DIVULGACIÓN DEL PRESENTE MPR

5. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS

5.1 INTRODUCTION

In Chapter 4, the theoretical background to the research design and methodology was discussed. Chapter 5 gives an overview of the empirical findings of the research study. The raw data from the questionnaire survey is analysed in this chapter, this is done to determine the results of the study. The data analysis attempts to answer the research questions posed in Chapter 1 section 1.4. The order of the questions in Chapter 5 has been changed due to the logical sequence for this chapter. The questions asked were:

• What is the biographical profile of selected MBA students? • What is the overall EI profile of selected MBA students?

• How effective and efficient are the internal team processes in the functioning of MBA syndicate groups?

• How effective and efficient are the effectiveness team criteria in the functioning of the MBA syndicate groups?

• What is the relationship between EI and effective team functioning of the MBA syndicate groups?

• Are there any correlations between biographical profile and EI?

• Are there any correlations between the biographical profile and syndicate group team functioning?

This chapter also gives the effect to the research objectives and the hypothesis. The statistical analysis of the data used STATISTICA version 7.1. STATISTICA is a general statistical package.

STATISTICA Version 7.1 was used to determine the arithmetic mean (or simply the mean value) of a list of numbers is the sum of all the members of the list

number of observations. Once the method has been chosen to describe the communality of a data set, the standard deviation is usually used to describe how the observations differ (Wikipedia Encyclopaedia, 2006).

Standard deviation is the most common measure of statistical dispersion, measuring how spread out the values in a data set is. If the data points are all close to the mean value, then the standard deviation is close to zero. If many data points are far from the mean value, then the standard deviation is far from zero. If all the data values are equal, then the standard deviation is zero (Wikipedia Encyclopaedia, 2006).

In conjunction with the standard deviation and the mean value, the Cronbach alpha is used. The Cronbach alpha and inter-item correlation is used to test how well a set of items (or variables) measures a single one-dimensional latent construct. When data has a multidimensional structure, Cronbach alpha will usually be low. Technically speaking, Cronbach alpha is not a statistical test but a coefficient of reliability or consistency (UCLA Academic Technology Service, 2007).

The final part of the test is the analysis of variance (ANOVA) used for comparing means of three or more variables. This test is used to compare means of three or more samples, to avoid the error inherent in performing multiple t-tests. When there are too many t-tests that need to be done, the error margin is too large. The ANOVA overcomes this problem by enabling the detection of significant differences between the treatments as a whole (Biology sites served by Helios, 2007).

It must be noted that of the 400 potential respondents, 20 percent (N=80) of the population completed the questionnaire, there were also no spoiled questionnaires.

The following sections, 5.2 to 5.6 discuss the findings of the study. The format is:

Section 5.2 Biographical findings Section 5.3 EI profile findings

Section 5.4 Effective team functioning findings Section 5.5 EI and effective team functioning findings

Section 5.6 Findings pertaining to the relationship between EI, effective team functioning and biographical variables

5.2 BIOGRAPHICAL FINDINGS

The biographical findings from the survey were analysed based on the questions asked in Chapter 1 section 1.4 to determine if these questions were answered sufficiently. The first question asked was, what is the biographical profile of the selected MBA students?

The biographical profile of the MBA students considered: gender, population group, level of study and a question on teamwork in the work environment. Each of these probes is discussed separately in sections 5.2.1 to 5.2.4. Although the total number of respondents to this study were 80 (N=80), respondents did not always complete each section of the study and, therefore, the number of respondents for each question differed. The questionnaire was sent out in 2005 and 2006. It must be noted that as this study was administered at the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006, students that completed the questionnaire in 2005 did not complete it again in 2006. In section 5.2.1, gender, the first biographical finding is discussed.

5.2.1 Gender

The questions asked in the questionnaire regarding gender were: Indicate your gender?

Male 1 Female 2

sample) and a comparison with the entire population for 2006 in percentage format. Table 5.1: Gender GENDER FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE TOTAL POPULATION % in (2006) Male 56 72.7 73.8 Female 21 27.3 26.2 Total 77 100 100

The total population for 2006 had a ratio of 73.8 percent men and 26.2 percent women. The study respondents also answered the questions in similar gender ratios of 72.7 percent male and 27.3 percent female.

In Figure 5.1, the gender split is illustrated in a pie chart as this provides a clearer indication of gender groupings.

Figure 5.1: Gender split

Female 27.30%

Male 72.70%

In Orme (2001, as cited in Paul, 2006: 66) he distinguishes between men and women in that

Women are more aware of their emotions, demonstrate more empathy, relate better interpersonally and act more socially responsible than men; on the other hand, men appear to have better self regard, are more independent, cope better with stress, are more flexible, solve problems

better, and are more optimistic than women.

It is therefore desirable to enrol both men and women into the MBA programme as both can contribute to effective syndicate group team functioning.

It is evident that there are a higher proportion of men that studying the MBA programme than women. In section 5.2.2 population groups are discussed.

5.2.2 Population groups

The question asked in the questionnaire regarding population groups was: Indicate to which population group you belong?

White 1 Coloured 2 African 3 Asian 4 Not willing to say 5

Table 5.2 indicates the frequency (number of responses), percentage (of that sample) and a comparison with the entire population for 2006 in percentage format.

Table 5.2: Population groups

POPULATION GROUPS