Research Practice and Problem Statement

Research Practice 1
RESEARCH PRACTICE
By (Student’s Name)
Professor’s Name
College
Course
Date

Research Practice 2
RESEARCH PRACTICE
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
The change in the system of work over the next six months will have impacts on the staff,
administrators, and the client in one way or the other affecting the service quality offered to the
client.
1.2.1 OBJECTIVES
General objective
To assess the impacts of the twenty hour work week system on the staff and clients
Specific objectives
1. To find out the advantages of the 20 hour work week
2. To determine the problems encountered by the staff with the 20 hour work week
3. To find out comments received by the staff from, clients about services after the 20 hour work
week
4. To find out suggestions by staff to improve the client services while maintaining the 20 hour
work week system
Justification
Recently, the accounting firm decided to reduce weekly working hours to twenty hours a
week to try to improve the productivity and work-life balance of their staff. To achieve this, there
is need to have adequate personnel at each office at every working time Monday to Friday 9 am
to 5 pm. To make this possible, there is need to have a meeting on Monday every week to
nominate the days and hours they will work that following week (Demerouti, Derks, Lieke and
Bakker 2014)
Why qualitative approach

Research Practice 3
A qualitative "approach" generally describes the thought about performing a qualitative
study. The purpose of the qualitative study is describe explicitly and implicitly by this approach.
Moreover, researchers’ role, research phases and data analysis method are also described.
Ethnography describe a wider field with vast array of methods and practitioner. Nevertheless,
participant observation remains the common one.
The ethnographer remains engrossed in culture as he participates actively and document
wider field notes. No predetermined restriction of whatever will be observed like in ground
theory and no actual point of ending in this research. Phenomenology focuses on individuals’
experience subjectively and their world’s interpretation. A phenomenologist is always
determined to fathom the appearance of the world in the eye of others.
(c) Population from which participants will be selected
This accounting firm has offices in each capital city on all states including Canberra,
Newcastle, Toowoomba, and Cairns, whereby over one thousand advisory and taxation officers
are employed together with 500 administrative staff. This is the population size of 1500 staff
members.
(d) Sample size selection
From the 1500 staff in all the state capital cities and other cities where the firm is,
samples will be selected by systematic random sampling. Each firm branch shall have a
representative staff member and an administrative staff. From the 500 administrative staff, I will
randomly get a sample out 50 administrators and out of the 1000 staff I will randomly pick 200
participants from different cities to avoid biasness.
(e) Selection of sample participants from the population

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Staff from the firms that get the highest number of clients will have the upper hand in the
number of participants in the research. Each firm branch would produce at least an administrator
and two staff members to take part in the research. The state capital cities would have full
representation by members of the staff considering gender balance from each branch (Flick
2014).
(f) Data collection
The questionnaire will be sent to a big population to save both money and time for the
investigator. Individuals remain truthful when responding to questions about conflicting matters
in specific since the responses remain anonymous. However, people further have limitations.
Most of the potential respondents fail to send back the questionnaires and hence there is lack of
effective representation of the sample originally selected (Holloway and Galvin 2016).
(g) Provide examples of 3 questions
i. What are the advantages of the twenty hour work week system?
This question will be used to gauge the merits of the benefits accrued by staff from the new
system.
ii. What are the problems encountered with the twenty hour work week
This question will give staff the chance to air their complaints on the new work system. Change
comes with some challenges, so it is expected that the staff will have their take on the negative
side of the system.
iii. What suggestions can you make to improve the system?
This question will enable the firm come up with ideal mitigation measures on the problems
coming along with the change of system to improve the quality of service offered to clients and
enhance staff satisfaction.

Research Practice 5
(h) Steps were taken to analyze the data
Descriptive statistics would be utilized in analyzing data for percentages and frequency
distribution tables alongside mean. Analysis of data for percentages and frequencies distribution
tables and mean. Analysis of data would be conducted through inferential statistics primarily
using linear regression and correlation. Data collected would be coded and analyzed using
STATA software.
Analysis of data will commence immediately and account of will be ran continuously in
the notes. Analysis always commence alongside data gathering and remains iterative process that
goes on over the field work and beyond (Graban 2016).
Data analysis is collaborative and more than one analysts always produce better results
than one. It should never be performed by a single individual and it remains desirable to combine
minds to guarantee a cross-check, new idea generation and sounding board.
Ample time is essential to undertake analysis and subsequent compilation as these are
time-consuming processes. Thus a realistic budget must always factor both time and money for
writing and analytic processes.
Computer software package selection for analysis (qualitative) amongst word processors,
text base managers, word retrievers, programs for code-and-retrieve, theory builders code-based,
alongside conceptual network builders must be effective based on their strengths and
weaknesses. A researcher must be concerned about types, data sources and amount to be
examined alongside the analysis types to be undertaken.
(i) Limitations?

Research Practice 6
These findings might have an improper representation of the targeted group, and one will
not get the desired aims and achievements. Irrespective of the suitable plan for sampling, subject
representation relies on analyzed data (Prince, Comas-Herrera, Knapp, Guerchet and
Karagiannidou 2016)
Control of environment Inability
Occasionally, scholars are faced with challenges of controlling environment upon which
responses are drawn from the respondents. This responses always rely on specific period that is
further reliant on prevailing environmental conditions in given timeframe and the ability of
people to answer your questions.
Data analysis Challenges
Qualitative study calls for extensive analysis statistically and sometimes it is problematic
for scholars since they do not have the correct statistics. Statistical analysis is based on scientific
research and not the mathematical way which becomes difficult.
QUESTION 2
It is postulated that mixed model can be used to show the difference between designs of
research incorporating the qualitative and the quantitative one from researchers taking part in the
two research methods. These are transformed data sets from one form to another where the data
can be modified by square root, squares, logarithms or any other mode of transformation to make
it more useful in analysis. This way the two forms of data can be combined (Caracelli and Green
1993; Onwuegbuzie and Teddlie 2003). The transformed data is referred to as quantized data that
is coded before analysis and after transformation.
QUESTION 3
a. Definition

Research Practice 7
Participatory budgeting
Participatory budgeting is a decision making process geared towards involvement of the
ordinary member of the society or community/citizen to coming up with suitable and considerate
policies governing the distribution of resources and to curb vices as corruption in the leadership
system of the public sector (Merriam and Tisdell 2015). The supreme authority should ensure
that seminars, meetings and forums are conducted quite often several times per year so that to
ensure that the citizen understands whatever policy is implemented (Glaser and Strauss 2017).
These formal and informal sessions engage citizens in policy implementation, and set a
priority list of social amenities and criticize expenditure. Participatory budgeting must
collectively consider all the classes in the society, political class and middle class. Those in
authority together with their cabinet set up this decision making to engage everyone in the
county or country to gain something, work on the legislature and the judicial system by coming
up with better methods of resource distribution and utilization as well as correct the loopholes in
treasury (Ross 2017).
b. Literature
Four academic research articles published since 2007
1. 12-30-2012 Transformative Deliberations: Participatory Budgeting in the United States
Holly Russon Gilman Harvard University, [e-mail]
2. Public sector governance and accountability series participatory budgeting edited by Anwar
Shah ©2007
3. Mobilization, Participatory Planning Institutions, and Elite Capture: Evidence from a Field
Experiment in Rural Kenya RYAN SHEELY* Harvard Kennedy School of Government,
Cambridge, USA

Research Practice 8
4. Participatory Budgeting as if Emancipation Mattered Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Ernesto Ganuza
First Published January 24, 2014
c. Summary of article findings above
Transformative deliberations explain two models as per empirical data to assess decision
making within adoptions of participatory budgeting. The first model is outcome oriented while
the second is process oriented. Participatory budgeting tries to combine the two goals to come up
with improved short-term service delivery.
The public sector governance aims to advance the well-functioning of all public services
consistent with citizens’ preferences. It facilitates learning from each other's experiences. The
series distills current wisdom and presents tools of analysis to improve efficiency, equity, and
efficacy (Goetsch and Davis 2014).
Mobilization, participatory planning institutions test the linkage between elite capture and
mobilization in participatory institutions using randomized experiments in Kenya. Mobilization
has a significant influence on participation (Ikemoto, Taliaferro, Fenton and Davis 2014). The
elite controls the institution planning.
Local participation has acquired a new level of decision making over the last ten years.
Incorporating local knowledge in decision making is essential. It leads to equitable allocation of
resources and reduction in corruption and rent-seeking.
d. Writing an argument
From the four articles listed above, there is a remarkable impact on participatory
budgeting in the current world (Porter and Kramer 2019). It leads to improved knowledge among
the locals. Increase awareness to the general public. It promotes active engagement among

Research Practice 9
people. It also helps to reduce corruption and rent-seeking among the locals. It boosts the role of
political parties, national authorities, and institutions.
e. Cultural dimensions of power
The power distance index is used to describe the less powerful members of any
community, institution or any formal institution where these people have a firm belief that power
is unfairly distributed in governing them (Dhar 2015). Their perception of power is that it is
accrued from the lower level members of the society. Many people believe that power is there to
be exercised on the people that establish it that are the society. Only a few people can try to
attest to power and authority (Hofstede, 2015).
Individuality seeks to find out the degree of believe in the value of social unity and
bonding not primarily family as a basic unit but working as a team society rather than attributing
to personal effort and success. This is, in turn, is challenged by collectivism which defines a
society that works with great strength and team effort to achieve its main objectives. This society
works beyond family level into the extended family and beyond. (Hosted 2015; Hofstede 1991)
f. The research on the impact of Hofstede's cultural dimension has provided an opportunity to
widen the knowledge of participatory budgeting linked to the factor human inequality (Cameron
and Green 2015). Power distance consumption and status where people of different status
symbols have interest in various products. Prestige branded product where the brand is one of the
primary product identifiers (Dabholkar 2015).
g. Factors that influence participation in budgeting
Sensitization of the community
Creating awareness is a critical tool in getting citizens to take part in participatory
budgeting. It is very essential to equip the society with the necessary knowledge of what is

Research Practice 10
expected of them. Use of social media, posters, radio stations, television sets, and use of the door
to door campaigns can as well be beneficial in creating awareness on the value of participatory
budgeting (Cameron and Green 2015).
Behavioral traits
It was exposed that the type of rules among other intrinsic human factors that influenced
participatory budgeting included people’s perception of the government, their attitudes towards
the authority, coordination level, resource allocation and the value of the society as perceived by
their government. These behavioral features affected their progress, planning, and development
as a society (Burwell 2015).
Population structure
The study established that that population characteristics as age, gender, marital status,
multiple roles of women in the family setup, level of community trust, fairness, clarity in and
transparency of the processes, personal character, and community culture, belief systems were
among the influenced public participation in integrated development planning process (Allison
and Kaye 2011).
h. Introduction
Participatory budgeting is where the citizens or locals of a particular municipality or
country are involved in the decision process concerning their budgeting and resource utilization
by their authority. This would end up in a situation with reduced cases of corruption and rent-
seeking. This, in turn, will lead to advanced resource equity and efficiency. People are involved
directly in policy-decision making process. Throughout the year, meetings are held that bring
citizens together to partake in resource allocation and wide social policies prioritization and
public expenditure monitoring.

Research Practice 11
References
Allison, M. and Kaye, J., 2011. Strategic planning for nonprofit organizations: A practical guide
and workbook. John Wiley & Sons.
Burwell, S.M., 2015. Setting value-based payment goals—HHS efforts to improve US health
care. N Engl J Med, 372(10), pp.897-899.
Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015. Making sense of change management: A complete guide to
the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.
Dabholkar, P.A., 2015. How to improve perceived service quality by increasing customer
participation. In Proceedings of the 1990 academy of marketing science (AMS) annual
conference (pp. 483-487). Springer, Cham.
Demerouti, E., Derks, D., Lieke, L. and Bakker, A.B., 2014. New ways of working: Impact on
working conditions, work–family balance, and well-being. In The impact of ICT on quality of
working life (pp. 123-141). Springer, Dordrecht.
Dhar, R.L., 2015. Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of
organizational commitment. Tourism Management, 46, pp.419-430.
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2014. Changes
over time–First findings from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey. Publications Office
of the European Union.
Flick, U., 2014. An introduction to qualitative research. Sage.
Gentles, S.J., Charles, C., Ploeg, J. and McKibbon, K.A., 2015. Sampling in qualitative research:
Insights from an overview of the methods literature. The Qualitative Report, 20(11), p.1772.
Glaser, B.G. and Strauss, A.L., 2017. Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative
research. Routledge.

Research Practice 12
Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014. Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
Graban, M., 2016. Lean hospitals: improving quality, patient safety, and employee engagement.
CRC press.
Holloway, I. and Galvin, K., 2016. Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. John Wiley
& Sons.
Ikemoto, G., Taliaferro, L., Fenton, B. and Davis, J., 2014. Great Principals at Scale: Creating
District Conditions That Enable All Principals to Be Effective. New Leaders.
Merriam, S.B. and Tisdell, E.J., 2015. Qualitative research: A guide to design and
implementation. John Wiley & Sons.
Porter, M.E. and Kramer, M.R., 2019. Creating shared value. In Managing Sustainable
Business (pp. 327-350). Springer, Dordrecht.
Prince, M., Comas-Herrera, A., Knapp, M., Guerchet, M. and Karagiannidou, M., 2016. World
Alzheimer report 2016: improving healthcare for people living with dementia: coverage, quality
and costs now and in the future.
Ross, J.E., 2017. Total quality management: Text, cases, and readings. Routledge.