Research on Project management Training
Research on Project management Training
Problem Statement
Over the years, there has been a decrease in number of individuals undertaking project management training. Initially, there was an increase in this proportion. However, the current situation shows that things might get worse if proper strategies are not adopted. This situation is affecting even the industry leaders in the niche. Different organizations are being affected differently. The effect on some companies is immense while on others it is not very severe. Conducting a thorough research will enable to identify the main reasons behind this occurrence. Identifying the reasons is a stepping stone towards solving this problem. The objectives of the research include the identification of the key contributors of this situation. Other related issues will also be addressed since they might be the major hindrance in this area.
Methods to be used for Research
There are a variety of methods to be used in the collection of information. Among them is using internet sources. This includes websites of companies involved in this industry. Through the websites, it is easy to find information relating to the financials of the organization. Trends in financial positions could be used as a favorable indicator of how things are proceeding. A company’s website will also provide the mission and vision statements being used. To some extent, a company’s mission or vision statement might be a barrier to success since the consumers do not buy the same idea. On the internet, there are also other publications related to the issue. A variety of individuals have given their ideas since it is a current trend in the global economy.
Books and journal articles are also favorable sources of information. This is because the authors have already conducted a thorough research, and their works have been reviewed (Boland, 2012). Using previous research will also serve as a favorable source of information in this research. Researches that have used primary data as the source of information will be more preferable. This includes the questionnaires and interviews that had been used in previous research.
Findings
Innovation is among the key contributories resulting to the decline of individuals that undertake project management training. In recent times, the global market has been revolutionized by emerging technological aspects. This aspect has also affected the project management training industry. Several programs and software have been developed for this purpose. These programs come with a lot of convenience to users. Individuals can use them anywhere, at anytime and any way that suits them best. Such aspects are diminishing the need of attending lessons for a similar purpose (Kumar & Sharma, 2010). In the long-run, the programs tend to be cheaper compared to attending classroom sessions. Every consumer wants to save hence views this as a favorable way of attaining the required training.
Some freelancers are also offering these services online. With increased roles that individuals have to play in the society, this seems like a favorable move to many people seeking this knowledge. It does not consume much time, and is convenient since it can be obtained from anywhere, so long as an individual has internet connection. In terms of cost, it also seems quite cheap since minimal movement is involved. As long as the necessary tools are available, everything runs smoothly.
According to many people, the project management jobs are flooding. When the discipline first came into play, few people had knowledge about its existence. However, the program was hyped and many individuals opted to join. As a result, there have been many people that have already undertaken this program. The number of individuals taking this program on a yearly basis is quite higher compared to job opportunities being created at the same time. Before any student undertakes any program or training, he or she partakes to research the prospects of whatever he is willing to get involved with. Ability to secure employment after completion is usually among the highest priority in the list. If the probability is low, taking the course or training is not considered as an option. Individuals opt for other areas where the probability seems quite high. This aspect has affected the number of individuals willing to take project management training. It looks like over the years, many people have undertaken the training, hence the job market is flooded. People that have already completed the training program are also discouraging their colleagues and friends from getting involved. This is due to the hustles that they had to undergo before they secured employment.
The nature of the job market has also contributed a lot to this decline. As many people have been seeking this training, there has been discrimination in the job market. Employers are bias on who to employ. In the labor market, the supply of labor tends to outstrip the demand. This leaves employers with the audacity to take advantage of the situation. Employers are looking for employees with prior experience before they can be employed. To them, these type of employees are ideal based on the structure of the organization. Most organizations usually use a huge amount of funds in the training process. Having employees with prior knowledge would reduce the cost involved hence boost the profitability prospects (Shackelford, 2011). This leads employers to discriminate on employing individuals fresh from the training process. People with this information are becoming reluctant to undertake project management training. As a result, the number of people in these institutions is declining significantly.
According to some respondents in researches conducted in previous studies, the organizations involved are using poor marketing techniques. These stances were more prevalent from employees in these institutions, and are opposed to some of the strategies being developed by the management. According to them, the institutions are still in the old age of trying to reach the public. Very few have embraced electronic marketing. Those that have done so are yet to utilize to its maximum potential. As a result, the message is not getting to the target audience. New techniques need to be devised in order to combat this problem. Its persistence would see the situation deteriorate (Kumar & Sharma, 2010).
Strengths and Limitations of the Research Methods Used
The research methods used for this study have their own strengths and weaknesses. The method used in collection of information for this research is secondary. This involves using company’s websites, reviews from other individuals and previous research conducted by different personnel. Among the advantages of this method, is the economics part of it. The data is already collected and the researcher does not have a lot of work to do. This ensures that one saves on energy, time, money and other resources relevant in conducting the research (Sapsford & Jupp, 2009). The cost that one could incur when buying data is not comparable to what would be incurred if the primary research was conducted. Time is saved on the basis that one does not need to collect the data and do the analysis. The only aspect that the researcher is involved with is analysis since the data is already collected.
Another advantage comes from the breadth of data available. On many occasions, different researchers have already explored a certain topic before other people get intrigued into inquiring on the same. Some of this tends to be longitudinal whereby you find that two different researchers collected their data from a similar population. Longitudinal data is even more favorable if it is collected over different periods of time. It creates room for the researcher to examine the changes and trends of the phenomena over time (Bryman, 2012). The variety available makes it easy for the current researcher to have an ardent analysis. The wider the range of data, the more accurate the conclusion is likely to be.
Despite the advantages, secondary data also has some limitations. One of the problems with this kind of research is that it may not answer the exact research question. The specific information that a researcher wants might also not be available. To some extent, it might not be collected during those periods that the researcher wanted, and the desired population. This leads to various assumptions during the analysis process. The assumptions might lead to wrong conclusions hence a misleading report is derived from the research (Sapsford & Jupp, 2009). It becomes more effective when the researcher has control of the data collection process. This is because he or she knows the most appropriate population to the research and type of data that is desirable.
Another limitation is that when using secondary data, a researcher does not have an idea of how the data was collected. The process of data collection is vital since it tells whether the data collected is the most appropriate. It would be difficult to tell how factors that affect the collection process were prevalent. This includes factors such as misunderstanding of the survey questions and poor respondent participation.
Changes to be made in Future Research
The change that would be done to future research is using primary data collection methods. For this kind of problem, it would be prudent to approach employees working in institutions offering this training program. This would include both the top level and junior employees. Having worked at the institution comes with a lot of knowledge on both current and past trends. Survey would be used as the main method of collecting data. Under this approach, there would be the usage of both questionnaires and interviews. Both tools would be comprised of open ended and close ended questions. Close ended questions are relevant for establishing uniformity in the data collected. This makes it easy for the analysis of this data. Open ended questions on the other hand, are relevant for providing respondents with the ability to express their own views. This helps in bringing out some ideas that were not in the research objectives (Bryman, 2012). Interviews on their part, will be relevant in observing non-verbal ques. It becomes even easier to get immediate feedback on some issues that are not very clear. Using this approach will ensure that the data collected is relevant to the research at hand.
References
Boland, R., 2012. Project Management Training in The Digital Era. E-marketing, 4(2), 23.
Bryman, A., 2012. Social research methods (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kumar, A., & Sharma, R., 2010. Principles Of Business Management. New Jersey: Atlantic Publishers.
Shackelford, B., 2011. Project management training. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.
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