There are different ways in which authors or writers express their opinions to enhance understanding of the readers. This piece of work will look at a journal article; “Work Ethic Measurement of Vocational Students in Georgia” by Boatwright, R.J. and Slate, R.J. which is a mixed methods journal article that gives both quantitative and qualitative aspects associated with the topic of discussion.
In taking a two-phased mixed methods research, the authors of this article have tried to bring out the issues that relate to the topic of work ethics with much emphasis on the vocational students in Georgia. In the study, both qualitative and quantitative research methods have been utilized equally. The step of taking this research was based on the fact that the authors could not get effective evaluation instruments that could facilitate a deeper understanding of work ethic as a component taught in various technical institutes in Georgia. This is despite there being a considerable amount of literature relating to this issue (Boatwright and Slate, 2000).
Although the article is lengthy due to a variety of comparisons, as depicted by the mixed research design, it is informative and leaves very few unanswered questions regarding the topic of discussion. The mixed research design, however, has some limitations in that it dictates some confusion which may leave a reader unsatisfied as the results from both methods ought to be compared.
The authors bring about the issue of work ethics and its importance stating that an individual ought to conform to certain behavior to fit in a certain organization. This issue has drawn a lot of attention to the extent of integrating work ethics as a course in the curriculum. Different ideas from different authors have been discussed critically and further research done to do away with any doubts or gaps that could have been left by previous research.
After the research, it was noted that commonly accepted work ethics gained considerable recognition and support. It is also clear that females portrayed stronger work ethics as compared to their male counterparts. This was achieved through a survey which was developed after critically analyzing content from relevant sources, utilization of two focus groups as well as systematic needs assessment (Boatwright and Slate, 2000).
In measuring the aspect of work ethics among the students, the authors used measurement instruments such as The Survey of Work Values, the Protestant Ethic Scale by Milton Blood. The Protestant Ethic Scale by Mirels and Garrett and a concise scale by Petty. All this helped in coming up with great results.
Some of the important issues that could be drawn from this article regarding work ethics include the fact that it is an important element that should be emphasized to ensure that organizations succeed in their activities. There is also a difference in what is taught in institutions and what is present in organizations and hence a need to match the two to avoid conflicts where people may find it difficult to adapt to organizational culture and ethics.
According to this article, work ethics means different things to different people and thus the existence of different definitions. All in all, work ethics entails some common attributes, for instance, honesty, and integrity, attendance and punctuality, observation of set policies and regulations, appropriate utilization of tools and resources, productivity, observation of safety procedures as well as productivity. These are extremely crucial for individuals and organizations that desire to prosper (Boatwright and Slate, 2000).
Reference List
Boatwright, R.J. and Slate, R.J. (2000). Work Ethic Measurement of Vocational Students in Georgia. Journal of Vocational Education Research, Vol. 25, 503-531.