Design of the Data Collection Protocol

A distinctive feature of case study research is the application of different data collection methods such as field observations, interviews and the sourcing of relevant documents (O'Leary, 2005; Stake, 2008). O'Leary (2005) proposed six steps to guide a qualitative data collection protocol which includes: (1) planning or considering the questions of people, place, time, things and the manner of how the data will be collected; (2) developing the tools for data collection; (3) piloting or conducting a trial; (4) modifying or refining the approach; (5) implementing the actual process of data collection; and (6) managing and analysing or making sense of the data.

The first step of data collection is the planning stage which involves the forethought of the people and access to the information needed in the research (O'Leary, 2005). A large portion of the planning stage was undertaken in the process of case selection. However, O'Leary (2005) recommended additional considerations in the research planning phase such as the role and biases of the researcher, and the ethical review and approval prior to data collection. She suggested to consider the position of the researcher as either an objective scientist, a change agent or a confidante during the process of data collection (Chapter 1, Section 5). In this research, my biases were also recognised so that the subjectivities could be minimised to ensure the credibility of the research. In addition, ethical considerations in dealing with human participants were also reviewed and I sought approval prior to the actual data collection (see Section 5).

The second step was the preparation of the tools for data collection (O'Leary, 2005). A data collection protocol was developed from a constant process of discernment about what data to collect and how to collect it. The tools may include a list of relevant documents, an interview schedule, an observation checklist and other data recording instruments (O'Leary, 2005). The most common primary data collection technique is the semi-structured interview (O'Leary, 2005), which was also determined as the most suitable method to address the research questions for logistical and accessibility reasons. The goal of the research is to investigate the barriers to, and drivers of, the adoption of the PhilGAP

certification programme. To achieve this goal, an interview guide that contains the list of questions, topics or issues was developed drawn from the background information and literature review (Chapter 3). An interview topic guide used for this research contains a list of information and a set of questions

Chapter 4: Methodology

54 intended to be answered and explored in a way that is suitable for each type of respondent (Taylor, 2016). Separate interview guides were developed for each type of adopter to find out why they adopted or did not adopt the PhilGAP certification programme, and to determine the barriers to, and drivers of, the adoption of the programme. In addition, separate interview guides were developed for the previous and new government agencies involved in the implementation of the PhilGAP

certification programme. These interviews were used to gain an understanding about how they have promoted the adoption of the PhilGAP certification programme, the processes they have in place to assist plantations to adopt the programme, and how they monitor PhilGAP-certified entities. The in- depth interview allows the establishment of a good rapport with the participants and the creation of a favourable environment where they can respond freely (Yeo et al., 2014). In addition, it also captures non-verbal communication related to the participants’ perceptions, attitudes and meanings in relation to a set of topic or questions. The interview followed a semi-structured approach that integrates a framework of the topic with the flexibility to probe issues that emerged from the predetermined topic (Yeo et al., 2014).

The secondary data used for this research included documents and field observations. The initial data collection plan was to undertake field observations of the banana growers’ quality management practices and also collect documents that are relevant to their agricultural practices. These documents include the standard operating procedures, spray diaries, production performance, and customer requirements. However, the plantation owners considered both of these sources of data commercially sensitive, and as such these data collection techniques were not used with banana growers. On the other hand, the secondary data from the government in the form of documents were requested by email. The documents include the list of PhilGAP-certified farms and the implemention rules and regulations of the PhilGAP certification programme. These documents provide background information about the problem situation.

The third step was to test the interview topic guide through pilot interviews (O'Leary, 2005). The mixed responses during the presentation at a technical committee meeting meant that a pilot interview could not be conducted. However, the topic guide was pre-tested and reviewed by someone whose background was similar to the respondents (Berg, 2012). Hence, the interview topic guides for both banana plantations and the government were pre-tested and reviewed by a peer who worked previously in a government regulatory agency and now worked with the banana plantation industry. The fourth step was to modify or refine the approach (O'Leary, 2005). Based on the feedback from the peer review of the interview guide, improvements were made to suit the topic for each group of respondents. In addition, the research design was constantly reviewed to reflect the different types of adopters central to the research questions. The fifth step was the actual process of data collection (O'Leary, 2005). The data collection procedure is described in the next section.

Chapter 4: Methodology

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