Research and Inquiry in My Workplace Paper Example

Introduction

Research and inquiry in a workplace provide vital information on the sustainability, well-being and even the productivity of a company. Inquiry means investigating an incident to establish truth into a problem or issue at hand. Research refers to the study carried out in a move to find out new information or even reach new understandings. Research and inquiry are very critical in coming up with solutions to the problems in a company. The paper illustrates substantial details on inquiry and research in a workplace.

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Importance of Research and Inquiry in Improving My Workplace

Research and inquiry are two essential components in any workplace. The reason why research and inquiry are helpful in the improvement of the workplace includes. First, they are a vital tool for building efficient learning and knowledge. Research is essential not only in schools but also in a workplace. The research on an issue arises mostly from an inquiry. In an ideal situation in a workplace, the employees or even the employer ought to make an inquiry in case of a problem or the positive light a particular method that may seem successful or otherwise. The making of inquiries on issues opens the door for research, and this is critical to improve my workplace (Cronin, 2014). When the inquiry and research are done, in this case, proper research, it builds knowledge as well as the capacity of the manager and employees in solving a problem or in the identification of an appropriate pathway to success.

The second, it is a means to understand different issues. Inquiry into specific areas in the workplace helps the person to get appropriate answers that will improve his or her understanding of my workplace. An inquiry is essential because it shows that one notices an absolute unknown. Research on the issues unearths the details on what was hard to understand about a situation, and this is important for my workplace. The research and inquiry will lead to the establishment of critical information for improvement of my workplace.

The third, research and inquiry will enhance the setting of clear goals, objectives and also provide feedback. In my workplace, study and investigation into the programs and activities of my firm or organization will give the leeway to internalize the issues, understand what needs to get done and then come up with appropriate solutions (Cronin, 2014). My workplace after research into the matters inquired will set goals and objectives that reflect the wishes and aspiration of the workplace. Having clear objectives in any workplace provides the target and the actions required to realize planned improvements.

The fourth, research and inquiry are a vital means to find, assess and seize opportunities. An investigation into a particular set of issues and research into them assists people to effectively nurture and achieve the goals laid out through various opportunities in a workplace. Research and inquiry assists in finding new frontiers for my workplace that may lead to high productivity as well as the success.

Lastly, research and inquiry assist in creating a right balance between individual and collaborative work. Making of queries is essential to ensure that in the workplace there is a distinction between personal work and the teamwork. The research into the individual and collaborative tasks helps to promote efficiency and accountability in my workplace significantly. The delineation of roles is critical, and research and inquiry will effectively provide details on the individual and teamwork roles.

Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative research

Research is a widely used tool in increasing the knowledge about a workplace or any issue. In conducting research, there are two standard ways, quantitative and qualitative research (Yilmaz, 2013). The differences between them include, First, qualitative research refers to an inquiry method that develops the understanding on social and human sciences in a move to find out how people feel and think while for quantitative analysis it involves empirical and scientific research used in the generation of numerical data through the use of logical, statistical and even mathematical techniques.

The second, quantitative research presents objective analysis because the researcher is not involved but only attempts to be precise on the observation and making a report on the topic or problem under study to provide an accurate answer to the inquiry whereas qualitative research follows an approach that is subjective because the researcher is involved intimately (Robinson, Priede, Farrall, Shapland & McNeill, 2013). Researchers in qualitative research tends to get subjectively immersed in the subject matter.

The third, quantitative research makes use of random sampling that is whereby a large representative sample gets chosen in a move to deduce the results of the whole population. In qualitative research, it is by purposive sampling whereby a small sample size gets selected with the objective to have a thorough and clear understanding of the targeted concept.

The fourth, difference in their aims or goals in research. The qualitative research aim is to offer a detailed, complete description of the topic under analysis while the in quantitative research the focus or objective is more in classifying features, counting and the construction of figures and statistical models to explain the observations.

The fifth, the type of data. The data in qualitative research gets presented and represented in the form of images and words such as videos and interviews. In qualitative research what mostly appears in discussion in graph form are the figures. On the other hand, in quantitative research what mostly emerges in the analysis are tables that contain data in the form of statistics and numbers.

Traditional, Evaluation and Problem-solving Research Methods in the Workplace

To begin with traditional research method. The traditional approach in problem-solving involves the formation of a committee to look into a situation. The committee takes several weeks or days to determine the deep-rooted problem, for instance, meetings get called and the committee members ought to participate through coordination of their schedules. The next step once the issue gets identified is that the committee will gather again to determine the correct steps to correct the problem. Recommendations get proposed and agreed. The management will then decide on the proposals. A proper implementation plan will get written. To implement the changes an implementation committee will take charge. Lastly, employees will get adequately advised of the changes. The employees thereby will have to adapt.

A company uses evaluation in the workplace, first, to determine the degree to which a problem got correctly defined and identified. The second, to determine whether the root problem got identified correctly. The third, to efficiently evaluate the employed resources to identify an appropriate solution. The fourth, to assess the allocated resources to come up with a proper analysis. The fifth, review the solution agreed upon to determine its feasibility. The sixth, considerations on whether the potential solutions got prioritized appropriately. The seventh, find out whether the options were reasonably assessed. The eighth, evaluate the measures of success on the plan established.

Lastly, the problem-solving research method in the workplace involves, first, establish the problem. The company has first to identify the problem and is the very critical step. The second, the company should identify the problem-solving barriers. The company recognizes the roadblocks to come up with an excellent way to find a solution. The third, how to come up with solutions. The methods used include analogy, association, brainstorming, analytical thinking and intuition. The fourth, a company now sorts the best-identified solution. The company will rule out the ineffective solutions. The fifth, the action plan. There is a need to come up with a plan of action so that the program is adequately carried out. The sixth, the company will evaluate the action plan. The seventh, the company will highlight the obstacles it may encounter. The eighth the company in the problem-solving research will simulate a plan of action or solution. Lastly, successful implementation. The company will now implement the action plan.

Examples of How companies Use Inquiry and Research

Examples of how a company makes use of research and inquiry. First, employee satisfaction surveys. In the workplace, the research method uses to gauge the happiness or satisfaction of employees in their environment of work. The positive results of the study can be an indication of a high employee motivation level as well as strong teamwork and spirit.

The second example, market research survey assists a company to know the current state of the market. The market research allows the company to ask about the opinions and the needs of the people on a particular product in the market. Also, measures the essential features of a product for a company.

The third, job satisfaction survey also gets used in inquiry and research. The study in a company is similar to the employees' satisfaction survey and measures overall satisfaction in a company. The review helps to make an inquiry and research on the employees to find out whether they are satisfied.

The fourth, exit interview survey. The survey is carried out by a company that seeks to find out why its employees are leaving the company in inquiry and research. The fifth, customer satisfaction survey. A survey in inquiry and research in a company gets used widely (Kemmis, McTaggart & Nixon, 2013). The survey assists the company to measure whether the customers are pleased with the services.

The last example, brand awareness survey. In research and inquiry, the study helps a company to know its brand. The study in the inquiry as well as research assists to measure the customers brand memory, brand recognition, brand identity, brand trust, brand image and also brand loyalty.

Conclusion

Research and inquiry form an integral part of any company. They look into the issues in a company, and through the problem-solving process, they bring about a lasting solution. The inquiry allows asking questions regarding a situation, and research ultimately answers the questions. Investigation and inquiry go hand in hand with a company as they seek to unearth information that is essential in a company.

References

Cronin, C. (2014). Using case study research as a rigorous form of inquiry. Nurse Researcher (2014+), 21(5), 19.

Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2013). The action research planner: Doing critical participatory action research. Springer Science & Business Media.

Robinson, G., Priede, C., Farrall, S., Shapland, J., & McNeill, F. (2013). Doing 'strengths-based'research: Appreciative Inquiry in a probation setting. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 13(1), 3-20.

Yilmaz, K. (2013). Comparison of quantitative and qualitative research traditions: Epistemological, theoretical, and methodological differences. European Journal of Education, 48(2), 311-325.