Research consultancy
CHAPTER THREE
This chapter discusses the methods that were used to conduct the study and focuses on the research design, scope, study population, sample size, sampling procedures, methods of data collection, validity and reliability, data processing and data analysis.
Cooper and Schindler (2011) define a research design as a blueprint that helps a researcher in gathering, evaluating, and analyzing data. It is through the research design that a researcher achieves the objectives. Hence, a research design is a general plan concerning the processes through which a researcher goes about to answer the research questions. This study used a descriptive research design to help in describing phenomena as they exist. A descriptive research design helps in gathering and identifying data concerning the characteristics of a certain phenomenon or problem. Therefore, the descriptive research design was significant in this study as it allows the gathering of extensive data and description of the findings.
According to Edwards, (2017) population is defined as the people that the investigator has in mind from whom he expects to get information. Population covers people in a specific area and in this case, the researcher targeted heads of training institutions, chefs and managers of five star hotels
A sample is a finite part of a statistical population whose properties are studied to gain information about the whole (Ginsberg, 2016). When dealing with people, it can be defined as a set of respondents (people) selected from a larger population for the purpose of a survey and the study used purposive sampling technique where each respondent had equal chance of being selected. A sample size of 12 respondents were selected for the study.
Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents that participated in the study.
3.5 Data Collection Methods and Tools
The study used questionnaires to gather the necessary information.
The questionnaire method is a set of questions used to obtain information from a large group of people in a given study (Amin, 2015). The questionnaire is an efficient data collection which has advantages of high complete responses within a short period. The questionnaire method also helps to reduce on the cost and time implications, besides enabling greater responses.
This includes the tools that were used to gather information regarding the topic of the study from the respondents.
A questionnaire is a carefully designed instrument for collecting data in accordance with the specifications of the research questions (Amin, 2015). The researcher used the questionnaire method to gather data from respondents. The questionnaires were both open and closed ended. Further the researcher believes that by using questionnaires it gave respondents a convenient time to fill them without any pressure
3.8 Data Presentation and Analysis
Data was analyzed using SPSS descriptively and the results were presented using tables.
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Validity refers to how well a scientific test or piece of research actually measures what it sets out to, or how well it reflects the reality it claims to represent. Validity was established by bringing in experts in order to check or provide guidance on the data collection tools. Validity determines whether the research truly measures that which it is intended to measure or how truthful the research results are.
Reliability refers to the degree to which an assessment tool such as interview guide produces stable and consistent results. The reliability of the questionnaire was established by carrying out a pilot study in Hotels in Kireka. The extent to which results are consistent over time and an accurate representation of the total population under study is referred to as reliability and if the results of a study can be reproduced under a similar methodology, then the research instrument is considered to be reliable. This enabled the researcher to ensure that the questions are prompting the type of responses she expects.
The study ethics were upheld during its conduct. Institutional approval was obtained through use of an introductory letter from Kyambogo University. Explanations and information about the study were given to participants that they used to make informed consent. Confidentiality and privacy of information obtained from the respondents were protected by the researcher. Objectivity was incorporated into the study where the researcher didn’t get emotionally involved with the respondents responses.
3.9 Limitations
The unfriendly respondents. This therefore means leaving out respondents as they might not be easily accessed.
With holding of information by the respondents.
Time, the time scheduled to carry out research was not enough that it limits the researcher.
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