Stepping off the drunkard’s path to walk the “wild side”

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-120
Author(s):  
Nicole Brunker
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Doctoral Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creativity And Innovation ◽  
Looking Back ◽  
The Way

Purpose Working creatively as a researcher should be a core foundation in doctoral studies, though it may be an isolating, even risky, endeavour. The purpose of this paper is to share the author’s journey through the “darkness” of innovation in research methodology. Design/methodology/approach At the heart of this research journey was Portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 1983), which emerged early in the post-modern evolution of qualitative research. While exploring Portraiture, the author found researchers used this methodology in varying ways: application, appropriation and interpretation. In stumbling through Portraiture, the author discovered patchwork as their bricoleur’s toolbag. Patchwork provided a torch that gave light to the darkness of the research process enabling interpretation of Portraiture for alignment of method and research problematic[1]. Findings Looking back at the research journey, the author recognises the steps into post-qualitative research and the need for methodological innovators to share their journeys for inspiration, to develop understanding and open the way to greater creativity and innovation during the research process. Originality/value This paper provides an original view to Portraiture along with the addition of patchwork as a way of engaging with methodology as well as data.

scholarly journals Accounting for the messiness of the research process: the fieldpath approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perttu Salovaara
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Human Ethics ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
The Common ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose It has recently become more acknowledged that there is a quality of “messiness” to the qualitative research process. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the fieldpath approach—a hermeneutically inspired framework—to account for the non-linearity, uncertainty and ambiguity of the research process. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper reviews how the scope of hermeneutics has been partly misunderstood. The paper discusses how the scope of hermeneutics has lately been expanded by works such as Günter Figal’s (2010) Objectivity: The Hermeneutical and Philosophy. Findings The fieldpath approach proposes that a heightened relation to materiality enables the messiness of the process to be preserved, while at the same time offering a way to find one’s footing in the midst of ontologically incomplete phenomena that are still—in a processual fashion—forming and becoming. Research limitations/implications This is a conceptual paper. In addition to the research mentioned here, more studies would be needed to legitimise, test and refine the approach. Practical implications Objectivity provides an additional criterion for researchers to lean on when facing the non-linearity and unexpected turns inherent in the qualitative research process. Social implications The stress on materiality involves an ethical dimension. Post-human ethics are concerned with the future environmental consequences and sustainability of the material world. The way that matter matters in our methodologies is of primary importance. Originality/value First, the paper emphasises that hermeneutics, contrary to the common perception, does offer criteria for evaluating between interpretations. Second, it introduces the notion of hermeneutic objectivity, which stresses the importance of materiality for interpretations. Third, it introduces the fieldpath approach, which, based on the previous criterion of hermeneutic objectivity, allows for the messiness of the research process, while also preserving a tight grip on the hermeneutic imperative of “understanding in a new way”.

scholarly journals The handicap of lists, QROM and the future

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-354
Author(s):  
Bill Lee
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Associate Editor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
Abs List ◽  
Geographical Context ◽  
The Way

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the contribution that this journal has made to the development of qualitative research over the ten years of Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management’s (QROM’s) lifetime and its potential to contribute further in the future. Design/methodology/approach – Reflections are made from the author’s standpoint as a longstanding associate editor of QROM and a UK academic in the field of accounting. Findings – Concern is expressed about the way in which the use of a particular journal list in UK institutions – namely, the ABS list – has skewed development away from qualitative research during the hitherto lifetime of QROM but how, despite that handicap, QROM has made a notable contribution. Originality/value – A reflection informed by both the disciplinary and geographical context as well as ten years’ service as an Associate Editor of this journal.

Reflexivity and the clinician-researcher: managing participant misconceptions

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy J Hiller ◽  
Danya F Vears
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Professional Background ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethics Support ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – It is increasingly common for health care clinicians to undertake qualitative research investigating an aspect of their own profession. Although the additional knowledge and perspective of a clinician might benefit the research, the professional background of the clinician-researcher can be a precipitator for confusion, similar to the therapeutic misconception occurring in quantitative clinical trials research. A significant challenge for the clinician-researcher is managing the misconceptions of participants and others about their role in the research process. The purpose of this paper is to outline these misconceptions and provide insight into how they might be avoided and managed through awareness and reflexivity. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper the authors draw on their experiences as clinician-researchers and memo writing data from their respective qualitative research projects to discuss participant misconceptions. Theories of reflexivity and ethics support the discussion. Findings – Potential misconceptions from participants include feeling obliged to participate, expecting to receive clinical care or feedback and believing they are being judged. This paper promotes reflexivity as a tool to pre-empt, prevent and manage participant misconceptions resulting from misunderstandings about the role of the clinician-researcher. Originality/value – Alerting clinician-researchers to potential misconceptions and providing examples of reflexive thinking in practice can assist researchers to increase the rigor of their qualitative research.

scholarly journals “Good” things take time: a living story of research as “life”

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-42
Author(s):  
Fiona Hurd ◽  
Suzette Dyer ◽  
Mary Fitzpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Linear Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Narrative Methods ◽  
Memory Work ◽  
Participative Research ◽  
Significant Addition ◽  
Inherent Part

Purpose Although the process of fieldwork is often characterised by disorder, the requirement to adhere to a tightly defined methodology and produce timely research outputs often leads the authors to present the findings as though the research has been the product of a linear process. The purpose of this paper is to unmask this paradox, by documenting the disorder and development of a research project 15 years (so far) in duration. Design/methodology/approach The approach used in this paper is one of auto-ethnographic reflection, drawing on aspects of Boje’s living story approach, incorporating not only the “linear” narrative of the research process, but also fragments of ante-narrative, themes running above and below the dominant. Within the study, the authors are reflecting on, a range of qualitative methods, including interview, focus groups, memory-work, and living story (ante-narrative) methods, which are employed within a critical management research methodology. Findings The authors’ experiences show that although “messiness” may be an inherent part of qualitative research, it is this very disorder, and the consequent opportunities for time and space, that allows the research, and the researcher, “time to breathe”. This reflexivity allows for methodological development and refinement, and ultimately rigorous and participative research, which also honours the participants. The authors argue that although this approach may not align with the current need for prolific (and rapid) publication, in allowing the disorder to “be” in the research, and allowing the time to reassess theoretical and methodological lenses, the resultant stories may be more authentic – both the stories gathered from participants and the stories of research. Originality/value The paper highlights the intertwining of stories of participants and stories from research, which is a significant addition to understandings of the “messiness” of qualitative research. This paper adds to the growing call for the inclusion of “chaos” and authenticity in qualitative research, acknowledging and valuing the humanity of the researcher, and giving voice to the paradox between the time to methodologically develop, and the requirement for timely research.

scholarly journals Visiting the “enemy”: visitation in politically unstable destinations

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Farmaki ◽  
Katerina Antoniou ◽  
Prokopis Christou
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stepping Stone ◽  
Travel Decision ◽  
The Way

Purpose This study aims to examine the factors shaping the intentions of people to visit a hostile outgroup. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory, qualitative research approach was followed. Specifically, 77 semi-structured interviews with citizens of the divided island of Cyprus were conducted. Findings This study identifies several categories of visitors and non-visitors, depicted along a continuum, and concludes that there is a multiplicity of factors in the socio-political environment which influence the travel intentions of people. Originality/value This study not only imparts insights into the way travel decision-making evolves in politically unstable situations but also serves as a stepping stone towards understanding the conditions under which reconciliation between hostile nations may be encouraged by travel.

scholarly journals Expanding the debate

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann M. Carrington
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spiritual Perspectives

Purpose – The current exploration and inclusion of spirituality across disciplines has, up to this point, focused largely on defining spirituality and creating practice and assessment tools. Little has been done in building the foundational structures at the level of paradigm, theory, methods, measures and research methodology. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a section of findings resulting from a comprehensive qualitative research program using the process of meta-triangulation, which explored spiritual perspectives from paradigm to practice. Findings – The results of this research begin to address gaps at these levels through the articulation of spiritual ways of knowing and the methods and measures that stem from them. Once articulated, it was possible to explore the parallels and differences between spiritual and physical ways of knowing, their methods and measures. Originality/value – It is acknowledged that such research may be resisted by some factions as they attempt to maintain positions of power and privilege. Thus, this paper presents the research within this contested and turbulent landscape.

Enhancing the transparency of accounting research: the case of narrative analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivo De Loo ◽  
Stuart Cooper ◽  
Melina Manochin
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Interpretive Approach ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
The Way

Purpose – This paper aims to clarify what ‘narrative analysis’ may entail when it is assumed that interview accounts can be treated as (collections of) narratives. What is considered a narrative and how these may be analyzed is open to debate. After suggesting an approach of how to deal with narrative analysis, the authors critically discuss how far it might offer insights into a particular accounting case. Design/methodology/approach – After having explained what the authors’ view on narrative analysis is, and how this is linked with the extant literature, the authors examine the socialisation processes of two early career accountants that have been articulated in an interview context. Findings – The approach to narrative analysis set out in this paper could help to clarify how and why certain interpretations from an interview are generated by a researcher. The authors emphasise the importance of discussing a researcher’s process of discovery when an interpretive approach to research is adopted. Research limitations/implications – The application of any method, and what a researcher thinks can be distilled from this, depends on the research outlook he/she has. As the authors adopt an interpretive approach to research in this paper, they acknowledge that the interpretations of narratives, and what they deem to be narratives, will be infused by their own perceptions. Practical implications – The authors believe that the writing-up of qualitative research from an interpretive stance would benefit from an explicit acceptance of the equivocal nature of interpretation. The way in which they present and discuss the narrative analyses in this paper intends to bring this to the fore. Originality/value – Whenever someone says he/she engages in narrative analysis, both the “narrative” and “analysis” part of “narrative analysis” need to be explicated. The authors believe that this only happens every so often. This paper puts forward an approach of how more clarity on this might be achieved by combining two frameworks in the extant literature, so that the transparency of the research is enhanced.

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.

Placing emotion and fantasy at the heart of the researcher-researched relationship

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-196
Author(s):  
Yiannis Gabriel
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Research Methodologies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Short Piece

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce psychosocial research methodology as a method that makes use of the emotions of researcher and researched and goes well-beyond empathetic understanding. Design/methodology/approach This short piece critically introduces the recently published book Further Researching Beneath the Surface (Volume 2): Psycho-social Research Methods in Practice, Eds Cummins, A.-M., and Williams, N., and analyses the psychosocial approach to qualitative research that emphasizes research as an emotional activity and makes use of the researcher’s and the researched’s emotional responses to each other in drawing interpretations about organizational phenomena. Findings By analysing transference and counter-transference, researchers can draw valuable insights into organizational phenomena that remain unseen by more conventional research methodologies. Originality/value Emotions, far from being the enemy of the researcher, can, if recognized properly, be valuable resources in social research.

Leadership for health commissioning in the new NHS

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Coleman ◽  
Julia Segar ◽  
Kath Checkland ◽  
Imelda McDermott ◽  
Stephen Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Early Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Experiences ◽  
Emerging Leadership ◽  
Creativity And Innovation ◽  
Leadership Approaches ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the early experiences of those involved with the development of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), examining how the aspiration towards a “clinically-led” system is being realised. The authors investigate emerging leadership approaches within CCGs in light of the criterion for authorisation that calls for “great leaders”. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative research was carried out in eight case studies (CCGs) across England over a nine-month period (September 2011 to May 2012) when CCGs were in their early development. The authors conducted a mix of interviews (with GPs and managers), observations (at CCG meetings) and examined associated documentation. Data were thematically analysed. Findings – The authors found evidence of two identified approaches to leadership – positive deviancy and responsible guardianship – being undertaken by GPs and managers in the developing CCGs. Historical experiences and past ways of working appeared to be influencing current developments and a commonly emerging theme was a desire for the CCG to “do things differently” to the previous commissioning bodies. The authors discuss how the current reorganisation threatens the guardianship approach to leadership and question if the new systems being implemented to monitor CCGs’ performance may make it difficult for CCGs to retain creativity and innovation, and thus the ability to foster the positive deviant approach to leadership. Originality/value – This is a large scale piece of qualitative research carried out as CCGs were beginning to develop. It provides insight into how leadership is developing in CCGs highlighting the complexity involved in these roles.

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