This chapter shall discuss the research methods available for the study and what is applicable for it to use. Likewise, the chapter shall present how the research will be implemented and how to come up with pertinent findings.
4.1. Method of Research Used
For this study, descriptive research method was utilized. In this method, it is possible that the study would be cheap and quick. It could also suggest unanticipated hypotheses. Nonetheless, it would be very hard to rule out alternative explanations and especially infer causations. Thus, this study used use the descriptive approach. This descriptive type of research utilizes observations in the study. To illustrate the descriptive type of research, Creswell (1994) guided the researcher when he stated: Descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition.
The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena. The researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire of the researcher to obtain first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study.
To come up with pertinent findings and to provide credible recommendations, this study utilizes two sources of research: primary and secondary. Primary research data was obtained through this new research study. Questionnaire survey and in-depth interview was conducted. On the other hand, the secondary research data was obtained from previous studies on the same topic.
This research based its findings fundamentally through quantitative research methods because this permitted a flexible and iterative approach. During data gathering the choice and design of methods were constantly modified, based on ongoing analysis. This allowed investigation of important new issues about organisational change and questions as they arose, and allowed the investigator to drop unproductive areas of research from the original research plan.
For this research design, the researcher gathered data, collated published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from Business Management journals; and made a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material. Afterwards, the researcher summarized all the information, made a conclusion based on the hypotheses posited and provided insightful recommendations on organizational change.
The data collection instrument wouldl be a structured questionnaire that would be based on Likert scale. A Likert Scale is a rating scale that requires the subject to indicate his or her degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement. By rating scale we mean the scales that are usually used to measure attitudes towards an object, the degree to which an object contains a particular attribute, (Like or dislike), toward some attribute, or the importance attached to an attribute.
The use of the questionnaire would provide the project owner the ability to test the views and attitudes of the respondents. The distribution and collation methods used to manage the questionnaire process would ensure anonymity. The general population for this questionnaire is composed of 35 personnel of the PDO.
4.2. Questionnaire Structure
Closed questions type were used for this survey. (Hague, 1997) classified three types of questions: behavioral, attitudinal and classification. Behavioral questions seek factual information on what the respondents do or own; attitudinal questions intend to know what respondents think of something (For example, when they are asked what their opinion on the statement given in question.); and Classificatory questions seek information that can be used to group respondents to see how they differ one from another.
For this study, the abovementioned three types of closed questions were used to analyse the organisational environment within the PDO, to examine the attitudes of the managers and to compare and contrast respondents’ perception on managerial roles. Closed questions have been used in this survey because the answers are easy to analyse and are straightforward (Hague, 1997). Moreover, closed questions are used as target respondents are mostly busy that they do not have enough time to give attention to open questions.
4.2.1. Profile of the Respondents
The general population for this are composed of 35 selected personnel in PDO. The survey asked respondents of some personal information such as age, gender, educational attainment, departments and their positions and their number of working years as managers (including the years before they were affiliated with PDO).
The researcher decided to consider these personal information as they are vital to the understanding of PDO’s new organization. These personal information serve as support to come up with valid and sound conclusions and recommendations. Specifically, through these information, the researcher was able to examine various perceptions by respondents of different personal backgrounds.
The age of the respondents was considered for the survey to know how respondents of different age bracket differ from each other in terms of their perception of Mintzberg’s managerial roles. The educational attainment of the respondents and their length in years holding a managerial position were also included to ensure that the study would come up with credible findings. These information would determine how experienced in the job the respondents were.
Moreover, the survey selected the representative respondents from major departments within PDO such as the Exploration Department Finance, Department Human Resource Department, Oil Department (North), Oil Department (South), and Technical Support. This would enable the researcher to have a proper representation of the departments.
Finally, gender was considered for the study as the researcher was initially seeking for equal gender representation. However, in PDO, managerial positions are being handled mostly by males.
4.2.2. Interpersonal Roles of the Manager
For the second part of the survey, the researcher formulated 10 questions based on the understanding of Mintzberg’s interpersonal roles of the manager. These roles are further divided into three subroles, namely: figurehead, leader and liaison.
According to Mintzberg, in the figurehead role, managers of the organization perform duties of social and legal character. In the survey, respondents’ perceptions on figurehead role were determined by asking them if they believe that ceremonial and symbolic duties are part of their job as managers. They were also asked if ceremonial duties of a manager make their morale high. Finally, the respondents were asked if they freely exercise their figurehead roles in the organization.
In the second role (leader), Mintzberg states that it is the role of the manager to provide motivation to their subordinates, engage in an interaction with them, and to select and train them. The survey attempted to know if the respondents motivate their subordinates by training and providing counseling to them. To confirm their answers, they were asked if communicating with their subordinates is a part of my managerial role as a leader. Finally, in the liaison role, respondents were asked about their perception on the role of creating links between personnel of other divisions and organizations.
The respondents would grade each statement in the survey-questionnaire using a Likert scale with a five-response scale wherein respondents would be given five response choices. The equivalent weights for the answers would be:
Range Interpretation
4.50 – 5.00 Strongly Disagree
3.50 – 4.00 Disagree
2.50 – 3.49 Uncertain
1.50 – 2.49 Agree
0.00 – 1.49 Strongly Agree
4.2.3. Informational Roles of the Manager
In the third part, the survey attempted to examine how the respondents perceive Mintzberg’s informational roles of the manager. For this part, statements concerning these roles are designed.
Since Mintzberg states that the monitor role of a manager is to gather data relevant to adequate work, the researcher examined if the respondents are aware of this role. They were asked about the duty of the manager to seek and receive information in order to evaluate the organisation’s overall performance. Moreover, under the informational role, the respondents were asked if they agree that disseminating organisational information satisfies them. To confirm, the statement, they were asked on their awareness of this role.
According to Mintzberg, it is the role of the manager under the informational role to transmit information on the organization’s plan’s, current situation and achievements to outsiders, and vice versa. The survey formulated statements that would measure the respondents’ awareness and knowledge on the role within PDO.
Similar to the second part of the survey, the respondents would respond by grading each statement using a Likert scale with a five-response scale.
4.2.4. Decisional Roles of the Manager
The final section of the survey is attributed to the decisional role of the manager. Here, the managerial roles within PDO involving initiating changes, handling disturbances, allocating resources and negotiating were attempted to be determined.
Mintzberg asserts that managers should seek opportunities to develop processes and initiate implementation of innovations to improve the organization’s situation. Furthermore, Mintzberg says that as disturbance handler, managers should assume responsibility when factors threatening normal work of the organization emerge.
Mintzberg also considers the significance of the role of resources allocator as a decision-maker on expenditure of the organization’s physical, financial and human resources. Finally, under the decisional role, Mintzberg that as a negotiator, managers should represent the organization in all important negotiations.
Having considered Mintzberg’s decisional roles, the survey tried to know if the managers in the PDO are practicing this role through statements related to the role. The respondents would grade each statement using a Likert scale.
4.3. Validation of the Instrument
For validation purposes, the researcher will initially submit a sample of the set of survey questionnaires and after approval; the survey will be conducted to five respondents. After the questions were answered, the researcher will ask the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument. The researcher will again examine the content of the interview questions to find out the reliability of the instrument. The researchers will exclude irrelevant questions and will change words that would be deemed difficult by the respondents, to much simpler terms.
4.4. Administration of the Instrument
The researcher will exclude the five respondents who will be initially used for the validation of the instrument. The researcher will also tally, score and tabulate all the responses in the provided interview questions. Moreover, the interview shall be using a structured interview. It shall consist of a list of specific questions and the interviewer does not deviate from the list or inject any extra remarks into the interview process. The interviewer may encourage the interviewee to clarify vague statements or to further elaborate on brief comments. Otherwise, the interviewer attempts to be objective and tries not to influence the interviewer’s statements. The interviewer does not share his/her own beliefs and opinions. The structured interview is mostly a “question and answer” session.
4.5. Statistical Treatment of the Data
When the entire survey questionnaire had been collected, the researcher used statistics to analyse all the data.
The statistical formulae to be used in the survey questionnaire would be the following:
1. Percentage – to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire.
n
% = ——– x 100 ; n – number of responses
N N – total number of respondents
2. Weighted Mean
f1x1 + f2x2 + f3x3 + f4x4 + f5x5
x= ——————————————— ;
xt
where: f – weight given to each response
x – number of responses
xt – total number of responses
The researcher was assisted by the SPSS in coming up with the statistical analysis for this study.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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