Qualitative Text Analysis Methods

Because multiple sources of data/evidence were used in this case study, a process of qualitative text analysis needed to be employed to scan, comprehend and analyse the available data. According to Gordon & Langmaid (1988) there are three schools of qualitative text analysis all of which were utilised in the case study design as follows:

1. Holistic and interpretative: involves the researcher reading the entire transcript and writing interpretive thoughts in the margin – annotating the script en route. This approach to analysis is closely associated with ‘Grounded Theory’ (Glasser & Strauss, 1967).

Grounded Theory provides the researcher with an analysis approach where categories are created from interpretation of the data. An holistic and interpretative approach based upon Grounded Theory:

b. Provides researchers with analytic tools for handling masses of raw data. c. Helps analysts consider alternative meanings of phenomena.

d. Allows the researcher to be systematic and creative simultaneously.

e. Identifies, develops and relates the concepts that are the building blocks of theory. 2. Cut and paste: involves breaking (cutting) the transcripts or tapes down into text segments

and allocating these to codes or themes (pasting). In contrast to Grounded Theory, the cut and paste approach (Gordon, et al., 1988) involves the researcher starting with a

framework of codes and then allocating segments of text to codes within the framework. 3. Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) was originally

developed by academics in sociological and anthropological fields. CAQDAS is designed to help researchers with analysis operations that are usually performed manually (Dolan & Ayland, 2001).

The researcher employed all three methodologies in the course of this research as follows:

1. The researcher initially scanned and read through all CRM, methodology and case study data and made notes in the text as he progressed.

2. Once this had been completed the researcher cut and pasted relevant text into a master document then went about the process of editing the text and coding it so that common themes and relevant issues could be discussed.

3. To augment this process, SPSS text analysis was also used to review all common themes to ensure coding, sorting and writing up of findings were complete and that nothing had been overlooked.

This combination approach was used in response to the findings of Dolan & Ayland (2001) research where the authors compared all three approaches to find that different analysis approaches yielded similar outputs in all but one key respect. The holistic analysis identified additional important findings and contexts that would have been easily missed by both the cut and paste and CAQDAS methods (Dolan & Ayland, 2001). The benefit of the holistic approach was that each data source could be considered as a whole rather than as a set of discrete or disconnected data points. The researcher agreed with the Dolan & Ayland (2001) that CAQDAS aids coding and linking of codes but that this is no substitute for

thoughtful coding and intelligent analysis. Based on this summary, the methodologies ideal use is presented in Table 4-16 on page 138.

Table 4-16 Conclusions from the Comparison of Three Different Analysis Approaches

Holistic and interpretative Cut and paste CAQDAS

Ideal role when: Ideal role when: Ideal role when:

Understanding/characterising. respondent types is important. Identifying terminologies important. Understanding/collecting attitudinal information is a high priority.

Individual respondents need to be tracked.

Customer behaviour, attitudes and needs studies Market understanding.

Dedicated small-scale analyst team not available. Fast turnaround is

necessary.

Guide is relatively heavily structured.

Budget pressured. Individual respondents do not need to be tracked. Do not need to analyse data by more than one respondent type. Development of product attributes is required.

Study involves large volume of data.

Note: Volume is a function of interview length and to a lesser extent number of interviews. Qualitative data involve no fixed structure to the discussion, are dominated by open questions and include little prompting by the

interviewer. Revisiting data for additional analyses, unanticipated questions or to test theories developed from the original analysis is required.

(Dolan & Ayland, 2001)

Having discussed in detail the array of alternative methodologies and approaches available and justified the chosen approach to this study, the researcher will now present an overview of the methodologies used in the analysis of (1) archival records, (2) stakeholder surveys and (3) national CRM surveys. Owing to the fact that many of the specifics of the methodologies used in the stakeholder and national CRM surveys contain finding and outcome from the research, the methodology narrative for these two sections has been included in the next chapter; however a brief overview has been included in this chapter.

4.5.2 1. Analysis of Archival Documents

The purpose of analysing the archival Annual Reports was to present the CRM initiatives antecedents via a focus on the research questions outlined in the CRM literature review (summarised in the Appendix from page 304). To achieve this, the researcher reviewed and presented the material using the following process:

1. Selected relevant research questions identified in the CRM literature review that could be addressed through the use of the annual reports and archival material

2. The researcher reviewed the most recent Annual Report, then traced backwards events and reported activities that were relevant to the thesis. These events, and activities included the following:

Table 4-17 Archival Records - Annual Reports Topics

1. Electricity Supply. Issues affecting continuity and quality of supply of electricity to consumers.

2. Infrastructure and Generation. Issues regarding reticulation and electricity generation.

3. Undergrounding. Issues relating to the conversion of overhead power lines to underground cables

4. Tariffs. Issues relating to influencers impacting on electricity and line charges.

5. Customer Relationship Management practices.

Issues relating to historical practices and policies in Customer Relationship Management practices.

6. Government intervention. Issues relating to government intervention and manipulation of the electricity industry.

7. Press and publicity. Issues relating to the usage of media channels for customer communication.

8. Asset Management Plans. Issues specific to customer service, and level of service delivery based on segmentation.

These eight areas presented in Table 4-17 above were identified for the following reasons:

1. Supply of electricity – relevant in discussing the nature of the supplier/customer relationship.

2. Infrastructure and power generation – necessary to explain the services delivered to the customer by the company.

3. Undergrounding – relevant as a precursor to customer research undertaken by the researcher for the company.

4. Tariffs – relevant as it applied to the ability to maintain and grow distribution infrastructure to meet customer energy demands.

5. Customer Relationship Management practices – important as this traces the origins of CRM practices and highlights the degree to which the company pursued these

initiatives.

6. Government intervention – critical as electricity reforms brought about the structure and nature of the company leading up to this longitudinal study.

7. Press and publicity – important to highlight as an examination of media channel management is presented via a longitudinal timeline in the data analysis chapter. 8. Asset Management Plans – important to highlight how the case study organisation

4.5.3 2. Stakeholder Survey

The stakeholder research was carried out to probe into specific stakeholder opinions, satisfaction and feedback regarding services received from the case study organisation. Five stakeholder groups were identified as follows:

1. Electricians

2. Commercial customers 500-1000kVA 3. Developers

4. Local councils 5. Contractors.

The results of this research identified specific areas in which case study organisation could concentrate its resources and work to make improvements. This research evolved but differed from the annual mass market survey as it probed into specific areas of

concern/importance of five specific customer groups; the mass market survey presented a generic customer survey across all groups with little or no probing involved.

As mentioned, five stakeholder groups were identified and targeted for this study. Contact lists were created for these groups and are presented in the table below:

Table 4-18 Research Sample

Group Target Achieved Percentage Notes

1. Electricians. 152 67 44.08% Achieved sample represents a cross section of electricians who use case study organisation services.

2. Commercial. 88 24 27.27% Achieved sample represents a cross section of commercial organisations that have contact with case study organisation services. 3. Developers. 42 16 38.10% Achieved sample represents a cross section of

developers who have recently used or are currently using case study organisation services. 4. Local

Councils.

52 14 26.92% Achieved sample represents a cross section of respondents form each of the five councils within case study organisations network area. 5. Contractors. 7 6 85.71% Achieved sample represents a cross section of contractors who use case study organisation services.

Organisations that did not have direct contact with case study organisation were NOT interviewed.

Five different questionnaires were developed in consultation with willing participants within the Unison commercial team (these questions are included in the Analysis of Data

chapter from page 189). Interviews were conduced by telephone over a four week period in March 2006. Responses were recorded on paper, and then entered electronically, coded and analysed using SPSS and SPSS Text Analysis for Surveys by the researcher.

4.5.4 3. National CRM Survey

As previously discussed in the literature review chapter on page 82, in their work titled “The Customer Relationship Management Process: Its Measurement and Impact on

Performance”, Reinartz et al (2004) states the following:

“An understanding of how to manage relationships with customers effectively has become an important topic for both academicians and practitioners in recent years. However, the existing academic literature and the practical applications of customer relationship management (CRM) strategies do not provide a clear indication of what specifically constitutes CRM processes”Reinartz et al (2004).

In their study, the authors set out to achieve the following: 1. Conceptualise a construct of the CRM process and its dimensions, 2. Operationalise and validate the construct, and

3. Empirically investigate the organisational performance consequences of implementing CRM processes.

Reinartz et al’s (2004) research questions were addressed in two cross-sectional studies across four different industries and three countries. The first key outcome was a theoretically sound CRM process measure that outlines three key stages: initiation,

maintenance, and termination. The second key result was that the implementation of CRM processes has a moderately positive association with both perceptual and objective company performance (Reinartz, et al., 2004). A literature review of this research has been addressed in the previous chapter on page 82.

Using this research as a starting point, the researcher replicated the questionnaire developed by Reinartz et al (2004) to provide a measure of external validity for the case research (a copy of the survey is presented in the APPENDIX from page 306). This was achieved by the following methods:

1. Administering the CRM survey via open ended depth interview with the case study’s CRM manager to gain both a retrospective/historical account of CRM practices and

processes in 2002 in comparison to 2005 processes and practices within the case study organisation.

2. Administering the online CRM survey within the case study’s executive team. 3. Administering the online CRM survey within other electricity Lines Companies. 4. Administering the online CRM survey to a cross section of over 1200 New Zealand

organisations.

Using this CRM questionnaire, this approach provided the researcher the ability to measure CRM processes and practices from the following perspectives:

1. Temporally within the case study organisation to identify the cause and effect

relationships that led to changes in CRM practices and processes from 2002 and 2005 using other data sources to provide convergent validity.

2. Measuring CRM practices and processes across executive team members within the case study organisation providing a degree of construct validity (Chatterjee, et al., 1992; Johnson, et al., 1990; Van de Ven & Walker, 1984).

3. Measuring CRM practices and processes across cases within other electricity Lines Companies providing a degree of external validity.

4. Measuring CRM practices and processes across cases within other electricity lines companies and other New Zealand organisations providing an additional degree of external validity by comparing the case study with others in the same industry then against 17 other sectors of businesses and organisations within New Zealand.