f CASE STUDY L
3.4.4 Phase Three
The discussions on generalisability feed well into the founding reasons for conducting Phase Three of the research which is presented in the Analysis Chapter (Chapter Six).
As has been highlighted, there are detractors who challenge the weaknesses of the case study approach in its fundamental flaw in terms of research credibility. It is argued that a case study is not quantitatively representative of its total population and hence suffers from its inability to be able to form the basis for empirical generalisations to be developed. Despite the defence that analytical generalisations can be drawn from them (Ellram, 1996), any further research that can be undertaken to help in better claim an element o f generalisability, even with limitations can be considered as an advance. This is the objective behind Phase Three of the research where an attempt to highlight the relevance of the research to the wider population is made.
To address this criticism and to partially counter the criticism noted above of the case study approach the results o f the research were presented in a second presentation to an audience of logistics professionals at a major dissemination conference. The interactive feedback provided by the delegates to specific questions derived from the research findings helped in the conclusion that the issues raised in the research had wider merit and significance to the wider business logistics population.
Alternative methods could have been deployed here for this purpose, such as further single or multiple case studies or even a questionnaire survey. However, each has its weaknesses which ruled out their adoption.
Further case studies as well as being time-consuming would not necessarily have achieved the objective o f supporting the generalising of the findings as by their very
nature, as discussed above, they suffer from being able to be quantitatively generalised to the wider population.
Questionnaires suffer from a recurring issue of poor response rates (Saunders et al, 2007) and also would have been challenging to conduct as survey research would ideally have required feedback across all three constituent members of each triad (Gentry, 1996); although this would not have been impossible to achieve, given the findings attained suggesting a lack of joined up communication across logistics triads, any expectation of identifying complete triads willing to feedback to a questionnaire appeared unlikely. This was experienced directly in the grocery sector when exploratory discussions revealed that industry trade bodies such as ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) or the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), whose focus is on bringing primary supply chain partners together, do not include LSPs in their membership.
Thus it was determined that the most applicable method was to gauge the reaction from a range of logistics professionals more directly. First, delegates at a major European conference, the EyeForTransport organised forum for the Third Party Logistics Industry in November 2007, were written to inviting them to participate in a follow up study. Unfortunately the response rate was too small for this method to be progressed. Instead, the researcher instigated and led the organisation of an alternative conference where the results of the research could be disseminated and feedback gathered.
The organisation of the conference held at the Belfry Hotel in the Midlands in the UK in February o f 2008 has been presented earlier in chapter 3.4.2. A similar survey of the delegates using the same method was used for assessing the generalisability of the findings from the preliminary inductive study earlier in the morning at the same conference.
The principal findings from the logistics triad case study were presented by the researcher at the conference during the second morning session with a senior manager from one of the triad companies. Then a number of questions were posed by the researcher to the audience using the interactive device - the Audience Response
System which is shown in Appendix 2. Only those who stated they came from industry are reported in this thesis and it should be noted that the composition of the audience which was checked at the start of each sessions was slightly different from the earlier morning session.
The questions asked were developed with reference principally to the findings in the case study, but also were obviously informed by the Literature Review and the Preliminary Inductive Study reported in Chapter Four. Table 9 summarises the questions and indicates the relevant contextual literature background. Initial versions of the questions were checked and trialled with colleagues both informally and formally resulting in minor amendments before being presented at the conference on a PowerPoint presentation. A full list of the final versions of the questions for Phase Three is available on Appendix 5.
The method of questioning was exactly the same as had been carried out in the earlier version of this described in 3.4.2 (Phase One of the research) as follows. For each question a slide had been prepared and this was displayed at the same time as the question was read out on a giant projection screen. Multiple choices were given as possible answers for each question and again displayed on the giant projection screen.
A brief time period was then given to ensure all delegates understood the question.
After this delegates were given 10 seconds to enter their response by simply pressing the button that corresponded to their answer. After this 10 second period was over the combined responses were displayed back to the audience in almost real time in the form of bar and pie charts. The system in effect allowed instant consultation with everyone who attended the conference event at any stage.
Question supplier, the product customer and the lead logistics provider (the logistics triad members) formally aim to align objectives and working practices?
The alignment of structures, inter- organisational relationships measures and systems in support of the shared goal of better optimising supply chain performance has been highlighted by many studies: for example Child (1972) - p. 128, Giunipero et al, (2006) - p.58, Bowersox (2007) - p.81, Bask (2001) - p. 102, Halldorsson et al. (2007), - p. 129.
Is the non-contractually based relationship in the logistics triad a potential weak link in the coordination or collaboration of all interfaces in the supply chain is critical to support the goals suggested that this was a potential weak link.
Do you personally feel that the non-contractually based relationship in the logistics triad is a strategically important link in the chain of supply to warrant a renewed management focus?
This question further probed into the notion that successful SCM strategies cannot afford to contain weak links. Authors such as Thompson and Sanders (1998) point out that “a supply notion of scalability. Larson and Gammelgaard (2001) p. 121 noted that the logistics triad existed across logistics service provision in Denmark - but could the success noted in this trail have wider applicability?
In logistics provision which business - business interface do you feel is the most problematic link of the logistics triad?
The findings from the case study suggested that it was the third dyadic inter-organisational relationship between the LSP and the consignee where problems were most prevalent. The question probed into this questioning the most problematic link from LSPs and their customers Do you feel that the logistics
triad alignment focus is a legitimate supply chain strategy which should be addressed by members of logistics triads?
The case study showed that improvement could be made by pursuing a more aligned logistics triad. The question sought to enquire into the wider applicability of the strategy in other logistics settings. If there was positive support this would confirm findings of Beier, 1989, p. 117, Gentry, 1996, p. 120 and Larson and Gammelgaard (2001) p. 121, who all reflected that there was potential in aligning logistics triads more optimally.
Table 9: Questions Tabled at the Second Morning Session at the Conference held at the Belfry Hotel in the Midlands in the UK on 27th February o f 2008.
The responses again provided a valuable and interesting insight into the views of industry practicing personnel to the findings emanating out of the case study.
Although there were significant limitations which should be acknowledged surrounding issues such as audience composition, which have been discussed above in 3.4.2 these were important findings and added a considerable degree of confidence to the meaningfulness of conclusions and the fact that the findings from the case study had relevance to the wider practicing logistics professional community.
The results and analysis from this exercise are presented in full in Chapter 6 of the thesis.
3.5 Conclusions
The purpose of this chapter has been to present the principal methodologies deployed in this research study. Discussions around the internal validity, representativeness and generalisability o f the research have been discussed and the theoretical legitimacy of the research along with the perceived limitations of the methodologies adopted has been presented.
Halldorsson and Aastrup (2003) and Lambert et al (2004) describe how validity of research can be assessed on the “trustworthiness” of the approach. They argue this contains four components which relate to the internal validity, reliability, external validity, and objectivity o f the study: they are; credibility, dependability, transferability and conformability.
Credibility - concerns the match between the researcher’s descriptions of reality and reality itself. In the case study the respondents had a chance to review the research and findings and correct any misinterpretations. This was completed after each of the review stages of the research after the initial findings, and the first and second review meetings.
Dependability - concerns how similar the results would be if similar methodologies ere deployed. Although this is the first case study which specifically focused on the logistics triad the methodological approach has been set out clearly. By redeploying the research over a longitudinal time span this extended period of observation has also enhanced dependability
Transferability: - concerns the degree that the study results can be applied to additional contexts (Erlandson et al, 1993). Although an argument for quantifiable generalisation cannot be made, a case for analytical generalisation has been advanced.
Further support for more generic implications of the research has been developed from Phase Three of the study.
Conformability - concerns the ability of the study results to be confirmed through the data. Proof o f improvements in the case study logistics triad has been obtained from performance, opinion and behavioural data sources in an attempt to triangulate the findings to provide confidence in the conformability of the findings.
It has therefore been demonstrated that the research has been conducted in a thorough and robust manner.
The chapter has also highlighted the difficulties of conducting rigorous, valid and generalisable research in the field of business management. To best address this challenging task it was proposed that the aim should be to take a trans-disciplinary approach. Thus the research problem was framed in the context of application with the research activity driven by both theory and practice simultaneously. The two main methodological approaches adopted based on deductive and inductive research strategies were outlined and justified. The details of supporting generalising phases, applied to the findings o f both the preliminary study and the longitudinal case study were then also set out. The strengths and limitations of each of the alternatives were explored and presented and the considered reasons for determining these research approaches compared to other alternatives discussed.
The remaining chapters present the findings from the research process outlined above.
Chapter 4
pertinent perceptions and attitudes to logistics service provision across the logistics triad in two sectors: known as the Preliminary Study (Bennett, 1991). At the outset of the research a wide- ranging initial question provided the broad focus of the research. The question was:“What is the influence of modern Supply Chain Management thinking in the way outsourced logistics provision is conceived and practiced?”