Business Research Methods

Coursework: Analysis of data

This assignment consists of two parts. Part A is an analysis of quantitative data and Part B is ananalysis of qualitative data. We will give you the data in both cases. Each part should consist of data analysis, commentary and interpretation and should make good use of published sources to justify your choices. For each part, you should write well-structured & designed report ofbetween 750 and 1000 words for each part - plus any diagrams and charts you produce and a list of references.

Part A
For Part A you will need to analyse some quantitative data using IBM SPSS Statistics This data is available in the Teaching Resources section of the BRM module website in the CW2 Data folder. The file you need is: jss.sav

The directors of a medium sized company have asked you to investigate answers to several HR related questions and write a short report. You have access to a survey of their employees that has recently been carried out (jss.sav). The questions you need to investigate- in some detail - are:

1. What is the age distribution of the workforce? (Use, for example, Histogram)

2. What proportion of employees belongs to each ethnic group? (Use, for example, Bar Graph)

3. What is the average income? (Use, for example, Descriptive Statistics, Descriptives)

4. How is number of years worked related to salary, if at all? (Use, for example, Linear Regression)

5. How different are the average salaries of the different skill categories? (Use, for example, One-way ANOVA)

6. Is there a significant difference between the proportion of males and females who attended the firm's meeting last month? (Use, for example, Chi-Squared)

Use IBM SPSS Statistics to carry out appropriate analyses of the data (jss.sav) to investigate these questions in some detail, and write a report presenting your findings and explanations of what these analyses mean to your directors - who do not know much about statistics.

The information you need is in the file: "jss.sav"

Detailed procedure

1 Download the SPSS Booklet (SSCU SPSS v23 Booklet.pdf) from the SPSS folderof the Teaching Resources in the BRM module website.
2 Work through the booklet, concentrating on sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 13 and 14.
3 Find the data file "jss.sav"in the CW2 Datafolder of the Teaching Resources section of the BRM module website, download it and save it.
4 Open IBM SPSS Statistics. There is SPSS on all computers in the LRC (Start Menu ->(All Programs) ->SPSS 24). It is also possible for you to install SPSS on your own computer. The LRC HelpDesk can help you if you want to do this. It is a little complicated, though, as SPSS is a very expensive program and the licencing is well protected. So give yourself some time if you intend to do this.
5 In IBM SPSS Statisticsopen the File menu, click on Open, thenData. Navigate to the place you saved "jss.sav".Select "jss.sav", and click on Open.
6 Work through the 6 questions above.
7 Produce the appropriate analyses.
8 Format the tables and charts well, giving them titles, labelling the axes etc. Right click the charts to edit them.
9 Save a copy of the SPSS Output file. Choose Export on the File menu, then "pdf" as document type and Save. You MUST hand this file in with your report.
10 Write a report, including the charts/diagrams &analyses from IBM SPSS Statistics, with your comments/interpretations of the analyses, explaining what they mean.Right click the charts etc to copy and paste them into your report. Make sure any graphics are labelled correctly and explicitly referred to.Use the conventional report format, including your name, student number, introduction, conclusions, references etc.
11 Write between 750 and 1000 words as well as including any tables, charts or diagrams.
12 You should make good use of credible published sources and refer to any sources you use - textbooks, SPSS manuals etc in the conventional manner.
13 Include a list of references formatted in the HBS Harvard Style (See CASE website).
14 Submit your report.See below.

Essential reading for Part A: Chapter 12 of Saunders, Lewis&Thornhill (2016)

Part B

For Part B you will need to analyse some qualitative data. This is available in the Teaching Resources section of the module website in the CW2 Data folder. The file you need is: "pakistani-banks-interviews.docx".

The text consists of parts of an interview transcript from a business PhD research project titled "Work-Family Conflict: A Case Study of Women in Pakistani Banks." The purpose of the study was to examine the work-family situation of women working in male-dominated industry in Pakistan. It is an exploratory study, using an inductive approach, starting with few pre-conceptions about the topic.

- Read the text several times to make sure you understand it.

- Use whatever methods you want to analyse and interpret this text. Count words, draw diagrams, etc or whatever you think is useful. Justify your choices by reference to the RM literature.

- Identify themes and subthemes and show how they are related.Quote evidence from the interview transcript to support these.

- Draw some conclusions.

- Consider how this exploratory interview can lead to the next stage in the research.

- Write between 750 and 1000 words as well as including any charts or diagrams.

- You should make good use of credible published sources and refer to any sources you make use of - textbooks, manuals etc.

- Include a list of references formatted in the HBS Harvard Style (See CASE Website).

- Submit your report.