Human Resources Work Based Learning

Question: Write an essay on the "Human Resources Work Based Learning". Answer: Sample and Sample size Work based learning or WBL is defined as the process of learning that is associated with the teaching or training the employees and build up their skills and efficacies within the workplace domains (Gibaldi, 2009). With the help of the work based learning programs, the employees will be able to gain or imbibe adequate knowledge which will enable them to perform better and bring in success for themselves as well as the organizations they are connected with. For this particular research analysis, the researchers will focus on the work based learning and its impact on the trainees and employees of The International Committee of the Red Cross, based in Jordan (Mumford and Roodhouse, 2010). The researchers will embrace their complete understanding in succinctly evaluating the feedbacks and responses of the chosen participants so that exact information can be obtained. Sampling technique is that significant process by which the researchers can segment their chosen respondents in a proper order and approach them with an effective set of questionnaire that will yield beneficial outcomes (Thompson, 2002). By choosing a proper sampling technique, the researchers can be able to receive all the relevant information regarding how work based learning and various training events in the organization help the trainees or employees to gain enough knowledge and learn about their work for their better performances (Jha, 2008). It is quite likely that the researchers will opt for the convenient sampling technique and choose the trainees and the managers of different age, experiences and income groups of the aforesaid non-profit organization so that they can receive all the fruitful feedbacks regarding the research topic. In this research analysis, the researchers will choose a maximum of 100 respondents including the managers and the trainees of The International Committee of the Red Cross, Jordan. The convenient sampling technique is chosen so that reliable and most accurate information from the managers and the trainees regarding the importance of work based learning on the improvement of the work performance of the individuals can be extracted. In order to derive appropriate outcomes or feedbacks for the research, the researchers can divide the respondents into small groups of 5 with 20 participants each (Thompson, 2002). With the help of reports and surveys, the researchers will approach the respondents with a set of close ended questionnaire regarding the evaluation of the impact of the work based learning in the organization and how the organization of training events provides proper training and knowledge to the trainees associated with the institution. Ethical considerations It is of utmost significance that the researchers must consider the legal guidelines and the norms and follow them before the execution of a particular research. It needs to be hereby notified that non compliance of the research ethics will thereby lead the researchers into much trouble and the conduction of the entire research procedure will be inappropriate (Ketchen and Bergh, 2004). The researchers must ensure that the data and information collected by them must be relevant and reliable so that the accurate outcomes can be evaluated. Thus maintenance of the proper ethics will help the researchers to carry out the whole research proceeding quite effectively and successfully. It also helps to improve the quality of the research and hence abiding the legal norms and ethical guidelines by the researchers is of utmost importance. There are certain rules and regulations imposed by the government over the processes in which the research will be conducted by the research analysts. It is needed for the researchers to make sure that the data and information collected from the chosen respondents for this particular research are authentic and reliable. But this will only be possible if the chosen research participants cooperate and help the researchers in collecting viable data (Kumar, 2005). It should be acknowledged that no violation of the laws is being done by the researchers. In order to analyse and derive the correct and rightful information regarding the impact of the training events and work based learning courses on the performance of the individuals in The International Committee of the Red Cross, the researchers need to take prior consent from the managers and trainees before approaching them with the questionnaire in the surveys (Fowler, 2003). Unless and until ethical clearance is obtained, the researchers are not entitled to undertake any strategy for research conduction. The respondents must be treated politely and they should not be forced to provide answers against their will. It is required for the researchers to ensure that the information that they aim to collect from the managers and the trainees of the concerned organizations will be kept safe and secured and should not be disclosed in the public without their confirmation. The data collected from the chosen respondents must be kept protected carefully under the guidelines of the Data Protection Act (1998). The confidentiality and secrecy of the data and information must be maintained which will thereby ensure the efficacy and reliability of the research findings. If the researchers do not provide any assurance to the respondents regarding their protective and safeguarding measures, the participants will not be able to participate in the survey and provide their feedbacks and perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the work based learning in the upliftment of the skills and efficacies of the individuals in the workplace domains (Raelin, 2008). Also the researchers must not use any coercive action or treat the respondents badly if they want to gain the informed consent as this might create a negative imprint on their minds which will not be good for the research execution. Thus it should be the prime concern of the researchers to ascertain that they behave well with the respondents so that proper feedbacks can be derived from them with their adequate cooperation. Research ethics also involve the selection of improper or inappropriate research methods, design, approaches, philosophies, etc. Wrong selection of these strategies or techniques will lead the researchers to yield unwanted and misleading outcomes which will hamper the efficiency and appropriateness of the research procedure. Thus it is of extreme importance for the researchers to choose proper and relevant research methods and techniques so that fruitful results can be achieved. Anonymity of the research findings must be maintained with utmost efficacy (Kumar, 2005). There should not be any loopholes in the entire process of research analysis. The respondents and their perceptions and opinions must be respected by the researchers. Proper dealing and management of the research respondents can increase their will of cooperation with the researchers. In order to evaluate the impact of the work based learning in the said organization, it is quite obvious that the managers and the trainees of the same will be approached with certain close ended questionnaire where they need to disclose the information about the organization and its operations. Hence the researchers must properly recognise any kind of discomfort, uneasiness and distress of the managers and trainees regarding the disclosure of the privacy of their own organization. The managers might not fully provide their perceptions and opinions about how they train their employees so as to help them build up their skills and efficiencies for their better career progress. The employees also might show some kind of hesitation while disclosing their feedbacks about the training programs held in the institution in order to maintain secrecy and privacy. Hence it is very important that the researchers must take all possible strategies and steps to help them reduce their sense of intrusion and hesitation level. They must call an immediate halt from undertaking or proceeding with any further action or research activity so that no emotional or mental harm is created to them. The immense burden over the trainees especially must be acknowledged or realised by the researchers (Ketchen and Bergh, 2006). They should understand and sense the discomfort level of the employees as disclosure of any private or confidential information of The International Committee of the Red Cross might lead them to serious trouble and their job security can also be hampered. Thus the researchers must seek to reduce the impact of their research, especially survey research so that the normal workloads and stress of the participants can be decreased. The researchers must also make it a point to ensure the participants regarding the finding out or evaluation of any kind of detrimental information that can crop up during the conduction of the research analysis. The researchers need to consider the right of the respondents and must comply with the context and boundaries of their chosen methods and techniques so that the data collection and their analysis can be done with utmost effectiveness. Following the research ethics and considering the legal guidelines will thereby help the researchers to carry out an ethical and valid research analysis with appropriate and correct data from the chosen respondents. Ethical issues can be sometimes overlooked in social research as they are not automatically evident or proper as in case of the scientific research procedure (Lo Piccolo and Thomas, 2009). Thus being completely aware of the ethical issues of the research analysis, the researchers can be thereby able to ensure compliance of good practice but can also help them to assess and minimise the challenges and avoid them on effective means. Hence it is the prime and fundamental responsibility of the researchers to assess and find out all the ethical g uidelines and norms associated with this particular research analysis, so that proper approach can be selected and progress can be made ethically without any legal issue. Data collection techniques With the help and strategic intervention of the managers and the leaders, the employees are able to gain more knowledge and increase their potentiality effectively in their career domains. Hence the work based learning has become one of the most effective means of education and interesting factor that is supported to be carried out by the organizations for improving the talents of the employees (Cunningham, Dawes and Bennett, 2004). In this research analysis, the researchers must put their complete focus on the evaluation of the importance and significance of the work based learning process and techniques that can enhance the potentiality of the individuals working in the field. Thus it is very much important that the researchers must undertake certain effective procedures and techniques that will help them to receive the rightful information and data by the end of the entire research analysis. Data collection is one of the most important and reliable technique or segment in the entire dissertation or research where the research make several attempts and efforts in order to serve the purpose of deriving proper data for the correct execution of the analysis (Weller and Romney, 2008). A research cannot be said to be carried out or performed in a fruitful method unless and until the researchers are able to collect relevant and accurate data about the particular research topic. By the contemplation and implication of the several research methods and data collection techniques, the researchers are likely to find out the relevant and viable information about the particular topic of research. It must not be denied or overlooked that irrelevant or vague data might lead the researchers to derive unwanted outcomes that will not be good for the research. Accumulation of several relevant data and information from the research participants who are selected by the researchers will help t hem to achieve the desired or set goals for the analysis. Thus it can be said or hereby notified that the data collection techniques is the most effective and powerful segment of a research study as it symbolises the accuracy and appropriateness of the analysis. To make an effective research outcome in the research process the researcher will adopt Positivism Philosophy in the research philosophy (Heshusius and Ballard, 2006). With the help of the positivism philosophy the researcher will find effective research outcomes in the research results. In this positivism approach the researcher will collect only the positive data and the findings from the respondents other negative or contradictory research outcomes cannot be obtain to process the research. By the help of effective research philosophy the researcher can easily get their desired research outcomes. To get the effective research outcomes the researcher will choose primary quantitative data collection methods for the betterment of the research process. On the other hand it has been observed that to make the research effective for the researcher proper data collection approach is quite essential. The deductive research approach is chosen for this proposed research through which the researchers can make a proper set of theories and hypothesis that will help in their research phases (Breakwell, Hammond and Fife-Schaw, 2005). The incorporation of the deductive research approach will assist them to focus more on the theories and hypothesis, on the basis of which the evaluations and the observations will be made. As compared to such approach, inductive approach has been rejected as there is no guarantee to its conclusion and it does not also provide any confirmation to the observations made from the gathered information (Heshusius and Ballard, 2006). A research is very much inter-related to the actual prospects of the gathering of the pragmatic data that helps to ensure the derivation of the desired results at the end of the research. For this particular research analysis, the researchers will adopt the quantitative data collection approach over the qualitative data collection approach where exact outcomes can be extracted that are relevant to the analysis (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2003). By the organization of the surveys and interviews, the researchers aimed at collection or gathering the primary data from the trainees and the managers of the NGO through which they can obtain the necessary feedbacks regarding their perceptions of the impact of the work based learning programmes in developing the skills of the employees. In order to ensure the stability and strength of the research analysis, the researchers need to choose the positivism research philosophy by which they can get the positive results regarding how the work base d training events have helped the organization to enhance the qualities and potentialities of the trainees in a better way. The selection of the positivist data contemplates that the occurrence of the research can be easily isolated as well as repeated observation and monitoring needs to be encouraged. Thus it will involve the change of reality and can highlight enough differences so as to identify the potential outcomes of the research topic concerned. The effectiveness of the positivism research philosophy will reveal the actual concept of the importance of the work based learning in the evaluation of the talents of the employees in their future career progress (Columbus, 2009). On the contrary it can be said that the interpretivist research philosophy will not be chosen by the researchers for this analysis purpose as the discussions and evaluations made with the managers in the interviews based on the training function might not yield accurate data. Hence the research outcome will be inappropriate. Thus it can be concluded by saying that the positivism research philosophy bears many advantages through the use of technology. Quantitative data can provide much objective information that and relevant quantifiable data that can help the researchers to assess and understand the true importance of conducting work based learning and coaching programmes for the well being and betterment of the employees in the said non-profit organization (Newman and Benz, 2008). With the help of the quantitative data collection approach, the researchers can utilise the data and make certain scientific assumptions leading it to innovation. Strengths and weaknesses of chosen data collection techniques Strengths The selection of the positivism research philosophy, the researchers can be able to gain a lot of advantages in design. This will help the researchers to frame a clear structure and make appropriate discussions. Positivism research philosophy will help in the execution of an error-free research analysis and indicates towards compliance of the laws and principles on effective means. It also shows the less mistakes in the extraction of data about the work based learning and transfer of knowledge to the employees in the workplace (Pratt and Loizos, 2002). Moreover through the help of the quantitative research approach, the future assumptions and innovations can be made. It will also lead to the solutions or tools adopted in the workplace. Weaknesses With the implication of such methods and techniques, the researchers might face a detachment from certain human behaviour and social factors. The researchers can make an analysis of the individuals and their behaviours with the hypothesis that are made (Scruggs and Mastropieri, 2006). In addition to this, depending on only the scientific or quantitative data might lead the researchers to collect inaccurate and ineffective data that might even affect the findings. 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