Ethnographic Research Methods

• Ethnographic research is a research methodology
• It combines research methodology and skills
• The presentation covers the topic of ethnographic research

Session Learning Objectives

• Understand how ethnography complements traditional International Business (IB) research methods
• Explain the principles of ethnography and its applications in IB contexts
• Apply ethnographic research methods by conducting participant observation and field note-taking
• Analyze ethnographic data by identifying patterns and evaluating contextual influences
• It is important to reflect on researcher bias and positionality
• Create ethnographic reports by synthesizing findings and using different writing styles like realist, confessional, and impressionist narratives

Features of Ethnographic Research

• Involves participant observation, including immersion in community life, detailed fieldwork, and building rapport.
• Can be done in the role of a participating actor which is also called auto-ethnography
• Distinguishes between thick ethnographic interpretation and thin/surface-level description
• A variety of styles exist for reporting results
• Implications for IB include capturing the cultural context

Ethnography Origin

• Bronislaw Malinowski (1884-1942) marked a turning point in ethnography
• Malinowski stated the fieldworker must understand meanings from the actors themselves
• To understand a social system, living within it, observing from within, and seeing how it functions in practice, is essential

Ethnographic Research Activities

• Activities are divided into before, during, and after stages
• Before: includes problem formulation, selecting a setting, and gaining access
• During: involves presenting yourself and gathering data
• After: includes leaving the field and preparing data

Ethical Considerations

• The purpose of the research is getting the right permissions such as locations and introductions
• It is important to consider how answers will be used, and will identity be protected
• Do not use ethnographic research to criticize a group; aim to see things through their eyes
• Also to be considered are: details of the project and sensitivity to the subject group's norms and behavior

Before the Study

• Determine if research issues are observable
• Identify where it will happen
• Assess what situations or interactions make it "visible."
• You should identify which methods are useful such as formal interviews for research issue
• You should consider if the issue needs virtual communication and how to find it for virtual ethnography
• Design relation to the field regarding participation or just observation
• Manage ethical issues such as informed consent in observation
• Important to document comprehensive field notes as the data

During Ethnographic Data Collection

• Three modes of data collection: observation, interviewing, and archival research
• Observation: Participant observation combines the researcher's participation
• It combines participation and observation while maintaining professional distance
• Interviewing: Directing a conversation to collect information
• Archival Research: Analyzing existing materials for research purposes, both official and unofficial

Interview Question Types

• Survey or Grand tour: designed to elicit a broad picture of participant's world
• Maps the cultural landscape to inform a global understanding
• Specific questions probe further into emergent or established category
• It can refine and shape understanding
• Open-ended questions allow participants to interpret as they see it.
• Often used in early research project phases
• Close-ended: useful in quantifying behavior patterns, and is often used during conformational periods of a research project

During Gathering and Recording Information

• Running Description: record of the day's observations to record accurately
• Avoid analyzing events in the field during this stage
• Forgotten Episodes: these are accounts of previous episodes which you have forgotten
• Ideas and notes for further information use: spur-of-the-moment ideas related to data analysis, data collection, speculations, etc.
• Personal impressions and feelings: recordings regarding subjective reactions provide clues to biases

During Field Notes

• Details that seem unimportant may become important during later analysis
• It is crucial for field researchers to note observations during field research
• Note observations straightforwardly
• Record data manually, mechanically, or electronically
• Observation should be deliberate
• Compile field notes as soon as possible to retain the experience

During Methodological Notes

• Methodological notes cover ideas related to research techniques
• (e.g. difficulties in collecting data, biases in data collection, changes in recording, etc.)
• Data analysis should begin during data collection.
• The researcher can discover additional themes and decide whether to follow leads for intense investigation

After the Study

• Processing Data: You have to explain significance, select the coding method, generate code, list codes, categorize code lists and test categories

Fieldwork Examples in IB

• Organizational ethnography
• Multi-sited ethnography
• Digital ethnography
• Critical ethnography
• Autoethnography

Ethnographic Relationships

• Initial encounter and rapport
• Culture shock
• Longitudinal relationships
• Fieldwork and field relationships

Writing Ethnographic Stories

• Realistic Mode: depersonalized, objective, and emotionally neutral analysis
• Confessional Mode: ethnographer becomes a central player and the story is told through their viewpoint
• Impressionistic Mode: literary and artistic devices are openly embraced, i.e., dialogue, character sketches, landscape descriptions, metaphors

Writing for Managerial Life

• Metaphorical and narrative exploration of the topic
• Use storytelling to illustrate management and leadership challenges
• Emphasize identity, meaning, and culture in organizations
• You should look beyond rationality

The Ethnographic Report

• Introduction: Captures attention and presents the study's significance
• Setting: Describes the research context, presents details, emotions, and nuances of relationships to create a feeling of the scene
• Analysis: A coherent set of social/cultural patterns, drawn from rich detail
• Conclusion: Summarizes main points and suggests research for a wider knowledge base

Methodological Considerations

• Reactivity: degree to which the researcher's presence affects subjects
• Reliability: degree of internal and external consistency and credibility
• Validity: degree of confidence in the ability to collect and accurately analyze data

Challenges of Ethnographic Research

• Labor intensive and time-consuming
• Balancing observation and participation is difficult
• Fieldwork lacks structure and control
• Ethical issues and dilemmas

Triangulation

• Test one source of information against another
• Aims to eliminate alterative explanations
• Works with any topic, in any setting, on any level
• Results are not always clear

Study Questions

• Who are you writing for? Why should they care?
• What do you want this report to do?
• Impact policy
• Educate
• Describe a phenomenon
• Clarify domains/language
• What will the product look like?
• No findings
• Topical, Thematic Survey
• Conceptual/thematic description
• Interpretive Explanation

Test your knowledge of ethnographic research: its phases, techniques like 'thick description,' and the importance of rapport. Explore considerations for international business research and understanding social systems.