Conducting Mixed Methods Research: Using Dialectical Pluralism and Social Psychological Strategies

Dialectical pluralism is both a philosophical process theory and grounded approach for producing syntheses from differences, working toward mutually beneficial solutions, and, through group processes, produces procedural/process justice in mixed methods research and evaluation. Ontologically, dialectical pluralism views reality as plural and changing. Epistemologically, it follows a dialectical, dialogical, hermeneutical approach that includes listening, interacting, and learning from the Other. After explaining how the philosophical process theory of dialectical pluralism provides a process for positively and systematically engaging with differences, we draw on concepts and findings from social psychological literatures such as positive psychology, conflict management, negotiation, small group psychology, group counseling, group dynamics, political diplomacy, deliberative democracy, and workplace justice to show how dialectical pluralism enables learning from differences and produces effective collaboration across paradigms. Implementation strategies are identified for integrating DP into mixed methods research and evaluation (MMR/E). We conclude with a brief vision for MMR/E driven by the philosophy of DP that we hope will be attractive to a wide range of practitioners working across different contexts and topics.

The Origins of Affirmative Action

This chapter examines the origins of affirmative action in the University of Michigan (UM). The pressure that led to the university's first undergraduate affirmative action admissions program came from a federal bureaucrat and the president of the United States, who were both responding to black activism for workplace justice. Yet this pressure never threatened UM with the loss of lucrative federal contracts or potential court cases. UM adopted affirmative action in 1964 because people at the top of the institution wanted the university to change. This environment of weak federal coercion created a perfect recipe for co-optation. After the initial dose of federal pressure, UM officials took control of the purpose and character of affirmative action, creating a program that preserved the university's long-established priorities and values. It is no surprise, then, that between 1964 and 1967, black enrollment rose from only 0.5 to 1.65 percent of the student body. However, given that African Americans constituted more than 10 percent of the state population, affirmative action made a small dent in the racial disparities at UM.

PROCEDURAL JUSTICE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR OF DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between procedural justice and organizational citizenship behaviour in Deposit Money Banks in Rivers State. The effects of procedural justice was tested on organizational citizenship behaviour measures such as altruism and sportsmanship.Methodology: The study adopted a cross sectional survey design and data was generated from 193 respondents from the target Deposit Money Banks in Rivers State. As a quantitative study, the primary data collection instrument for the study was the structured questionnaire. The test for the reliability for the instrument was carried out using the Cronbach alpha reliability instrument with a reliability threshold of 0.70. The Analysis comprised of the univariate (single variable assessments) bivariate (test for hypothetical relationships) while the bivariate analysis was carried out using the Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient at a 0.05 level of significance.Findings: Findings from the study revealed that workplace justice significantly impacts on the measures of OCB (altruism and sportsmanship) and also organizational culture was revealed to also significantly moderate the relationship between workplace justice and organizational citizenship behaviour in Deposit Money Banks in Rivers State. Based on the findings, it was concluded that there is significant relationship between the predictor and the measures of the criterion variables.Contribution to practice and Policy: The study recommended that OCB within an organization could be significantly increased by enhancing organizational fairness, particularly procedural justice. Bank managers should first improve the procedural justice and hence increase overall levels of perceived justice by involving employees in the procedures used in making decisions and allocating rewards

P.3.17 Prevalence and distribution of musculoskeletal discomforts and the associations with work-related ergonomic and psychosocial factors in employees of taiwan

Background and objectivesMusculoskeletal discomforts (MSDs) attribute greatly to work-related disability, but the social distributions of MSDs in the general working population have seldom been investigated. Moreover, although ergonomic and psychosocial factors at work are known to contribute to musculoskeletal risks, their independent effects on specific sites of MSDs have not been well assessed. This study aimed to examine the social distributions of MSDs and the associations of ergonomic and psychosocial work factors with the risks of MSDs of different bodily sites in general employees of Taiwan.MethodsParticipants were representative employees aged 25–65 years from a nationwide survey of 2016. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information concerning work-related ergonomic and psychosocial factors, employment conditions, and MSDs of different bodily sites over the past 12 months.ResultsA total of 5242 male and 4164 female employees was included. Workers who were older, with lower education levels, being manual skilled or low skilled workers, worked in the construction industry, and being employed in small-sized enterprises had higher risks for MSDs, and the most common bodily site were the neck/shoulders, low back, and wrists/hands. Psychological demands, workplace justice and ergonomic factors were significantly associated with MSDs. Furthermore, results of separate regression models performed for MSDs of different bodily sites showed that higher psychological demands and lower workplace justice were associated with MSDs of the neck/shoulders to a greater extent than other work-related factors, while whole-body-related ergonomic factors and hand-related ergonomic factors were more greatly associated with MSDs of lower back and wrists/hands, respectively.ConclusionsMSDs were more prevalent in workers with lower socioeconomic positions. Differential contribution of specific types of work-related ergonomic and psychosocial factors to the risks of specific types of MSDs should be taken into consideration in the management of MSDs in the workplace.