MMPA 6480 Walden University Research Evaluation Because public and nonprofit administrators operate in a complex world, they often ask research questions t
MMPA 6480 Walden University Research Evaluation Because public and nonprofit administrators operate in a complex world, they often ask research questions that can be answered with multiple explanations. Multiple explanations for an outcome require multiple independent variables. As a reminder, independent variables are those that influence the outcome or dependent variable. For example, consider research designed to explain why some students earn good grades in Applied Research and Evaluation, while others do not. Perhaps one independent variable, such as time spent studying, explains good grades versus poor grades (dependent variable). However, it is more likely that many independent variables are involved. It could be that time spent studying, along with previous experience taking a research methods course, and the amount of time spent at a job, contributes to the explanation. Simple associational research, such as the research you considered in Week 9, overlooks the complexity of multiple variables because it focuses only on one independent variable.
Explanations that involve multiple independent variables are better served by approaches such as OLS regression or binary logistic regression analysis. The choice often depends on the nature of the dependent variable. An interval dependent variable may lead you to choose OLS regression, while a nominal dependent variable may require binary logistic regression. OLS is a simple, yet limited approach to regression. You must assume that variables are related in a linear fashion, and the dependent variable must be somewhat interval in nature. Research does not always present interval-dependent variables. There are situations, however, in which dependent variables are more nominal in nature. Assume that you want to predict the likelihood of an individual leaving the organization in the next six months. The dependent variable in this example would be nominal (either he/she leaves or he/she does not). OLS regression would not work in this situation, so you would need another type of regression, known as binary logistic regression. There is no “perfect” approach to regression analysis. Rather, you must select the “most appropriate” type of analysis, depending on the purpose of your research and the types of variables you are examining.
Review the Learning Resources for this week. Consider how regression analysis (OLS and binary logistic) could apply to your Final Evaluation Design (Final Project) to help answer your research question.
Post an explanation of whether OLS regression or binary logistic regression is more appropriate to evaluate the program, problem, or policy you selected for your Evaluation Design. Explain how you would use the selected analysis, and justify why this type of regression analysis is most appropriate.
READINGS
Johnson, G. (2014). Research methods for public administrators (3rd ed.). Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.
Chapter 15, “Data Analysis: Regression” (pp. 216–229)
Garson, G. D. (2009, April 4). Logistic regression. Retrieved from http://faculty.chass.ncsu.edu/garson/PA765/logistic.htm
MEDIA
Laureate Education (Producer). (2013a). Correlation and introduction to regression. [Multimedia file]Baltimore, MD: Author.
“Correlation and introduction to regression” Transcript (PDF)
Optional Resources
Laureate Education (Producer). (2013c). Virtual community. [Multimedia file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
“Virtual Community” Transcript (PDF) Running head: DISCUSSION QUERIES
Mental Health America (MHA)
Courtnie Walker
Walden University
December 16, 2018
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DISCUSSION QUERIES
2
Discussion Queries
Organization
The Mental Health America (MHA) is the organization of my choice for this project.
MHA is an example of a contemporary nonprofit organization that was founded in 1909 by
Clifford Whittingham Beers. The organization was based in Virginia in the United States as its
headquarters and based on the philosophical principle of the “Before Stage 4” (B4Stage4). The
Mental Health America focuses on the needs of the patients with mental illness with the aim of
improving and recovering the mental illnesses of the overall mental health status of all the
Americans. MHA currently has over 200 affiliates within 41 states in the United States (Mental
Health America, 2018).
The prime goals of the organization are to facilitate mental wellness and recovery from
mental illness in the community through the provision of mental health advocacy, education, and
services in the society. To realize the organizational goals the Mental Health America facilitates
both policies and programs that are mental health oriented. Some of the policies advocated by
MHA include both federal and state policies. On the other hand, the “Life on Campus,” the
“Back to School” and the “Clifford Beers Society” are some of the programs run by MHA. Thus,
the selection of Mental Health America as an organization for the project can be held to be
relevant to the project since the company is associated with policies and programs which is one
of the project’s requirements for the organization to be selected. Lastly, the availability of the
information concerning Mental Health America also makes this organization applicable to the
project.
Program
DISCUSSION QUERIES
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The Mental Health America offers a recovery program which is mental health oriented
since it is aimed at helping the mentally challenged individuals in the community to recover
quickly hence enhancing their capability to secure employment positions that can help them to
create a sustainable and independent life. This recovery program can be held to be essential not
only to the mentally challenged people but also to the society and nation, since the expected
outcomes of the recovery program induce both improvements in the living standards and
economic productivity of the community and country by increasing the number of human
resources.
The facilitation of an evaluation design for the recovery program can be held to be
beneficial to the Mental Health America. The statistical data available concerning the outcomes
of the recovery program of Mental Health America only facilitates the identification of the
number of people who have secured employment after undergoing through the recovery
program. Thus, the facilitation of an evaluation of the recovery program would be substantial
since it would help in determining the number of people who secure employment and their selfesteem and confidence levels after undergoing the recovery program. Hence, this information
relating to the recovery program derived from the evaluation can be held to be beneficial to the
organization’s stakeholders and shareholders such as staffs and board of directors respectively
since it depicts the effectiveness and viability of the recovery program offered by the Mental
Health America organization.
Research Question. The lack of unfamiliar words, lack of the use of emotionally loaded
words, accommodating all possible answers and evoking truth are some of the qualities of a good
question (StatPac, 2009).
DISCUSSION QUERIES
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How effective is the recovery program of the Mental Health America in promoting selfesteem and confidence levels among the mental health patients who had undergone the recovery
program?
Thus, since the research question is depicted using familiar words, lack of the use of
emotionally loaded words, it accommodates all possible answers and it evokes the truth it can be
held as a good research question for the recovery program project.
Evaluation Design. The use of experimental design can be held as an optimal type of
evaluation design for the recovery program of the Mental Health America. The experimental
design acts as a central point of assessing other types of evaluation design (Rural Health
Information Hub, n.d.). This argument rests on the technique for evaluating the cause and effect
of a program or intervention that is associated with the experimental design. Hence, the assessing
the cause and effect technique of a program or intervention can be held to be significant in
studying the recovery program of the Mental Health America since it would ascertain the cause
and effect of the recovery program to the mental health patients. According to Johnson (2014),
the strongest evaluation design for cause and effect is the experimental design. As a result, the
establishment of the cause and effect of the recovery program using experimental design would
help in determining the levels of self-esteem and confidence of the mentally challenged people
who have undergone through the recovery program and secured employment.
Besides, the experimental design is associated with high internal validity hence making it
the best evaluation design for the recovery program of the Mental Health America. Bryman,
(2016) assert that the experimental design is distinguished from other types of evaluation designs
by its attribute of high internal validity. Therefore, the use of the experimental design for the
recovery program would be relevant since the high internal validity linked with this evaluation
DISCUSSION QUERIES
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design would highly promote the validity and reliability of the project. This declaration is
centered on the fact that the experimental design would enhance more material evidence of the
efficiency of the recovery program in enhancing the self-esteem and confidence levels among the
mental health patients who have undergone through the recovery program and secured
employment.
DISCUSSION QUERIES
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References
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Johnson, G. (2014). Research methods for public administrators (3rd ed.). Armonk, NY: M. E.
Sharpe.
Mental Health America. (2018, March 30). About Us. Retrieved from
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/about-us
Rural Health Information Hub. (n.d.). Designing an Evaluation. Retrieved from
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/rural-toolkit/4/evaluation-design
StatPac. (2009). Qualities of a good question. Retrieved
from https://www.statpac.com/surveys/question-qualities.htm
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