Selected Title: Business Research in People Practice Impact of Training and Development on the Improvement of Employee Performance in the IT sector of Saudi Arabia
In the current research, obtaining primary data can be two-way including qualitative and quantitative approaches. As evidenced in CIPD (2021), quantitative research include the researcher involving the explanation of the phenomenon of interest by existing data in a numerical manner and as such their analysis is statistically. For the relevance of quantitative data, in a research context, it offers relevant answers for the questions answered through how often, how much, how many and who. In regard, for the identified questions types, they require the use of numerical data and to answer them (Hutchings et al., 2019). A major factor differentiating quantitative research from the others is its prioritisation on using relevant measures of the research area (Liao, 2020). Therefore, this provides a detailed image on the way in which the encountered issues in a particular area of research. This is training and development in KSA IT sector and its impact on their performance. Conversely, qualitative research entail obtaining relevant information grouped as non-numerical and include providing relevant description and trends. Hence, the most appropriate questions types is used in offering answers obtained for maximum satisfaction of researcher through an evaluation of how type of questions.
In this report, the quantitative research is preferred due to its identified rationale. To start with, Liao (2020) note that through quantitative research, it is possible to provide a good opportunity to support holistic hypothesis testing. For instance, through the application of quantitative research, it is possible to rest the impact of the noted independent variables such as employees performance and the dependent variables being training and development. According to O’Connor and Joffe (2020), reliability of statistical data is in place for quantitative research providing researcher with a chance to make definitive conclusions regarding features of their relations.
Further, success in obtaining quantitative data is pursued in a way that researcher is in a position to capitalise on less engagements with the various involved respondents hence avoiding bias which could distort the research findings. This is different from qualitative research which entail an active inclusion of investigators playing a significant role and working as a research process catalyst. This is supported by Stapleton (2019) which identify presence of research bias. Additionally, in an operational context, obtaining quantitative data is noted as less time applied with opportunity granted for developing various categories, their comparisons and analysis.
Albeit of the advantages which is associated with the use of quantitative research, it is also affected with lower scope of use and ability to prioritise on the areas of research. A case example is what Aspers and Corte (2019) identify as quantitative research appropriate contrary to qualitative research which is holistic and tightly controlled. Hence, for mitigating the limitation, 4 managers have been interviewed for evaluating the relationships of the outcome of the research findings. Hence, the findings in the research are identified as rich and in-depth with a negative sacrifice which impact successful data analysis. Quantitative data is also less holistic in a case when diversity and conflicting theoretical concepts are evident owing to their failure to holistically explain the prevailing phenomenon (Easterby-Smith et al., 2012). In regard to this research, the various recommendations could be solved through the use of detailed literature review on prevailing relations by the different variables of study. This is at the same time integrating the influence of the different options of training and development and their impact on the different areas of employees performance.
As evidenced in table 1, the various differences of use of quantitative and qualitative research include;
| Research Agenda | Quantitative | Qualitative |
| Area of focus | Describing, explaining and predicting relations features of the identified study variables | Understanding and interpreting various research variables applied in the current research |
| Involvement of researcher | Researchers capitalise on less inclusion for sake of lowering level of bias | Investigator is engaged to holistically engage participants or catalyst to guide the research work |
| Purpose | Prioritise on testing theories established | Prioritising on determining a detailed appreciation and to build modernised theories or complement the ones in place |
| Sampling design | Making sure probability is used to guide the sampling process | Use of non-probability guided by sampling techniques used |
Table 1: Summary of the quantitative and qualitative research approaches
Therefore, in line with the provided table summary, for gathering appropriate insights on role of training and development on employees performance in IT sector in Saudi Arabia, quantitative research is most relevant. To identify the variables correlation, quantitative research approach is the best.
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