Sampling Strategy and Sample size for a Quantatitive Plan - Research Paper Example

4. To what extent does leadership effectiveness and decision making related in nursing practice? Sampling Strategy For this research plan, the population size is 132. Consequently, a sample size of 30 will be selected. The rationale for choosing this sample size is based on my research question and also based on previous related studies. It is known that sample size largely depends on the variability in the sampling frame, or respondents. The sample size also depends upon the required statistical power and the level of confidence expected.

Large variability in the population of study would require a greater sample size so that I can have a good level of confidence of 95% (or an alpha of 0.05). In a research on leadership effectiveness, Ismail, Hussein, and Rashid (2011) recommend that if the sample is based on a wide array of industries and organizations, sample should be large enough to meet the minimum size required for the adequacy of statistical techniques used to detect the interaction effects of variables of interest. . Further support for the sample size selected is based on past studies.

In a study on the impact of stress on employee’s job performance, Dar et al (2011) use a sample of 143 employees out of a total number of about 1500 drawn from universities, banks, and multinational companies. A more recent related study on the role of supportive leadership as a moderator between job stress and job performance (Khalid et al, 2012) used a sample size of 200 respondents from four educational institutions in Pakistan out of a sample of 1894. In using a sample size of 30, the research findings will give far more valid results than those outlined.

Sampling Employees in the nursing profession are often busy and thus obtaining the required sample size may be difficult, particularly when the researcher is using a probability based sample selection criterion such as stratified or clustered sampling schemes. (Frankfort-Nachmias, C., & Nachmias, D. 2008) explains, “Clustered of Elements” that can be problem when the sampling units are listed in groups rather than individually. Further, the target population is quite small and, hence, a detailed sampling scheme may not be required.

Due to the small-scale nature of the research, use of an elaborate scheme would shoot up the costs of conducting the research and hence, render it undoable. For this reason, the most applicable method to be used would be a convenience sampling method where no rules on probability are observed, rather, the focus is on the sample size. Under this method, pre-designed questionnaires would be distributed to selected persons with detailed instructions on how to answer the questions. Sample Selection As mentioned, a convenience sampling method will be used.

Under this method, the researchers will