Features of Pilot Case Study-Free-Samples-Myassignementhelp.com

Question: Define the desired features of a pilot case study, as a prelude to a new case study research project? Describe why you might want only one Pilot Case, as opposed to two or more Cases? Answer: Features of Pilot case study Pilot case study helps the researcher to refine in the data collection plans by following the procedures and content of data (Yin 2013). This test is formative by nature that help the researcher to develop relevant lines of questions that need to have some conceptual clarification for the research design. On the contrary, the pretest can be treated as the occasion used for formal dress rehearsal where the data collection plan is conducted and links with the final plans. Furthermore, pilot test need to be conducted before seeking final approval from the professor (Conboy, Fitzgerald and Mathiassen 2012). It is essential to highlight a pilot case and this can be done in wide variety of ways. Pilot case may sometime represent some complicated case that is compared with the real cases that give rise to identification of specific data collection issues that is encountered in the pilot case. In that case, the pilot case study should be conducted by the researcher where substantial resource s may be devoted to this particular phase of the research study. It is important for the researcher to understand aspects like selection of pilot cases, nature of the inquiry for the pilot cases as well as nature of the reports from the pilot cases (Wieringa 2014). Selecting one pilot case as opposed to two or more pilot cases The particular case had been reviewed the preparations for data collection as well as depends upon case study whether it is single cases or multiple cases (Conboy, Fitzgerald and Mathiassen 2012). The single or multiple investigators should involve in conducting preparatory tasks. Here the case study investigators look at the desired skills that aim at planning for training activities by following the case study protocol, screening of candidate cases as well as role and purpose of a pilot case study. Therefore, each of the case studies needs to follow various steps that depend on specific inquiry. One of the desirable sequences is to understand completely into relative case study from managerial perspective. It is a known idea that entire case study team need to perform certain studies together. By doing this, the team need to work with increased efficiency as well as professional satisfaction as it ensure case study. The work on the pilot cases help in providing specific information on matters relating to field questions and about logistics of the field inquiry. To that, logistical question observes regarding technology in action for collecting information on matters relating to prevailing organizational issues. There are several variations used in the pilot study that are conducted in the pilot case studies where trade-offs are acknowledged as well as used satisfactory procedure for developing formal data collection plan (Vaivio 2008). Case study topic- HR Practices The topic for the case study is HR practices. The pilot study is used as small trial before conducting real study for checking whether research instruments work properly (Stake 2013). In addition, pilot study is one of the essential phases for conducting the researcher. Therefore, Piloting help researcher as it provide preliminary picture on matters relating to administrating instruments. It deals with administering the procedures of the data collection instruments as well as checking the reliability and validity of items of the instruments. The pilot case study highlights some values and presented to the research team and learned in other aspects such as research design as well as field procedures in the most appropriate way (Conboy, Fitzgerald and Mathiassen 2012). In case it is more than single pilot case study, the report shows the modifications that attempts to plan for next pilot case study as far as possible. Addition to that, the report involves important agenda for the given pilot case study that needs to be evaluated. In that case, the pilot cases need to be conducted in a way that the agenda used for final pilot case made use of good prototype especially for the final case study protocol. After completing the case study, the team need to conduct several studies altogether for improving the practice (Lillis 2008). Identifying specific type of evidence that is relevant to the case study Case study data collection formerly does not follow any type of formal protocol but provide specific information that need to be relevant to the case study. Case study evidence that is relevant to the case study comes from various sources. The evidence type discuss about the documentation, interviews, physical artifacts as well as direct observation and archival records. It is important for the researcher to know about a list of sources that can be quite extensive that include videotapes, films and photographs (Kratochwill et al. 2013). Documentation- This means collection of documentary information that is mostly relevant to the case study topic. The present case study topic is HR practices where types of information can take various forms and need to objectify explicit data collection plans. The documentation used should be stable that can be reviewed on repetitive basis. The documentation should have exact words that should consist of exact names, references as well as details of an event (Hancock and Algozzine 2016). Archival records- This means collection of data same like documentation and it is usually used in quantitative form. The archival records are records that takes is noted in form of computer files where the data is mentioned in an effective way (Conboy, Fitzgerald and Mathiassen 2012). Interviews-Interviews are one of the essential sources of case study information where the information is guided conversations rather than structured queries. Direct observations- Direct observation method can be used by observing the respondents and getting to cover events in real time. The information collected is contextual and covers the context based on case. Participant- observation- This source of evidence is same like direct observation method that shows interpersonal behavior as well as motives. Physical artifacts- This source of evidence shows insightful into cultural features as well as into technical operations in the most appropriate way (Conboy, Fitzgerald and Mathiassen 2012). Data Analysis Qualitative research method refers to the data analysis process in which the data has been obtained through enquiry. Social scientists use methods like interview, group discussion or observation to gain insight into behaviours, motivations, causal effect of humans. The relationship between variables is analysed through qualitative research. For the present research we have analysed the relation between HR practices and Employees. The variable HR practices have been sub-coded into Management and Organization. The variable Employee has been sub-coded into Performance and Knowledge. MAXQDA software has been used to analyse the data. Employee HR Practices EmployeePerformance EmployeeKnowledge HR PracticesManagement HR PracticesOrganization Employee 0.141 (p=0.3490) N=10 0.147 (p=0.3423) N=10 -0.321 (p=0.1828) N=10 -0.041 (p=0.4551) N=10 0.682 (p=0.0150) N=10 HR Practices 0.141 (p=0.3490) N=10 -0.341 (p=0.1676) N=10 0.014 (p=0.4843) N=10 -0.075 (p=0.4187) N=10 -0.345 (p=0.1647) N=10 EmployeePerformance 0.147 (p=0.3423) N=10 -0.341 (p=0.1676) N=10 -0.228 (p=0.2629) N=10 -0.092 (p=0.4001) N=10 0.219 (p=0.2715) N=10 EmployeeKnowledge -0.321 (p=0.1828) N=10 0.014 (p=0.4843) N=10 -0.228 (p=0.2629) N=10 0.669 (p=0.0172) N=10 0.182 (p=0.3072) N=10 HR PracticesManagement -0.041 (p=0.4551) N=10 -0.075 (p=0.4187) N=10 -0.092 (p=0.4001) N=10 0.669 (p=0.0172) N=10 0.246 (p=0.2463) N=10 HR PracticesOrganization 0.682 (p=0.0150) N=10 -0.345 (p=0.1647) N=10 0.219 (p=0.2715) N=10 0.182 (p=0.3072) N=10 0.246 (p=0.2463) N=10 The correlation analysis of the data shows that there is a moderate correlation between HR practices in an organization and Employee (r = 0.682, p-value = 0.0150). Moreover the HR practices of the management has also a moderate correlation with the employees knowledge (r = 0.669, p-value = 0.0172). Both the correlations are statistically significant. On the other hand the analysis of the data shows that there is a slight negative correlation between employees knowledge and employee (r = 0.321, p-value = 0.1828). Moreover, the data was also analyzed for relation between HR practices and Empowerment. The analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Employee was taken as the dependent variable. HR practices in the organization were taken as the factors. Sum of squares df Mean square F p value Eta squared Between groups 21,970.100 8 2,746.262 0.78 0.71 0.86 Within groups 3,528.000 1 3,528.000 Total 25,498.100 9 Homogenity of variance Levene 0.00 p value 1.00 The analysis of the data showed that there is statistically no significant differences between HR practices and Employee in an organization, p-value = 0.71 at 0.05 level of significance. In order to analyze the internal consistency of the data Cronbachs alpha was used. Nr. Item Mean scale w/o item Std.dev. scale w/o item Corrected item scale corr. Alpha w/o item 1 EmployeePerformance 271.20 146.22 -0.023 0.486 2 EmployeeKnowledge 272.50 121.62 0.154 0.472 3 HR PracticesManagement 224.70 121.14 0.446 0.261 4 HR PracticesOrganization 248.90 107.14 0.580 0.107 5 Employee 238.70 129.81 0.163 0.436 6 HR Practices 299.00 149.52 -0.161 0.486 The Cronbachs alpha was found to be = 0.445. The analysis of the data showed that the reliability of the analysis could be increased by removing the variable HR practices. Conclusion For the present assignment we discussed the principles and methods of data and evidence collection from case studies. Case studies in HR practices involving employees were analyzed to for their behavior. Qualitative data analysis process was used to analyze the case studies. In the present assignment we have studied the case study method as a research process. We also compared the case study method with other research methods. We analyzed a case study on empowerment and job satisfaction. A qualitative analysis of articles with reference to empowerment and job satisfaction was also prepared. Reference List Conboy, K., Fitzgerald, G. and Mathiassen, L., 2012. Qualitative methods research in information systems: motivations, themes, and contributions.European Journal of Information Systems,21(2), pp.113-118. Hancock, D.R. and Algozzine, B., 2016.Doing case study research: A practical guide for beginning researchers. Teachers College Press. Kratochwill, T.R., Hitchcock, J.H., Horner, R.H., Levin, J.R., Odom, S.L., Rindskopf, D.M. and Shadish, W.R., 2013. Single-case intervention research design standards.Remedial and Special Education,34(1), pp.26-38. Lillis, A., 2008. Qualitative management accounting research: rationale, pitfalls and potential: a comment on Vaivio (2008).Qualitative Research in Accounting Management,5(3), pp.239-246. Stake, R.E., 2013.Multiple case study analysis. Guilford Press. Vaivio, J., 2008. Qualitative management accounting research: rationale, pitfalls and potential.Qualitative Research in Accounting Management,5(1), pp.64-86. Wieringa, R.J., 2014. Observational Case Studies. InDesign Science Methodology for Information Systems and Software Engineering(pp. 225-245). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Yin, R.K., 2013.Case study research: Design and methods. Sage publications.