Definition of Quantitative Methods?
Quantitative methods of research can be defined as the methods of research that use numeric as the basis for making generalizations about a phenomenal, i.e., in its interpretation of a phenomenon. The numbers used in quantitative methods of research are drawn from the objective scales of the unit measurement analysis called referred to as variables. Generally, there are four main types of scales of measurement used which comprise of the nominal, ration, ordinal and interval scales of measurements (Nardi, 2018) . Therefore, the data that is used to explain a phenomenon on its basis can be gathered majorly through conducting surveys. These kinds of surveys use the instruments which require numerical inputs or the direct measurements of parameters which are used to characterize the subject of investigation. The numbers in this case then are analyzed in the next phase of quantitative research using the appropriate statistical application software that is employed by a given system to unravel the significant relationship between the variables. These significant relationships can as well be the differences portrayed therein.
Description of Quantitative Methods and Tools with Rationale
Quantitative methods can be described and defined based on a few characteristics which differentiate quantitative methods of research from other methods of research like the qualitative methods of research (Nardi, 2018) . These characteristics include the data gathering instruments containing the items that solicit measurable characteristics of the population. These include age, educational status, number of children, etc. The second descriptive characteristic is the standardized, pre-tested instruments being used to guide the data collection to ensure accuracy, validity, and reliability of the data collected. Quantitative research also embraces the use of a standard population distribution curve. Developing such a curve requires adherence to the principle of random sampling. Quantitative research uses tables, graphs, and figures to organize the collected data for the presentation. Such an approach ensures the information is consolidated in such a manner to show the trends, and relationships among the variables.
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The Effectiveness of the Survey Method and Tools
Of the four basic types of quantitative research methods (survey, correlational, causal-comparative, and experimental methods of quantitative research), survey research is the most convenient form of quantitative analysis. This is because the surveys embrace the use of interviews, sampling and questionnaire polls to get a sense of behavior with intense precision (Nardi, 2018) . Investigations are also useful in the sense that they allow for the judging of action and then the presentation of the findings in an accurate way, usually expressed in percentages. This is typically done by conducting polls on a group of subjects and then comparing the responses to another group. Surveys also allow for the use of statisticians and field agents by creating room for a high level of personal interactions in the survey scenarios. This allows for the persons conducting the surveys to have a first-hand experience in the field to reflect undoctored responses.
Relevant Company Examples
A global company that has been on the forefront employing the use of survey methods of research in conducting its market research is Apple Inc. Being a global smartphone producer, with a market share that is slightly higher than any other producer in the market currently, Apple Inc. has heavily invested in its Research And development (R&D) which remains to be a top-secret project (Xu, Guo, Zhang & Dang, 2018) . In February 2017 Apple revealed that it continues to invest heavily on R&D to ensure that its products remain to be highly competitive in the market. Having spent more than $2.8 billion on R&D in the first quarter of the year, Apple revealed that the main methodologies employed to get consumer feedback on the products and services are mainly through conducting surveys, both on consumer expectations and on what the competitors create and offer to ensure Apple's diversity.
Relevant Organizational Examples
There are various ways an organization can employ the use of survey methods in its culture to gauge the performance of the employees based on their perception. These are telephonic, face-to-face, paper, and online methods of conducting surveys (Zhang, Kuchinke, Woud, Velten, & Margraf, 2017) . An international organization can, for instance, employ the use of online reviews in which participants from across the globe are invited to share in their views about the organization's products or services. In this scenario, the organization could develop a portal or use its social media platforms to ask questions regarding the services and products it offers. The clients are then invited to fill in the online questions before submitting them through the online platforms. A great example of how international organizations are tapping into this form of survey is through the development of customer care that seeks the reviews of clients on how they liked the services given to them.
Personal Opinion of the Future of Quantitative Research
Quantitative research allows individuals, companies, and organizations to conduct a better analysis of the market or phenomenal whose variables they are interested in. As such, it possesses a better methodology in conducting such research work has in the medical field which is more focused on hard data, be it in the experimentation of newly developed drugs or medical procedures, or the study of prevailing diseases and conditions. This means quantitative research offers a better solution in the field of research and should, therefore, be more utilized by individuals and organizations. In the same spirit, the method should be enhanced to reflect not only on the current prevailing patterns of the variables but should as well be able to predict the possibility of future occurrences based on the models. More efforts should be put into developing the framework of interpreting current patterns to reflect future events.
References
Nardi, P. M. (2018). Doing survey research: A guide to quantitative methods . Routledge.
Xu, H., Guo, H., Zhang, J., & Dang, A. (2018). Facilitating dynamic marketing capabilities development for domestic and foreign firms in an emerging economy. Journal of Business Research , 86 , 141-152.
Zhang, X., Kuchinke, L., Woud, M. L., Velten, J., & Margraf, J. (2017). Survey method matters: online/offline questionnaires and face-to-face or telephone interviews differ. Computers in Human Behavior , 71 , 172-180.
