boss
o Fear of failure to meet deadlines
o My organization runs under unethical culture.

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2.1.3 Interview
An in-depth interview was conducted through speaking to an employee in a one on one setting.
Research questions for the discussion were already predetermined .The interviewee was asked
those questions, but the interviewer allowed the conversation to evolve based on the response to
the interview. People interviewed were the hotel manager, employee supervisor, employee, and
customers.
2.2 Population and sampling techniques and population sample
Population
Population refers to the total grouped under study. During the research, all information was
collected from all members of the group. The Australian hotel had a medium population which
made it easier for the data to be collected.
Sample technique
It almost impossible to collect information from everyone in a population. Instead of trying to
obtain information from everyone, a sample of the population is collected.(Neuman,2013)
. There are various techniques that were used to receive information which comprises of :
Random sample .In this technique, the individual were selected by chance, and every member of
the population was given equal chance of being elected.
Convenience sample
Stratified sample. Employee of Australian hotel were divided into subgroups with similar
characteristics. The sample under study was obtained from taking samples of each sub groups.

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2.4 Data analysis
Conversation analysis
Conversation analysis is the qualitative method for analyzing the organization following and
conversation details. Similar to ethnomethodology, from which it developed, conversation
analysis focus on the reality construction (Silverman, 2016).
Through direct observation method of data collection, the researcher was keen on the employee
interaction with the customer. Since the Australian hotel is a business that requires effective
communication, the researcher was interested in the way the consumer was treated by the
employees. A consumer who is satisfied with the services offered by the hotel will remain loyal
and will refer their friends to the hotel.
Correlation
Correlation techniques were used because the researcher was interested in knowing the
relationship between the employee and customer satisfaction. The correlation between the
employee and consumer satisfaction was that, there was an implication that the employee service
and the consumer satisfaction are positively correlated.
Descriptive statistics
Frequency distribution was used to figure out the values that were observed. The measure of the
central tendency and dispersion were used to learn more about the data. The ratio of tendency
used was the mean median and mode. Mean refers to the average value. The mode is the value
which is often observed .mode was most suitable since the data was not numeric.

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2.5 Ethical consideration
Research is critical to the ethical concerns. Ethics are the standard of conduct that distinguishes
right from wrong. Ethics and in identifying the difference between the unacceptable behavior
from the acceptable response. Ethical considerations re of significance to the researcher due to
the following reasons
First, the ethical concern prevents the data falsifying and fabrication hence it promotes truth and
knowledge pursuit which is the primary goal of the research. Secondly, ethical behavior is
critical for the collaborative work due to encouraging the trust environment, accountability and
mutual respect among those undertaking the research. This is of great significance in matters of
data sharing,co-authorship and guideline of copyright. Thirdly it is essential for the researcher to
adhere to ethical standards to gain trust and confidence from the public. The public requires an
assurance that the researcher followed the appropriate guideline on matters concerning the
animal welfare, law compliance, and health standards (Patton,2014).
Ethical consideration is of great significance in research, the majority of the professionals and
associations have adopted the policies and codes that outline guide researchers and ethical
behaviors. These codes are addressing concern such as honesty, objectivity, and respect for the
intellectual property. The moral consideration codes provide basic guideline but the researchers
are prompted to face some more issues that are not highlighted in the code of conduct, this type
of conflict will require critical thinking and practical decision making on researcher part to avoid
misconduct.

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2.6 Research limitation
Research limitation is the influence that is beyond the researcher control. They comprise of the
conditions and shortcomings and the impact that cannot be controlled by the researcher. The
limitation restrict the conclusion and the methodology. It is of great significance for the
researcher to mention any form of limitation that can influence the result. In the research the
boundary noted was that some finding could not be generalized to a population that is larger.
This is due to the broader population definition.

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References
Coffey, A., & Atkinson, P. (2010). Making sense of qualitative data: complementary research
strategies. Sage Publications, Inc
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2012). Handbook of qualitative research. Sage publications, inc
Merriam, S. B. (2014). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. Revised
and Expanded from" Case Study Research in Education.". Jossey-Bass Publishers, 350
Sansome St, San Francisco, CA 94104
Merriam, S. B. (2010). Case study research in education: A qualitative approach. Jossey-Bass.
Neuman, W. L. (2013). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Pearson education
Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research. Sage.
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. SAGE Publications, inc.
Bibliography
Marczyk, G., DeMatteo, D., & Festinger, D. (2005). Essentials of research design and
methodology. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Spradley, J. P. (2003). Qualitative Approaches to Criminal Justice: Perspectives from the Field.
Thousand Oaks, C.A.: Sage Publications
Sekaram, U., Bougie, R. (2013) Research Methods for Business. United Kingdom, John Wiley
and Sons Ltd
Sturges, J. E., & Hanrahan, K. J. (2004). Comparing telephone and face-to-face qualitative
Sturgesinterviewing: a research note. Qualitative research, 4(1), 107-118.

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Appendix
Research instrument
Independent variable is the variable that can be controlled to test the effect of the dependent
variable. The independent variable is work ethics
List the five key features of the theory what makes this theory work
 Inputs: input comprises of all the different contribution that the employee believes they
bring to the job which includes their education, experience and loyalty.
 Outcomes: outcomes comprise of the rewards that the employee perceive they obtain
from their jobs and employers it can take a form of benefit.
 Over rewarded: suppose an employee fell over, the theory suggests that they will feel an
imbalance and will seek to restore the relationship with their employer.
 Equity: suppose the employee perceive investment, they will be motivated to contribute
continuously and act about the same level.
 Unrewarded: employees who feel they have been unrewarded and will seek to reduce
their feelings in equity through using the same strategy type but of the same actions
specific in reverse

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Questions
In the Australian hotel, daily operations how would you say that honesty is practiced
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
In your years at work, have you ever been aware of the form of misconduct being conducted by a
colleague or your employer that violate the work ethics standards of the organization?
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
What action did you take?
Which among the following is misconduct that you are aware of takes place in your
organization?
o Discrimination
o Stealing
o Biased hiring process
o Harassment
o Fraud

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15
o Safety violations
o Abusive behaviors
The dependent variable is the variable that is under test .Employee behavior is the dependent
variable as it can be controlled by the work ethics
List the five key features of the theory what makes this theory work
 Inputs: input comprises of all the different contribution that the employee believes they
bring to the job which includes their education, experience and loyalty.
 Outcomes: outcomes comprise of the rewards that the employee perceive they obtain
from their jobs and employers it can take a form of benefit.
 Over rewarded: suppose an employee fell over, the theory suggests that they will feel an
imbalance and will seek to restore the relationship with their employer.
 Equity: suppose the employee perceive investment, they will be motivated to contribute
continuously and act about the same level.
 Unrewarded: employees who feel they have been unrewarded and will seek to reduce
their feelings in equity through using the same strategy type but of the same actions
specific in reverse
Have you ever raised a concern with the management after realizing an inappropriate behavior?
o Yes
o No

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16
o Maybe
Which among the following reasons made you not to raise your interest
o Fear of jeopardizing my job
o Failure of taking appropriate actions in the past
o Never knew who to contact
o Thought someone else would raise the matter
o Fear of being rejected by my colleagues
Have you ever been under the pressure of compromising the organization ethical standards of
conduct?
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
What are the main reasons for you to act unethically?
o Peer pressure from the team
o Following orders by my boss
o Fear of failure to meet deadlines
o My organization runs under unethical culture.