1. Diploma in Human Resource Management Using Information in Human Resources 5UIN
5/22/2019

2. Business Research- a practical definition
Practical Business Research- managers have to make sense of what is going on both within their organisation and in its environment in order to take effective decisions and actions.
Business Research is about the process of collecting and interpreting the information needed for this.
CAMERON, S. and PRICE, D. (2009) Business research methods: a practical approach. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

3. Business Research – an Academic Definition
The ultimate goal of the research enterprise is to gather empirical evidence upon which theories concerning aspects of behaviour in organisations can be based.
Buchanan et al (1988, p67)

4. Nature & sources of HR information/storing & presenting information
Information is a critical component of any organisation.
What does information allow you to do?

5. Nature & sources of HR information/storing & presenting information
‘Information about employees is an essential requirement for the successful operation of any business. Managements need to know what is happening to the human resources available to them, just as much as to the financial and material resources’ Cole, G.A. (1997)
Put simply, information facilitates planning, monitoring and decision making in the organisation and to meet external requirements such as the provision of statistics to Government agencies. (Adapted from Cole, G.A. 1997)

6. Nature & sources of HR information/storing & presenting information
From your own experience of working in a personnel/HR department identify what sorts of information you keep, and what uses this information has? Are the uses internal or external (can you label them?)

7. Information sources
What information sources might be available to us in area of HR business practice?

8. Critical Review How do we conduct a critical review? Purpose?
Summarise and evaluate text
Who wrote it and when?
What does the article/chapter/text say? i.e what is the main finding or key argument?
What are its strengths and weaknesses?

9. Introduction Who wrote it? When?
What is the main argument or key findings?
Why did you select this particular source and what research approaches did the author use to gather their information?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of their approach?

10. Summary
Present a summary of key points along with a couple of examples
You could briefly explain the authors intentions and mention how the text is organised and how conducive that is

11. Critique Balanced discussion of strengths / weaknesses
Good reviews include other sources to support your evaluation

12. Conclusion
A short paragraph reiterating your overall opinion of the text
Recommendations as to how it could have been improved/strengthened
If necessary include some further explanation of your judgement

13. Primary and Secondary Research
What is the difference between primary and secondary research?
Activity ...categorise primary and secondary data from previous activity

14. Data Quantitative Data Data which is in the form of numbers and units.
Qualitative Data
Data which is in the form of descriptions and opinions.
What are the benefits/drawbacks of each?

15. What do we mean by research methods?
A research method is simply a technique for collecting data
Bryman and Bell 2007

16. Data collection
From your own experiences what methods exist for collecting data in human resources?

17. Selecting a research method
Inductive and deductive approaches
Theory
Induction
Deduction
Adapted from Anderson, V Research methods in HRM CIPD

18. Selecting a research method
Deduction (theory testing)
Deduction can involve the formulation of hypotheses (statements which the theory suggests would be true)
Hypotheses are then operationalised such that the variables involved can be identified and measured
Data is gathered and the information is used to test whether the hypothesis can be confirmed
The outcome of the enquiry, as shown against the original hypotheses, is either to modify or to confirm the theory from which the hypotheses were derived
Source: Anderson, V Research methods in HRM CIPD

19. Selecting a research method
Induction (theory building)
Induction involves observation and investigation into the relationship between meanings and actions of human subjects
Data is collected without prior assumptions about the categorisation and measurement
The context of the situation is incorporated into the analysis process as the research seeks to understand the internal logic and purposive nature of human actions
Source: Anderson, V Research methods in HRM CIPD

20. Selecting a research method
Induction (theory building)
The outcome of the enquiry is to suggest/build a credible explanation of behaviours that have been observed
There is less concern with the need to generalise although further avenues of research may be identified

21. Questionnaire design + = Content Structure Well-designed questionnaire
Activity – Read Jasper’s questionnaire and list ideas about how you
could improve upon the questions

22. Questionnaire design The use of language in questions
Be precise and concise
Use simple language
Avoid jargon
Avoid ambiguity
Avoid double-barrelled questions
Avoid negatives
Types of questions:
Open questions allow for quantitative data to be explored more thoroughly – ‘why’ and ‘explain’
Closed questions
Yes/no questions
Category choice questions
Likert scales
Differential scales
Rank orders
Source: Anderson, V Research methods in HRM CIPD