Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.3 Research Strategy
In considering strategy, research can be classified in various ways, the first of which is descriptive research, which is used to describe an on-going phenomenon as it exists. Next is exploratory research, which is used when there are a small number of research studies on a given issue or problem. Another strategy is analytical or explanatory research, which seeks to analyse and describe the causes of a phenomenon and what occurs within it. Finally, predictive research aims to predict future phenomenon based on existing identified causes (Collis & Hussey, 1997).
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The methodological preference of the present study is the interpretivist/inductive methodology, which has a direct influence on the chosen research strategy. In this regard, the strategy for this study is exploratory and analytical, deploying a funnel-like approach to the investigation and involving conceptual studies at the country level and then firm level case studies. Ghauri and Gronhaug (2010) identify geographic scope and situational context as important to international business research, and, based on this, the conceptual studies use three large countries in Sub-Saharan Africa as samples for the whole region, while the case studies focus on firms in the three countries. The main units of analysis are countries and firms in the selected industries in these countries (Collis & Hussey, 1997).
3.3.1
Case Studies and the Inductive Methodology of the Research
Multiple case study methods are used to examine the phenomenon of internationalisation. In this regard, a case can be described as a specific functioning unit, institution, population, enterprise, or bounded system of interest that is embedded in the real world and is the object of social enquiry (Stake, 1995; 2000; Gillham, 2000). A case study refers to the exploration of the complexity of a case and its interrelationships through the comprehensive collection of data from multiple sources of information (Stake, 1995; Creswell, 1998). In addition, case study research entails detailed case observations that enable a vicarious experience through in-depth knowledge and the subsequent refinement of general understanding (Gummesson, 2000; Stake, 2000). Further, case study research is concerned with constructing cases from social situations that occur naturally and the qualitative analyses of these cases in considerable depth through the relevant collection of unstructured data (Hammersley & Gomm, 2000). Under the interpretivist/inductive methodology, the case study approach is a phenomenological method that allows for reflexive insight, explaining units of meaning, and establishing essential themes (Finlay, 1999). A case study is embedded in the phenomenological approach that describes individual experience and outlines causal key meanings. Phenomenology goes further to express the pre-reflective substance of experience by making the invisible become clear, which it achieves through a focus on lived reality, discovery, interpretation, reflexivity and logical procedure (Heidegger, 1962; Shutz, 1967; Finlay, 1999; Merleau-Ponty, 2013). As a qualitative approach, case study research further enables a focus on instances of social phenomenon by providing58
comprehensive description of the interactions, experiences, events, and relationships related to it (Gillham, 2000; Denscombe, 2007). In addition, case studies take into consideration ‘what is’ and how it got there and help to explore and explain relationships, as well as also allowing for an in-depth examination of the phenomenon (Collis & Hussey, 1997). Case research is also important for studies that analyse decision-making (Gummesson, 2000; Fasanya, 2008). Cuervo-Cazurra (2007) propose that case studies help to assess the applicability of existing arguments and that the use of case studies in internationalisation research follows a pattern set by seminal studies such as Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975). Furthermore, Balasubramanyam and Forsans (2013) argue that, for research into OFDI from emerging markets, it can be challenging to quantify regional specific characteristics and to explain unexpected statistical results that may defy theory, and they therefore contend that OFDI research on emerging markets is best carried out through case studies. On this basis, the case study approach is the principal methodology for this research.
The typology of case studies includes exploratory studies that seek to find out initial information about a phenomenon and its interrelations as well as multiple ‘field studies’ that collect data from a combination of case studies, thus increasing the potential for cross-analysis and generalisation (Smith & Dainty, 1991; Yin, 2004). Field studies are used in this research as they are applicable to the study of internationalisation in the SSA region at the country and firm levels. This allows for a better understanding of the internationalisation phenomenon in SSA and also provides an opportunity to understand how theoretical assumptions work in practice (Mauffette-Leenders et al., 1997). Carrying out multiple case studies further establishes a collection of scenarios and thereby provides in-depth insight into the relevant issues (Wisker, 2008).
In conducting the multiple case studies, the research engages with stakeholders in SSA firms and industry sectors that are directly involved in the internationalisation phenomenon. It uses two units of analysis: firm and country. Since the research involves multiple cases using multiple units and levels of analysis, it is better understood as an embedded multiple case study rather than a holistic one using a single unit of analysis (Eisenhardt, 1989; Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2010). By considering different countries’ firms and industry sectors, the research allows for the comparison of data and a better understanding of concepts. It is therefore a comparative design, since it allows for the comparison of different cases (Lee & Lings, 2008). Additionally, the research is cross-
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national, as it relates to two or more countries, which allows for a better explanation of the phenomenon and the generalisation of findings (Hantrais & Mangen, 1996).