1. You decide that part of your study will be designed as an experiment. Sketch out in two pages or less (single spaced) an outline of an experimental design for this study.
2. How will you select subjects for your experiment? If you decide to select them with some kind of a random process, how would you carry this out? If you do not use a random process for selecting your sample of subjects, what impact will this have on the external validity of your study?
3. A little thought will show that your study is attempting to establish a causal connection between project management training and on-the-job performance. What internal validity issues do you need to address? What challenges will you encounter in trying to establish a causal relationship?
4. State a theory that will guide you in designing and executing your study. What constructs will you explore as building blocks of your theory? What construct validity issues will arise for each of the constructs?
1. The ABC Company providing financial services to the different business organizations has decided to trim the cost related to the training of the employees. This became more important for the company due to the downturn in the economy. The company should think about trimming the cost for the operations that can work with organizations culture. Otherwise the company would not be able to sustain due to the after effects of the cost reduction. Therefore, the company must ensure positive emotional commitment from the employees towards the taken decision (Nde, Boldor and Astete 2015). However, if the company has a committed work force even after the cost reductions then it will help the ABC Company to have the competitive advantage in the market even in the downturn of the economy.
In this case, the reduction in the cost of the training of the employees will have a huge impact on the efficiency of the project managers of the organization. The main functionalities like, planning, staffing, controlling, motivating and communication with the employees cannot be properly carried out by the project managers due to lack of knowledge in about the different principles related to this functions (Vera–Candioti, Teglia and Cámara 2016).
This study about the effeteness of the training for the project manager is designed as an experiment with the constraint of cost related to it. This study will try to address the questions of interest for the organization an accurate and precise way (Tang and Zhang 2013). While the organization is trying to reduce the cost by trimming the cost related to the corporate training of the project managers in the courses like basic project management training to the project portfolio management.
Another variable in this experiment is the clients of the ABC Company. The reduction in the cost of the training of the employees of the company will lead to the lack of knowledge of the project managers. From this, the project managers of the company would not be able to use the resources for the different projects (like, marketing projects, new product development projects, training projects, business process reengineering projects). Lack of the knowledge about the different principles of the management not only effect the ABC Company, but also jeopardize the relationship with its client organizations (Dinç, Ertekin and Rouhani 2015). As the project management is the use of learning, abilities, instruments and systems to a wide scope of exercises with a specific end goal to meet the prerequisites of the specific project for a company.
The training of the employees of ABC Company helps in developing competency for the different projects that are important in handling the different kind of projects like business process reengineering, marketing projects of the different client organization (Huan and Marzouk 2013). Therefore, a significant cut down in the cost will hugely affect the competency of the project managers to handle the projects. The lack of competency also leads to the lack of skills, that result in the inefficiency of the mangers in completing a project in a efficient and effective manner.
Through the training of the employees, the main objective of the company is too develop capabilities that will lead to the improvement in the cost structure, better allocation of the resources available to the organization (ABC company). The training of the employees also helps in improvement of the soft skills as well as in hard skills of the project managers (Sadeghi, Rad and Moghaddam 2014). In today’s business scenario, the soft skills acquired through the training process are useful in handling complex projects (Nde, Boldor and Astete 2015). In addition to that, it also helps in compensating the lack of the skills in the project team. These skills are also important for the project, as this helps in communicating the different stakeholders of the project to gather information about the requirements and the expectation of the different stakeholders.
For the above experimental study some of the hypotheses are made which are,
HP1: Higher level of skills of the project manager will help in compensating the lesser level of the task familiarity of the project manager.
HP2: Higher level of the project teams also can helpful in compensating the task familiarity of the project manager. This will help the organization (ABC Company) to be competitive in the market and also to be a successful one in the economic downturn.
2. Selection process of the subject: In this specific study the subjects are selected in the cluster sampling process. In this specific process of subject selection, the possible subsets of the subjects are eliminated in the starting of the process and only the randomly selected subjects are used in the study (Dinç, Ertekin and Rouhani 2015).
In case if the subjects are selected in a random process then, it will be cause in the biased selection of the subjects. In addition to that, when the subjects are selected from a small sample size then the selection may be affected by the Simpsons paradox (Huan and Marzouk 2013). In this kind of paradox, some trends appear when they are considered in different group of samples, but disappear when they are combined. This paradox is also known as the amalgamation paradox or reversal paradox.
If the subjects in the study are not selected in the random process then the external validity of the study will be impacted at a great extent. The reason behind this can be stated as most of the cases the subjects are selected in a biased way which would not be able to meet the results of the this study (Sadeghi, Rad and Moghaddam 2014). Thus the external validity of this study will be changed according to the selection of the subjects in the study.
3. Issues to be addressed in internal validity: In case of the experimental study of this particular company there are several issues that need to be addressed. Some of them are discussed below.
History: The unpredicted events that happen in the measurement of the different factors related to this experimental study (Nde, Boldor and Astete 2015). This happens due to the changes treatment of the factors involved in the study.
Statistical regression: The process of selecting the factors or the subjects also have effect on the internally validity of this particular study (Sadeghi, Rad and Moghaddam 2014). The extreme effects of the selected subjects will affect the internal validity of the results from this experimental study.
Experimental mortality: This challenge involves the differential loss of the participants or the subjects in the study. The effect of the loss of the subjects on the result of study has huge impact on the internal validity of the study.
Challenges in establishing casual relationship: While establishing casual relationship between the PM (Project management) training and on the job performance, there are several challenges that can be faced by the top management.
Non-associated variables: In case of establishing casual relationship between the two factors or subjects, then it is important to have some associated variable for both the subjects (Huan and Marzouk 2013). Therefore, lack of associated variables can lead to the failure in establishing the relationship.
Spuriously connected variables: While trying to establish casual relationship between the training and on the job performance it is not desired that, these two variables are connected through a spurious or third variable (Sadeghi, Rad and Moghaddam 2014). These spurious third variables act as obstacles in establishing the relationship.
4. Theory used in designing and executing the study: In case of developing this experimental design, the randomization theory is used. This theory is used in this study, as it is effective in elimination of the bias while selecting subjects and variables for this study (Dinç, Ertekin and Rouhani 2015). This is also helpful in developing homogeneous treatment groups for the case study. For the selected organization, the randomized sample must be taken in order make the results more reliable. This theory will also enhance the internal as well as external validity of the results collected from the study.
Restricted genaralizability of the constructs: This is related to the undesired consequences that are related to the construct validity (Nde, Boldor and Astete 2015). As an example it can be said that, after a study it is conclude that, a treatment X is effective for a certain scenario. Here the negative impacts of the treatment and the construct blocks used in the study.
Selection of the inadequate number of samples: In case building constructs from the experimental study, the most important thing is to consider and choose a adequate number of samples that can provide a strong validity to the constructs (Sadeghi, Rad and Moghaddam 2014).
References
Dinç, E., Ertekin, Z.C. and Rouhani, G., 2015. A New RP-UPLC Method for Simultaneous Quantitative Estimation of Bisoprolol Hemifumarate and Hydrochlorothiazide in Tablets Using Experimental Design and Optimization. Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies, 38(9), pp.970-976.
Eyring, V., Bony, S., Meehl, G.A., Senior, C.A., Stevens, B., Stouffer, R.J. and Taylor, K.E., 2016. Overview of the coupled model intercomparison project phase 6 (CMIP6) experimental design and organisation. Geoscientific Model Development, 9, pp.1937-1958.
Hsu, C.F., Dow, W.P., Chang, H.C. and Chiu, W.Y., 2015. Optimization of the Copper Plating Process Using the Taguchi Experimental Design Method I. Microvia Filling by Copper Plating Using Dual Levelers. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 162(10), pp.D525-D530.
Huan, X. and Marzouk, Y.M., 2013. Simulation-based optimal Bayesian experimental design for nonlinear systems. Journal of Computational Physics, 232(1), pp.288-317.
Johnson, F.R., Lancsar, E., Marshall, D., Kilambi, V., Mühlbacher, A., Regier, D.A., Bresnahan, B.W., Kanninen, B. and Bridges, J.F., 2013. Constructing experimental designs for discrete-choice experiments: report of the ISPOR conjoint analysis experimental design good research practices task force. Value in Health, 16(1), pp.3-13.
Larson, A.J., Belote, R.T., Williamson, M.A. and Aplet, G.H., 2013. Making monitoring count: project design for active adaptive management. Journal of Forestry, 111(5), pp.348-356.
Li, X., Cheng, G., Liu, S., Xiao, Q., Ma, M., Jin, R., Che, T., Liu, Q., Wang, W., Qi, Y. and Wen, J., 2013. Heihe watershed allied telemetry experimental research (HiWATER): Scientific objectives and experimental design. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 94(8), pp.1145-1160.
Nde, D.B., Boldor, D. and Astete, C., 2015. Optimization of microwave assisted extraction parameters of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) oil using the Doehlert’s experimental design. Industrial Crops and Products, 65, pp.233-240.
Sadeghi, S., Rad, F.A. and Moghaddam, A.Z., 2014. A highly selective sorbent for removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solutions based on Fe 3 O 4/poly (methyl methacrylate) grafted Tragacanth gum nanocomposite: optimization by experimental design. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 45, pp.136-145.
Tang, Q.Y. and Zhang, C.X., 2013. Data Processing System (DPS) software with experimental design, statistical analysis and data mining developed for use in entomological research. Insect Science, 20(2), pp.254-260.
Vera–Candioti, L., Teglia, C.M. and Cámara, M.S., 2016. Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of quinolones in porcine blood: Optimization of extraction procedure and CE separation using experimental design. Electrophoresis, 37(20), pp.2670-2677.
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