The final emerged theory

The emerged theory is represented by the six final action key categories, eight competitive capabilities and nine contextual conditions, which can be seen in the code matrix Table 5.1, where the overall audit trail of the three analytic stages are outlined. The matrix shows how the forty-six (46) open codes are theoretically abstracted into twenty-two (22) tentative categories and then to six (6) key

categories, namely with one (1) core category and five (5) main categories with sixteen (16) sub- categories.

Phase 1:

46 Open codes (Note: 39 Actions & 7 Consequences/Context conditions, Appendix 10 refers)

Phase 2:

22 Tentative categories: 7 key & 15 non-key tentative

catergories

Phase 3:

6 Key categories (1 Core & 5 main categories) plus 16 sub-categories

Leadership style; management effectiveness; and priority of

works (3)

Leading Effectively (Phase 3 Core Category)

Core Category: Integrative Management

and Leadership Approach (IMLA)

Managing business strategy (Phase 3 Main Category 1)

Main Category (1): Business Strategy

Sub-contractors & outsourcing (1)

Managing manufacturing strategy

(Phase 3 Main Category 2)

Main Category (2): Manufacturing

strategy

Ownership of operations; SC strategic action and growth (2)

Managing SC Strategy (Phase 3 Main Category 3)

Main Category (3): SC strategy

ICT applications (1) Managing Technology deployment (Phase 3 Main Category 4)

Main Category (4): Information and

automated technology deployment

Manufacturing process (1) Managing process within SC and manufacturing (Phase 3 Main Category 5)

Main Category (5): Holistic SCI

management process approach with

16 sub-categories:

1. lean management; 2. managing quality and

sustainability; SC members support; SCI

activities; SCI depth; and time management (4)

Managing SCI (Phase 3 Main Category 5)

181 Quality of processes; EHS

(sustainability); Lean management; and standards

implementation (4)

Lean Management, Sustainability and Quality

Standards Compliance 3. managing performance measurements; 4. auditing operations; 5. supply management; 6. managing cash-flow; 7. managing change and

innovation;

8. managing collaboration; 9. managing culture; 10. managing knowledge; 11. managing customer service; 12. managing information sharing; 13. managing logistics;

14. planning/forecasting; 15. managing risks; and 16. managing trust. Information sharing; and

communication (2)

Managing Information sharing/communication Risk management (1) Managing Risks Collaboration; teamwork;

employees’ engagement; cross- functional operations; and

coordination (5)

Managing Collaboration

Training & share innovative ideas (1)

Managing Knowledge

Performance measurements (1) Managing Performance measurements Logistics; delivery actions; and

transportation management (3)

Managing Logistics

Plans and forecasts (1) Planning & Forecasting Inventory management; supply

management; and lead time (3)

Supply management

Change management; flexibility; and innovation (3)

Managing Change & Innovation

Customer relationship management (1)

Managing Customer Service

Trust (1) Managing Trust

Managing Culture Auditing & traceability of

operations (1)

Auditing Operations

Managing Cash-flow

Eight Competitive Capabilities

SC flexibility; SC visibility; business continuity; continuous improvement; lean (optimised) operations; effective and efficient performance; sustainability (3BL); and effective customer service.

Nine Contextual Conditions

Macro: EU Free trade zone; Global commerce outside EU needs to pay special tariffs; EU/Government

incentives for investment and innovation; Malta small economies of scales makes most of the services relatively expensive (e.g. port charges, transport, electricity); Malta’s strategic location for sea transport for EU, North Africa and Asia; Current cut-throat competitive scenario; political, legal and social stability; and Global or EU Economic recessions disrupts the procurement of all imports. Micro: Human resources competitive capabilities and professional competences promote good governance of SMEs.

Table 5.1: Code Matrix for all categories within the research phases (Author)

5.5 Overview of the chapter

In this chapter all the twenty two (22) emerged key concepts derived from Chapter 4, within the Axial Coding phase, were again reviewed in this Selective Coding phase within this chapter, to conclusively derive the set of final key categories. The theorising process is based on the coding paradigm model (Strauss and Corbin, 1998). Henceforth, such a model exposes the meaning contained within the emerged theory, with its core category, referred as the IMLA with all other categories in terms of their

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actions and consequences within a context. The contextual conditions of the Maltese SMEs

manufacturing sector are described in terms of the micro and macro contextual conditions, to ensure that the theory is contextualised within the data, in line with the conditional/consequential matrix (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) to promote research rigour.

The conceptual labels are used to represent the researcher’s interpretation on the data, which are initially forty-six (46) tentative open codes in the Open Coding phase, with all the relevant theorising process within the codes memos. Then, the open codes are theoretically abstracted to twenty-two (22) tentative categories in the Axial Coding phase and finally, these tentative categories within this Selective Coding phase, are theoretically abstracted in terms of a core category and five (5) main categories. One of the main categories captures the sixteen (16) sub-categories. Such an analytic process, in all these three data collection and analysis phases, are tracked through memos, all along the research process, that constitute the theorising process on the emerged theory in an iterative approach in line with the constant comparison process. Such an analytic approach cannot be attributed to a smooth analytic sequential process, since it needs a cyclical analytic stance from one interview to another, without any sequence whatsoever and also from all the three coding stages between each other, as referred in Figure 5.1. In fact the theoretical memos for each phase become more accurate and complex as the analysis progresses, throughout the twenty-two (22) interviews, by going back to each category to refine and summarise each memo. The outcome of the Open Coding, Axial Coding and Selective Coding processes in terms of the categories can be seen in the Code Matrix Table 5.1.

The next chapter generates a concluding summary memo, which briefly describes the emerged SCI theory in a short narrative form with a special focus on the core category together with reference to all the five main categories and sixteen sub-categories with their dimensional variations. Furthermore, the substantive theory is also represented with the SCI theoretical framework with all actions and consequences which are all situated within the contextual conditions, as guided in Table 5.1.

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