Plurality of qualitative research design - Langley & Abdallah

15 important questions on Plurality of qualitative research design - Langley & Abdallah

Why has qualitative research strengths in understanding processes?

Because this type of research can capture temporally evolving phenomena in rich detail.

Based on different epistemological foundations, there are four different approaches in doing and writing qualitative research distinguished in the article of Langley & Abdallah. These are related to strategy. Explain the different approaches briefly.

There are two more established templates; Eisenhardt and Gioia, and two more recent turns.

  • Eisenhardt method; testable proposition to create new knowledge in which factual data is derived. More post-positivistic paradigm.
  • Gioia template; capturing and modeling participant's meaning. Grounded theory and constructivism.
  • Practice turn; strategy is something that people do. It's about the way in which knowledge is embedded in practical activities.
  • Discursive turn; understand how social phenomena are constructed over time. This is more about the set of texts and of the practices related to the production.

What's the difference between the Eisenhardt and Gioia method regarding the epistemological foundation and research quality?

The Eisenhardt method is based on post-positivistic paradigm, searching for facts (that are most likely to be true). However, the Gioia method is more interpretative and based on grounded theory, so the constructivist paradigm.

Regarding the research quality, the Eisenhardt method relies on validity and reliability, whereas the Gioia method relies more on transferability through member checks and insider-outsider roles. Both templates want to pursue quality through triangulation.

The most important data gathering for Eisenhardt are interviews.
The most important data gathering for Gioia are interviews and observations.
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Both Eisenhardt and Gioia rely on case studies. What's the difference between the logic of methods?

The Eisenhardt method analyses multiple cases (4-10) based on  difference in one dimension and similarities on all others. This extreme difference in one dimension is also called polar types. So, its more a cross-case analysis. This leads to clear pattern recognition.

The Gioia method, in contrast, analyses one case in depth.

In the Gioia method, what are the three different ways to choose a case?

1) Critical case; case which can be used to test a particular theory.  
2) Extremes; case where something exceptional seems to occur.
3) Revelatory; case that offers high potential for developing insights.

How is credibility in the Eisenhardt method enhanced?

Trough sampling multiple perspectives in each case. E.g. Buyer and suppliers perspective, employer and employee etc.

What are the two steps in the Eisenhardt analysis?

Step 1: analysis within-case narratives
step 2: iterative process of case comparison.

What are the limitations of the Eisenhardt template?

1. It leads to a variance model rather than process model. So, explanation of the cause-effect, but no detailled explanation of how it evolves. So, less understanding. 
2. Its questioned whether its real novelty.
3. It gathers factual data and wants to describe a process, and generalize it to factual laws.

What are the limitations of the Gioia template?

1. The transferability is limited
2. The aggregated dimensions which are included in the model are at a high level. So, the explanation might be too general.

Langley and Abdallah discuss two more recent turns as alternatives for the more established templates. Regarding the practice turn, what is the most common research design chosen?

Ethnographic research, focused on skills and competencies underlying the activities. Ethonographic observation is suitable because you capture what participants are unable to articulate and it captures the nature of the practices.

How is data presented in the practice turn?

Detailled vignettes are used and actions and institutions are shown parallel on each other.

What is the key limitation of practice research?

The key limitation of practice research is that it's not quite yet a turn, but rather an umbrella of loose collections of theoretical lenses.

The discursive turn is about how social phenomena are constructed over time. It's about understanding social reality. What are the three dimensions in the research? Also explain these

Hermeneutic; this dimension is related to the understanding of how certain meanings are discursively constructed and interpreted and how they evolve over time.

Critical; this dimension is about revealing politics and power relations.

Interdiscursive; this dimension is about the interdiscursivity, meaning the interplay of discourses over time and across multiple levels (micro-meso-macro) instead of seeing it as something static.

What is crucial in the discursive turn?

The role of text, context and temporality.

What are the two limitations of the discursive turn?

- The presentation is not transparant and clear. This results in unclarity in how the findings should be used.

- Practical implications are hardly mentioned.

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