METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURE: very good example of methodology chapter for Master Students

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METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURE

This paper will discuss the method of research to be used, the respondents of the study, the sampling technique, the instrument to be used, the validation of the instrument, the administration of the instrument and the statistical treatment of the data that will be gathered.

Method of Research to be used

According to Swetnam (2000) "Writing Your Dissertation" How To Books, research falls into two basic styles, "objective" and "subjective". Objective approaches are concerned with the physical characteristics and the external world, universally applicable rules and laws, tested through hypothesis, experiment and survey. Subjective approaches deal with the created social lives of groups and individuals through observation and explanation.

Although a great number of research methods are available i.e. Action Research, Surveys, Experimental Methods, Ethnographic, Case Study and Historical etc. It was important during the research method selection process, to consider such constraints as time, cost, access and ability.

Given the nature of the dissertation it was the intention of the author to use "Action Research" as the primary method of investigation. However given that the author no longer has direct access to the "featured" organisation (Dunlop Hiflex Ltd), it would have been impossible to plan, monitor or change any experimental situation focused on organisational development, within the organisation. Since the research methodology is based on experimental conditions, no observation or interaction could have been achieved and so, no meaningful data could have been obtained. Given this fact this research technique was abandoned.

Again due to the nature of the dissertation, and the accessibility to research data. This study will utilise the descriptive approach. The descriptive research method uses observation and surveys. In this method, it is possible that the study would be viewed as limited. It might also suggest unanticipated hypotheses. Nonetheless, it...