Methodology evaluation

Unlike the positivist approach, which uses quantitative analysis to verify or reject a hypothesis, interpretive research is not quantitatively measured to describe a specific phenomena. There are other ways that can be used to address the grounded theory evaluation. This section will review the different ways used to approach the grounded theory methodology evaluation.

By examining the different evaluation criteria offered by different researchers such as Goulding (2002) and Charmaz (2006), it becomes clear that there is an overlap between the criteria used by those researchers for evaluating the grounded theory research. Based on that, the research adopts some evaluation criteria that can be summarized in the following:

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Is the approach taken to build the framework clearly demonstrated? (Charmaz:

credibility)

 Does the framework recognise the cultural values of the users while being travel consumers and users of the travel interface? (Charmaz: credibility Goulding:

explanation)

 Does the research framework demonstrate the common cultural values of online consumers‘ behaviour for a specific culture such as Egyptian culture? (Charmaz:

resonance. Goulding: explanation)

 Does the research framework provide travel marketers with a structure to select the appropriate online strategies for targeting a specific group of consumers such as Egyptian consumers? (Charmaz: usefulness. Goulding: applicability)

 Does the framework stand as a valuable tool to the travel marketers working in the field? (Patton: external credibility. Charmaz: originality)

 Does the research framework provide marketers with a comparative analysis structure to evaluate the existing travel interfaces? (Charmaz: usefulness.

Goulding: applicability)

 Can the research framework provide designers with a list of questions that help in generating the clients‘ requirements? (Charmaz: usefulness. Goulding:

applicability)

 Does the framework stand as a valuable tool to the Web designers working in the field? (Patton: external credibility. Charmaz: originality)

To satisfy the framework evaluation criteria, three approaches have been adopted: audit trail, guidelines for use and expert review.

 Audit trail

This criterion is satisfied by chapter 3, which describes the appropriate approach taken to build the framework. In addition, chapter 4 contributes in satisfying this criterion by including data collection, analysis and discussion. This discussion includes a demonstration of how the research framework categories are grounded in both the data collected and previous research. This discussion will reflect how the research framework considers Egyptians‘ cultural values while being online travel consumers.

The previous items cover the validity requirements suggested by Robson (2002) and the credibility mentioned by Charmaz (2006).

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 Guidelines for use

Chapter 5 will discuss the research framework positioning and how it may provide a unique and different way compared to the existing cultural models in exploring the values affecting online consumers‘ behaviour within a domain such as the travel sector.

Section 5.2 shows how the research framework categories can provide travel site evaluation checklists that can be used for evaluating competitor travel sites.

Additionally, Section 5.3 will discuss the relevance of the research framework categories for providing Web designers with a list of questions that can be used to support them while generating their clients‘ travel interface design requirements.

The first part of chapter 6 will discuss how the research framework categories can be used as a structure for developing the appropriate online marketing strategies to target Egyptian online travel consumers. Therefore, chapters 5 and 6 demonstrate the concept of usefulness provided by Charmaz (2006) and the applicability provided by Goulding (2002).

 Expert review

As discussed earlier, the first part of chapter 6 shows how the research framework categories are used to develop the appropriate online marketing strategies for Egyptian travel consumers. The second part of this chapter seeks to evaluate the usefulness of the provided online marketing strategies using travel marketing expert review. Additionally, chapter 8 will evaluate the usefulness of the travel site design generating questions listed in section 5.3 using Web designers‘ expert review. These expert reviews will demonstrate the concept of usefulness, originality provided by Charmaz (2006), external creditability provided by Patton (2002) as well as applicability provided by Goulding (2002).

 Case studies

Using the travel site evaluation checklist provided in section 5.2, chapter 7 discusses the evaluation of three Egyptian local travel sites. These travel sites include a airline site (British Airways), an international travel agent (Thomas Cook) and an Egyptian travel agent (Alforsan Tours). Each site evaluation represents a case study, which demonstrates the concept of usefulness provided by Charmaz (2006) as well as the applicability provided by Goulding (2002).

Table 3.1 summarizes the three approaches used for evaluating the research framework.

85 Is the approach taken to build the

research framework clearly and users of the travel interface?

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Table 3.1 - Approaches for evaluating the E-CAF (adapted from Clark, 2007)

86 3.8 Summary

This chapter describes the decision process undertaken to select the appropriate methodology to establish the research framework. The chapter starts with setting the interpretive philosophy as the appropriate research paradigm to support the exploratory nature of the research. This includes analysing the cultural values affecting the online behaviour of the travel domain consumers. A view of the different research methodologies has been followed to show the possibilities in supporting the construction of the research framework. This ends with a decision on selecting grounded theory as the appropriate research methodology to build the research framework that captures the cultural values suitable for adapting the travel interface.

After selecting grounded theory as the suitable methodology, the chapter reviews other decisions related to methodology implementation such as data gathering instruments and research participants. Observation and semi-structured interviews are selected to collect the research framework primary data. This is followed by discussing the process undertaken to analyse and code the data following grounded theory principles.

The chapter ends by describing the different criteria that can be used to evaluate grounded theory research. Audit trial, guidelines for use, expert review and case study approaches are selected to stratify the research framework evaluation criteria. The next chapter describes how the grounded theory methodology is used to build the research framework.

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