Dissertation Research Proposal: Cover Sheet Please · PDF fileDissertation Research Proposal:...

© 2013 Adrian Chow All rights reserved

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

THE BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS SCHOOL

Master of Business Administration

Dissertation Research Proposal: Cover Sheet Please attach to your proposal

Word Length – 1590 words

Name of Student: Adrian Chow Mun Nga I.D.NO. 1067413 Email address: [email protected] Tel No. 98460093 Name of Project Supervisor: Mr Graham Shaw


Birmingham Business School MBA

Dissertation Ethics Checklist

This form should be completed by the student and the supervisor and submitted to the appropriate

MBA office.

MBA Programme MBA Executive Singapore Programme - Dissertation

Title of Project*

DO HRM SELECTION PRACTICES WORK?

Name of Student and ID no. Adrian Chow Mun Nga (ID: 1067413)

Email Address [email protected]

Name of Supervisor Mr. Graham Shaw

* A title that is descriptive of the project is required

QUESTION YES NO

1 Will the research project require the use of databases and internet resources? √

2 Will all databases and internet resources be used within the terms and

conditions specified by the source of the data?

√

3 Will you have access to confidential or personal records as part of your

research?

√

If you have answered NO to question 2 or YES to question 3, please attach an

explanation on a separate sheet.

YES NO

4 Will the research project involve asking people to participate in your research

(e.g. for interviews or a survey)?

√

5 Will it involve the collection of primary data from research participants? √

6 Will you have access to personal information that will allow you to identify

research participants?

√

7 Could the research results be used to inflict harm to any person or the general

public?

√

8 Will the publication of the results pose a risk of physical or psychological

harm or distress to any person or the general public?

√

If the answer to all of questions 4 to 8 above is NO, you can omit questions 9-20. Just tick

box A or B as appropriate and sign.

YES NO N/A

9 Will you describe the main research procedures to participants in

advance so that they are informed about what to expect?

10 Will you tell participants that their participation is voluntary?

11 Will the consent of participants be obtained (this includes

observational research)?

12 Will you tell participants that they may withdraw from research at

any time and for any reason?

13 Will you tell participants that their data will be treated with full

confidentiality and their anonymity protected?

14 Will participants be debriefed after the research is conducted (i.e.

give them a brief explanation of the study)

If you have ticked NO to any of questions 9-14, please give an explanation on a separate

sheet. [note: N/A = not applicable] Continue answering questions 15 – 20.


YES NO N/A

15 Will your project involve deliberately misleading participants in any

way

16 Could the study induce psychological stress or anxiety beyond the

risks encountered in the participants normal life?

If you have ticked YES to question 15 or 16, please give a full explanation on a separate sheet. Continue with questions 17-20.

YES NO N/A

17 Does your project involve discussions of sensitive topics affecting

individual respondents, or people engaged in illegal activities (e.g.

drug use)?

18 Does your project involve participants who are members of

vulnerable groups e.g. school children (under 18 years of age), people

with learning or communication difficulties, in custodial care etc…?

19 Does your project involve participants with whom you have a

relationship (e.g. employer, employee, friend, colleague, family

member, University staff or students in the same school as the

researcher etc..)?

20 Does your project involve participants, as a group, who have

particular cultural, religious or social beliefs that you should be

sensitive to?

If you have ticked YES to any of questions 17 to 20 above, please give a full explanation on

a separate sheet.

There is an obligation on the researcher to bring to the attention of the School Research Ethics Co-

ordinator any issues with ethical implications not clearly covered by the above checklist.

Please Tick either box A or box B below:

A. I consider that this project has no significant ethical implications to be brought

before the School Research Ethics Co-ordinator.

B. I consider that this project may have ethical implications that should be brought

before the School Research Ethics Co-ordinator.

If you tick box B above, please provide all further information listed below in a separate attachment

1. Title of project

2. Purpose of the project and its academic rationale

3. A clear but concise statement of any ethical considerations raised by the project and how you

intend to deal with them.

This form (signed, and including any attachments) should be submitted to the School Research

Ethics Co-ordinator.

Signed

Print Name

ADRIAN CHOW MUN NGA

Date

5 JULY 2011

(MBA Student Researcher)

Signed

Print Name Date

(Supervisor)

Signed

Print Name Date

(School Research Ethics Co-ordinator)

√


The Birmingham Business School

“DO HRM SELECTION PRACTICES WORK?”

Research Proposal submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree

of Master of Business Administration in the Birmingham Business School.

Submission to: Mr Graham Shaw

Student ID No: 1067413

Date: 23 AUGUST 2011 1590 WORDS


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1.0 BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE 1

2.0 AIM AND OBJECTIVES 1

3.0 INDICATIVE LITERATURE 2

4.0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS 3

5.0 ETHICS 5

6.0 RISKS AND CONTINGENCIES 5

7.0 TIMESCALES 6

8.0 RESOURCES 6

REFERENCES

APPENDICES


1.0 BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Selection practices centered on acquiring the “right person to do the right job’ generating

productive output for organisation and Robert E. Ployhart (2006) highlight staffing challenges face

by organisations from labour shortages, increased knowledge work, competition for applicants’.

Schmidt L. et al. (1986) study demonstrated empirically valid selection of new employees results in

payroll savings, increase of output and research on selection practices is important as recruitment

and selection ‘lies in the very centre of human resourcing (Newell and Rice1999; cited by Millmore

2003) while Mark A. Huselid, Rutgers University (1995) sampling of one thousand firms indicate

HR practices have impacts on employee outcomes (turnover and productivity) and corporate

financial performance.

Significance and usefulness of the research lies in widening knowledge of selection practices from

academia perspective while practitioners deeper understanding may assist organisations in

evaluating effectiveness of current selection practices as noted by Searle (2003 p.7) on evidence

of non achievement between strategic intent and organisational action in organisation’s selection

and recruitment practices (Searle and Ball 2003; cited by Searle 2003).

2.0 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

There exists conflicting viewpoints on the effectiveness of selection practices such as Kleinman et

al. (2010) paper ‘A different look at why selection procedures work” suggests selection procedures

such as assessment centers, structured interviews are ‘useful predictors of candidate’s job

performance’ and candidate ability to identify criteria (ATIC) during the selection procedure lend

credence to the criterion related validity. Similarly, Schmidt and Hunter (1998 cited by Kleinman

2010) observe most selection procedures are successful in predicting job performance.

However, Neil Anderson and Peter Herriot (1997 p. 123) questions the ‘fit” of current selection

paradigm in the face of new challenges and constraints of ‘selecting for jobs that do not yet exist’

and the ongoing concern of “gap” over academic research and ‘daily problems faced by

practitioners’.

Creswell John W. (2005) recommends the ‘flow of ideas’ (Appendix 1) for identifying the ‘statement

of the problem’ Reading of appropriate literature enable deeper understanding of the research

topic (the board subject matter addressed by the study) and research problem (a concern in the

P a g e |1


research that narrows the topic) which in turn surface the aim (the major objective of the study) of

the research: To Determine “Do HRM Selection Practices Work?”

Identifying research questions narrow the purpose that need to be answered and the research

questions include:

1. Personnel Selection and Assessment

2. Factors influencing decision making in selection practices

3. Validation of selection practices

4. Determinants for effective selection practices

5. Theoretical versus Actuality of selection practices

3.0 INDICATIVE LITERATURE

Searle (2003 pp.3-10) describe selection as a process aiming ‘assess psychological differences

between individuals and their relationship to subsequent work performance’ and remark on

growing popularity of selection tools in organisation despite concerns over distortion.

However, there are little anecdotal evidence linking selection practices with organisation strategies

as seen in Millmore (2003) paper 'Just How Extensive is the Practice of Strategic Recruitment and

Selection?' surmise ‘paucity’ of strategic recruitment and selection in organisations

Anderson and Shackleton (1986) observe research in personnel selection centred on developing a

‘sophisticated technology’ via evaluating different selection methods for identifying ‘the most valid

and reliable’ method. Sue Newall (2005 p.137) suggest a need for a ‘new perspective on

recruitment and selection’ from that of ‘traditional psychometric’ approach in the face of

globalisation, flexibility, innovation, employee commitment.

The concept of selection as a planned process that delivered outcomes is disputed by Ray W.

Cooksey and G. Richard Gates (1996) paper ‘HRM: A Management Science in Need of Discipline’

that claim HRM theories fall short of expected outcome and evocate effective HRM practices be

sensitive ‘to the unique, complex and less systematically predictable patterns of human behaviour’

and Strauss and Corbin (1994; cited by Merriam 2009) question whether HRM selection theory can

be sustained in practice by ‘matching of theory against data’.

Ployhart (2006) identify key gaps between selection research and practice (Appendix 2) and urge

staffing scholars to focus on ‘multi level research on business unit / organisational level impact of

P a g e |2


staffing’ as current staffing procedure are not being utilised optimally and appropriately.

Neil Anderson and Peter Herriot (1997) book International Handbook of Selection and Assessment

highlight changing nature of work while questioning the workability of current ‘selection paradigm”

and gap between ‘academics interest, research topics and the daily problems faced by

psychologists practicing in the field’.

Searle (2003) book Selection and Recruitment: A Critical Text depict current selection methods as

flawed and limited and criticise the lack of measurement of ‘mental process’, rationality, limitations

of selection methods in ‘dynamic situations’ and claim these poses major challenges to plausibility

of selection practices and contribute to the failure of ‘selection processes to achieve their full

potential’.

4.0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Mark Saunders et al. (2003, p.3) link research process ‘to find out things in a systematic way’

(Appendix 3) for increasing knowledge while Ghauri and Gronhaug (2002; cited by Saunders 2003)

suggest including elements of ‘describing, explaining, understanding, criticising, analysing’ in

research.

Kuhn (1962; cited by Jill Hussey and Roger Hussey 1997) view paradigm as ‘universally

recognised scientific achievements that …provide model problems and solutions to a community of

practitioners’. Creswell (1994; cited by Jill Hussey and Roger Hussey 1997).outline quantitative

(positivistic) and qualitative (phenomenological) as two main paradigms (Appendix 4).

Qualitative approach is chosen as it enable attempts to come with terms with the meaning …of

naturally occurring phenomena in the social world as state by Van Maanen (1983; cited by Cavana

et al. 2001). Maykut and Morehouse (1994; cited by Cavana et al. 2001) view the goal of

qualitative research is to ‘discover the patterns’ after thoughtful analysis.

Yin (2008 p.26; cited by Merriam 2009) define research design is a ‘logical plan for getting from

here to there’. Exploratory research is selected for analysing literature it permits ‘gaining

insights…for more rigorous investigation at a later stage’. (Hussey and Roger Hussey1997 p.10).

Phenomenological approach study as many of the variables as possible involved in the ‘context of

any research study’ as the world is ‘composed of a series of multiple realities…each of which

should be understood’ (Remenyi et al. pp.35-36)

P a g e |3


Case study is selected over other research methods i.e. action research, ethnography, interviewing

as it involves an ‘empirical investigation of a particular phenomenon… using multiple sources of

evidence’ (Robson 2002; cited by Mark Saunders et al 2003) and enable rich understanding of the

context of the research (Morris and Wood 1991; cited by Mark Saunders et al 2003).

Saunders (2003 pp.113-128) establish extent, nature, sufficiency of access as critical factors for

answering the research objectives. Collection of data derives from secondary sources due to the

deskbound nature of the research.

Cooper (1998; cited by Sotirios Sarantakos 2005) note sources of data originating from informal

channels of personal contact or formal channels that include journal libraries, reference database.

The research data sources follow Saunders et.al. (2003) model as show below:

Source: Mark Saunders et al. (2003) Research Methods for Business Students

P a g e |4


5.0 ETHICS

According to Singer (1994; cited by Remenyi et al.1998), ethics involves consideration of right and

wrong and Gary Bouma (2000 pp.190-202) stress taking the ‘position of a participant’ as the key to

identifying ethical issues and researcher will ‘keeps data collected...secure, accurately records

information and reports the findings of the research in a public manner’.

Robert Y. Cavana (2001 pp.21-26) associate the need for fairness to a variety of stakeholders from

the researcher (Appendix 5) and outlines societal, corporate and moral accountabilities to society,

sponsor / client and subjects (people) researcher should addressed.

Dan Remenyi et al. (1998 pp.227-239) stress on the importance of trust and ‘how the research

should be conducted …is of greater concern in an ethical sense’ and ‘integrity of evidence’.

Abidance to ethical considerations is met through evaluation of the research against University of

Birmingham (UOB) ethics checklist and supplemented by reading and adoption of The Economic

and Social Research Council ethical guidelines (Appendix 6).

6.0 RISKS AND CONTINGENCIES

Factors preventing research completion derive from many sources and key risks and contingencies

planning for the research include:

1. Time: Mitigate via time management, adherence to planned dateline, deliverables of Gantt

Chart, concurrent tasks, additional days for critical tasks for minimising “overruns”.

2. Resources (Availability, Accessibility): Mitigated critical resources, for example, literature is

minimised via adoption of “blanket coverage” from various depository i.e. web portal from

both private and public sources.

3. Research Knowledge: Communication with assigned Supervisor for guidance and advice

minimise the risks of “off track” in the research process and source of tacit knowledge.

4. Ethics: Risks from validity of literature sources, plagiarism are minimise through adhering to

recommended ethical framework, compliance of UOB ethics checklist and adoption of

Harvard referencing.

P a g e |5


7.0 TIMESCALES

Jill Hussey and Roger Hussey (1997) emphasise on a timetable for allocating the different activities

that need to be undertaken as research is ‘a time consuming activity’. Key deliverables, duration of

the research (Appendix 7) are presented via Gantt Chart for visual representation of tasks against

time line.

8.0 RESOURCES

Jill Hussey and Roger Hussey (1997 pp.32-37) remark ‘research is not a cost-free activity’ and

suggest researcher develop ‘support sets’ i.e. funding may be obtained from sources such as

employer, government or professional bodies.

Access to data sources are fulfilled via libraries of employer (Nanyang Polytechnic), Singapore

National Library Board and UOB web portal

Time resource is critical from tight dateline and fulfilment of research tasks which is mitigated via

adherence to planned timeline and contingency usage of annual leave.

Literature resources are fundamental in research and availability, accessibility is critical. Data

mining and analysis are guided through selective reading of UOB recommended textbooks on

research.

P a g e |6


REFERENCES

Creswell John W. (2005) Education Research: Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. 2nd.ed. USA: Pearson Education International pp.60-77 Dan Remenyi, Brian Williams, Arthur Money and Ethne Swartz (1998) Doing Research in Business and Management 1 ed. London: SAGE Publications, pp.227-239 Gary D Bouma (2000) The Research Process. 4. ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press pp.190-202 Geoff Lancaster (2005) Research Methods in Management: A Concise Introduction to Research in Management and Business Consultancy 1.ed London: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Jill Hussey and Roger Hussey (1997) Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students. . 1. ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan Business.

Mark A. Huselid 1995 'The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Turnover, Productivity and Corporate Financial Performance” Academy of Management Journal, 38, 2, pp. 635-672, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 May 2011

Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill (2003) Research Methods for Business Students. 3. ed. London: Pearson Higher Education Martin Kleinmann, Pia V. Ingold, Filip Lievens, Anne Jansen, Klaus G. Melchers, and Cornelius J. König (2010) ‘A different look at why selection procedures work: The Role of Candidates’ Ability to Identify Criteria’ Organizational Psychology Review, May 2011; vol. 1, 2: pp. 128-146. Data Base: ScienceDirec,t viewed 3 June 2011

Millmore, M (2003) 'Just How Extensive is the Practice of Strategic Recruitment and Selection?', Irish Journal of Management, 24, 1, pp. 87-108, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 June 2011

Neil Anderson and Peter Herriot (Editors 1997) International Handbook of Selection and Assessment Chichester UK: John Wiley and Sons

Ray W. Cooksey and G. Richard Gates (1996) ‘HRM: A Management Science in Need of Discipline’ Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, March 1996; vol. 33, 3: pp. 15-38. http://apj.sagepub.com/ viewed 6 June 2011

Robert E. Ployhart (2006) ‘Staffing in the 21st Century: New Challenges and Strategic Opportunities’ Journal of Management, December 2006; vol. 32, 6: pp. 868-897. http://jom.sagepub.com/ viewed 2 June 2011

Robert Y. Cavana, Brian L. Delahaye and Uma Sekaran (2001) Applied Business Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods 1 ed. Australia: John Wiley and Sons Australia Ltd, pp.21-26 Rosalind H. Searle (2003) Selection & Recruitment: A Critical Text 1 ed.: London Palgrave Macmillian

Schmidt, F. L.,Hunter, J. E., Outerbridge, A. N., & Trattner, M. H. (1986). The Economic Impact of Job Selection Methods on Size, Productivity and Payroll Costs of the Federal Work Force: An

http://jom.sagepub.com/


Empirically Based Demonstration. Personnel Psychology, 39(1), 1-29. Business Source Premier, EBSCO host, viewed 5 June 2011

Sharan B Merriam (2009) ‘Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation’. 1. ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Sotirios Sarantakos (2005). Social Research. 3. ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Sue Newall (2005) Managing Human Resoutces. 4. ed. London: Stephen Bach, pp. 116-147 Tom Redman and Adrian Wilkinson (2006) Contemporary Human Resource Management: Text and Cases 2 ed England: Prentice Hall http://bham.blackboard.com/webct/urw/lc3952256006051.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct http://www.cpid.co.uk/default.cpid http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/index.aspx http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk http://ethics.sandiego.edu http://www.hrforumeurope.coi http://www.hrmguide.net/hrm/Links/journals.htm http://www.hrps.org http://www.hti.umich.edu/j/jii http://www.ipma-hr.org http://library.nyp.edu.sg/portal/page?_pageid=40,1130718&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL http://www.mrs.org.uk http://www.respectproject.org/code/index.php http://www.shrm.org http://www.the-sra.org.uk/guidelines.htm

http://bham.blackboard.com/webct/urw/lc3952256006051.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct

http://www.cpid.co.uk/default.cpid

http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/

http://ethics.sandiego.edu/

http://www.hrforumeurope.coi/

http://www.hrmguide.net/hrm/Links/journals.htm

http://www.hrps.org/

http://www.hti.umich.edu/j/jii

http://www.ipma-hr.org/

http://www.mrs.org.uk/

http://www.respectproject.org/code/index.php

http://www.shrm.org/


APPENDICES

1. Flow of Ideas in a “Statement of the Problem”, Creswell John W. (2005) Education

Research: Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research 2. Key Personnel Selection Research – Practice Gaps, Robert E. Ployhart (2006) ‘Staffing

in the 21st Century: New Challenges and Strategic Opportunities’ Journal of Management, December 2006

3. The Research Process, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill (2003)

Research Methods for Business Students. 4. Creswell Assumptions of the Two Main Paradigms, Jill Hussey and Roger Hussey

(1997) Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

5. Ethical Pressures the Business Researcher Faces, Robert Y. Cavana, Brian L.

Delahaye and Uma Sekaran (2001) Applied Business Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

6. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Six Key Principles of Ethical

Research, http://www.esrc.ac.uk/_images/Framework_for_Research_Ethics_tcm8-4586.pdf

7. University of Birmingham MBA Dissertation – Time Scale and Gantt Chart

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/_images/Framework_for_Research_Ethics_tcm8-4586.pdf

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/_images/Framework_for_Research_Ethics_tcm8-4586.pdf


Appendix 1: Flow of Ideas in a “Statement of the Problem”


Appendix 2: Key Personnel Selection Research – Practice Gaps


Appendix 3: The Research Process


Appendix 4: Creswell Assumptions of the Two Main Paradigms


Appendix 5: Ethical Pressures the Business Researcher Faces


Appendix 6: The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Six Key Principles of Ethical Research


Appendix 7: University of Birmingham MBA Dissertation – Time Scale

Tasks Start Date Duration (Days)

End Date

Initiate Dissertation Project

2/5/11

134

12/09/2011

Select Research Topic (HRM)

2/5/11

4

05/05/2011

Read Literature of Research Topic (HRM)

6/5/11

10

15/05/2011

Identity Research Problem (Selection Practices)

16/5/11

5

20/05/2011

Read Literature of Research Problem (Selection Practices)

21/5/11

11

31/05/2011

Formulate Research Objectives 21/5/11

11

31/05/2011

Submission of Research Title (Do HRM Selection Practices Work? 1/6/11

1

01/06/2011

Read Literature of Research Process 2/6/11

19

20/06/2011

Formulate Research Approach 15/6/11

31

15/07/2011

Develop Research Proposal 20/7/11

33

21/08/2011

Submit Research Proposal 23/8/11

1

23/08/2011

Data Collection 2/5/11

101

10/08/2011

Data Analysis 2/5/11

112

21/08/2011

Write First Draft of Dissertation 22/8/11

10

31/08/2011

Final Alternations of Dissertation 1/9/11

11

11/09/2011

Submission of Dissertation 12/9/11

1

12/09/2011


University of Birmingham MBA Dissertation – Gantt Chart

Dissertation Research Proposal: Cover Sheet Please · PDF fileDissertation Research Proposal:...

Documents

Transcript of Dissertation Research Proposal: Cover Sheet Please · PDF fileDissertation Research Proposal:...