Business Research Methods
Question 1: Quantitative and Qualitative Styles of Research
A. Quantitative and Qualitative research have philosophical roots in the naturalistic and positivistic philosophies, respectively. Virtually all qualitative researchers, regardless of their theoretical differences, reflect some sort of individual phenomenological perspective. Most quantitative research approaches, regardless of their theoretical differences, tend to emphasize that there is a common reality on which people can agree. From a phenomenological perspective, it is believed that multiple realities exist and multiple interpretations are available form different individuals that are equally valid. From the positivist perspective, it is assumed that there is a common object reality across individuals. The debate between qualitative and quantitative researchers is based upon the differences in assumptions about what reality is and whether or not it is measurable. The debate further rests in differences of opinion about how we can best understand what we ‘know’, whether through objective or subjective methods (Newman and Benz 1998).
B. According to Phillips (1981), qualitative and quantitative approaches are complementary, not competitive. Powerful research would combine both approaches. First, one could use large-scale quantitative analysis to demonstrate the existence of a previously unsuspected phenomenon. Then, one could use small-scale qualitative analysis to investigate the detailed processes producing the phenomenon. According to Neuman (2000), combining both qualitative and quantitative styles of research can be advantageous. I agree with this belief. I believe that a powerful research can be done through the effective combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
C. Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
1. Pre-Studies – this model represents an approach, which was recommended in former years as sort of division of labor according to a traditional conception of empirical science. Qualitative methods are used for explorative studies above all in the beginning of a research project. This model reveals that quantitative studies can seldom neglect qualitative foundations.
2. Generalization Model – the project begins with a qualitative study that leads to results. Quantitative studies are added in order to explore the generalizability of the findings and to determine quantitatively probabilities and effect sizes (www.aquad.de).
3. Profoundization Model – this model reverses the sequence of design components. A representative quantitative study is followed by a small-scale, case-centered qualitative study. The qualitative findings are meant to assist in a better understanding of the meaning of some quantitative findings (www.aquad.de).
4. Triangulation Model – this approach makes use of the different methods simultaneously and with equal rights. What is important is the varying data, which were collected as answers to the resear4ch question under the conditions of different methods are compared. These data must be used to determine the overlap of all the findings as a final result of the study (www.aquad.de).
Question 2
Mail and E-mail Surveys: Response Rate
Several studies have been conducted in order to determine the response rate of both postal mail and e-mail surveys. In such studies, identical questionnaires were sent to different portions (study arms) of the same population. The only difference between the study arms was in whether the respondent was asked to respond via e-mail or by mail. In most studies, the mail response rate was higher by as much as 21 per cent (Parker 1992 cited in Schonlau et al 2002). In an experiment conducted by Quigley et al (2000), it was reported that mail response option needed to be used in addition to a web response option because response rates were unacceptably low (cited in Schonlau et al 2002).
Comparisons of Mail and E-mail Surveys
Aside from response rates, there are other differences between a traditional mail survey and an electronic mail survey.
1. Data Quality
Data quality is usually measured by the number of respondents who have, intentionally or unintentionally, missed at least one survey item or by the percentage of missed items on respondents’ questionnaires. For open-ended questions, longer answers are usually considered to be more informative and of higher quality. For closed-ended questions, it appears that e-mail surveys may incur a higher percentage of missed items than do postal mail surveys. On an experiment conducted by Paolo et al (2000), the researchers found that 27 per cent of e-mail respondents did not respond to at least one question versus 9 percent of mail respondents that did the same. For open-ended questions, Comley (1996) found that email respondents gave longer answers than din mail respondents.
2. Cost
When considering only postage and printing costs, email surveys appear to be cheaper than postal mail surveys. In actuality, e-mail and web surveys become more economical than postal mail surveys when the number of responses reaches a certain threshold – somewhere between a few hundred and a thousand. However, unanticipated technical problems are likely to arise when researchers have no prior experience with e-mail survey, and these problems can easily eliminate all potential cost benefits (Schonlau et al 2002).
3. Speed and Timeliness
In the case of e-mail surveys, where the presumption is that the potential respondents’ e-mail addresses are known and, therefore, can be used not just for delivering the survey but also for pre-notification and non-response follow-up, the timesavings can be substantial (Schonlau et al 2002).
Question 3
A. Observation as a Method of Data Collection: Difficulties
Observation methods are useful to researcher in a variety of ways. They provide researchers with ways to check for non-verbal expression of feelings, determine who interacts with whom, grasp how participants communicate with each other and check for how much time is spent on various activities (Schmuck 1997 cited in Kawulich 2005). Participant observation allows researcher to check definition of terms that participants use in interviews, observe events that informants may be unwilling to share and observe situations informants have described in interviews (Marshall and Rossman 1995 cited in Kawulich 2005). Observation can be a helpful data collection method but it also has some disadvantages:
- Problems related to representation of events and the subsequent interpretations may occur when researchers select key informants who are similar to them
- Observation is conducted by a biased human who serves as the instrument for data collection; the researcher’s gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, etc. may affect observation
- Observation can be a source of erroneous description in behavioral research
B. Factors that affect the Response Rate of Mail a Survey
- Relevance – the single most important factor in assuring a high response rate is whether or not surveys are judged to be current and important to the respondent. Response rate depend heavily on the respondent’s interest in the survey. If a content of the questionnaire is important and the respondent is knowledgeable, a high response rate can be attained.
- Questionnaire Design – the initial impression of the questionnaire is important. Questions should guide respondents through the questionnaire and convey an impression of orderliness and ease of completion (Forsgen 1989).
- Questionnaire length – numerous studies had shown significant effect of questionnaire length on the response rates in mail surveys. Each additional question reduces response rate for 0.5 per cent and each additional page for 5 per cent. There is significant decrease in response rates for questionnaires longer than 4 pages (Yammarino et al 1991).
C. The Five Senses
Human beings are capable of communicating as total organisms. Thus we may experience a communication via the five senses–visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory, gustatory. Interpersonal communication allows the participants much more opportunity to be stimulated through all the senses than does print, film, radio, or television. However, although a person who engages in face-to-face communication may have the possibility of all his or her senses being stimulated, there do exist sometimes physical and biological limitations. Interpersonal communication allows participants to communicate more completely because of the advantage of simultaneously hearing, seeing, touching, and so on. We usually think of hearing and seeing as the primary communication senses, yet touching and smelling are equally significant in communicating intimate messages (Cassata and Asante 1979).
References
Cassata, M and Asante, M 1979, Mass Communication: Principles and Practices, Macmillian, New York.
Comley, P 1996, ‘Internet Surveys: The Use of the Internet as a Data Collection Method’, ESOMAR Publication Services, vol. 204, pp. 335–346.
Forsgren, R 1989, ‘Increasing Mail Survey Response Rates: Methods for Small Business Researchers’, Journal of Small Business Management, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 61+.
How to Combine Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses, viewed 08 January, 2008, <http://www.aquad.de/eng/m-chap14.pdf>.
Kawulich, B 2005, Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method, Forum: Qualitative Social Research, viewed 08 January, 2007, <http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/2-05/05-2-43-e.htm>.
Marshall, C and Rossman, G 1989, Designing Qualitative Research, Sage Publishing, Newbury Park, CA.
Newman, I and Benz, C 1998, Qualitative-Quantitative Research Methodology: Exploring the Interactive Continuum, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL.
Paolo, A M, Bonaminio, G A, Gibson, C, Partridge, T and Kallail, K 2000, ‘Response Rate Comparisons of E-mail and Mail Distributed Student Evaluations’, Teaching and Learning in Medicine, vol. 12, pp. 81–84.
Parker, L 1992, ‘Collecting Data the E-Mail Way’, Training and Development, pp. 52–54.
Phillips, D 1981, ‘The Complementary Virtues of Qualitative and Quantitative Research: Reply to Altheide’, Social Forces, vol. 60, no. 2, p. 599.
Quigley, B, Riemer, R A, Cruzen, D A and Rosen, S 2000, ‘Internet Versus Paper Survey Administration: Preliminary Finding on Response Rates’, 42nd Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Schmuck, R 1997, Practical Action Research for Change, Skylight Training and Publishing, Arlington Heights, IL.
Yammarino, F J, Skinner, S J and Childers, T L 1991, ‘Understanding Mail Survey Response Bahaviour: A Meta-Analysis’, Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. 55, pp. 613-639.
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