COLLAPSE SUBDISCUSSIONBrian Weathersby Brian Weathersby YesterdayJul 29 at 8:17pmManage Discussion Entry My final research proposal focuses on recent studies and theory that surround the role of...

Brian Weathersby

My final research proposal focuses on recent studies and theory that surround the role of authenticity in societal advancement, especially from the viewpoint of minorities and women who often must culturally assimilate to have a chance at advancing in employment, thus restricting economic growth. Wilton et al XXXXXXXXXXconclude that many employers claim they covet diversity and inclusion but often, their minority and women workforce do not share similar views as the organization. Additionally, often the effects of centuries of racisms, both outward and systemic, are downplayed. Meghji & Saini XXXXXXXXXXconcluded that Black and South Asian post-racialism in the United Kingdom white-washes the damage of racism in social structures. A large majority of minorities lack the feeling of belonging at their place of employment. Levitsky XXXXXXXXXXstated that while 70 percent of white workers feel welcomed at their job, only 54 percent of black workers shared this sentiment and only 3 percent of black workers want to return to the office after Covid-19 due to the lack of inclusion and racially intolerant environments. Hennink, Hutter & Baily XXXXXXXXXXnoted that adding theory could hone research questions. Using the theory presented by these studies, additional research on how minorities and women both feel and approach inauthenticity in the workplace provides a foundation for changing not just the perceptions of minorities but also provides a framework for improving work environments. My research question is:

Does an inability to be authentic in the workplace prevent minorities and women from reaching their perceived potential.

References

Hennink, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A XXXXXXXXXXQualitative research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Meghji, A., & Saini, R XXXXXXXXXXRationalising Racial Inequality: Ideology, Hegemony and Post-Racialism among the Black and South Asian Middle-Classes. Sociology, 52(4), 671–687.

Levitsky, A XXXXXXXXXXJust 3% of Black professionals want to return to the office full-time, post-Covid. Silicon Valley Business Journal. https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2021/03/12/future-forum-remote-work.html

Wilton, L. S., Bell, A. N., Vahradyan, M., & Kaiser, C. R XXXXXXXXXXShow Don’t Tell: Diversity Dishonesty Harms Racial/Ethnic Minorities at Work. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(8), 1171–1185.

Deborah Carpenter

Research Questions

I have recently modified the focus of my dissertation topic from online students to online faculty, to have more realistic access to data and participants. This has created a shift in mindset, planning, and subsequent recrafting of research questions. Because research questions are not static and are instead adapted and refined (Hennink et al., 2011), I am hopeful that this shift will assist me in arriving at a niche that offers both a gap in the literature, as well as opportunities for me to use data to improve tools, process, and ultimately faculty performance in my current professional role.

My proposed research questions are as follows:

• What are faculty members’ perceptions about the impact of the Instructional Quality Review (IQR) tool on improving their instructional practice?
• What are faculty members’ perceptions about the IQR goal-setting conference on improving their instructional practice?
• What are faculty members’ perceptions about their interactions with their reviewer and how this impacts their conference experience?
• How could the IQR tool and corresponding conference be improved to help faculty want to achieve goals and improve their teaching?
• What motivators influence faculty members’ desire to implement feedback, achieve goals, and improve their practice?

Methodology

I will conduct a qualitative study, in order that after data collection and analysis, I am able to answer the questions above (Hennink et al., XXXXXXXXXXWhile the bulk of my study will be qualitative, I plan to use mixed research methods so that I can collect and analyze a greater amount of quantitative data initially from an entire department of associate faculty, and can then recruit participants for both focus groups and in-depth interviews. My plan is to use a triangulation approach to draw inferences, using qualitative and quantitative approaches within a single study (Hennink et al., XXXXXXXXXXThe advantage of using focus groups is that I can obtain a range of issues and opinions, which can be justified and clarified within the groups’ dynamic. Based upon the data I collect, I can then go more in-depth through personal interview to understand how personal context and feedback preferences impact the faculty evaluation experience and its likelihood to influence change in perceptions and behaviors. I might also characterize this as a phenomenological study, as it focuses on the lived, shared experiences of faculty members who undergo a similar evaluation and conference experience each year. I will certainly have to explore my own experiences, personal viewpoints, and assumptions in preparation for this study (Merriam & Tisdell, XXXXXXXXXXMy hope would be that discussing these ideas with my fellow peer researchers and receiving critical feedback (Hennink et al., 2011) will assist me in creating well-constructed, focused questions and a doable study for my dissertation.

References

Hennink, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A. (2011).Qualitative research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA:

SAGE.

Merriam, S. B., Tisdell, E. J. (2016).Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and

Implementation(4th ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. SAGE.