Validity, Reliability and Generalization in Research

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Introduction

Validity, reliability and generalization are important concepts in business and management research. In different contexts, research is a clearly defined process where different elements and are studied, analysed and presented to show new approaches that increase knowledge regarding a particular phenomenon. Validity, reliability and generalization are crucial concepts in management research because they determine the manner in which management theory is applied.

Modern management theories have demystified many assumptions that are related to business practices which are observed in various environments (Riege 2003, p. 75). Therefore, it is important for researchers to understand the link between theory and practice and how these two concepts impact on management discourses. This paper will analyse the importance of validity, reliability and generalization in business research.

The Role of Validity, Reliability and Generalization

Validity can be described as an element of research which ensures that a study is conducted in a professional, accurate and systematic manner. This increases the credibility of a research study in the eyes of different people who are directly affected by its findings. In modern management research, validity ensures that a researcher vets the quality of his work before he shares his findings with other people (Riege 2003, p. 77).

This approach enables a researcher to use accurate empirical tests to find out more about the sources of his information and how they impact on the quality of information he obtains. This ensures all conclusions reached by his study are backed up by relevant data and statistics.

It is important for the data gathered and conclusions reached to correlate to bring about the desired conclusions in a particular study to make its findings more relevant to its users. Therefore, research studies should be conducted in a manner that allows findings to be interpreted in different management and business contexts.

Different forms of research design use tests and other procedures to determine the level of validity in a researcher’s work. There has been a divergence of views about how various aspects of cause and effect relationships influence the application of the gathered data and statistics in research. For instance, in some aspects of case study research, researchers may be forced to review their personal feelings towards different subjects they are studying to ensure they maintain an objective approach in their work (Riege 2003, p. 81).

A researcher needs to rely on other external tools to remove any bias that may negatively impact on the validity of conclusions and findings adopted by his study. In academic and real world perspectives, there is a difference in the manner in which knowledge gathered is understood and applied.

Even though there are strong synergies between academic research and real world management approaches, a researcher needs to find out specific objectives he intends to achieve. However, a researcher needs to understand differences between academic environments and real world business environments and how they impact on his work.

Reliability is an important concept in management research. It allows a researcher to attain goals that have been set in the beginning to ensure he understands how his study is likely to impact on different groups of people.

Therefore, concepts of openness, debate and objectivity help to measure the reliability of a particular research study and its findings. In management and business research, researchers must be ready to defend the methodologies they use to come up with different conclusions and findings (Cornelissen & Thorpe 2004, p. 3).

They need to use evidence based, real life situations to ensure that the knowledge they gather can be used to make a positive impact in different fields. It must be noted that modern business research is applied in an environment characterised by constantly changing management practices which threaten the relevance of previous bodies of knowledge gathered through research. Therefore, all processes a researcher uses to come up with new bodies of knowledge should measure up to high intellectual standards.

Researchers need to use analysis processes which are correctly linked to the central idea of their studies. They need to use techniques which accurately capture the viewpoints of different sources of information they use in their studies. More importantly, both academic and real world applications of knowledge obtained should be able to verify the accuracy and suitability of various research processes used. For instance, tests are used in research to find out if specific processes used by a researcher are logical and accurate.

It is also important for a research study to show how results obtained can be transferred to other settings to reveal how they correlate with other forms of knowledge (Cornelissen & Thorpe 2004, p. 6). A researcher needs to understand that every study undertaken seeks to find out new knowledge and how it can be applied in different academic and business contexts. Therefore, a study conducted should be analysed and critiqued by different scholars to find out the credibility of arguments it advances.

The concept of generalisation has a significant role in business and management research. In some instances, researchers may need to use existing bodies of knowledge to come up with hypothesis regarding different phenomena they are studying. This allows them to understand the main arguments that justify their studies and specific qualities of phenomena they are studying.

Many researchers move from the known to the unknown concepts in their quest to uncover new information regarding a particular phenomenon (Cornelissen & Thorpe 2004, p. 9). This allows them to use a study process that connects data collection, methodologies and theoretical applications of the knowledge they obtain.

Therefore, generalizations equip researchers with important skills which they use to find out more about different paradigms of existing research knowledge. In effect, they are able to understand specific problems they seek to solve through their studies. Consequently, they are able to identify gaps between theory and practice and how they impact on the way business research knowledge is applied.

Generalizations guide researchers to make both correct and incorrect inferences regarding cause and effect relationships that affect various phenomena they intend to study. As a result, this allows researchers to use different approaches to predict and measure different variables.

It is important for researchers to have safeguards to ensure that methodologies and research designs they use conform to high intellectual standards. In addition, researchers need to gradually shift from a perception influenced by multiple perspectives to one influenced by methodologically proven concepts to strengthen their arguments (Cornelissen & Thorpe 2004, p. 13).

They need to interpret different theories within existing business and management frameworks to find out their true impacts. They also need to use both analytical and empirical studies to come up with comprehensive knowledge in their studies. Therefore, this makes their studies more comprehensive because they are able to highlight issues that have not been well addressed by other existing bodies of knowledge.

Application of Validity, Reliability and Generalization in Designing a Questionnaire

The role of validity, reliability and generalizations in questionnaire design needs to highlight important factors that underpin Human Resource Management research in an academic setting. The research design needs to focus on the contemporary application of existing HRM research theories in both academic and professional contexts. This approach will make it possible for a researcher to determine the relevance of current HRM bodies of knowledge in equipping students with vital skills they need to succeed (Tsang & Williams 2012, p. 5).

Therefore, this approach allows a researcher to avoid personal biases that may influence the nature of findings obtained from his study. It is important for a researcher to formulate important objectives he seeks to achieve to ensure he comes up with a strong hypothesis. Since HRM consists of many concepts, questionnaires should be brief and clear to ensure they elicit valid responses from participants.

Objectivity in research questionnaires allows respondents to contribute their answers accurately. As a result, a researcher is able to use more appropriate methodologies which measure different variables that impact on a study. In effect, a researcher will be in a position to understand limitations that make respondents not to share accurate information regarding a particular phenomenon. Therefore, these principles are beneficial during sampling because a researcher takes time to vet all participants to determine their suitability.

This will enable him to compile a list of participants who are aware about their specific responsibilities in making the study a success. In effect, a researcher is able to use suitable methodological tools and sampling techniques which have worked well in previous research studies to conduct his own study (Tsang & Williams 2012, p. 7). Additionally, a researcher may opt to develop his own research methodology which is suitable for his study. All these factors determine the nature of results obtained out of a particular research process.

An effective research process needs to focus on situational factors that impact on the information gathered from respondents. Previous HRM models have focused on understanding events that occur in various organisational settings and how various factors they outline can be measured or controlled. More importantly, validity, reliability and generalisation allow deductive reasoning by a researcher to ensure all steps of his study state specific implications that are likely to be realised.

Consequently, this allows a researcher to design a questionnaire that serves multiple purposes as a data gathering tool. As a result, the questionnaire is able to capture behavioural as well as personality issues that are likely to influence respondents’ bias and attitudes (Tsang & Williams 2012, p. 11).

Furthermore, this helps him to understand beforehand the quality of responses that he expects to obtain through his study. Thus, a researcher is able to understand the limitations of processes he is using and how they can be addressed to improve the quality of his findings.

The three concepts allow researchers to share relevant knowledge with their participants on how different management perspectives shape their thinking. The patterns of questioning used may either describe or gradually predict the manner in which different participants involved in the study are likely to respond. Therefore, using literature already gathered, a researcher is able to make inferences on the type of results he is likely to obtain to understand if they confirm or contradict his earlier assumptions.

This makes it possible for a researcher to investigate different aspects of reality thoroughly, to come up with new theoretical findings that add value to the study (Vincent, Bharadwaj & Challagalla 2005, p. 11). Since most of the participants in such a study are likely to be students, a researcher gets an opportunity to investigate their understanding about real world application of HRM principles. Through their participation, the researcher may get to learn how to interpret the data gathered constructively.

These processes are also important in the formulation of a hypothesis. The hypothesis serves as a comprehensive assumption that allows a researcher to think analytically about what he intends to achieve from the research process he embarks on. As a result, a researcher takes time to look at different theoretical interpretations of the topic he seeks to study and their relevance.

More importantly, validity, reliability and generalisation allow a researcher to move from broad theoretical concepts to narrow theoretical concepts as he investigates different factors that impact on his study.

In effect, this allows him to make a positive impression on HRM post graduate students because of the high levels of professionalism he exhibits in his work (Vincent, Bharadwaj & Challagalla 2005, p. 16). Therefore, he will be able to come up with appropriate findings and conclusions that stimulate intellectual discourse in different settings they are applied.

When using generalizations to design questionnaires and other methodological tools, researchers need to take note of standards used to measure the quality of management research. In their research designs, they should maintain links between empirical models and other processes used gather and document the information they gather. The empirical formats used and the results obtained out of these processes should match characteristics of phenomena being studied (Vincent, Bharadwaj & Challagalla 2005, p. 18).

Moreover, it is important for a researcher to find out specific theoretical concepts that are important to his study and how they affect the credibility of results obtained. For instances, a researcher may need to understand how various branches of HRM studied by students influence their academic and career choices. As a result, this makes him take note of research gaps that are likely to occur in his questionnaires to understand how they are likely to affect his study.

Recommendations for a Questionnaire

Before the questionnaire is done, it is important for effective sampling techniques to be used to determine the nature of the respondents. The researcher needs to find out the number of people he intends to gather responses from and how they represent the whole population the survey will be based on. Since the questionnaire will mainly target HRM post graduate students, the first criterion for a respondent that seeks to be included in the sample is that he or she must belong to this population (Mohrman, Gibson & Mohrman 2001, p. 358).

Subsequently, he must look at other factors that are likely to define the exact sample for his study such as; age, lifestyle, cultural background, previous professional training and career ambitions. Therefore, he needs to use randomisation techniques to ensure he chooses respondents with diverse behaviour, lifestyles and career aspirations, to make his study more credible. The final number of respondents chosen should represent all the other students in the institution.

The stratification technique will make it possible for the researcher to find out if the sample he has chosen is a true representation of all postgraduate HRM students in the institution.

The researcher needs to decide on the segments of all student population that are crucial to the survey and their respective statistical relevance to the study. In addition, the researcher will have to use different criteria to stratify all segments of the student population by focusing on their interests, learning patterns, intellectual accomplishments and their attitudes towards the course.

The researcher can use computer applications to select student respondents who represent different categories (Mohrman, Gibson & Mohrman 2001, p. 360). Subsequently, a researcher needs to include representative percentages of all sub-groups that are to be used in the sample before proceeding with the study. This approach will help a researcher to come up with a more accurate sample that comprises of students drawn from all statistically relevant sub-groups.

Before designing the questionnaire, the researcher needs to understand the manner in which survey estimates are going to be tabulated. Both sampling and non-sampling errors are likely to affect the design of the questionnaire survey used by the researcher. The design of the sample needs to look at differences in estimates which are likely to affect the quality of the sample used. In addition, the researcher needs to note other non- sampling errors in questionnaire design which may affect the quality of responses he obtains.

For instance, errors that occur due to bias may distort the views of the surveyed population thereby casting aspersions on the objectivity of the findings. He also needs to find out if his sampling techniques stratify the targeted population effectively (Mohrman, Gibson & Mohrman 2001, p. 362). As a result, the researcher needs to be aware about this issue because it may make it difficult for him to compile accurate data from all segments of the post graduate HRM student population in the institution.

Before using the questionnaire survey, the researcher needs to look at other problems which are likely to occur as he carries out his work. He needs to use effective data gathering, editing and evaluation processes to ensure the quality of his work remains high. In addition, the questionnaire design should check on responses that are either unclear or misleading. This problem can be eliminated through using appropriate and easy to understand language in the questionnaire (Mohrman, Gibson & Mohrman 2001, p. 365).

Therefore, it is important for the researcher to engage with HRM students he has chosen to participate in the study to find out their language skills and levels of exposure. This will help him to compile suitable questions for them to respond to. As a result, sampled respondents will be in a better position to answer different questions they are asked properly. This will ensure research findings and conclusions reached are valid and reliable.

The time in which the survey is going to be conducted has a direct consequence on the results attained from the study. It is important for the researcher to come up an effective work schedule that outlines when specific tasks are going to be performed during the study. The most appropriate survey will be a cross sectional survey which will relate why the students chose to study HRM and how this influences their future career ambitions (Mohrman, Gibson & Mohrman 2001, p. 367).

As a result, the research study will be able to address different factors being studied within a short period of time. More importantly, the researcher should also consider other factors such as failure by respondents to give out any information and how this impacts on the quality of his study. As a result, he will be in a position to evaluate the goals of his research to find out if they conform to his initial expectations.

References

Cornelissen, JP & Thorpe, R 2004, ‘The validity and usefulness of management theories: a review’, Leeds University Business School Working Paper Series, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-23.

Mohrman, SA, Gibson, CB, & Mohrman, AM 2001, ‘Doing research that is useful to practice: a model and empirical exploration’, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 44, pp. 357-376.

Riege, AM 2003, ‘Validity and reliability tests in case study: a literature review with hand on applications for each research phase’, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 75-86.

Tsang, EW & Williams, JN 2012, ‘Generalization and induction: misconceptions, clarifications, and a classification of induction’, MIS Quarterly, vol. 36 no. 10, pp. 1- 30.

Vincent, LH, Bharadwaj, SG & Challagalla, GN 2005, Antecedents, consequences, and the mediating role of organizational innovation: empirical generalizations, Singapore Management University, Singapore.

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