Analysing audiovisual materials in Research - a brief note

From my review of Rose (2000), I note the following main ideas on analysing audiovisual materials in Research works:

1. Learn the audiovisual tools (for both recording and editing purposes).
2. Choose a theoretical framework to apply to the empirical object(s) to be captured as audiovisual materials
3. Select a sampling frame (time and/or content based)
4. Transcribe the data set and develop a coding frame to conduct the analysis on the audiovisual data.
5. [Optional] conduct content analysis on the audiovisual data
6. [Preferably] choose illustrative quotatins to complement the analysis, e.g. based on content analysis.

The ideas from Rose (2000) appear to be more affiliated with positivist stance in Research philosophy. Still, her work offers useful suggestions on how to analyze audiovisual materials in Research projects. These suggestions are useful for students doing final year projects that involve audiovisual materials.




Reference
Rose, D. (2000) "Chapter 14: Analysis of Moving Images" in Bauer, M.W. and Gaskell, G. (editors) Qualitative Researching with text, image and sound: A practical handbook, SAGE Publications.

Virtual office - a discussion agenda

Based on Davenport and Pearlson (1998), I note the following discussion agenda on the topic of Virtual Office:

1. What is a Virtual Office?
• Occasional telecommuting
• Hoteling
• Tethered in office
• Home-based, some mobility
• Fully mobile
2. Objectives for Virtual Office  arrangements
3. Virtual Work Management
• Manage virtual work
• Manage people
• Manage information
• Manage teams
• Manage processes
• Making  use of enabling technologies
4. Success factors and failur factors on Virtual Office arrangements

To study the topic of Virtual Office, students need to do comprehensive literature review.


Reference
Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998) "Two Cheers for the Virtual Office" Sloan Management Review Summer, pp. 51-65

A discussion agenda on the systems view

Based on Schoderbek et al. (1985), I note the following discussion items on the systems view:

1. Definition of a system
2. Basic  considerations concerning systems thinking
• Total system objectives and performance measures
• The system's environment
• The resources of the system
• System components
• Management of the system
3. Environmental determination: key questions
• Is the factor system relevant?
• Is the factor system controllable?
4. Key considerations in drawing a system's boundary
• Depends on the particular variables under focus
• Depends on the resources available to the researchers
• Depends on the understanding of the system by the researchers

Reference
Schoderbek, P.P., Schoderbek, C.G. and Kefalas, A. (1985) Management Systems: conceptual considerations, Business Publications, Inc.

Topics in Housing Management study: examples

The following topics are examples on Housing Management study, based on Chiu (2006)

1. Regulatory Framework n Housing Management
2. Residential and Recreational Facilities Management
3. Shopping Centres Management
4. Maintenance Management
5. Property Risk Management
6. Community Development in Housing Management
7. Public-private partnership in Housing Management
8. Quality Management as applied  in Property Management
9. Environmental Management
10. Facilities Management
11. InformationTechnology management
12. Professional Ethics

These topics provide some ideas on the scope of study on Housing Management. The list of topics is not meant to be comprehensive.


Reference
Chiu, R.L.H. (editor) (2006) Professional Housing Management Practices in Hong Kong, Hong Kong University Press

Impacts of the Internet on organizational structures

Students studing Research in IT (NCC) need to examine the impacts of the Internet on a specific organization. Based on Harris (2002), I summarize the main impacts of the Internet on the external business environment, organizational structures and organization capabilities as follows:

Students should study this article to learn the ideas noted in the diagram above. Since the article is dated, students should also read around this topic to enrich and update the ideas noted in Harris (2002).  The ideas noted in this article are to be examined with the socio-technical systems lens in coming Research in IT sessions.


Reference
Harris, L. (2002) "Chapter 3: Organisational structures for eBusiness" in Jackson, P. and Suomi, R. (editors) eBusiness and Workplace Redesign, Routledge.

Applying simulation in Engineering Dissertation Projects

Quite a number of my Building Services Engineering students apply Simulation as a Research Method in their dissertation projects. It is important to discuss and, subsequently, to justify your research method, in this case, simulation, in your dissertation reports. I recommend that you discuss your research method of simulation in the chapter of "Research Methods" in your dissertation reports.

My main comment is that many students do not spare time to study the nature of simulation, thus the discussion of simulaion in their dissertation reports are very brief and vague. I suggest that you study some references, such as:

1. Sheikh, A.A.R. E., Ajeeli, A.A. and Abu-Taieh, E.M.O. (2008) Simulation and Modeling: Current Technologies and Applications, IGI Publishing.
2. Morris, C. 2003) "Chapter 21: Cutting down on gueues" Quantitative Approaches in Business Studies, Prentice Hall.

You could also learn about simulation as a research method by reading relevant academic journal articles.


Reference

• On simulation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation