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CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides an overview of the research methods and processes followed in the execution of the study. The chapter also presents study settings, sampling process and tools used to collect data. The method used to analyse data and measures relating to the validity and reliability of instruments and ethical considerations are also described in this chapter.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research paradigm
The study was rooted in a positivist quantitative paradigm intended at describing the relevance about compliance with the amended OHS Act (No. 85 of 1993) in the food and beverage industry in South Africa (Henning, Van Rensburg & Smit 2004:17). The quantitative paradigm was chosen as the preferred approach in this study because it provided guidance and evidence that reality is objective, (Krauss 2005:761). In addition, (Rubin & Babbie 2010:15) assert that a quantitative paradigm enables the researcher to discover the truth about effects of non-compliance with the amended OHS Act (No. 85 of 1993) among the food and beverage industry employers in South Africa in an objective and precise manner.
Furthermore, positivists maintain that scientific knowledge is gained through objective means such as observation, measuring and quantifying with a view to making generalisations. This is because scientific knowledge acquired using the positivistic paradigm is generated through an application of logical principles and reasoning (Burns & Grove 2005:26).
In this study a quantitative paradigm was adopted because it enabled the researcher to assess the level of compliance with current health and safety legislation and exposures to occupational hazards in the targeted food and beverage industries in South Africa (Mouton 2006:190). Moreover, the quantitative research approach enabled the researcher to assess the conditions under which the work-related injuries and diseases among workers in the targeted food and beverage industry in South Africa were caused, and this was mostly undertaken with a descriptive research purpose (Mouton 2006:190).
The quantitative paradigm was applied in the current study as opposed to the qualitative paradigm because the methodology involved a collection of scientific data that were precise and measureable and the data were analysed using statistics with the intention that the findings could be generalised to the entire population of the food and beverage industry in South Africa (Krauss 2005:761). This complies with the Kanchanaraksa and Diener-West (2008:12) affirmation that the conclusion from data collected and analysed from a small group or sample can be generalised to the whole group or population.
In line with the study’s quantitative approach, numerical data were gathered in order to identify and describe the demographical characteristics of study sites and participants as well as hazards associated with the nature of work in the food and beverage industry in South Africa; and to identify and describe the incidents of occupational injuries and diseases in the study sites (Pietersen & Maree 2007:184). Various studies postulate that research studies which seek to describe accurately and precisely a wide variety of characteristics of the target population, as was the case in the current study, are descriptive in nature (Mouton 2006:102; Mouton & Marais 2009:43; Babbie 2010:93, Salaria 2012:1; Grove, Burns & Gray 2013:25).
Research design
A research design is referred to as a blueprint, or the overall plan for collecting and analysing data, including specifications for enhancing the internal and external validity of the study (Mouton 2006:107). In other words, a research design exposes how a research study is conducted and guides the entire research process from the time the research question is conceived up to the reporting of the research findings (Bless, Higson-Smith & Kagee 2006:21; Babbie 2007:87). The current study adopted a descriptive research design to obtain in-depth knowledge on compliance to the amended OHS Act (No. 85 of 1993) within the food and beverage industry in South Africa. In addition, the chosen design assisted the researcher to describe the current status of the work environment, the common hazards confronted by employees, incidents of occupational injuries and diseases and compliance with health and safety legislation.
A retrospective design was also used in this study. It included a review of incident registers, training records, documentation on health and safety programs of the study sites, and records on risk assessments conducted, reviews of the current occupational health and safety policy as well as review of reports from previous inspections.
RESEARCH METHOD
A research method is defined as the strategies and processes involved in conducting research studies (Vanderstoep & Johnston 2009:308). The strategies and processes followed by the researcher are outlined and presented in the sections that follow.
Study setting
A research setting is the location where a study is conducted (Burns & Grove 2009:362). According to Polit and Beck (2010:568), a research setting is referred to as the physical location and condition in which data is collected. This study’s research setting included naturalistic settings of the South African food and beverage industry where the data were collected (Polit & Beck 2004:28). The setting was the food and beverage enterprises located in four provinces of South Africa, namely, the Gauteng Province (23), Free State Province (2), Limpopo Province (1) and the North West Province (1) as illustrated in Table 4.1 below. The study setting was made up of 27 sites that were stratified into 4 sceneries and consisted of the food and beverage manufacturing sector, food and beverage distribution sector, food and beverage service sector and the meat sector.
Target population
Babbie (2010:199) defines a population as the theoretically specified aggregation of the elements in a study. According to Mouton (2006:134), a population is a collection of objects, events or individuals having some common characteristics that the researcher is interested in studying. The members of a population need to be accessible because they are the target of investigation. An accessible population is defined as the population of subjects available for a particular study (Hayes 2011:1), while a target population is the entire group of people or objects that are of interest to the researcher and hence meet the criteria the researcher is interested in (Vanderstoep & Johnston 2009:26). The target population for this study consisted of thirty eight (38) selected enterprises from the food and beverage industry located in the four selected provinces of South Africa. In addition, the target population also included two hundred and seventy eight (278) employees from two meat processing enterprises.
Sampling
Polit and Beck (2008:339) refer to a sample as a portion of a population whose results can be generalised to the entire population for a particular study. Sampling is the process of extracting a portion of the population from which generalisation of the findings can be made (Amin 2005:237).
A systematic sampling technique was used in this study to ensure representation of the study population. In a systematic sample, firstly the elements of the population are put into a list and secondly selecting a fixed starting point in the larger population and then obtaining subsequent observations by using a constant interval between samples taken, for instance a constant interval can be every 10th or every 2nd element in the list which can be chosen systematically for inclusion in the sample (Mouton 2006:137; Babbie 2010:211). The researcher also applied the non-probability sampling method known as purposive sampling method to select employees to participate in the study. According to Wamundila (2008:25), purposive sampling is a non-parametric sampling technique in which the researcher purposively identifies participants as source of data.
Additionally, the two sampling techniques were used to produce representativeness of the entire population of the food and beverage industry in South Africa (Babbie 2010:192). Ultimately, the sample size was decisive for the generalisation (Denzin & Lincoln 2011:307). The study sites were characterised by establishments producing consumable foods and drinks, distributing food, providing food and beverage services and those processing meat.
CHAPTER 1 ORIENTATION TO THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1.3 RESEARCH PROBLEM
1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.6 DEFINITIONS OF KEY CONCEPTS
1.7 FOUNDATION OF THE STUDY
1.8 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.9 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS
1.10 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 METHODS
2.3 FINDINGS OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW ON THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA
2.4 COMPLIANCE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS
2.5 EMPLOYEES’ PERCEPTIONS ON COMPLIANCE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION
2.6 WORK PREMISES AND MEANS OF EGRESS
2.7 COMMON HAZARDS CONFRONTED BY EMPLOYEES IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
2.8 OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND ILLNESSES AT THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
2.9 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPLIANCE WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION AND OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND ILLNESSES
2.10 COSTS AND EFFECTS OF WORK-RELATED INJURIES AND ILLNESSES ON THE EMPLOYER
2.11 COSTS AND EFFECTS OF WORK-RELATED INJURIES AND ILLNESSES ON THE EMPLOYEES
2.12 EFFECTIVE HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMME FOR COMPLIANCE WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION
2.13 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK SUPPORTING THE CURRENT STUDY
3.3 GUIDELINES ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (ILO-OSH 2001)
3.4 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
4.3 RESEARCH METHOD
4.4 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE INSTRUMENTS
4.5 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 5 ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH FINDINGS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS
5.3 FINDINGS FROM THE INSPECTION CHECKLIST
5.4 FINDINGS FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRE
5.5 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 6 DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH FINDINGS
6.1 INTRODUCTION .
6.2 DISCUSSION ON RESEARCH FINDINGS
6.3 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1 INTRODUCTION
7.2 CONCLUSIONS .
7.3 RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
7.4 Recommendations for future research
7.5 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY
7.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
7.7 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 8 GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMME IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA .
8.1 INTRODUCTION
8.2 PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE GUIDELINES
8.3 APPLICATION OF THE ILO-OSH 2001 FRAMEWORK TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GUIDELINES
8.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GUIDELINES
8.5 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRAMEWORK
8.6 GUIDELINES DISSEMINATION PLAN
8.7 CONCLUSION
LIST OF REFERENCES
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EFFECTS OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT (NO. 85 OF 1993) AMONG THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRIES IN SELECTED PROVINCES OF SOUTH AFRICA
