Below are three scenarios. Indicate how the researcher should proceed in each case; that is, determine the following, giving reasons:
a. Type of research question (exploratory, descriptive, or causal).
b. The extent of researcher interference
c. The study setting
d. The research strategy
e. The time horizon for the study
f. The unit analysis
Scenario 1
A specific department within an organization has a high turnover rate; employees of this department have a shorter average tenure than those of other departments in the company. Skilled workers are leaving and the worker population contains a high percentage of novice workers. Ms. Joyce Lynn has no idea what is going on and wants to know more about what is happening.
Scenario 2
Mr. Paul Hodge, the owner of several restaurants on the East Coast, is concerned about the wide differences in their profit margins. He would like to try some incentive plans for increasing the efficiency levels of those restaurants that lag behind. But before he actually does this, he would like to be assured that the idea will work. He asks a researcher to help him on this issue.
Scenario 3
A manager is intrigued as to why some people seem to derive joy from work and get energized by it, while others find it troublesome and frustrating.