Chapter 1 Introduction and overview of the study
1.10 Research methodology
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the production and distribution of public services.
(d) The development of a more international agenda, increasingly focused on general issues of public management, policy design, decision styles and intergovernmental co-operation, on top of the older tradition of individual country specialisms in public administration (Cloete, 1998;15).
1.9.4 Behavioural theories
Motivation is the willingness to do something, and is conditioned by an action's ability to satisfy some need of the individual (Robbins, 1994:42). The basis of theories on human behaviour is careful observation. Motivation theories can provide managers in the selected HEI managers with a good indication of how people might behave in various circumstances.
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This study used a case study method. The reason for employing the case study approach, regarding workplace harassment and its impact on staff performance, was to study the phenomenon in a real-life situation. There is one fundamental principle underlying all case study approaches to research. McNabb (2002:287) states that
"the basic rationale for a case study is that there are processes and interactions … which cannot be studied effectively except as they interact and function within the entity itself”. What is learnt from one set of processes and interactions can then be applied to similar processes and interactions elsewhere. The study of workplace harassment and its impact on staff performance, using the selected HEI as a case study, can be replicated in other universities as well as in other organisations.
1.10.2 Literature review
An extensive literature review was conducted with the intention of obtaining a thorough understanding of the topic being researched, gathering evidence and appraising and applying the evidence to support all assertions. The literature review included electronic media in several databases, published papers, conference papers, newspaper articles, journal articles, dissertations and books3.
1.10.3 Data gathering techniques
The technique used to gather data in this research was administration of a questionnaire for primary data and thorough analysis of the literature for secondary data.
1.10.3.1 Primary data Questionnaire
Primary data was gathered using a purposefully-designed questionnaire. The procedure for the data-collection method was as follows:
The questionnaire was initially piloted at Ritson Campus of the selected HEI using 10 academic and non-academic staff members. A number of changes were made based on the results of the pilot study.
The improved, piloted questionnaire was hand-delivered to potential respondents.
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Emails were sent to remind respondents to complete and return the completed questionnaire.
Once respondents completed the questionnaire, it was either collected by the researcher or a designated individual sent them via the HEI’s internal mail service to the researcher.
The total population in 2012 of full-time staff at the selected HEI (both academic and academic support) was 1 319. All were potential participants, and of these a sample was selected of 200 respondents, including management, academic and non- academic staff in all six faculties, and with an equal balance of males and females.
African, Coloured, Indian and White staff were selected in proportion to their respective numerical distribution in the institution. To ensure that the sample was fairly representative of selected HEI staff demographics and legitimate eventual conclusion that the respondents' views broadly reflected those of academic and non- academic staff and management, a stratified random sampling method was used.
According to Babbie and Mouton (2001:233), a questionnaires is a collection of questions which enable the researcher to determine the extent to which a respondent perceives a particular issue. Fowler (1993:94) observes that designing a good survey instrument such as a questionnaire involves selecting the questions needed to meet the research objective, testing them to ensure their validity and organising them in a form that elicits the required responses. Well-designed questions provide reliable and valid measures for data collection. A number of criteria are used to determine the nature of the questions in a questionnaire, governing their relevance to the research questions, their approach, structure, content and wording with regard to the type of responses required (Foddy, 1993:131). There are two types of questionnaire:
Open-ended questionnaires, which enable the respondents to provide their views through a provision made for written responses; no specified choices are given. This question structure is most often used to study public opinion.
Answers to open-ended questions allow complex motivational influence and frames of references to be identified.
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Closed-ended questionnaire, in which a list of answers is provided and respondents select the one that closely represent their views. The response categories are usually exhaustive, so that the respondent is not compelled to select more than one answer (Foddy, 1993:131).
Questionnaires have several advantages. They are cheap, and they allow participants to answer the questions at their own convenience (Neuman, 2006:38). In addition, according to Babbie and Mouton (2001:162), using a questionnaire can reduce interviewer bias and provide anonymity for the participant.
Management
Self-completion questionnaires, sometimes referred to as self-administered questionnaires, were used to collect data. Research assistants were employed to administer the questionnaire at the selected HEI. Both closed-and open-ended questions were included in the questionnaire.
1.10.4 Secondary data
Secondary data was gathered from:
Literature on workplace harassment and the key issues that characterise the current situation in the workplace; newspaper articles and business reports that discuss the present effects of workplace harassment in different sectors including HEIs;
academic journals; relevant books; conference papers; government publications;
policy document; online sourcing using articles from the Internet relating to workplace harassment; and magazine reports on workplace harassment and bullying.