Critically discuss the strengths and weaknesses of three common research designs which you could use to investigate the topic of ‘employee engagement’.
Choose one of these research designs and provide the rationale for your choice.
Choose and justify the specific method(s) that you would use in your chosen research design.
Expert answer
There are many different research designs that can be used to investigate the topic of employee engagement. Each design has its own strengths and weaknesses, and which one is best suited for a particular study depends on a number of factors. In this essay, I will critically discuss three common research designs – case study, survey, and experiment – and evaluate their suitability for investigating employee engagement.
Case study is a type of qualitative research that involves in-depth analysis of a single unit of study, such as an organization or individual (Yin, 2014). Case study is often used to generate hypothesis or develop theories, and is particularly well suited for exploratory studies (Yin, 2014). One advantage of case study is that it allows researchers to collect rich, detailed data that cannot be obtained through other methods (Yin, 2014). Another advantage is that case study can be used to study rare phenomena which would be difficult to study using other designs (Yin, 2014). However, case study has several disadvantages. One is that it is often time-consuming and expensive to conduct (Yin, 2014). Another is that the findings of case study are not generalizable beyond the specific case being studied (Yin, 2014).
Survey is a type of research design in which data are collected from a large number of individuals through questionnaires or interviews (Babbie, 2010). Survey is well suited for studies in which the researcher wants to collect quantitative data from a large number of people (Babbie, 2010). One advantage of survey is that it is relatively cheap and quick to conduct, compared to other designs such as case study (Babbie, 2010). Another advantage is that survey can be used to collect data from a large number of people, which makes it possible to study trends and relationships between variables (Babbie, 2010). However, survey has some disadvantages. One is that the quality of data collected through survey may be poor, due to factors such as respondent fatigue and voluntary response bias (Babbie, 2010). Another disadvantage is that surveys are often limited to measuring surface-level phenomena, and cannot be used to collect data on more complex topics (Babbie, 2010).
Experiment is a type of research design in which the researcher manipulates one or more independent variables and observes the effect on a dependent variable (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2013). Experiment is well suited for studies in which the researcher wants to test cause-and-effect relationships between variables (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). One advantage of experiment is that it allows researchers to isolate the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable, and to control for other extraneous variables (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). Another advantage is that experiments can be used to study phenomena that cannot be studied using other designs, such as rare events or events that happen over a long period of time (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). However, experiment has some disadvantages. One is that it can be expensive and time-consuming to conduct (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). Another disadvantage is that experiments are often limited to small-scale studies, and it may not be possible to study all the variables of interest in a single experiment (Shaughnessy et al., 2013).
In conclusion, each of the three research designs discussed – case study, survey, and experiment – has its own strengths and weaknesses. Which design is best suited for a particular study depends on a number of factors, including the research question being asked, the resources available, and the type of data needed.
Case study is a type of qualitative research that involves in-depth analysis of a single unit of study, such as an organization or individual (Yin, 2014). Case study is often used to generate hypothesis or develop theories, and is particularly well suited for exploratory studies (Yin, 2014). One advantage of case study is that it allows researchers to collect rich, detailed data that cannot be obtained through other methods (Yin, 2014). Another advantage is that case study can be used to study rare phenomena which would be difficult to study using other designs (Yin, 2014). However, case study has several disadvantages. One is that it is often time-consuming and expensive to conduct (Yin, 2014). Another is that the findings of case study are not generalizable beyond the specific case being studied (Yin, 2014).
Survey is a type of research design in which data are collected from a large number of individuals through questionnaires or interviews (Babbie, 2010). Survey is well suited for studies in which the researcher wants to collect quantitative data from a large number of people (Babbie, 2010). One advantage of survey is that it is relatively cheap and quick to conduct, compared to other designs such as case study (Babbie, 2010). Another advantage is that survey can be used to collect data from a large number of people, which makes it possible to study trends and relationships between variables (Babbie, 2010). However, survey has some disadvantages. One is that the quality of data collected through survey may be poor, due to factors such as respondent fatigue and voluntary response bias (Babbie, 2010). Another disadvantage is that surveys are often limited to measuring surface-level phenomena, and cannot be used to collect data on more complex topics (Babbie, 2010).
Experiment is a type of research design in which the researcher manipulates one or more independent variables and observes the effect on a dependent variable (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2013). Experiment is well suited for studies in which the researcher wants to test cause-and-effect relationships between variables (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). One advantage of experiment is that it allows researchers to isolate the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable, and to control for other extraneous variables (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). Another advantage is that experiments can be used to study phenomena that cannot be studied using other designs, such as rare events or events that happen over a long period of time (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). However, experiment has some disadvantages. One is that it can be expensive and time-consuming to conduct (Shaughnessy et al., 2013). Another disadvantage is that experiments are often limited to small-scale studies, and it may not be possible to study all the variables of interest in a single experiment (Shaughnessy et al., 2013).
References
Babbie, E. (2010). The practice of social research (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Shaughnessy, J. J., Zechmeister, E. B., & Zechmeister, J. S. (2013). Research methods in psychology (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
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