Read the scenarios below:
Scenario 1: Jessica is a sociologist who studies culture in the workplace at Company Y. She is designing a research study to get a better understanding of differences in productivity between mixed-gender teams and teams whose members are of the same gender.
Scenario 2: There is growing concern over the issue of bullying in the local school district. Julius, who works in the school administration office, has been asked to design a research study to identify if the strict school policies (that some students and parents view as unfair) may be contributing to the increase of bullying.
For each scenario, address the following questions in paragraph form. Organize your paper with a heading for Scenario 1 and a heading for Scenario 2.
- Develop a research question for each research scenario.
- For each scenario, provide a clear research question that captures what the researchers (Jessica and Julius) are studying.
- Explain how each researcher should use the remaining steps of the sociological research process to answer the research question.
- For each step of the sociological research process, explain what the researcher should do to achieve the goal of that particular step. For example, during the data collection process, Julius might gather information about school policies; conduct interviews with students, parents, and teachers; and review data on school incidents reported to teachers or principals.
- Be sure to address all four steps that follow the development of a research question: (1) research design and literature review, (2) data collection, (3) data analysis, and (4) conclusion.
- Explain how each researcher can use the study results to inform decision making.
- Discuss how both researchers can use the results of their research to make decisions. For example, how might Jessica use the findings from her research to improve organizational culture, collaboration, and productivity in her workplace? Similarly, how might Julius use the findings from his study to propose and develop effective bullying policies?
Be sure to write in a well-organized and concise manner that adheres to the rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics.