Introduction
In his short paper Phillips (2010), attempted to explain the development of the use of observation by the research industry and the way the industry has begun to self-regulate themselves in order to maintain public confidence. With the various methods of collecting scientific research data coming under scrutiny when it involves researching the human, it is only logical that with the advancement of the internet and how humans use it, that internet research should also fall within these guidelines.
Over the years, researchers have tried to link stress to several studies and Skakon et al. 2010 in their conclusion found limited support for the proposition that leader stress and well-being is associated with employee stress and well being. While formulating my research problem I had listed stress as a criteria to investigate further as it relates to organizational leaders and employees, upon reviewing the questions below and completing my homework assignment I can safely say the question I had in mind is of no value to my research.
Naturalistic Observation and Data Collection
Naturalistic observation is where one or more observers in a specific research environment, observes behavior, and records their findings in a reliable manner. In layman’s terms, this is called field observation and researchers must take great care not to alter or influence the behaviors they are observing. Once a researcher decides to conduct his/her research using the naturalistic observation method they will be observing the respondents in their natural environment.
Data collection takes place where the behaviors of the observant typically occurs, these studies tend to be generalizable to other populations, human or animal. Naturalistic o...
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...ed out in the Mailroom.
References
Bailey, L. F. (2014). The origin and success of qualitative research. International Journal Of Market Research, 56 (2), 167-184. doi:10.2501/IJMR-2014-013
Brown, M. E., & Mitchell, M. S. (2010). Ethical and Unethical Leadership: Exploring New Avenues for Future Research. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20 (4), 583-616.
Cozby, P. C. (2012). Methods in behavioral research. Boston, MA McGraw Hill Higher Education
Phillips, A. (2010). Researchers, snoopers and spies -- the legal and ethical challenges facing observational research. International Journal Of Market Research, 52 (2), 275-278.
Skakon, J., Nielsen, K., Borg, V., & Guzman, J. (2010). Are leaders' well-being, behaviors and style associated with the affective well-being of their employees? A systematic review of three decades of research. Work & Stress, 24 (2), 107-139.
Leaders who treat their employees with fairness, honesty, and provide frequent, accurate information are seen as more effective. According to Robbins and Judge (2014), “trust is a primary attribute associated with leadership and followers who trust a leader are confident their rights and interest will not be abused” (p.193). The old General Motor Corporation had eleven different CEO’s from 1923 until 2009 each with their own unique leadership style, which directed employees toward the organization goals. Unfortunately, many of the top level managers under the CEO’s had the tendency of filtering out information that did not match up with their pre-conceived notions about a particular issue and they lacked upward communication. One consumer goal of General Motors was to build trust in the company so people would be repeat customers, but building trust between employees and establishing an ethical culture was not a top priority of the organization. Goal directed leadership alone is important, but differs from a structure of leadership based on ethics. It is important to note, that effective leadership may not be the same as leadership founded on ethical principles. Business competence must exist, along with personal leadership accountability in ethical decisions. Within the General Motors organization, ethics and leadership did not interconnect; there were misalignment between the
There are unethical leaders from almost every professional, industry, or any type of business. Corporate executives like Kenneth Lay and Martha Stewart were taken before the court for poor ethical practices. Leaders of pharmaceutical companies have been found knowing about distribution of unsafe products. Leaders at Coke Cola were found guilty of racial discrimination and leaders of cruise ships fined for dumping waste in the ocean. News reports exposed Wall Street analysts who created phony reports, made profits, and pushing worthless stocks, left citizens questioning if they should invest their money. Leaders of the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, were cited for practices of employee abuses and gender discrimination. Questions emerged in the news whether leaders of the tobacco i...
Observation allows researchers to experience a specific aspect of social life and get a firsthand look at a trend, institution or behaviour. It promotes good communication skills, improves decision making and enhances awareness.
To study a group of people in their natural environment without disturbing or influencing their usual behavior is called naturalistic observation. Consequently,
Currently, leadership is generally understood as a person with insight and wisdom of guidance, which expected to be efficient in management responsibilities like planning organizing, and monitoring performance (Kandola, 2004, p. 144). In addition, making ethical decision is important to individuals who value and take seriously institutional...
Mullane, Susan P. "Ethics and Leadership." Ethics and Leadership (2009): n. pag. Web. 17 June 2014.
...rst step in a research program. In my observation, I studied different concepts of psychology that are critical in influencing a child development and understands different human behavior as they take place in a daily setting. This gave me an opportunity to notice the participant’s natural behavior, which reduces minimizes biases in my observation and also can be further used as a rich source of hypotheses. As one investigator commented, "The major strength of naturalistic observation is that it allows researchers to study behavior under conditions that are less artificial than in experiments” (Weiten, 2008, p. 347).
Palmer, D. 2009. Business leadership: three levels of ethical analysis, Journal of Business Ethics. 88(3): 525-536.
The statistically based conclusions of systemic observation often contain less post-observation bias than naturalistic observations; it can be challenging to separate one’s interpretation of what was observed from what was actually observed. Contrarily, since hypotheses are constructed prior to observation, systemic observation may exclude important information that naturalistic observations include. According to Cozby (2009), systemic observers may face validity issues associated with their equipment; it would be difficult to accurately observe and record at the same time without the use of camera or audio recording device. Similar to naturalistic observation, the researcher must is, optimally, a covert observer; by having an observer watch the participants, the participants might change their behavior. Sampling of behaviors for a short amount of time might also be an issue because it is less accurate and useful than long period
Kursh, S., Lant, T., Majeske, K., Olver, J., & Plant, R. (2012). OL690 Responsible Corporate Leadership. : Pearson Custom Library.
Taris, T. W., & Schreurs, P. G. (2009). Well-being and organizational performance: An organizational-level test of the happy-productive worker hypothesis. Work & Stress, 23(2), 120-136. doi:10.1080/02678370903072555
Every work environment has certain stress level inherent in its modus operandi, and how employees react to the different situations is likewise varied. Many theories try to explain an employee’s attitude can alter the expected negative reaction to workplace stress. These broad concept of identifying “moderators” can be simplified by considering if the individual employee has a type A or B personality, his or her locus of control, hardiness, and self-esteem. A moderator is defined as “a variable that affects the direction or strength of the association between two other variables”, employee and work related stress (Landy & Conte, p. 469). There are other peripheral factors like social groups that may have less
Ethical leadership organizational ethics and socially responsibility are inseparable (Johnson). Leadership is not a inherited gift or family heritage; it is not a degree from an ivy league graduate school. Becoming a leader is an intentional process of growth that must be lived out experientially (Mullane). Ethical leaders demonstrate three distinctive characteristics, knowledge, action and character. Leaders have to have the ability to say “yes” or even “no” to a never ending series of challenges. A leader needs to be able to define their values, character and leadership style. When accepting the role of leadership you become encumbered by ethical issues and concerns. .
Observation is essential for psychologists to get to know their clients. Examination consists of learning and understanding the way the client acts and thinks. While observing it is important to take mental notes and be aware of body language to see how the client reacts to certain questions and situations. There are many ways to do this, including case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation. The case study examines an individual in depth, but often is in need for further study. “We must ask questions and look for answers within several different research methods.” (Plante, 2005) The survey looks at cases in less depth, but is used to estimate outcomes from a group of people. Naturalistic observation notes behavior in a natural environment, yet it does not explain behavior, it describes it. While observing, it is helpful to look for patterns and sequences because as Heffner stated “Order can be found in even the most random data.” (2001) Nevertheless, observation is important because before psychologists can explain what people do, they must first observe what it is that they do.
Data collection is a process by which you receive useful information. It is an important aspect of any type of research, as inaccurate data can alter the results of a study and lead to false hypothesis and interpretations. The approach the researcher utilizes to collect data depends on the nature of the study, the study design, and the availability of time, money and personnel. In addition, it is important for the researcher to determine whether the study is intended to produce qualitative or quantitative information.