BAM 2015 Doctoral Symposium

University of PortsmouthMONDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER

Making Sense of Mixed Methods Research

Dr Murray Clark & Dr Fariba Darabi

Making Sense of Mixed Methods Research

• Development of mixed methods approaches

• Does mixed methods need a particular philosophical and methodological position?

• Appreciating the logic of mixed methods research designs

• Mixed methods research in practice

• Benefits of using multiple methods research

Mixed Methods Designs

• “Mixed methods designs are those that include at least on quantitative method and one qualitative, where neither type of method is inherently linked to any particular inquiry paradigm” Gray, D.E. (2009) Doing Research in the Real World. Sage

• Mixed methods – a ‘third methodological movement’ with quantitative methods seen as the first movement and qualitative the second movement (Tashakkorri & Teddlie, 2003)

• "research in which the investigator collects and analyses data, integrates the findings and draws inferences using both quantitative and qualitative approaches or methods in a single study or a program of inquiry" (Tashakkori & Creswell, 2007)

Development of Mixed Methods Approach

• Formative period– Early explorations – issues of triangulation

• Paradigm Debate period– Theoretical foundations for combining methods

• Procedural development period– Design of mixed methods studies– Emphasis moved from philosophical debates to conducting Mixed

methods research

• Advocacy as separate design period– Distinctive methodology or strategy -’third paradigm’

Creswell & Plano Clark (2009:22)Bryman, A. (2008) In Buchanan & Bryman. Sage Handbook of Organizational Research Methods

What is Being Mixed?

• Methodology

– Abstract theoretical assumptions and principles that underpin a particular research approach

– Guides the framing of the research question and the process and methods to use

• Methods

– How one gets to the outcomes

– Practical means (tools) for collecting and analysing the data

• So question is: What is being mixed?

Giddings, L.S. (2006) Mixed-Methods Research: Positivism in Drag? Journal of Nursing Research. 11 (3) 195-203

Quantitative & Qualitative Historical Roots as Normative Descriptors

• Qualitative originally used as a way to join together multiple, rich traditions with ‘political’ purpose of promoting their acceptance within mainstream social science research rather than creating a new ‘paradigm’ or ‘tradition’ as is often claimed (Giddings, 2006)

• The semantic boundaries of the terms qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods is the problem – Using the terms qualitative and quantitative as distinct alternatives causes confusion

when it comes to understanding the underling theoretical positions of different research perspectives and hence the process of representing social reality is not really considered (Alvesson & Deetz, 2000:61)

• Qualitative used as a catch all for non-positivist inquiry – Platform from which ethnographers, grounded theorists, hermeneutists, critical

theorists, etc. could position themselves in mainstream social research (Giddings, 2006)

• The problem is that the terms Quantitative & Qualitative have become widely accepted as signifiers of methodological approaches that are philosophical standpoints ( Freshwater & Cahill, 2013)

Paradigm Wars

• Underpinning philosophical issues prevents the combining of quantitative & qualitative – paradigm incommensurability

• Highlights problems associated with simplistic notions of research as either quantitative or qualitative

• Methods not necessarily associated with particular theoretical position

• ‘Positivism in drag’ (Giddings, 2006)

• Epistemological position of mixed methods not resolved• Pragmatism often seen as underpinning theoretical

perspective of mixed methods

• Crucial issue is not the choice between qualitative or quantitative research method, it is much more about fundamental ontological,

epistemological and axiological concerns (Alvesson & Skölberg, 2009)

• The semantic boundaries of the terms qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods is the problem – Using the terms qualitative and quantitative as distinct alternatives causes

confusion when it comes to understanding the underling theoretical positions of different research perspectives and hence the process of representing social reality is not really considered (Alvesson & Deetz, 2000:61).

• The terms quantitative and qualitative denote kinds of data rather than philosophical frameworks (ontologies, epistemologies, etc.) associated with different research methodologies

• The problem is that the terms Quantitative & Qualitative have become widely accepted as signifiers of methodological approaches that are philosophical standpoints ( Freshwater & Cahill, 2013)

ONTOLOGY

EPISTEMOLOGY

subjectivist

subjectivist

objectivist

objectivist Positivism

Neopositivism

Conventionalism

Incoherence

Postmodernism

Critical Theory

Critical Realism

Pragmatism

(Johnson & Duberley, 2000. Understanding Management Research)

Neo-Empiricists (Post-Positivists)

• use inductive processes that they believe may be undertaken in an objective manner

• the resulting data, the ‘qualitative’ descriptions are not contaminated by the researcher who (as in positivist research), remains separate from the ‘objects’ of research so as to produce neutral findings

• neo-empiricist – a management researcher who views the collection of qualitative empirical data as capable of ensuring objective truth in a correspondence sense

• assumes a separation of the knower-researcher from his/her inductive descriptions of other actors’ intersubjective cultural experience which awaits discovery

Mixed Methods Designs

When does Mixing Occur?• At the data collection stage?

• Both at the data collection and analysis stages?

• At all stages of the research process?

• “The collection or analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study in which data are collected concurrently or sequentially, are given apriority, and involve the integration of data at one or more stages in the process of research” (Creswell, et al. 2003)

Types of Mixed Methods Design (Grey, 2010)

QUALExploration

QUANTQuestionnaire

QUALDeepening & Assessing results

QUALField Study

QUANTSurvey

QUANTExperiment

QUAL

QUANTContinuous collection of both

sorts of data

QUANT

QUAL

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3

Continuous field work

• My approach to Mixed Methods Research

• Challenges

• How I overcame to challenges

• How I became a mixed methods researcher

MMR In Practice

Outline

• Interpretivist approach (Verstehen): 'to understand how people make sense of their world'

(Gill and Johnson, 2010)

'Social phenomena has to be studied from the 'inside' (Blaikie, 2007)

• Purposive sampling:

' argues that the idea behind interpretive research is to purposefully select participants that are viewed as most likely to help the researcher understand the

problem and the research question' (Creswell, 2003)

• General Analytical Inductive Research strategy (Johnson, 1998)'Analytic induction is a set of methodological procedures that tries to generate

theory grounded in the observation'

My Approach to MM Research

Data

SMEs inRelationship

with UBSBusiness School

Departments with

established relationship with SMEs

Senior Managers such as University KT Pro-Vice Chancellor

Pre-planned Themes

pre-planned themes

pre-planned themes

Provisional list of features

Common Features Deviant

Pre-planned Themes

Provisional list of features

Common FeaturesDeviant

Create New Themes/Categories

Create New Themes/Categories

Cross-Case Analysis within and between

groups at SMEs and UBS

Generate theory/ies

grounded in data

Associate shared features with

existing literature

Analytic Induction (Data Analysis Approach - Johnson, 1998 adapted from Bloomer, 1997)

Awareness and Understanding

Collaborative Challenges

Collaborative Opportunities

Relationship Management

Trust

1

2 3

4

Trust

Understanding Characteristics of Trust:

Competency-based TrustPersonal Trust Organisational Trust

Initiating and Building Trust

Networking

Integrity

University Delivering Promises

Managing Expectations

Customization Strategy

Understanding SMEs Expectations

Managing SMEs Expectations

Networking and Referral Strategy

4

5

6

7

8

Developed Theory/Model

Model of initiating collaboration

Model of Initiating Trust

• Convincing my supervisors and examiners on the adopted research design

• How do I choose the best research design? (research question directed me)

• Understanding the philosophical terms and concepts which may expressed differently by different authors but may have the same meaning.

• Mixing philosophical standpoints/positions? • Data collection methods; Combining qualitative and

quantitative data?• Am I Building, developing or testing a theory?

Challenges/Self-Questions

• The research question (s) mainly informs the research design

• My methodology would be convincing to my readers as long as I justify why and how a particular method has been adopted.

• Clearly articulating every single part of the methodology chapter of the thesis

Overcoming the Challenges

• How about the validity of the developed model?

• Does it need to be tested in a particular context?

• Yes,

• I am taking the result of my doctoral research further to test the models and add more validity and credibility to the developed models

Further questions arising

Hypothesised Model

Managing Expectations

Integrity

Networking and Referral

H3

H2

H1

Trust Initiatives

Mixed methods research strategy is a process of developing and testing a model in a specific context.

This is what I call a Mixed Methods Research Strategy.

What is yours?

DARABI's Mixed Methods

Why Conduct Mixed Methods Research?• Development & Expansion

– way to extend the repertoire of social science & management research– Extend the breadth & range of enquiries by using different methods for different

components of the research

• Triangulation & Complementarity– Seeking corroboration between Quantitative & Qualitative data– A way to ensure confidence in the conclusions – Clarification of results from one method with the results of another

• Initiation– Discovery of contradictions / paradoxes, new perspectives and development of

research questions in organizational theory

• Truth Value– Combining qualitative and quantitative findings give more evidence, more certainty

and therefore more confidence in the outcomes

• Claims of Certainty of findings serves the dominant need for rationality

sources: Bryman (2008), 200Greene et al (1989) & Giddings (2009)

The Mixed Methods Movement • Still in process of developing its philosophical and theoretical

foundations• Notion of mixed methods as third methodological movement is

problematic• Use of Qualitative & Quantitative descriptors hides the

methodological implications• How can mixed methods be used to answer practical questions?• Mixed methods is versatile approach when combined at the

exploratory & descriptive levels• If not open to philosophical critique could become ‘Positivism in

drag’ (Giddings, 2006)

– Privileges the dominance of a theory neutral (objective language)