Reflexivity Statement

Unlike in the practice of quantitative research where the researcher is distant from the research subject, the researcher is the main instrument in qualitative research (Yin, 2011). Thus, in order to conduct a trustworthy and reliable phenomenological study, it is

recommended that the researcher be aware of his or her own potential biases and preconceived ideas and try as much as possible to set them aside while conducting data analysis (Moustakas, 1994). The purpose of this study is to understand the heir apparent experience from the perspective of the participants rather than imposing my own framework on their descriptions. In the following paragraphs, I first present my own beliefs that may have shaped the design of the study and then reflect on my previous experience as a management consultant and the skills I have gathered which may help in achieving the goal of this study.

The use of a post-positivist approach to phenomenology is not arbitrary. I tend to subscribe to the post-positivist belief system and I was educated in an environment which considered hard sciences such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology superior to other fields. My experience in the educational system was that only one truth exists and that it is found in the external world. This has been reflected in my school, undergraduate, and MBA programs. Even during my PhD, my elective courses were advanced statistics which demonstrates my tendency towards this mindset. Many qualitative books I read suggest that some researchers choose qualitative research because they do not feel comfortable with statistics, but this is not the case for me. The choice of qualitative research in general and of the phenomenological approach in particular has been guided by the nature of my research questions rather than by an aversion to statistics. However, the application of the post-positivist worldview to the phenomenological approach has been influenced by my own belief system. This is reflected in the structure found in this proposal, which uses problem definition, formulations of research questions, literature

review, proposing a theoretical lens, and crafting a methodology section – a structure different from proposals done reflecting other worldviews.

My choice of a phenomenological approach to conduct my research was not random. Retrospectively, I believe I have used this approach in the past in my professional career as a management consultant. I first realized that individuals have different perspectives and that what applies in one context may not apply in another when I attended a sales seminar my organization presented to the salespeople of one of our corporate clients. Although I was amazed by the effectiveness of the techniques taught, I was surprised to discover the participants did not share my opinion. I took the opportunity to talk to individual participants over break time in order to understand their viewpoints. I discovered that many of the participants believed these techniques could not be applied in their context. After several discussions, I came to understand their perspectives and reported my findings to my supervisor. Since then, the company has adopted the practice of asking participants about their needs before preparing seminar materials.

Though my academic experience with qualitative research remains relatively limited, my professional experience as a management consultant helped me acquire several skills which assisted me in pursuing this research. Throughout my consulting career, I met with business owners, managers, and employees. I was mainly assigned to perform and write quick diagnostic reports for potential clients. Business owners or CEOs would approach our company, sometimes with a general concern about the performance of their organizations and other times with their own assessments of where the problems lay. They would ask our company to prepare a diagnosis and assess the situation in two to four weeks. My job was to attend at an organization, meet with relevant managers, try to

either support or reject the CEO’s hypothesis, and report what I believed to be the problem. The ability to listen to participants, to have a fresh look at the data despite a suggested proposition (e.g. the CEO’s own proposition of the problem), and to read between the lines are important skills in conducting qualitative research (Yin, 2011). Fortunately, these were skills I acquired during my consulting career.

During my 12 years as a management consultant, I dealt with many issues including planning CEO succession. However, I have not looked into the experience of an heir apparent. Hence, I do not have any conscious preconceived ideas about this process. I also believe that my move from Lebanon to Canada challenged many of my beliefs and taught me to look at things from different perspectives and accept new ideas and modes of operation. The context I worked in as a management consultant is quite different from the Canadian environment. This helped me to pay more attention to the experiences of the participants and challenge what they believe to be the norm.

By laying down my beliefs and previous experiences, I am not claiming to completely set aside my personal experiences and potential biases with the research topic, but rather am informing readers about them so that they can judge for themselves my level of involvement in the data analysis process (Creswell, 2013; Morgan & Smircich, 1980).