In this chapter the research methodology used in the study is described. The location/ geographical area where the study was conducted, the study design and the population and sample are described. The instruments used to collect the data, including methods implemented to maintain validity and reliability of the instrument are described.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND APPROACH
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Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. According to Burns and Grove (1993), quantitative research is asystematic, formal, and objective process used to test and describe relationships. Quantitative approach is used to determineeffect and cause interactions among different variables. Qualitative research design on the other hand is a subjective and systematic approach useful in describing life experiences and giving them meaning. Qualitative approach is vital in in-depth exploration that helps to gain insight, complexity and richness in the inherent phenomenon.
Due to the positivist nature of the research, this study adopted a deductive approach (Saunders et al, 2007). This approach represents the most common view of the relationship between theory and research, and results gotten from this approach are developed through logical reasoning (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The data findings were compared against existing literature to ascertain if they concur with what has already been published in the field of online recruitment.
Surveys were also used for exploratory,descriptive and explanatory research.A descriptive survey design was used. According to Mouton (1996), a survey is used to collect original data for describing a populationthat is too large to observe directly. A survey helps to obtain information from a population sample bymeans of self-report. Survey design allows the respondents and the sample population to respond to a series of structured and well-designed questions posed by the researcher (Polit&Hungler 1993). In this study the information was collected through interviews, and structured questionnairesadministered to the subjects by the researcher.
A descriptive survey was selected because it provides an accurate representation or explanation of the various elements and characteristics;these would include such examples asbehaviour, abilities,opinions,knowledge, and beliefs of a particular situation,individual,or group. This design was chosen to meet the objectives of the study.
ACCESS AND RESEARCH SETTING
The ability to gather primary data during this study was dependent on gaining access to an appropriate source within the organization. The level to which this source is appropriate relies on the research question, related objectives and research designs (Saunders et al, 2007). Therefore, the researcher, as a friend of an employee within the organization, was in a favourable position to get access within the organization.
The researcher contacted his friend who as per the research duration was working within graduate recruitment at Lloyds TSB. The researcher together with the friend discussed the prospects of the dissertation. The friend spoke to several of her colleagues on behalf of the researcher and they consented and allowed the researcher to conduct telephone interviews with four (4) members of the graduate recruitment team, some of which had been there for an average of 5 – 10 years (reasons expatiated further in this chapter). Due to the non-intrusive nature of the research, there were no objections or limitations raised by the participants with regards to the questions asked or the purpose of the study.
DATA COLLECTION
Sampling Method
Based on the research objectives and the issues to be investigated, it would have been most appropriate if all recruitment staffs within the organization were interviewed. However, due to the time constraints and resource limitations inherent in this study, a non-probability sample of the population was selected. Saunders et al (2007) asserts that a non-probability sample is most often used when adopting a case study strategy. According to Oppenheim(2000), a non-probability sample refers to a sample in which the probability of each case being selected from the total population is not known.
The samples of graduates that were chosen to partake in the quantitative study are too small to constitute a probability sample of graduates within London or United Kingdom (UK). Also, the number of employees within Lloyds who took part in the qualitative study was not high enough to constitute a significant portion of the recruitment department within Lloyds TSB. Therefore the study focused more on the quantitative facts of the perception of recruitment within the organization, as opposed to theories expressed in the literature review, and what graduates on the outside thought of online recruitment.
Primary Data Collection
In collecting data that could be analysed using quantitative means, Easterby-Smith et al (2008) claims that researchers could collect either primary or secondary data. He further claims that though each of these means have their merits and demerits, the collection of one’s own data gives control over the structure of the sample and the data obtained from each respondent. It also gives greater confidence that the data collected would match the research objectives.
The researcher therefore chose to collect primary data from 20 graduates using questionnaires distributed-in-person to each respondent. This was done amongst friends and colleagues within the university who have utilized online recruitment systems. Data from the semi-structured interviews were collected using a tape recorder, and the conversations with all four employees would be transcribed word for word, and expression for expression. The advantages inherent in this approach is that it allows the researcher to document and see patterns in words and emotions that would not be available if other forms of interviews were conducted.
Data Collection Instrument
Questionnaires and Interviews were chosen as data collection instruments. A questionnaire is a printed self-report form designed to elicit information that can be obtained through the written responses of the subjects. Theinformation obtained through a questionnaire is similar to that obtained by an interview, but the questionstend to have less depth (Burns & Grove, 1993).
Data would be collected with the aid of questionnaires to evaluate the sample population’s knowledgeand views on research objectives. Questionnaires were decided upon because of the following:
They ensured a high response rate as the questionnaires were distributed to respondents to completeand were collected personally by the researcher.
They required less time and energy to administer.
They offered the possibility of anonymity because subjects’ names were not be required on the completedquestionnaires
There was less opportunity for bias as they were presented in a consistent manner.
Most of the items in the questionnaires were closed, which made it easier to compare the responses toeach item
Apart from the advantages that have been listed above, questionnaires have their weaknesses; forexample, there is the question of validity and accuracy (Burns & Grove, 1993). The subjects might notreflect their true opinions but might answer what they think will please the researcher, and valuableinformation may be lost as answers are usually brief.
To counter the weaknesses of the questionnaires in data collection, interviews were used to enhance validity and accuracy. The researcher interviewed the selected staff based on the duties and responsibilities of the staff in the organization. The questionnaires consisted mostly of closed-ended questionsand a few open-ended questions, as these provide more diverse detail.
In the open-ended questions, thesubjects were required to respond in writing, whereas closed-ended questions had options which weredetermined by the researcher (Burns & Grove, 1993). Open-ended questions were included becausethey allow subjects to respond to questions in their own words and provide more detail. Closed-endedquestions were included because they are easier to administer and to analyze. They are also more efficientin the sense that a respondent is able to complete more closed-ended items than open-ended items in agiven period of time (Polit&Hungler, 1993).
The respondentswere given the assurance that the answers would never be able to link theirresponses to them at the stage of data analysis, therefore ensuring anonymity.
RESEARCH STRATEGY
This study adopted a case study strategy in answering the research question. Robson (2002) asserts that the case study strategy would be useful if the aim of the study is to gain a rich understanding of the research perspective and the process being endorsed. Therefore as this study aims to understand the recruitment process within Lloyds TSB and also any benefits associated with online recruitment, a case study would be most effective.
Two separate yet parallel approaches were utilized in this study, and are outlined in the table 1 below.
Table 1: Research Strategy
STRATEGY
AIM
SAMPLE
TYPE OF QUESTIONS
METHOD OF ANALYSIS
Quantitative questionnaire
Quantify graduates’ perception of what constitutes an effective recruitment platform
10 graduates who have applied to one or more organizations through their online system.
Closed rating scale questions, and nominal data.
Descriptive analysis (bar chart, pie chart and line charts).
Qualitative semi-structured interviews
This was done in order to ascertain the benefits associated with online recruitment.
4 members of the recruitment staff within Lloyds TSB, who have been in the organization for more than 5 years
Structured questionnaires. Open questions
Content analysis
Quantitative Questionnaire
Quantitative methods are mainly used in the data collection process of research. It involves data that is either in the form of, or expressed as numbers (Easterby-Smith et al, 2008). The quantitative questionnaires were handed out to 10 graduates and undergraduates. The questionnaire was mainly designed with rating scale questions, where respondents were asked to state their opinion or preference for a particular question on a scale of 1 – 5. Secondary nominal data was also included in order to ascertain the respondent’s status, application activity and preference. The quantitative questionnaire distributed to respondents is outlined in appendix. Quantitative questionnaires are useful as the results derived are quantifiable and measurable against other variables in an objective manner (Saunders et al, 2007).
Qualitative Semi Structured Interviews
Following the access grant to four members of the recruitment team within the organization, 15 – 20 minute qualitative telephone interviews were carried out. A semi-structured interview is a qualitative interview that is defined by a pre-set question guide. It aims to provide in-depth findings through informal discussions with participants (Collis and Hussey, 2003). This interview method was chosen over unstructured or structured interviews, because this study intends to answer the research questions by asking specific questions, but not so much (unstructured) that it generates useless data, and not so less (structured) so as not to miss out on any unanticipated information.
The interview questions in the semi-structured interview are in appendix. The themes utilized in this study were derived mainly from the literature review and were crucial in developing the questions that were raised during the study. The semi-structured approach also provided the researcher with the ability to probe answers. Answer probing was particularly useful in responses whereby more explanation was needed in order to fully understand the answers. Due to the recent adaptation of online recruitment, the semi structured interviews was targeted at members of the team who had witnessed or orchestrated the shift towards online recruitment, that way these respondents would be better able to answer questions that relate to the comparison of both methods.
Also, members of the online recruitment team being interviewed had different positions within recruitment and handled separate tasks. The questionnaires were given to them beforehand, when the approval was first sought, and each respondent chose the questions that they were more qualified to respond to. Therefore the research was such that all respondents answered some questions, while some others were answered by a particular individual because of their knowledge of that process. Table 2 outlines the respondent details and their interview theme.
Table 2: Interview Respondents and Questions asked
Respondent
Fictional Name
Role
Years in Lloyds
Subjects Covered
R1
Alice
Graduate Events Manager
2
Effectiveness, Disadvantages
R2
Martha
Application Review
7
Background, Adoption, Effectiveness, Disadvantages
R3
Nick
Finance and Budgeting
9
Adoption, Effectiveness, Efficiency
R4
Chloe
Media Advertisement
3
Effectiveness, Advertisement
Each respondent were asked for their consent to interview, prior to the interview sessions, and also requested not to have their names mentioned so as to prevent any form of organizational backlash if the contents of the study were interpreted in any other non-academic form, and distributed. They have therefore been given fictional names, so as to make the research more readable.
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY
Reliability
Polit and Hungler (1993) refer to reliability as the degree of consistency with which an instrument measures the attribute it is designed to measure. The data collection techniques administered to the sample population was used to revealconsistency in responses. Reliability was ensured by minimizing sources of measurement error like data collector bias. Data collector bias was minimized by the researcher’s being the only one who administered the data collection techniques, and standardizing conditions such as exhibiting similar personal attributes to all respondents, for example friendliness and support.The physical and psychological environment where data was collected was made comfortable by ensuringprivacy, confidentiality and general physical comfort.The subjects wereat their convenient and comfortable venues including free and fresh air circulations. Theresearcher remained in the neighbourhood with the subjects. Conditions were considered tomaintain privacy and prevent interruptions. Subjects were requested not to write their names on the data collection instruments to ensure confidentiality.
Validity
The validity of an instrument is the degree to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure(Polit&Hungler, 1993). Content validity refers to the extent to which an instrument represents thefactors under study. To achieve content validity, the instruments used included a variety of questions on theknowledge of correspondents about the research topic, objectives and questions.
Questions were based on the information gathered during the literature review to ensure that they wererepresentative of what correspondentscould know about the research topic. Content validity was further ensured by consistency in administering the instruments of data collection. All instruments were administered to the subjects by the researcher personally. The questions were formulated in simple language for clarity andease of understanding. Clear instructions were given to the subjects and the researcher was readily available to answer questions raised by the correspondents in the course of responding to the research questions.
The subjects were requested to complete the questionnaires and respond to the questions in the presence of the researcher. This was done to preventsubjects from giving questionnaires to other people to complete on their behalf. For validation, thequestionnaires were submitted to the research supervisor for review. As a result questions were refined to ensure higher representativeness. Rephrasing of some questions were done to clarify thequestions and more appropriate alternative response choices were added to the closed-ended questions toprovide for meaningful data analysis (Burns & Grove, 1993).
External validity was ensured. Burns and Grove (1993) refer to external validity as the extent to whichstudy findings can be generalized beyond the sample used. All the persons approached to participate in thestudycompleted the questionnaires. No single person who was approached refused to participate.Generalizing the findings to all members of the population was thereforejustified.Seeking subjects who are willing to participate in a study can be difficult, particularly if the study requiresextensive amounts of time or other types of investment by subjects. If the number of the personsapproached to participate in a study declines, generalising the findings to all members of a population is not easy to justify. The study was well planned to limit the investment demands on subjects in order toincrease participation.As the percentage of those who decline to take part in the study increases, external validity decreases (Burns & Grove 1993:270).
PRE-TESTING THE QUESTIONNAIRE
A pre-test refers to a trial administration of an instrument to identify flaws. When a questionnaire or an interview schedule is used asa data gathering instrument, it is necessary to determine whether the questions and directions are clear tosubjects and whether they understand what is required from them. This is referred to as the pretesting of aquestionnaire (Polit&Hungler 1995:38, 711).The researcher was able to pre-test the questionnaires and the interview schedules to ensure that the instruments meet the set criteria.All of the samples approached to pre-test the instruments were asked to answer the questions and necessary changes made based on the findings of the pre-test.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Blumberg, et al (2005) describes ethics as referring to the appropriateness of one’s behaviour in relation to the rights of those who become the subject of a research project. A number of ethical issues have been identified and raised with respect to this study. The issues and steps taken to alleviate such issues are discussed below:
The company may be secretive about some aspects of its online recruitment, such as the quantity of graduates and marketing techniques to attract graduates, which it may not like its competitors to know about.
Employees responding to semi structured interviews may not be so willing to discuss their personal opinion of the bank’s recruitment system, or the quality of graduates received through their channels, in case their response does not really conform to the brand and reputation that the organization is trying to build (for instance, the bank may pose as an equal opportunity organization that employs from diverse backgrounds, whereas they mostly only recruit students from top Oxbridge universities with a certain background). Information such as this could pose difficulties if the bank eventually decides to broaden its pool of candidates and employ people from varying backgrounds.
Apart from these ethical considerations, no other ethical dilemmas have been found with relation to this research. Therefore, in order to alleviate these issues, the questionnaire and interviews were designed in such a way that it does not offend, harm, provoke or stress any of the participants in any way. Questions asked would be non-intrusive as no personal information about names; age or post would be requested. Information about specific applicant quality and demographics of applicants’ recruitment would not be sought.Also, in terms of graduate questionnaires that have been distributed, some candidates may think that answering these questions and including personal details may impede or even benefit them when applying to said organizations. Therefore the questionnaires would fully state that it is an academic research and in no way constitutes a study conducted by the organization.
Integrity, honesty, expertise and diligence are key ingredients in conducting of research. This isuseful to protect and recognise the ethics and human rights of the respondents. The key ethical consideration observed in this study included anonymity, informed consent, confidentiality and rights to self-determination. Written permission and respondent’s consent were obtained prior before the respondents responded to the research instruments. Burns and Grove (1993)define informed consent as the prospective respondent’s agreement to participate voluntarily in a study, whichis reached after assimilation of essential information about the study. The subjects were informed of theirrights to voluntarily consent or decline to participate, and to withdraw participation at any time withoutpenalty.Subjects were informed about the purpose of the study; the procedures used to collect thedata, and assured that there were no potential risks or costs involved.
Anonymity and confidentiality were observed and maintained throughout the study. Burns and Grove (1993) defineanonymity as when subjects cannot be linked, even by the researcher, with his or her individual responses. In this study anonymity was ensured by not disclosing the respondent’s name on the data collection instruments, research reports and detaching the written consent from the questionnaire.In this study, confidentiality was maintained by keeping the collected data confidential and not revealing the subjects’ identities whenreporting the study (Burns & Grove 1993). No identifying information was entered onto the data collection instruments, and the instrumentswere only numbered after data had been collected (Polit&Hungler1995:139).
The ethical principle of self-determination was also maintained. Subjects were treated as autonomousagents by informing them about the study and allowing them to voluntarily choose to participate or not.Lastly, information was provided about the researcher in the event of further questions or complaints.Scientific honesty is regarded as a very important ethical responsibility when conducting research.Dishonest conduct includes manipulation of design and methods, and retention or manipulation of data(Brink 1996). The researcher tried to avoid any form of dishonesty by recording truthfully the answers given during interviews.
The researcher was with integrity of heart and sincerity produced the results with the necessary supervision to avoid subjective collaboration. Theopen-ended questions which were beanalysed by the researcher were also checked by the supervisor forconfirmation of credibility.
ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH FINDINGS
Quantitative Data
The quantitative data collected during the course of this study, whilst still in its raw form, is described by Saunders et al (2007) as being useless and conveying little information to most people. Universites, which are total sample distributions of one variable at a time (Oppenheim, 2005) was utilised in analysing the frequency and percentage occurrence of each variable; including both ordinal and nominal, category and rating scale questions. However, an in-depth correlation or bivariate analysis was not conducted due to the low number of graduate respondents, and also due to the fact that the study was mainly concerned with the viewpoint of the organization, and not necessarily that of the graduates. Results would be analysed using Excel and graphs would be drawn out to analyse all data with the aim of comparing them to the qualitative study.
Qualitative Data
Yin (2002) suggests that in studies whereby the research question has been formulated based on the literature review; these theories that have been used in the postulation of the research question could also be used in analysing the findings. Thereby, suggesting that a deductive approach to data analysis would be essential for theoretical driven studies.
Based on these arguments, this study analysed the qualitative findings using deductive methods. The findings from each respondent and questionnaire theme were analysed according to the literature review topics discussed. In the instance whereby different respondents had something to say about a particular issue, all their opinions were recorded and taking into consideration in the analysis of findings. A fact sheet of all findings according to the theory is illustrated in chapter 4. Full transcripts of the interview are in the appendix.
The pattern matching procedure, as postulated by Saunders et al, (2007)were utilized in this deductive analysis. It involves predicting a pattern of outcomes based on theoretical propositions. These propositions are thereby analysed in the data analysis process. This procedure involves the development of an analytical framework, utilizing existing theory, and then testing the adequacies of the framework as a means of explaining the findings (Saunders et al, 2007). In the instance where a pattern is found as initially predicted, it would be evidence that suggests that there is indeed an explanation for findings.
