The next article is really a sample dissertation methodology around the following dissertation subject: Impact of Technology on Recruitment in United kingdom Retail Banks: A situation study of Lloyds Banking Group.

The methodology depicts an assorted method research, using quantitative surveys and semi structured interviews.

Table of Contents

a. Research Philosophy:

The social realm of banks and graduates where this research relies exists externally and aren’t associated with the investigator hence they could be measured through objective methods instead of being deduced subjectively through reflection, sensation or intuition (Easterby-Cruz, 2002). This research would therefore adopt a positivist approach as credible data can just be derived through quantitative analysis of phenomena observed (Saunders et al, 2007). The social interpretivism philosophy, which aims to review and think about the interior feelings of participants, isn’t being employed within this study, because of the study’s research objective, which would be to determine the potency of online recruitment within an organization. Details regarding effectiveness are measured using objective means (for example rise in candidate application and decrease in costs), therefore warranting a positivist approach.

b. Research approach

Because of the positivist nature from the research, this research would adopt a deductive approach (Saunders et al, 2007). This method represents the most typical look at the connection between theory and research and results become out of this approach are developed through logical reasoning (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The information findings could be compared against existing literature to determine when they concur using what was already printed in the area of online recruitment.

c. Access

The opportunity to gather primary data in this study was determined by accessing a suitable source inside the organization. The amount that this source is suitable depends on the study question, related objectives and research designs (Saunders et al, 2007). Therefore, the investigator, like a friend of the worker inside the organization, was at a good position to obtain access inside the organization.

I contacted a friend who presently works within graduate recruitment at Lloyds TSB, and discussed the prospects of my dissertation. She spoke to many of her colleagues on my small account plus they agreed that i can conduct telephone interviews with 4 people from the graduate recruitment team, most of which have been there for typically 5 – ten years (reasons expatiated further within this chapter). Because of the non-intrusive nature of my research, there have been no objections or limitations elevated through the participants according to the questions requested or the objective of the research.

d. Research Strategy

This research would adopt a situation study strategy in answering the study question. Robson (2002) asserts the situation study strategy could be helpful if the purpose of the research would be to obtain a wealthy knowledge of the study perspective and also the process being endorsed. Therefore because this study aims to know the recruitment process within Lloyds TSB as well as any benefits connected with internet recruitment, a situation study could be best.

Two separate yet parallel approaches could be found in this research, and therefore are outlined within the table 1 below.

Table 1: Research Strategy

i. Quantitative Questionnaire

Quantitative methods mostly are utilized in the information collection procedure for research. It calls for data that’s either by means of, or expressed as figures (Easterby-Cruz et al, 2008). The quantitative questionnaires were passed out to 10 graduates and undergraduates. The questionnaire was mainly made with rating scale questions, where respondents were requested to condition their opinion or preference for the question on the proportions of 1 – 5. Secondary nominal data seemed to be incorporated to be able to determine the respondent’s status, application activity and preference. The quantitative questionnaire given to respondents is outlined in appendix. Quantitative questionnaires are helpful because the results derived are quantifiable and measurable against other variables within an objective manner (Saunders et al, 2007).

ii. Qualitative Semi Structured Interviews

Following a access grant to four people from the recruitment team inside the organization, 15 – 20 minute qualitative telephone interviews were transported out. A semi-structured interview is really a qualitative interview that’s based on a pre-set question guide. It aims to supply in-depth findings through informal discussions with participants (Collis and Hussey, 2003). This interview method was selected over unstructured or structured interviews, as this study promises to answer the study questions by asking specific questions, but less (unstructured) it generates useless data, and never so less (structured) so they won’t lose out on any unanticipated information.

The job interview questions within the semi-structured interview have been in appendix. The styles found in this research were derived mainly in the literature review and were essential in developing the questions which were elevated throughout the study. The semi-structured approach also provided the investigator having the ability to probe solutions. Answer probing was particularly helpful in responses whereby more explanation was needed to be able to completely understand the solutions. Because of the recent adaptation of internet recruitment, the semi structured interviews was directed at people from the team who’d observed or orchestrated the shift towards online recruitment, this way these respondents are the best in a position to respond to questions that report towards the comparison of each method.

Also, people from the online recruitment team being interviewed had different positions within recruitment and handled separate tasks. The questionnaires received for them in advance, once the approval was initially searched for, and every respondent find the questions that they are more qualified to reply to. And so the research was so that all respondents clarified some questions, although some others were clarified by a specific individual due to their understanding of this process. Table 2 outlines the respondent details as well as their interview theme.

Table 2: Interview Respondents and Questions requested

Each respondent were requested for his or her accept to interview, before the interview sessions, as well as requested to not have their names pointed out in order to prevent any kind of business backlash when the items in the research were construed in almost any other non-academic form, and distributed. They’ve therefore received imaginary names, in order to result in the research more readable.

e. Data Collection

i. Sampling Method

In line with the research objectives and also the issues to become investigated, it could have been most suitable if all recruitment employees inside the organization were interviewed. However, because of the time limitations and resource limitations natural within this study, a non-probability sample of people was selected. Saunders et al (2007) asserts that the non-probability sample is most frequently used when adopting a situation study strategy. A non-probability sample, as explained (Oppenheim, 2000), is really a sample where the possibility of each situation being selected in the people in this country isn’t known.

The examples of graduates which were selected to take part in the quantitative study are they canrrrt constitute a probability sample of graduates within London or United kingdom. Also, the amount of employees within Lloyds who required part within the qualitative study wasn’t sufficient to constitute a substantial area of the recruitment department within Lloyds TSB. And so the study focused more about the quantitative details from the thought of recruitment inside the organization, instead of theories expressed within the literature review, and just what graduates around the outdoors considered online recruitment.

ii. Primary Data Collection

In collecting data that may be analysed using quantitative means, Easterby-Cruz et al (2008) claims that researchers could collect either primary or secondary data. He further claims that though all these means get their merits and demerits, the gathering of one’s own data gives control of the dwelling from the sample and also the data acquired from each respondent. Additionally, it gives greater confidence the data collected would match the study objectives.

The investigator therefore made a decision to collect primary data from 20 graduates using questionnaires distributed-in-person to every respondent. It was done among buddies and colleagues inside the college who’ve utilized online recruitment systems. Data in the semi-structured interviews could be collected utilizing a tape recorder, and also the conversations with all of four employees could be transcribed sentence after sentence, and expression for expression. The benefits natural within this approach is it enables the investigator to document and find out patterns in words and feelings that wouldn’t be available if other kinds of interviews were conducted.

f. Analysis of Research Findings

i. Quantitative Data

The quantitative data collected throughout this research, although still in the raw form, is explained Saunders et al (2007) to be useless and conveying little information to many people. Univariates, that are total sample distributions of 1 variable at any given time (Oppenheim, 2005) was applied to analysing the regularity and percentage occurrence of every variable including both ordinal and nominal, category and rating scale questions. However an indepth correlation or bivariate analysis wasn’t conducted because of the low quantity of graduate respondents, as well as because of the fact the study was mainly worried about the point of view from the organization, and never always those of the graduates. Results could be analysed using Stand out and graphs could be attracted to analyse all data for the exact purpose of evaluating these to the qualitative study.

ii. Qualitative Data

Yin (2002) shows that in studies whereby the study question continues to be formulated in line with the literature review these theories which have been utilized in the postulation from the research question doubles in analyzing the findings. Therefore suggesting that the deductive method of data analysis could be required for theoretical driven studies.

According to these arguments, this research examined the qualitative findings using deductive methods. The findings from each respondent and questionnaire theme were examined based on the literature review topics discussed. Within the instance whereby different respondents had something to say of a specific issue, all of their opinions were recorded and considering within the analysis of findings. A well known fact sheet of findings based on the theory is highlighted in chapter 4. Full transcripts from the interview have been in the appendix.

The pattern matching procedure, as postulated by Saunders et al, (2007), could be found in this deductive analysis. It calls for predicting a design of outcomes according to theoretical propositions. These propositions are therefore examined within the data analysis process. This process involves the introduction of an analytical framework, utilizing existing theory, after which testing the adequacies from the framework as a way of explaining the findings (Saunders et al, 2007). Within the instance in which a pattern is located as initially predicted, it might be evidence that implies that there’s indeed a reason for findings.

g. Ethics

Blumberg, et al (2005) describes ethics as talking about the suitability of one’s conduct with regards to the legal rights of individuals who become the topic of an investigation project. Numerous ethical issues happen to be identified and elevated regarding this research. The problems, and steps come to alleviate such issues are discussed below:

• The organization might be secretive about some facets of its online recruitment, like the volume of graduates and marketing strategies to draw in graduates, which it might not like its competitors to understand about.
• Employees answering semi structured interviews might not be so prepared to discuss their personal opinion from the bank’s recruitment system, or the caliber of graduates received through their channels, in situation their response doesn’t really comply with the company and status the organization is attempting to construct (for example, the financial institution may pose being an equal chance organization which uses from diverse backgrounds, whereas they mostly only recruit students from top Oxbridge universities having a certain background). Information similar to this could pose difficulties when the bank eventually decides to broaden its pool of candidates and rehearse individuals from different backgrounds.

Aside from these ethical factors, not one other ethical dilemmas have been discovered with regards to this essay. Therefore, to be able to alleviate these problems, the questionnaire and interviews could be designed in a way that it doesn’t offend, harm, provoke or stress the participants by any means. Questions requested could be non-instrusive as no private information about names age or publish could be requested. Details about specific applicant quality and census of applicants’ recruitment wouldn’t be searched for.

Also, when it comes to graduate questionnaires which have been distributed, some candidates might think that answering these questions and including personal information may hamper or perhaps benefit them when signing up to stated organizations. And so the questionnaires would fully condition that it’s an instructional research and by no means is really a study conducted through the organization.

h. Limitations

• The main limitation of the research could be accessing graduates who have undergone online recruitment systems and applied particularly to Lloyds TSB. Graduates which have put on the financial institution are diverse in culture and geography. Therefore this research could be limited in the inability to survey a probability sample of graduates who’ve either used online recruitment or particularly put on Lloyds TSB previously.
• The readiness and capacity of staff to reply to questions with regards to graduate recruitment can also be impeded. Some staff might not be prepared to discuss sensitive issues for example their views, some might be reluctant to go over online recruitment in almost any ability to an exterior investigator for example myself, although some might not have the appropriate experience needed to reply to the majority of the questions elevated within this study. And so the listing of participants continues to be restricted to 4, which by no means represents a probability sample from the recruitment workforce inside the organization.
• There’s additionally a secondary limitation according to the experience with individuals staff that have fun playing the interviews. The perfect participants would normally have been employed in recruitment for more than ten years, and might have observed and took part in the transition from traditional to online recruitment inside the organization. However, only two participants answering this questionnaire are ‘ideal candidates’, another 2 happen to be working within recruitment in the last 2 – three years and were in no ability to discuss the transition between traditional an internet-based recruitment. However, their views remained as useful and contributed considerably towards the findings of the study.
• This research didn’t incorporate recent occasions like the merger between Lloyds TSB and HBOS. Additionally, it didn’t range from the recent government bailout and economic crisis affecting most United kingdom banking institutions. These details might have impacted on the caliber of graduate applications the organization received in the past three years, and may pose a shortfall within the information collected. However, including these details might have extended the boundaries from the study, past the number of words and capacity presently recognized.