Qualitative Research Methods PDF

Qualitative Research Accounting Research Methods  Learning Objectives: After reading this chapter, you should understand... 1.How qualitative methods differ from quantitative methods. 2.The controversy surrounding qualitative research. 3.The types of decisions that use quali...

Qualitative Research Accounting Research Methods  Learning Objectives: After reading this chapter, you should understand... 1.How qualitative methods differ from quantitative methods. 2.The controversy surrounding qualitative research. 3.The types of decisions that use qualitative methods. 4.The variety of qualitative research methods.  Topics of Discussion Coverage Qualitative Research a) What Is a Qualitative Research b) Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research c) The Process of Qualitative Research d) Qualitative Research Methodologies e) Combining Qualitative Methodologies  What is Qualitative Research? Qualitative research includes an “array of interpretive techniques which seek to describe, decode, translate, and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the frequency, of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world.” Qualitative techniques are used at both the data collection and data analysis stages of a research project.  Qualitative versus Quantitative Research The Controversy Qualitative research methodologies have roots in a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, psychology, linguistics, communication, economics, and semiotics. Historically, qualitative methodologies have been available much longer—some as early as the 19th century—than the quantitative tools marketers rely on so heavily. Managers deal with the issue of trustworthiness of qualitative data through exacting methodology: Carefully using literature searches to build probing questions. Executing the chosen methodology in its natural setting (field study) rather than a highly controlled setting (laboratory). Developing and including questions that reveal the exceptions to a rule or theory. he Process of Qualitative Resear The process of developing a qualitative project is similar to the research process introduced in Chapter 1. However, three key distinctions suggested in the previous sections do affect the research process: (1) the level of question development in the management-research question hierarchy prior to the commencing of qualitative research, (2) the preparation of the participant prior to the research experience, and (3) the nature and level of data that come from the debriefing of interviewers or observers. A variety of creative and mental exercises draw participants’ understanding of their own thought processes and ideas to the surface. Some of these include: Placing the product or medium for in-home use (with instructions to use the product or medium—e.g., a magazine repeatedly over the preparation period before the interview). Having the participants bring visual stimuli (e.g., family photos of areas or rooms in their homes that they hate to clean or have trouble decorating, or a favorite item of clothing). Having the participants draw a picture of an experience (e.g., what they felt like when they last shopped in a particular store). Exhibit 7-3 Qualitative Research and the Research Process Exhibit 7-4 Formulating the Qualitative Research Question  Qualitative Research The researcher chooses a qualitative methodology based on the project’s purpose; its schedule, including the speed with which insights Methodologies are needed; its budget; the issue(s) or topics(s) being studied; the types of participants needed; and the researcher’s skill, personality, and preferences. Sampling One general sampling guideline exists for qualitative research: Keep sampling as long as your breadth and depth of knowledge of the issue under study are expanding; stop when you gain no new knowledge or insights. That said, sample sizes for qualitative research vary by technique but are generally small. A study might include just two or three focus groups or a few dozen individual in-depth interviews. However unusual, one AT&T study, conducted to develop its 800 Reasons ad campaign.  Interviews The interview is the primary data collection technique for gathering data in qualitative methodologies. Interviews vary based on the number of people involved during the interview, the level of structure, the proximity of the interviewer to the participant, and the number of interviews conducted during the research. The researcher chooses either an unstructured interview (no specific questions or order of topics to be discussed, with each interview customized to each participant; generally starts with a participant narrative) or a semi structured interview (generally starts with a few specific questions and then follows the individual’s tangents of thought with interviewer probes) or a structured interview (often uses a detailed interview guide similar to a questionnaire to guide the question order and the specific way the questions are asked, but the questions generally remain open-ended).  Projective Techniques Because researchers are often looking for hidden or suppressed meanings, projective techniques can be used within the interview structures. Some of these techniques include: Word or picture association participants are asked to match images, experiences, emotions, products and services, even people and places, to whatever is being studied. “Tell me what you think of when you think of Kellogg’s Special K cereal.” Sentence completion Participants are asked to complete a sentence. “Complete this sentence: People who buy over the Internet...” Cartoons or empty balloons Participants are asked to write the dialog for a cartoonlike picture. “What will the customer comment when she sees the sales- person approaching her in the new-car showroom.” Thematic Apperception Test participants are confronted with a picture (usually a photograph or drawing) and asked to describe how the person  Projective Techniques Personification participants are asked to assume that they are aliens and are confronting the product for the first time; they then describe their reactions, questions, and attitudes about purchase or retrial. Authority figure participants are asked to imagine inanimate objects with the traits, characteristics and features, and personalities of humans. Ambiguities and paradoxes Participants are asked to imagine that the brand or product is an authority figure and to describe the attributes of the figure. Participants are asked to imagine a brand as something else. Brand mapping participants are presented with different brands and asked to talk about their perceptions, usually in relation to several criteria. Metaphor elicitation technique participants are pre-tasked to collect images that reveal how they feel about a research topic; during an IDI, participants discuss each image and create a collage of their images, Individual Depth Interviews An individual depth interview (IDI) is an interaction between an individual interviewer and a single participant. Individual depth interviews generally take between 20 minutes (telephone interviews) and 2 hours (prescheduled, face-to-face interviews) to complete, depending on the issues or topics of interest and the contact method used. Interviewees are often provided with advanced materials via mail, fax, or the Internet. Recently, advances in technology have encouraged the use of detailed visual and auditory aids during interviews, creating the methodology known as computer-assisted  Group Interviews A group interview is a data collection method using a single interviewer with more than one research participant. Group interviews can be described by the group’s size or its composition. Group interviews vary widely in size: dyads (two people), triads (three people), Mini groups (two to six people), small groups (focus groups—6 to 10 people—unarguably the most well- known of group interview techniques), or supergroups (up to 20 people).  Focus Groups The term focus group was first coined by R. K. Merton in his 1956 book, The Focused Interview. The focus group is a panel of people (typically made up of 6 to 10 participants), led by a trained moderator, who meet for 90 minutes to two hours. The facilitator or moderator uses group dynamics principles to focus or guide the group in an exchange of ideas, feelings, and experiences on a specific topic. Focus groups are especially valuable in the following scenarios: Obtaining general background about a topic or issue. Generating research questions to be explored via quantitative methodologies. Interpreting previously obtained quantitative results. Stimulating new ideas for products and programs. Highlighting areas of opportunity for specific managers to  Recording, Analyzing, and Reporting In face-to-face Group settings, some Interviews moderators use large sheets of paper on the wall of the group room to record trends; others use a personal notepad. Facility managers produce both video- and audiotapes to enable a full analysis of the interview. The verbal portion of the group interview is transcribed along with moderator debriefing sessions and added to moderator notes. Case Study The case study, also referred to as the case history, is a powerful research methodology that combines individual and (sometimes) group interviews with record analysis and observation. Researchers extract information from company brochures, annual reports, sales receipts, and newspaper and magazine articles, along with direct observation (usually done in the participant’s “natural” setting) and combine it with interview data from participants.  Action Research Managers conduct research in order to gain insights to make decisions in specific scenarios. Action research is designed to address complex, practical problems about which little is known—thus no known heuristics exist. So, the scenario is studied; a corrective action is determined, planned, and implemented; the results of the action are observed and recorded; and the action is assessed as effective or not. If no general rule existed about how to treat unhappy patrons, the organization could study the situation and come up with alternative actions. It might: Ignore the problem. (Its lack of experience would prevent it from knowing that negative word of mouth—negative buzz—would be the likely result.) Do whatever is necessary to replace the unsatisfactory meal within the shortest period of time. Accept the current circumstance as uncorrectable, apologize to the customer, and remedy the situation by picking up the table’s full dining tab and offering the customer a free meal to get him or her back in the restaurant another day. Merging Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies Triangulation is the term used to describe the combining of several qualitative methods or combining qualitative with quantitative methods. Four strategies for combining methodologies are common in business research: 1. Qualitative and quantitative studies can be conducted simultaneously. 2. A qualitative study can be ongoing while multiple waves of quantitative studies are done, measuring changes in behavior and attitudes over time. 3. A qualitative study can precede a quantitative study, and a second qualitative study then might follow the quantitative study, seeking more clarification. 4. A quantitative study can precede a qualitative study.  THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!