Qualitative Research in management - Essay Example

? Management Qualitative Research Qualitative data collection requires intricate techniques and delicate procedures for the effective achievement of the goals of the research. Despite the several qualitative techniques in use, participative observation offers unique insight into the study population under study. Participative observation requires high commitment and participation on the part of the researcher, and consumes a considerable amount of time in the process. In addition to the problems that the process presents to the researcher, participative research also raises a number of ethical concerns, some pertaining to the process itself and others concerning research ethics in general. The goal of this paper is to analyze participant observation as a type of qualitative data collection method, and explores its broad multiplicity of factors with regard to its significance, ethical considerations, and challenges. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 An Overview of Qualitative Research 4 Participant observation: 6 Advantages of Participant Observation 7 Disadvantages of participant observation 8 Ethical Issues of Participant Observation 10 Challenges of Participant Observation 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 An Overview of Qualitative Research There are generally two types of researches i-e., quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research is structured methods aiming at quantifying the data using the statistical method. They designed to prove reliability, generalizability, and objectivity. Qualitative research on the other hand, is unstructured methods seeking to give insights and understanding of problems (Malhotra 2007). These two types of research are based on different concept. For instance, qualitative research is based on social sciences trying to understand and explain behaviors in particular situations while quantitative research evolved in natural since seeking to find commonly laws, which show the relationship of cause and effect (Mayring, 2002). Qualitative research is a method of social study that focuses on how people think, live, and behaves (Atkinson et al, 2001). It is used in different academic disciplines as well as in social science. In addition, it is also used to gain a depth understanding of people attitudes, culture, feelings, values and interests and their social reality as individuals or groups (Creswell, 2003). Marshall and Rossman (1998) define qualitative research as “a form of social inquiry that focuses on the way people interpret and make sense of their experiences and the world in which they live. The decision to use qualitative or quantitative research depends on the nature of issue under investigation. For example, if research aims to investigate the effect of credit supply shocks on firms financial and investment decision, then quantitative research would be more appropriate. However, if the objective were to explore how people respond to government announcement of cutting jobs, then qualitative research would be the best in that case. Therefore, the question of which approach is good for the study depend on the nature of the subject. Although both qualitative and quantitative research has advantages and disadvantages but qualitative research is believed to provide very rich data for analysis. The study by Punch (2005) highlights that qualitative research has advantages of being explorative in nature. It is because it allows researchers to explore new ideas, concepts and get new insights. There is also consensus among researchers that it helps in gathering the data in natural and reliable setting, which is not possible in quantitative research. In addition, as qualitative research focus on individuals, group etc., therefore, it helps to gain detailed and complex information about the phenomena under study. It may be because of these advantages that lead researchers to pursue qualitative research especially in social science or when the subject of study is human being (Mack et al, 2005). As mentioned earlier, that qualitative research is explorative in nature, therefore, it uses procedures such as in- depth interview, focus group interview, participative observation, etc. to gain insights and developed hypothetical model about the complex behavior of the subject under investigation. The use of such methods gives the researchers not only the primary data but also it helps researchers to understand the underlying motivation behind their behavior. It is important to highlight that each of the mentioned methods has advantages and disadvantages. For example, case study is a good method because it takes a broad view of theories by combining theories with empirical data (Yin, 2003). Participant observation stands out as a qualitative data collection method. The research method has been an inspiration for much speculation itself, with many analysts debating on the ethical issues revolving around the data collection method. On another front, many analysts affirm the robustness of the research method in collection of data. In modern research, participant observation is in wide use. Given this intricate interplay of factors with regard to participant observation as a research method, this paper focuses principally on participant observation as a qualitative data collection method. Participant observation: Participative observation is a widely used qualitative method in research, especially in social sciences. Its origin is traceable to ethnographic studies in the field of anthropology. In participant observation, the researcher assumes the role of an element in the environment under study. Therefore, the researcher has to spend considerable time in the field to adapt him/her to the environment under study and make the relevant data collection. In anthropologic studies, the participant researcher may spend up to a year in the cultural environment under study to have an intimate understanding of the culture and answer the research question. The overriding element of participant observation is the interaction of the researcher with the participants under study. Participant observation is one of the most common and valued method in qualitative research (Frances, 2001). Participant observation is a qualitative research which gets it roots from the traditional ethnographic research; aiming at helping researchers to understand the perspectives held by the study populations. The implicit assumption in this type of research is that researcher presumes that there would be different perceptions in any given society. They are interested in knowing those multiple perspectives and understanding the interaction between them. This can be accomplished through participant observation. The advantage of such approach is that it takes place in locations and community settings that are believed to be relevant to the issue under investigation (Frances, 2001). According to Marshall & Rossman (1989, p.79) observation is "the systematic description of events, behaviors, and artifacts in the social setting chosen for study". It allows researcher to draw a clear picture of the situation using the five senses (Erlandson et al, 1993). Demunch & Sobo (1998) define participant observation as the primary method for doing research that used by anthropologists. Research includes "active looking, improving memory, informal interviewing, writing detailed field notes, and perhaps most importantly, patience" (Dewalt & Dewalt, 2002, P.Vii). Therefore, participant observation is the process that enables researchers to understand people’s activities and routines behaviors in natural setting environments by participating and observing in those activities as well as offers the context for improving sampling and interviews guidance (Dewalt & Dewalt, 2002). Many factors pertain to participant observation as data collection method. The method of data collection, given its unique attributes, gives certain benefits to the attainment of research goals. Consequently, some challenges and setbacks are associated with its implementation. In addition, many ethical issues come to the fore from the use of the method in data collection. The succeeding sections delve into these considerations in detail. Advantages of Participant Observation Participant observation is also useful to gain a better understanding for the physical, social, cultural, and economic perspectives. In addition, the method allows researchers to improve a familiarity among the cultural setting. It enables them to understand the context that arises just from personal involvement (DeMunck and Sobo, 1998). In addition, participant research gives numerous and very critical opportunities for the researcher to take part in unplanned events. The chances to take part in the extra activities, according to Dewalt and Dewalt (2002), help improve the quality of data collection and interpretation, and therefore aid in the identification and development of new research questions. Another advantage of using participant observation is that the research helps reveal factors in the study initially unapparent at the design stage of the study. Preset design questions may get the right answers but that does not mean that the questions are completely right. In addition, participant observation helps a researcher make use of other data collection techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and quantitative research methods. Overall, participant observation allows the researcher to modify the research questions and hypothesis according to the shifting circumstances of the research. Disadvantages of participant observation One main major disadvantage of participant observation is that it is time consuming. Researchers in the traditional ethnographic research spend minimum one year in the filed setting gathering data through different methods. For most conducted research studies, which require less period of time collecting data, this is not practical. However, this disadvantage can be useful for most applied international development projects that necessarily require being more concentrated than in traditional ethnography research (Fig, 2009). Another disadvantage is that documenting data can be difficult, as researchers can find it hard to keep recording all the important points while they are participating and observing. Therefore, researches should write and expand their observation notes immediately, as delaying, the expansion of the transcriptions could lead to inaccurate documenting or losing some data. Consequently, the integrity of the research depends largely on the skill of the researcher rather than the data collection technology such as tape recorders. A third disadvantage is that participant observation needs conscious work at objectivity since this method is naturally subjective. It is, therefore, essential for researchers to have a good understanding whether what they observer is more objective or less objective before describing or reporting (Fig, 2009). Another key disadvantage of participant research is the temptation of the researcher to overly rely on a few key informants. The phenomenon is particularly common where the researcher is detached from the community under study. Mostly, key informants are marginal elements in the community, such as community leaders, often times the key informants are people with whom the researcher can easily relate to, for instance educated participants, who may grossly misrepresent the study population (DeMunck & Sobo, 1998). Bernard (1994) suggests that the problem is avoidable by careful selection of informants who display competence in the topic under study, from a cultural perspective. Informants that are more representative would considerably reduce the bias of selecting informants who are mainly outliers in the community under study. Participant observation also carries the negative reputation of being a source of wrongful description of behavioral research (Johnson & Sackett, 1998). According to Johnson and Sackett (1998), participant observation is a highly subjective technique of data collection, in which the entire study is cast against the researcher’s individual perspectives and interests, which may compromise the reliability of the study. For instance, the pair highlights that researchers spend most of the time in these form of researches on political issues, despite the fact that they form a paltry 3% of the community’s commitments. The discrepancies widely skew the perspectives of cultures as they systematically alienate the identity of the community and only articulate certain elements, which form a very small portion of their culture. In an effort to mitigate the negative impact of this problem, Johnson and Sacket (1998) suggest that researchers use systematic observation procedures for sampling and recording so that certain aspects of the culture of the study community go to the periphery. The approach’s intention is to give the objective and all-encompassing elements of quantitative research into the participant observation, thus enhancing its integrity. Ethical Issues of Participant Observation Participant observation raises a considerable number of ethical issues. One mode of conducting a participant observation is through covert means, in which the researcher does not reveal his/her identity to the community under study. Many people feel that failure to let the community know that there is a research going on in the community. Opponents of covert observation technique regard the method as deceptive, and largely infringing on research ethics and absence of informed consent (Li, 2008). However, the issue on informed consent remains debatable, as the exposure of the researcher in some study environments may utterly compromise the study. Another major issue arising with the use of participant observation is the protection of the privacy of the participants. Usually, researchers in participant observation make regular use of key informants, and the research analysis may include too much detail about certain participants in the research as to violate their privacy. Respect for participant’s privacy is a huge debate subject, especially in the day and age when corporations are pursuing aggressive research in efforts to identify valuable informational elements in fields of science, business, and innovation (NBAC, 1995). However, the issue still involves the use of informed consent, which includes information to the respondent of the intention of the study and its benefits and intended use. Challenges of Participant Observation Participant observation requires the research to blend in with the study population, which is a usually a time consuming exercise. Time is a major constraining factor for many small studies, and the use of methods requiring much time such as participant observation in such cases gravely compromises their effectiveness in collecting the required information. In addition, the process of becoming a cultural element to make correct observation may take longer than initially anticipated, also, the research may find a situation where the population under study exhibits very high dynamisms making the process of becoming part of the study population a challenge. Sometimes the topic of study may involve considerable risks and personal challenges to the researcher. For instance, the research may include the study of subjects such as the effects of criminal gang in a society (Pearson, 2005). The researcher in a participant observation research has to be part of potentially dangerous conditions, which may pose numerous risks and violate many ethical issues. The same issue arises when investigating topics that raise controversy in the society especially in moral cases such as prostitution, drug use or other illicit abhorrent issues in society. At times the researcher may find certain behaviors within the community under study unacceptable and impossible to participate in. consequently, the collection of the information effectively and objectively becomes a huge challenge which may compromise the research in its entirety. For instance, for a researcher studying the cultural trend of a fundamentally different cultures, certain practices may touch close to the personal believes of the person, which more often than not compromises the objectivity and the clear-sightedness of the researcher. Another challenge associable with participant observation is the risk of the researcher completely getting involved in the native culture, and losing the overall initial perspective of the purpose of the study. The transformation makes the researcher lose the participant observant perspective and putting the study in jeopardy. In addition, close associations born of the long relationship with the community under study may result in illicit relationships, which may extend to well beyond the study period (Pearson, 2005). Sometimes the researcher in a participant observer study may encounter the limiting impact of the observer effect (Pearson, 2005), where the behavior of the study population may change due to the presence of the researcher. The challenge may be overcome by conducting a covert research, where the study population is kept from the realization that they are been studied. Conclusion The increase in the need for qualitative research is a source of intrigue for many researchers, particularly ethnographic researchers. The data collection techniques offer insight into the more intricate elements in data, which quantitative research methods are at a loss to explain. Participant observation is arguably one of the best qualitative research techniques in use today. The process however, involves the use of considerable amount of time for the participant, and requires the researcher to have active participation in the activities of the population under study. The use of participant observation employs the use of techniques many analysts consider unethical in research ethics, although the issues remain largely debatable on many fronts. Researchers involved in participant observation encounter a fair amount of challenges while collecting data using the technique, some of which are preventable through a number of procedures. 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