Discussion Question

This research is very important for people with an intention of choosing a business model. It intends to compare the non-franchise and franchise models. It will also be useful for investors. Investors want to invest in business with a high return on investment. This study will be able to determine the possibilities of mismanagement, and collapse of business. Are there chances of unethical behavior in the workings of one type of business compared to the other?

The research could also be used by policy makers in creating policies that govern the running of the two models of business. By being able to identify the weaknesses of each type of business, policy makers may opt to create policies that counter them. Concepts like unethical behavior could be closely monitored, for example. On the other hand, taxes may be revised to encourage the establishment of one kind of business if it is more profitable to the economy of a host country. Worker’s unions may also be interested in learning the outcome of his research. The research will provide valuable information in regard to employees, compensation plans and employment plans. With this kind of information, they may be in a position to contest for the rights of employees with a good level of knowledge.

Stakeholders are also able to use this information in various ways. Stakeholders will be in a position to determine which areas of their respective business model require to be altered. Stakeholders may also be able to learn from the other business model so as to determine how best they can improve their business to increase productivity. Finally, stakeholders may identify the weaknesses of the travel industry as a whole and work towards eliminating them.

Writing task 1

Ethical Dimensions

The research adhered to strict ethical guidelines. It made sure that human subjects were treated according to IRB standards. Mistreatment of subjects was therefore out of the question. Human subjects were also not humiliated during research. With this regard, the survey questions were highly reviewed before being submitted to subjects. This eliminated those that had a potential of causing humiliation to the subjects. Furthermore, participants were allowed to offer information by mailing back the survey questions after completion of the survey questions. Participants were also informed that they had the right to skip any question they considered unethical or improper.

Contribution was strictly on consent. The participants were requested to sign a consent form that contained the information about how information provided would be used. Participants were also informed about the procedures that would be used as well as the time the research was expected to take. The participants were also informed of their right to withdraw from the research if they wished to. In this case, there would be no consequences on the part of the participant. Participants were also informed about any factors that would influence their choice to participate. They were made aware of the fact theta their confidentiality would not be broken even if they provided the researcher with their information. They were also given a contact number and address in case they wished to follow-up with questions or further information.

The research also respected the confidentiality and privacy of the participants. Observing the confidentiality and privacy of participants is vital to proper research practices. The American Psychologist Association (2003) advises using a set of increasingly sensitive questions so that participants can opt out of the research if they feel uncomfortable. This strategy was used in the research during face to face interviews and phone interviews.

Finally, participant’s information would be stored safely by all means. Private information would be kept separately with the data provided by the participants. If the researchers determined that they no longer needed the information, it would be destroyed so as to remove the risk. With these standards, it was determined that risk would be maintained at a basic minimum.

In conclusion, the research saw to it that all ethical standards were met. The APA research guidelines along with the IRB standards were used. The use of ethical standards is vital to proper research design. It serves to eliminate risk to human participants, eliminate abuse and promote the rule of law (UmassAmherst, 2014).

Writing task 2

Limitations

A few limitations were also present in the study. First, the study only used a sample nof 80 participants. The small sample size may present information that can be used to represent the entire trade industry. Recall bias may also have affected the research as the data was collected using the questionnaire method and one-on-one interviews. Courtesy bias may also have reduced the reliability of the research findings. In studies where personal reporting is used, various forms of biases may be involved. A participant may even opt to provide unreliable information. The sample selected involved top managers and executives. The top executives are also capable of protecting the image of their company by offering false information especially since they are held responsible for the operations of the company (Thampradit & Fongsuwan, 2014). An intensive literature review would also be conducted to counter the limitations. Major databases like ProQuest, EBSCOhost along with government and company websites would also be searched to provide further information on the issue. The literature review offered an extra opinion on which to compare results. Information that would be found to depart from the literature review very distantly would be handled with caution. The various participants would also be expected to provide relatively uniform information. Any data that would be seen to depart from the rest of the research would also be handled carefully.

Writing task 3

Research was conducted on a total of 80 participants. The participants were obtained from 8 Franchise business and 8 non-franchise businesses. Each business would provide about five of its top executives for the research. A total of five participants would be taken from each business. This would translate in a total of 40 participants for each business model. This sample was selected from total of over two thousand employees. The sample was selected using simple random method. The top twenty employees were to be included in the research. This is because they were more likely to know about the operations of the company (Tata & Rhodes, 1996). They were likely to offer more reliable information. The employees were then selected one at a time after which they were consulted to know if they would be interested in joining the research. Luckily, most of them were willing and so randomizing was never repeated to selected one individual. They were then sent the consent form being entering their first level of participation. Those who were found unfit for the research for one reason or the other were then replaced in a similar manner.

References

American Psychologist Association,. (2003). Five principles for research ethics. Retrieved 31 October 2014, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan03/principles.aspx

Tata, J., & Rhodes, S. (1996). Impression management messages and reactions to organizational reward allocations: The mediating influence of fairness and responsibility. Communication Quarterly, 44(3), 379–393.

Thampradit, N., & Fongsuwan, W. (2014). Knowledge Management, Responsibility and Organizational Factors that Affect Microfinance Support to Phuket, Thailand Entrepreneurs. Research Journal Of Business Management, 8(4), 508–522.

UmassAmherst,. (2014). IRB Guidelines – Activities Involving Human Subjects Research | UMass Amherst Research and Engagement. Retrieved 31 October 2014, from http://www.umass.edu/research/irb-guidelines-activities-involving-human-subjects-research