Mixed methods design

Mixed methods research design includes a combination of quantitative and qualitative research data, techniques and methods in a single research study. It enhances the strength

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of research by employing multiple methods in a single research study to approach the research problems from various dimensions, focus on a single process and enhance the data accuracy (Janice et al. 2006). This design allows the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches such as data collection, viewpoints, analysis and inference techniques to develop broader purposes of breadth, depth of understanding and corroboration (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie 2004).

There are four major types of mixed methods design, namely triangulation, embedded, explanatory and exploratory sequential design (Creswell & Clark 2007). Triangulation design is to concurrently collect both qualitative and quantitative data, merge both sets of data and use the outcome to address a research problem (Jick 1979). Embedded design collects qualitative and quantitative data concurrently, but one form of data will support the other form of data (Tashakkori & Teddlie 2003). Explanatory sequential design consists of first collecting quantitative data and then qualitative data to explain and elaborate on quantitative results in detail (Creswell & Clark 2007). Exploratory sequential design begins with qualitative data and then collects quantitative information. The aim of this design is to gather the qualitative data to explore the phenomenon and follow up by using quantitative data to explain the relationships in the previous data (Creswell 2008).

This research has adopted exploratory sequential design to answer the research questions for two reasons. First, there is a lack of academic literature in the context of Malaysian dry port operations in the container seaport system, therefore necessitating an exploration. Second, how Malaysian dry ports operate in the container seaport system to enhance seaport competitiveness requires validation.

This design starts by exploring with qualitative data and analysis and uses the findings in the second quantitative phase as shown in Figure 5.2. The intent of the strategy is to

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develop a better measurement with specific samples of populations. This design also permits the data to be generalised from a few individuals in phase one through to the larger sample of population in the quantitative phase (Klassen et al. 2012).

Figure 5.2: The exploratory sequential design Source: Tashakkori and Teddlie (2010, p. 69)

The combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches allows an exploration of views by listening to participants and following up with sequential questions to gain additional information on certain phenomena (Tashakkori & Teddlie 2010). This research explores the role and challenges of dry ports, discovers strategies for Malaysian dry port development based on dry port stakeholder views, requiring a qualitative data collection strategy. During the qualitative phase, information about the role of Malaysian dry ports was collected. That information is collected from a number of individuals who have experience of and interaction in the process (Morse & Mitcham 2002). Therefore in this research, respondents with vast experience from various organisations were selected to share their involvement in dry port development in Malaysia.

However, the information and knowledge produced from this approach is unable to be generalised to different people, communities or organisations because the findings may be exclusively related to the certain group of respondents in the research (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie 2004). Therefore quantitative research is conducted to generalise the findings by involving many samples from different populations and subpopulations (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie 2004). The objective of the quantitative phase is to validate the data on the dry port operating factors and their impact on Malaysian seaport

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competitiveness. The respondents for the quantitative phase were selected from the dry ports’ key stakeholders.

The qualitative data are collected for theme development; this is then followed by the quantitative data for the instrument development and qualitative output generalisability in addressing the research questions. Qualitative data are collected to identify the themes, and the developed themes are used to determine an instrument that is parallel to the developed themes. The themes and the statement from the sample are used to create the scales and items in the questionnaire. The final character of mixed methods research is visualisation of the procedure. It is complicated and difficult to comprehend without explicitly representing the mixed method procedure in the research (Ivankova et al. 2006). Therefore, a visual model of the exploratory sequential design procedure has been developed to ensure that the flow of mixed methods is accurately followed (Table 5.1).

The visual model consists of sections that represent phase, procedure and products. The phase section refers to the flow from qualitative data collection, data analysis and instrument development for quantitative data collection. Meanwhile the procedure refers to the sample size, instrument for data collection and data analysis procedure. Finally, products refer to the results of each stage.

In this exploratory sequential design, the mixing or the connections have been made during research question development, selecting the participants, and the quantitative follow-up analysis based on the qualitative results. The additional connecting points are to investigate the results from phase one in more detail through collecting and analysing the quantitative data in the second phase (Creswell & Clark 2011). The connection, mixing and the inferential have been created before the interpretation stage and this shows that an exploratory mixed method design has been implemented throughout the research process.

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