Research Ethics and Article Critique

Research Ethics and Article Critique

Introduction

Employee turnover is among the main challenges in the hospitality industry. Michael and Fotiadis (2022) review the causes of employee turnover in the hospitality industry and the approaches organizations use to reduce turnover. The authors argue that HRM practices play a vital role in promoting or eliminating the causes of employee turnover. For example, HRM practices that focus on creating a conducive workplace environment reduce employee turnover by keeping employees motivated and happy in the workplace. On the other hand, HRM practices that put too much pressure on employees promote employee turnover by creating job dissatisfaction. Therefore, HRM practices in the hospitality industry should focus on preserving the human element in the organization because the human element is the foundation of all operations in the hospitality industry.

Problem Statement

Employees play a vital role in helping organizations meet their goals. The hotel industry relies on employees to meet customer expectations and set standards to win a competitive advantage. However, the industry has faced an increase in employee turnover over the past decade because of job demands created by stiff competition within the industry. According to Dogru et al. (2023), employee turnover in the hospitality industry increased to approximately 65% during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also indicates that the turnover rate in the hospitality industry is almost 70 to 80% (Rasheedi,2022). Therefore, it is important to understand the causes of employee turnover in the hospitality industry to reduce it. Reducing employee turnover in the hospitality industry is important for all stakeholders. For example, reducing turnover can benefit organizations by reducing the costs incurred in hiring and training new employees, which could reduce overall operational costs. Addressing the factors that cause turnover can also benefit customers because they can get reliable services when a hotel has enough staff.

Purpose of the Study

Michael and Fotiadis (2022) state that the purpose of their study is to examine the concept of employee turnover in the hotel industry in Dubai. The main possible weakness in the stated purpose is that it is too wide. For instance, it does not mention which aspects of employee turnover will be discussed in the study, such as the causes or impact of turnover in the hotel industry in Dubai.

Research Question

1. Why do four and five-star hotels in Dubai experience employee turnover?
2. How can HR reduce employee turnover?

Methodology and Design

Michael & Fotiadis (2022) use qualitative research methods in their research on employee turnover in the hospitality industry. The qualitative method was best for this investigation because the data required to answer the research questions included the perceptions of employees on the causes of turnover and how HR can help reduce turnover. Therefore, the qualitative method was the best approach because qualitative research focuses on gathering the views of research participants on an issue. For example, the qualitative method would be effective in collecting data on why employees in the hotels in Dubai quit and the strategies that the hotels are adopting to reduce employee turnover based on the narratives provided by the research participants. The quantitative research method would not work because the study does not require gathering statistical data, and it focuses on the views and experiences of the research participants, which cannot be quantified.

Research Ethics

According to Taquette and Souza (2022), qualitative research includes various ethical considerations that may create ethical dilemmas. One of the considerations is informed consent. Researchers must obtain informed consent from the research participants before they start participating in the study. Arifin (2018) argues that obtaining informed consent from the research participants includes freely giving consent, ensuring that the research participants understand what is expected of them, and ensuring that the participants are competent to consent. The informed consent form should inform the research participants that the research will maintain anonymity and confidentiality and that the researcher will protect the data gathered during the research. Anonymity, confidentiality, and data protection are key ethical considerations in qualitative research. Researchers must ensure that the identity of the research participants is not disclosed to a third party and maintain the confidentiality of the information shared by the participants during the research. Researchers must also take various measures, such as data encryption and passwords, to protect data at every stage of the study. Michael & Fotiadis’s (2022) research observes these ethical considerations because they did not disclose the names of the research participants. The researchers also mentioned that the research participants were issued a consent form. However, the researcher should avoid interviewing employees from the same hotel to minimize the risk of breaching the participants’ anonymity.

Analysis

Michael & Fotiadis (2022) collected data from the research participants using interviews. The authors state that they conducted 14 in-depth interviews with 17 participants because they achieved data saturation. They also mentioned that in two interviews, the respondents were interviewed together because they were from the same chain or hotel and had requested to be interviewed together. However, other employees from different hotels were interviewed differently. Interviews were most appropriate for the study because the researchers needed a detailed explanation of the factors that cause turnover based on the participants’ experiences. According to Dunwoodie et al. (2022), interviews allow research participants to share their desires, opinions, attitudes, prejudices, and feelings. Therefore, interviewing employees in the hotel industry would enable the researchers to gather a wide range of data to address the research questions because each employee has different opinions on the causes of turnover and the approaches that HR can use to reduce turnover.

The data from the interviews was then analyzed using content analysis. Content analysis was appropriate for the research because each participant’s response contained unique content expressed through specific phrases that could be used to address the research questions. Content analysis is appropriate in qualitative research because it helps researchers determine the presence of certain concepts, themes, or words (Drisko & Maschi, 2015). Therefore, content analysis would enable the researcher to easily cod the data gathered from the interviews by focusing on the specific concepts in the interviewees’ responses, thus increasing the effectiveness of the data analysis process.

Other Procedures

Although the study was conducted effectively by gathering data through interviews, the researchers could also have considered using surveys to reach more employees in the hospitality industry in Dubai. The surveys could have been distributed online to maintain the anonymity of the participants and increase the number of participants that the researchers could have selected to gather more information. The researchers could also have used thematic analysis to analyze the data from the research participants by identifying the themes in their responses.

Conclusion

Generally, the article is of great quality because it provides a detailed analysis of the responses provided by the participants to address the research questions. The article also provides direct quotes of the responses provided by the research participants, thus enhancing the reliability of the information used to draw the conclusions in the study. Another factor that enhances the quality of the research is the detailed description of the research process, including how data was collected and analyzed and the participants involved in the research.

References

Arifin, S. (2018). Ethical Considerations in Qualitative Study. 30 International Journal of Care Scholars, 1(2). https://doi.org/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328019725_Ethical_Considerations_in_Qualitative_Study

Dogru, T., McGinley, S., Sharma, A., Isık, C., & Hanks, L. (2023). Employee turnover dynamics in the hospitality industry vs. the overall economy. Tourism Management, 99, 104783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104783

Drisko, J. W., & Maschi, T. (2015). Qualitative content analysis. Content Analysis, 81–120. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190215491.003.0004

Dunwoodie, K., Macaulay, L., & Newman, A. (2022). Qualitative interviewing in the field of work and Organisational Psychology: Benefits, challenges, and guidelines for researchers and reviewers. Applied Psychology, 72(2), 863–889. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12414

Michael, N., & Fotiadis, A. (2022). Employee turnover: The hotel industry perspective. Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing, 8(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/272316/1/8-1-4.pdf

Rasheedi, A. A. (2022, November 26). Employee turnover in the hospitality industry? LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/employee-turnover-hospitality-industry-abdulrahman-al-rasheedi#:~:text=There’s%20always%20going%20to%20be, closer%20to%2070%2D80%25.

Taquette, S. R., & Souza, L. M. (2022). Ethical dilemmas in qualitative research: A critical literature review. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 160940692210787. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221078731

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Visit the NU Library. Locate a qualitative peer-reviewed article that relates to your research interest. Then, write a critique of the article incorporating the concepts learned in this course.

Using complete paragraphs and APA formatting, identify and explain the following:

Introduction – Write an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement and background information about the problem.

Problem statement – Use the scripted statement from Week 1 to identify and analyze the stated problem for completeness.

Research Ethics and Article Critique

Purpose of the study – Use the purpose statement to identify possible weaknesses in the stated purpose.

Research question – Remember that qualitative research questions are how or why queries.

Methodology and design – Explain why the qualitative method was best for this investigation and rationalize why other designs would not be appropriate. Identify the chosen design and why other designs would not work.

Research ethics – Based on your progress with the CITI modules and assigned readings, identify ethical considerations associated with qualitative research and proffer solutions or processes to minimize risk to participants that the article does not address.

Analysis – Comprehensively analyze the research data collection and analysis procedures. Be sure to support each element of your analysis with scholarly sources that explain these procedures were the most appropriate for each study.

Other procedures – Discuss other data collection and analysis procedures that could have also worked for the study based on research regarding data collection and analysis procedures.

Conclusion – Conclude with an assessment of the overall quality of the article.

Length: 3-5 pages