Qualitative Approaches To Researching Management And Organisation - Research Proposal Example

Accommodation s Submitted by s: An investigation of ways to providing adequate accommodation in universities Background Many European universities are located in historic university cities, which have the student area – usually replete with bars offering happy hours and cheap student restaurants (Hyde & Hyde, 2013). Many of the European universities are integrated more firmly within the cultural and social life of the cities they are a part of, than is perhaps the case in the United Kingdom meaning that facilities such as sports centres are municipal. The students and the local people have to share them where the student’s population are granted a discounted entry upon the production of their student cards in the sport clubs and associations. Many European countries host carnivals in the cities and other festivals which are times when the local population indulge in local cultural activities and events that the students may indulge in willingly. On the other hand, accommodation for students entering universities for their first time are often offered and managed by universities, but not all. At times the universities may not have enough university accommodation for all the students they enrol and this brings up a sense of disparity among the students. This means that some of the students who have secured places at the various universities will need to be quiet proactive in getting accommodation definitely from the private sector and other avenues. Other circumstances that may lead to the students look for alternative or private accommodation may be due to the provision of shared rooms by the university that may make some uncomfortable. Other hostels may not be up to the desired standards while some of the students may wish to take university accommodation as they prepare to make their way out to private accommodations that is more to their taste. Whereas this may be the will of the students to get private accommodation, some of the universities are more willing to give the students the options of going ahead with this without any penalties. Importance of the research and contribution This research will serve as a basis for university management and organisers to give an overview of the challenges that the students face during their entry period to the universities. There are numerous challenges encountered by students especially foreigners who have no idea of the way things roll in new environments. This research will give an overview to enhancing the accommodation procedures as well as ease the hustle that first years undergo in trying to settle into new environments. There is evidence in some of the universities especially in the United Kingdom of strategic resource planning that needs to be emulated when it comes to accommodation issues. These practices need to be documented and disseminated as it is through this kind of research that such information is made available to some of the quarters reachable. This will be of much help to the upcoming institutions are needs other bigger and established institutions to borrow planning strategies as well as quality assurance measures for effective learning and residence in learning environments. Research questions and objectives Research questions will surround the accommodation environments provided at universities and convenience of the students: - Are accommodation services easily available for students in the universities? Are accommodation services offered affordable to students in the universities? Are accommodation services equitably furnished for student convenience in the universities? Are other convenience services offered in addition to accommodation package to students in the universities? Research Objectives: - To assess the ease of acquiring accommodation in universities To assess the affordability of accommodation services in universities To check the levels of convenience accompanying accommodation services in universities To assess other additional services to the accommodation package offered in universities Critical Literature Review According to Naqib & United Nations Development Programme (2005), Universities are generally housed on pleasant campuses, with a range of social and leisure facilities provided for the use of the students enrolled and the staff who provide essential campus services. Most of the facilities are endowed with appropriate teaching accommodation though some may be having poor classroom accommodation, with insufficient sitting capacity for all the required numbers of the students on a programme. This will have a direct impact on the quality of the student experience such an institution offers due to the insufficient learning environment facilities. This goes further and affects the quality and adequacy of the staff too in providing consultative opportunities to students on campus. In some cases that could be having sufficient accommodation but it is inflexible, fixed seating which makes it unsuitable for certain types of teaching. This may call for new, purpose built teaching as well as living accommodation in some of the universities as they may be having large halls either for lecture or hostels that could not evidently provide the required environment as preferred by some of the students for effective learning. Some of the critical considerations to have when choosing university accommodation would involve checking the payment methods and the sources of finances to make the payments (Dawson, 2009). To streamline the process of accommodation acquisition, financial sources such as loans and grants should be in the account way in advance to avoid late payments that may lead to penalties in some of the universities. The universities should also be in a position to accommodate payments such as cheques that might take several days to mature and on the other hand extend discounts on early payments. In other instances, the charges levied on late payments should be made clear and the periods in question be spelt out. In cases where there is need for booking fee, this needs advance communication and the booking periods made known to the students. Accommodation in universities may also need other considerations such as provision for vacation periods and the security aspects involved when the student is away. There are other utilities such as internet that some of the universities provide and hence may increase the rates as compared to others. These additional charges may make rooms more expensive and the inclusion of other items such as complementary bed packs. In the hostel kind of environment, availability of the sources of food is key to the student survival. Some of the universities do have rules and regulations when it comes to cooking and others will provide utensils pack at an additional fee, (Farrington & Palfreyman, 2012). Availability of car-parking or bike storage offers complementary services to the student and will be an added advantage for those with such. Other compulsory charges may apply on some colleges such as the Imperial College London asks for a small compulsory contribution to the shuttle bus service, the social amenities of the hall and various other services. In this way, student life is made easier though some may find it too costly to pay. Research Methodology The researcher will apply descriptive research method; the techniques where the researchers gather information, summarize, presents and interpret the data. Descriptive survey describes and determines and reports issues as they are at the given moment. This is through offering a description of the behaviour, attitudes, values and characteristics. Thus, it attempts to produce statistical information on the aspects that cannot be measures quantitatively. The research is mainly qualitative and hence why the research design essential. Target population is the widespread set of the study objects of the actual numbers such as a real theoretical set of people, events or objectives of which the researcher wishes to generate outcomes. The study population being selected participants in the university comprising of students, administrative staff and selected managers in the student’s welfare departments. The research sample narrows down to 20 students, 5 administrative staff and 2 student welfare managers. An independent opinion from all sides of persons in the society offers a variety of opinions to the research study, (Freeman, Rossi, Rosenbaum, & Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (1979). Table Target Population Category Target Population Percentage Students 20 74.1 Administrative Staff 5 18.5 Student Welfare Managers 2 7.4 Total 27 100 Source: Author (2014) The essential importance of a study sampling method is to choose a study sample that effectively represents the study population. A population sample offers a researcher the information required in making general assumptions of the study. The wrong population sample gives a bad impression on the population under study while good sample size gives the actual condition of the population under study. Probabilistic sampling takes description of any components in the study population while non-probability sampling comprises fundamentals selected on the researchers ruling. The researcher applied census sampling techniques because the population size was small and could be effectively considered in the study. This is so even with the consideration of the cost implications and other factor affecting the research. The research would apply both secondary and primary sources of data; interviews, questionnaires and printed books and empirical articles of the organization under study. Interviews in data collection involve techniques such as face to face interviews, telephone interviews, and other means through interviews are conducted. This strategy permits the researcher to acquire get interactive views and real information about the topic in question. The process is precise, dependable and offers a good concentrated examination to the researcher. Questionnaire technique uses a series of prearranged problems with which the researcher assembles information on the respondents reaction to the questions. This performance helps the researchers organize and limit the data collection of the specific questions that help the associate get the accurate information for the topic. The scheme is the most favoured since they are inexpensive, gives uniform reactions or answers and saves time for the researcher can a collect the data in person. Observation method is where the researcher uses surveillance to scrutinize the establishment for sometimes to establish the employee demeanour in the association. The primary benefit to the researcher in that the data unruffled compares exceedingly legal to other organizations. Observations allow the researcher gather the extra information’s not captured in the interviews and questionnaires. Secondary method collected data from existing and already published researches related to the issue in question. It is also involved collecting information from individual’s productions and agency researches, among others. The data collected would be analysed, understand and accessible using charts and diagrams. After the sharing of the questionnaires, they would be sufficiently checked for clarifications and to guarantee that all the problems are answered. The data would then be analysed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques and the findings recorded by use of tables and figures. However, most of the data would be analysed using a descriptive analysis of the findings and a selection of the most relevant data to the study topic. Research approach This research will take a deductive approach in getting as much information as it can for the purposes of documentation. This approach will be convenient in achieving the goal of depicting the actual situation on the ground of the various universities to be examined. The research will also look into getting the adoption of best practises that have been successful in some institutions adopted in others. This will lead to the modification of some of the practises to achieve better results on the various dynamic environments that universities operate in. References Dawson, C., (2009), The essential guide to paying for university: Effective funding strategies for parents and students, Kogan Page, london. Farrington, D. J., & Palfreyman, D., (2012), The law of higher education, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Freeman, H. E., Rossi, P. H., Rosenbaum, S., & Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (1979), Evaluating social projects in developing countries, Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris. Hyde, M., & Hyde, A. (2013), Going to University Abroad: A guide to studying outside the UK, Hoboken, Taylor and Francis, London. Naqib, I. M., & United Nations Development Programme, (2005), Quality assessment of computer science and business administration education in Arab universities: A regional overview report, UNDP, Regional Bureau for Arab States, New York. Read More