RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

This section describes the specific design and methodologies that were used for data collection and analysis in order to address the main problem of the study.

1.8.1 Research methodology

This study aimed to assess the experiences/challenges faced by skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates, current recruitment and selection, orientation, and cross-cultural integration practices in Qatar and thereafter recommend a framework for the integration of skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates into Qatari organisations.

1.8.2 Literature study

A thorough review was conducted to explore what the current literature revealed about facilitating successful expatriate integration. The literature study addressed most of the sub-problems. In particular, the study focused on:

 The contemporary expectations that organisations have of skilled/professional expatriates.

 The theoretical guidelines for the integration of expatriates into a foreign work and cultural system in relation to recruitment and selection.

 The theoretical guidelines for the integration of expatriates into a foreign work and cultural system in relation to employee orientation.

 The theoretical guidelines for the integration of expatriates into a foreign work and cultural system in relation to cross-cultural integration.

1.8.3 Empirical study

This study combined the qualitative and quantitative methodology which in academic literature is referred to as a mixed method approach (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). This approach elicited both numerical (quantitative) and open ended (qualitative) data. The empirical study addressed sub-problem one and sub- problems three to six.

The qualitative method allowed for more detailed responses (data collection) and captured the human element in the responses. This was important because the objective of this study was to provide a recommended framework for the integration of skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates into Qatari organisations. Furthermore, it can contribute new knowledge to both academic and human resource practitioner communities as there is a limited amount of available literature related to the integration experiences/challenges of SIEs based in Qatar. In addition, knowledge from empirical studies on this important topic can greatly enhance the field.

Prior to the main, structured empirical study, the researcher conducted semi- structured interviews with a diverse group of ten people, who were members of the sample group. This was done to obtain their views on the expectations their organisations had of them upon their arrival in Qatar. In addition, the interviewees were asked to discuss two critical incidents for each of the following questions:

 What made it difficult to adjust to Qatar?  What made it easy to adjust to Qatar?

Hand-written notes were made after firstly obtaining the interviewees’ permission. Additionally, the interviewees were asked to provide written consent (refer to Appendix A). The results are presented at the end of Chapter three, paragraph

3.8. The insights gained from the interviews were included in the structured questionnaire that was used during the main empirical study.

The questionnaire was the primary data collection technique for the main study. A pilot test was conducted with five members from the sample group to ensure that the questions were clear and addressed the main problem and sub-problems that were being studied. In addition, the researcher asked academic professionals in the Business and Economic Sciences Faculty (School for Industrial Psychology and Human Resources) at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to review the questionnaire.

The development of the questionnaire was based on the key elements of successful expatriate integration (international adjustment) as identified in the literature study as well as on the insights gained from the semi-structured interviews.

Sections A to E of the questionnaire made provision for restricted responses while Section F contained open ended questions. A five point Likert Scale (strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree) was used for Sections B, C, D and E. The questionnaire was structured in the following manner:

 Section A: Biographical Data.

 Section B: Recruitment and Selection Experience.  Section C: Orientation Experience.

 Section D: Cross-Cultural Integration Experience.  Section E: Challenges Experienced.

 Section F: Recommendations.

The non-probability, snowball sampling method was used in this study. The questionnaire was administered to five members of the sample group in the pilot study and 102 respondents in the main study. The final sample size was 94 due to eight questionnaires not being completed properly. Survey Monkey was used for the distribution of the questionnaire. The researcher found it to be a user- friendly and economical method. The respondents were a mixed sample group. The members of the group included a variety of expatriates. Some were people whom the researcher interacts with socially, while other people were members of the expatriate community in Qatar who were referred to the researcher. At the onset, the researcher requested and recorded the e-mail addresses of each of the respondents in order to forward the link to the Survey Monkey questionnaire.

1.8.4 Statistical analysis

At the conclusion of the empirical study, the collected data was transferred to an MS Excel spread sheet. After this process, the researcher collaborated with a statistician from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University with regard to the type of statistical analysis required. The results were presented in a tabular format and an analysis was done by means of a descriptive statistical analysis of the mean scores and the standard deviations. These are presented in Chapter five.

However, the inferential statistics employed was the one-way MANOVA test (multivariate analysis of variance) to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores across selected biographical details and responses. The one-way ANOVA (univariate analysis of variance) and independent t-Test (univariate analysis of variance) were also conducted to determine whether significant differences existed where the MANOVA’s were significant. Cohen's d test for practical significance and the Cronbach alpha to test the internal consistency and reliability of the statements used in the questionnaire for this study were also employed. This data is also presented in Chapter five.

The conclusion was a recommended framework for the integration of skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates into Qatari organisations based on the literature review and empirical study (refer to Table 5.35).