ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION READ the case study APPENDIX $1$ below.

Answers ALL of the following questions.

B$1.$ Write the research problem $($not more than $5$ lines$)$ for the case study. $(10)$

B$2.$ Write a research question for the case study that addresses the research problem. $(5)$

B$3.$ Set a Primary Objective for the research of this case study. $(5)$

B$4.$ Outline a quantitative research design process suitable to address items B$1,$ B$2$ and B$3(25)$

B$5.$ Describe the type of respondent $($one type$)$ you would want to sample to address the research question. Be clear in your arguments as to why their perspective would be important. $(5)$ APPENDIX $1-$ CASE STUDY for SECTION B BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

The seriousness of sick leave being abused is highlighted by the following statement on the South African effect, "Absenteeism is a major reason for South Africa slipping down global competitiveness rankings, with a $500\%$ increase in sick leave$/$temporary$-$disability leave since $2001,$ suggesting some employees take a sick day when suffering only minor ailments and days off without even being ill." $($Pickworth$,2013$: $1).$ Sick leave can be characterised by a Human Resource $($HR$)$ management perspective as the assistance from the company acquired by the employee through labour legislation for the absence from the workplace due to the employee's incapability to execute his or her duties for the time being.

Pickworth $(2013$: $1),$ highlights sick leave abuse in terms of lost productivity for South Africa saying that, $"$In $2001,$ the $[$employee absentee$]$ figure was just $0\mathrm{.}7\%.$ With this many people on sick leave at any given time, one day of sick leave per employee is effectively taken each month $-$ or employers $[$to put it another way$]$ are paying for $20$ days' work and receiving $19.$ Now $[2013]$ on any given day, $3\mathrm{.}7\%$ of STM$8$X$06$ Research Methodology $-$ Main Exam Summative Assessment $2018$

$5$

South African workers are absent on sick leave, and between $2009$ and last year $[2013]$ a quarter of all workers took the maximum statutory allowance for sick leave $-30$ days in a three$-$year cycle." $($Pickworth$,2013$: $1).$

The rigour of balancing profit with the well$-$being of both internal and external stakeholder needs has affected the way that organisations work. The onus is on the organisation to treat workers with respect and ensure their well$-$being, but there is also an expectation from organisations that their workers will see the need to return these investments with work that makes profit for the company. A disturbing fact is that sick leave abuse not only occurs among lower$-$level workers; professional level employees are also guilty of this practice.$\text{'}($Burger van Eeden & Jordaan, $2008$: $10)$

In $2012$ at CPS$,$ over $8000$ working days were lost. In $2013,$ just over $7000$ working days were missed; while lost days increased again to just less than $8000$ in $2014.$ Taking these figures into account, one can clearly say that the excessive absenteeism totals have a severe impact on the economic state of the CPS business. It is necessary to understand more about why employees use such excessive amounts of sick leave to try to manage this loss of work, better.