angkiangco-150-words-reply-1

noting specific advantages of using a systematic approach to work through research problems. Ask at least one question in response to an original peer post that you would like the author to explore further. no plagiarize, spell check, and check your grammar. Please use the reference below

When choosing a research design, researchers have several options to choose from: one being a quasi-experimental design that can be utilized when it is impossible for randomization or control (Malec & Newman, 2013). Recently at work, we implemented an incentive with the hope to increase productivity. I understand this to be a quasi-experimental single-group interrupted time series design. We have been observing staff’s productivity for the past 3 months and have decided to intervene. They have all been given the opportunity to receive a 5% increase to their base pay if they are able to achieve 98% or higher in their productivity. The whole group of staff is part of the experimental group. We are not able to have a control group and we cannot control several variables such as managers increasing their support or the upcoming holiday season increasing morale. The one intervention being introduced could potentially result in higher productivity for the company. The independent variable in this experiment would be the incentive introduced to employees. The dependent variable in this experiment would be productivity.

In order to make this a true experiment, there would need to be a control group as well as an experimental group. To better control it as a true experiment, we would need to randomly assign some employees as eligible for the incentive while others not given the opportunity. A true experimental design has more control as well as potentially more validity to the results.

A quasi-experimental design is often preferred over true experimental designs when ethics or personal characteristics come into play (Malec & Newman, 2013). A person’s gender, race, religion cannot be manipulated so if those are potential variables being studied, a quasi-experimental design should be used. While it may not be ethical to introduce drugs to adolescents, it is possible to utilize quasi-experimental designs to consider potential interventions for decreasing drug use in adolescents. In society, it is not always possible to control everything; when it is not possible to control a situation, quasi-experimental designs are preferred.

References

Malec, T. & Newman, M. (2013). Research methods: Building a knowledge base. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.