Reflection of the Twelve Weeks Learning Process - Essay Sample

In the todays corporate environment, numerous corporations have found the need for business process outsourcing. This is primarily due to the numerous advantages attained by a corporation as a result of outsourcing its various corporate functions. A learning process is considered to be a powerful model of facilitating as well as inspiring individuals, groups and organizations learning and development process (Folsom 2009). In an educational institutions context, a learning process helps learners to structure their objectives for each milestone of a course program (Moss & Brookhart 2012). This is a comprehensive twelve weeks learning process aimed at determining the values of outsourcing to a business organization.

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Reflection of the Twelve Weeks Learning Process

The first week of training entailed understanding the meaning of business process outsourcing. It focused on understanding the onset of the process of business outsourcing by reviewing its history and objectives. The learning objectives in this week detailed the reasons as to why most companies start engaging in the process of business outsourcing. Additionally, the week also laid a foundation for the research, which was focused on investigating both the advantages as well as disadvantages of executing a business outsourcing function in a corporation. Moreover, the week provided a basis for identifying the various factors to consider when determining the importance of an outsourcing function to a corporation.

The second and third week entailed determining the different advantages of business outsourcing if employed in an organization. The research was performed by evaluating the available literature materials pertaining business outsourcing. At this stage, both advantages brought to the business and to the third parties who take the outsourcing jobs were analyzed. The two formed the objectives of the week two of the projects learning process. Additionally, this knowledge of the advantages of business outsourcing provided me with an essential guideline, that I can use in the future implementation of a business organization. It will also offer other startup owners, sufficient information on the reasons why they should take up outsourcing as a major function of optimizing production.

Additionally, the fourth week entailed ascertaining the eminent disadvantages of outsourcing to both a business organization and to the persons or entities that execute the outsourcing jobs. This was also executed by analyzing the available literature on the demerits of functional outsourcing. Also, the knowledge acquired from this weeks learning process is essential to me as a future business owner. This is because I will be in a position to use the knowledge attained to structure efficient strategies focused on mitigating the challenges of executing business outsourcing. Consequently, this will be imperative in promoting the optimum market performance of my future business organization.

Moreover, the fifth week involved executing a research focused on determining the value of outsourcing various business functions. The research covered the projects goals, literature review, theoretical framework, research questions, research design and methodology, research limitations and ethical considerations. This research was essential as it offered a comprehensive analysis of the effects that business outsourcing can have on a corporation. The objective of the fifth week was to plan on how to execute a successful research study on an identified business function. Ultimately, the information attained from the fifths week reading provided me with sufficient knowledge on how to execute a research study successfully.

The objectives of the sixth week were to execute a comprehensive literature review. In this case, the publication materials employed for the research were those that portrayed the values of executing business outsourcing in a business organization. Additionally, the publications considered for this research were those that were not more than ten years old. This was done to ensure that the attained information from the research was recent, valid and reliable. Moreover, this is an important lesson that I learned when executing a research, which I will also employ in executing other future research activities. It was also a contrast to what I have done in the past in reference to the publications I have used when executing other literature reviews.

On the other hand, the seventh week entailed executing the theoretical framework of the research. This was executed by determining the various theories of business organization and management that can be related to the process of business outsourcing in a corporation. In this case, the agency theory was analyzed and used to explain the factors that could make businesses to outsource its operations to third parties. Moreover, from the theory, I learned that organizational and personal interests, as well as clashing values and objectives, have a significant impact on the general performance of a business organization. The outcome of this weeks lesson will empower me sufficient knowledge of employing the agency theory in developing and implementing future decisions on business outsourcing.

Moreover, the theoretical framework was continued in the eighth week where the concepts of core competency and resource-based theories were analyzed. From the core competency theory, I learned that certain business functions must be undertaken in-house while other functions should be executed by other outside parties, such as the suppliers and contractors. On the other hand, from the resource-based theory, I learned that the resources that are important factors in organizations and they are specific for various functions in an organization. Additionally, from the theory, I learned that essential resources might not always be available in the internal environment of a business organization. In such a case, an organization might be forced to outsource its operations to third parties to ensure its continued operation.

In addition, the ninth and tenth weeks were focused on executing the research survey aimed at gathering information pertaining the value of outsourcing to a business organization. The process was undertaken by employing a research questionnaire tool, as an effective method of gathering the research information. Additionally, the objectives of the two weeks were to successfully collect the sample populations data, in relation to business outsourcing. Moreover, from the two-week teaching period, I gained sufficient information on the importance of using the questionnaires instead of other data collection methodologies. Such importance includes its simplicity in administration, potential to cover a large sample population as well as its potential to collect a substantial amount of information in a short period (Brace 2008).

Moreover, weeks eleven and twelve of the teaching period were employed in ascertaining the various limitations and ethical considerations that affected the study. In this case, the week eleven learning objective was to ensure that as a researcher, I gained the knowledge of the primary factors that could affect the successful execution of a research study. In this case, the factors that were identified as the limiting factors of the research included the long periods of performing the one-on-one interviews, financial resource availability as well as the reluctance of the research respondents in providing relevant information for the study (Beiske 2003). Moreover, the objectives of the twelfth week of the teaching period entailed identifying and understanding some of the ethical considerations that are essential when executing a research. In this case, the transparency of the research information, as well as anonymity of the research participants, were identified as primary ethical problems in the research.

Reflection of the Overall Learning Process

Moreover, I can confidently state that the twelve-week learning experience was highly effective as it offered me a comprehensive understanding of the research topic. In this case, I was able to learn the values of outsourcing operational functions to an organization. Also, this learning process will immensely help me in the future in my aspired career of becoming a business owner. This is because I will be in a position to enjoy the various advantages associated with outsourcing and also manage the challenges of outsourcing.

In the learning process, I was actively involved in executing the different functions of the twelve-week period. This is because, in the first week, I was the team leader of the group that was preparing for the research. I also provided ten of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing that were approved in class during week two, three and four. In week five, I prepared the key components that would be during investigated during the research. Also, I performed a comprehensive analysis of literature review that was employed during the research during week six.

Additionally, in week seven and eight, I participated in a peer debate aimed at ascertaining the most effective theories that can support the research. Also, this was during the execution of the researchs theoretical framework. Moreover, I conducted one-on-one interviews with the research respondents during weeks nine and ten. Ultimately, I was highly involved in peer discussions on the limitations and ethical considerations encountered and administered respectively during the research.

Additionally, executing a business research was important for the learning process as it validated other findings of the research publications employed in the literature review. Moreover, I executed research one to have a background understanding of the significance of outsourcing to business organizations. This is by analyzing the various advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing in a corporation. On the other hand, I executed assignment two to validate the information gathered in assignment one through a research study. Ultimately, this project will be important to the business profession as it will offer business owners and project managers abundant knowledge on how they can benefit from outsourcing some of their operating functions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, business outsourcing is an imperative operating function that can be employed in by an organization in its operations. Additionally, it is important to an organization because it yields benefits such as reduced costs of labor and raw materials among others. Consequently, this reduces the cost of production for the outsourcing entities and also creates a significant reduction in the selling price for various products. Additionally, creating a plan for a learning process is imperative. This is because the learning plan ensures that all tasks that should be executed at different stages of learning and research are executed correctly.

Reference Lists:

Beiske, B., 2003. Research methods. Uses and limitations of questionnaires, interviews, and case studies. Unabridged ed. Munich: GRIN Verlag.

Brace, I., 2008. Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research. Illustrated ed. London: Kogan Page Publishers.

Folsom, C., 2009. Teaching for Intellectual and Emotional Learning (TIEL): A Model for Creating Powerful Curriculum. New York: R&L Education.

Moss, C. M. & Brookhart, S. M., 2012. Learning Targets: Helping Students Aim for Understanding in Today's Lesson. Alexandria: ASCD.