DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Data analysis is viewed as the statistical or other methods used to process collected data and transformation it into an answer to the original research question while data interpretation means to assign significance or coherent meaning to the collected data (Neuman, 2011). For this study, data analysis and interpretation was done in accordance with the principles of the grounded theory approach. In grounded theory methods, there is no preconceived theory or coding scheme instead an attempt is made to let the data speak for itself, by using the strategies of reviewing, discussing, coding and perhaps model or theory building (Neuman, 2011). Its methods provide a systematic procedure for shaping and handling rich qualitative material (Collins, 1999). Grounded theory methods were relevant for this study and were used because of the quality that they brought to the research. In addition, they enabled the researcher to simultaneously get involved in data generation and to analyse the phases of

74

the research, which was deemed important in the cyclical approach of action research as in this study (Kindon et al., 2010).

The researcher continually interpreted the data by guiding the actions which created analytical codes and categories from the gathered data (Charmaz, 2006). Grounded theory methods were also helpful in developing middle-range theories to explain the behaviour and processes that were needed to improve the achievements of targets for meeting deliverables, which led to the enhancement of the project success theory. Data analysis also involved data reading and organisation through the use of analytical memo writing, coding and categorising as well as enhancing analysis by taking categorised themes to the participants for validation and for further development of strategies that had solved problems which hinder the ability to complete project activities on time (Neuman, 2011). See Figure 3.6 below.

Figure 3.6: Data analysis, interpretation and presentation techniques (Researchers concept)

In terms of data analysis, the researcher looked for key aspects that hindered the completion of project tasks on time by role-players (Stringer, 2008; Creswell, 2013). The researcher gathered and analysed data on a continuous basis and simultaneously generated data and analysed it as a means that the emerging analysis had shaped the data-generation procedures (Charmaz, 2006; Bryant and Charmaz, 2007; Birks and Mills, 2015). This meant that after every interaction with role-players, the researcher went through the information captured and analysed it. This involved categorising issues into themes and taking those

Analytical Memo Writing

Reading Data Organising Data

Theoretical Memo Writing

Reading Data Assessing data comparison Action Development

Data Interpretation and Presentation

Quotes , Narratives, Site Notes Inference from literature and observed action- research outcomes

75

themes to the role-players for validation and further development of strategies that solved problems which hindered their ability to complete respective activities on time, cost and quality (Oliva and Pawlas, 2007; Buys, 2010).

The fact that research involved both the researcher and the participants in the research process was viewed as a collaborative effort, where everyone was involved in the resolution of a collective difficulty (Oliva and Pawlas, 2007). During data analysis, too, it was necessary to relate any knowledge that had been generated to the general social and historical situation and to try to appreciate how the participants had effected and influenced change. Before analysing the data, the researcher first organised it because the organisation of data is important in qualitative research in view of the large amount of information that was gathered during this study (Stringer, 2008; Creswell, 2013). The study concluded that the organisation of data in qualitative research meant keeping data in the chronological order of the events, having a detailed discussion of several themes with sub-themes, having specific illustrations, and having multiple perspectives from individuals, as well as quotations (Stringer, 2008; Creswell, 2013). As a result of the nature of the information involved during the phase of data gathering for this study, the researcher was not obliged to use a computer but instead typed the necessary forms which were completed or filled manually and stored for analysis. Some of the manuscripts were scanned and stored on the computer as electronic copies for back-up. Accordingly, data was arranged according to the source obtained from the interactions, observations, the reflections and the site notes or memos which were safely stored. This required the application of analytical memo writing where the researcher read data or information continuously in order to organise it. Memorandum writing was construed to be essential to grounded theory hence the researchers option to employ it for the current study (Bryant and Charmaz, 2007).

A memo is a unique research tool which helps the researcher to explore what is going on at the research site and memos also conceptualise the data in narrative form. Remaining firmly in the data, researchers used memos to create social reality by discursively organising and interpreting the social worlds of the participants (Bryant and Charmaz, 2007). During the researchers’ interaction on the project site, memos of different aspects were written, some of which were about the state of discipline and order during workshop time and the

76

information was compared with that which was obtained from the participants’ reflections. The information contained in the researchers’ memos was helpful for data analysis and continuous reading of all the data helped to obtain a general sense of the information and to reflect on its overall meaning (Creswell, 2008). Reading all the data to obtain the general sense meant reading the transcripts several times, with the aim of immersing the researcher in the details, in order to get a sense of the data as a whole, before breaking the data into parts (Delport et al., 2015). Breaking down the data into categories involved the application of theoretical memo writing and also required the use of the qualitative data analysis.

An analysis of the data generated was presented by the researcher in the form of lengthy narratives in chapters 4 and 5. This was done in sufficient detail for the purpose of allowing the reader to judge the accuracy of the analysis (McMillan and Schumacher, 2010). In the current study, the researcher also used raw data to illustrate and substantiate the interpretations. The interpretations were substantiated by quoting participants and memos presented by focus group workshops during the sessions (McMillan and Schumacher, 2010). Interpretation of knowledge in qualitative research was understood through making links, interpreting contexts and perceiving meanings attached to the data (Creswell, 2008). Understanding of knowledge was determined from the findings produced by the research, which were interpreted differently at different times and in different places by different people (Zuber-Skerritt, 2011). This called for the use of a number of strategies to ensure the validity of the research design, because the validity of a qualitative research design involves ethics (Stringer, 2008; Creswell, 2013).