of open source business model proposed in the Literature Review chapter, as a framework in annotating the ethnographic data, the latent designs in that data can be revealed. Taking the logic of using annotated portfolios a step further, as well as multiple designs within a single organisation, the portfo- lios could extend to considering designs created by multiple organisations. This implies a return to the case study approach, but in a design context. Taking an annotated portfolio approach to using ethnographic data in a de- sign process could go some way to addressing the criticisms of ethnography and design made by Crabtree et al. (2009), in particular that ethnography can end up as a ‘literary exercise’.
4.6.3
Narrative forms of open source business model
In this study, the narrative form of open source business model developed in Section 3.8.3 was used as a framework to create the annotated portfolio. Using this framework focused the process on the research area and research context. From analysis using this framework, the ethnographic data can emerge as a narrative form of open source business model, considering each founder’s desiderata, or wishes and desires for the future. This process of analysis helped reveal the narrative form of open source business model that each case study organisation has adopted, and which is embodied in the ethnographic data. The findings in this chapter contribute to the design of a more generic form of narrative open source business model in the Discussion of Findings chapter.
4.7
Quality, validity, generalisability and reli-
ability
Although this study takes a design approach in its analysis of case study data, as with any other research study, its findings need to satisfy the cri- teria of quality, validity, generalisability and reliability. A key aspect of any research project is the validity of its findings, where Robson (2002) finds four aspects of validity:
1. Construct, the extent to which operational measures reflect the inten- tions of the research and the research questions. In this study, the operational measures were developed through the three stages of em- pirical data gathering. In the third stage, analysis of ethnographic data from two case study organisations using a number of frameworks re-
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veals the narrative form of business model adopted by each one. This analysis relates directly to the research intentions and the research question.
2. Internal, considering causal factors, is there a third factor that is af- fecting the results? The analysis of ethnographic data in the Stage 3 of empirical data gathering reveals the factors that influenced the business model adopted by the case study organisations.
3. External, the extent to which it is possible to generalise the findings of the research. In this study, generalisability is weakened in this study by only having two long-term case studies plus one shorter case study, but strengthened by the connection of the research topic to multiple areas of literature.
4. Reliability, this is the extent to which the findings could be replicated by other researchers. Clearly documenting the research process in the Empirical Data chapter, and the use of NVivo software that allows com- prehensive reporting in Stage 2 and 3 contributes to the reliability of this study in allowing findings to be traced back to the data.
In the specific context of qualitative research, measures to ensure quality and validity as a qualitative research process include (adapted from Patton, 2002, p. 544-546):
1. Dependability, which entails ‘following a systematic process systemat- ically’ as shown in the following Empirical Data chapter.
2. Triangulation, in practice to ‘capture and report multiple perspectives rather than seek a single truth’. In this study, methodological tri- angulation was through multiple methods (design workshops, partic- ipant observation and analysis of documents) in a three stage pro- cess. Case study was through long-term engagement with two different case study organisations, together with a third case study organisa- tion. Data triangulation was through data from participant observa- tion, meeting notes, email correspondence, organisational documents and design workshops.
3. Reflexivity, or understanding how the researcher’s own experiences and background affects understanding, the researcher’s background is explained in Section 4.3.1 as being relevant to the research context.
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4. Encourage dialogue ‘among perspectives rather than aiming at singu- lar truth’, achieved by involving research participants as co-researchers where possible. For example, in the workshop with Shared Future, par- ticipants were encouraged to develop and adapt the methods offered by the author.
5. Gaining deeper understanding of specific cases within their own con- text rather than generalising across multiple cases, achieved in this project by considering each case separately before cross-case analysis. Ethnographic approaches can potentially offer a high degree of validity thr- ough prolonged engagement with research subjects and the research con- text, together with the opportunities to connect the data with previous and developing theory (LeCompte and Goetz, 1982; Golden-Biddle and Locke, 1993; Davies, 2008). This validity can be enhanced through strategies such as prolonged contact with participants, triangulation of data, checking inter- pretations with research participants, taking a reflexive approach to poten- tial researcher bias and reporting discrepant information (Creswell, 2007).
4.8
Conclusion to the chapter
This chapter has documented the methodology and research design adopted to investigate the research question RQ2, “What is the balance of power between the firm and workers in firms that have adopted a narrative form of open source business model?”. The foundation for the methodology is the theoretical stance adopted for this study, that an entrepreneur can exert an invisible form of power through narratives as a form of institutionalisation to create organisational reality. This study takes an epistemological position of critical theory, which implies that research is about a change process, or not so much about observing the world as it is, but exploring what it could be. Research as exploration of what could be implies a design approach, where design methods have been applied to organisation design and could also be applicable to business model design. In this study, the author applied design methods in three stages to answer the research question.
The first stage used personas to represent stakeholders in workshops with the founders of 3rd Way Coop and ESTA as case study organisations. This stage led to organisational model designs with a power-balanced struc- ture, thus partially answering the research question. However, it wasn’t clear at this stage how these organisational models could become business models.
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The second stage used personas and scenarios in a workshop to explore stakeholder involvement in Shared Future as a third case study. This stage was successful in that a business model with narrative elements was cre- ated by a workshop participant, but again didn’t fully answer the research question, as it wasn’t clear if this business model was power-balanced.
The third stage returned to 3rd Way Coop and ESTA as case studies, where the ethnographic data from the author’s long term engagement with their founders could contribute to a design process. The design technique of annotated portfolios was used to reveal the latent designs in this data. Thematic analysis using the narrative form of open source business model proposed in the Literature Review chapter as a framework led to a num- ber of business model designs that had a power-balanced structure, thus answering the research question RQ2.
The following Empirical Data chapter presents the data that was gath- ered during this study. After the introduction to the chapter, the first section documents the outcomes of the persona workshops held with the founders of 3rd Way Coop and ESTA in March 2016. The second section presents the document analysis, workshop and follow-up interviews conducted with Shared Future in March to July 2016. The third section presents analysis of the ethnographic data from the author’s engagement with the founders of 3rd Way Coop and ESTA as an annotated portfolio.
Chapter 5
Empirical Data
5.1
Introduction to the chapter
This chapter presents the empirical data gathered during this study from three case study organisations in three stages to answer the research ques- tion RQ2, “What is the balance of power between the firm and workers in firms that have adopted a narrative form of open source business model?”. The author engaged with the founders of 3rd Way Coop and ESTA from 2013 to 2016, meeting with each founder and with other stakeholders sev- eral times a year during that time. The data from this engagement included meeting notes, plus email correspondence and organisational documents is shown in Appendices A and B. Two different methods were used to analyse this data, shown in Stage 1 and 3 in this chapter. Stage 2 is an additional case study with Shared Future undertaken in 2016.
In Stage 1, the data formed the basis of a narrative of the author’s en- gagement with each organisation. This narrative was then used in a reflec- tive workshop with the founders of 3rd Way Coop and ESTA in March 2016 that used the design technique of personas. Excerpts from each narrative are shown in Section 5.2, plus data from the workshops.
In Stage 2, the author engaged with Shared Future, the third case study organisation in this study, from March to July 2016. Data from Shared Fu- ture included organisational documents plus information from their website and Twitter feed. Analysis of the data elicited the organisation’s values and stakeholders, which the author used in a workshop with Shared Fu- ture directors and other stakeholders in June 2016. This workshop used the design techniques of personas and scenarios to explore how Shared Future could develop its business model. The data from this workshop and from subsequent reflections with participants is shown in Section 5.3.
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In Stage 3, the data from the author’s engagement with the founders of 3rd Way Coop and ESTA up to October 2016 was analysed as an annotated portfolio, using the narrative form of open source business model that had been developed in Section 3.8.3 of the Literature Review as a framework. This analysis focused on the data that was relevant to the research question, and is shown in Section 5.4, with initial analysis shown in Appendices A and B.