Secondary Data Collection

Secondary data are pre-existing information, i.e. documentation and other company records that relate to gender composition, rewards and job security in different periods of a company’s life cycle (including the transition period of the Russian economy). These kinds of data can be collected from an organization’s data archives, workforce database, industry reports and statistical information. Analyzing secondary data can save a researcher’s financial resources, time and efforts. However, using the secondary data collection method as the sole method of data collection is insufficient for qualitative research because of the possible lack of relevance, quality and validity; moreover, the researcher is restricted to using data that have already been collected, and they may be difficult to access (McDaniel and Gates, 1996). Table 3.4 shows a number of advantages and disadvantages of using secondary data.

Advantages Disadvantages

 Has fewer resource requirements;

 Saves time for data collection;

 Saves money for data collection;

 Access to high-quality data;

 Opportunity to analyze data longitudinally;

 Can provide comparative data and contextual data;

 Fully exploitable dataset

 Comparing subgroups or subsets from other companies or industries.

 Access may be difficult or costly;

 Lack of relevance;

 Need for familiarity with the data;

 Need to manage large and complex datasets;

 Lack of control over data quality;

 Inaccuracy and lack of validity;

 Limited to data already collected;

 Does not build as many research skills as primary data collection method.

Table 3.4. Advantages and disadvantages of secondary data analysis (Adopted from Maylor and Blackmon, 2005 and McDanial and Gates, 1996)

102 Secondary data collection was undertaken in this research because these are a key source of information for this research due to their ready availability, their low cost relative to primary data and their usefulness in providing background information relating to the Russian coal industry. Secondary data in this research were sourced from books, journals, the `Ruscoal` Mining Company’s library and archive, coal industry reports, Russian recession reports and the Internet. The meticulous selection sources of secondary data allow the researcher to fully exploit the advantages of this collection method and to eliminate the disadvantages such as inaccuracy, lack of validity and lack of relevance. Moreover, they enable the evaluation of the formal rules and policies associated with each workplace culture such as any rules that prohibit employment relations and trade union policies. The researcher examined the underlying assumptions of the rules and policies, and attempted to answer the interview questions. Table 3.5 summarizes the data collection process, showing the research objectives and the data that will be collected in order to answer the research question.

Research objectives Schedule of Data Collection

1. To examine gender regulation rules and policies within the Russian mining industry and define how they have changed since the Soviet Union time for women’s labour force;

1. Relevant literature, government data, statistics;

2. Interviews with managers about their own experience, how the transition period impacted on them personally, how new labour regulation rules, political regime, and `perestroika` impacted on gender composition in their departments;

3. Initial archive of the `Ruscoal` Mining Company, labour legislation documents, national statistical data, etc.;

2. To consider how gender roles affect financial rewards and occupational sectors for male and female employees within the mining industry;

1. Interviews with employees about social payments and compensation in Soviet Union and Russia, wage gap in Russia and Soviet Union;

2. Interviews with managers about male and female attitudes toward job security, social benefits, wage gap in Russia and Soviet Union; 3. Initial archives of the `Ruscoal` Mining Company, documents about average salary for professions in different years, number of social benefits in different years;

103 3. To examine continuity and change in

the role of patriarchy in the transition period for male and female employees within the mining industry; and identify changes in men’s and women’s responsibilities for the home and work;

1. Interviews with employees about family and work responsibilities;

2. Interviews with managers about the employment of men and women, their work responsibilities, and also how their caring responsibilities are evaluated in performance at work;

3. Initial archives of the `Ruscoal` Mining Company: extent of employee absence in order to take care of children and sick people; 4. Interviews with managers of other companies in the mining industry about family and work responsibilities, how caring responsibilities are seen in relation to performance at work;

4. To find out the role of the trade union in the process of managing diversity, comparison analysis of Soviet Union trade union system and current Russian trade union system;

1. Interviews with trade union representatives about trade union’s activities, change of responsibilities, what the trade union organization did to protect employees in time of transition;

2. Initial archives of the `Ruscoal` Mining Company, documents about number of trade union members in Soviet Union and Russia, Soviet and Russian decree of the trade union; 3. Interviews with employees about membership and participation in the trade union;

4. Interviews with managers about trade union’s role in the `Ruscoal` Mining Company; Table 3.5. Research objectives and data that will be collected