Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

Research proposal: ACA Act Change and its Impact on HR Professionals

Jimmie F. King
4/24/2016
Eric Sourie

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

Introduction/ Background of the Study

Human resources managers have the responsibility of not only catering for the welfare
of workers but helping them to develop in their various chosen careers. The HR professionals
are specialists who know what their organisations need and they develop existing staff or
recruit new ones to meet these needs. Having adequate workforce in public organisations is
very germane to enable government meets its task for providing for the basic social and
public needs of its citizens. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted in
2010, has the provision for ensuring that Americans receive complete healthcare services and
get better access to preventive services. The Act also has provisions for improving healthcare
workforce analysis and personnel capability. According to Drehobl, et al. (2012 p. 28) ACA
presents the opportunities for strengthening the workforce for public health surveillance.
Hence, the problem of shortage of health workers in the US is prevented by provisions in this
Act.
The rationale for this topic is to analyse the change in the ACA Act and its impact on
the activities and performance of human resources managers and professionals.
Literature review
The most significant provision of the ACA Act is the universal requirement for health
insurance. Other basic features include to the increase in equipment utilization rate from 50%
to 75%. This equipment utilization rate is used in calculating technical component payment
under Medicare. Another provision in the Act is the multiple procedure payment reduction
from 25% - 50%. Also there is the Medicare imaging demonstration which allows for
collection of data for the appropriations of medical practitioners use of advanced diagnostic

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

imaging services decision-support systems (Meltzer, 2011 p.1165). There is also provision
for quality reporting incentive for physician payment.
The important role played by the human resource in todays organisation has made
researchers conduct researches so as to come up with the most effective way of managing them
so as to bring about more efficiency in the organisation. According to Zigarelli (1997 p. 63), in
order for Human Resource Professionals to help managers develop an effective strategic plan
to deal with the trends of the ever-changing global and technological demanding world,
attracting developing and retaining individual with the skills, they need to possess the
following:
(1) global operating skills
(2) business and financial savvy,
(3) strategic visioning, critical thinking and problem solving skills
(4) Ability to use information. Technology
(5) Deep Human Resource knowledge
(6) Change management skills and
(7) Organisational effectiveness skills.
Furthermore, Rowden (1999 p. 23) have it that Human Resource Professional need
to master global operating skills. They should learn to do business in non-native environments,
with individual of different backgrounds and perspectives and with products and services used
in different ways. Human Resource Professionals should also be masters of the business
environment. They need to understand financial reports, business goals, and consumer and
investor important. Also they must have the business acumen necessary to understand and
support the business function. This will make Human Resource Professionals and

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

indispensable part of a team assigned the task of charting a businesss future (Hussey 1995,
p. 157).
Thus, it is seen that for the Human Resource source professionals to actively partake in
the strategic planning of an organisation they need to be vast with skills that cut across financial
planning, critical visioning and thinking, analytical skill and be informed with the ever
changing technological development and better utilisation of modern information technology
packages. This will make them be equipped to put the organisation a head of its competitors.
The health practitioners, such as doctors, and nurses need to undergo frequent training
and development programme since their profession is one that has to do with the safety of lives.
Furthermore, the frequent changes in health sector technology make it mandatory that such
developmental scheme for health care workers are conducted on regular basis.
The importance of human resource development in health industry has made many
developing countries see it a main factor for assessing the success of their Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). To achieve the goal of a successful health programme in any
country, there is the need to develop the health workers through effective HRD schemes and
training programmes. This brings about the high priority that needs to be set for the
development of health service delivery workers. In this view Wyss (2004) stated that At
health-sector level, the use of monetary and non-monetary incentives is of crucial importance
for having the accurate skill mix at the appropriate place. Scaling up of priority interventions
is likely to require significant investments in initial and continuous training. Given the lead
time required to produce new health workers, such investments must occur in the early phases
of scaling up.
Another significant for embarking on Human Resource Development in the health
industry is to safe cost for adding other resources in for of high skill professionals and effective

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

and efficient hands. Thus, the cost for including this additional resources in an health care
organization is a big challenge, thus to safe this cost there is the need to develop existing HR
personnel to acquire the necessary skills to perform excessively well in their chosen medical
career. With regard to initial training, additional investments in education and training of
health workers are a crucial component for the development of human resource and need to be
an integral part of scaling-up priority interventions.
The human resource development in health industry is hindered by certain factors that
is economically based, or human factor. According to Wyss (2004 p. 4) these constraints can
be divided into five categories the range and intensity of HRH-related constraints at five levels
were considered: individual characteristics, the health service delivery level, the health sector
level, training capacities and the socio-political and economic context of a country. Under the
individual characteristics, the decision to enter and remain in the health care industry is
influenced by a persons cultural, social economic, gender, racial, educational, physical and
mental wellbeing, among others considerations.
Research Aim and Objectives
The aim of this study is to present a good report that analyse how the changes brought
about by the ACA Act and how these have impacted on the operations of human resource
professionals. Hence, to achieve this aim the following objectives are set:

To determine how human resource professionals has adapted in ensuring that workers
and patients get excepted benefits from the ACA Act.

To find how human resource managers have structured their training pattern to
accommodate the provisions of the ACA Act.

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

To determine those challenges that mitigate against the successful implementation of

the Act.

To proffer recommendations for effective human resource management amid the new
Act.

Research Questions

How can human resource professionals handle challenges that come when
implementing the provisions for ACA in their organizations?

What kind of personnel training should HR managers introduce to effectively

implement the ACA provisions?

What are those provisions in the Act that support workers development and enhances
productivity?

Research Methodology
Research Design method
The survey research design would be utilized in conducting this research work. A
survey design is a research method where data are collected from a defined population to
describe the present condition of the population using the variables under study. The chosen
research design is adequate for this study since it focuses on how the change in ACA Act has
impacted on the human resources professionals practices.
Quantitative research approach would be adopted for this study. The use of
quantitative approach is to enable the data derived from the research respondents to be
statistically analysed and valid conclusion drawn for each of the research questions.
According to Balnaves & Caputi (2001, p. 105) quantitative research method entails observer

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

or the researcher personally involve in the collection of data. Thus, the method can be applied
to any of case study, survey or experimental approaches.
Thus, survey design according to Balnaves & Caputi (2001, p. 105) is appropriate
when a researcher is handling a large population of study and cannot observe directly the
variables to be studied.
While quantitative research approach adopted for this study has a pattern of analysing
and presentation of data, qualitative approach is no single accepted pattern of implementing it
in research (Snape & Spencer, 2013, p. 14). Thus the use of statistical tools to analyse the
data for the study is a quantitative approach, and it is ideal for this study because it gives
more reliability and validity to the findings of the study.
Furthermore, Barozak (2015) explained the difference between the two approaches by
stating that, while quantitative research uses a deductive approach which has logical
structures in testing hypotheses, the qualitative research uses inductive approach, which most
things are not well structured or defined, in observing and defining variables to test theories.
Subjects for the study
The total population for this study from which sample would be drawn are workers
(HR professionals) and users of public healthcare services who have the experience to give
the required data for analysing this report.

Sample Size

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

100 respondents would be drawn from the sample population. A quote of 70-30;
representing 70 workers and 30 healthcare service users would be adopted for this report.
The number of sample size is adequate because it could be properly managed and data
derived would be adequately analysed, than larger sample size.
Sampling Method
Random sampling will be adopted in selecting respondents to partake in providing
answers to our data collection instrument. In this case a quota sampling would be utilised to
select the HR professionals and public healthcare services users. The proportion of 70 - 30 %
will be observed for the two groups.
Data Collection Methods
In the course of conducting this research, both primary and secondary data would be
utilized; the primary data would be generated from self-administered questionnaires to the
respondents. The questionnaires would contain two sections. Sections A, would have the biodata of the respondents, while section B would have questions relating to the study and the
research questions. The questionnaires would be sent through e-mail and postal mail to reach
wide areas and prevent the restriction of selecting the respondents to a particular area. This
would also save cost of reaching respondents in distant areas. The choice of choosing
questionnaire as an instrument for data collection boils to the fact that it would allow for ease
in data collection and also position the respondent in a calm atmosphere, devoid of threat and
victimization when giving answers to the questions

Unit of Analysis

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

Data Analysis Method

The adoption of the right measuring statistical tool for analysing research data is very
important. This is because the researcher will have less difficulty in analysing the research
variables and readers of the research will find it easy to understand the data interpretation.
Therefore, this study intends to use Chi-square analysis, which has met both criteria of easy
in data analysis and data are well presented when this statistical tool is utilized. The
quantitative analysis method would be used for the analysis of the data for the study. Chisquare (X2) would be used in testing the research questions.
The formula for the chi-square (X2) is:
X2+ (O-E)2
E
Where O represent the observed frequency
E represents the expected frequency.
The decision rule for the chi- square (X2) include:
1.

Accept the null hypothesis (H0), when the calculated value of X2 is lesser than the

table value of X2. Hence, reject the alternate hypothesis (H1).

2.

Reject the null hypothesis (H0), when the calculated value of X2 is greater than the

table value of X2. Hence, accept the alternate hypothesis (H1).

3.

The findings of the research study would be derived based on the conclusion reached

from the statistical analysis carried out.

Unit of Observation

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

10

The research questionnaires would be administered to workers and users of public

health care service in selected cities in the United States. The workers would be human
resource professionals and the users of public health care would be in good position to give
explanation on those benefits they have enjoyed since the reform of the ACA Act. They will
also be able to explain those changes they now get from health care practitioners since they
started implementing the provisions of the Act.

References

Research proposal: ACA Act change and its impact on HR professionals

11

Balnaves, M. & Caputi, P. (2001). Introduction to quantitative Research Methods: An

Investigative Approach. SAGE Publisher.
Barczak, Gloria. (2015) Publishing Qualitative versus Quantitative research, The Journal of
Product Innovation Management, Volume 32 (5).
Drehobl, P.A., Roush, S. W., Stover, B. H., & Koo, D. (2012). Public health Surveillance
Workforce of the Future. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Volume 61.
Meltzer, C.C. (2011). Summary of the Affordable Care Act. American Journal of
Neuroradiology, 32 (7).
Hussey, D. (1995). Human Resources: Strategic Audit. International Review of Strategic
Management, 6: 157-195.
Rowden, R.W. (1999). Potential Roles of the Human Resource Management Professional in
the Strategic Planning Process. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 64(3): 22.
Snape, D. & Spencer, L. (2013). The Foundations of Qualitative Research, in Ritchie, J. &
Lewis J. (Eds.) Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students
and Researchers, Second Edition. SAGE.
Wyss, Kaspar (2004). An Approach to Classifying Human Resources Constraints to
attaining Health-related Millennium Development Goals, Human Resources for
Health , 2 (11).
Zigarelli, M. (1996). Human Resources and the Bottom-line. Academy of Management
Executive, 10(2): 63 64.