Chapter 4: Research Methodologies
Chapter Overview
This particular research methodology chapter will be dealing and integrating relevant and valid instances to incur the process of putting research and its methodological paradigm into actual flow of evidence proving and be able to recognize as well as support whatever research outcomes the study is deemed and expected to contribute from its ideal design and framework of research in motion. There can be integration of research tools and materials within such instrument validation as well as measurement use to come up with reliable research results pointing towards certain variables involved in the study focusing on major posits of core competence and sustainability in business that will be supporting the automotive as well as power generation industries in both UK and Nigeria respectively. Thus, considering research material inputs can be ideal also for this chapter as it guides the research study to be organized in such research design flow and pattern as vital for achieving coherent understanding of what methods are used, how methods are linked as well as how approaches to research are supported by such primary and secondary data resources from such issues of competence and sustainability and how it affects the operation level and performance of the industries focused.
Research Design
Accordingly, Creswell (1994) stated that the descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition. The emphasis is on describing rather than on judging or interpreting. The aim of descriptive research is to verify formulated hypotheses that refer to the present situation in order to elucidate it. For this study, the descriptive research method was employed in order to identify impact of competence and sustainability in automotive and power generation business within UK and Nigeria. The researcher opted to use this research method considering the objective to obtain first hand data from the respondents. The descriptive method is advantageous to the researcher because of flexibility providing the researcher greater options in selecting the instrument for data-gathering (Cited from, Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2003). The quantitative data collection methods are centred on the determination of the weighted mean of the given statements. When these methods are used, the researcher is usually detached from the study and the final output is context free.
The study use survey questionnaires to gather pertinent data. Moreover, the researcher also uses previous studies related to the current situation of Music industries in the market and compares it to its existing data in order to provide conclusions and competent recommendations. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire is employed by the researcher so as to save time and effort in the organization of the answers that will be gained. The questionnaire was distributed to the general public. The questionnaire was structured in such a way that respondents will be able to answer it easily. Thus, the set of questionnaire was structured using the Likert format with a five-point response scale. A Likert Scale is a rating scale that requires the subject to indicate his or her degree of agreement or disagreement to a statement. In this type of questionnaire, the respondents were given five response choices. These options served as the quantification of the participants’ agreement or disagreement on each question item.
Henceforth, measurement, numerical data and statistics are the main substance of quantitative instruments (Cited from, Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2003). With these instruments, an explicit description of data collection and analysis of procedures are necessary. The quantitative approach is more on the detailed description of a phenomenon. It basically gives generalization of the gathered data with tentative synthesized interpretations. Quantitative approach is useful as it helps the researcher to prevent bias in gathering and presenting research data. Quantitative data collection procedures create epistemological postulations that reality is objective which can only be realized by means of transcending individual perspective. This phenomenon in turn should be discussed or explained by means of data analysis gathered through objective forms of measurement. The quantitative data gathering methods are useful especially when a study needs to measure the perception of the respondents regarding the topic. The purpose of the quantitative approach is to avoid subjectivity by means of collecting and exploring information which describes the experience being studied (Cited from, Gall, Gall and Borg, 2003). The measures used in this study are being developed through an extensive literature review followed by iterative review.
Furthermore, the measures had been used in prior studies and were found to demonstrate adequate reliability and validity. The questionnaires containing the measures were also pilot-tested before the main survey. The variables covered in this study were measured as perceptual items on five-point Likert scales. In order to secure their assistance in completing the survey questionnaire, perceptual rather than objective measures were used. According to Dess and Robinson (Cited from, 1984), subjective measures can be appropriate surrogates for organizational performance. Several lists of questionnaire items have been developed from Rogers’ (Cited from, 1995) five attributes of innovation. The indices of innovative attributes were generally arrived at by combining the responses of the items conceptually associated with the variable being measured. This usually involved simple summation except with those items whose contributions were logically opposite to the set of the scale, respondents were asked to indicate their perception of the overall satisfaction with sustainable process within competency substance from the perspective of the business industries investigated.
The methodology employed by this research study implies a qualitative nature and more quantitative approach to this research may develop however, the purpose of this research project was to ascertain possible impact of competence and sustainability as used for any possible framework development. This research project will be seen by such committee who will be responsible for giving initial and subsequent direction to the research. The methodology thus used was developed in order to satisfy the key stages of the project. Before any framework could be developed for the industries in question, it was first appropriate to perform a desk-top research exercise in order to see what models of competence already exist, both within the sector and across sectors. The initial views of industry, as canvassed at the first conference, were used to develop the main features of a possible framework for recognizing competence for the five industries in question.
Research Questions
1. What is the positive/negative impact of competence and sustainability in automotive industry in UK?
2. What is the positive/negative impact of competence and sustainability in automotive industry in Nigeria?
3. What is the positive/negative impact of competence and sustainability in power generation industry in UK?
4. What is the positive/negative impact of competence and sustainability in power generation industry in Nigeria?
Thus, considering research hypothesis inputs can be ideal also for this chapter as it guides the research study to be organized in such research design flow and pattern as vital for achieving coherent understanding of what methods are used, how methods are linked as well as how approaches to research are supported by such primary and secondary data resources from competence as well as sustainability approaches to business industry adoption within the UK and Nigeria context.
Research Hypothesis
H1: Competence of automotive industry has a positive impact on the value of business sustainability in UK
H2: Sustainability of automotive industry has a positive impact on the value of business competence in UK
H3: Competence of power generation industry has a positive impact on the value of business competence in Nigeria
H4: Sustainability of power generation industry has a positive impact on the value of business competence in Nigeria
Research Population
The population of the research caters on 4 automotive and power generation industries operating in UK and Nigeria irrespective of whether they are using electronic commerce applications or not.
Research Sampling
Questionnaires are then distributed to the industries as the researcher made sure that the quality of the collected data will be at its best. Data was then coded and then analyzed using the SPSS software. In this chapter, there will be discussion of choices and substantial discussions concerning the research methods covered and such type of analysis strategy applied which are duly selected for the realization of this chapter and the study in general. Ideally, qualitative and quantitative research approach are being used in the study as the approach depends on the investigated information as such comprehensive discussions on core competence is desirable and appropriate within the study implying such qualitative research emphasizing unstructured as well as exploratory tool that can be based on such samples from UK and Nigeria industries that in manner does provide useful insights and understanding of such research issues as being supported by direct observation and with attempt to avoid commitment to such complicated nature to such research framework used. The qualitative approach has been selected as there can be enough awareness and consideration of competence and sustainability in UK and Nigeria’s industries as a part of the research study. Aside, quantitative approach was also applied in the study as it serves as an imperative material to assess and recognize precisely numeric values and figures as relevant and significant in determining such ideal impact as well as business performance adoption from views and perspectives of people involved within the automotive and power generation industries. Specifically, there can be a total of 10 industries as randomly selected to make up the sample. Selected participants answered a survey questionnaire structure in Likert format. Data gathered from this research instrument were then computed for interpretation. Along with primary data, the researcher also made use of secondary resources in the form of published articles and literatures to support the survey outcome. The questionnaire was structured in such a way that respondents will be able to answer it easily. Thus, the set of questionnaire was structured using the Likert format with a five-point response scale. A Likert Scale is a rating scale that requires the subject to indicate his or her degree of agreement or disagreement to a statement. In this type of questionnaire, the respondents were given five response choices. These options served as the quantification of the participants’ agreement or disagreement on each question item.
Reliability and Validity of the Questionnaire
Several techniques were used to assess the reliability Cronbach’s coefficient and to assess face, construct and convergent validity. In order to ascertain face validity, an initial questionnaire are to be passed through the routine editing and will be given to the panel of academic committee and that the participants of the study will be asked to respond to the questionnaire and based upon their comments; questionnaire will be reworded to enhance the clarity. In general, validity refers to the degree to which instrument truly measure the constructs that are intended to measure. Thus, Campbell and Fiske proposed two types of validity: convergent and discriminating validity. Convergent validity is measured by average variance extracted for each construct during the reliability analysis that should be 0.5 or 50 percent better. Then, to further analyze for convergent and discriminating validity of certain constructs, principal component method with such rotation are to be utilized in order to assess the variables in the study as such research outcomes can possibly show that variables incorporated are to be verified in the process respectively.
Questionnaire Guideline Questions
The discussion groups will be asked to discuss the issues in question to guide the conversation as there can be composed of several questions: (See Appendix for the questionnaire)
- What are the main drivers for competency and sustainability framework in the company you are part of?
- How such impact like in, automotive industry performance into the framework might be achieved within your area of interest?
- Taking into account the drivers and issues of competence which model, if there is one could be used as basis for any sustainable development within the industries?
- Do you support the business operation values for adopting such framework?
Ethical Considerations
In keeping with the appropriate procedures and in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the research, the researcher had made every effort to ensure that the ethical guidelines for conducting a study were strictly followed. Thus, prior to commencing with the research, permission was obtained from each customer, who participated in the study. All data collected from the respondents were kept in a secure location. The names of the respondents were secured. The objective, purpose and the significance of the study were all relayed to the participants before initiating the research process. As stated, the research underwent stages. In the research design, the researcher collected secondary data and formulated and developed the self-administered questionnaire. In this stage, these instruments were subjected to approval and validation. During the information collection, the researcher collated and summarized the data obtained from the self-administered questionnaire and survey. The researcher then analyzed this information and from these, the researcher came up with findings and recommendations that shall be presented in the next chapters.
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