Chapter 4: Research Methodology
4.4 Research Design
Creswell (2009) viewed that research design enumerates a comprehensive technique for framing research questions, encompassing data collection, ethical regulations related to field work, methods for data gathering and analysis, and finally the unbiased researcher involvement through the entire procedure. It has been emphasised by Hussey and Hussey (1997) that research success predominantly relies on choosing the appropriate research procedure underlying the design outline. They also view that research design is the process by which the success of each step is correspondingly based on the successful completion of the previous step. The essential steps within the research design model applicable in the research process for the current study presented in the form of a flow chart in figure 4.1.
The research design procedure is classified into three important stages. The first stage is a research design that supports to generate and establish hypotheses built on the relationships of the construct (3rd chapter). The development of a hypothetical model needs a review of existing literature and linked with the research questions (2nd chapter). The second stage follows upon structuring research questions, a number of justified actions/steps are taken as a procedure that is termed as research methodology (in this chapter) in order to validate the relations (hypotheses) amongst the constructs in the framework. Finally, the third stage focusses on the gathering of data (4th chapter), data analysis (5th chapter), discussion and synthesis (6th chapter) and conclusions (7th chapter).
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Figure 4.1: Flow diagram on research design (adapted from Saunders et al., 2012;
Creswell, 2009)
Decide research area and select a topic
(Antecedents and consequences of trust in IT outsourcing relationship) What are the main issues? (Ch 2)
What are the main questions? (Ch 1 and 2)
Critically review of the literature
What do we know? (Ch 2) What is missing/gaps? (Ch 2)
Develop a conceptual framework
What are the relevant theories? (Ch 2 and 3) What are the main variables? (Ch 3)
Formulating the Hypotheses (Ch 3)
Context reliability:
Assessment of the components of the conceptual framework with industry practitioners and academicians and Pilot study (Ch 3, Ch 5)
Design main study
Where the study will be applied? (Ch 4) Where to find the data? (Ch 4) How to collect the data? (Ch 4)
Data collection
Prepare survey instrument (Ch 4)
Define population, sampling strategy and target respondents (Ch 4) Administer the survey (Ch 4)
Cleaning and preparing data
Missing values? (Ch 5) Common method bias (Ch 5)
Non response bias (Ch 5)
Review and select method for data analysis
Structural Equation Modelling using PLS (Ch 5) Results from measurement model and structural model (Ch5)
Discussion of results and interpretations
Interpretation of results in relation to literature (Ch 6) Answer research questions (Ch 6)
Conclusions, limitations and future work
Research contributions? (Ch 7)
Implications for scientific community and practitioners (Ch 7) Research limitations and future research (Ch7)
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As discussed above, the four underlying purposes in research design (figure 4.1) was achieved, to determine the critical factors related to IT offshoring relationships and form a hypothesis based conceptual framework. Researcher was then steered to choose a positivist approach using quantitative survey method for the data gathering procedure. Consequently, the fifth purpose of research design is to confirm the steps and related procedure to achieve comprehensive aim of the research. For this, the six guidelines were followed according to Sekaran (2000), that are required to achieve the aim, setting, type, researcher effect, time scale, and analysis unit of the empirical study. The effective strength of a particular choice is given in table 4.4.
Table 4.4: Research process
Figure 4.1 shows that initially the literature on IT outsourcing was critically reviewed to determine the theoretical and practical gaps and to develop a conceptual framework. After developing the conceptual framework, some preliminary assessment was conducted with some practitioners in the industry in Europe and academics in the University of Bedfordshire (Business School). These meetings aimed to evaluate the context reliability/validity of this research and to check the availability of relevant data needed to answer the research questions and
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to empirically test different relationships involved in the conceptual framework. A list of hypotheses was then formulated. These hypotheses were tested later using real survey data. Then, the findings of the quantitative data analysis were combined and interpreted in relation to the existing literature. By answering the research questions, final implications for the scientific community and for practitioners were highlighted.
4.4.2 Research objective and hypothesis testing
Sekaran (2000) classified the aim of studies as per the nature of the research: descriptive, exploratory and testing hypothesis. The objective of the research brings out the understanding needed for realizing the specific outcome. Resultantly
1. When fresh scopes are needed for investigation, the exploratory stage is recommended;
2. When definite features of the study require to be selected, the descriptive is recommended;
3. When the nature of the problem is analysed and depicted using hypotheses then testing of hypothesis is recommended.
Explicitly, this research follows a positivist approach whereby survey method is used for gathering data to scrutinise the significance level of various factors associated with trust, risk and success in IT offshoring. Thus, as per Sekaran (2000), testing of hypothesis is best suited to accomplish the aim of this study.
4.4.3 Unbiased extent of researcher interference with study
Choudrie and Dwivedi (2005) emphasises on the manner in which the researcher is involved in his research has a vital motivational factor in selecting the appropriate research method; like the case study and survey method. This determines the kind of analysis carefully chosen: causal or correlational, as stated by Sekaran (2000). He identifies where research takes place in a natural situation: like in correlational studies, it is evident that there is hardly any interference from the researcher. Whereas in causal studies when cause-and-effect relationship is established by the researcher through variables manipulation, then his or her involvement becomes
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deeper. In relation to the current research, the positivist approach is selected and given priority as against constructivism and critical theories, in addition to the researcher’s unbiased views relating to the research data (section 4.2.1). Handling a significant amount of population through face-to-face interviews were found to be unrealistic and data gathered for this study is built on direct sample responses with researcher’s un-biased involvement.
4.4.4 Realistic study settings
According to Sekaran (2000) usually all research applying a correlational kind of investigation: like field studies takes place in natural surroundings but causal studies like laboratory activities takes place in unnatural surroundings. This study is realistic and hence the kind of investigation applied is correlational.
4.4.5 Unit of analysis (UoA)
The UoA is the major entity or object that researchers are intending to analyse in their studies and about which generalisations are to be made (Lan, 2004; Creswell, 2009). Clearly determining the UoA can help to understand how the selected UoA relates to a broader body of knowledge (Easterby-Smith et al., 2008; Barratt et al., 2011). Also, it can assist in identifying applicable literature that can be used to clarify the phenomenon under investigation which assists in maintaining consistency throughout data collection and analysis (Barratt et al., 2011). In operations management studies, the UoA can be a manufacturing plant or factory, a primary product line, an individual employee, a system, a business unit or a relationship between buyers and suppliers-networks (Flynn et al., 1990: Forza, 2002). Whether individuals, plants, divisions or corporate levels are selected as the UoA depends on the research questions and hypotheses/propositions (Easterby- Smith et al., 2008).
Sekaran (2000) described the UoA as the degree and type of data collection needed in the following stage of analysing data. Selecting the unit must be checked when preparing the research question as it’s an essential feature (Creswell, 2009). Likewise, in the current research, it is crucial to remember the primary objective to investigate some of the utmost critical factors affecting trust, risk and success
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characteristics of firms involved in IT outsourcing activities. Therefore, evidently the research questions focus on an individual outsourcing firm to be the UoA. Hence, this research considers the individual outsourcing firm(s) or the service receiver(s) (“client” as defined in chapter 1) as the UoA.
4.4.6 Cross-sectional time horizon
Creswell (2009), Sekaran (2000) and Yin (2003) viewed the cross-sectional time horizon as a research carried out only once to collect data. On the other hand, longitudinal studies (Creswell, 2009, p. 12) are research conducted at different time intervals to assess the modification in variables that are dependent. Regarding the current research, a cross-sectional time horizon is selected, as this investigation is one of the important forecasters of behavioural acceptance. A cross-sectional study is selected as it can be applied to a sample in a small time frame and thereby eliminating the need for the researcher to further invest many years to measure the modification in the variables that are researched (Bordens and Abbott, 2007).
Having elaborated the research design and procedure, now it is necessary to discuss the study population along with the sampling strategy for the data collection process.