Research and Decision Making: Analyzing Autonomy and Performance

This report delves into the relationship between autonomy and performance, particularly within foreign-owned subsidiaries in Singapore. It examines the evolution of autonomy in business, highlighting its potential to enhance employee motivation and overall organizational performance. The research methodology employs a quantitative approach, utilizing surveys and secondary data analysis to evaluate the impact of autonomy on key variables. Ethical considerations are addressed, emphasizing the importance of data protection and non-discrimination. The findings suggest a strong correlation between autonomy and improved performance, concluding that empowering subsidiaries with decision-making authority can lead to greater success. This student contributed assignment is available on Desklib along with other resources.

Running head: RESEARCH AND DECISION MAKING FOR BUSINESS
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
1. Analyze the business decision or problem:.................................................................................2
2. Overall research design:..............................................................................................................3
3. Key variables and how to measure them:....................................................................................4
4. Sampling requirements and sampling options:............................................................................5
5. Ethical issues:..............................................................................................................................5
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................6
Reference List:.................................................................................................................................8

1RESEARCH AND DECISION MAKING FOR BUSINESS
Introduction:
This very specific study is the continuation part of assignment 2 which primarily deal with a
research issue. The identified topic of the research implies the relation between autonomy and
performances. In this very specific study, the report has focused to make in-depth critical
analysis about the identified research problem by incorporating the opinion of numerous research
scholars. The study has provided detailed overview about research variables and requirements of
sampling techniques.
1. Analysis of identified research problem:
The identified research issue includes whether autonomy and performances are inseparably
related or not. At the very mid of 1990 the concept of autonomy has been emerged in the
business field. At that very initial journey parent companies had to take the responsibilities of
running the subsidiaries with the help of same resources (Wierzbowska, 2015). Serhan, Tsangari
and Business (2015) opined that there became a huge problem in coordinating the employees as
well as business operations. In order to render a change within business the concept of autonomy
is introduced within business operations.
After the implementation of autonomy within business, different research scholars have provided
different opinions. As per the opinion of this specific research scholar it has been observed that
introduction of autonomy has enhanced the performance level of organizations. In this case, the
subsidiaries can get the power of running their venture in own way. Pasquale (2015) commented
that it hampers in maintaining a systematic performance level. However, after analyzing the
opinion of numerous research scholars it can be evaluated that autonomy among the employees

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helps in providing self-motivation among the employees which ultimately helps in improving the
performance level of employees.
After evaluating the research problem, the primary research question that can be
highlighted is as follows:
 What is the role and importance of autonomy in enhancing the performance level of an
organization?
Role of autonomy on business performances:
In case of companies established in Singapore, it has been observed that the business experts can
hire resources if they want and follow their own business strategy to reach the peak of success.
Ajagbe et al. (2016) differed the opinion of previous scholar that autonomy fails to make a
harmony between the parents and subsidiary. As a result, the business authority has to face
immense challenges in maintaining a constant control over the entire process.
Figure: 2005 to 2015 data of increasing rate of income due to growth of subsidiaries

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2. Evaluation of Research design:
Before applying the entire data collection procedure the researcher needs to design the entire
research work. By using appropriate data collection tools the entire method of collecting data is
conducted very systematically (Fabricant & Postero, 2014). Research philosophy is used in this
paper. Post positivism research philosophy is used so that the identified issue can be evaluated
with keen and acute observation. Deductive research approach is also used for analyzing the
existing theories from different perspectives.
In order to conduct the entire research paper properly, three main kinds of data collection
procedures can be used which include qualitative method, quantitative method and the mix
method. The study has focused to make quantitative form of research work. Survey is selected
for analyzing the data and information (Sia & Appu, 2015). Close-ended questionnaires have
been formed with the help of which participants could take part in the survey method. In
addition, the study has focused to make secondary data analysis method by choosing thematic
analysis as well. As a result, sufficient number of data and information are can be gathered for
making the entire research paper successful.
3. Relation between two key variables and its impact:
This specific research issue is constituted with two major variables; one is independent variable
and the other is dependent variable. Autonomy and its impact on the organization is considered
as independent variable (Zhu, Djurjagina & Leker, 2014). On the other hand, a performance of
employees and business is considered as dependent variable. In order to run the entire process
of business systematically the organization needs to grab autonomy within operations (Ab
Rahman & Ramli, 2014). As a result, the subsidiaries would not have to wait for taking

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permission of their parents in making strategic business decision. As a result, the entire method
can be conducted very systematically.
Therefore, the employee performance is highly dependent on the implementation of autonomy
within business. It can be thus found out that the second variable is highly dependent on the first
one. It has been observed that introduction of autonomy has enhanced the performance level of
organizations. In this case, the subsidiaries can get the power of running their venture in own
way. They can hire resources if they want and follow their own business strategy to reach the
peak of success (Cvijanović et al., 2015). In this kind of situation, it can be decided that
autonomy can ultimately enhances the performances of an organization. Therefore, the two
identified research variables are inseparably related to each other.
4. Sampling methods and its justification
In order to investigate the establishment of a foreign subsidiary in the market of Singapore, it can
evaluate on how and when the company was established. The number of employees as well as
the company's investment form has also been evaluated. While collecting relevant data and
information the business experts have to focus on collecting samples from specific group of
people amidst large population. Sampling is of two major kinds which include probability and
non-probability sampling. In this very specific study the study has used non-probability sampling
method for involving those people who are directly associated with the research issue
(Matchaba-Hove, Farrington & Sharp, 2015). Non-probability sampling technique intends to
collect data and information from selected participants. In this very specific study, the data is
collected from those employees who follows autonomy at the workplace. It is however observed
that autonomy is successfully able to enhance the performance level of organizations. In this

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case, the subsidiaries can get the power of running their venture in own way (Mauro, 2017).
They can hire resources if they want and follow their own business strategy to reach the peak of
success. Therefore, the researcher has selected to focus on involving those employees who are
directly associated with the research issues. Selecting employees from those subsidiaries has
helped in gathering relevant appropriate and data and information from various reliable and valid
resources (Hobbs, 2015). In this study, the researcher has chosen total 100 samples so that
sufficient number of data and information can be collected.
In order to get the number of sample size the researcher has implemented effective formula of
sample size:
On the other hand, Z scores are expressed with the distribution of mean of 0 and a standard
deviation of 1:

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5. Ethical considerations:
In order to conduct the research properly every researcher has to follow appropriate ethics beliefs
and values in order to avoid ethical issues. In this study, the researcher may have to face some
major ethical dilemmas (Mauro, 2017). While collecting data from the respondents the
researcher may have to communicate with the people of various cultural backgrounds and
attitudes. In this situation, the individual may have to face immense challenges in interacting
with those participants due to language barrier. As a result, the researcher has to reject those
participants from data collection procedures. This particular situation is considered as major
ethical dilemma. The researcher should follow anti-discrimination act at the workplace with the
help of which people belonging to various cultural and religious backgrounds can get equal
priority and response.
On the other hand, the researcher needs to follow gender equality acts as well. With the
implementation of gender equality act both male and female participants can get equal priority in
taking part on the research issue. On the other hand, the researcher needs to follow data
protection act very strictly in order to avoid ethical issues (Zhu, Djurjagina & Leker, 2014).
While collecting data the researcher should not leak out the information in front of third party.
As a result, data confidentiality is highly maintained. In addition, while gathering information,
the researcher should never force the participants for providing their response. The spontaneous

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response of the participants should be given priority and importance. These are the expected
ethical issues that the researcher may have to face while collecting data and information
regarding the identified issues.
Conclusion:
After critically evaluating the entire study it can be concluded that the study has provided
detailed overview about research variables and requirements of sampling techniques. The report
has described that at that very initial journey parent companies had to take the responsibilities of
running the subsidiaries with the help of same resources. As a result, there became a huge
problem in coordinating the employees as well as business operations. However, as per the
opinion of this specific research scholar it has been observed that introduction of autonomy has
enhanced the performance level of organizations. As a result, the business authority has to face
immense challenges in maintaining a constant control over the entire process. As a result, it
hampers in maintaining a systematic performance level.
In analyzing the various tools of research designs the study has focused to make critical
evaluations from different point of views. Research philosophy is used in this paper. Post
positivism research philosophy is used so that the identified issue can be evaluated with keen and
acute observation. In addition, the study has focused to make secondary data analysis method by
choosing thematic analysis as well. Autonomy and its impact on the organization is considered
as independent variable. On the other hand, a performance of employees and business is
considered as dependent variable. The study has concluded that introduction of autonomy has
enhanced the performance level of organizations. In this case, the subsidiaries can get the power
of running their venture in own way. They can hire resources if they want and follow their own

8RESEARCH AND DECISION MAKING FOR BUSINESS
business strategy to reach the peak of success. Therefore, it can be concluded that autonomy in a
business organization helps the business experts in improving the performance level which
ultimately reflects on overall organizational success.

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Reference List:
Ab Rahman, N. A., & Ramli, A. (2014). Entrepreneurship management, competitive advantage
and firm performances in the craft industry: concepts and framework. Procedia-Social
and Behavioral Sciences, 145, 129-137.
Ajagbe, A. M., Inelo, F., Udo, E. E., UDUIMOH, A. A., & AKPAN, S. E. (2016). Business
Strategy as a Contributor to Organizational Performance. International Journal of
Advanced Academic Research, 2(3), 1-19.
Cvijanović, D., Mihailović, B., Čavlin, M., & Čavlin, G. (2015). Impact of Marketing Consulting
on Performances of Agrarian Clusters in Serbia. Sustainability, 7(2), 1099-1115.
Fabricant, N., & Postero, N. (2014). Performing the ‘Wounded Indian’: A New Platform of
Democracy and Human Rights in Bolivia’s Autonomy Movement. Identities, 21(4), 395-
411.
Hobbs, D. (2015). Business as a master metaphor: Working class entrepreneurship and business-
like policing. In Deciphering the Enterprise Culture (Routledge Revivals) (pp. 127-145).
Routledge.
Matchaba-Hove, T., Farrington, S., & Sharp, G. (2015). The entrepreneurial orientation-
Performance relationship: A South African small business perspective. The Southern
African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, 7(1), 36-68.
Mauro, L. (2017). Attitudes and Skills in Business Working Settings: A HR Management
Tool. Business and Economics Journal, 8, 291.

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Pasquale, F. (2015). Privacy, autonomy, and internet platforms.
Serhan, C., Tsangari, H., & Business, S. (2015). Retention of fresh graduates: Identification of
determinant factors through a modified job characteristics model. In Global Business
Conference (pp. 200-202).
Sia, S. K., & Appu, A. V. (2015). Work autonomy and workplace creativity: Moderating role of
task complexity. Global Business Review, 16(5), 772-784.
Wierzbowska, A. (2015). Transmission of euro area shocks to Central and Eastern European
countries. Implications for monetary autonomy problem and business cycles
synchronization. Japanese Journal of Monetary and Financial Economics Vol, 3(1), 1-
29.
Zhu, H., Djurjagina, K., & Leker, J. (2014). Innovative behaviour types and their influence on
individual crowdsourcing performances. International Journal of Innovation
Management, 18(06), 1440015.