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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the participants, the research design, the sampling procedure, the

research instruments and the data-collection techniques, and the data analysis.

Participants

The respondents of the study were 50 selected small-scale entrepreneurs operating their

businesses in Baler, Aurora for at least a year when the research was conducted. The

entrepreneurs consisted of 25 males, representing 50% of the participants’ population, and 25

females, constituting 50% of the population. The research was undertaken in Baler, Aurora from

October 16, 2017 to December 1, 2017. The participants were asked to provide responses to the

same set of questions on their techniques for integrating ethical values into their business

operations during the last quarter of CY 2017 from October 16 to December 1.

Research design

The research design adopted was non-experimental quantitative research design, “a way

of finding out truths about a subject by describing the collected data about such subject and

determining their relationships or connections with one another” (Baraceros, 2016, p. 21). A

particular type of non-experimental quantitative research design used was survey, “a quantitative

research strategy that provides a numerical descriptions of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a

population by studying a sample population” (De la Cruz, 2017, p. 75). The participants were

asked the same set of questions on their techniques for integrating ethical values into their

business operations. A deductive approach of inquiry was adopted, starting with theoretical

research questions and ending with the use of empirical data for analysis and interpretation.
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Sampling procedure

The sampling method employed was non-probability sampling, otherwise known as non-

random sampling, “which involves purposely choosing participants according to some identified

variables” (Pulmones, 2016, p. 68). A specific type of non-probability sampling used was

availability sampling, in which people who are easy to find or locate are picked out.

Research instruments and data-collection techniques

To obtain relevant data from the participants, the researchers used a combination of the

researcher-completed and participant-completed instruments, particularly a survey questionnaire

with the combined features of the open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires. The survey

questionnaire consisted of four parts, the first part on the profile of the selected small-scale

entrepreneurs, the second part on the techniques of these entrepreneurs for integrating ethical

values into their business operations, the third part on the difficulties experienced by the

entrepreneurs in implementing such techniques, and the last part on the measures proposed by the

entrepreneurs for overcoming the difficulties in implementing such techniques. The respondents

were instructed to write their answers on the blanks for numbers 1, 2, 5, and 6 in Part 1 of the

questionnaire (participant-completed) and indicate their answers by putting checks in the boxes

for numbers 3, 4, and 7 in Part 2 (researcher-completed) and according to the given codes for

Parts 2, 3, and 4 (researcher-completed).

As previously mentioned, the researchers constructed a four-part survey questionnaire.

Their research teacher critiqued it, offered suggestions for improvement, proofread it, asked them

to reprint and submit a copy of it for his approval. When he finally approved it, they distributed

copies of it among the respondents with the school principal’s permission.

For Part 1 of the questionnaire, the respondents supplied the answers concerning their

ages (on last birthday), sexes, types of entrepreneurship owned, and number of years in

entrepreneurship, and they checked the boxes indicating their answers regarding their marital
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status, highest educational level completed, and their estimated monthly income earned (in

pesos). For Part 2, they rated the statements on their techniques for integrating ethical values into

their business operations according to the following response codes: 5 (Always), 4 (Often), 3

(Sometimes), 2 (Seldom), and 1 (Never). For Part 3, they rated the statements on the difficulties

they experienced in implementing such techniques according to the response codes as follows: 5

(Always), 4 (Usually), 3 (Occasionally), 2 (Hardly ever), and 1 (Never). For Part 4, they rated the

statements on their proposed measures for overcoming the difficulties in implementing such

techniques according to the following response codes: 5 (Completely approve), 4 (Mostly

approve), 3 (Moderately approve), 2 (Slightly approve), and 1 (Do not approve at all). For

verification purposes, personal interviews with them were conducted.

The researchers tallied, tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted the data by means of

descriptive statistical techniques.

Data analysis

In order to correctly interpret the data gathered from the administration of the instruments

and data-collection techniques, the researchers used descriptive statistical techniques such as

frequency counts, percentages, ranking method, mean rating (MR) and grand MR computations.

Cross tabulation was done to show the frequency and percentage distribution of data

using the following formula:

% = f x 100%
N

where % is the percentage,

f is the frequency, and

N is total number of the participants

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The ranking method was also employed with the following formula:

final R = R1 + R2
n

where final R is the final ranking,

R1 is the rank of one variable as arranged in chronological order,

R2 is the rank of the other variable, and

n is the total number of the variables

Moreover, the MR, also known as weighted mean or weighted average, was calculated

with the following formula:

MR = f(1) + f(2) + f(3) + f(4) + f(5)

N

where MR is the mean rating,

f is the frequency (number of responses) per category, and

N is the total number of the participants

After the MR computation, the grand MR was calculated, too, with the following

formula:

grand MR = ∑MR
n

where grand MR is the grand mean rating,

∑MR is the sum of all the mean ratings, and

n is the total number of the data set

As shown on the given table, a five-point scale, which is specifically a unipolar scale,

was used to rate the statements on the techniques of the selected small-scale entrepreneurs for

integrating ethical values into business operations.

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Weight Range interval Verbal Meaning

(Value assigned) (Scale) interpretation (Description)
5 4.20–5.00 Always On all occasions
4 3.40–4.19 Often On many occasions
3 2.60–3.39 Sometimes On some occasions
2 1.80–2.59 Seldom On few occasions
1 1.00–1.79 Never On no occasion

A five-point scale, also a unipolar scale, which was shown on the given table, was used to

rate the statements on the difficulties experienced by the entrepreneurs in implementing the said

techniques.

Weight Range interval Verbal Meaning

(Value assigned) (Scale) interpretation (Description)
5 4.20–5.00 Always At all times
4 3.40–4.19 Usually Frequently
3 2.60–3.39 Occasionally At times
2 1.80–2.59 Hardly ever Rarely
1 1.00–1.79 Never At no time

Similarly, a unipolar scale, which is a five-point scale, shown on the following table, was

adopted to rate the statements on the measures proposed by the entrepreneurs for overcoming the

difficulties in implementing the same techniques.

Weight Range interval Verbal Meaning

(Value assigned) (Scale) interpretation (Description)
5 4.20–5.00 Completely approve In total agreement
4 3.40–4.19 Mostly approve Agree for the most part
3 2.60–3.39 Moderately approve Agree for some part
2 1.80–2.59 Slightly approve Agree for the least part
1 1.00–1.79 Do not approve at all In total disagreement