Expert answer:Discussion Question: Becoming a Business Partner
Solved by verified expert:An approach to learning more is to conduct research – qualitative or quantitative.
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Becoming a Business Partner
Introduction and Alignment
Fitz-enz (2009) identifies five ways for the HR professional to become more business savvy:
1.Know your business.
2.Learn to work with your CEO and board to build shareholder value.
3.Absorb all that you possibly can.
4.Master workforce performance assessment.
5.Become an outsourcing and offshoring expert (pp. 36-38).
In this discussion assignment, you can start to become a better business partner by becoming more
business savvy. It is a first step toward linking three levels – the enterprise, the business unit, and
human capital – by means of the HR function to generate stakeholder value. You will read further about
qualitative research methods and then use one method to learn more about your organization. You will
use that new knowledge to enhance your understanding of worker behavior and/or business processes
to facilitate better understanding of the phenomenon you have chosen to investigate.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
•Interpret information related to an organization’s operation from internal sources, such as finance,
accounting, business development, marketing, human resources, sales, operations, and information
technology, for the purpose of providing competitive human-resources intelligence toward
development and achievement of an organization’s strategic plan.
Resources
•Textbook: The ROI of Human Capital
•Article: Applying Qualitative Methods in Organizations: A Note for Industrial/Organizational
Psychologists
Background Information
The first step to becoming more business savvy is to know your business. A way to do this is to “learn as
much as you can about the technology, marketing, finance, and production side of your organization”
(Fitz-enz, 2009, pp. 36-37). An approach to learning more is to conduct research – qualitative or
quantitative.
Qualitative research is a class of research methods in which the investigator takes an active role in
interacting with the participants he or she wishes to study (Muchinsky, 2003)…[while] quantitative
methods, on the other hand, rely heavily on tests, rating scales, questionnaires, and physiological
measures (Stone-Romero, 2002). Thus, while quantitative research produces results in numbers,
qualitative research produces flow diagrams and narrative descriptions of events or processes. (Landy &
Conte, 2004; Strauss & Corbin, 1990; as cited in Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005, pp. 621-622)
Several qualitative research methods are available, such as observation, interview, ethnography, focus
group discussions, Delphi technique, nominal group technique, and projective techniques (Ehigie &
Ehigie, 2005).
Instructions
1.Read Chapter 2, Section: “How to Become a Business Partner,” in the textbook, The ROI of Human
Capital.
2.Download and read the article via “Applying Qualitative Methods in Organizations: A Note for
Industrial/Organizational Psychologists”.
3.Navigate to the threaded discussion below and respond to the following:
a.Before conducting research for your initial post, complete Steps i. through iv:
i.Identify a phenomenon as your focal topic for conducting internal research in your organization or one
with which you are familiar. Phrase the topic in the form of a question.
ii.Select an appropriate method for conducting your research from one of the three observational
methods identified by Ehigie and Ehigie (2005): simple, participant, and archival data sources.
1.“Simple observation involves observing and recording behavior in its natural context” (Ehigie & Ehigie,
2005, p. 623). Simple observation can obtrusive or non-obtrusive, which addresses whether the
individuals being observed are aware they are being observed (obtrusive) or are not aware they are
being observed (non-obtrusive).
2.“Participant observation is similar to simple observation, but in this case the observer is also a
participant in the event he or she is studying” (Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005, p. 623).
3.“Archival data sources [method] utilizes any form of data or records that exist, independent of
research being conducted” (Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005, p. 623).
iii.Determine whether the observation will be naturalistic or systematic. “In a naturalistic observation,
the researcher makes observation in a particular natural setting or field, over a period of time [(note the
two-hour example given in the article)]. In systematic observation, the researcher carefully conducts
observations on one or more specific behaviors in a work setting” (Ehigie & Ehigie, 2005, p. 623).
iv.The following examples are provided to further clarify what is expected and to generate potential
ideas:
1.A simple, non-obtrusive, naturalistic inquiry might observe employees over a two-hour timeframe,
asking the question: What is the assessed level of job satisfaction of the employees, based on their
observable behaviors?
2.2. An example of participant observation in a naturalistic setting (which includes self-observation)
might ask a question involving the five forms of power identified by French and Raven (as cited in
Mindtools, 2013): Based on observable behavior, which forms of power are exhibited (i.e., legitimate,
reward, expert, referent, and coercive), and by whom, during the monthly executive meeting?
3.Use of the archival data sources method might pose the question: What workplace safety trends
(positive and/or negative) can be deduced from the organization’s annual OSHA Form 300 for the last
three years?
b.Conduct your research.
c.Applying Qualitative Methods:
i.State your research question and identify which of the three observation methods you used to conduct
your research in support of the question.
ii.In one or two sentences, briefly state the significance of the research from a human-resources
perspective. In other words, you are to provide the “so what?” response to explain the purpose of the
study.
d.Becoming Business Savvy:
i.Summarize your research findings.
ii.Briefly describe the HR implications of the research findings.
4.Provide a detailed post that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking. Your initial response
posting on each topic should be 200-300 words long and include two academic resources that are
properly cited.
…
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