Unit V DB

Unit V DB

Please note that there are three posts needed to successfully complete the discussion board assignment.

Post 1: Initial post addressing the discussion board topic is due by the end of day on Saturday.

• Your initial post should be at least 300 words in length.

• Your initial post should include at least one APA-formatted scholarly, professional, or textbook reference with accompanying in-text citation to support any paraphrased, summarized, or quoted material.

Describe a dilemma you are currently facing, and the variables involved. Would this dilemma be best resolved by using a correlational analytical approach or a causal-comparative analytical approach?

Then, choose a peer(s) response and make a case for using the opposite analytical approach (e.g., If your peer(s) advocates using a test of relationships, such as simple regression analysis, to address their dilemma, make a case for using a test of differences, such as the t-test).

Reply 1: Muhammad Watto

As I am working in a petrochemical organization and we are facing a dilemma of Carbon dioxide handling in our plant. As CO2 is producing as a by product by the exothermic catalytic reaction of Oxygen, Ethylene and acetic acid. A major dilemma in our organization is balancing CO2 emission reduction with economic feasibility and technological constraints. As global and local  regulations tighten on greenhouse gas emissions, companies face increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining competitiveness and profitability. However, implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies or transitioning to low-carbon processes involves substantial capital investment, technical challenges and potential disruptions in operations.

Below are the key variables involved in the dilemma of CO2 handling in petrochemical units.

· CO2 Emission (dependent variable)

· Production Output (as CO2 may scale with production)

· Technology Type Used ( e.g. conventional vs. CCS-enabled processes)

· Operational Costs (energy use, maintenance)

· Capital investment (upfront infrastructure changes)

· Regulatory Pressure (carbon pricing, emission limits)

· Market Demand (driving production levels)

· Energy Source (fossil vs. renewable)

Basically A correlational approach examines the relationship between variables e.g. CO” emissions and productions output) without determining cause and effect. it can identify patterns, such as whether plants using renewable energy correlate with lower emissions. On the other hand A causal-comparative analytical approach compares different groups (e.g. plants using CCS vs, those not using it) to determine if a specific factor (e.g. technology type) causes a difference in outcomes .

The best approach for resolving the dilemma of CO2 handling is causal-comparative analytical approach, because industry needs to understand which interventions cause significant emission reductions. By comparing facilities with and without CCS or other low-carbon technologies stakeholders can identify which practices lead to lower CO2 levels and at what cost.  CCS is central to the current dilemma because its one of the few viable pathways for deep decarbonization in high emission sectors. It helps in policy formulation and investment decision-making by showing causal impacts rather than  mere associations.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2022). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE.
 

Reply 2: Chris Burt

A current dilemma I am exploring a solution for is what is the best path forward after turning a small company from a location known for recordable injuries per day to a company that is a recognized leader in safety on both at the state and on the federal level. I have spent nearly a decade building up this safety program but at this point I have reached a plateau and where to go in the future.

Others I have seen are at the start of the path of life, however I am heading into twilight, and I know that if I go these people I work with and for will still have a corporate leadership that believes 5S is the pinnacle of safety and it encompasses sweeping the floor (it’s a laugh or cry moment for me every time I hear it) deciding the safety practices yet I know they need to grow wings and fly on their own.

This leads me to the question of which path forward is the best, or at minimum the least worst option. To reach this point I am going to use the correlation approach. Removing emotion and placing factors of which of the opportunities are going to be more enriching for me and my family (Foucreault, Ménard, Houlfort, Trépanier, & Lavigne2023). I have several options, all in the EHS field, yet the staggering amount of variables that are involved vary on local vs. relocation, long vs. short distance, pay vs. hours spent at work, remote vs. on site, team or single, and these are changing weekly. I love my work and my field so that is a constant not a variable.          

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2022). Research Design (6th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US).

Foucreault, A., Ménard, J., Houlfort, N., Trépanier, S.-G., & Lavigne, G. L. (2023). How Work-Family Guilt, Involvement with Children and Spouse’s Support Influence Parents’ Life Satisfaction in a Context of Work-Family Conflict.
Journal of Child & Family Studies,
32(4), 1065–1077.