Compare and Contrast Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Compare and Contrast Research Methods - Essay Example However, the entire activity could either be quantitative, qualitative or both. Experimental research methods are commonly used in business particularly in finding cause and effect relationship while isolating and controlling variables in a scientific approach (Lam & Bauer, 2008). Experimental methods could be used in business communication research (Lam & Bauer, 2008). These methods could also find their way in information systems research (Levy & Ellis, 2011). In today’s getting advanced information systems that are integrated with the business world, experimental methods are therefore finding their importance in generating reliable information that could help in the actual decision-making process and gaining systematic guidance on the future actions. These are just some potential applications of experimental research methods in which the purpose is to gain considerable information through the use of experiments in order to test hypotheses and come up with the necessary resu lts. There are other research methods such as qualitative methods like focus groups and participant observation. Other methods include questionnaire-based surveys, case studies and observation. Focus groups are qualitative research methods, and as the name implies they focus on certain groups or samples with the inclusion of a clearly identifiable agenda particularly on obtaining perceptions, thoughts and impressions of a selected group on a specific topic or investigation (Milena, Dainora & Alin, 2008, p.1279). There are many potential applications of focus groups research methods and there is one study in which the goal is to show the relation between business environment and academic research (Milena, Dainora & Alin, 2008, p.1280). On the other hand, since they could generate perceptions of a selected group on a given topic, focus groups could also be used in studying potential market segments for a new product and service offerings which is a common approach by some manufacturin g companies to generate information prior to the new launching of their products. Participant observation is another qualitative research method which involves researchers joining the members of a social group, and having direct participation with them while functionally exposed in the actual field work (Vinten, 1994, p.30). Participant observation is a method of considerable interest among individuals with managerial functions or those studying human behavior in the business context (Vinten, 1994). Questionnaire-based surveys are among the most commonly used research methods employed in the business context. A study reveals that mail questionnaire surveys are common practice in international business research methodology (Yang, Wang & Su, 2006, p.601). Questionnaire-based surveys involve the use of relevant questions to be filled up by the chosen respondents. The supplied data will then be processed to convert them as useful information. Another relevant research methods commonly u sed in the business context are the case studies. A case study tries to integrate theoretical knowledge with new empirical insights, especially on topics that have not yet been widely explored (Vissak, 2010, p.371). According to Vissak, a case study could be used in international business research, both in a quantitative and qualitative approach. However, Vissak added that the case studies are not commonly used as quantitative methods. Vissak’s study about the â€Å"recommendations for using a case study method in international

Robert Morgan’s novel Essay Example for Free

Robert Morgan’s novel Essay Robert Morgan’s novel Gap Creek is the story of Hank and Julie Herman and their struggles in life and marriage through things like poverty and natural disaster. It deals with marital issues as well as with issues of finances, death and family loyalty in relation to gender roles. Gap Creek could be considered a simple chronicle of the couple’s struggle to prosper and make their lives better on a poor country farm, but it is also an examination of the gender roles of Hank and Julie. Gap Creek is an illustration of the traditional roles and voices that men and women have in marriages and in life and of what happens when they are forced to step outside of those roles for the benefit or survival of themselves and their families. The character of Julie represents a woman fulfilling male roles out of necessity but struggling to retain her identity as a woman. Julie Harmon’s voice is the one that the reader hears the loudest because she is the character that tells the story. The book deals with the inner and outer strength of the characters against life obstacles and even though Julie is the primary female character her strength and self worth or identity are often displayed through physical strength and manual labor. The jobs that Julie is given to do are left to her because the women around her take for granted that she is as physically strong as a man and capable of doing them. Julie sacrifices a lot of her own wishes and her femininity as the manual laborer first for her own family and later for Hank. From the beginning of the novel Julie’s masculine traits are evident, making her emotionally and physically stronger than her own father. She seems resentful of being the family member that is counted on to do most of the outside farm work: â€Å"I seen what I was going to have to do. I resented it, but I seen what had to be done† (Morgan 12). Although this statement is made about chopping wood, it is also the attitude that Julie has towards all of the responsibilities she has been given, from the work on the family farm to sitting up at night to care for her dying father. She is strong enough to handle it, so she has to do it. Julie is resentful of her masculine role in the family partly because none of her other sisters are willing to help out. She talks about how one of them is too busy cooking and baking and another is dressed in lacy dresses and won’t get her hands dirty. These are things that Julie should also be experiencing as a woman, but has set aside to embrace her farm hand duties. She recognizes that by taking on all of these typically male duties and responsibilities that she is sacrificing some of her female identity. She tells her sister, â€Å"I hope no man ever sees us working like this†¦because he would never think of us as ladies†¦I don’t want to be looked on like a field hand† (Morgan 34). She does display some typically female traits but is quick to set these aside to assume her role as the strong one in the family. Her feminine emotions conflict with her male role. She cries and mourns her little brother when he dies, but then she has to help her father carry the body home because he isn’t strong enough to do it himself. Because of her sense of family obligation, Julie struggles with conflicts between her feminine identity and her masculine life roles. Julie’s gender role conflicts are internal when she’s still living at home with her parents but they become external when she marries Hank and moves to Gap Creek. In many ways Julie is still left to fulfill the domestic household roles that would usually fall to a man, like chopping wood and butchering hogs, because she is once again emotionally and physically stronger than the men in her life. The widower they rent the Gap Creek property from, Mr. Pendergast, is old and sick, leaving daily farm chores for her. Hank is gone working every day so she has to be the capable responsible worker she was for her own family. Later Julie’s outer and inner strength is shown to be superior to that of the men around her when she saves each of their lives. She pulls Mr. Pendergast from a fire and she keeps Hank from killing himself when the property is damaged in the flood. She doesn’t resent this strength the way she did with her family, but she does recognize it as being outside the normal balance of male and female roles. She knows she is again fulfilling roles that should be taken by men rather than her. She says, â€Å"It was strange to think that I was stronger than Hank. He was wore out and I still felt like fighting† (Morgan 336). She realizes that in spite of Hank’s physical size and strength, she is stronger than him in many ways. Julie’s masculine roles and traits conflict with Hank, who seems to rely on her for household duties he can’t fulfill while still wanting to be viewed as the dominant male in the household. He repeatedly tells her that he will be the one to make important decisions for the family when she tries to offer her opinions and he hits her the one time she acts on her own and mistakenly gives their savings away to a con man. He calls her dumb and insults her for not being able to describe the man better. He is as angry at her for doing something without asking him first as he is for her losing their money. Julie acknowledges that part of her role as a wife is â€Å"†¦to make Hank feel good about hisself, to make him feel strong and in charge of things† (Morgan 231). Because she follows this expectation of a wife whenever Hank is around, she ends up doing all the physical labor that Hank can’t do but he still feels like he’s the stronger one. There are two key events in the novel when Julie uses an inner strength that is uniquely female. The first of these is when Julie begins attending church after the flood. She does this as much to meet other women as she does for religious reasons. Hank doesn’t want to go and holds her back for a while, using his discouragement over their poverty and his job loss to convince her that church and God won’t help them. When she does finally get him to attend but he still tries to hold her back. She is walking up the church aisle to devote herself to God and she describes, â€Å"I think Hank reached out to hold me back†¦but I was doing what I had to do† (Morgan 368). She goes through with it because it is what she feels like she must do for herself, not for him. She finds peace in attending church and after making friends with some of the women in the congregation she says, â€Å"I felt like a human being again. A woman has to have a woman friend to talk to† (Morgan 374). She rediscovers a part of herself that she has neglected when she communicates with other women instead of just the men in her life, and the women give her a satisfaction that the men can’t. Julie attends church to reclaim part of her feminine identity that she has lost to Hank and to her marriage. Giving birth to her daughter is the second event where Julie recognizes power within herself that is completely feminine. While she is in labor she realizes that, â€Å"This is the work only I can do. This is work meant for me from the beginning of time† (Morgan 424) and after giving birth she finds that, â€Å"I was so tired I couldn’t hardly stand up, yet I felt stronger than I ever had before† (Morgan 427). These thoughts that she has during labor and delivery show how she comes to realize that not all of her strength is the masculine kind she’s been forced to have. She sees that there are elements to her inner and outer strength that only a woman can have. Julie and Hank Harmon each represent traditional male and female roles of strength and subservience. Much of their struggle comes when Julie is forced to step outside of this traditional role and Hank continues to act as though she hasn’t been. Their struggles with money and land is representative of their inner struggles to be respected for the work they each do, to assert their individual gender strengths and to be considered equal in their efforts and worth. Gap Creek represents the struggle between being what one’s gender says one should be versus what life circumstances forces one to become. Julie Harmon represents women everywhere who wear the pants in the family because they have to and find themselves struggling not to lose their identity as women in the process. Works Cited Morgan, Robert. Gap Creek. Thorndike: Thorndike Press, 1999.

Invisible Man Essay: Ellisons Influences and Inspirations

Ellison's Influences and Inspirations for Invisible Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All authors draw upon past experiences, people they have known, places they have been, as well as their own philosophy of life to write.   Ralph Ellison, in his book Shadow and Act refers to this process when he writes, "The act of writing requires a constant plunging back into the shadow of the past where time hovers ghostlike" (xix).   In preparing to write his novel he notes that, "[d]etails of old photographs and rhymes and riddles and children's games, church services and college ceremonies, practical jokes and political activities observed during my prewar days in Harlem-all fell into place" (xxvii).   While the novel Invisible Man is not autobiographical, the plot, settings, characters, themes, and point of view show the influence of people, places, and stories from his childhood.    A case in point is the plot of Invisible Man.   The plot is divided into three main divisions: Invisible Man's school days, his involvement with the Brotherhood, and what happens to him during the Harlem race riot.   Ellison draws heavily on his years spent at the Tuskeegee Institute for the first part of the novel.   Jack Bishop, in his book Ralph Ellison maintains that all of Invisible Man's college days are based on Ellison's own days at Tuskeegee (45).  Ã‚      Most critics agree that the Brotherhood is a euphemism for the Communist Party which was active in the US from the beginning of the 1920s.   In an article entitled "Communist Party of the United States" in the Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, Robin D. G. Kelly reports that the popularity of the party among Blacks was due to its work to end racism and its support of Blac... ...lph. Invisible Man. New York: The Modern Library, 1994.   ---. Shadow and Act. New York: Vintage Books, 1972. Fabre, Michael. "Wright Richard." Encyclopaedia of African-American Culture and History. 1996 ed. Hill, Robert A. "Garvey, Marcus Mosiah." Encyclopaedia of African-American Culture and History. 1996 ed.   Kelly, Robin D.G. "Communist Party of the United States." Encyclopaedia of African-American   Culture and History. 1996 ed.   Lawler, Mary. Marcus Garvey. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. O'Meally, Robert G. "Ellison, Ralph." Encyclopedia of   African-American Culture and History. 1996 ed.   Smock, Raymond W. "Washington,Booker Taliaferro." Encyclopaedia of African-American Culture and History. 1996 ed.   Tate, Gayle T. "Harlem Riots of 1935 and 1943." Encyclopaedia of African-American Culture and History. 1996 ed.  Ã‚  

Quantum Software Case Study Essay

Quantum Software is a fairly new organization â€Å"No ties, no suits coats, first name only† that was founded by Stan Albright and Erin Barber. The company develops computer software specifically oriented to the needs of independent oil businesses. They’ve had a lot of success over the past 3years and are growing fairly fast. Quantum has gained over 200 employees and has made about 95 million dollars in sales. Currently, Employees at Quantum Software work 16 hour days 6 days a week. In order to keep the morel and sprit up, Quantum recognizes that their employees have been working extra hard and they want to compensate them by having a weekly â€Å"Beer Bust† party. Bill Carter, the corporate attorney, doesn’t agree with the â€Å"beer bust† idea. Instead he believes that serving alcohol at a company’s sponsor party can be a big liability to Quantum. A â€Å"beer bust† sounds fun and relaxing. However Bill Carter makes a good point, serving alcohol at a company’s sponsor party can be a huge liability on the company’s future. Recently an employee by the name of John Hooker lost his balance and fell on the snack table during one of the â€Å"beer bust† events. Luckily John didn’t get hurt. When having these types of events the company cannot guarantee that a person like John will not over drink and possibly drive home drunk and cause a serious accident. These are all things that Quantum needs to take into consideration. Accidents happen all the time and Quantum needs be aware that these â€Å"beer bust† can be a great liability to the company. I can understand that Quantum wants to reward their employees for their hard work. Working long days 6 days a week can get over whelming. What Quantum needs to do is analyze the situation. The company is growing really fast and they need more people. Hiring more programmers can help balance their work load making 8 hour days 5 days a week possible. I don’t think that having a weekly â€Å"beer bust† is a permanent solution. It is obvious that employees at Quantum like to be recognized for their accomplishments and hard work however in the beginning of the case study is it mention the most of the employees drop in to â€Å"unwind† to these â€Å" beer bust† events. Most, meaning that not everyone who works at Quantum shows up or participates in these† beer bust† parties. What I would recommend quantum to do at this point is to pass out an employee surveys and ask their employees what they want or prefer. Some employees might not like the type of environment and rather spend their free time doing something else. Others might like the idea of working fewer hours and having weekends off as a reward. An employee survey can actually help the company out by providing feedback and letting the company know what they like and dislike. The â€Å"beer bust† events have been going on for a while and have become a sort of a company’s tradition. I’m not saying to eliminate the whole â€Å"beer bust† events. The â€Å"beer bust† parties can be a great way to socialize, relax and unwind. Having social events like these can help co workers become closer and share ideas and knowledge which can be beneficial to the company. If Quantum decides to continued the â€Å"beer bust â€Å"parties, what needs to be done is that they need to need to get with Bill carter, the corporate attorney and come up ways to handle a situation if it occurs. Limiting the number of beers a person can have at each event can help by not over drinking or by providing some sort of transportation such as bus or taxi to take employees back home after a â€Å"beer bust† event. These are rules that can be implemented by the company in order to not only save Quantum from a future law suit but also to save a life. The fact that both Eric and Stan are not really listening to Bill’s concerns can and will affect the company’s future. Bill is the corporate attorney and he knows the law. I would recommend bill to talk to both Eric and Stan another day. Eric and Stan are in a relax mode at this point probably had a few drinks or two and might not think that what Bill has to say is quite as important as it really is. Scheduling a meeting with both Eric and Stan and going over what can happen if they don’t start implanting rules.

Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth Essay

An ambitious ascent from a poor Illinois farm boy to occupying the highest political office during one of Americas most turbulent times makes for the literature of hero worship. In the essay entitled Abraham Lincoln the self-made myth Rich Hofstadter challenges the reader to penetrate beneath the surface of the American political tradions and investigate the event and actions that contributed to the Lincoln Myth. To begin with Hofstadter states that one of Lincolnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s most endearing qualisties to Americans was his humble origins and the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lincoln was a preeminent example of that self-help which Americans have always so admired,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (121). But he further goes on to state that Lincoln used this to his advantage. First in his campaign speeches always eluding to himself as humble Abraham Lincoln and in the way he addressed his own wife in public as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“motherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (122). See more: Foot Binding In China essay He received distinguished guests in shirtsleeves, and once during his presidency hailed a soldier out of the ranks with the cry, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Bub! Bub!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The concept of the self-made, simple man played well with the American public thus became à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“fully absorbed into his political being,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (124). Historical novels and fictionalized biographies about Lincoln would be amiss of the greater portion of its contents were not dedicated to the slavery issue. Many only give, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a tiresome celebration of the America past with a progressive interpretation of American history of her-worship and national self-congratulation,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Forward 2). In Hostadterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s essay he discusses the slavery issue not with a sentimental approach but with critical analysis. Lincoln was a Southerner by birth. He grew up in communities in Illinois where slavery was rare. Laws against runaway slaves were in force when Lincoln served in the s tate legislature. It was here that Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery by voting against a proslavery resolution.

Marketing and HR Order ID.

Marketing and HR Order ID. Customer service is very important in any business as it determines the success of the business. It refers to the various services and support provided to the customers before they make a purchase decision, while they are buying products and after the purchase has been made (Zemke, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing and HR Order ID. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, customer service recognizes that the two types of customers can be grouped into internal customers and external customers. Internal customers include the employees within the organization who can also buy the products while external customers are the outsiders who buy from the organization. In starting up a new coffee shop that is Wi-Fi accessible, it enables managers to transfer data from one location to the other branches. Given that there are 3 locations within a 50-mile radius, it may be difficult for the managers to travel from one point to the other in order to perform their activities. To do this effectively, the management model to be adopted for the coffee shop is the participative approach to decision making. The customers should be treated well in order for them to continue buying coffee from the shop. A participative management approach refers to the process of management that involves the employees to participate in the decision making process of the organization. It is the best approach to be used in this situation because customer service is more important to the business. The employees do not need to be left behind in the decisions made, because they are the ones who serve the customers and therefore can greatly contribute ideas in the decision making process. For example, they know the tastes and preferences of customers, the customer needs and some of the complaints made by customers on the products and services provided. The management may not have any idea on such crucial matters. The way em ployees are being treated will be reflected in the way they also serve the customers. The participative approach allows the employees to accept all decisions made by the management as they were involved in the making of the decisions. It is very rare to find any kind of resistance on decisions made. This enables them to be motivated in serving the customers (Maslow, 1954). Once the employees feel that they are valued as they participate in the decision making process, they also work hard to maintain their jobs and serve the customers in a good way. Empowerment enables the employees to make some necessary decisions by themselves in the various problems that customers may be facing. For example, a customer may request for a small discount and the employee can decide to offer the discount.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Given the various locations of the business, th e management can allow the employees from the various locations to always communicate through the Wi-Fi before making any important decisions (Hamel, 2009). Once the management acknowledges their suggestions, it can use the Wi-Fi to inform them on what to do next. Every store requires about 10 employees. This may be very costly for the coffee shop if managers for every store were to be employed. Inputs and feedbacks can be provided over the Wi-Fi on any requirements for additions in the store as long as the Wi-Fi is accessible to all locations. The information exchanged can then be used to make decisions which should be communicated to the employees. However, the participative approach may not encourage some employees who may feel that their views have not been considered. For the coffee shop, a participative approach can reduce the controlling costs and also ensure excellent customers service, which is the main objective of the new business. References Hamel, G. (2009).The future o f management. Washington, DC: Harvard University Press. Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York, NY: Harper. Zemke, R. (2006). Best practices in customer service. New York, NY: Pearson.

Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale essays

Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale essays Boy Scouts of America et al. v. Dale No. 99-699 Argued April 26, 200- Decided June 28, 2000 In order to explain this court case and why it is so important, it is necessary to look at the history behind it. In July of 1990 James Dale an assistant scoutmaster, and Boy Scout since age eight, was informed that his adult membership to the Boy Scouts of America had been revoked. He was working with Troop 73 in New Jersey in addition to attending Rutgers University. This revocation was a direct result of his involvement with the Rutgers University Lesbian/ Gay alliance, after Dales words of support and representation for this group were published in a newspaper in early June of 1990. The case as it was argued had one main concern. Lawyers for the Scouts told the court that the Boy Scouts, as a private organization like churches or other religious groups, has the constitutional protection to dictate the standards for its leaders and members. But the lawyer for James Dale, the former Scout leader, says the Boy Scouts is a public accommodation group with large support from governmental agencies, and as such cannot discriminate on the basis of a person's sexual orientation. "When the Boy Scouts says 'We are open to all, all means all, and all means both gay and straight," said Dale's lawyer, Evan Wolfson. Dale sued, and after a lengthy legal battle the New Jersey Supreme Court agreed that the Boy Scouts had violated the state's anti-discrimination law. After this judgment, the Boy Scouts of America decided to take this case to the US Supreme court on grounds of the majority placed the Scouts' First Amendment right to express their "moral" rejection of homosexuality over New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination. The majority opinion concluded that forcing the Scouts to accept a gay leader placed an unconstitutional burden on the organization's "expressive purpose." In its arguments, the Boy Scouts of America claimed that being...