Analysis of Research Methods, Client Relationship, Personal Evaluation - Essay Example

? Reflective Report Introduction With the advancement of technology and emergence of the concept of consumerism to the surface, customers have become ever more dominant and powerful in the marketplace. Nowadays all the companies shed off myopic ideas and try to incorporate consumer’s will in the decision making process. This is particularly important because customer satisfaction is the ultimate objective that leads to profitability and endurance in organizations. To attain stability, organizations spend millions of dollars today on their Research and Development departments to get the best and most accurate knowledge regarding consumer behaviour and expectations. This knowledge and information is utilized by organizations in improving their processes to meet the demands and requirements of the customers and thus deliver a “wow experience” every time the customer interacts with the offering (Berger, 2011). In other words, this shall not be exaggeration to state that, research is one of the key pillars to success of an organization, in the contemporary market dimensions. Any idea or tactic backed up by research findings is more durable and dependable then something that is implemented out of the blue. Research does not only assist organizations in deciding which route to success shall be adopted, in fact contingency measures and sporadic adjustments to deviations and evaluation of the implementation are some of the broad areas that are addressed at length by researches (Thornton, 2010). Throughout the length of this paper various research methods will be analyzed through various perspectives and efforts will be made to develop an understanding of using research methods and findings in the most efficient manner possible. Analysis of Research Methods The above diagram is a representation of a general research process. Though 5 major steps are shown in the diagram in a systematic manner, but in real life scenario one stage may precede the other depending upon the requirements of the researchers and the nature of the research itself. While conducting our research we followed the above systematic flow of processes for data collection, analysis and reporting of its findings (Collis and Hussey, 2003). Research can be defined as a systematic investigative study conducted to discover answers to questions or solutions to prevalent or future dilemmas. In the commercial scenario, findings of a research may serve to make it or break it for the sponsors of the research. Bearing in mind the model provided in the figure then we see that the process initiates with the discovery of a problem or unanswered question. This is the phase of the research process that occurs voluntarily (Kumar, 2010). Any department of the company shall encounter a problem at any stage and this is completely unavoidable and inevitable (Collis, 2003). The stage that entails the discovery of a problem shall come to the surface unexpectedly and demand a solution on an immediate basis and things could be the other way round too. Therefore this can be said that moving on from one stage to another in the research process may vary from situation to situation (Blaxter et al, 2006). The stage proceeding Discover Stage is known as “Retrieve Stage”. Retrieve stage is a significant phase that shall be carried out with great care and technically sound staff. There are various methods utilizing which this phase can be surpassed. At this stage we were required to determine the sources from which data can be retrieved and the subsequent methodology to be adopted. There are two broad options that were available to the group to get the data from, Primary Resources and Secondary Resources (McBurney, 2009). Secondary resources are considered to be the best sources of information in case the problem that has to be resolved has occurred before in some other department of the company or may be in any other part of the world. Secondary data provides a sound basis to the researchers to construct a framework based on the solid findings of the research work available on the topic (Dawson, 2005). Primary data collection, on a personal note is less tedious in its approach as compared to secondary data collection, but is definitely more technical and time consuming. Apart from technicalities and time consumption one more complex component of the primary research is its subjectivity. There are numerous factors in a primary research that go unaccounted for. Primary research is taken as the route to problem solving in case a unique or unmatched dilemma has arisen. In our case we had to draw a road map of our own and then look for a sustainable answer to the questions at hand. The primary research started with the selection of a sample. Sample is considered to be a portion of the target population that is representative of the entire target population. This signifies that the opinions and results obtained from the sample will be generalized over the entire target population. Using random sampling technique we got the most relevant and precise representation of the target population. Using random individuals rather than nominated ones provided us with reliable results (Forsyth, 2009). The main task encountered by the group while conducting primary research was to eliminate the biases from the findings of the research. The biases may arise from a number of factors and the researchers need to ensure that they minimize these biases to the minimum if not eliminate them completely, which is a touch unrealistic. Conducting primary research entails designing questionnaires, conducting surveys and focus groups and basically interacting with the people for whom the research has been aimed at analyzing. This includes designing of questions in a way that they do not lead to a particular response, in fact the questions should be open and general enough to provide the respondent with freedom to make up his/her own mind while responding. More importantly, it was learnt that the questions shouldn’t be too long or time consuming as this will tent to diminish the interest and desire of the participant to participate. The presence of the staff while the respondent is responding to the survey and his gestures shall disturb the respondent and may add biases to the results. So it must be ensured that the respondents are supplied with a conducive environment every time they are asked to cooperate with or participate in a research. We tried to incorporate all the minor factors to remove biases from our research to the maximum possible extent. Selecting the respondents was another significant task to be accomplished by the group. The group had to ensure that the respondents will not be influenced by any means while participating in the surveys conducted. A remedy to this reservation was found out to be the random sampling method. In random sampling, respondents are selected on random basis and thus are not predominantly picked up by the group. Hence neither the group nor the respondents knew each other before the research was conducted. In this case the presence of researcher assistants does not influence the behaviour of the respondents. Thus by applying the random sampling methodology, we eliminated biases from the research to a great extent. We aimed at eliminating biases from the research to ensure that most dependable and precise results out of the research or survey conducted. Results that cannot be relied up on shall mislead the researchers and in turn give out fake or unreal findings and this is exactly what the researchers try to achieve by eliminating biases from the research results. Once the data was retrieved and saved up by the group, a new phase was initiated where collation of the retrieved data was exercised. The group members classified the retrieved data into form where it can be further processed into analyzable form. During the collation phase we cross examined the integrity of the collected data to ensure it is completely reliable and is backed up by true and verifiable resources. Collation of data is followed by Analyses. The collated data was critically examined, not for its integrity and genuineness this time, but for the outcome that it has generated and that will lead to the development of concrete recommendations and findings to be forwarded by the group (Dawson, 2009). The analysis of data was also accompanied by representation of data into interpretable form for managerial decision making and analyses. Managers always look for information that is meaningful and that makes a lot of business sense (Creswell, 2008). Managers require information that may not be fantastic but simple and to the point and this is where representation of the processed information comes into play. The group ensured that the findings are inserted into easy to access tables and clear charts and simplified diagrams (Davies, 2007). Group Dynamics The above figure shows the stages that a group comes across starting from the time that it is formed till it accomplishes its goals and retires. In light of the above figure the first phase is the formation of the group itself (Levi, 2007). This is the most crucial stage as individuals with relevant skills, talents and interests are targeted in this phase (Katzenbach, 2005). Once the required individuals are added to the group then there are conflicts of interests that coincide between the individual members. Differences may arise at this stage and hence it is refer to as the storming stage. The group members take some time to get adjusted to the surroundings, requirement of the tasks at hand and more importantly presence of others in the group (Sekaran, 2010). By the time, the dust settles down the group members have developed tolerance for one another and have moved to the norming stage. At this stage of the process the group members have identified their roles in the group and have aligned their interests in the attainment of the group objectives (Abrahams, 1949). Once the group members are ready to shoulder the responsibility of taking things together in the right direction the group moves to the performing stage. In this stage the group members neglect all disagreements and hostilities and focus all their efforts on the attainment of group objectives (Dana, 2000). Once the group objectives are achieved the group disintegrates and the members go back to their respective departments or regions and this stage is known to be the one that leads to the adjournment of the group, formally (Tuckman, 1965). The conflicts within the groups do arise for the sake of responsibility, dominance, ownership and credit of the work done, social loafing and other issues during the storming stage. However storming was absent from the particular group under consideration. Groups where conflicts hardly arise or have an impact on the outcome of the group are known to have a “close association” between the members (Northouse, 2009). In such groups roles and responsibilities are not confused among the group members. Leadership plays an important role in defining the responsibilities of the group members and also to keep them motivated for continuous performance and their timely evaluation (Lacoursiere, 1974). Unity of command is of great importance while dealing with groups. A team lead, leads by example and ensures that the group is moving in the right direction with the desired pace and objective (Hogg, 2008). The presence of a visionary leader lifts the morale of the group on the whole and brings the best out of every member in the team by producing synergy. With close association between the group members, communication was carried out efficiently without any disturbances or delay (Hawkins, 2011). Every member of the team supplemented the other. Roles of the members were predefined and everyone in the group was aware of the progress and the stage to be focused up on at a particular time. The feedback and contribution of all the group members was appreciated and the team leader would give credit to out performers at every stage of the research process. Such dynamics and principles f work set up within the group kept everyone motivated and on their toes (Brown, 2001). The group leader provided us with a clear timeline that assisted us in gauging our own performance with respect to the time and resources available. Absence of the storming stage is a rarity and was a hallmark of this particular group. With everyone in the group familiar with the style of work and calibre of the other, the entire task was accomplished in a professional manner without too many hurdles or impediments encountered (Tuckman, 1977). Client Relationship This was of great significance when it comes to getting the best out of the entire drill. The relationship between the group and the client on whose behalf the research has been conducted is vital for fruitful outcomes (Sheif, 1966). The more transparent and interactive the two parties are with each other, the higher are the chances of a meaningful research to be obtained. With strong relationship between the two parties a bond is created that enables both to understand one another. If the relationship is not strong and is not based upon mutual trust and confidence then the client may not be able to communicate the requirements to the research team and thus in turn the team will not be able to translate the its efforts into the desires and objectives of the client (Tuckman, 1965). This relationship with the client also helps the researchers to convey the group norms to the client to ensure that the client’s expectations and group norms remain at the same wavelength to avoid discrepancies and atrocities during the project (Forsyth, 1998). With a better level of understanding between the client and the group, adjustments to the predefined plan of action can be implemented through “task activity development”, by recognizing the needs of the situation (Brooks, 2009). All this comes about through mutual understanding within the members of the group as well as the group and the client. Work done in good spirit and commitment always produces gems of results and that is exactly what the group obtained by the end of the project (Levi, 2001). Personal Evaluation Being a part of this team added great value to me as an individual and a professional both. Interacting with people, collecting data, resolving conflicts, getting the message across, problem solving, idea generation are some of the key skills that I have acquired by means of active participation in this project. Meeting deadlines and responsibilities in a professional manner was definitely a take away for me from this project. I kept myself open to learning and experience during the project and this helped me groom and develop a better understanding of working in real life scenario with professionals. My contribution to the group was complementary to the overall objectives of the group. I accomplished tasks that were assigned to me in a manner as professional as possible. I also assisted other team mates from time to time to get a feel of different dimensions of the group apart from my area of expertise. With collaborating with all the other group members I was able to acquire knowledge and experience of areas that did not fall under my responsibilities. In all in all participation in this project was a great learning experience that will help me in my professional life a great deal in the future. Conclusion The group successfully attained the desired objectives with the resources available and within the allocated time frame. The credit for the success of the group cannot be associated to a single individual. It was a great team effort as all the members of the group complimented each other in attaining the goals. The concept of synergy was experienced by the team for the first time in real world. Conflict resolution and time management were the most significant factors that contributed to a constant flow of our progress on this project. Bearing in mind how the entire group gelled together and worked in a unified direction, I personally believe things couldn’t have been better. We gave our best and this resulted in the outcome of a report that we all expected ourselves to produce by the end of the term. Following commands and meeting expectations is a norm prevalent in groups, as I experienced it myself. If an individual lacks these two skills then survival within the group shall be a matter of concern. 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