The effect of Media in Information Technology and Job creation

CHAPTER THREE

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

Here, we shall discuss the summary of the theory and the methodology used in this study. The research design, population and sample design as well as the research instruments of the study are discussed.

 It examines the model used to explore the effect that social media networks have on employment generation in the country. This chapter puts emphasis on the measures and scales used in this study and also the method of data presentation and analysis. The aim of this research as stated earlier is to explore the effect that social media networks have on employment generation in the country. In order to provide an objective and conclusive study, considering the limitations of the study, the paper adopts the survey research method in answering the research questions. This chapter explains in details the theoretical framework.

The theoretical framework employed in this study is the social exchange theory propounded by Homans, Blur and Everson. We also outline the system of methods, the research designs and research instruments used in the research work.

3.2 Theoretical Framework

For the purpose of this research, our findings and works will be based on two theories: The Theory of Social Exchange and The Theory of Social Networks.

The theory of Social exchange is an economic theory with roots in Utilitarianism and Behaviourism. It engages a cost-benefit analysis in decision making process, assuming that both parties are rational beings seeking to maximise utility. Homans (1961), Blur (1964) and Emerson (1962, 1967) assume that individuals usually pick a process in which the cost is relatively lower than the benefit it has to offer. This theory which has been applied to work settings and Recruitment by Liden et al (1997) and Lisa McGregor (2010) respectively shows that employers as well as employees would ultimately go for a recruiting process with low cost and high benefits.

The theory can be applied in Social Recruiting as a means of hiring. This study applies this in order to show why Social Recruiting is the best method for gaining employment or sourcing for employees. Social recruiting offers a plethora of benefits for both parties, which range from a wider range of applicants/companies to choose from, a means of marketing, tips on what employers and possible employees are looking for in candidates and most importantly all these services are offered for free. The only cost
accrued to this method of recruiting is time which more often than not applies only to the company as individuals hardly spend time on these networks, based on their profiles, the companies who want them contact them and they are able to get access to jobs they didn‟t even know about or apply for.

The social network theory propagated by Emile Durkheim and Ferdinand Tonnies talks about the relationship that exists between several people and this relationship is depicted with the use of nodes and ties. The nodes being the individuals while the ties are the relationships that exist between these individuals. The social network theory looks at how the nodes try to get resources that are not directly available to them through the use of their ties. Relating this to social networks, companies (nodes) usually seek the social network platforms (ties) which offer vast number of human resources which are not available to them for employment. Relating these two theories, we get a joint theory that says that while trying to be rational by efficiently utilizing resources and minimizing costs, companies usually take advantage of ties such as social network platforms in their recruitment process which gives them more benefits than the other traditional ways of recruiting.

 Social network presence has been found to be positively related to recruitment given the fact that the society is in a technology-based era. Firms are increasingly moving from the norm of using personal interviews or publicizing employment opportunities in the newspapers or on a chalk board outside the firm and are gradually going with the trend of having at least one social network presence with which they advertise their company as well as look for job candidates. This is mainly due to the fact that their target population which usually range from 18-40 are all part of this web 2.0 generation. Therefore social recruiting comes into place.

More so, this method of recruitment gives the companies better employees with higher productivity as they are able to pick from the best at a lower cost which brings about higher profits and lesser costs and in the long-run leads to expansion and more job opportunities.

3.3 Research Methodology

Research methodology helps examine which claims for knowledge and assumptions are used for decision-making, and also outlines the rules and procedures upon which the research is based. In addition to this, it presents the method with which the data is collected, the measurement approach and how the data is analysed. However, in the light of the research questions of this research, this research work relies on the use of questionnaire responses, which are discussed below.

3.3.1 Research Design

A research design can be identified as a systematic approach through which solutions are provided to an identified problem (Burns, 2000). The research is a study on the effect of Social Network Platforms on employment generation in the country. The nature of the research design is descriptive. Through the use of primary data, we were able to find out the relationship that exists between Social Network presence and recruitment. The research participants studied include employed people within the age of 21 and 35 has they are the ones who majorly engage social networks for recruitment. We also looked at firms in Nigeria that engage in Social Recruiting. 100 questionnaires were given out in Lagos and Ota to people. The survey was used to assess whether or not people belong to Social Networks for professional reasons and if it has helped them in their employment pursuit.

3.3.2 Study Population

The research will be distributing the questionnaires to 100 recipients. It is however important to note that in this research, there will be no restriction based on the sex, course of study, academic qualification or status when picking the recipients. However, there is an age restriction i.e. the respondents should be between the ages of 18-40. The reason for this age bracket is because they are the category of people that are most likely looking for employment or gainfully employed and also engage in the use of social media. The reasons for the lack of restrictions in sex, study major, academic qualification or status restrictions are so that there can be a mix in the responses received. Also to have an idea of tools used by organisations, HR personnel of organisations would also receive the questionnaire.

3.3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique

The sampling technique that was adopted for this research is purposive sampling technique, in the sense that the respondents were picked based on their age bracket in order to fit the required population needed for the study. The survey was divided into two; one was done physically through purposive sampling technique while the other was done by sharing an online questionnaire through stratified sampling technique.

3.3.4 Data Collection

For the purposive sampling technique, the questionnaires were shared to individuals in close range. However, given the nature of the topic, the majority of the data for the survey were sent using and online questionnaire to the email address of the respondents.

3.3.5 Research Instruments

The survey research strategy is one that employs questionnaires as its predominant data collection technique. They will be used to collect data concerning personal views, opinions and beliefs of respondents in line with the objectives of this research (Ticehurst and Veal, 1999). The technique is employed because: it is easier to interact with a large number of people swiftly and efficiently; it is easier to code and interpret; it is easier to homogenize because participants are asked the same questions thus making it a reliable method of research; and, it can be completed anonymously thus keeping each questionnaire private and details confidential.

The questionnaire will contain a combination of Frequency Determination questions: a likert scale is employed to measure the attitude and opinion of respondents; Open-ended questions: respondents will be allowed to add other tools that they use and factors that influences the use of the social media tool that might have been overlooked by the author; and Close-ended questions: the questionnaire contains questions seeking demographics of the respondents e.g. age, sex etc. The questionnaire will be sent to participants via the survey monkey which is a popular website for the creation of surveys and also the analysis of results gotten from such surveys.

3.3.6 Validity Test

Vability test is an element that tests quality and shows the degree to which an assessment instrument produces accurate and consistent results. Validity test refers to whether or not the test measures what it is proposed to measure. Vability test is not sufficient because for a test to be reliable it needs to be valid and
this is why we need validity test. Validity test is also used to show quality of a test.

Testing for Validity

In order to test for validity we make use of the chi-square. The chi-square is a statistical test used to compare data being observed with the data of what is being expected to be obtained according to a particular hypothesis.

Mathematically, the chi-square is;
∑



This is the sum of the squared difference between observed (o) and the expected (e) data divided by the expected data (e).

3.4 Model Specification

The overall objective of the study is to examine the relationship that lies between Social Network Presence and Employment Generation. There are three models for this study. The first model shows that being on a social network increases ones chances of getting a job (Individual View) and the second model aims to show that Social recruiting generates more employment (Company View).

Model 1

For this model, Employment Opportunities is the dependent variable while Social network presence, Educational Attainment, Parents Ranking in Society, Site Use in Present or Past Jobs, Employment via Social Networks is the independent variable. This is because these variables affect the employment opportunities.


The dependent variable
:

Employment Opportunities.

The Independent Variables
:

Social Network Presence

Educational Attainment

Parents Ranking in Society
39

Gender

Age Group

Religion

Social Network Activeness Expressed mathematically, we have: EO = f(SNP, E, PR, G, A, R, SNA
)……………………………………(1)
Where
;
EO
represents Employment Opportunities,
SNP
represents Social Network Platforms.
E
represents Employment Opportunities,
PR
represents Parents Ranking in Society,
G
represents Gender,
A
represents Age Group,
R
represents Religion and,
SNA
represents Social Network Activeness. Putting equation (1) in econometric form; EO
= β
0
+ β
1
SNP +
β
2
E +
β
3
PR + β
4
G
+ β
5
A +
β
6
R +
β
7
SNA + U
T
…………….(2)
Where;
β
0
= the intercept
40
β
1,
β
2,
β
3,
β
4
and β
5
= the slope coefficient U
T
= the stochastic disturbance factor
Model 2
For this model, Employment Generation is dependent on the change in productivity attributable to SR, increase in sales attributable to SN use, size of the firm and quality of employees gotten from SR.
The Dependent Variable

Employment Generation
The Independent Variables

Increase in Productivity Attributable to SN,

Increase in Sales Attributable to Use of SN for advertisement and,

Quality of Employees Gotten From the Use of SR.

Size of Firm Expressed mathematically, we have: EG = f(IP, IS, QE, SF
)……………………………………………………….(3)
Where,
EG
represents Employment Generation,
IP
represents Increased Productivity,
SF
represents size of firms,
IS
represents Increased Sales and,
41
QE
represents quality of employees. Putting (3) in econometric form, we have: EG =
β
0
E +
β
1
IP +
β
2
IS
+
β
3
QE
+ β
4
SF + U
T
…………………………………………..(4)

A priori Expectation

The a priori expectation for the effect of social network platforms presence on the Nigerian labor market is positive. That is, the more
active you are on these sites, the greater your chances of getting a job or employees via this medium. The a priori expectation for the effect of increased productivity via SN on Employment Generation is also positive. Lastly, we expect that SM effectively connect employers to those looking for jobs.

3.5 Method of Data Presentation and Analysis

The data gathered through the questionnaire from the field will be edited and checked thoroughly for any inadequacy or inconsistency. The data will then be imputed into the SPSS program (statistical package for social science) for analysis, the analysis frequencies, the chi-square test and the regression analysis will be used. A logit analysis will also be carried out to assess how well the set of predictor variables predicts or explains the categorical dependent variable
. The SPSS program is a program used to analyse data and statistics. Through the use of SPSS the survey responses which is qualified is being quantified.

3.6 Sample Size Determination

The statistical formula used to derive the sample size is stated below:
42
n=
(

)

Where: N is required sample size SD is standard deviation (estimated by pilot study) SE is standard error of the mean SD = 10
SE = 1.02 n=
(

)

= 97

100 people. (Rounded to the nearest hundred people).
Read chapter four here

Protesters storm Chevron facility in Delta, demand better jobs

Hundreds of protesters stormed a Nigerian facility owned by Chevron on Wednesday demanding better jobs and forcing staff to be airlifted out, community leaders said.

Protesters from Ugborodo village, which is close to Chevron’s Escravos terminal, want the company to relocate more of its Nigerian offices to the southern Delta state to secure work for people living in the oil-producing swampland.

“Our people are casual workers in their own land,” Collins Edema, president of the National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, a community group, told AFP.

Speaking from the facility, Ofe Nene said that “400 protesters” were inside the Chevron yard while hundreds of others were outside.

“We have been here since yesterday and will continue to be here for as long as possible until Chevron gives in to our demands,” said Nene, a youth leader.

Chevron workers were evacuated from the facility in helicopters and planes, said a security staff member.

“A plane just landed 40 minutes back to continue evacuation of top staff,” he said.

“This is in addition to other staff who were earlier evacuated with the use of choppers.”

Ugborodo villagers have a history of staging protests against Chevron. Their complaints — focussing on jobs, community development and pollution — have stayed the same over the years.

In a famous 2002 protest, hundreds of Ugborodo women demanding more jobs staged a peaceful protest at Escravos lasting days.

Today protests aren’t the only headache for oil companies operating in the region. This year has seen an increase in attacks on oil infrastructure by armed militants demanding greater political autonomy for the region and a bigger cut of oil revenues.

A new militant group named the Niger Delta Avengers has claimed a series of attacks that have strangled Nigerian oil production at a time when the government desperately needs the money to revamp dilapidated infrastructure and fight Boko Haram Islamists in the northeast.

AFP