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I’m somewhat of a late entry so technically I missed orientation week! 😟However, I’m here now and I’m trying my best to catch up on all the assignments and more importantly familiarize myself with the requirements of the course and what I need to do. I must admit thought that orientation week is not exactly my favorite time, especially after a few months off, I tend to get a little lost even two semesters into my program; but with every course comes a new learning experience and I’m looking forward to this one and even though I was a bit unsure and confused about the Padlet forum, I’m happy that there is a platform where we can express our personal opinions and thoughts about what we’ve learned and read the ideas of others undertaking the course. Here’s to a successful semester! 🥂

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WEEK 2: Unit 1 - Introduction to Business Research

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WEEK 2: Unit 1 - Introduction to Business Research

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Although not at all times obvious to us, research plays a key role in everyday life; whether it be searching online for the best hotel deals or deciding whether to purchase the newest smart phone. Ultimately research aids us in making better decisions by providing us with the information necessary to do so. In business, however, I’ve found that research bears a striking resemblance to a science. A question is asked, a hypothesis is put forward, we carry out the necessary experiments to acquire data then we analyze this data to test whether the hypothesis is true.

This unit outlines the greater meaning and importance of conducting research in business. It is a necessary tool in order to stay competitive and keep up with market trends. The reasons for research can vary with each company; one business may be launching a new product and may carry out research to study the demographic to determine consumer needs whereas another company may do research to study the competition or identify opportunities and even risks.

Additionally, this unit enlightened me to the other aspects of research which were previously unknown to me such as the research philosophy in how we approach and use knowledge. I also learned that good research must also employ good ethics and a failure to do so could result is facts being misrepresented. Similarly, with the advent of technology and advancements in computers in most cases have made research easier but if not utilized properly can distort data.

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This unit elaborated on the research process and the six (6) main steps involved in conducting research; the definition of the problem, the research design, measurement, the collection of data, the analysis of data and results and findings. Even though there are six main steps, each stage can be further broken down into different subsets.

Before any research is conducted, the ‘problem’ must be clearly and adequately defined. The word problem in this case does not necessarily indicate something negative but can also suggest a prospective venture. At this juncture during my readings, I realized that you must do ‘research’ before actually carrying out your research! Since the problem definition must be clear, it is obvious that the researcher needs to carry out a thorough investigation of the environment and consider all factors which would contribute to the problem.

This week, we were required to write a reflection of a peer reviewed business article. Admittedly I had a few problems in fully understanding what was required and especially how to obtain these articles. Fortunately with some trial and error I was able to find one I was interested in. I understand the concept of a literature review as being somewhat of a summary of research (from several sources) on a particular topic, my issue however, was identifying where this factored into the assignment and if I approached it correctly. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one!

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WEEK 4: Unit 3 - Communication in the Research Process

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WEEK 4: Unit 3 - Communication in the Research Process

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This week focused on communication in the research process. One of the components in this course requires us to undertake a research project and this unit assisted me in more fully understanding the steps between having an idea for research to doing a final presentation.

Once the problem is identified, it is important to create a research proposal which serves to convince/communicate to the reader that the research problem is worth exploring. The research proposal should be well thought out and contain enough information to further substantiate the need for research. This is where communication is essential as the manner in which the proposal is communicated will ultimately affect whether the proposal is accepted or not. However, communication filters through the entire research process; once the proposal is given approval, depending on the research methodology, interviews will need to be conducted, questionnaires will be circulated; this involves communication between several parties involved in the gathering and analysis of the information.

The final report communicates all the information gathered in the research process and follows closely to the proposal. It is also necessary to do an oral presentation using appropriate presentation software; it is helpful to utilize visual aids such as tables, charts, graphs and videos. Therefore trends and connections made in research will be more easily discernible as such.

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This week carried us onto the next steps in the six stage research process, namely measurement and research design. This unit elaborated upon what was introduced in earlier units such as quantitative, qualitative and mixed research. We were reminded that research exists on either extreme; being either fully quantitative or fully qualitative. It can also comprise of some portion of both methods, more formally known as mixed research. We also looked at the varying methods involved with qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research utilizes an exploratory research design whereas quantitative research involves descriptive and casual research design.

We also gained an understanding of the term conceptualization; before any research is done you must have a clear idea or concept of a topic, this concept must be further developed and if necessary be clearly defined and must include what is pertinent about the topic. Once the idea is clear the research design can be developed to address the concept put forward.

Several terms were reintroduced, such as variables (independent and dependent), levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio). I already had some knowledge of these terms from the introduction to statistics course and was able to put it into perspective when applying them to research.

Our graded discussion this week required us to draw a concept map of the term sampling being broken down into its sub categories. Although the sampling methods (probability and non-probability) were familiar to me, drawing a concept map was not, however, I can truly say that this course has enabled me to learn different skills as I had to use Smart Draw to design the concept map. I think in the end it was a successful attempt because technology is not my strong suit. The assignment was helpful in refreshing my memory in the various sampling methods and I can safely say that I gained some new insight and understanding of them in the process.

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As we approach the middle of the semester we looked at the topic of data collection. This section is of particular importance at this juncture since it will be the next step in our research project after the proposal. We learnt of the two types of data, first, primary data which is the original data in its raw form collected by a researcher for a specific purpose. Secondary data is very simply not original data, it can be sourced from an organizations records, scholarly articles and databases just to name a few. The value of the data collected is based on quality, relevance, timeliness and completeness.

Each type of data has its advantages and disadvantages, for example primary data allows for the collection of data specific to a topic of interest, the quality of data can be controlled and additional data can be collected if the situation arises. However, the cost of collecting primary data is high and it tends to be very time consuming. Using secondary data saves time and money and the data is easy to access since it is already available, however, the data may be old and not relevant to the research.

The process of data collection is a very important step in the research process as the data influences the quality of the research. We learnt that data is collected via three popular methods namely surveys, interviews and observations. Triangulation is another method used where a combination of several different techniques are utilized.

When carrying out research, fieldworkers are often needed since data collection involves the interaction of these fieldworkers with the respondents. It is important that they possess certain characteristics and traits such as honesty, an understanding of the research being carried out, ability to listen and be unbiased. Fieldworkers may be employees from the company itself or outside hires (third party). Training is crucial for the fieldworkers so that they are better able to approach respondents and determine the best way to gather the necessary information. It is also important to manage the fieldworkers to ensure that they are actually carrying out the work that is required.

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WEEK 7: Research Proposal Week (8th October-14th October)

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WEEK 7: Research Proposal Week (8th October-14th October)

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This week marks the first step toward the Research Project, that is, completing the research proposal. I was a bit nervous as I had to make several changes to my initial proposal because I had to change my original research topic. At first I chose, how communication affects job performance and morale and it was approved, however, I was admonished by my supervisor that discussing communication may add further tension to an already tense situation at the institution I based the study around.

I finally settled on the relationship between employee morale and workplace performance. I immediately switched to panic mode because before I just had a few minor changes to make but now I had to review other research to support my proposal and that for me was the most time consuming part of the assignment. Thankfully, the information available for my new topic was abundant and I began feeling a sense of calm that I would successfully complete a decent proposal.

One aspect of doing the research proposal that was completely new to me was actually formatting the document in APA style. I was familiar with the APA in-text citation and referencing from previous courses and assignments but this was strange territory to me. I was able to learn a lot of new skills though in formatting that I was previously unaware of. Even though I've used the APA referencing several times, I still find myself having to look back on examples to make sure I've done them correctly. It's the one thing that has been a major challenge for me but I hope to gain a better understanding and grasp of it before the close of the semester.

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WEEK 8: Group Presentation Week (15th October-21st ctober)

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WEEK 8: Group Presentation Week (15th October-21st ctober)

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During this week we were required to upload our presentation and participate in the Q&A activity. The paper I chose for review was based on the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment and the effect of locus of control and trust on that relationship. It was an interesting paper to review because I generally enjoy literature which involve human behavior and how persons interact in the work environment and in varying situations.

It took some time for me to put the presentation together because the actual research paper covered a lot of ground so I had to make decisions as to what to include and what to leave out so that I could stay within the time limit of 10 minutes maximum.

I quite enjoyed putting the presentation together because it made me think of the material in a different way, I had to consider how the audience would receive the information and if it would be clear, concise and well understood. I tried to put myself in the place of the viewer to ensure that what was presented in the paper was also represented in the presentation and that the objectives and reasoning behind the research was adequately illustrated.

The only issue I encountered was during the recording. Unfortunately I contracted the flu and had a terrible cough so I had to record so many times until I had something useable I lost count. I honestly was not happy with the final voice over but I could not prolong uploading the assignment. Overall I'm fairly satisfied with the presentation and will use it as a learning experience for the presentation on the research project.

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This week we were required to design a questionnaire which follows directly from the material given in Unit 6. In designing a questionnaire it is important to know what the objectives of the research are. For instance, the assignment required us to design a questionnaire to obtain information about customer demographics, preferences and dining behavior. Thus, the questions were tailored to address those needs. To collect data on demographic questions on age, income, gender etc were selected.

Additionally before the questionnaire is put together, the mode of communication needs to be established, that is, whether it will be conducted face-to-face, over the telephone, traditional mail or electronic mail. The manner in which it is designed will determine the quality and accuracy of the data collected so it is important to know what questions to ask. When preparing for the assignment I brainstormed and listed several questions then selected those most appropriate to the research. I asked myself questions and considered what I might want to be asked as well.

When conducting any type of research it’s necessary to implement measures in order to reduce error. Errors can come from both the interviewer and the respondents. Interviewer error results from not bring prepared or educated in the material as well as not communicating the questions correctly. Respondent errors are caused when questions are left unanswered or not providing honest answers. It may sometimes be a challenge to get willing persons to participate in the survey so adding incentives like a discount or offering small gift items such as pens, pencils or key chains can attract persons to take part.

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WEEK 10: Unit 7 - Data Preparation and Presentation

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WEEK 10: Unit 7 - Data Preparation and Presentation

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This week brings us to another crucial chapter toward the final research project. I have collected all the necessary data thus far and this unit assisted me in understanding how to treat the data so as to reduce error and present the data in a form that is most suitable.

In collecting data some amount of error would likely be involved. For example in answering the survey questions, someone may not have answered the questions honestly or left out crucial information that would have been beneficial to the study. Thus, it is important to prepare the data and ensure that any error or deficiencies are resolved. Data can also be entered into statistical software to be coded and analyzed, unfortunately I don’t have access to such applications so I will have to make a greater effort to analyze the data to the best of my ability. However, I’m up for the challenge as this course has provided me with the opportunity many times to prove that anything can be done!

After being processed, the data would have to be presented by descriptive methods, that is, by the use of charts, graphs and tables. I think this would be the most enjoyable part of the project for me since I enjoy creating the various types of display methods like bar charts, pie charts etc. This weeks assignment required us to create a suitable chart for a set a given data, I chose the bar chart as the best display for the data. The next coming weeks will definitely be a challenge because we are getting closer to the deadline for submitting the project but I’m also looking forward to finally getting it off the table.

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This week officially brings us to the final unit of the course and it’s also research project week! I’m happy to finally be on the home stretch as this has been one or if not the most demanding course I’ve done thus far. However, I feel like I’ve challenged myself each time and learned something new with each assignment so it has also been one of the more beneficial courses.

This weeks unit is crucial as it covers the analysis of data which would be of utmost importance to the research project. It covers the analysis of qualitative data which involves noticing things, collecting things and thinking about things. It also looks at the analysis of quantitative data as well as descriptive data which consists of two branches univariate analysis and bivariate analysis. Additionally, we learnt about the use of inferential statistics in data analysis.

Our assignment this week focused on the debate which allowed each team to argue about which sampling method is most suited for collecting data on customer satisfaction. My team had to argue in favor of probability sampling, whereas the opposing team supported non-probability sampling. I think the debate was successful, my team mate and I worked well together and we posted our contributions in a timely manner. The assignment we did earlier in the semester, namely the concept map was of great assistance as it covered the same content so we were already knowledgeable on the content, the definitions, advantages and disadvantages of each sampling method.

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It's research project week! It's finally over! I was so nervous about this project ever since I first saw it on the course guide. Even though I've done smaller projects before I was a bit intimidated by the scope of this one because I've never attempted one of this nature and the format and sections were somewhat new to me. Not to mention that the final paper would be worth 45% of our final grade, not considering the proposal and individual presentation which would make it 60% total!

I was able to successfully complete the research paper and submit on Saturday. It felt like such a huge weight off my shoulder. It was definitely one of the more challenging tasks since starting UWI Open Campus. Despite this I've learnt a lot. I initially had a difficult time with the APA style of referencing, I would find myself always having to look back to make sure I was doing it correctly and now it's something that comes to me easily. It was also helpful in learning how to format the final paper using APA. I'm sure that it will be useful to me in future courses.

This week we also had an assignment based on data representation where we had to use a set of data to construct a histogram and then find the mean, median, mode, range and standard deviation. I had to do some recalling from my statistics course in approaching the question. It was important to first determine the class width and the intervals before proceeding with the question. It was necessary to remember that when constructing a histogram that the data is grouped so the equations for finding the mode and median would be different from that which is used for ungrouped data.

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WEEK 13: Research Project Presentation Week! 

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WEEK 13: Research Project Presentation Week! 

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We're finally here! The last and final assignment. This week we were required to prepare a visual presentation of our research project and post questions to other individuals on their presentations. I think it was easier this time around to do the presentation since I was familiar with the format from the last presentation. It felt good knowing that the paper I was presenting on was my own and I could more fully explain the concepts presented because I went through the process myself.

It was interesting to look at the other classmates presentations as well and to see the topics of research they focused their studies on. I was really impressed with a lot of them and the time and effort it took to put everything together. One take away from the presentation and looking at the work of others is that you get an idea of how to present the same concept in different ways and it also helps to generate discussion on those ideas. I saw where I could've improved or done things differently. I'm certain the next time I'm required to do a research project that I'll have a greater understanding and be able to present something better each time. I definitely think it's something that requires practice but I can safely say that I look forward to taking on another project and more fully embracing the challenge with everything I have learnt from this course.