Aims of the Dissertation
My dissertation will aim at investigating the Negative impact of women discrimination in telecommunication industry in Europe and Middle East.
In investigating this matter, my dissertation will answer the question of whether the discrimination is justified or unjustified.
Methodology
The kind of research methodology to be used is determined by the nature of the research being conducted. Quantitative research methodology is used when measuring variables or trying to test existing theories and establishing their validity (nsf, n.d). The collected data is used to formulate new hypothesis on the basis of new evidence. On the other hand, qualitative research is more applicable in understanding meanings, experiences and beliefs about a particular subject. The methodology that I will heavily rely on in my data collection is qualitative data collection
The first qualitative data collection method that I will use is conducting interviews. Since the aim of my dissertation is to investigate the negative impact of women discrimination in telecommunication in Middle East and Europe, it will be crucial to interview the women. This will give first hand information which is the perspective of the women themselves regarding the subject. An interview will be an effective methodology of collecting information since it first establishes a close relationship between the interviewer and the interviewees. Through interviews, it will also be easy for me to make follow up when I want to get finer details of any interesting piece of information.
There are two types of interviews that I will use. The first type of interview is a structured interview where a questionnaire is given out to the respondents to fill out the information (Patton, 2002).The other type of an interview is referred to as in-depth interview which does not involve any rigid questions to be answered. I will use the structured questionnaire to get answers for some specific questions in order to get uniform results from several respondents. In-depth interviews on the other hand will give the respondents a chance to answer questions freely and we can hold discussions. For the sake of collecting ample information, I will conduct interviews several times with different groups of women. In my data collection, I will consider reviewing secondary sources of information such as government studies. This will provide me with the information with any research that has been done by the government in an attempt to get information regarding the telecommunication industry.
My choice of qualitative data collection as the methodology I will use is backed by the fact that qualitative research has the capacity of providing detailed information regarding the way a group of people experiences an issue that is being researched on. This type of methodology presents the human part of an issue such as the beliefs, opinions or even the expectations of different people. The methodology fits in well with the aim of my dissertation of identifying the negative impacts of denying women a chance to lead in the telecommunication industry. Women being denied leadership opportunities in telecommunication is a sensitive issue that would require closeness in trying to understand the negative side of the matter. Such closeness with the respondents in collecting information can only be achieved by using qualitative methods such interviews. Observation at times will also be applicable because as I discuss with the women, I will also be in a position to observe their reactions and emotions.
Feasibility
A successful and comprehensive dissertation is a result of a lot of input from the researcher (White, 2004). There are a myriad of resources that a researcher should ensure are in place before the actual data collection begins. This necessitates a feasibility study to determine whether all the necessary resources for the research are available (White, 2003). In writing my dissertation I will rely on both primary and secondary sources of information. Secondary sources will include books, journals and internet sources while primary data is new information that will be collected from the field. I have access to the necessary resources and I have also obtained consent from my firm to progress with my research. In addition, I have carried out a trial with the prospective interviewees and have responded positively.
How My Work Fits Existing Published Work
The first article of analysis related to my study is a pilot study that was conducted in South Africa focusing on rural women, development and telecommunication. In 1995, the South African government enacted a policy aimed at providing access to information to all South Africans. In this article, a rural town called Bamshela is selected to receive services of a telecenter (Schreiner, 2011). It is one of the most underdeveloped regions in South Africa where infrastructure and communication facilities are hard to get. This article is important in my study because it highlights how women have limited access to telecommunication facilities
Women in Bamshela are unfortunate and spend most of their lives in subsistence farming. Their lives have not changed in so many ways such that the closest they ever come with telecommunication devices is to see shopkeepers using telephone. The key argument in this article is that rural women have limited access to telecommunication in South Africa. The article goes further to analyze the effects of limited access of telecommunication to women. For example, women who have their husbands working far from them as migrant workers have problems in putting their families together. The introduction of a telecentre on the other hand proved that women can be productive when they are granted access to telecommunication. They started serving in the telecentre and communicating with their husbands to put their families together. This research was conducted using surveys in these regions to collect the information.
The second article analyzed is an article from the American journal of economics and sociology. This article analyzes the discrimination that is witnessed in telecommunication industry based on race and gender. The article focuses on the privileges given to men and other people who are not of the black origin. The findings in the article led to actions being taken to rectify the disparity. Eventually, the players in the industry started according women positions within the industry. I think the findings of this article are important in my research because they will give a chance to make comparison. Apart from Europe and Middle East, women discrimination in telecommunication is prevalent in other parts of the world. This will enable me to approach my topic with a broader perspective and from an informed point of view (Robinson & Peoples, 1996).
The third article in my analysis was written by Gordon Francine and talks about the implication of women in telecommunication industry. This article discusses the challenges that employed people have to contend with to get to their places of work. At times there are transportation problems hence the employees have to plan their time wisely. The challenge becomes more pronounced for women who have to manage their families and their work. Women who have young children encounter problems because the children require their attention. This article is relevant in my research as it highlights how some of these problems can be solved through telecommunication. Women should be given a chance to use telecommunication devices to work from home. Unless this happens women will continue to be less productivity (Gordon, 1976).
Reasons for Choice of This Topic
The first and most important thing that should be done before a researcher decides to research on a dissertation is to identify the topic (ESC, n.d). In most cases, a researcher would identify a topic of interest to him that has significance with regard to the expected results. Apart from the obvious reasons of doing research to earn academic credentials, conducting research on a particular topic is important in making changes to various sectors (Michael, 2011). I chose the topic of women as leaders in telecommunication industry in Europe and Middle East because they have been left behind in the industry. The research conducted during this dissertation will be important to my firm as it can be used to come up with strategies of increasing women participation in its telecommunication sector. Insights from the research may inspire other firms to take initiatives that will ensure that women participate fully in telecommunication sector as it is one of the fastest growing sectors in Europe and Middle East.
References
Delmon. (n.d). Telecommunication. Web.
ESC. (n.d). Developing a Research Question. Web.
Michael, D. (2011). Qualitative Research in Information Systems. Web.
Sweetman, C. (2000). Gender and technology.New York: Gender and technology.
White, B. (2003). Dissertation Skills for Business and Management Students.London: Cengage Learning.
White, B. (2002). Writing your MBA Dissertation.london: Cengage Learning.
Gordon, F. (1976). Telecommunications:Implications for Women. Original Research , 68-74.
Robinson, R., & Peoples, J. (1996). Market Structure, Racial and Gender Discrimination. American Journal of Econoics and Sociology , 309-325.
Schreiner, H. (2011). Rural Women, Development and Telecommunications:A pilot Programme in South Africa. Web.
nsf. (n.d). Overview of Qualitative Methods. Web.
Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. New York: Sage.