Towards a flexible online mixed method design with a feedback loop

The notion of mixed methods design relates to the research studies that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches. However, most of these studies are tailored to specific research problem in a particular study and are typically limited to a fixed sequence of qualitative and quantitative approaches (e.g. qualitative interviews followed by a survey or vice-versa). This limitation historically arises from time, cost and logistic restrictions. As an alternative, we develop an general extension of fixed mixed method design by introducing a flexible feedback-loop so that several phases can be combined in a flexible order. In practice, such designs are now increasingly feasible within an information-communication technology environment, where online respondents are readily available for immediate participation. An online experiment combining interactive series of web surveys and in-depth web interviews was performed to compare this approach with standard two-phase designs involving mixed methods. The costs, timing, quality of finiding and experiences of researchers were systematically evaluated. In summary, the proposed approach proved to be very beneficial.     

QUALITATIVE AND MIXED‐METHODS RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS: SURPRISING GROWTH,PROMISING FUTURE

Qualitative research in economics has traditionally been unimportant compared to quantitative work. Yet there has been a small explosion in use of quantitative approaches in the past 10–15 years, including ‘mixed‐methods’ projects which use qualitative and quantitative methods in combination. This paper surveys the growing use of qualitative methods in economics and closely related fields, aiming to provide economists with a useful roadmap through major sets of qualitative methods and how and why they are used. We review the growing body of economic research using qualitative approaches, emphasizing the gains from using qualitative‐ or mixed‐methods over traditional ‘closed‐ended’ approaches. It is argued that, although qualitative methods are often portrayed as less reliable, less accurate, less powerful and/or less credible than quantitative methods, in fact, the two sets of methods have their own strengths, and how much can be learned from one type of method or the other depends on specific issues that arise in studying the topic of interest. The central message of the paper is that well‐done qualitative work can provide scientifically valuable and intellectually helpful ways of adding to the stock of economic knowledge, especially when applied to research questions for which they are well suited.     

Mixed methods studies in entrepreneurship research: Applications and contributions

Mixed methods research is becoming an increasingly popular approach in several fields. However, its application in the field of entrepreneurship has not been studied. The authors reviewed the use of mixed methods research in three entrepreneurship journals and two leading generalistic journals that publish entrepreneurship research, examining the main purposes and designs. A total of 955 articles were reviewed and 81 mixed methods studies were identified. The analysis of these articles revealed opportunities associated with the application of this approach. Mixed methods may help to improve entrepreneurship research addressing challenges emphasized in earlier studies. Suggestions on why and how to use mixed methods research are offered, and recommendations are provided to guide future mixed methods studies to advance our understanding of the entrepreneurial phenomenon.     

The Optimality of Single-group Designs for Certain Mixed Models

In this paper optimal designs for the estimation of the fixed effects (population parameters) in a certain class of mixed models are investigated. Two classes of designs are compared: the class of single-group designs, where all individuals are observed under the same approximate design, and the class of more-group designs with the same mean number of observations per individual as before, where each individual can be observed under a different approximate design. It is shown that any design that is Φ-optimal in the class of single-group designs is also Φ-optimal in the larger class of more-group designs. The considered optimality criteria only have to satisfy mild assumptions, which is eg the case for the D-criterion and all linear criteria.     

Mixed Methods Studies in Environmental Management Research: Prevalence,Purposes and Designs

Mixed methods research, that is, the combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods in the same study, is a popular approach in several fields. However, its use in the field of environmental management and sustainable development has not been examined. The authors review the application of mixed methods research in the journal Business Strategy and the Environment in the last ten years. A total of 340 articles have been read and reviewed, and 26 mixed methods studies have been identified. The main purposes and mixed methods designs are examined. Suggestions on why and how to use mixed methods research are offered, and recommendations are provided to guide future mixed methods studies to advance our understanding of environmental management topics. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

Optimal designs for a mixed interference model

This paper generalizes Kunert and Martin’s (Ann Stat 28:1728–1742, 2000) method for finding optimal designs under a fixed interference model, to find optimal designs under a mixed interference model. The results are based on the properties of information matrices in fixed and mixed models given in Markiewicz (J Stat Plan Inference 59:127–137, 1997). The method is applied to find a design which is optimal for any given variances of random neighbor effects. Research partially supported by the KBN Grant Number 5 P03A 041 21.     

Assessing the Effect of Data Collection Mode on Measurement

This paper discusses the challenges in assessing the effects of mixed modes on measurement. We briefly review theories about why different modes of data collection can lead to differences in survey responses and statistical methods typically used to assess mode effects. We then discuss the challenges, including which mode effects are identified, how to test for mode effects, and whether these would affect substantive conclusions. The issues raised are illustrated with examples from the European Social Survey, which is conducting a programme of experimental research to inform decisions about whether to use mixed modes of data collection. The paper concludes with general implications for mixed modes research.     

Engaged Scholar(ship) in purchasing and supply management (PSM): Creative tension or squeezed in the middle?

Purchasing and supply management research influences practice through the advancement of knowledge and theoretical principles and is positioned as an academic discipline. For the individual researcher, it calls for skills and experience that can be associated with engaged scholarship. This paper explores tensions inherent in engaged scholarship, that arise during the quest to interact closely with professionals to ensure relevance and impact while living up to research quality criteria. The paper concludes that the individual researcher in a field such as PSM is easily left with guidelines that point in multiple directions regarding personal achievement and institutional merits.     

Move Your Research From The Ivy Tower To The Board Room: A Primer On Action Research For Academics,Consultants, And Business Executives

Today there is a large divide between the vast majority of management research that is conducted and the opportunities for doing work that is useful for both research and practice. Action research offers a great opportunity to bridge the divide, with benefits for all involved. For academic researchers, action research can increase access to important research sites that otherwise would remain off‐limits, while simultaneously increasing the relevance and scope of the research issues addressed. For researchers and practitioners who work in organizations, and for external consultants, action research offers a way to scientifically evaluate important organizational issues using scientific methods. These methods provide a type of external validity and support for actions that otherwise could be dismissed as representing a biased internal agenda. Moreover, internal researchers who engage in action research enable the sharing of insights that can benefit practitioners in other organizations as well as the research community. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Integrating quality into quantity: survey research in the era of mixed methods

As widely recognized during the golden age of survey research thanks to the work of the Columbia school, the use of mixed strategies allows survey research to overcome its limitations by incorporating the advantages of qualitative approaches rather than seeking alternative methods. The need to re-think survey research before embarking on this course impelled the author to undertake a critical analysis of one of the survey’s most important assumptions, proposing a shift from standardization of stimulus to standardization of meanings in order to anchor the requirement of answer comparability on a more solid basis. This proposal for rapprochement with qualitative research is followed by a more detailed section in which the author distinguishes four different types of mixed survey strategies, combining two criteria (time order and function of qualitative procedures). The most significant parts of the constructed typology are then brought together in a model called the multilevel integrated survey approach. This methodological model is concretely illustrated in an empirical study of homophobic prejudice among teenagers. The example shows how in research practice analytical mixed strategies can be creatively combined in the same survey research design, contributing to improvements in data quality and the relevance of research findings.     

Assessing legitimation in mixed research: a new framework

In this article, we have merged or intersected two typologies: Greene’s (Res Sch 13(1):93–98, 2006) four-domain typology for developing a methodological or research paradigm in the social and behavioral sciences and Onwuegbuzie and Johnson’s (Res Sch 13(1):48–63, 2006) nine-component typology for assessing mixed research legitimation. We argue that merging or interconnecting these typologies present a framework for assessing legitimation in mixed research. Specifically, we demonstrate how the nine types of legitimation map onto Greene’s (Res Sch 13(1):93–98, 2006) four methodological domains and illustrate how legitimation in mixed research, rather than being viewed as a procedure that occurs at a specific step of the mixed research process, is better conceptualized as a continuous iterative, interactive, and dynamic process. Additionally, in presenting this framework, we hope to reduce misperceptions that some researchers have voiced about mixed research.     

Environmental visibility: a trigger of green organizational response?

This paper develops a typology of visibility in an environmental context. Although visibility has been neglected and ill defined in contemporary environmental management research, environmental visibility can be a useful construct for predicting green organizational response. As such, it might prove a useful tool for environmental management researchers, policy‐makers and business strategists. The paper derives a conceptual typology of visibility from previous organizational theory research. Visibility is considered both as a characteristic of an organization and as a characteristic of an issue, and at both the corporate and operating unit levels. Data collected in a recent series of interviews in 24 business units in UK PLCs are analysed to provide examples of the types of visibility in an environmental context. The resultant environmental visibility typology is used to discuss the relationship between environmental visibility and green organizational responses. This study's findings suggest that considering environmental visibility as a predictor of green organizational response should be fruitful for future empirical research, and useful for policy‐makers and business strategists. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

Transnational entrepreneurs,worldchanging entrepreneurs,and ambassadors: a typology of the new breed of expatriates

As barriers to globalization have steadily diminished, the number of entrepreneurial and noncommercial expatriates have grown from a trickle to a torrent. Much of what we know about expatriatism may not apply to this new breed of expatriates. A four-quadrant typology of expatriates draws attention to important differences in expatriate types. I make use of the notions of comparative fit and normative fit from self-categorization theory to validate the typology. Examining the experiences of 160 expatriates demonstrates that the proposed typology represents real differences and is invoked by expatriates in the field. Scholars may apply this typology to explain inconsistent findings in extant studies and as a guide for the development of new research questions.     

Project‐as‐practice: In search of project management research that matters

Research on projects is not only an immature field of research, but it is also insubstantial when it comes to understanding what occurs in projects. This article contributes to making project management research matter to the academic as well as to the practitioner by developing a project‐as‐practice approach, in alignment with the ongoing debate in social science research. The article outlines a framework and argues that there are two major challenges to the researcher and also suggests how these challenges can be met. Underlying notions of the practice approach are outlined to ensure a development of the project‐as‐practice approach that makes project management research matter!     

Reducing Missing Data in Surveys: An Overview of Methods

Although item nonresponse can never be totally prevented, it can be considerably reduced, and thereby provide the researcher with not only more useable data, but also with helpful auxiliary information for a better imputation and adjustment. To achieve this an optimal data collection design is necessary. The optimization of the questionnaire and survey design are the main tools a researcher has to reduce the number of missing data in any such survey. In this contribution a concise typology of missing data patterns and their sources of origin are presented. Based on this typology, the mechanisms responsible for missing data are identified, followed by a discussion on how item nonresponse can be prevented.     

Ethical considerations during human centred overt and covert research

During the research process, several ethical issues have to be considered in ensuring the safety of the research participants. This is especially true in the case of human centred research designs in which people, not objects are the focus of research. This article reviews several of the issues that researchers should consider before, during and after the planning, implementation and completion of the research process whether it is overt or covert research. The article also functions as a tool that researcher may use in the consideration of the ethical value of their research and research results. The article provides the reader with the opportunity to review their own research related behaviour in ensuring that their research process is ethical in nature, as well as allows for the consideration of the safety and security of the research participant, and final contributing to society as a whole.     

The use of quasi-experiments in the social sciences: a content analysis

This article examines the use of various research designs in the social sciences as well as the choices that are made when a quasi-experimental design is used. A content analysis was carried out on articles published in 18 social science journals with various impact factors. The presence of quasi-experimental studies was investigated as well as choices in the design and analysis stage. It was found that quasi-experimental designs are not very often used in the inspected journals, and when they are applied they are not very well designed and analyzed. These findings suggest that the literature on how to deal with selection bias has not yet found its way to the practice of the applied researcher.     

The use of mixed methods research in the field of behavioural sciences

Mixed methods research involves the combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods in the same research study, and it is becoming increasingly important in several scientific areas. The aim of this paper is to review and compare through a mixed methods multiple-case study the application of this methodology in three reputable behavioural science journals: the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Addictive Behaviors and Psicothema. A quantitative analysis was carried out to review all the papers published in these journals during the period 2003–2008 and classify them into two blocks: theoretical and empirical, with the latter being further subdivided into three subtypes (quantitative, qualitative and mixed). A qualitative analysis determined the main characteristics of the mixed methods studies identified, in order to describe in more detail the ways in which the two methods are combined based on their purpose, priority, implementation and research design. From the journals selected, a total of 1,958 articles were analysed, the majority of which corresponded to empirical studies, with only a small number referring to research that used mixed methods. Nonetheless, mixed methods research does appear in all the behavioural science journals studied within the period selected, showing a range of designs, where the sequential equal weight mixed methods research design seems to stand out.     

Approaches to mass customization: configurations and empirical validation

Mass customization is a paradox-breaking manufacturing reality that combines the unique products of craft manufacturing with the cost-efficient manufacturing methods of mass production. Although this phenomenon is known to exist in practice, academic research has not adequately investigated this new form of competition. In this research, we develop a configurational model for classifying mass customizers based on customer involvement in design and product modularity. We validate this typology through an empirical analysis and classification of 126 mass customizers. We also explore manufacturing systems and performance implications of the various mass customization configurations.     

THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF VOLUNTARY ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF FIRMS: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Abstract.  New trends in studies on the governance of natural assets include substantial consideration of the role of voluntary initiatives. A traditional economic view states that there is a trade-off between being green and being competitive. According to that view, no voluntary environmental action is expected to occur. To undertake an in-depth analysis of the scope for voluntary action, this paper reviews empirical literature that analyzes the relationship between manufacturing firms' environmental initiatives or performance and economic results. This review moves beyond the general test of the 'pay to be green' hypothesis, preferring instead to systematize empirical results in more specific research questions. Empirical findings of the reviewed literature generally support that there is no penalty for being green. In addition, the typology of firms, the methods utilized for implementing environmental initiatives, the intensity of abatement efforts and stockholders' valuation of green firms have all been shown to have a sizeable influence on the actual economic results of environmental action or management. Consequently, the findings of this paper challenge the traditional strategic theory that predicts widespread free-riding; it holds major implications for environmental policy-making and environmental business decisions.