Analysis and Identification of Training Needs in the Abu Dhabi Police Force - Research Paper Example

Chapter Three: Research Methodology Introduction This chapter presents a detailed explanation of the approach that is used to carry out the research. In general, research methodology may be seen in the form of three important things: the philosophy that guides the way the research is carried out, the overall strategy that shall be used in the carrying out the research and specific instruments that shall be used to collect data during the course of the research. All these things are important because they determine how well the specific objectives of the research are achieved and whether or not the overall research question is answered. For this study, all these issues are taken care of in the sections that follow. Information about the philosophy of research that is used, the strategy used and the data collection instruments used in the course of the study on the analysis and identification of training needs in the Abu Dhabi police force are presented. This is done in reference to the three specific objectives of the study which are: to identify the specific training approaches used in the force, determine how effective the approaches are and lastly, explore the impact of the approach to the future of the force. Research philosophy In general, a philosophy in research represents the general beliefs that guide the process of collecting, analysing and interpreting data about the subject matter that is used in the research (Hatch 2002, p. 12). In this study, the research philosophy of interpretivism will be used to provide a framework on how the information about training methods used in the Abu Dhabi police force will be collected, analyzed, interpreted and used to answer the overall question of the research. In general, the use of interpretivism, just like other subjectivist approaches to research such as qualitative and humanistic, in based on the need to produce knowledge about social issues that is completely verifiable (Holden & Lynch 2004, p. 2). To this end, this approach seeks to interpret social issues by use of models representing actual issues in the social world that are tested as a means of understanding the meaning of social realities (Blaikie 2009, p. 99). Justification There are several reasons as to why this approach was selected for the study. One of them is what, according to Pat (2006, p. 76), is the primary objective of research studies carried out using the interpretive approach, which is to answer questions about how and why a particular thing is happening. Fundamentally, this study is based on gaining an understanding on three important issues in the Abu Dhabi police force: what training methods are currently in place, how effective they are and what their impact will be to the effectiveness of the force in the future. Since these objectives correspond to the three key primary objectives of using an interpretive approach in a research, it is only sensible that the approach be used in the study itself. This is the approach that best suits the overall research question and the objectives of the research. The second reason as to why this study is based on an interpretivist philosophy in its approach is that this paradigm is generally used in explaining not only what is happening now but also what is likely to happen in the future. This is usually done by providing a detailed understanding of what is happening within the context of a wider environment. When applied to the current study, it can be seen that the research seeks to explain how the training within the police force in Abu Dhabi is done within the context of the needs of the Emirates in general. This is so because the police force plays a key role in maintaining law and order in within the Emirates which, in turn, is an important aspect for the social and economic activities taking place in region. Therefore, it is only an interpretivist approach that can be used to adequately provide an understanding of the training needs of the police force within the wider context of the policing needs of the region as well as providing information on what is likely to happen in the future with regard to the overall effectiveness of the police force in Abu Dhabi. Lastly, since the research is based on analysing a relatively large sample of human beings, the variables involved can neither be manipulated for the sake of the experiment nor held constant during the process of the experiment because of the individual differences in involved in the participants. Because of this, the philosophy of interpretivism is selected since it helps the researcher conduct an in-depth investigation on the phenomena using both qualitative and quantitative data. This is essentially what is used in the study to determine different training needs used in the Abu Dhabi police force and their impact on the overall effectiveness of the institution. Research design In general, the design of a research refers to an overall framework that shall be used in conducting the study with the sole aim of helping the researcher maintain control over all factors that may interfere with the research (Bryman 2012, p. 59). According to Friesen (2010, n.pag), research design entails describing how four important processes shall be carried out in the research: definition of concepts, planning of the entire study, collection of data and sampling. It is, therefore a general description of how data shall be collected, where from and how the information obtained from the analysis shall be used to answer the questions used in the research. For this study, the focus is on identifying specific training methods used for the Abu Dhabi police force and evaluating how effective the methods are in equipping the force for the future. This will help in identifying specific areas in which there is need for developing and implementing new skills using new training methods. Therefore, the research is designed in such a manner that both qualitative and quantitative methods shall be used. Such a mixed methodologies approach is necessary as a way of obtaining all data required for answering the questions used in the research. According to Merriam (2009, p. 15), qualitative research is defined by four key characteristics: a strong focus on meanings, the researcher playing a leading role as an instrument, the use of a completely inductive process and use of detailed description. All these characteristics are important for this study in different ways. For instance, the need for using a completely inductive process arises from the fact that the existing theory on need training is not sufficient to address all the specific needs that the police force of Abu Dhabi is facing. Because of this, the research seeks to build a theory from the existing evidence that is obtained in the form of data collected from the sample (Yin 2011, p. 263). Also, the use of the researcher as a primary instrument for collecting the data to be used in the research makes it possible for the researcher to be flexible enough to accommodate different variations during the actual process of collecting the data to be used in the research. Therefore, the qualitative aspect of the research is important in helping the researcher understand the opinion of different participants about the training methods used in the force and how effective they are. The second important aspect of the design of this research is seen in the use of quantitative methods. Primarily, collection of quantitative data takes place in the form of a survey which is carried out using a self-completion questionnaire. The essence of the survey is to collect quantitative information about how effective the training methods used in the Abu Dhabi Police are. The quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires shall be used to complement the qualitative data obtained from the semi-structured interviews with some members of the institution. Research instruments Data for this research was collected by means of two key instruments: a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Each of the instruments was used to collect different forms of data used in the research. The questionnaire Ideally, the purpose of the questionnaire is to collect quantitative information from a usually large pool of participants within a relatively short time. According to Mitchell and Jolley (2012, p. 286), this instrument is commonly used when carrying out surveys because of the large number of participants that can be covered as well as the level of anonymity that is guaranteed by their use. On the other hand, one common disadvantage of using self-administered questionnaires in a survey is the possibility of some of the respondents failing to compete and send them back (Denscombe 2010, p. 159). Also, since the questionnaires are meant to be completed by the respondents without the presence of the researcher to offer assistance if need be, the possibility of errors in the way the questions are answered cannot be ruled out. Semi structured interviews In general, semi-structured interviews entail questions that are flexible enough to allow the researcher seek clarification from the interviewee as opposed to structured interviews in which the questions to be administered are rigid and followed without any alteration (Schuh 2011, n.pag). There are several advantages of using this method but one important one is that the level of flexibility that is allowed helps the researcher to explore the topic of research in great depth by allowing the respondents to express themselves fully (Lodico, Spaulding & Vogtle 2010, n.pag). Sampling The subjects to be used in the study will be professionals working in the police force of Abu Dhabi. The individuals to be interviewed shall be contacted using the contact details contained in the official database of the institution. Also, the survey questionnaires that shall be used to collect quantitative data to be used in the study shall be administered to the participants by using their email addresses. Sampling technique In general, sampling for this study is done using the stratified approach. Stratified sampling entails using defined subgroups of strata as the source of the constituents of the sample (Maheshwari 2012, p. 112). The different subgroups are created in such a manner that they represent real variations within the population that is used in the research. Sample size This research used a sample size of 75 individuals selected from the Abu Dhabi Police force to participate in the study. The selection of the participants was based on the specific subgroups of age, gender and position within the force. For gender, the criteria used were whether the participants were male or female. For the position within the force, the criterion used to identify the specific subgroup used in the research was whether the participants are in a senior position or not. The specific job positions within the force are colonel, major and captain. This will be used to provide information on the impact of the different training methods used on officers on different job levels have on their overall performance. Lastly, the criteria used to determine the subgroup basing on age is the specific age category in which the participants fall. Importance of the sampling technique There are several reasons that make it necessary for this specific type of sampling to be used. Many of these reasons correspond to the advantages of using such a method in general. For instance, the restrictions of time and resources for the study made it necessary for a relatively cheaper form of sampling to be used. Compared to other forms of non-random sampling, it can be seen that quota sampling is relatively cheaper (Black 2011, p. 232). This is because of the way it can be used at the convenience of the researcher, the speed at which the data is obtained and the fact that there is no need for the researcher to resend questionnaires in the event of one of the respondents failing to fill in. Data analysis Since two sets of data: qualitative and quantitative shall be used in the research, two corresponding methods of analysis shall be used. Basically, qualitative data that shall be obtained from semi-structured interviews shall be analysed using appropriate qualitative techniques such as content analysis. On the other hand, quantitative data that shall be obtained from the survey carried out sing the self-completion questionnaire shall be analysed using appropriate qualitative techniques to obtain statistical measures that shall be used to interpret the data. Limitations On the other hand, the use of stratified and quota sampling in for the study will present a number of limitations. Bailey (2008, p. 103) observes that every sampling technique obtained has its own inherent problems. Further, according to Lohr (2009, p. 100), using stratified sampling usually presents a researcher with three key problems: how to define the strata, settling on the right size of the sample and ensuring that the strata serve their purpose in the research. Another common limitation that arises from the use of stratified sampling is that it is necessary for the researcher to have a thorough understanding of the entire population prior to sing this method to draw a sample for the study (Tayie 2005, p. 39). The second limitation is the danger of having subsets whose variables are not relevant to the objectives of the research. Special care will be taken to overcome these possible limitations of the sampling technique used. For instance, thorough knowledge of the Abu Dhabi police force shall be obtained to ensure that the strata developed are not only relevant but are also based on important and verifiable criteria. Ethical considerations Since a mixed approach entailing the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods was used in this research, the ethical considerations taken into account cover both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. Also, different ethical considerations were taken into account during different stages in the process of carrying out the research. These are outlines as follows. In general, use of qualitative methods raises important ethical considerations because of the nature of the method that allows the researcher to develop new and flexible designs for the experiment (Hammersley & Traianou 2012, p. 8). One ethical consideration that is unique to qualitative research and that was taken into account in the course of the study is the need for informed consent from the interviewees (Klenke 2008, p. 149). The participants in the semi-structured interviews were fully informed of the nature of the research, the manner in which the interviews would be carried out and the purpose to which the information obtained from the interviews would be used for. It is from this information that their informed consent was obtained before the interviews were carried out. Apart from informed consent of the interviewees, this research took into consideration the need to maintain the confidentiality of the participants. In general, there is need for information about the identity of participants in a qualitative interview and the information that they provide to be kept completely confidential (Klenke 2008, p. 149). In the case of this study, the need for confidentiality was taken more seriously considering the fact that the persons interviewed are professionals working in the Abu Dhabi police force. Lastly, care was taken to ensure that the persons that were interviewed in the course of the research were completely protected from any kind of psychological or emotional harm. The need for protecting participants was made necessary by the fact that the interviewees are privy to matters of national security which are sensitive. Therefore, the information that was provided by the interviewees and their identities was kept completely confidential. Apart from collecting information, ethical considerations are also important during the other stages of a research. In this case, special care was taken during the process of reviewing the literature that is relevant to the study. This was done in the form of ensuring that the sources used are well cited and references made. Furthermore, ethical considerations will be taken account of in the process of analysing and presenting the data. The purpose of this process will be to ensure that the findings of the research are not tampered with and are presented in a manner that is completely objective. Conclusion In this chapter information about the methodology used in the research has been presented. It can be seen that the research is done using a mixed framework methodology that entails qualitative and quantitative techniques. Moreover, the research is carried out using the interpretivist approach since this is the most suited approach for the study. Lastly, it has been seen that a self-completion questionnaire as well as semi-structured interviews are the two primary instruments that are used to collect data for the research. References Bailey, K 2008, Methods of social research, New York, The Free Press. Black, K 2011, Business statistics: for contemporary decision making, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken. Blaikie, N 2009, Designing social research, Polity Press, New York. Bryman, A 2012, Social research methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Denscombe, M 2010, The good research guide: for small-scale social research projects, New York, McGraw-Hill. Friesen, B K 2010, Designing and conducting your first interview project, John Wiley & Sons, Mason. Hammersley, M & Traianou, A 2012, Ethics in qualitative research: controversies and contexts, London, SAGE. Hatch, J A 2002, Doing qualitative research in education settings, SUNY, Albany. Holden, T & Lynch, P 2004, ‘Choosing the appropriate methodology: understanding research philosophy’, viewed 12 August 2014, Klenke, K 2008, Qualitative research in the study of leadership, Emerald, Bingley. Lodico, M G, Spaulding, D T & Vogtle, K H 2010, Methods in educational research: from theory to practice, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken. Lohr, S 2009, Sampling: design and analysis, Mason, Cengage Learning. Maheshwari, Y 2012, Managerial economics, New Delhi, PHI Learning. Merriam, S B 2009, Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Mitchell, M & Jolley, J 2012, Research design explained, Cengage, Belmont. Pat, C 2006, The research student’s guide to success, McGraw-Hill, New York. Schuh, J H 2011, Assessment methods for student affairs, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Tayie, S 2005, Research methods and writing research proposals, Capscu, Cairo. Yin, R K 2011, Qualitative research from start to finish, Guilford, London. Read More