Intellectual capital measurement: a critical approach - Essay Example

? Assignment 3 Assignment 3 The term internal validity implies to the extent or degree to which results aboutthe cause and effect can be made based on the measurement applied, the study location, and the entire study plan. It is about how well the study was conducted, what was measured and what deductions can be made about the results. External validity refers to the extent to which the outcomes of a research pertain to populations, situations, and the environment different from the research. External validity explores the question whether if the research were conducted in different cases, there would be the same outcomes. An Experimental Design whether people with obese would lose weight under the new diet plan. Title The effect of the new diet plan on weight Hypothesis If people with obese are under the new diet plan, then they would lose weight. Independent variable The new diet plan Levels of independent variable and numbers of repeated trials Number of people Individual 1 Individual 2 Weight(kg) Kg 1 Kg 2 Dependent variable and how it is measured Change in weight, measured in kilograms. Constants/ issues 1. Statistical regression. 2. Diffusion of treatment. 3. Compensatory rivalry. 4. Demoralization. After carrying out the experiment to test whether the new diet plan would impact lose of weight for the obese people, the analysis and interpretation of the information obtained becomes critical. This would enable one to infer effectively from the results and draw valid conclusions. In this experiment, four types of issues concerning the validity of the results may arise, Statistical regression, Diffusion of treatment, Compensatory treatments, and Compensatory rivalry. Statistical regression The statistical regression poses a threat when an effect may be due to the obese people being classified into experimental groups as similar scores; this will render the measures unreliable and the high scores would score lower as opposed to the lower scores, which would score higher. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to attribute such changes to a treatment since it might be due to statistical regression. Diffusion of treatment Whenever the treatments involve informational issues and the experiment groups can correspond with each other, it means that the treatment would diffuse, and the experiment may become invalid because of lack of planned differences between research and the control groups. Compensatory treatments This would arise when the experimental treatment gives desirable results but then emerges administrative unwillingness to bear the focused disparity that might result. This inequality, may as a result, lead to lack of use of random assignment to treatments that are believed valuable. Compensatory rivalry This happens where the assignment of the obese people to experiment and the trial conditions are made unrestricted such that conditions of common rivalry are generated. Thus, the control experiment may be forced to decrease the anticipated difference. The survey research has the following strengths and weaknesses. The strengths Surveys are very useful especially in describing and explaining the characteristics of large populations; self-administered surveys are good since they make large samples possible; survey research is very flexible; it is may be strong on reliability; survey research entails standardized questionnaires that are easily measured. The weaknesses Survey research frequently looks superficial since it covers complex topics; survey research sometimes do not deal with the environment of social life; in most cases survey research becomes inflexible to various situations; survey research has the problem of artificiality due to the limitation of the topics to be well articulated; finally, survey research may be very weak in validity. The qualitative field research has strengths and weaknesses of in comparison with other types of research methods. The strengths and weaknesses of qualitative field research Qualitative field research as compared to other types of research is very effective in specificity and deepness in studying social life over time; it is very flexible as compared to other types; it is not expensive to employ in studying the social process; it provides greater validity and high experimental measurement; it provides the high degree of reliability. Qualitative field research encounters some weaknesses in its study. To start with, it does not have a suitable statistical examination; this type of research provides soft date since it is the research’s discretion to report and interpret the results hence. In addition, findings becoming subjective and subject to bias and qualitative research lacks predictability since it cannot provide an insight to the researcher of likely future occurrences. In content analysis, it involves methodical and replicable methods for compressing large data to small and little content. Content analysis helps the examiner to filter through bulky volumes of facts with a lot of easy. Therefore, a unit of analysis, often referred to as a case, is at the point at which one draws and deducts conclusions about a study. It is the item which generalization are drawn based on an analysis; whereas the unit of observation is at a point at which the researcher collects data from, the unit of observation represents the items which are observed and from which data is obtained. Both the unit of analysis and the unit of observation becomes the same and similar when the generality being obtained from an analysis is ascribed to the unit of observation. They are different when the unit of observation is determined through the observations chosen, whereas the unit of analysis through a concern of exploring a specific occurrence. Research article analysis Title of Article:  Intellectual capital measurement: a critical approach Name of Journal:  Journal of intellectual capital Date of Research:  2009; Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited Author bio:  John C. Dumay (Faculty of Economics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia) MBA AGSM, MA MGSM, PhD (Economics). He is presently a Lecturer in Accounting at Sydney University after spending 15 years as an independent consultant specializing in management Accounting. His PhD won the prestigious Outstanding Doctoral Research Award 2008 in Knowledge Management category. His research/consulting focuses on the use of narrative as a management tool for organizations. Problem:  The problem of the study concerns the appropriate measurement of intellectual capital. Hypothesis:  Intellectual Capital equals the sum of human and structural capital. Intellectual capital includes the practical experience, organizational knowledge, customer affairs, and the specialized skills that give spirited benefit in the market Methodology: The article provides a case research on how a group of a large Australian fiscal organization used a technique based on difficulty hypothesis to examine intellectual capital in reality. The technique employs description, statistics, and visualizations to show the sense of intellectual capital at a given period. The article examines intellectual capital from a measuring viewpoint by providing a critical investigation. Analysis: This paper’s analysis entails exploratory facts as an object used in business; the connection between the facts agents and its notable raise; and, depicting how information and communication knowledge has allowed the creation and diffusion of information. .Findings:  From the result of the study of intellectual capital, it is established that, intellectual capital measurement relies a lot on the facts available and that alternative approaches to appreciate intellectual capita has to be developed. This research recommends both academics and practitioners to develop fresh abilities. Implications of research: The research found that instead of being controlled by the customary models to measuring intangibles, through modern intellectual capital coverage frameworks, a better open method is established which would advance the suitability and apply the worth of the knowledge. References Kendall, M. G., Stuart, A., Ord, J. K., Arnold, S. F., & Hagan, A. (2004). Kendall's advanced theory of statistics (6th ed.). London: Edward Arnold. Read More