Ethnographic Research Proposal

Introduction, Research Problem, and Questions 

The goal of the research is to unearth the relationship between boredom and productivity among youths aged 24-35 in the workplace. Forthwith, the research will use the comparative study model. There will be the use of purposive sampling and interviews to acquire information. The comparative study model will be used in the research.

An exciting job is fulfilling to the individual undertaking it. When a person is pleased with his/her job, they are more engaged in completing tasks. The individual works enthusiastically with workmates and gets more work done. Additionally, a worker enjoys the learning process that comes with their position. Exciting work also improves communication among workers, increasing trust. Youths, in particular, are energetic and gain a lot from exciting jobs. They can establish connections with other workers that would serve them well in their career ladder. With the energy and innovative minds, an exciting environment challenges them to come up with new ideas that would improve their performance or the products of the organization. Further, they acquire skills fairly early enough to help them in the future. An exciting job is fulfilling and transformational to employees, particularly youths.

A majority of people are bored at work. It is estimated that 2 out of 3 workers do not enjoy their job. Boring jobs have adverse effects on people especially the youths. Firstly, they hinder creativity, which is good for personal and career growth. Again, it fosters laziness. Being bored makes it difficult to accomplish even the simplest tasks, which are often procrastinated. There is also hopelessness and low morale to work. The individual lacks the strength even to leave the bed and get ready for work. There is also the temptation to quit the job and look for something more exciting to do, presumably elsewhere. A boring job, the reality of many people, has adverse impacts on their performance and growth.

In response to the issue of boring jobs and their effects on the youth, the research investigates the impact of a boring job on the productivity of youths aged 24-35 in the workplace. The paper will reveal the negative effects that a boring job has on the innovation capacity, the ability to complete work activities in good time, the quality of work done by young men and women in the workplace. The research question forthwith is:

What is the relationship between boredom and innovation, work completion capability, and quality output among youths aged 24-35 in the workplace?

To answer the research question, various interview questions will be asked. The questions will focus on the adverse effects that the boredom has on the youth’s productivity. Forthwith, there will be generative questions that will aid the participants to understand the direction of the interview and be more forthcoming. Equally, the directive questions, open-ended in nature, will be more sensitive to the interviewees. The interviewees will also answer closing questions and follow-up probing questions. Forthwith, there are various units of analysis for this research. Organization is a unit because the production takes place within the company, which is the working environment. Further, the individual is a key unit because he/she is the one giving information for the research. Another unit is roles, as the positions and duties that the participants hold in the organization affect their perception of the job. Interviewing will reveal crucial information as the interviewees answer the questions.

Literature Review and Reflections on the Research Problem

Most research focuses on the factors leading to effects of boring jobs on the workers with little regard for age groups. Hoof and Hooft state that boredom has negative consequences in the organization as workers are unable to concentrate on their work. Dysfunctional behavior is likely to occur when the workers do not engage in any productive activity. Seçkin (640) adds that monotony makes a job boring because an individual follows the same routine every day. Lack of social support and monotony make a job boring. Consequently, an organization experiences high rates of employee turnover. Moreover, workers feel depressed about their working conditions and become very unproductive. Most of the research centers on the causes of boredom and the effects they have on the general employee population.

The research is significant to the researcher, community, and society in general. For the researcher, the findings will have an answer to the research problem. The community and society gains because they will have more knowledge about boring jobs and their effects on the youth. Given that there is little research on this age gap, the findings are instrumental in understanding how boring jobs affect their youth’s productivity at work. Organizations will understand these implications and hopefully make necessary changes. The research benefits everyone.

There are ethical considerations and a limitation concerning the research model. Concerning ethics, issues like informed consent, confidentiality, and transparency. The participants will voluntarily consent to the interview and express their agreement in writing. Confidential details like their names will be withheld to protect their identities. The results from the interviews will not be altered. The comparative study model will require a lot of concentration from the interviewer and interviewee, which is subject to the environment and duration of the interview.  Ethical matters and limitations of the study model will be considered during the interview.

Part 2: Interview Guide

Interview Guide

Research Model: Comparative Study Model

Research Topic: The relationship between boredom and productivity among youths aged 24-35 in the workplace

Research Question: What is the relationship between boredom and innovation, work completion capability, and quality output among youths aged 24-35 in the workplace?

Unit of Analysis: Organization, individual, and role

Interview Type: Informant Interview

Interviewee Sample: 24-35 years

Interview Part A: Generative Questions

1. How do you rate you’re the boring nature of your job? Boring? Slightly boring? Or extremely boring?
2. Do you love your working environment?
3. Why would you say that your environment constrains your productivity? (probing question)
4. Take me through your daily routine. How many hours are you actively engaged at work?
5. If you had an opportunity to work elsewhere, would you leave your current job?
6. What makes you think that your current job position is solely responsible for your ineffectiveness? (probing question)
7. People say that a boring job hinders innovation, delivery, and work quality among youths. What do you think?

Interview Part B: Directive Questions

1. Which one comes first, the job becoming boring or lack of innovation and low-quality output?
2. I know that you have said that your organization is at fault, but do you not think that you contribute to the boring environment with your attitude towards your job?
3. You say that it is your job description to blame, does this mean that the problem is not the company but rather your duties? (probing question)
4. Can you entirely blame your productivity issues on boredom? Could there be other factors, perhaps social ones that hinder you from working effectively?
5. Are there times when you deliberately underperformed in your work?
6. If you have consciously chosen to be ineffective, does this mean that you are the problem and not the job itself (probing question)
7. You mentioned that your boring job has hindered your work quality and innovation. Are there any other consequences to your career because of your current position?

Interview Part C: Closing Questions

1. Do you think that if the company improved its structure, you would enjoy your job?
2. Now that your boring job is affecting your productivity, what are you doing about it?
3. If you quit and find another job in a better company, does it mean you will automatically love your job and post high results and release your innovativeness? (probing question)
4. Do you think that the trend of boring jobs will still be an issue in the next five years?
5. Do you think that other youths are experiencing the same effects of boring jobs as you?
6. In your opinion, are boring jobs reserved for specific professions or do they exist in all professions?

Brief Rationale

The interview is an informant interview stricture on employees aged 24-34 years. The informant structure allows the respondents to give their accounts on how adversely boring jobs have affected their creativity. The respondents also feel free and can talk about complex issues relating to their job environments. Correspondingly, the age group was appropriate because it fits the youth profile. Additionally, people in this group are highly talented, innovative, and have a lot of zeal to work in organizations. The interview structure and age group are appropriate for this research.

The structure and order of the questions will aid the respondents in revealing information. The clarity of the questions ensures that there is no contradiction when responding. The questions are structured from simple (generative) to complex (directive), to identity enhancing questions (closing). In effect, the respondents can reformulate and expound on previous answers. Moreover, they will reflect on their previous responses and even questions, which is very engaging. For the interviewer, I can confirm any interpretations of the answers that the participants give. Again, I can seek clarification and more details by probing further into questions that have not been adequately articulated. Through this organization, I can identify any discrepancies in the responses the interviewees give.

The questions align with the research question and the units of analysis. The questions will engage with the research question as the respondents will give answers about the effect that their boring jobs have on their productivity at work. The probing questions are related to the units of analysis because they focus on the individual, who is allowed to give his or her views regarding the organization, and their position, which influences their bored attitude towards their work. The questions avail crucial information for the research.

Works Cited

Hoof, Madelon and Edwin Hooft. “Boredom at Work: Proximal and Distal Consequences of Affective Work-Related Boredom.” Journal of Occupational Health and Psychology, 19 (3), 2014, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262789479_Boredom_at_Work_Proximal_and_Distal_Consequences_of_Affective_Work-Related_Boredom

Seçkin Nur Seyda. “Boredom at Work: A Research on Public Employees.” Journal of Business Research: Turk, 10 (1), 2018, http://isarder.org/2018/vol.10_issue.1_article32_extensive_summary.pdf