According to Singh & Masuku (2014), applying population and sample involves identifying the target population for the research project, selecting a representative sample from that population, and using that sample to conclude the entire population. It includes: (Define the Target Population - Identify the Sampling Frame - Choose a Sampling Technique - Select the Sample - Collect Data - Analyze Data - Generalize Results).
Data of the research institution:
- Name and Type: ZFP Partnership, A large-scale engineering firm supervising Saudi government projects (ZFP, 2023).
- Location: Saudi Arabia.
- Membership: I was an architect in this firm for over six years.
- Sample size inside the institution: 15 Consultant project managers & 15 Consultant engineers.
- The sample size outside the institution is 15 GC project managers, 15 GC engineers, and 30 neighbors to the construction sites.
Recruiting Participants:
To recruit participants for my research project, I will consider that ZFP is one of the largest consulting firms overseeing major government projects in Saudi Arabia (ZFP, 2023). Coordination for sampling will be straightforward, as I have the mobile numbers of consultant project managers and project managers for contracting companies and their engineers for 20 separate projects in Saudi Arabia.
Administering Survey Instruments and Qualitative Procedures:
Once I have identified my participants, I can administer my survey instrument and/or qualitative procedures using various modes of communication. These can include:
- Telephone or Video Interviews: I can conduct telephone or video interviews with my participants using Zoom, Skype, or Microsoft Teams (Saarijärvi & Bratt, 2021).
- Online Surveys: I can use online survey tools like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Qualtrics. I can email the survey link to my participants.
Privacy Issues and Concerns:
To address any privacy issues or concerns, I should take the following steps:
- Informed Consent: I should obtain informed consent from my participants, explaining the nature and purpose of the study, the procedures involved, and the potential risks and benefits.
- Confidentiality: I should ensure that the data collected from my participants is kept confidential and secure. I can store the data through specific online survey tools or password-protected files (Robbins, 2017).
- Anonymity: I can assure my participants of anonymity by removing any personally identifying information from the data collected. I can assign unique identification numbers to each participant to ensure confidentiality and anonymity.
The Five Demographics:
I will choose five items that are closely related to what is in the selected article (Prameswari et al. 2021):
- Age: Older participants may have more experience and knowledge about these topics, while Inger participants may have a more contemporary perspective.
- Gender: studies have shown that women are generally more environmentally conscious and concerned about social responsibility than men.
- Education: Participants with higher levels of education may have a better understanding of these topics and may be more likely to advocate for environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
- Occupation: construction workers may be more aware of the ecological impact of construction activities. At the same time, executives and managers may be more responsible for developing and implementing corporate social responsibility strategies.
- Geographic location: participants from urban areas may be more concerned about environmental pollution and sustainability than those from rural areas.
Challenging of Recruiting Participants:
- Time Constraints: Employees within the organization may be busy with their work responsibilities and may not have the time to participate in my research project. I may need to work around their schedules and find a convenient time and place for them to participate (Patel, Doku & Tennakoon, 2003).
- Trust and Buy-in: Employees within the organization may be skeptical about my research project or may not fully understand its purpose and relevance to their work. I may need to build trust and buy-in by clearly articulating the goals and benefits of my research project.
- Privacy and Confidentiality: Employees within the organization may be concerned about their responses' privacy and confidentiality. I must assure them that their responses will be confidential and anonymized to protect their identity.
Conclusion
Applying population and sample is essential for conducting valid and reliable research to draw meaningful conclusions about the people of interest. However, there are several challenges to recruiting participants and selecting a representative sample, including time constraints, trust and buy-in, privacy and confidentiality concerns, and resistance to change. To overcome these challenges, it is essential to establish clear communication channels, build relationships with key stakeholders, provide incentives, and be flexible in your approach. Applying population and sample can help researchers make informed decisions and advance knowledge in their respective fields.
References
Robbins, M. L. (2017). Practical suggestions for legal and ethical concerns with social environment sampling methods. Social
Psychological and Personality Science, 8(5), 573-580.
Patel, M. X., Doku, V., & Tennakoon, L. (2003). Challenges in recruitment of research participants. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 9(3), 229-238.
Prameswari, F. R., Rachamawati, F., Wiguna, I. P. A., & Rohman, M. A. (2021). Importance and performance ratings analysis
for implementation of green construction on building project. IOP Conference Series.Earth and Environmental Science, 799(1) doi:https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/799/1/012015
Saarijärvi, M., & Bratt, E. L. (2021). When face-to-face interviews are not possible: tips and tricks for video, telephone, online
chat, and email interviews in qualitative research.
Singh, A. S., & Masuku, M. B. (2014). Sampling techniques & determination of sample size in applied statistics research: An
overview. International Journal of economics, commerce and management, 2(11), 1-22.
ZFP. (2023). Zuhair Fayez Partnership. https://www.zfp.com/about-us