Zina OLeary - Workplace research : conducting small-scale research in organizations

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Workplace Research

Workplace Research

Conducting Small-Scale Research in Organizations

• Zina OLeary
• Jennifer S. Hunt

SAGE Publications Ltd

1 Olivers Yard

55 City Road

London EC1Y 1SP

SAGE Publications Inc.

2455 Teller Road

Thousand Oaks, California 91320

SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd

B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area

Mathura Road

New Delhi 110 044

SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd

3 Church Street

#10-04 Samsung Hub

Singapore 049483

Zina OLeary and Jennifer S. Hunt 2016

First published 2016

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015955560

British Library Cataloguing in Publication data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-4739-1320-2

ISBN 978-1-4739-1321-9 (pbk)

Editor: Jai Seaman

Editorial assistant: Alysha Owen

Production editor: Imogen Roome

Copyeditor: Elaine Leek

Proofreader: Leigh C. Timmins

Indexer: Silvia Benvenuto

Marketing manager: Sally Ransom

Cover design: Shaun Mercier

Typeset by: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd, Chennai, India

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

Acknowledgments

The first note of thanks needs to go to all the workplace-based students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, we have worked with at The University of Sydney and The Australia and New Zealand School of Government. It is incredibly rewarding to help students navigate the gap between university and the workplace; and it is our shared experiences that have brought this book to life. Wed also like to thank the team at Sage Publishing, particularly Jai Seaman and Imogen Roome whose support has definitely made this a better work. Thank you also to Dr. Andrew Pratley for his insights on data analytics, and the Experis/Comsys office in Baltimore for lending their expertise in employability skills. Finally, wed like to give a special note of thanks to Bill Franklin, who at crunch time was ready with a couple of all-nighters and an amazing set of copy-editing skills. The man knows the meaning of the word deadline.

Zina and Jen

Preface

A lion lay asleep in the forest when a mouse happened upon him unexpectedly. In her haste to get away the mouse accidentally woke the lion, who caught her in his paw to kill her. The mouse pleaded for her life saying, I can be of value to you. If you let me go, I will repay you someday. The lion roared with laughter: I am a lion, the most powerful creature in the forest, and you are just a lowly mouse! What use could you possibly be to me? Unconvinced but merciful, he let the little mouse go.

A few weeks later, the mouse crossed paths with the lion once again. This time, it was the lion who was in trouble, snared in a hunters net. Unable to move, his angry roars filled the forest. The little mouse chewed through the ropes, rescuing the lion.

What is the moral of Aesops fable? Is it that a kindness is never wasted, or perhaps that we should not judge individuals based on their station? One interpretation of Aesops fable could be not to underestimate others. Another may also be not to underestimate yourself.

When embarking on an industry placement, it may seem that you are the mouse and have little to offer the lion, the organization. How can you prove useful to a team of managers when youre new to the organization and the industry? A workplace-based research project offers you the opportunity to identify interesting problems, collect and analyze data, and sharpen your own marketable skills. It also offers you the opportunity to contribute long-term value to the organization by offering practical recommendations backed by robust research. This book will show you how.

Understanding Small-Scale Applied Workplace-Based Research

Chapter preview

What is Small-Scale Applied Workplace-Based Research?

So what is this long-winded beast, small-scale applied workplace-based research and why would you ever think about doing it?

Breaking it down

Okay, so we are talking about small-scale applied workplace-based research. Well, lets start with research. Research can be defined as the systematic study of materials and sources in order to answer a question, establish facts and reach new conclusions very worthwhile goals.

So lets add applied. Applied research is research with a change-oriented purpose. It is research expressly designed to make things better. Applied research delves into issues in order to form practical recommendations that can lead to problem-solving, opportunities and genuine change also goals worth striving for.

What about workplace-based, how does research conducted within and for organizations differ from other types of research? Well, workplace-based research still follows the main protocols that give credibility to all types of research, but it does differ in two significant ways. First, workplace-based research is highly political. By this, we mean the context of any and all workplace-based research sits within a political environment. There are actors, players, stakeholders, bosses and boards with a host of varying agendas (as well as a consistent shortage of time and money). So while research still needs to be conducted in objective and scientific ways, it sits within a hot seat of political considerations. Second, the workplace is not a controlled environment. It is an environment full of real-world complexity. In workplace-based research, extraneous variables can pop up in the most unexpected places. We would argue, however, that this political nature and real-world complexity simply add to the excitement of doing grounded research that can make a real difference.

That all makes sense, but why focus on small-scale? Sure, organizations face big issues and big problems. And yes, we would all like to be responsible for turning the organization around; for becoming one of the top 500 companies; for reaching all-time highs in customer satisfaction; for winning countless awards; for gaining unprecedented funding. But very few of us are in a position to do that type/scale of research. That type of research is in the realm of PhDs, academics and consultancy firms; in other words, full-time researchers. Further, the reports and papers generated through such processes do not guarantee that large-scale change will occur. Change of that scale is dependent on a host of factors beyond any knowledge that might be generated through such research. So the emphasis here on small-scale is about being practical. It is more realistic to engage in research on problems, or aspects of problems that, while still important and significant, are tangible, local and grounded. Research at this level is about doing research that responds to real and tangible everyday needs.

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