There are three type of research methods, namely: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. However, this study adopted the mixed methods approach to investigate the research phenomenon. The justification for the choice of this method are provided below.
3.4.1 Quantitative research
Roberts (2012) asserts that the quantitative research has its origin from the positivist paradigm. The quantitative research primarily consists of collecting numerical data that will be analysed statistically and conclusions drawn from the analysis results. The premise is that the results are valid, generalizable to a larger population and are reliable. This quantitative paradigm allows the researcher to remain independent of the data and not having any subjective bias towards the results. Roberts (2012) support the view expressed by the above author, pointing out that that researchers often use quantitative in their investigations when they intend to eliminate possible bias. The positivist approach worked by taking a sample from a larger population and then making inferences to the whole target area from that sample. Questionnaires are typically used in surveys to ascertain the preferences, attitudes and opinions of the sample frame (Mancosa Study Guide, 2013). The four basic methods for conducting quantitative research includes observations, data studies, experiments and surveys.
3.4.2 Qualitative Research
Neil (2012) advocates that qualitative approach to research often adopts descriptive study and does not rely on statistical or numerical data as opposed to quantitative research. This approach to research allows researchers to provide rich and detailed descriptions of the research phenomenon (Mancosa Study Guide, 2013). Qualitative research is primarily interested in getting the complex and rich understanding of people’s lived experiences rather than data which can be aggregated to some conclusion as is the case with quantitative research. The qualitative method was used to collect information from the management and officials of the Eyesizwe Contractor Development Programme, through the help of a semi-structured interviews. The collected data from the emerging contractors sample will be generalised to all construction SMMEs within eThekwini in KZN.
3.4.3 Mixed methods
The mixed methods approach to research is the third approach which emerged in the recent times because of the limitations that were identified in quantitative and qualitative research. This approach to research has been in existence since 1950s but gained more popularity in the late 1980s (Dunning, Williams, Abonyi and Crooks, 2008; Creswell and Plano Clark, 2007; Creswell, 2003). Mixed methods involve the combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods in the investigation of a particular research phenomenon (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2007).
There are different approaches to mixed methods research, namely: sequential explanatory; sequential exploratory; sequential transformative; concurrent triangulation; concurrent Nested; and concurrent transformation. However, the study adopted the sequential exploratory mixed methods.This method of research involves the collection of qualitative data, followed by collection and analysis of quantitative data. There are several justification for the choice of this approach to research. A key justification is that, mixed methods increases the validity of the research findings through the process of triangulation (Hurmerinta-Peltomaki & Nummela, 2006). Another justification is that mixed methods provide deeper and broader understanding of the phenomenon than either using quantitative or qualitative research method. Also, the choice of this method of research was influenced by what is termed as integration component. Integration provides the researcher with more confidence in the research findings and the conclusions from the study (O’Cathain, Murphy and Nicholl, 2010).
3.4.4 Selected research methods and reliability
According to Polit and Beck (2008), the research strategy contains the plan about how the research questions can be answered. The researcher identified the type of available information as well as the purpose of the study as part of the research strategy. Consequently, a sequential, mixed method approach was adopted where a descriptive and non-experimental quantitative survey was used to generate data on challenges faced by SMMEs in the construction industry who engage in public procurement. Follow up interviews with officials from the contractor development programme will be used to confirm or disprove the earlier questionnaire data.
Burns and Grove (2009) see quantitative research as an objective, formal and systematic process to describe, examine the cause and effect-relationships between variables, leading to the easy statistically analysis of the data. The researcher cannot control or manipulate the independent variables in non-experimental research designs (Ibid). The study is carried out in a natural setting and observed as they occur. In the case of this study, there were no variables that were manipulated by the researcher. The respondents freely expressed their perceptions and experiences as asked in the questionnaire on how the government provides them with information. The same strategy of allowing respondents to freely express themselves was also extended to the management and officials of the Eyesizwe Contractors Development Programme.
Burns and Grove (2009) make the argument that questionnaires are sometimes used in descriptive studies and survey to describe an identified area of concern. This study starts with a literature review which is followed by a structured questionnaire administered to emerging contractors, selected within the eThekwini Metropolitan area in KwaZulu-Natal, to ascertain their current public procurement opportunities and how they access them.