RSCH FPX 7868 Assessment 4 Research Topic

Student Name

Capella University

RSCH-FPX 7868 Qualitative Design and Analysis

Prof. Name:

Date

Research Topic

This final assessment will compare the Grounded Theory and Phenomenology methodological approaches regarding the qualitative research topic, “What effects does gender pay equity have in the workplace?” The assessment will provide an overview of each methodological approach, covering the following aspects: research question, rationale, data collection plan, data analysis strategy, and potential ethical issues.

Methodological Approach 1: Phenomenology

Research Question

What effects does gender pay equity have in the workplace? (Erwin, 2022). In qualitative research, phenomenology emphasizes understanding an individual’s personal experiences. An example of a phenomenological question for this study could be: “This qualitative research study aims to explore the pay equity disparities that women encounter in their positions compared to their male counterparts.”

Rationale

According to Neubauer et al. (2019), phenomenology is a qualitative research approach that focuses on examining individuals’ lived experiences. The rationale for utilizing this method is that it allows the researcher to gain a deeper understanding of the participants’ experiences related to the research question, particularly concerning their encounters with pay disparity and gender inequality.

Data Collection Plan

The data collection plan for the phenomenological approach will involve conducting one-on-one interviews. Research by Sutton and Austin (2015) indicates that this method will yield substantial amounts of data. The researcher will use an audio recorder to capture the interviews and will subsequently transcribe the recordings.

Data Analysis Strategy

Priest (2013) explains that phenomenological analysis aims to provide a detailed description of everyday experiences to fully comprehend their essential structure. The first step in this strategy is to secure and store the collected data to ensure the confidentiality of the participants. The raw data from the interviews must be transformed into a usable format for analysis. Researchers should maintain both master and working copies of all documents. The collected data should be reviewed repeatedly to grasp the participants’ intended meanings. The researcher must adopt a psychological perspective to delineate the transitional meanings, focus on the phenomenon under investigation, and seek meaningful insights related to the study.

Any redundancies in the data should be eliminated, and the collected information must be transformed into meaningful units using psychological language to convey the participants’ intentions. Once these meaningful units are established, the researcher must apply a consistent approach to all collected data. From the final units, the researcher should identify what remains constant across variations and develop a coherent statement reflecting the participants’ experiences. The final step involves synthesizing these statements into a unified description of “What effects does gender pay equity have in the workplace?” This process must be repeated for all participant responses.

Potential Ethical Issues

Potential ethical concerns in a research study may include conflicts of interest, redundant publication, and plagiarism. Sanjari et al. (2014) highlight critical ethical considerations in qualitative research, such as ensuring anonymity, maintaining confidentiality, and obtaining informed consent.

Methodological Approach 2: Grounded Theory

Research Question

What effects does gender pay equity have in the workplace? Grounded theory research questions primarily focus on social processes or actions. An example of a grounded theory question for this qualitative research study is: “This qualitative research study aims to explore the pay equity disparities that women face in their positions compared to their male counterparts” (Erwin, 2022).

Rationale

According to Mayes (2018), grounded theory provides researchers with methods that complement various forms of qualitative data collection and streamline the research process. This approach helps researchers gain a better understanding of participants’ experiences through clear, sequential guidelines.

Data Collection Plan

The data collection plan for the Grounded Theory methodological approach will involve interviewing participants using open-ended questions. The researcher will formulate initial research questions, recruit participants, and gather data. The researcher will then analyze the data from the transcripts and code it accordingly. Data will be organized by excerpts for coding and subsequently grouped into categories. The final step will involve analyzing additional excerpts and comparing the codes.

Data Analysis Strategy

The first task in this strategy is to secure and store the collected data to protect the confidentiality of research participants. The data analysis steps for this research study will include gathering qualitative data to conduct the research. Master and working copies of all documents should be created. Interviews and focus groups will be utilized to collect data, which will be stored in electronic documents. If qualitative data has been gathered from employee engagement surveys, that information will also be included in the research study. The next step in the analysis strategy is to organize all collected qualitative data.

References

Neubauer, B. E., Witkop, C., & Varpio, L. (2019, April 5). How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others. Perspectives on Medical Education. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40037-019-0509-2

Sanjari, M., Bahramnezhad, F., Fomani, F. K., Shoghi, M., & Cheraghi, M. A. (2014). Ethical challenges of researchers in qualitative studies: the necessity to develop a specific guideline. Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, 7, 14.

Sutton, J., & Austin, Z. (2015). Qualitative Research: Data Collection, Analysis, and Management. The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 68(3). https://doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.v68i3.1456