scholarly journals Evaluating the audio-diary method in qualitative research

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain Williamson ◽  
Dawn Leeming ◽  
Steven Lyttle ◽  
Sally Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Diary Method ◽  
Diary Methods ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Data Length

Purpose – Audio-diary methods are under-utilised in contemporary qualitative research. The purpose of this paper is to discuss participants and researchers’ experiences of using audio-diaries alongside semi-structured interviews to explore breastfeeding experiences in a short-term longitudinal study with 22 first-time mothers. Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide a qualitative content analysis of the participants’ feedback about their experiences of the audio-diary method and supplement this with the perspectives of the research team based on fieldwork notes, memos and team discussions. The authors pay particular attention to the ways in which the data attained from diaries compared with those from the interviews. Findings – The diaries produced were highly heterogeneous in terms of data length and quality. Participants’ experiences with the method were varied. Some found the process therapeutic and useful for reflecting upon the development of breastfeeding skills whilst negative aspects related to lack of mobility, self-consciousness and concerns about confidentiality. Researchers were positive about the audio-diary method but raised certain ethical, epistemological and methodological concerns. These include debates around the use of prompts, appropriate support for participants and the potential of the method to influence the behaviour under scrutiny. Interview and diary accounts contrasted and complemented in ways which typically enriched data analysis. Practical implications – The authors conclude that audio-diaries are a flexible and useful tool for qualitative research especially within critical realist and phenomenological paradigms. Originality/value – This appears to be the first paper to evaluate both participants and researchers’ experiences of using audio-diaries in a detailed and systematic fashion.

Kinh and ethnic tourism stakeholder participation and collaboration in tourism planning in Sapa, Vietnam

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-597
Author(s):  
Huy Van Nguyen ◽  
Lee Diane ◽  
David Newsome
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Tourism Planning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to explore the Kinh and ethnic stakeholders’ participation and collaboration in tourism planning in Sapa, Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach The primary data collection involved semi-structured interviews with 33 key tourism stakeholders, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings The findings reveal that in terms of participation and collaboration in tourism planning, there is little difference between the Kinh and ethnic groups. Tourism planning is viewed as a top-down approach, and both groups at the community level have very limited participation in tourism planning activities. However, at the on-site management level, there are opposing views between high (Kinh) and low (ethnic) management levels about participation in tourism planning. Both groups recognize the need for interdependence regarding collaboration in tourism planning. They also share similar aspects in regard to facilitating and hindering their participation in tourism planning. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study include the use of a qualitative method, which limited the number of respondents. Future research could benefit from the application of quantitative research methods to include a greater number of local tourism stakeholders. Practical implications This study contributes to a better understanding of tourism planning in the Vietnamese context and has some practical implications for destination management and policymaking. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the perspectives of Kinh and ethnic groups in term of participation and collaboration in tourism planning in the Vietnamese context.

Using human resource activities to implement sustainability in SMEs

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 652-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Langwell ◽  
Dennis Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Research Study ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how small- and medium-sized organisations that were already participating in recognised sustainability programmes in Iowa, USA, in how they were utilising activities normally associated with human resources (HRs) to implement sustainability – activities included communication, engagement, incentives and recruitment and retention. Design/methodology/approach – The authors were interested in how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were utilising HR functions to implement sustainability. This was an exploratory, qualitative research study utilised semi-structured interviews to obtain data. Findings – Based on the findings, some of the functions are being utilised more than others, with some activities not being implemented at all. Research limitations/implications – This research offers empirical research on how sustainability is achieved in SMEs. Practical implications – This paper outlines some practical methods that any SME could utilise to help implement sustainability within an organisation. Originality/value – This paper adds empirical research on how SMEs are implementing sustainable practices into their operations by using activities normally associated with the HR department.

scholarly journals Customer orientation in highly relational services

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-223
Author(s):  
Javier Morales Mediano ◽  
José L. Ruiz-Alba
Keyword(s):  
Customer Relationship Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Private Banking ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents, importance, and consequences of the customer orientation of service employees (COSE) in highly relational services (HRS). This study challenges the traditional vision of COSE and its sole focus on transactional services. The paper also examines and confirms new outcomes of COSE. Then, a revised COSE model adapted to HRS is proposed. Design/methodology/approach The private banking (PB) service is chosen to represent a HRS setting. The qualitative study is comprised of 25 semi-structured interviews with PB practitioners. The results are analysed using NVivo 11. Findings This study confirms the validity of the construct. COSE is proven to have notable importance in HRS. Various dimensions of COSE have different grades of importance. New consequences are elicited for HRS, including trust, loyalty and co-creation. Practical implications The results show that most PB firms do not have standardised processes in place to measure COSE. This study proves how COSE can be used for several purposes by practitioners as a means of customer relationship management and in co-creation strategies. Originality/value This study expands on the potential of the COSE construct by the use of HRS for the first time and introduces new consequences from the original COSE model.

scholarly journals “You really shouldn't have!” Coping with failed gift experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 857-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Branco-Illodo ◽  
Teresa Heath ◽  
Caroline Tynan
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diary Method ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine coping approaches used by receivers to deal with failed gift experiences, thereby dealing with misperceptions between givers and receivers that could affect their relationship. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a sequential, multimethod methodology using background questionnaires, online diary method and 27 semi-structured interviews. Findings Receivers cope with failed gift experiences through concealing, disclosing or re-evaluating the gift experience. These approaches encompass several coping strategies, allowing receivers to deal with their experiences in ways that help them manage their relationships with givers. Research limitations/implications Informants described gift experiences in their own terms without being prompted to talk about coping, thus some insights of coping with failed gifts may have been missed. Multiple data collection methods were used to minimise this limitation, and the research findings suggest new avenues for future research. Practical implications The present research helps retailers and brands to minimise gift failure by promoting gifts that emphasise aspects of the giver–receiver relationship, assists givers in their learning from gift failure by making them aware of the receiver’s preferences and reduces the cost of gift failure by offering further opportunities to dispose of unwanted gifts. Originality/value This paper contributes to the emerging topic of consumer coping by providing a novel and rounded understanding of coping in the context of failed gift events, identifying new reasons for gift failure, highlighting receivers’ ethical considerations when responding to failed gifts and proposing new insights for the coping literature.

Contextualising the antecedents of organisational innovativeness

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Ahrens ◽  
Aishah A.K. Al-Sereidi ◽  
Halimah F. Al-Shaebi ◽  
Asra H. Rahmdel
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Organisational Capabilities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the specific meanings underlying the general antecedents of organisational innovativeness (OI) in one specific public sector context, to fill empirically the categories employed in prior quantitative research and to understand better some of the opportunities for strengthening facilitators of OI and overcoming barriers to OI that present themselves in particular contexts. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on a field study. It uses 29 semi-structured interviews with the members of UAE government and semi-government organisations. The research methodology is qualitative: it seeks to elucidate the meanings that structure the respondents’ understandings of innovation at work. Findings Across the UAE public sector there are great differences in organisational members’ interest in, and readiness to engage with, OI. Members of the public sector tended to conceptualise OI as a set of individual efforts and relationships in which the trust with superiors played a key role, as did the availability of individual rewards. For some respondents communication served as an umbrella term to denote organisational characteristics that would enable individuals to join efforts to make the public sector more innovative. Overall, the great variations in respondents’ ability to articulate and conceptualise the antecedents of OI suggests that organisational capabilities to support OI need strengthening. Research limitations/implications The paper’s insights are based on the study of the public sector of only one country and may be difficult to generalise to other countries. Practical implications The paper suggests ways in which Emirati public sector organisations can strengthen the facilitators of OI and overcome the obstacles presented by the barriers to OI in order to help public sector leaders and employees make innovation a routine element of their day-to-day work. Originality/value The paper presents a first attempt at using qualitative research to deepen our understanding of the antecedents of organisational innovativeness in the public sector.

scholarly journals Cosmopolitanism and transnational elite entrepreneurial practices

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Nicolopoulou ◽  
Nada K. Kakabadse ◽  
Kanellos Panagiotis Nikolopoulos ◽  
Jose M. Alcaraz ◽  
Konstantina Sakellariou
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Business Elites ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ventures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Elite ◽  
Reflexive Sociology ◽  
Transnational Entrepreneurship ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The paper aims to focus on the role that cosmopolitanism and, in particular, “the cosmopolitan disposition” (Woodward et al., 2008) plays in the process of entrepreneurial business by transnational business elites in Dubai. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a relational perspective based on Bourdieu and Wacquant’s (1992) Reflexive Sociology, as well as an inductive design, the authors conducted 30 semi-structured interviews focusing on both expatriates and Emiratis (locals/nationals) who displayed key features of a transnational business elite. Findings The findings indicate that the cosmopolitan disposition is an asset for transnational business elites when they venture in the context of Dubai. Research limitations/implications The findings would have to be further replicated in similar contexts, i.e. other major cities displaying similar cosmopolitan features with Dubai. A theoretical framework that calls for further study of transnational entrepreneurship via the lens of cosmopolitan disposition and Bourdieuan “habitus” is proposed. Practical implications The research outlines cosmopolitan skills for a transnational business elite which are required when entrepreneurial ventures are developed in the context of a city like Dubai. Social implications Cosmopolitanism and transnational entrepreneurship change cities like Dubai around the world constantly. Therefore, this study aims at achieving a better understanding of these changes and the ways in which they occur. Originality/value Studies on transnational entrepreneurship have already adopted Bourdieu’s theory (1977/1986), but this is the first time the cosmopolitan perspective and disposition is researched using this approach.

Local residents’ contribution to tourist experiences: a community perspective from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Huber ◽  
Sven Gross
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourist Experience ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of how local residents in tourism destinations perceive their role in the creation of tourist experiences. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research was conducted with 16 local residents in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a tourism hotspot in Germany. The study used thematic analysis combined with qualitative content analysis to identify various themes associated with host–guest-based tourist experience creation. Findings Findings demonstrate how diverse local residents contribute to tourist experiences. A model was developed that suggests a distinction between active and passive contribution to tourist experiences. Only little evidence was found that the concept of co-creation plays a role in host–guest relationships, which contradicts other literature. Research limitations/implications The chosen qualitative research approach does not allow for generalisation of the research findings. The examination of perceptions raises epistemological questions. Practical implications This paper includes implications for improved internal marketing strategies and the involvement of local residents in tourism destination development. Originality/value This study contributes to knowledge by conceptualizing the role of local residents in tourist experience creation. The paper closes research gaps by using a qualitative study design in Germany to explore the underlying conditions that affect host–guest encounters to the discussion of tourist experience creation. Research findings may be adapted to other geographical or cultural settings with similar levels of tourism development.

scholarly journals Challenges in Italian wine routes: managing stakeholder networks

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilenia Bregoli ◽  
Martin Hingley ◽  
Giacomo Del Chiappa ◽  
Valeria Sodano
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Objects ◽  
Service Industries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Wine Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Common Understanding ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The aim of this article is to analyse how wine and tourism operators understand the concept of a wine route, to determine the impact that definition can have on the extent to which stakeholders working within distinct, but related sectors (namely wine production, tourism, food and hospitality) collaborate with each other and share knowledge. Design/methodology/approach By adopting the theoretical lens of “boundary objects” (understood as tangible or intangible entities that allow the sharing of meaning to different groups and facilitate collaboration), this article uses a qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews of 20 informants working in three different wine routes in Italy. Analysis of data is carried out to highlight the similarities and differences between the wine and tourism (including identified associated service) industries. Findings Wine routes can be considered boundary objects that, if clearly defined by local stakeholders, can facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration. Problems in collaboration could be explained by an initial mis-definition by stakeholders of what a wine route and its remit are. Research limitations/implications As the theoretical lens of “boundary objects” was applied for the first time to wine routes and tourism, further research is necessary to validate its application. Practical implications It is suggested that managers of wine routes involve all stakeholders in discussions to achieve a common understanding on what a wine route is, and its role in the promotion of “place” (geographical context of the wine route). Only if this is done successfully, is it possible to achieve collaboration. Originality/value This article uses the concept of “boundary objects” (a concept traditionally applied to the study of innovation) to the analysis of wine routes and provides further theoretical and managerial insights concerning networking between wine and tourism sectors, taking a supply-side perspective.

Money laundering through banks in Dubai

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-352
Author(s):  
Fabian Maximilian Teichmann ◽  
Marie-Christin Falker
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Money Laundering ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Compliance Officers ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Combat Money Laundering

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how illegally obtained funds from Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are laundered through the banking system in Dubai. Design/methodology/approach The study is conducted using a qualitative content analysis of 60 semi-structured expert interviews with both criminals and money laundering prevention experts, and a quantitative survey of 200 financial sector compliance officers. Findings Some banks in Dubai are highly suitable for all stages of the money laundering process. However, although certain banks have weak compliance mechanisms, others act in an exemplary manner. Research limitations/implications The qualitative findings are based on semi-structured interviews and are limited to the 60 interviewees’ perspectives. Practical implications Identification of gaps in anti-money laundering mechanisms provides compliance officers, law enforcement agencies and legislators with valuable insights into how money laundering criminals operate. Originality/value The existing literature focuses mainly on organizations and the methods they use to combat money laundering. This paper outlines how money launderers operate to avoid detection. Authentic experiences are illustrated. The reader is provided with valuable insights into the minds of money launderers. Both lawful and criminal perspectives are taken into account.

scholarly journals How do the current auditing standards fit the emergent use of blockchain?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Pauline Gauthier ◽  
Nathalie Brender
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Original Contribution ◽  
Auditing Standards ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Blockchain is expected to impact reporting and auditing processes. Indeed, the increasing use of blockchain could affect the nature and extent of information available to auditors and how audits are performed. This paper aims to investigate how auditors are assessing the relevance of the current auditing standards in light of the emergent use of blockchain technology. Design/methodology/approach Based on qualitative content analysis, this paper analyzed semi-structured interviews with auditors to understand their shared perception of how the current auditing standards address blockchain’s emergence. Findings The findings reveal a growing demand for information technology (IT) auditing standards, as well as a mismatch in timing between the quickly changing IT environment and the regulators’ slowness in releasing new standards or updating standards. Research limitations/implications The findings reflect the external auditors’ points of view and cannot be generalized to all countries, but future studies should address the development of specific IT-related auditing standards to better fit the fast-evolving technology environment in ways that consider the other stakeholders’ points of view, including those of the standard setters. Practical implications The results of this study show that auditors consider the current auditing standards for IT to be too vague, and they need more guidance on both auditing blockchain and using technologies as audit tools. Originality/value The original contribution of this study lies in the in-depth understanding it provides of the adequacy of the current auditing standards to audit companies using blockchain, which is an under-researched topic.

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