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Res724 V6observation Guideres724 V6page 2 Of 2analysis And Interpret RES/724 v6 Observation Guide RES/724 v6 Analysis and Interpretation Worksheet Part I: Analysis and Interpretation Interview Data: 1. Select an appropriate analytic procedure to code your interview data. 2. Code your data using a qualitative data analysis program or by hand in a separate document. This process must identify: (1) codes and themes, (2) sub-codes, (3) categories, and (4) subcategories. a. Discuss your approach to coding the interview data. What procedure(s) did you select? Justify your response. Click or tap here to enter text. 3. Examine the results of your analytic procedure(s). a. Identify 2 or 3 initial assertions based on your interpretation of the interview data. Discuss how you arrived at each assertion. Click or tap here to enter text. b. Synthesize your initial assertions into a key assertion about the central phenomenon in your mock study. Click or tap here to enter text. Observation Data: 1. Review the Observation Guide you completed in Week 6, paying attention to your field notes and detailed narrative passages. 2. Compose 2 or 3 analytic memos triggered by your field notes. a. Memo 1: Click or tap here to enter text. b. Memo 2: Click or tap here to enter text. c. Memo 3: Click or tap here to enter text. 3. Compose a meta-memo that synthesizes the primary elements from your analytic memos into a new whole. Click or tap here to enter text. 4. Examine the results of your analytic procedure(s). a. Identify 2 or 3 initial assertions based on your interpretation of the observation data. Discuss how you arrived at each assertion. Click or tap here to enter text. b. Synthesize your initial assertions into a key assertion about the central phenomenon in your mock study. Click or tap here to enter text. Part II: Reflection Write a 700- to 1,050-word reflective essay about your experience applying qualitative research methods and the knowledge you have gained from this course. Include your essay in the space below. The strength of qualitative research method gained from this course is the ability to provide complex textual descriptions of how people experience a given research issue. It provides information about the “human side of an issue that is, the often-contradictory behaviors, beliefs, opinions, emotions, and relationships of individuals. It seeks to understand a given research problem or topic from the perspectives of the local population it involves. Qualitative research is especially effective in obtaining culturally specific information about the values, opinions, behaviors, and social contexts of populations. In the qualitative methods are also effective in identifying intangible factors, such as social norms, socioeconomic status, gender roles, ethnicity, and religion, whose role in the research. Although findings from qualitative data can often be extended to people with characteristics similar to those in the study population, gaining a rich and complex understanding of a specific social context or phenomenon typically takes precedence over eliciting data that can be generalized to other geographical areas or populations. In this sense, qualitative research differs slightly from scientific research in general. One advantage of qualitative methods in exploratory research is that use of open-ended questions and probing gives participants the opportunity to respond in their own words, rather than forcing them to choose from fixed responses, as quantitative methods do. Qualitative research is conversational, it is important for data collectors to maintain clear boundaries between what they are told by participants and what they tell participants. The three most common qualitative methods, explained in detail in their respective modules, are participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. Each method is particularly suited for obtaining a specific type of data. Participant observation is appropriate for collecting data on naturally occurring behaviors in their usual contexts. In-depth interviews are optimal for collecting data on individuals‘ personal histories, perspectives, and experiences, particularly when sensitive topics are being explored. Focus groups are effective in eliciting data on the cultural norms of a group and in generating broad overviews of issues of concern to the cultural groups or subgroups represented. Even if it were possible, it is not necessary to collect data from everyone in a community in order to get valid findings. In qualitative research, only a sample (that is, a subset) of a population is selected for any given study. The study’s research objectives and the characteristics of the study population (such as size and diversity) determine which and how many people to select. In this section, we briefly describe three of the most common sampling methods used in qualitative research: purposive sampling, quota sampling, and snowball sampling. As data collectors, you will not be responsible for selecting the sampling method. The explanations below are meant to help you understand the reasons for using each method. Conversation is a social act that requires give and take. As qualitative researchers we “take” a lot of information from participants and therefore can feel a strong need to “give” similar information in return. People also enjoy talking about what they hear and learn, and researchers are no different. It may be tempting to pass along seemingly inconsequential information from one participant to another. Strategies for protecting confidentiality are described throughout in each of the method modules. But some situations will require unique strategies. The ways in which confidentiality might be breached should be carefully considered before data collection begins and explicit strategies be put in place for protection. The research question is always of secondary importance. This means that if a choice must be made between doing harm to a participant and doing harm to the research, it is the research that is sacrificed. Fortunately, choices of that magnitude rarely need to be made in qualitative research. But the principle must not be dismissed as irrelevant, or we can find ourselves making decisions that eventually bring us to the point where our work threatens to disrupt the lives of the people we are researching. Another advantage of qualitative methods is that they allow the researcher the flexibility to probe initial participant responses that is, to ask why or how. The researcher must listen carefully to what participants say, engage with them according to their individual personalities and styles, and use “probes” to encourage them to elaborate on their answers. Coding: Adapted from IMA IMA EDUCATIONAL CASE JOURNAL VOL. 10, NO. 3, ART. 1, SEPTEMBER 2017 ISSN X Peregrine: The CNC Machine Decision Tony Bell Thompson Rivers University Dr. Andrew Fergus Thompson Rivers University INTRODUCTION It was another sleepless night for Brian French. As a new father, French had grown accustomed to sleep deprivation, but on this night, it was his business—not his newborn daughter—that had him tossing and turning. French was the president and co-owner of Peregrine, a Vancouver-based manufacturer of custom retail displays that were used in stores, banks, and art galleries. Peregrine had been working on a display for Best Buy when one of the company’s two computer-numerical-control (CNC) machines broke down. When the machine went down, French watched progress on the Best Buy job slow to a halt. Although French had been assured that the CNC machine would be back up and running within 24 hours, the breakdown revealed a deeper problem: the CNC machines represented a major bottleneck for Peregrine, and if this machine was down for more than the promised 24-hour period, the Best Buy job could not be completed on time, and workers would need to be sent home. French was frustrated by this predicament and was determined to make the changes necessary to ensure it would not happen again. PEREGRINE In 2012, French left PricewaterhouseCoopers to purchase Peregrine along with two co-investors. The investment team had been looking for an opportunity to purchase a company with a successful track record and a founder who was ready for retirement; Peregrine had fit the bill. Founded in 1977, Peregrine had been operated profitably for 35 years in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Peregrine, the investors would be acquiring a company with a history of success and an experienced team that had expertise in manufacturing a wide array of custom plastic products. When Peregrine was acquired in 2012, it had employed 6 people and had $600,000 in sales. Under French’s management, the company had grown to more than 30 employees and more than $6 million in sales by 2016. THE CNC MACHINE DECISION When the CNC machine broke down, it was a wake-up call for French. The production line was dependent on both CNC machines working full time—if they slowed down or needed repair, the business suffered. French believed the key to relieving this bottleneck would be increasing capacity. It not only would prevent downtime but also would allow the company to take on new business. If capacity increased, French estimated that sales revenues would rise by at least $50,000 per month due to unmet demand and increased efficiency. The company’s margins on the additional revenues were expected to be 35%. French saw two viable options to increase capacity: 1. Purchase an additional CNC machine for cash, or 2. Finance the purchase of an additional CNC machine. French considered the details of each option, keeping in mind that for long-term projects he would use a discount rate of 7%. OPTION 1: PURCHASE A NEW CNC MACHINE WITH CASH Although it would be costly, the idea of adding a third CNC machine appealed to French. It would provide him peace of mind that if there were a breakdown, jobs would continue on schedule. French’s preliminary research revealed that the cost of the new equipment would be $142,000. He also estimated that there would be increased out-of-pocket operating costs of $10,000 per month if a new machine were brought online. After five years, the machine would have a salvage value of $40,000. Although Peregrine did not have the cash readily available to make the purchase, French believed that with a small amount of cash budgeting and planning, this option would be feasible. OPTION 2: FINANCE THE PURCHASE OF A NEW CNC MACHINE The company selling the CNC machine also offered a leasing option. The terms of the lease included a down payment of $50,000 and monthly payments of $2,200 for five years. After five years, the equipment could be purchased for $1. The operating costs and salvage values would be the same as option 1, the purchasing option. The company had the necessary cash on hand to make the down payment for the lease. With both the leasing and purchasing options, the company had sufficient space to operate the new equipment, and French believed he had almost all of the right employees in place to execute this plan. ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS: 1. Quantitative Analysis: Compute and compare the net present value and payback period of each option. 2. Qualitative Analysis: In a 2-3 page report, make a recommendation for French. Be sure to provide a written analysis of the results of your quantitative analysis (do not copy and paste Excel worksheet into your document). Critically analyze both options and support your recommendation with a minimum of 3 academic resources.