Qualitative Research

Lecture 6 and 7
Contents:
 Research design and level of analysis

Research design types:

1. Experimental
2. Cross-sectional
3. Longitudinal
4. Case study
5. Comparative
6. Action Research

Experimental design

• Quantitative • Qualitative
Typical form: Most researchers using an No typical form: The Hawthorne experiments
experimental design employ quantitative provide an example of experimental research
comparisons between experimental and control design that gradually moved away from the
groups with regard to the dependent variable.
‘test room method’ towards the use of more
qualitative methods.

For example: (Experimental design in qualitative-test room method)

An experiment was conducted to study the impact of work facility and environment on working
productivity. A group of women were gathered in a room and the experiment was conducted on basis of
increasing light intensity in room to see its effect on working productivity. Each day it was increased and
the participants responded that it increased their work productivity. Similarly again the experiment was
conducted and this time the light intensity was continuously decreased each day and the participants
responded its negative effect on work productivity. For third time there was no change in light intensity
 in room and the participants gave same response each day. From this it was concluded later that it was
not how working environment effected the work productivity rather it was based on how much
attention the participants were given and how much they were heard and it increased their work
productivity.

• Quantitative
Typical form: Social survey research or structured
observation on a sample at a single point in time.
Can also include content analysis on a sample of
documents.
• Qualitative
Typical form: Qualitative interviews or focus groups at a
single point in time can also be based upon qualitative
content analysis of a set of documents relating to a
single period.

Longitudinal research

Quantitative
Qualitative
Typical form: Social survey research on a
Typical form: Ethnographic research over a long period,
sample on more than one occasion or content
qualitative interviewing on more than one occasion, or
analysis of documents relating to different time
qualitative content analysis of documents relating to
periods.
different time periods.

For example:

A Research is conducted again and again and then its results will be compared and analyzed.

Case Study

• Quantitative • Qualitative

Typical form: Social survey research on a single case Typical form: The intensive study by ethnography or
with a view to revealing important features about its qualitative interviewing of a single case, which may be an
nature. organization, or an individual.
 For Example:
If we want to study about successful entrepreneurs. We will select few
main entrepreneurs and study about them and do research as a single case in a
descriptive manner. This is how a case study design will be followed.

Types of case
A case can be about:
• A single organization
• A single location
• A person
• A single event- For example: a tax rebate is provided so it can be studied as a single event.
Yin’s (1984) case typology:
A case study can be explanatory, exploratory or descriptive. More suitable for how and why
(process/reason/explanation) – descriptive cases may also deal with what questions.
• The critical case
• The unique (or extreme) case
• The revelatory case

Comparative Design (Two or more case are studied and then compared for analysis)

• Quantitative • Qualitative
Typical form: Social survey research in which Typical form: Ethnographic or qualitative
there is a direct comparison between two or interview research on two or more cases.
more cases, as in cross-cultural research.
For example:
If we do research about SME’s in developing and developed countries. One researcher can do
research on findings of developed country and the co-researcher can do of developing
countries. These finding will then be compared and analyzed differently based on the findings.

Action Research:
• Action research can be defined as “an approach in which the action researcher and a
client collaborate in the diagnosis of the problem and in the development of a solution
based on the diagnosis”. In other words, one of the main characteristic traits of action
research relates to collaboration between researcher and member of organization in
order to solve organizational problems. The client discusses the problem with the
research team and the action research team does primary research on it and based on it
implement strategies to solve problem.
• Action study assumes social world to be constantly changing, both, researcher and
research being one part of that change.
• (c) https://research-methodology.net/research-methods/action-research
• For example:

Action Research Spiral

Action study is a participatory study consisting of spiral of following self-reflective cycles:
• Planning in order to initiate change
• Implementing the change (acting) and observing the process of implementation and
consequences
• Reflecting on processes of change and re-planning
• Acting and observing
• Reflecting

Level of Analysis

 Individual; e.g. manager or employee

• Department or work group
• Organization; e.g. structure or culture
• Market or societal context in which organizations are located
Our research is based on examining nexus between the digital financial services and financial
inclusion in context of Pakistan. We have used both primary data and secondary data in order
to collect the relevant information. We have conducted one-to-one interviews of individuals
and focus groups in order to collect information and analyze our findings. The research design
applicable to our findings is the cross sectional design as we have collected data at a single
point in time. The articles and reports we have used to analyze our findings is based on this
design. We may also use comparative design in order to compare and analyze our findings.