Research Methods
Chapter III
Methodology
Methodology, in its simplest form, refers to how the research should be undertaken (Saunders et al. 2009). In a practical way, it is a function of research question(s), study approach, scale of the study, type of data, sample size and participants, data analyses techniques and study limitations (Johnson and Waterfield, 2004). Accordingly, this chapter is divided into nine sections. Section 3.1 explains the reasons for the choice of case study approach; section 3.2 describes the sampling strategy and choice of snowball sampling; section 3.3 details the preliminary study and its outcomes; section 3.4 narrates the selection of respondents while section 3.5 highlights the data collection through interviews. Section 3.6 provides information on data coding and analysis; section 3.7 focuses upon the issues of generalization, reliability and validity; section 3.8 enlists study limitations. Section 3.9 summarizes and concludes the chapter.
3.1 Choice for Research Methodology
Research methods have been broadly divided into quantitative and qualitative categories with a third category bridging both methods often referred as mixed-method approach (Biemans, 2003). The quantitative methods have been employed by researchers taking a positivist view i.e. objective measurement of realities whereas qualitative methodologies have been applied by interpretivism followers opting for assessing the realities in a subjective manner. A pragmatic view, however, dictates that both positions can be used in a single research given it would suit the research objectives and questions (Saunders et al. 2009). Based on its comparative strengths, the research opted for the pragmatic paradigm. Within that paradigm, a case study approach was adopted as it can be used to describe a phenomenon, construct a theory and test the hypothesis, for achieving multiple research aims (Darke et al. 1998)
3.1.1 Case Study Approach
Case study research has been defined narrowly as
Methodology
Methodology, in its simplest form, refers to how the research should be undertaken (Saunders et al. 2009). In a practical way, it is a function of research question(s), study approach, scale of the study, type of data, sample size and participants, data analyses techniques and study limitations (Johnson and Waterfield, 2004). Accordingly, this chapter is divided into nine sections. Section 3.1 explains the reasons for the choice of case study approach; section 3.2 describes the sampling strategy and choice of snowball sampling; section 3.3 details the preliminary study and its outcomes; section 3.4 narrates the selection of respondents while section 3.5 highlights the data collection through interviews. Section 3.6 provides information on data coding and analysis; section 3.7 focuses upon the issues of generalization, reliability and validity; section 3.8 enlists study limitations. Section 3.9 summarizes and concludes the chapter.
3.1 Choice for Research Methodology
Research methods have been broadly divided into quantitative and qualitative categories with a third category bridging both methods often referred as mixed-method approach (Biemans, 2003). The quantitative methods have been employed by researchers taking a positivist view i.e. objective measurement of realities whereas qualitative methodologies have been applied by interpretivism followers opting for assessing the realities in a subjective manner. A pragmatic view, however, dictates that both positions can be used in a single research given it would suit the research objectives and questions (Saunders et al. 2009). Based on its comparative strengths, the research opted for the pragmatic paradigm. Within that paradigm, a case study approach was adopted as it can be used to describe a phenomenon, construct a theory and test the hypothesis, for achieving multiple research aims (Darke et al. 1998)
3.1.1 Case Study Approach
Case study research has been defined narrowly as