Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes research method used, population, sample size and sampling

scheme used in the study in addition to the description of respondents, procedures used for

gathering data, instrument used, and statistical treatment of data.

Method of Research

The descriptive method was utilized in this study. As defined by Leedy (2005), descriptive

research describes qualitatively and quantitatively to present situation and occurrences and

interprets “what is.” Descriptive investigations include all these studies which aim to present facts

covering the nature and status or a set of conditions, a group of persons, system of thought or a

class of events. Descriptive research attempts to interpret the present

The process of descriptive research in this study was beyond the mere gathering and

tabulation of data because it involved an analysis and interpretation of the meaning or

significance of what was described. Description involved measurement, classification, analysis

and interpretation.

Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique

The researcher conducted the study on selected DOT accredited hotels (3-5 stars) in

Metro Manila. The respondents were from the Top and Middle management, Supervisorial and

Rank and file position in Human Resources Department.

The researcher used Random Sampling. According Dr. Young (2010), Random

Sampling is a method of selecting a sample size, from a population of size, such that each

member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.

Table 1

Distribution of Respondents per Hotel on Selected

DOT Accredited Hotels per City
 List of Hotels per City
No. of Retrieved
Manila Star Respondents questionnaires
Hotel A 3 15 11
Hotel B 3 15 11
Hotel C 3 15 11
Hotel D 3 15 11
Hotel E 4 20 17
Hotel F 4 20 18
Hotel G 5 30 27
Mandaluyong
Hotel H 3 15 13
Quezon City
Hotel I 3 15 12
Hotel J 4 20 17
Paranaque
Hotel K 5 30 25
Total 210 173

To determine the sample size, the researcher used the Slovin’s Formula with 5% margin

of error and came up with 138 respondents.

Slovin’s Formula

Where:

n=sample size

N=population size

e=margin of error

as computed

n= 210

1 + 210 (.05)2

n= 210

1.525

n = 137.70 or 138
 Out of 200 distributed questionnaires, there were only 185 retrieved questionnaires (173

valid + 12 invalid). The researcher utilized 173 respondents for the study which were much

greater than what was indicated in the Slovin’s formula.

Description of Respondents

The sources of data were of primary which were based on the survey methods with the

provided questionnaires distributed to eleven (11) identified DOT accredited hotels in Metro

Manila.

The variables used in terms of the respondents’ profile were age, sex, highest educational

attainment, job position level and length of service in the company.

Research Instrument

The questionnaire was adopted from the study of Teson, D. and Ricci P. (2009) entitled

“Hotel and Restaurant Entry-Level Job Competencies: Comparisons of Management and Worker

Perceptions” and the researcher used the TESDA Training Modules for Food and Beverage

Service, Food Production (Culinary and Bread & Pastry Production), Housekeeping Procedures,

and Front Office Procedures.

The instrument used in gathering data is divided in two parts: first for the profile of the

respondents and another half for the study proper of respondents. Part 2 solicits the level of

competence utilizing the Likert Scale which measures the 3 competencies: knowledge, skills and

attitude.

The researcher constructed a questionnaire to suit the profile of the respondents as its

tool for gathering the needed data to measure (Likert Scales) the respondents’ assessment on

TESDA Certificate holder-employees.

Levels of Competence Likert scale:

5 – Highly Competent
 4 – Competent

3 – Somewhat Competent

2 – Fairly Competent

1 – Not Competent

To interpret the weighted mean, an arbitrary scale with equal interval was used.

4.20 – 5.00 Highly Competent

3.40 – 4.19 Competent

3.39 – 2.60 Somewhat Competent

2.59 – 1.80 Fairly Competent

1.79 – 1.00 Not Competent

Data Gathering Procedure

After the approval of the survey questionnaire, the researcher conducted a pre-testing to

people who had an experience in TESDA training: College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Secretary,

HRM Faculty Member and Program Coordinator of Commerce and two TESDA Trainers. Since

there were no comments and suggestions received from the conducted pre-testing, the

researcher started to get the list of DOT accredited hotels (3-5 star) with contact person, email

address and telephone number.

The researcher contacted the hotels through phone calls and sent request letter through

email endorsed to the management of the research venue. It sought permission to conduct the

survey within their facilities and premises.

The distribution, follow-ups and retrieval of questionnaires to the respondents started on

August 19, 2016 to April 30, 2017 and were done through phone calls for follow-ups and

personally for distribution and retrieval. The respondents were assured that the information

solicited from them will be treated with utmost confidentiality and exclusively for academic

purposes only.
 The researcher experienced difficulty in the approval of the hotel management because

most of these were not entertaining surveys and the retrieval of questionnaires because some

of the hotels did not answer the distributed questionnaires. It took the researcher 7 months to

gather data.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The data gathered were grouped, tallied, tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted. The

following statistical tools were used:

1. Frequency and Percentage Distribution. According to Statistics Management by

Levin and Rubin (2001) frequency and percentage distribution is distribution of

observed frequencies of occurrence of the values of a variable. The researcher used

this tool to analyze the respondents’ profile in terms of age, sex, civil status, highest

educational attainment, employment status and level of agreement and in present a

part of the whole. The formula utilized was:

𝑓
P= x 100
𝑁

Where

P – percentage

f- frequency

N – total number of respondents

2. Weighted Mean. The scores given by the respondents from top to first-line

management and Human Resources Department to each provision in the

questionnaire on the level of competence of knowledge, skills and attitude reduced

into ratings and presented in tables. The said ratings were obtained using the

weighted mean.

wx = ∑ 𝑤𝑥
 ∑𝑤

Where:

xw – weighted mean

∑ 𝑤𝑥– sum of the weighted frequency

∑ 𝑤- total frequency

3. T-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). These were used to prove the

hypothesis of the study that “the significant difference in respondents’ assessment of

the level of competency of TESDA Certificate holder-employees when they are

grouped according to profile.” Given the premises, if the computed p-value is greater

than the assigned level of significance of 0.05, the null hypothesis will be accepted.

4. Ranking. This was used to show the positional importance of one item. It was used

in the table of the level of competence in terms knowledge, skills and attitude.