The present study is aimed at the exploration of the importance of diversity management in US organizations. Given the rapid globalization of the society, the issue of diversity has been high on organizational agenda, with leaders trying to promote messages of inclusivity for facilitating engagement and teamwork. The purpose of the study will be presented from three perspectives: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches.
“A qualitative purpose statement intends to present relevant information about the central phenomenon of a study” (Creswell, 2014, p. 171). The present study contributes relevant literature addressing the issue of diversity management in the workplace through identifying and exploring practices that modern leaders use for facilitating engagement. The focus of the research is to determine whether diversity management plays a relevant role in organizational performance, reputation, and competitiveness.
A quantitative purpose statement differs from qualitative in that they present variables that get related, compared, or contrasted in a study (Creswell, 2014). The purpose of the present study is testing the theory that diversity management can improve the performance, reputation, and competitiveness of companies compared to organizations that do not conduct diversity management in the context of leadership at US companies.
A mixed-methods purpose statement has the unique characteristic of combining the features of quantitative and qualitative statements to offer a broader look at how different approaches can be used for coming to a conclusion. The purpose of the present study is to explore the phenomenon of diversity management in US organizations and to study its effects on performance, reputation, competitiveness, and other factors contributing to the efficient development of companies. The analysis is intended to find correlations between diversity management in the workplace and companies’ effectiveness.
Similar to approaches used for developing a purpose statement for a study, research questions also can be differentiated into qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods. As proposed by Agee (2009), “qualitative inquiries involve asking the kinds of questions that focus on the why and how of human interactions” (p. 432). Following this premise, the qualitative question for the present research is How can effective diversity management help US organizations in the age of globalization?
In contrast to qualitative research questions, the quantitative approach implies the mentioning of relevant variables that are being compared in a present study (Vosloo, 2014). Because of this, it is important first to choose the type of question a study is aiming to answer. Following this premise, the quantitative research question is what is the difference in the success of companies that implement and do not implement diversity management in the US organizational context of the age of globalization?
As mentioned previously, the mixed-methods approach implies the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Thus, a research question will demonstrate the need for using the two methods for coming to a conclusion. Following this premise, the mixed-methods research question for the present study is What is the usefulness of diversity management in US organizations as reflected in the comparison of companies that do and do not implement the process for improving performance, reputation, and competitiveness in the age of globalization?
Literature mapping is a tool used at the resource review stage of a study. Since finding relevant literature is relatively easy in the modern technology-driven world, researchers end up with large amounts of information that needs to be sorted. Thus, a literature map pertaining to the present study was developed for identifying relevant themes and topics as well as determining which ones of them should be included in the study. The literature map for the current study is presented below (Figure 1):
Upon the review of the two diagrams, it was discovered that not all aspects of them produce insights into what is going on with the variables of the study because making conclusions about this point will only be possible after the research is completed. Undoubtedly, the literature map is easier to use in the research, including testing. This is so because grounding new studies on available literature will yield more valid findings compared to presenting a new conceptual framework that is not supported by evidence. Also, distinguishing between the two diagrams is easy because the conceptual map deals with the topic of diversity management specifically while the literature map provides a presentation of a framework that can be used for analyzing relevant diversity management practices.
In the present study, a differentiation between the two conceptual maps will be explained by the fact that they serve not the same purpose. While the literature map is intended to help the researcher look at the available resources and choose the most relevant ones to use in the study, the conceptual map is more case-specific and deals with how organizations view the process of diversity management in the context of a globalized society. As to the implications of the two diagrams developed for the study, it is evident that the literature map will require the researcher to provide an analysis of literature in order to make conclusions about the importance of diversity management. The conceptual map, on the other hand, will imply the development of a framework to guide the work of organizational and human resource managers to use their leverage and expertise for hiring a diverse workforce.
Key assumptions and delimitations of the present study are associated with how the process of diversity management itself as well as the fact that most modern researchers agree on the importance of its integration. As to the assumptions, it is assumed that participants to be involved in the study will give truthful answers to survey questions. Also, it is assumed that both dependent and independent variables will be included in the study. With regards to relevant delimitations, they are necessary for setting boundaries on research theses. They include objectives, research questions, which have already been identified and the target population, which will include organizational managers.
References
Agee, J. (2009). Developing qualitative research questions: A reflective process. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22(4), 431-447.
Creswell, J. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Vosloo, J. (2014). Research design and methodology. Web.