Instrumentation - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY - An investigation into the attraction, engagement and r

1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1.6.8 Instrumentation

measure absorption (Carnahan, 2013:43). Since as early as 1999, studies have been performed using the UWES and have shown that the scale is a valid tool that can be used to measure employee engagement (Carnahan, 2013:43). The study made use of all the UWES items. The UWES, according to Schaufeli and Bakker (2004:14), is reliable and internally consistent, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.93. Similarly, Cronbach's alpha values for all three UWES measures were greater than 0.9 in Roberts’s (2014) study, indicating that the measuring instrument is reliable. Likewise, Vosloo’s (2015:60) study revealed that collectively all three measures of the UWES indicated a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.92. In addition, the reliability analysis of Bakar (2013:117) showed a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.89, indicating good reliability and internal consistency.

Furthermore, the Retention Factor Scale (RFS) was adapted to measure the retention of women employed in technical mining positions. The RFS is included in Döckel’s (2003) dissertation titled

“The effect of retention factors on organisational commitment: an investigation of high technology employees”, which is available through the University of Pretoria’s Institutional Repository, which provides open access to scholarly articles and conference papers resulting from university-based research (Olivier, 2015). Döckel (2003) developed the RFS to measure respondents’ satisfaction regarding retention factors. The scale was adapted to measure the retention of women in technical mining positions. The different items were used as follows:

 Organisational commitment has 18 items; 11 of those were used.

 Compensation and benefits have 13 items; six were used.

 Job characteristics, training and development opportunities, career development and supervisor support have 22 items collectively; 13 were used.

 Work/life policies have four items; all of them were used.

 Likelihood of staying or leaving the organisation has three questions, of which all were used.

Döckel (2003) confirmed the construct validity and reliability of the scales.

Finally, the researcher developed a self-constructed scale consisting of 11 items to assess the broad factors that influence the attraction, engagement and retention of women in technical mining positions. The scale’s items were informed by the literature review that identified perceived factors influencing the attraction, engagement and retention of women in mining, in particular. The scale’s primary objective was to ascertain what factors women in technical mining positions believe are critical for their attraction, engagement and retention. The scale’s reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and its construct validity using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The results are discussed in detail in Chapter 5.

The questionnaire was scripted and converted into a web-based questionnaire through the assistance of North-West University’s Statistical Consultation Services using Google Forms.

Google Forms is a free Google application that enables users to rapidly develop and distribute questionnaires (ICIT Technology Training and Advancement, 2020:3; Mondal et al., 2018:218).

Computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones are all compatible with the format of Google Forms questionnaires (Rohmah et al., 2018:178). In addition, Google Forms questionnaires are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, time-efficient, provide accurate recapitulation of responses, and are uncomplicated to complete (Rohmah et al., 2018:180).

1.6.8.2 Qualitative phase

An interview schedule developed by the researcher was used to conduct semi-structured interviews (see Annexure B). The interview schedule was sent to the participants prior to the interview to familiarise them with topics covered in the interview. The schedule included the following topics:

 Section A included an introductory section highlighting the participants’ organisations, their job title and their role within the organisation.

 Section B covered factors influencing the attraction of women to technical mining positions.

 Section C probed the engagement of women employed in technical mining positions.

 Section D explored factors influencing the retention of women in technical mining positions.

 Section E entailed an open question that aimed at establishing additional commentary concerning the attraction, engagement and retention of women in technical mining conditions.

1.6.8.3 Pre-testing of the instruments

Three procedures of pre-testing were used to ensure that the questionnaire was fit for purpose.

First, the statistician (Professor Suria Ellis at the Statistical Consultation Services, North-West University) reviewed the questionnaire to ensure that the questions posed were relevant to the research objectives and identified questions that would have been difficult for respondents to comprehend and could have resulted in biased responses. Secondly, the questionnaire was piloted among selected women in technical mining positions to assess their understanding and interpretation of the questions posed. The pre-test identified questions that were unclear or challenging to comprehend and detected errors or inconsistencies discovered by respondents while responding to questions. Thirdly, the questionnaire’s hyperlink was tested before dissemination. The link was tested to determine whether the questionnaire was working adequately electronically. Those who tested the link identified challenges they experienced while

completing the web-based questionnaire. They provided feedback on the layout of the questionnaire, i.e. whether it was user-friendly, checked logic instructions such as skips and the ability to type open-ended questions and also provided feedback on the length of the questionnaire.

Furthermore, the researcher pre-tested the interview schedule with people working in the mining industry who are knowledgeable about women in mining to determine their understanding and interpretation of questions and identify questions that were challenging to understand, as well as the length of the interview.

In addition, a professional editor also double-checked the spelling, wording, sentence structure and flow of both instruments. The final instruments incorporated the feedback from the pilot tests and those of the statistician and editor.

Dalam dokumen An investigation into the attraction, engagement and retention of women employed in technical mining positions, South Africa (Halaman 43-46)