What I can do for RWU community if I was a vice president for them - Essay Example

How to Collect Information The al Research of Roger Williams (RWU) wants to understand the needs of all those who have an interest in the undertakings of RWU. As the Vice President of the organization, I have identified the best techniques to use in collecting this crucial information about the interests of each group of stakeholders.First and foremost, let’s take a look at the students; the bulk of RWU community. To get the needed information from the students, an accurate sample would have to be taken out of the huge population because not all students can provide the information.

The most efficient means of gathering data from the chosen sample of students would be using questionnaires or surveys and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires and surveys enable the capture of a lot of information in a non-threatening way especially if the questionnaire is elaborate, accurate and clear. (Carter, 2010) However, in the event of improper wording in the questionnaire, student responses can be biased and might not give the needed information. Therefore, this method needs to be complemented with semi-structured interviews, which would provide more information especially when it is conducted as if it is a conversation making interviewees feel relaxed.

The next group of stakeholders of RWU community is the employees. The interests of RWU’s employees can be collected from them through the use of observational techniques and questionnaires. Through observation, the information regarding the conditions that the employees work in and the systems or operations they have to undertake on a daily basis can be easily acquired. This information can be evaluated and the needs of these important stakeholders reviewed and analyzed. However, the behavior of employees during the observation might not reflect their true normal behavior hence the need to use questionnaires which would help in collecting the required information quickly.

(Carter, 2010) The questionnaires would have to be very detailed and clarity enforced in each question. For employees, their interests may be of a very personal nature therefore confidentiality must be guaranteed in order for the employees to reveal their opinions and interests in depth.The interests of the local community in Bristol, Rhode Island where RWU is situated must also be taken into consideration. For this to be done, focus groups can be used to collect the opinions of the people. Sampling of the local community needs to be done in a proper demographical scale to cater for the needs of all the people.

The focus group would then be engaged in a comprehensive and deep discussion related to their needs. This method is useful since it acquires reliable common views in a quick fashion as well as getting detailed opinions and depth of information. (Carter, 2010) The scheduling of the meeting would have to be convenient for all those who are participating as it is at times difficult to schedule many people together. The facilitator would have to be good enough to analyze the responses of the members adequately.

The interests of the stakeholders of any organization or institution must be taken into account by the leaders of these organizations. As the Vice President of Institutional Research of RWU, I believe that these are the most efficient methods of collecting information on the needs of stakeholders in the pursuit of this endeavor.Works CitedMcNamara, Carter (2010) Overview of Basic Methods to Collect Information. Authenticity Consulting