Multicultural Development in Human Services Agencies: An Evaluation of Hyde's Article

This paper evaluates an article by Hyde (2004) on multicultural development in human services agencies. It analyzes the theoretical framework, literature review, data collection instruments, results, conclusions, and ethical considerations.

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Human Services Research: Research Evaluation
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Human Services Research: Research Evaluation
Globalization is increasing at a fast rate, and every individual and organization
currently strives to come up with strategies for managing diversity. Human services agencies
are faced with a challenge of how to handle different cultures. According to Holvino (2008),
multicultural organization development refers to a change process that supports an
organization to move from a monocultural to a multicultural or inclusive organization. To
determine whether an organization practices multicultural development, the first step is to
assess where the organization is and its commitment to achieving its vision and future goals.
The assessment will then lead to an analysis of the identified gap between the organization’s
vision and its current position which will guide one to come up with interventions that are
designed to accomplish the change goals identified (Holvino, 2008). This paper presents an
evaluation of an article by Hyde (2004) on multicultural development in human services.
Theoretical Framework
A theoretical framework is a crucial component of a research paper that all
researchers ought to embrace. Iqbal (2007) noted that many researchers struggle to find the
most appropriate theoretical framework for their studies and hence, end up writing papers that
are inconsistent with the topic and the purpose. There are critical elements that need to be
considered when developing a theoretical framework, one of which is that it should be
limited to two pages. The two pages should elaborate the proposition within the framework.
The second important element is an introductory paragraph which should indicate how the
theoretical framework is organized. The framework should also contain statements which
elaborate definitions, assumptions, and propositions. All these statements should be
introduced appropriately and in a systematic manner. Endnotes or references must be
provided to support any claim in the theoretical framework.

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A closer look at the article by Hyde (2004) reveals that the author did not provide a
section for the theoretical framework; rather, he linked the study to a theory that serves as the
theoretical framework that guided the study and decisions. Specifically, the theoretical
underpinnings are based on the agency of life. The author views the challenges of
multicultural practices that organizations face from the lens of realities of the agency of life.
The article makes use of different perspectives to build their research and propositions and to
achieve this; the agency perspective is used throughout the study to develop the research and
help in bringing new insights regarding the topic. This helps a researcher to produce a paper
that applies to other disciplines and hence improve external validity (Micthell & Jolley,
2012). The daily realities applied in the study include agency climate, motivations for
multicultural organizational development (MCOD), and the current multicultural practice
(Hyde, 2004).
An in-depth analysis of the theoretical framework also reveals it is specific to the
topic. The researcher applies a more specific approach to the study as opposed to viewing the
topic from a broad spectrum. The author applied the agency life perspective as a particular
view rather than the overall organizational set up which would have lead to confusion as to
what should be handled in the study. A specific framework is essential since it enables
researchers and the reader to easily identify the specific theories regarding the various human
existence aspects (Beaton & Funk, 2008). The framework makes reference to other studies to
support the claims. One of the most critical studies that were referenced is by Rubin and
Babbie (2010) which extensively covers the development of multicultural dimensions in
organizations today. The theories applied in this study can be used in studying real-life
events. The theoretical framework in this study was used to analyze the topic and guided the
interpretation of data and results. The problem, however, is that there is no concrete model

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that can be seen as a theoretical framework. A good theoretical framework is one that has a
graphical depiction of how it relates to the topic.
Evaluation of Literature Review
A literature review refers to the search and evaluation of the existing studies or
literature regarding the subject or topic under study (Webster & Watson, 2002). The literature
review section of a study highlights the state of the art regarding the topic or subject that is
being written about (Jose & Galvan, 2017). The primary purpose of literature is to convey to
the reader the existing knowledge and ideas that have already been published regarding the
subject and review their strengths and weaknesses and describe what needs to be done to fill
the existing gap. A good literature review should be specific and have guiding principles such
as the problem statement, a research objective or the thesis of the research. It should not
appear like a mere description of the available material or summaries of existing research
(Webster & Watson, 2002). Additionally, the review should be systematic and thorough in
reviewing all the relevant literature.
When looking at the study by Hyde (2004), it meets most of the features of an
excellent literature review. The literature review depicts a thorough and clear understanding
of the research topic as the researcher provides an in-depth review of past studies that are
linked to the topic. In the introductory paragraph, for instance, the researcher provides insight
on the significance of human services agencies to adopt multiple cultures and proceeds to
provide some studies that were carried out in the past which support the claim (Sevilla,
Ochave, Punsalan, Regala & Uriarte, 1992). The author argues that the need for embracing
multiculturalism in organizations is crucial considering the increase in a population that is
diverse in terms of race, age, gender and physical abilities that need to be recognized and
treated equally in the public welfare sector. This claim is backed by Bocage, Homonoff, and
Riley (1995) and Ferguson (1996). Supporting claims with previous research is an indication

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that the research was well informed about the topic and hence, the results and conclusions are
valid.
A closer look at the literature review reveals that the researcher provided a thorough
review of previous studies and established the existing gaps in the body of knowledge which
needs to be filled. The identified gap in the literature is what dictates the approach through
which the study will be conducted and which areas need to be addressed. The gap also helps
the researcher to identify the most critical areas about the topic in order to determine the
primary purpose of the study (Rubin & Babbie, 2010). The study provides reliable sources
which are published within a reasonable period. Providing a scope of literature is essential to
avoid inappropriate use of study materials. The scope is important as it helps one to capture
the most common issues which seem dominant in the past studies.
One of the weaknesses is that the researcher does not point out the weakness of each
previous study. The author failed to discuss the limitation of each study as a basis for
justifying the current research. The researcher also failed to provide the literature review
strategy that was applied. It is essential to inform the reader about the strategy that will be
used in conducting a literature review.
Data Collection Instruments
The selection of data collection tools and techniques is a vital step in the process of
conducting research (Bastos, Duquia, González-Chica, Mesa & Bonamigo, 2014). In
selecting a data collection instrument, it is crucial to prioritize the validity and reliability of
the collected data as well as the comparability with data available from other studies done in
the past (Bastos et al., 2014). According to Bastos et al. (2004), instruments for data
collection must be designed and administered carefully to help a researcher in gathering the
relevant information required.

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The primary method used by Hyde (2004) is interviews. Hyde (2004) notes the study
involved in-depth analysis of twenty consultants and twenty practitioners in a metropolitan
area in New England. The researcher applied reputational case selection and purposive
selection types of sampling. Data was gathered using unstructured scheduled interviews in
order to provide flexibility to the respondents. The researcher specifies the questions that will
be asked during the interviews and highlighted the fact that the phrasing, order, and follow-up
are tailored to each respondent. The researcher specifies what the questions will cover; such
as personal philosophy, agency context, involvement history, factors that facilitate or hinder
positive outcomes, and examples of positive and negative outcomes (Hyde, 2004).
When collecting data, it is essential to consider respondents who at least may have an
idea of the topic. This will help a researcher to gather relevant information regarding a study
subject. Hyde (2004) used a sampling technique to select respondents from a sample
comprising of people who had experience and knowledge about multicultural development in
human services. Another consideration for sample construction that Hyde (2004) used is
diversity. The inclusion of people from diverse background is important as it ensures that the
information provided will be valid to all various people and not specific to, for instance,
Whites or Hispanics. In this regard, it can be said that the study applied proper selection
criteria and data collection techniques that helped in collecting valid and reliable information.
Results and Conclusions
The results section of a research paper is where one reports all the findings of the
study based on the methodology and techniques used in collecting data and information. The
results section is supposed to highlight the research findings and arrange them in a logical
manner without bias. This section of a study is crucial especially when a research paper
involves data generated by the researcher (Ruiying & Allison, 2003).

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The researcher made an effort to depict the results in a clear and concise manner. The
results also have a direct link to the research questions, and hence, it is easy for the reader to
understand the findings presented. The results section clearly highlights the responses from
the study participants of the interviews, and hence, it helps the reader to gain insight into the
correlation between the research questions and the views of the respondents. In order to help
other interested researchers on the subject, the results section outlines the challenges faced by
the respondents during the interviews. This will help future researchers to prevent similar
challenges in order to get the most out of the interviews. The conclusion of the study is
succinct and supports the research questions. The researcher provides and discusses a number
of solutions which answer the research questions identified.
Ethical Considerations
Researchers must always keep in mind the ethical implication of any subject when
conducting a study. It is clear that the researcher considered a number of ethical issues
regarding multicultural diversity in all phases of the study. During the data collection phase,
the researcher considered objectivity, integrity, and validity of data. This is manifested when
the researcher used consultants who had prior knowledge and experience in multicultural
diversity. Since they had knowledge and experience, it is evident that they provided reliable
information which is in line with ethical principles. The researcher also applied inclusivity in
selecting the respondents by including people from all genders and race. Both men and
women were selected from different races, and hence, the sample used is a valid presentation
of the entire population.
The researcher selected twenty practitioners and twenty consultants. Out of the twenty
practitioners, eleven were women while nine were men. The racial composition of the twenty
consultants was seven black, eight white, four Latinos and one Asian (Hyde, 2004). Out of
the twenty practitioners, thirteen were women whole seven were men (Hyde, 2004). The

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racial composition of the practitioners was nine white people, three Latinos, three Asians and
five black people. The inclusion of people from various backgrounds helps the researcher to
capture the trust of the reader. It can, therefore, be said that the study maintained the highest
ethical principles required in a study.

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