How to write a problem statement

This problem statement needs to be revised. First, the problem statement is not supposed, to begin with, “The purpose” which is wrong. Secondly, the problem statement is not clearly written and is also incomplete. For instance, it does explain why the research is necessary for the packaging company. Similarly, it does not have a proposition that tells us of the existence, size, and form of the variable. It is, therefore, necessary to revise this problem statement in a way that it reveals why the company needs to design a new HACPP plan and also the situation of the company at the moment as well as a performance aspect. The problem statement can be rewritten as shown below.

This study will design a HACPP plan to replace the generic HACPP models currently manufactured by company XYZ which are expensive to produce making the company lose up to 20% in productions cost. The model will be developed with the help of the Quality Engineer, the production manager, Safety and Compliance officer and Process Development Manager. In completion, it is expected that the new HACPP plan will help increase efficiency and reduce operational cost by up to 30%

Question 2c

Problem statement c needs to be rewritten.

First of all, the problem statement is not precise. Instead of focusing on one problem affecting the company involved, there are several issues that have been included. For instance, we do not know whether the need for changes in the handling of the 50 lb. bags of sugar is necessitated by the loss of money by the company due to the multiple injuries or because of the changes in sugar regulations.

Secondly, the problem statement is vague. The losses incurred by the XYZ company are said to be worth several thousands of dollars. In this case, we do not know the exact figure that can be used to quantify the losses. Instead, the writer should have given an approximate figure to make it acceptable.

Thirdly, the problem statement contradicts itself. Instead of the proposed new changes improving the performance of the XYZ company, we are told that it has the potential of increasing the significance of the loss source, which in this case can be interpreted to mean an increase the number of injuries and the subsequent losses.

An alternative approach to writing a precise and a statement problem that is neither vague nor contradicts itself is given below.

‘Over the past two years, the XYZ company has incurred losses estimated at $200,000 due to multiple injuries by employees as a result of manually handling 50 lb. bags of sugar. The changes in sugar regulation by replacing the 50lb with 100 lb. bags will lead to further losses by the company’

Question 2d

The problem statement lacks clarity. The objectives or goals are not supposed to appear in the problem statement. In order to make it more clear, this problem statement will be rewritten as follows:

This study was designed to help develop a chocolate bar for use by college students to relieve stress and to increase enthusiasm during the final exam week.

Question 3

A)

What is your gender?

Male

Female

B)

For how long have you worked for this organization?

1-15 years

16-30 years

31-45 years

46-60 years

Above 61 years

This question assumes that those being interviewed are known to be the employees of the targeted organization. Otherwise, it would be wise to separate the question into two sections as shown below to eliminate bias.

1. Are you an employee of this organization?

Yes

No

2. If yes, then for how long have you worked for this organization?

          1-15 years

          16-30 years

          31-45 years

          46-60 years

          Above 61 years

C)

i)  Which industry do you work in?

1. Manufacturing

2. Service

3. Fishing

4. Mining

5. Tourism

6. Transport

7. Other

ii) If your response is Other in (c) above, please specify …………………

D)

What is the expected range of the total number of employees working for your organization?

1-250 Employees

251-500 Employees

501-750 Employees

751-1000 Employees

Above 1000 Employees

The reason for including the option of above 1000 employees in the above question is to eliminate bias. The bias arises when the question has pre-set conditions such as an expected range.

E.

i)  Has your company faced any competition in the last four years?

Yes

No

ii) If your response is yes in (i) above, tick the appropriate combination of market and level of competition in the table below.

Level of Competition

Market

More

Less

International

Domestic firms (Union)

Domestic firms (Non-Union)

Other firms. Please specify………….

F)

i) Is your organization involved in building development as a way of improving performance?

Yes

No

 ii) If yes, specify the number of years it has practiced as at now.......    

iii) Is employee involvement part of your organizations’ way of building development?

 Yes

No

iv) If yes, please specify the number of years has it been practiced.........................

G)

Do you happen to use any online options

Yes

No

If yes, are you aware of all the online options available to you?

Yes

No

H)

As far as you know, do you agree that communication at work is good?

Yes

No

 I)

What areas are you competent at in Stout competency survey

Using Internet                                     Yes      No

Entering data in spreadsheets             Yes      No

Creating spreadsheet charts                Yes      No

 J

Based on your knowledge, what area do you think needs organizational training?

(Tick any one of the competencies below)

1) interpersonal skills

2) Coaching employees on performance

3) Managing time

4) Making decisions

5) Resolving conflict

6) Promoting team building

Question 4

Critique of Problem Statement

The provided problem statement emphasizes that the analysis of implementing online training for Company XYZ’s new and returning seasonal employees would have some positive effect. However, the most important quest of the field survey to examine whether the implementation of the online training would be effective in meeting employee satisfaction and the company’s cost-effective goals. With this statement in mind, I think the problem statement in its construction is effective.

Critique of Purpose Statement

I find the purpose statement well-constructed in the sense that data collection from new and returning seasonal employees would provide the necessary information for evaluating the usefulness of the newly developed online training program in meeting various objectives such as cost-effectiveness and improved levels of employee satisfaction.

Overall Critique of the methodology used

Choosing the use of interview as the preferred research methodology would be important for the field survey. The mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods would also enable the researcher to gather enough data for analysis.

Critique of survey

I think the construction of the survey as presented is effective in solving the problem as stated in the problem statement of the research. The rationale for this observation is that the survey parameters cover all the necessary variables needed in the study.

Critique of the survey questions

The closed-ended and open-ended questions are well written to cover all the necessary areas that provide the crucial data for the survey.

What would be needed in the survey in order to achieve the stated purpose 

There should be a balance between the closed-ended questions and open-ended questions to ensure the acquisition of the relevant data. To avoid fence-sitting, it is important for the researcher to use tools such as the Likert scale and Net Promoter Score. Finally, the use of survey feedback analysis methods such as conjoint analysis and TURF would shed light on respondent behavior.

Typed Name: