Reflection
Personal Reflection
This is an academic and business research reflection that highlights study points in the entire study period. Herein, activities on business research and management will be discussed most of which are considered important to business activities. The issues that will be discussed in this paper are considered important to businesses, particularly for profitability. Therefore, the business research topics and steps that will be discussed herein are important in establishing research strategies as well as making organizational decisions (Malakooti and Behnam, 2013).
The first study section involves the comprehension of “nature, process, and strategy of business research”. In this section, I have come to understand a number of important issues including business research methods, research elements, the messiness of business research, the nature of research and theory relationship, as well as epistemological issues. Apart from that, this study section is important in the determination of how the study points mentioned before affecting research strategies regardless of such research activity being quantitative or qualitative. The study requires me to be in a position to determine means by which practical values and issues are applied in business researches. The study activity’s context depends on the use of research theories, assumptions, academic knowledge, the quality criteria in the evaluation of research processes, as well as research views. Other important aspects of this study section include the political context, values within the research community, links between social reality and research, as well as personal values. In general, the first study section provides knowledge and enhances the understanding of existing links between theory and research. One is, therefore, able to determine the existing difference between inductive research cases, theory-testing, and interpretive researches (Pearce Robinson and Richard, 2017).
The second study section will help learners understand the contexts of “research design and planning”. Under research design and planning, I am required to:
- Explore and understand issues on research replication
- Understand study reliability and validity
The above-mentioned study points are important because of the criteria for assessing the quality of business researches. Otherwise, this second section of study achieves its objectives by discussing five designs of research activities. Such designs are related and include:
- Cross-sectional
- Experimental
- Case studies
- Longitudinal and;
- Comparative designs.
All the five research designs are helpful in the determination of whatever research activity a student may go for. They are also important in evaluating the findings of a research activity. Otherwise, this study theme is vital in the establishment and determination of the existing difference between the methodologies and designs of business and academic researches (Karniel, Reich and Yoram, 2017). As a student of business and academic research, I will, therefore, be able to address major issues on external validity and generalizability of researches.
The third study section involves the comprehension of “Literature Review and Writing Business Research”. This area requires me to be in a position to solicit literature sources then engage myself in critical analysis of ideas and projections that authors put across. I am required to deduce my own responses from the literature sources as well as determine suitable criteria for doing the same. The main importance of this activity section is helping students to be able to establish research features. Some of such features are bibliography and references. By the end of this study section, learners would be able to establish the penalties and constituents of plagiarism among other considerations while doing professional writing (Karniel, Reich and Yoram, 2017). It has been made clear in this activity that a proper literature review could only be developed if the learner has good skills such as reading and skimming. The entire outline of this study section revolves around the fact that quality research involves good writing and study (Hill, 2016).
Comprehension of ‘nature, process, and strategy of business research’
The fourth study section curbs issues on “Ethics and Legal Consideration in Business Research”. Herein, I am required to be in a position to explore and determine study cases that relate to transgressing ethical principles, determining the existing ethical stances on business research, determining problems in ethical decision-making, as well as determining political issues in business ethics and research. This section of business research study helps in creating value when performing business research. The concern of this study section is to establish the relationship that exists between research activities and partners. The sections that are of ethical concern when it comes to business researches are participant hazards, inadequate informed consent, privacy invasion, and deception (Flyvbjerg and Budzier, 2017, pg. 602).
The fifth study section in business research is “The Nature of Qualitative Research, Sampling and Participant Observation”. In this study section, I will be able to learn and understand the steps of conducting qualitative researches and establish the relationship between theory and research. Apart from that, I will be required to establish the existing gap between the actual study and literature sources. Mainly this section’s objectives include determining qualitative research concepts’ nature, establishing differences between quantitative and qualitative researches, and employing reliability and validity are the most used research criteria (Cunha, 2013, pg. 3).
The next section under academic and business research is “Interviewing, Focus Groups and Language in Qualitative Research” (Calasanti and Slevin, 2017). Herein, the activity requires me to be in a position to differentiate the existing difference between structured and qualitative interviews. Therefore, this section requires me to be in a position of employing a guide to develop a semi-structured interview, come up with questions to be asked during interviews, and establish the importance of qualitative interviewing. Therefore, by the end of this activity section, I will be able to determine the role of focus groups in areas of research, conduct my on researches while using focus groups, establish the interaction that exist between discussion participants and the focus group, as well as establish methods that are feminist researchers to form focus groups.
The theme of this seventh section of academic and business research is “Qualitative Data Analysis”. In this section, one is encouraged to learn how to use analytic induction for analysis of qualitative data. In this section, the study concentrates on Grounded Theory (Calasanti and Slevin, 2017). With the theory, the learner is in a position to fragment data through the application of secondary data analysis concepts. The activity also makes it clear on personal documents implications. Such documents are written or visual. Other aspects that are discussed in this section include virtual outputs, official organizational documents, and mass media outputs. On the contrary, the criteria for distinguishing the sources that are mentioned above depend on the existence of active or passive consumers of the named documents (Businesstopia, 2017).
Sections 8 and 9 discuss issues on “The Nature and Sampling in Quantitative Research” and “Structured Interviewing and Questionary Design” respectively. While section eight requires me to be in a position of determining steps that relate to quantitative researches, section nine requires me to determine the existing reasons behind the prominence of structured interviews. At the end of both activities, I will be also able to address problems of poor response rates as well as provide outlines regarding the manner in which questionnaires need to be designed. The skills gained in both sections will be important in soliciting research concepts impacts with regards to research sampling in quantitative researches (Bryman and Bell, 2015).
The last three sections of this activity talks of “Structured Observation and Content Analysis”, “Secondary Analysis and Quantitative Data”, and “Mixed Methods Research”. As parts of business and academic research, I will be required to determine related research survey limitations, outline issues on secondary data analysis, and solicit possibilities of combining quantitative and qualitative research. Otherwise, the study sections of business and academic researches help in the recognition of research methods and study activities that are employed during business research situations (Alder, 2016).
Conclusion
In general, this study activity on personal reflection of business and academic research outcomes has managed to achieve its objectives by highlighting and discussing a number of themes. The themes are responsible for establishing and discussing business research management issues that are important in my area of expertise (Calasanti and Slevin, 2017). All the factors of the study mentioned in this study essay will not only help me but also businesses in the determination of profitability when it comes to production. Otherwise, it has been made clear that all research steps are important in businesses and academic researches. Such steps would be important in making decisions in organizations (Alvesson, 2013).
Reference
Alder, N. (2016) International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior (3rd ed.). Cincinnai, OH: South-Western College Publishing
Alvesson M., (2013) Understanding Organizational Culture. London: Sage Publications Ltd
Bryman. A & Bell. E (2015) ‘Business Research Methods’ 4th Edition, Oxford University Press
Businesstopia (2017) Why is Non-verbal Communication Important? [Online] Communication. Available at: https://www.businesstopia.net/communication/why-non-verbal-communication-important [Accessed 25 September 2018]
Calasanti, T., M. and Slevin, K., F. (2017) Gender, Social Inequalities, and Aging. Oxford: Altamira Press.
Cunha, L. (2013) “Manufacturing Pioneers Reduce Costs by Integrating PLM &ERP”. Onwindows.com, 2(10) 2-7
Flyvbjerg, B., & Budzier, A. (2017) “Why Your IT Project May Be Riskier Than You Think.” Harvard Business Review, 89 (9): 601–603.
Hill, S. (2016). “A winning strategy”. Manufacturing Business Technology. Risk management — Principles and guidelines on implementation. International Organization for Standardization.
Karniel, A., Reich and Yoram. (2017). Managing the Dynamic of New Product Development Processes. A new Product Lifecycle Management Paradigm. Springer. ISBN 978-0-85729-569-9.
Malakooti and Behnam. (2013) Operations and Production Systems with Multiple Objectives. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-58537-5.
Pearce, J. Robinson, J. and Richard, B. (2017) Formulation, implementation, and control of competitive strategy (4 ed.). Irwin. p. 315.ISBN 978-0-256-08324-8.