Question

Research how quantitative research is used in your discipline. Using this information, write an essay that describes how quantitative research tools can be used to aid in decision making within your field. Be sure your essay addresses the following questions/topics:

1. Describe specific quantitative methods and tools that could be used within your discipline to gather data. Include your rationale.
2. Evaluate their effectiveness with respect to certain areas within your discipline.
3. Include company or organizational examples within your essay, as relevant.
4. In your opinion, what is the future of quantitative research both within your discipline and in general?

Your APA-formatted response must be a minimum of three pages

Answer 1

Quantitative Techniques for Decision Making

Quantitative research is rooted in numerical approaches. The emphasis is on objectivity and the use of statistics or data gathered through polls, questionnaires or surveys. With quantitative research methods, numerical data are gathered and then generalized across groups of people to explain trends or phenomena.

Decision making is crucial for survival of business. Businesses have to make decision considering the limited amount of information. Decision making problems are divided into two types deterministic and probabilistic.

Deterministic model of problem solving depends on the relationship between uncontrollable factors and continuing process of optimizing system performance. A model is developed in under assumption related to existing business condition. If the variables under assumption do not truly reflect the current business conditions, the model developed also will not reflect the reality.

Mathematical optimization utilizes mathematical equation to determine the business decision. The business decision derive is in a numerical form.

A business model for decision making is constructed by analyst based on inputs of a decision maker. A business model is developed over a period of time using a progressive approach method.

Optimization Modeling Process

Optimization model is developed in three steps, 1st step is describing the problem, 2nd step is elaborating the solution and 3rd step is controlling the problem.

The optimized problem of the 1st step can be classified into linear and non-linear depending upon on nature of variables. Optimization problem has three following aspects:

• An objective function to maximize or minimize.
• A set of variables which affect the value of the objective function.
• A set of uncontrollable factors referred as parameters.

The solution of optimized problem satisfying all parameters and constraints is referred as feasible solution. The objective of an optimization process is to value of variables, which minimize or maximize objective giving out an optimal solution.

Linear Programming

Linear programming is a mathematical procedure of determining linear allocation of business variables. For constructing linear program following factors are essential:

• The objective function needs to be linear.
• The objective must be to either maximize or minimize a linear function.
• The constraints in the program should also be linear.

In formulating a linear program certain variables are integer in nature, such as function with integer variable is known as integer programming.

Decision Tree

In a certain decision-making process, probability plays an important role. On the decision model based upon probability is decision trees.

Scenario modeling

Business environment is always unpredictable and can throw up unusual situation more than often. Thus, organizations find themselves in the middle of dynamic environment. Here model and methods like sensitivity analysis, stability analysis, what-if analysis, scenario modeling, etc. is utilized.

Therefore, model under used uncertainties are as follows:

• Scenario Analysis: this model assumes a different scenario a business may find itself with certain value of parameters.
• Worst Case Analysis: this model assumes an extreme case scenario in computing different variables.
• Monte-Carlo Model: this model assumes uncertainty through statistical distribution.

Theory of Constraints

Theory of constraints is a management concept which helps organization deal with situation, which hampers its growth and march towards higher level of performance. Theory of constraint encourages an organization to deal one constraint at a time and consist of following steps:

• Identifying constraints of the existing system.
• Identifying was to potential extract more out of system constraints.
• Exploiting constraints to its fullest potential should be made priority.
• As the company overcomes 1st constraint, it should look forward to working upon other constraints.

How Quantitative Research Helps Improve Healthcare Facilities

The healthcare industry uses various research methods to find ways to improve such things as customers satisfaction, health professional’s work life, patient illness prevention, and facility safety. One of the research methods hospitals use to conduct studies is quantitative research. Quantitative research provides statistical, mathematical, or numerical results. Here are a few ways quantitative research helps healthcare facilities improve services and impact behavior.

Conducting studies

Healthcare facilities understand that many of their customers who need services are in pain or experiencing discomfort. By using quantitative research for patient surveys, doctors can find more about their patient and how satisfied they were with their service. A good way that health care professionals conduct these studies is through surveys. Examples are:

• Patient satisfaction surveys
• Market studies
• Pain and discomfort surveys

With this information, health care professionals can find what their customers want and how they can improve. The pain and discomfort survey can give the doctor and idea how their patients are feeling. Health facilities can also learn their customer’s demographics that can help them structure their services more.

Learning more about illnesses

Physicians want to learn as much as they can about a person’s illness, and by conducting research they can get specifics information to do a qualitative research or vice versa. New Perspectives uses quantitative and qualitative research to research information that is designed to help improve a health facilities decision-making information.

Improving healthcare facilities

Healthcare facility owners may want to know what their patients think about the furniture or equipment available in their healthcare facilities. For example, if multiple patients in a nursing home have trouble with the bars on their bed, research studies can help improve this issue or find whether replacing new beds will solve the problem. Improving healthcare facilities is a great way to get customer and employee satisfaction. Whether you use quantitative and/or qualitative research, New Perspectives can assist you with your next research goals.

Interviewing healthcare professionals

Health professionals can be interviewed to learn general practices with respect to educating patients and patient information needs. This can be used to develop more compelling/helpful materials that will be shared with patients and then quantitatively tested.