What Is Qualitative Research?

Managers basically do business research to understand how and why things happen. If the
manager needs to know only what happened, or how often things happened, quantitative
research methodolo- gies would serve the purpose. But to understand the different
meanings that people place on their experiences often requires research techniques that
delve more deeply into peoples hidden interpre- tations, understandings, and
motivations. Qualitative research is designed to tell the researcher how (process) and why
(meaning) things happen as they do. While qualitative research currently accounts for
about 20% of research expenditures by businesses, that is set to change. With technology
help- ing to rapidly expand the insights drawn from social media analysis (netnography),
ethnography, crowdsourcing (tasking an undefined public with a problem or task),
marketing research online communities (MROCs), and virtual groups, the use of
qualitative research by business is expected to explode.1

Qualitative research includes an array of interpretive techniques which seek to

describe, decode, translate, and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the
frequency, of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world. 2
Qualitative techniques are used at both the data collection and data analysis stages of a
research project. At the data collection stage, the array of tech- niques includes focus
groups, individual depth interviews (IDIs), case studies, ethnography, grounded theory,
action research, and observation. During analysis, the qualitative researcher uses content
analy- sis of written or recorded materials drawn from personal expressions by
participants, behavioral ob- servations, and debriefing of observers, as well as the study
of artifacts and trace evidence from the physical environment. Observation as a

methodology deserves special attention and is covered in detail in Chapter 8.

Qualitative research aims to achieve an in-depth understanding of a situation, whether it
explains why a person entering a Kroger grocery proceeds down each aisle in turn or
heads for the rear of the store and chooses only alternate aisles thereafter or explains why
some advertisements make us laugh and contribute to our commitment to a brand while
others generate outrage and boycotts. Judith Langer, a noted qualitative researcher,
indicates that qualitative research is ideal if you want to extract feelings, emotions,
motivations, perceptions, consumer language, or self-described behavior. Qualitative
research draws data from a variety of sources, including the following:
People (individuals or groups). Organizations or institutions. Texts (published,
including virtual ones). Settings and environments (visual/sensory and virtual material).
Objects, artifacts, media products (textual/visual/sensory and virtual material). Events
and happenings (textual/visual/sensory and virtual material).
In this chapter we will focus on the qualitative methods that draw data from people and
organiza- tions. The next chapter focuses on observation studies, which many authors
consider an important contribution to qualitative data and which also contribute to the last
four categories.

QUANTITATIVE THEORY- In quantitative research, some historical precedent exists

for viewing a theory as a scientific prediction or explanation (see G. Thomas, 1997, for
different ways of conceptualizing theories and how they might constrain thought). for
example, the definition of a theory, such as the one by Kerlinger (1979), is still valid
today. A theory is a set of interrelated constructs (variables), definitions, and

propositions that presents a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among

variables, with the purpose of explaining natural phenomena (p. 64).
In this definition, a theory is an interrelated set of constructs (or variables) formed into
propositions, or hypotheses, that specify the relationship among variables (typically in
terms of magnitude or direction). The systematic view might be an argument, a
discussion, or a rationale, and it helps to explain (or predict) phenomena that occur in the
world. Labovitz and Hagedorn (1971) add to this definition the idea of a theoretical
rational, which they define as specifying how and why the
Qualitative versus Quantitative Research The Controversy
Qualitative research methodologies have roots in a variety of disciplines, including
anthropology, sociology, psychology, linguistics, communication, economics, and
semiotics. Historically, qualita- tive methodologies have been available much longer
some as early as the 19th centurythan the quantitative tools marketers rely on so
heavily. Possibly because of their origins, qualitative methods dont enjoy the unqualified
endorsement of upper management. Many senior managers maintain that
ualitative data are too subjective and susceptible to human error and bias in data
collection and in- terpretation. They believe such research provides an unstable
foundation for expensive and critical business decisions. The fact that results cannot be
generalized from a qualitative study to a larger population is considered a fundamental
weakness.
Increasingly, however, managers are returning to these techniques as quantitative
techniques fall short of providing the insights needed to make those ever-more-expensive

business decisions. Manag- ers deal with the issue of trustworthiness of qualitative data
through exacting methodology:

Carefully using literature searches to build probing questions.

Thoroughly justifying the methodology or combination of methodologies chosen.

Executing the chosen methodology in its natural setting (field study) rather than a highly
controlled setting (laboratory).
Choosing sample participants for relevance to the breadth of the issue rather than how
well they represent the target population.
Developing and including questions that reveal the exceptions to a rule or theory.
Carefully structuring the data analysis.
Comparing data across multiple sources and different contexts.
Conducting peer-researcher debriefing on results for added clarity, additional
insights, and reduced bias.
D > Qualitative versus Quantitative Research
Quanlitative

Quantitative

Focus of
Research

Understand and interpret

Describe, explain, and predict

Researcher
Involvement

Highresearcher is participant or catalyst

Limited; controlled to
prevent bias

Research
Purpose

In-depth understanding; theory building

Describe or predict; build and

test theory

Sample Design

Nonprobability; purposive

Probability

Sample Size

Small

Large

Research
Design

May evolve or adjust during the course of

the project

Often uses multiple methods simultaneously

or sequentially
D
D

Determined before
commencing the project
Uses single method or mixed
methods

Consistency is not expected

Consistency is critical

Involves longitudinal approach

Involves either a crosssectional or a longitudinal

approach

Participant
Preparation

Pretasking is common

No preparation desired to
avoid biasing the participant

Data Type and

Preparation

Verbal or pictorial descriptions

Verbal descriptions

Reduced to verbal codes (sometimes with

com- puter assistance)

Reduced to numerical codes

for computerized analysis

Human analysis following computer or

human coding; primarily nonquantitative

Computerized analysis
statistical and mathemat- ical
methods dominate

Data Analysis

Forces researcher to see the contextual

framework of the phenomenon being
measureddistinction between facts and
judgments less clear

Always ongoing during the project

Analysis may be ongoing

during the project
Maintains clear distinction
between facts and judgments

References
Business Research Method 12th `edition Donald cooper 2012
Introduction to qualitative data and methods for collection and analysis in food security
assessments, February 2009.