Social Methodology: Qualitative Approaches - Research Proposal Example

 Chapter Three 3. Methodology 3.1.Introduction This Chapter presents the research methodology utilised to analyse the research data and describes the various methods used in this study. This research paper basically consists of two data sets – primary and secondary. Primary data set consists of a survey and a questionnaire administered to 40 odd BPO companies operating basically from the Middle East region. While responses to the survey were recorded with much more accuracy and detail, responses to the questionnaire were sifted and collated to identify significant trends and process orientations in decision making on BPO in the pharmaceuticals industry in the Middle East. Secondary data was collected through an extensive research effort conducted both online and in libraries. The researcher extensively used the books written on the topic and also studied research journals, reports, graphs, articles, newspaper articles and so on. References were taken from most of the research material available in the field. 3.1.1. Primary research 3.1.1.a. Interviewing Data collection is one of the central challenges in any research project. It is the process through which the opinion of people are collected and categorised. There are many methods of collecting data such as interviews; questionnaires; documents and observations provide invaluable information that is used for policy decisions, marketing strategies, and academic studies etc (Miller and Salkind, 2002, p.125). Interviewing is a data collection method in which the researcher asks for information verbally from the respondents. It is the way to access people’s perceptions, definitions, meaning, situation and construction of reality, where it involves discussing or questioning issues with people to collect data unlikely to be accessible using techniques such as questionnaires or observation (Punch, 1998, pp.43-44). Interviews are suitable when in-depth information is desired and this type of information is required in order to fulfil the purpose of this research. Therefore the interviewing research method will be followed in this paper. 3.1.2. Preparation of questionnaire This is the most important part in the planning of a sample survey, because a poorly designed questionnaire may ruin an otherwise well conducted survey. At this stage it is always advantageous to think in advance what variables and tabulations would be required for later analysis. It is advisable that a dummy tabulation plan should have been prepared in advance, if possible. This would ensure the inclusion of the information, which would be needed for the questionnaire. While preparing the questionnaire the following points were kept in mind in order to overcome the related problems. (i) As few questions as possible were included. (ii) Individual questions were framed in a simple and straight language. (iii) Questions followed a logical sequence. (iv) Highly personal questions were avoided, and if necessary for some enquiry they should be kept at the end of the questionnaire. 3.1.3. Administration of Questionnaire Once the questionnaire is prepared it may be administered by three different methods. (i) Direct personal interviews. (ii) Email inquiry (iii) Telephonic conversation. In this case study the method of e-mail inquiry was used. This method was applicable because most of the respondents were educated and co-operative and they realised the significance and importance of such a sample survey. The problem of non-response due to carelessness on the part of respondents is expected to be very large, though in the current survey such negligence was minimal. 3.1.4. Survey Statistical surveys are often carried out to collect quantitative information about items in a population sample. While political and government related surveys of people and establishments are too common in health, social sciences and marketing, they are carried out with a particular purpose on mind, i.e. to investigate some facts or information. Many surveys are usually intended to administer questions to respondents. When a researcher administers the questions it becomes a structured interview. When the respondent himself administers the questions the survey is called a self-administered survey or a questionnaire. There are three types of interview: structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews (Saunders, 2000, Vol.11, pp.45-53). This dissertation utilises semi-structured type of interviews due to the fact that it helps the relatively structured interview guide, which includes ratings as well as relatively open questions. This type of interview is the most appropriate choice to gain the data necessary since it allows the researcher to lead informal conversation based on predetermined topics. Generally speaking, an interview is social interaction between two people, with one person gathering information from the other. The interaction is what differentiates the direct methodology from indirect methodology. Structured interviews enable the interviewer to ask each respondent the same questions in the same way. A tightly controlled structured schedule of questions and format is used, very much like a questionnaire. The questions contained in the questionnaire were planned in advance. The interviewer has some discretion how these might be elaborated/explained but the aim is to standardize data as far as possible and to eliminate biases due to different wordings. The questions in a structured interview may be phrased in such a way that a limited option response is elicited. The possible answers are defined in advance so that the respondent is limited to one of the pre-coded responses and thus data analysis becomes relatively easier (Denscombe, 2003, p.84). Interviews must be well prepared and must have clear objectives for each interview. Interviews can be conducted after the team has established the topical areas to be covered in the interviews and after the lead investigator has reviewed with the board the objectives of the interviews and strategies for obtaining useful information. In many research situations permission requests should be received before the interview takes place. The interviewer should consider the length of the interview to cover his aims, normally between 15 minutes to an hour. Provide contact information of the interviewer and it must be determined whom to interview, in what order, what interviewing techniques to employ and what method of record to use (Denscombe, 2003). The following aspects should be considered when defining a strategy for the interview (Mason, 1996). The questions should make sense and be meaningful to the interviewee. The questions should be related to the interviewee experiences based on what is already known about them. The interviewer must take care to be sensitive to the needs of the interviewee. The interviewer should be aware of the flow of the interview interaction by attempting to move seamlessly between topics and questions. The interviewer needs to focus on issues and topics that are relevant to the research problem and questions. Interview questions have been compiled from the existing literature and detailed in relation to the research topic, aim and objectives, and focused on the main areas described above. The researcher noted all the replies to interviews and then transcribed the data of each interview. Although this was a time consuming process, the richness of interviews’ contents warranted such an effort. 3.2. Secondary data Secondary data was collected through an extensive research effort conducted both online and in libraries. The researcher extensively used the books written on the topic and also studied research journals, reports, graphs, articles, newspaper articles and so on. References were taken from most of the research material available in the field. This study depends mainly on the secondary material, because theoretical analysis is much well facilitated by it than primary material which is basically limited to responses in the questionnaire and the survey. The available literature has been analyzed with specific focus on the BPO in the Middle East in the pharmaceuticals sector and choices thereof in the context with particular emphasis on. This researcher has tried to show the most important aspectual overview of the research in the Literature Review. Also there is considerable reflection on the state and relevance of current research. Future research possibilities in the field are discussed in depth to show how theoretical underpinnings evolve with time and space with specific reference to BPO activities in the Middle East. There is little or no critical literature to support the methodology of metrically determining the feasibility, attraction and obstacles to creating a model for basket service outsourcing of pharmaceuticals in the Middle East. This particular handicap has affected the researcher to a greater extent. However the research methodology segment of this paper places emphasis on the qualitative aspect of it rather than the quantitative aspect. As such the available empirical evidence has been greatly utilized by the researcher to delineate the current line of arguments as expounded in the Literature Review of this paper. 3.3. (A) Qualitative research The qualitative research aspect of this dissertation paper consists of two sections. 3.3. (A) i. Industry-centric qualitative research The industry-centric qualitative research aspect of this paper focuses on the strategic decisions and choices thereof concerning the feasibility, attraction and obstacles to creating a model for basket service outsourcing of pharmaceuticals in the Middle East. The qualitative industry-centric research aspect focused on the international characteristics of the BPO industry in pharmaceuticals and sought to investigate the Multinational Companies’ (MNCs) involvement at local level in the Middle East. The inevitable qualitative paradigm comes from the kind of obstacles and opportunities simultaneously available to the outsourcing MNCs abroad. While obstacles particularly relate to infrastructural and governmental regulatory frameworks, opportunities have a qualitative impact on the decision making aspect of the MNC. This particular aspect has attracted the attention of the researcher much more than anything else. While the strategic outsourcing operations in pharmaceuticals have a qualitative paradigm shift in favor of innovation, there is very little strategic shift towards such a qualitative change within the industry despite a sea change in attitude towards outsourcing. The Middle East has come into the picture with the latest knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) revolution. Big Pharma’s foray into the Middle East is one such related development. However the dilemma faced by the industry is does the Middle East have the ability to absorb such vast foreign contractual assignments? 3.3. (A) ii. Firm-centric qualitative research Firm-centric qualitative research aspect of this paper will focus on the core strategic functions of each organization to ascertain the degree of qualitative shift in internal dimensions of an ever expanding BPO industry in pharmaceuticals. As Sweet (2006) has pointed out drug development and marketing would be the most important sphere of the industry and therefore those Middle East countries which are able to absorb a lot of BPO operations would benefit from it. However the local companies might not be able to achieve scale economies in the absence of expansion opportunities. The analysis will be extended to include such spheres as current BPO market strategy of the individual firm and desirable qualitative changes in its form and impact through refocusing and reprioritizing. Considerable research exists on the use of mail, telephone and in recent years the use of web surveys. Dillman (1978, 2000) an authority on mail surveys points out that telephone and mail surveys have many deficiencies; mail survey suffers from extremely low response rates; that the questionnaires might not reach all the people; that only educated people tend to return the questionnaire; that even when completed, the quality of questionnaires leaves a lot to be desired. Kanuk and Berenson (1975) conclude from their literature review of mail surveys that: "Despite the large number of research studies and reporting techniques designed to improve response rates, there is no strong empirical evidence favoring any techniques other than the follow-up and the use of monetary incentives". Web surveys enjoy the benefits of low cost, short fieldwork period and automation of data collection and analysis. Unprecedented expansion of the use of Internet has facilitated many research studies that have used web surveys since mid 1990s. For example, WebSM site (http://WebSM.Org) lists thousands of publicly available online research sites. Many firms offer web survey software and increasing number of research agencies already incorporate web surveys as part of their research methodology. Baker (1998) predicted that online self administered surveys would become the next major step in the evolution of computer-assisted survey information collection (CASIC) process. Marketing professionals claim that web surveys are rapidly replacing mail survey mode, as the popular method to collect data. However, one cannot lose sight of the fact that most web surveys are commercial in nature, many may have restricted access to public and the existing bibliography available on WebSM may indeed be a small proportion of the thousands of web surveys launched daily. Two important drawbacks with this method are: 1. Non-coverage, sampling and unit non-response (Groves, 1989) 2. Low response rates compared to other survey methods These drawbacks can be attributed to the fact that we do not yet have a set of methodological principles to elicit high response rates as has been done in case of other survey methods (e.g.: Dillman 1978, 2000). As the use of personal computers and Internet continues to expand among the general population, the drawbacks of inadequate coverage and sampling can be potentially eliminated. Impact of the graphic design of the web survey, the presentation of questions and the number of questions per web page on measurement have been explored by researchers such as Dillman and Bowker (2001) and Couper et al. (2001). Couper et al. (2000) argue that having several items on a single page can increase correlation among them since the respondents are likely to view the items as related entities. Reips (2002) shows that, placing one or several questions per page, leads to different answers owing to the cognitive contexts. Item non-response may be greater when one page is used since no control for item non-response can be implemented. Multiple page design enables controls for item non response and therefore theoretically, non item response should be lower. However, multiple page web design has the downside that respondents may abandon the survey completely or may become frustrated if download time takes longer. Nevertheless, as internet usage increases, multiple page design may become more intuitive, through ease of use. A study by Bandilla and Bosnjak (2003) of the Center for Survey Research and Methodology (ZUMA), Germany concluded that compared to the web based and traditional written self-administered surveys using the International Social Survey Environment Module (ISSP) that for high coverage groups (e.g., participants with a high education level) the data gathered via web were basically identical to those obtained in a traditional self-administered mode. DSS Research which is a leading marketing research company in health sector (www.dssresearch.com) tested the hypothesis whether Internet surveys provided comparable results to traditional mail surveys in 2000 and found that Internet survey methodology was comparable to traditional mail methodology and can be used at times to augment or even replace mail surveys. A research paper by Schleyer & Forrest (2000) that explored the design, development and administration of a web based survey to determine the use of Internet in clinical practice among dental professionals found that web-based surveys could significantly reduce cost, turnaround time and enhance survey item completion rates compared to traditional mail surveys. Since this study involved obtaining responses of high level business executives with outsourcing experience either at the decision making level or at the operational level, it is decided that a web survey administered through email would be the best way to approach these busy executives. A marketing research firm was approached to create an online survey using one of their survey templates. Presentation of Results and Analysis of Data All answers to the іntervіew questions (іnсludіng open-ended questions) were entered into a structured database (SPSS) upon receipt and was ultimately examined by respondent category. A common сodіng method used in qualitative analysis would select whereby an іnvestіgator would сіrсle or mark relevant portions of the responses and then сategorіze them thеmatісally (Loflаnd et al., 2006). Due to the subjective nature of сategorіzіng respondents’ questions and extracting themes from thе answers, іndіvіdual analyses of all questionnaires will be performed separately by different analysts. After іndіvіdual analysis, the different analysts would meet together and сompіle a list of all the іdentіfіed issues and themes. Overlapping issues and themes between analysts would be subsequently removed or renamed to produce a more сonсіse list for сodіng analysis. The сodіng scheme would generate in this first stage of analysis, the analysts іndіvіdually will scan the respondents’ texts and сategorіze all respondents’ answers. Respondents’ answers will be coded several times if they сontaіn more than one theme. The analysts convene a second time to establish the level of agreement between all coders. Remaining differences in сodіng will resolve through group dіsсussіon. If only one of the analysts judges a respondent to be сonсerned with one of the issues, then the judgment will either remove or keep after consensus agreement. Overall, this entire process ensures that the сodіng scheme will be adequate and capture the most prevalent issues and themes as reported by the respondents. More detailed іnformatіon on the survey methodology, іnсludіng the analysis strategy, is found in the respondent’s survey report that would be available on the web site. The information gathering technique in the absence of a pilot project could have been nullified if not for the parallel provision of hypothetical testing of data adopted by this researcher to overcome the related bottlenecks of the absence of pilot project. Many firms surveyed here did not feel the need for outsourcing to the Middle East-based companies for such a decision is primarily based on cost-efficiency ratios and related factors rather than a particular regional bias. Yet again they were not precise about the best region or country for such outsourcing contracts. The methodology adopted here could not have produced better outcomes than this since there were very few direct answers to the questions on preference of a county to outsource operations to because the respondents felt that they were unnecessarily committing themselves to a prior position or they tended to avoid answering such straightforward questions. This tendency apart most of the answers provided a decisive and incisive thrust on the current thinking on outsourcing to the Middle East in pharmaceuticals industry. Despite a highly positive outcome on the analysis of data as to what percentage of respondents was determined to outsource their basket services in pharmaceuticals operations to companies in the Middle East, there were many barriers against such decisions. In fact prospects are many but there are considerable constraints as well. This outcome was illustrated by a number of responses which said that strategic corporate environment in the Middle East had to be changed in order to accommodate far reaching demands of outsourcing companies. Preference for Asia, specially India and China for basket service outsourcing in pharmaceuticals is so obvious though most of the respondents from North America and Europe just showed their willingness to outsource to companies in the Middle East but are held back due to various reasons such as the absence of well planned programs at both the national and the individual firm levels. The methodology structure showed enough flexibility in addressing the inexplicable concerns of the respondents both to the questionnaire and the surveys. For instance as Bandilla and Bosnjak (2003) demonstrated the data gathered here reflected a tendency on the part of respondents to be highly communicative. For examplewhile many respondents to the questionnaire held the view that the Middle East region was attractive enough for outsourcing, very few of them felt that there was the appropriate atmosphere for transferring their basket operations. In other words individual operations were being considered for outsourcing to Middle East-based companies but not so the basket services. This straightforward behavior is basically determined by their education despite the strategic focus of the surveys and the questionnaire. The basket model is not only cost-effective but also strategically feasible for the outsourcing companies which seek multiple service agreements in place of single service provision. As the responses to the questionnaire and the survey showed there is an obvious positive correlation with Reips’ (2002) conclusions about web-based research. For instance the respondents provided significantly varied answers to questions on the same page. The following conclusions were derived from the theoretical alignment of the methodology used in the questionnaire and the survey with predictable outcomes associated with the nature of the methodology and its impact. Many firms surveyed in this research effort sought to differentiate between the need for basket services and single services on the basis of a qualitative shift in mood brought about by the design and appearance of the questionnaire and the survey. For instance the belief that single service vendors were unable to provide bundled services and therefore they could have little or no strategic advantage that could be passed on to the outsourcing firm was a qualitative opinion influenced by the manner of wording the questions. Also that multiple service contracts signed with a number of individual service providers for each service could lead to a waste of resources, especially manpower, was a decisive outcome of the methodology influence. Thus as this research methodology found out there was less inclination in providing the essential data for analysis on the individual service providers. This is not attributable to the manner in which the methodology was administered. Next, the respondents were not directly or indirectly influenced by the less dynamic and more static nature of the web-based questionnaire and the survey. This particular aspect of the research effort could have necessarily reflected on the responses though. The pharmaceuticals industry in the Middle East context has a much larger significance because vendors are expected by outsourcing companies to put together complex management structures in order to provide a diversity of streamlined functions at a minimal average cost. Finally, basket service provision with appropriate bundling comes from innovative service integration and strategic orientation of the industry in an exclusively BPO context where marketing, distribution and product development all contribute to the company’s corporate strategy including supply chain management. Again Reips has been vindicated. As a corollary of the above respondents to the questionnaire and the survey have singularly indicated their preference for supply chain management related services, i.e. outsourcing companies prefer those combined services related supply chain management of pharmaceuticals industry rather than the singular haphazard service provision. Thus this methodology focused basically on the premise that BPO in pharmaceuticals industry is aligned with a qualitative paradigm shift in bundling service provision related to supply chain management perspectives. Research methodology also focused on the strategic industry level outcomes in the Middle East. The questionnaire was designed to elicit information on three areas of strategic significance as outlined in the Literature Review. They are the degree of feasibility, attraction and obstacles to creating model for basket service outsourcing of pharmaceuticals in the Middle East. While the degree of feasibility in this effort of creating a model did have a positive chord of response in the answers provided by the respondents, there was an equally dismal sounding chord of response to the very nature of the trends in the Middle East markets. For instance, the existing regulatory environment does not enable competing service vendors to significantly avail of the globalization related competencies arising from stiffer competition. In the first place regulatory regimes in the Middle East minimally help vendors to go for outsourcing contracts. The pharmaceuticals industry particularly poses some risks to the otherwise complacent managements. The degree of attraction of the Middle East market for outsourcing companies is basically determined by the attitudes of outsourcing companies as much as other significant variables. This is well explained by the responses given by some North American companies. North American companies displayed a tendency to much more strategically focused on the operational environment of the vendor company than the strategic environment itself. The reference is a direct mention of the political atmosphere prevalent in the Middle East. The orthodox economic policies do not have a place in this industry. As much as it has been expanding fast it has been subject to a variety of constraints. The outsourcing fraternity in the global pharmaceuticals industry has been quick to recognize this trend in the Middle East. It’s nothing new against the backdrop of the World Trade Organization (WTO) promoted trade liberalization measures. Despite the constraints, as the research effort of this paper shows, there has been a very significant policy shift in the Middle East. That’s precisely the reason due to which the majority of respondents invariably responded positively to most of the questions on the probability of outsourcing some of their operations to companies in the Middle East. This none so well made obvious than by the fact that straightforward questions have elicited equally straightforward responses. Conclusion Thus this research methodology draws the following firm conclusions. Depending on the degree of convergence between the responses to the questionnaire and those responses to the survey, there is a highly positive tone of agreement that the Middle East provides one of the most attractive destinations for outsourcing companies in the rest of the world despite its relatively recent interest in the subject. Notwithstanding the unavoidable ambiguities in one or two of the questions in the questionnaire, the responses have established a series of positive correlations among a significant cross section of the independent and dependent variables. This strong correlation is obvious in the face of the methodological outcomes of the research. This is even better reinforced by the degree of positive correlation between the time-specific variable of corporate strategic shift of the potential outsourcing firm and that of the Middle East market. There have also been a number of exogenous factors that have contributed to this phenomenon. In the first place the majority of respondents to the survey held the view that the Middle East’s comparative attractiveness was determined by its strategic location. Gulf countries have been noted for their economic stability too. Most of the currencies in the region are pegged to the US Dollar. This gives an added advantage to the outsourcing company because currency volatilities and unstable economic scenarios arising from poorly managed macroeconomic policies could lead to chaos in international relations. BPO industry partially depends on the macroeconomic stability of the country where service vendors operate from. Finally one of the most strategically important decision making aspects of the corporate environment of the average service vendor company heavily bears on the attractiveness of the region, viz. the ability to increase value addition to each service at less expense to the buyers of BPO services. The significance of correlations could be attributed to the nature of the questionnaire. Regressions were negligibly smaller. REFERENCES 1. Denscombe, M. 2003, The Good Research Guide for Small Scale Research Projects (2nd Edition), Open University Press. Maidenhead. 2. Dellman, D.A. 1978, Mail and Telephone Surveys : The Total design Method, Wiley, New York. 3. 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